The Portland daily press., 1893-09-15
CREED OF BuDDHA ExpouNDE1.
Christ's Teaching, Priest from India De-
clares. Is Not Followed Hero.

IL come from far away India to tell
you of the teachings of Christ, which
you have read, but do not practice"
came in ringing tones from FL. Dhar-
mapala of India, the Buddhist scholar,
as he talked from the pulpit of Unity
church yesterday morning.
He is a liberal Buddhist preacher from
Ceylon, is General Secretary of the Ma-ah
Bodhi Society, editor of the official jour
nal of the Maha-Bodhi Society, pub
lished in Calcutta, and came to Chicago
to represent the Southern Buddhists in
the parliament of religions. This society
Maha-Bodhi has for it's object the pur-
chasing back from the Hindus the tenn
pie of Buddha-Gaya, built on the site
where grew the Bo tree, under which sat
Gautama when he received sublime
light. The Buddhist preacher was clad
in the loose flowing robes of his office.
Of splendid Evolutionary powers, his
pulpit manner is easy and conversation
al. Continuing his sermon he said:
$50 with me to India. You have read
the arabian Nights" and of the Magic
Carpet. Get on that with me and go to
India. 1t is 1900 miles away. Forget
your Western methods of thought.
Think you are under Indian skies, I'M
der cooling shades, and beside the beau-
tiful River Ganges. / will tell you n
story 2, 500 years old. Think dispas-
sionately- and fearlessly, and l will be
glad and pleased to sympathize with
you"
ua tbo,, road "a 81 -, otc From, +bo CerMon
on the Mount and from the Psalms. be-
ginning :" the sorrows of death took hold
on him." Continuing he said:
:" am of the Aryan race, you are OF the
Aryan stock, but you have listened to
Semitic teaching. The Psalmist is purely
Semitic. What does the Psalimst do
when sorrows encompass him? He prays.
That is and ever has been the Semitic
method. Twenty-Five centuries ago IN
India the BrahimnS, then all powerful.
were divided into four classes. One
class believed in curing all SORROWS by
prayer. Another attempted to satisfy
all desires by singing. They sang give
heaven. Another class believedin sacrifice.
They killed goats, buffalo, and cattle,
and the mass Of blood daily covered the
altar of God. The fourth class read the
Scriptures. That was their religion.
The young people dressed .gorgeously
etuQ IlVGO anu dllOWCo buC
Brahminst to do the religion for them.
Intellectual activity was high. Skepti-
cism was rampant. The most scholarly
men regarded the Brahmins as whitened
sepulchres unworthy of confidence.
Then arose great teacher whose follow
ers now number ATS, 900, 900 people. How
as a King. He left his wife and only
part of mendicant and went in search
of truth He became the disciple of great
teachers. He did not find rest. He went
into solitude. He then found enlight-
ment Wisdom dawned on him. He
began preaching the system of pure life
Buddha We have read of him for the
last twenty-five centuries. He has been
known to you for the last fifteen years.
Sir Edwin Arnold in the "'Light of Asia
has popularized his name and life with
you.
He teaches that there are two extremes
to be avoided by man who would lead
true life-to avoid alike sensualty and
asceticism-and pursue middle path
which opens the eyes, bestows understand
ing, gives peace of mind, leads to higher
wisdom and to fullness of enlighten-
ment, that the way to destroy suffering
is by entertaining right views, aspira-
contemplation Buddha for As years
preached those doctrines of pure life, pure
thoughts and pure contemplation. That
is the whole of Buddhism. Buddha says
man to be rid of sorrows to have in his
bosom that peace which passeth under
standing must entirely eradicate all evil
and everything that is bad, lustful. He
must accustom himself to all that is
pure, holy, to a life of remuneration, of
knowledge, of universal charity. Do all
that is good without expectation of re-
ward, but because it is good. Complete
" purify the mind Then you can see
the truth in the purest light. Be free of
passion Renounce those pleasures that
| the ignorant and illiterate believe good.
Think dispassionately and calmly.
These teachings acted as a thunderbolt
to the Brahmins. They did not want to
see God face to face. Buddha said: "You
must discard ceremonials." The skepti-
cal classes were Disguised with Brah-
minism The young men Joined the ranks
of the holy teacher and took the peaceful
| and holy life.
seeds of knowledge. Be unfettered.
Teach purity. Live under the shady
trees in the cool caves in the banks OF
rolling rivers. Be pure; And he sent
iconoclast He came not to destroy but
to fulfill. He destroyed the Brahimns,
the hypcrites of India. He preached all
over India, condemnings ceremoniallsm
and preaching purity. He led life OF
purity, of holiness, of absolute compass
sion The teachings of Buddha We're re-
pulsive to those who lived in the dress,
the comforts, the luxuries, the passions
| of life. To the intelligent fearless
thinkers Buddhism offers a rich field OF
| thought.
come from far away India to tell you
of the teachings of Christ which you
have read, but do not practice. Chicago
your marvellous city. lives not the life
of Christ nor Of Buddha There is too
much of the ceremonialism, sensuelity,
gossip criticism in the life Of today's
world. The entire twenty-four houls of
the day are given up to frivolty. The
teachings of Christ and Buddha are not
realized. The Aryan tendency of Christ
will not be realized so long as that race
is dominated by Judaic tendencies In
India and Ceylon there is turning
towards the Christ, the Buddhist By the
gentle teachers Of purity. Eighteen cen, cen
weighed in the balance and found want