The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-05-13

The gods Of India are everywhere. and
vet they seem 10 be nowhere. The re-
ligion has been one long winter OF dis
content; one prolonged struggle on the
part OF the people 10 worship many
gods under many shapes. while always
on the point Of believing In one single
divine essence as the cause and creator
OF all things: hand TO hand fight be-
tween polytheism and monOtheisin' III
which the priests have continually endea-
vored to play the part Of concinatorS.
VIshnu and silva are now the chlei COLI
tending parties. and the priests nave
tried 70 make them agree by adding
third supreme deity in the shape or Bran
ma. OF this fact ingenious searcbers
after collateral evidence for Christianity
hive made capital saying that Brahnld,
Vishnu. and silva are inseparable. and mat
,he Hindoog are evidently in the posses
eion Of the dogma Of the trinity, writes
Novelist Crawford. in the Century. AS
a matter Of fact this IS pure nonsense
and contains as much truth as the par
aieis that have been drawn between
CHRIST and Buddha, Christ and Krishna-
Nanoleon the Great and Apollo Arch
b,shon Whateley, in his great squib
showed once and for all the absurdity OF
| such demonstrations.
For the chief of Buddhist institutions
was the monastery, and In no catholc
country have the mendicant and priesuy
orders ever lourshed In such NUMBERS
I'm such wealth. or in such power as they
did in India during the 500 or X" years
which elapsed from the rise 10 the eX-
tnction of Buddhism. The monks took
the vows Of poverty and meudicahcy as
individuals. but the order, as a BODY,
VoaODffCnnf DO1iUlDES
ana untold riches. Their error lay in sew
ering themselves too much from the
people. In making their religion too abb
stract for popular comprehension IN
leading lives which were too secluded 10
| admit of any breadth Of view and 100
well provided with good things for any
| great intelectual activity. Ihey nave
| left but little behind them worthy 10
be ranked literature.
In countries where people live much
| I'm the open air. dress simply, when they
| dress at all, and eat what they can get
II requires little effort Of Imagination OF
| skill Of pen to make them seem as pr1mi-
! tive as one pleases. As matter OF lacl'
where il Is very easy to live, or, at least,
where little thought or labor Is requisite
| go obtain the means of living, nation
| endowed with any natural activity Is
| very likely TO devote its energies 10 IN
| tellectual pursuits; and the result Is sure
10 be a state of national thought. which
| in despite OF scanty clothing, and rice
for breakfast, dinner, and supper. Will
| turn out the very reverse OF primitive.
India is such country, and 50 far as
| the Arvaus are concerned, always has
| been. What il was before the Afyan
conquest we have 10 means OF knowing
| but it is not at all likely that the modern
religions and customs belonged TO the
| aborigines prior to thai date. 1t seems
much more natural to suppose that the
| Vedic hymns and the Vedic faith-f we
| NAV so call it--were at all times the eX-
| elusive property of the higher classes
| of Aryans, aud that popular rehgions
| existed among the masses. as they 90
! now. simultaneously with the highly CIV
| uized belief of the Vedic Brahmans. Inc
word brahmana, as designating a mem
Der of the priestly caste distinguishes
from the brahman, the officiating priest,
and singer of the sacred verses IS 1ouhu
only i'm the very latest of the hymns,
showing that no such distinction was
necessary before the fusion OF the classes
which probably accompanied the south
| ward migration.