New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-02-15
YOUNG CEYLON.
HE PROGRESS OF THE BUDDHlSTS

One who has been brought up under the Christian
ideas of salvation by imputed merits, however nucn
ne NAV have m ,difed these. finds 1t diihcuit to
appreciate the exactness of the moral weights anu
measures by which the Buddhists and liindus gen
orally regulate their Conduct. The Buddhist lives
every hour under the conception of personal recof"
in which his merits and dement's are unerrinsH
entered The religious aim of his lie Is 10 ,"u =,
the column of his meritorious thoughts, words ana
deeds, and keep small the column OF MS ur'i0','~
This thought and aim is ever present oho u''
when was with Judge Arunachaam. proi"'
nent Official. in peasant village IN Ceyloh'
where a crowd surrouni cd us, ne gave 'uo"
little address in their own tongue III VIM" NY
claim. to their kindness were no douo' oNci-
statsd The humble villagers gladly shoWeu 'n0
THAR WAYS of living and working Before ieaVi's
placed a small coin in the hand OF plpc heiu III
the arms of It's mother presently the child irettei
little. aud the woman spoke to 1t Softly 10"
words that said, as l aftcrward learned ny
sbould YOU fret when You have Just received giit
from n perltorious hand - Her word meritor-
iousD was strictly religious, and referred TO the
statement that my friend had ininischty mate
concerning me. In these smallest affairs the coNSo
erations of merit and denerit are never out OF the
thoughts.
Although the Christian doctrinc of vicarions
merits opens an imoassabe abyss between the
Oriental mind and Christianity. both HinduS and
Rudlhlsts are easily inclined toward loving and
reverential views OF Christ The late keshub
Chunder Sen used to say that Christ could take
possession of India so soon as he laid ASIDE MS nat
and boots The Christ of India mast not oe
European but an Oriental figure There are indeed
traces of time when Christ was welcomed IN ihula
and ip Ceylon. On the walls of the Buddhist temple
at Randy was startled by fnlIns the picture OF
a fiery hell III which the chief figure was one oil
mai lpl n
there for punishment but for mercy; the sufferers
were lneellng TO him. with clasped hands. rs II ne
had descended for their delveran 90. IL the origin
of that picture could be traced, might be ionhd
associated with the apotollte OF Mani IN fcrSla
and India whittier he bore that conception OF
Christ which the Orientals received with weicome.
but for which the Gnostc was iayed alive on his
return from the East. The Manichean CHRIST Is not
unlike Buddha in many respects, and there is reason
TO suspect that the few Bullhsts who are per
shaded by missionaries TO call thems ves Christians
rarely alter their old Fundamental! beliefs Inc
belief OF the Brahmans is. that no Hindu has ever
been really converted to Christianity professions OF
that kind being always due to self-nterest IT is
said that an English agent. engaged IN collecting
religious statistics inquire OF venerable man III
one of the Indian cities how may Christians there
were in the place. The Old man asked: Have you
found out how many English officials there are IN
How many Hindu servants have they Two
each" Then there are just twenty Christians ~
the place" However true that may be OF India II
is probably not true of Buddhist countries In
Ceylon at any rate Catholicism has taken on many
OF the characteristics of Buddhism and the ignorant
do not find the differences between the two very |
great and as Buddhism is the more tolerant. the |
brilliant Portuguese services unqualified by any |
dogmatic scheme comprehensive to the Buddhist |
their attractions pretty freely. |
That the Catholics do not accomplish more III !
Ceyop il owing to their loss of the old Jesu;tical
instinct of being all things to all men. They have
thrown down that ladder by which they climbed TO
their present position When arrived IN Ceyon |
there was much excitement about attack that |
had Just been made by he Catholics upon Bud |
dhist procession. 4 bit of what was supposed to |
be the aims bow of Buddha. iound near Bombay. |
having been presented to the Buddhists of Colombo.
they were bearing it TO new shrine when they |
were attacked. The Catholics declared that the
BudIhsts were mimcking their own professions
ana carving aloft "A crucliied ape. The inyestga-
ton that followed proved that the Buddhists were
following usages older than the Christian era The
suspicious of the Catholics that they were initiated
confirmed the remark Buddhist priest made to
me- that Christians are not generally aware OF the
real origin of many of their rites and ceremonies
ST Augustine observing the correspondence of early
Christian and Pagan ceremonies. haid, SATAN Is
Gods ape" There appears to have been similar
notion behind the recent riots at Colombo ana s
even possible that some echo of st. Augustnes
word may be in the wild accusation about the
scruciiied ape" However this may be, no one that
attends services IN Buddhist temple, ana observes
the holy water, shrlnes. relies. perpet ual lamps,
atar-beils rosaries aud turgcs intoned by shaver
celibates IN embroidered vestmcLts Will easily
believe that the Bu ilhist and Catholic forms are
independent developments. II the Roman Catholics
recognized instead of resentng these Summarizes,
they might have some hope OF absorbing the sing
laess They seem inclined rather to carry on their
propa ganda by appeals 10 popular superstition.
Mr. Oicott iss already famous as fres'-
dent of the Theosophica society, which. III Ceyon.
is affiliated with Buddhism recognizing the sacer-
dotal supremacy OF the priest OF Adams Peak:
Were he not involved with the phenomena
claimed by neutrality-suspicious. with burnt
cork complexion and turban this ingenious Amer
lean might have accomplished much among the
Buddhists of Ccylon. AS It IS, he has shown the
English missionaries and administrators how open
the Oriental mind and heart to Influences repre-
sentiug the knowledge that tue Vest has
Sympathy. notwithstanding the Translation OF tie
Sacred Books of the East. and the un yerSa recog.
milton of their treasures IN the Universities OF
Europe and America. Notwithstanding the crcnla
ton Of ArnOlds Light of ASA notwithstanding
the fact that the late Dean Stanley put 1t. the
name of Sakya Mum has become III England second
TO but one other, the average missionary goes on
prOnonncng these Oriental tigIonS ana their books
mere idoatry and diabOsm and the Government
inwardy subjects Of Satan No wonder that one or
two clever Americans, lmbued win the new spiilt
that Max Miller and other OrIcntal,sts have
awakened appearing in the East with homage To
the of all great religions have gathered moro
adhereDts in FIVE years than the missionaries have
in five centuries.
1 cannot, how ever think that the Singhalese are
likely 10 be benefited morally. either by the mission
aries or by the rheosophists. Happy, Kind to one
another, afectiOnate, content with hitle. they
might well instruct the white people who dwell
with them in what Shakespeare calls the blessed
ness of beng ttle" The Christian world generally
has derived its notion OF the SiDehaiese from
Hebers famous hymn, and think OF CeyiOn as q