The morning call., 1891-12-27
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TEMPLE OF BUDDHA.
Sir Edwin Arnold's Plan to Regain 1
From the Brahmins.

Sir Edwin Arnold's Plan to Regain 1t
From the Brahmins.
II have under way mammoth project of
interest to the entire world, particularly to
the religious world" said Sir Edwin Arnold
to a Chicago reporter. IF the project
does not reach maturity by next winter, as
l believe it will from the impetus given it
already, L shall go to India and close the
negotiations necessary to its contamination.
In fact. ought to be there this minute
"Jing Asoka of India, 800 B. c.. began
building great temple for Buddha near
where he sat under the Bodhi tree and OBJ
tanned universal knowledge. That tree is
there yet by the way-at least the Bud
dhists say So 1t Is a little growth, and |
don't believe it is the sacred tree at all.
Well, century after century work pro-
crossed on this grand temple. and it became
the seat Of the Buddhistic religion. But
by the lapse OF years and from gradual neg
lect it fell into the hands of the Brahmns,
and to-day the curious anomaly exists at
Bangkok of Buddhistic religious center
occupied exclusively by Brahmin v8taries.
Now, do you see what l am going to do?
/ am going to effect the return of the holy
temple to the Buddhists, and | am going to
do it without friction or violence. 1t will
be an event in the religious history of the
world similar to Saladin giving up the
sepulcher of the Lord without struggle.
- | cannot tell you fully how | am going
to do THIS, but can say that the Buddhsts,
headed by Phrachula Long Karn, the King
OF Siam, residing in Siam, Tnibet, Burmah,
Ceylon, China and Japan, are a unit in their
desire to see the holy temple restored.
- have hit upon plan that promises to
be successful, by which the Brahmins will
surrender the property. This done the
temple will be placed in the hands of a sort
OF Buddhist committee that will have COM
plete charge OF it.
Il have secured the needed civic author
ity. and, in fact. all that is wanted to effect
the return to its own seat and home of a
great world religion is the concluding eccle-
siastical negotiations, which are already
practically assured.
When asked of his personal religious be-
lief Sir Edwin said:
"I'll give you one point in it: believe in
soul Immortality. l am an Agnostic only
in the true meaning of the word. | don't
know what comes after death any more
than an unborn child knows about the quo
tatnns of corn on the Board of Trade, but
| believe there is post-mortem existence,
even if l cannot speak from actual knowI-
edge of it..
"Now. / am not visionary man. | am
a chemist, specialist, an anatomist; and |
declare that the studies of materalism
through these means OF research have only
strengthened my belief in soul immortality.
Go as far as you will IN scientific deiv!ng,
invariably you come to point where you
must Stop-the point where materialism
ends and where that subtitle. impalpable,
blind grasp into futurity is attern pied. 1t is
impossible to comprehend soul truth
through materialistic agencies. 1t requires
the exercise of the soul function and then
one believes. The very failure of material
beyond it-soul Immortality. IN. Y. Com
perpial AdyertiSer.