Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-02-23
MANNERS OF INDIA.
A short r1ik With sapahbraIl. :. Native

A short T@ik With sapahbrah 3 Native
Lecturer.
Did You ever see man with long hair
who wasn't Chinaman
A little man dressed in solemn black,
with HIS iong jetty hair done up in a
French twist and coiied upon the top of his
head, gave a reporter hearty handshake
at the Christian Association yesterday af-
ternoon.
The little man is {, Hindoo, who has been
lecturing some years in the United States
upon the customs of his country.
He has very dark skin, rather small
black eyes, lips little thick, but exquis-
itely refined as they parted in fine, clear
smile over his beautiful teeth. The nose
was straight and small, the nostrils very
thin and delicate. 1t was strangely at
tractiye face full of refined, intelligent ex-
preston, and its owner, who bore the name
Of Sauahbrah, spoke English better than
foreigners usually do.
How long have you studied our lam
gage? was asked.
Oh, some twenty years. | am thirty
nine now and / commenced studying it
when / was boy"
sAre you a follower of Buddha ~
No. | was converted very young and
baptized by Baptist minister. l was
very young when | first heard him preach.
j was impressed with him, but did not
understand him thoroughly until some
years afterwards. See, here are the idols
we xorship"
He showed three very queer, sphinx-like
wooden figures
.sAnd your people really worship these
thiags?"
Not the idols themselves, but what
they symbolic. This" picking out a
wooden figure painted olive green, ''repre-
sents Guadama, the last of the Buddha
gods"
Tell us your exact idea of the faith"
1T is principally founded upon the
TRANSPORTATION of souls. The Buddhists
believe that the souls of men after death
go into the bodies of beasts"
-.All of them?n
Yes; the good and bad-the good going
into the body of some sacred beast, then
going on and on until it reaches the state
OF nirvana.'
"And what is that?v
"a dreamless sleep"
That's what We call annihilation"
1T is.a Rindoo's idea of perfect happi-
ness. You see the lives of the Eastern
people are SO indolent They love not to
work or TO think, and their happiness lies
in mental and physical inaction"
Suppose a man committed a murder
what kind of beast would he become
after death ?"
"a beast of burden
Have the Buddhists moral laws like
Christians ?"
fes; their laws are like those given in
the commandments. Their faith teaches
them 10 be peaceful and forgiving, and
meme protesting it can drink wine. Grapes
for that reason. are not grown in our coun-
try
Have you priests?"
les, just as they have in the Christian
religion"
And are they allowed to marry ?"
No; they are all celibates. We have
temples and service much like the
Christians. The temples are mostly made
OF stone. The Buddhists sa, their PRAYERS
with these"
He held NJ two long strands of small
ard large beads, that would have been
Catholic rosaries but for the lack of a
cross.
What are your funeral services ?'
We cremate always. We take the
body to the funeral pyre wrapped in
white winding sheet, and chant on our way
and during the services"
Do you save the ashes and put them
in urns ?"
Never all is consumed and scattered"
DO You yourself believe in cremation ?"
Yes; l think it is the best mode of
disposing Of the body after death.n
DO you Use flowers in your funeral GER
eInonies?p
Yes; flowers of all colors, and ALWAYS
lasInines and tuberoses. We don't use many
roses. Our color of mourning is pale vel
low, lei mourning garments are worn only
by widows, and they remain widows and
wear morning until they die. They are
not allowed to marry again.
AID the husbands are net made to
mourn at alp
On, hey mourn according to taste,
an set married when they please
bow about courtship in India ?"
There is no courtship-no Iove-nak-
ips. The parents settle that, and the
young people do not see each other until
tntir Wed'llng Gay. linen there Is 4 grand
festival and the bridegroom wears this
garment, woven for him by the bride"
lie held out short shirt of heavy linen
and coiored red and white. From his
tr;ink he took the finest siiken fabrics ever
wrought One piece in gaudy designs was
hand-woven and cost $500, and the making
OF his took two whole years. 1t was sim
ply piece of silk four yards long and one
yard wide
There were beautiful wells of finest silk
tissue, hand wrought, with delicate silken
ioNers; scarf and turbans of silk that
changed and gIowed in every fold-as
brilliant they were as the tropical skies
beneath which they were wrought, aud
this display of fine fabrics would have
been the envy of an American lady fond
OF siiken hangings in her home.-Aaaatq
Consultation.