The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-08-26
FryDAMESrA1 nELrotors tDrAs.
enter DiRererco Between ChristInn,,v
and Various OricrtsI Religions.

Fl'N W. fVAFlfVVfVFt
II is diflcult for those trained In Western
modes Ct thought 10 define clearly what ,bc
Oriental thinkers " past centuries have meant
by what w call mctcmpsychosis or 4" tho trans.
migration OF SOUL
The difficulty arises from three circumstarc.,
The rellginnists of the Orient have nv very clca,
and wcll-dcincd expression Of the doctrine; ,ho
AIRY an races, as distinguished from the Semitic.
seem always TO have taken the doC;rino 10,
granted IN all their varied forms ~ bo.
lief; and Christian writer's are ncccssorpv
somewhat confused in their effort, :,
define the doctrine because NJ tho ,ncor.
r~ectness OF their own tcrminnloey with
reference to the soul life. II il only recently
that Christian philosophers have nt,cmptc,, =,
distinguish between that soul-life and spiritI,,
rs is So clearly indicated in the teaching 81 81,
Paul when he prays that the Christiansn of Tbrs.
salonica may be preserved IN spirit, in soul md
In body; and when. in the Epistle In the Ito.
brewn assuming that he IL the author of that
letter.. lie declares thnt the word NJ God i, ou,c,
and powerful, and sharper thnn any two.edred
sword, piercing even to the dividing nsunder ~
soul and spirit.
The teaching of the New Testament vop,d
seem To imply that man is NJ n t~ripartite nature.
with Hindus aud Bnddhi,ts surh "a NM m.
case. Nothing i NOR" contrary to their concep-
ton of human life than tho supposition that
IL IL OF n tripartit" nature. With them God Ia
is ,hcrotore ron,n.inr ~, r'I "'Insc" we. 1t
" soul" in the discussion Of the subject. In fact.
the expression trsnsmigratlon Of soulr /,
neither n correct rendering nor even a correct
translation OF the word metcmpsychosis. IL 4,
" transmigration of life"
Tho ancient Nelas OF the Hindus teach tina,
there ia only one real existing life with which
all material substances are identified. and from
"nicn 'ne iiool al hulthateu beings whether
men, animals, vegetables, or even minerals and
a,onca rfnr thea. tbev understand IN 10 81
-. r" my I" u
mated 90 proceed.
sbads. or The rbi,o,onb,csl section ~ tho y.S..,
wr :, :" ~ uI,,s,n 49,. n u 'eus>'
Is III y to be- ressarSe d as epvslopsd r..
There Is only one Being who exists ~
me expression brahm must not DC confused
with the Hindu Brahma, who with Nfshna and
SILVA constitute the Hindu Trinity; for with
them the trinity is a simple manation.
.o nho tsaa a. drs,r,os what we call the living
sous sous o, "ans.na rs preceding from brshm
ZOO, !ust as consuos.ah.a SPARKS proceed IN
Of these .n.rk, b,vina bson N, cas, % ,nto nae. nSrn pn'
49,. :" ps' w
djTnron, ca,ds,;o, s"'''' al" eh'ironeu WIN
TTbe Persian Mvs,ic. conway th...n. ,s..,.
likening God to a great ocean Of diyinitv onX
the soul ~ 18Th, Of mah hu to no drop from On the great ocean.
worldly conditions. WIN
Atran Ia ,ha aoiT r,ha nc Mori
that somstbino in nv o.onsci9usnsst
Atman Is concsived az a mntsn N.Y. Iha
TICS II il not the ave- tha, 'n +" y y ac.,Ei.
the .re ~ "a nor ~ sha n S.es, y. tne seem
near v IN inc ear, &c 1hat mysterious being IN
ma wnien says, ! am TINS person; possess
OF mans activity; behind it all is the Atman,or
sell IN IN suun, Wnicn LOOMS on as a spectator.
shh nee which causes spGh confusion In Oriental
biiitv OF man for bis mora ANA s sn1 irspoms,i
act n some mystics have maintained that
w., ,he egIon Cpnsclpusmess is not Responsible Tor
'h f. a Is aif,ie on thf 70 oo Understand the TEACHING =,
i,nne orisntai Aiysttc as 70 the mutual relation ot
h Ire ana p9dy; or as they would say. mini and
y%ouy; u tnere, ~, pernaPs, some consoiatloh IN
,ne iart that these worthless themselves are
very otten fohiussa regarding the question;
mhshail, represehts inc hnman soni as seeking
"uniss'on INTO inc sanctuary OF DIVINITY, thus;
from Ti!hin Inquired who Is ,here ihsn ns ~.
This house win not hold thee and me ""'EI ~ ,f npdt Ho.:
year. he returned and kRocked a. the door Of Divinity,
I'M I'M, opeHeu" W u u 'ra'eier entered III.
In other words he was, according to the sun
Mystic, absorbed into the ocean OF Divinity, re-
cordlnR TO Hindu philosophy he reentered into
the eternal Brahm. and, according TO Gautama.
-, DHNhi"s hN otoihN vi III
II seems to have been a characterize
Tie or buddhism that IL swept away to soma
extent the ahmini notion OF a soul fitting
about In order to seek an entity, and 1t estab;
iished the doctrine or what may be called
a. transmission or CHARACTER, in addition TO
inc uoctrlne transmiRration OF life. The doc no
existed before, but Gautama emphasized il. 10
tausht that NE originally, whether II be the life
OF a man; a tree. or 9 stone. has originated lust
as a spark from the fire ora drop from the ocean.
put that IN IT'S transit Il contracts environments.
n tne Deegha Nlksya.' n Buddhist work.
the writer states that Gautama taught that tho
Soul ana All matter Is eternal, and that there In
no newly eklstlng substance, Living beings
ptss away, they transmlgrate, they die and are
Dorh again, Dut ihey are eternal. As soon as n
DeihR dies anew being Is produced. &C
toTulhg 20 the Marina or desert or merit OF the
Deink VINO mas died. rms state OF existenoo' 10
rewaru or punishment, but merely the out
rome OF enyironment or association. And the
when produce TINS new being are said TO
ITtshhd; Or thirst, ana updddnd, or yearning.,
Ihe buddhists do not say that Gautama first
liscoveied THIS conception OF the transmigration
,, 'dG Ghhraoier, P9t thsy maintain that he received