Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-04-06
HID FROM US.
A Hfndoo Fakir Says Occidentals Cam
not Know Magic.

Hfndoo Faktr Says Occidentals Can
not Know Mngic.
From an Exchange.
Sayed Jamal Is one of the three high
caste Hindoo falirs whom Henry Ballen-
tine, formerly consul to Bombay, has in
duced to leave their country against their
religious pre1udices. and. under the guild
ance of his nephew. Edwin Rood, come to
this country. He was asked the other day
in New York to tell something about Hin
doc magic.
Our magic" he said. YES they try to
learn about 1t. Persons can't come from
England and France and America to learn
about it. One American told me he was go
ing to make a business of it. You make a
business of everything. He said he was 60
Ing to get at the bottom of it If he stayed
In India year. Think of a year. have
keen In India thirty times that long, and IL
l stay thousand years can't do what
that man was going to do in a year. Ages
wouldn't be enough for him to learn the
mysteries that he was going to give his life
and the lives of generations after him, and
then perhaps some distant descendant
might know something of what he wanted
to know.
You can't make business of it. You
must make a religion of it. And You can't
be converted to the religion; you must be
horn in it, and your forefatbers for genera
tions before you"
Sayed Jamal was asked about some of
caste.
You have heard of things that 1 have
never seen or heard Of" he answered. You
people have big eyes and a large imagina-
ton, and you like to tell what you have
seen and make 1t bigger each time. You
ike to write great books on immense
things and have them grow for your read
ers. L have seen Americans and English
men in India, who have thought they knew
all about our magic. when they had seen
hardly any of it. and then they have told
what perhaps they imagined.
"A man throwing a rope into the air and
then climbing 1T and disappearing was
never done in India. There is no such
thing. think know all that is done, and
this thing is not among them. Yet every
white man who speaks to me of magic asks
about it. 1t is foolish. I know why it is
rot true. but you couldn't understand me II
I told you.
Then the tall mango trees! Another
story for books. There was never one
grown more than four feet high. and your
travellers write about them growing into
mighty trees. 1t is silly. I know all about
the mango. I never heard of a white mans
high. - =
Il have been asked about theosophy many
times That is another western invention
that We know nothing about. 1t must be
some more business. great many persons
who think they are very wise. and are able
to look beyond the sky, come to India to
received. because We are always polite to
strangers.
Many of these persons are women. Your
women are very strange. They come and
tell us that theosophy originated with us,
and we listen, and perhaps nod our heads,
and they say We knew it, Then they
talk great deal about what We have never
heard of before and don't believe, and we
listen and don't contradict. We don't un-
derstand them and so keep silent They
talk a great deal about the occult, and how
much we know about things that we have
never before heard of, and don't want to
hear Of. Then they write books about the
wonderful information they got from us.
Yes. your people are clever at learning
about things. and your magicians are cum
nirg; but you know nothing about real
ma gic, about the powers that lie within the
religion that is a part of a man after being
sought for through generations, and to
which every organ and faculty is a servant.
And you never can know. for 1t is knowledge
for which you are in every way untitled
morally. mentally and physically.