The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-08-09
FAITH OF THE nuDDHIs NJ.

FAITH OF THE DUDDHIS ~.
A Japanese Priest Explains It-A Com
pnrIsoa with ChFIstlanltY-Muoh of the
Christian Religion Acc opted by Than,
Following arc interesting extracts
from IN interview with Buddhist
priest in Japan, by William L, Curtis,
and published ina recent letter to the
Chicago Record;
II confess that | am member Of tho
most liberal sect OF BuddhisIa. We
have broad mon and narrow mon In
our church, just as you have In yours,
We have ignorant men and learned
men, and we have wise men aud foolish
men also, Perhaps We have larger
proportion OF narrow, ignorant and
foolish priests than arc found in tho
Christian church, becAuio OF our limi'
tations, but you have your share, Our
priests have not had tho Same oppor.
tuniliea for learning and seeing tho
world that your Clergymen have had,
We arc several hundred years behind
the timos, but you will find many men
IN the Buddhist church who believe
much Us do and who find IN the Ghris'
tian religion much that Glnost parallels
our own.
~ eau accept nearly everything in
your confession oil faith by tnat mean
the apostles creed that you reCte IN
your church service, and which | tRSO
TO DO condemned fora OF your belief
!, too, believe in God, tho Father, Al
mighty, Maker OF Heaven and Earth,
although | may no. call Him by tibet
name or worship Him as you do. bO-
lisye in Jesus Christ who wps one O..
the most sublime aud beautiful Charac.
tors that over exiSted'and is worthy Of
the worship and the emulation OF every
Buddhist, There is nothing in tho lilo
or tho teachings OF Christ that conflicts
with those OF Buddha. You will tiGd a
very striking similarity in their teach
ings Buddha preceded Chrst by 800
wears, and II Christ was not familiar
with his writinga-it ia Ontlrcly posi-
bio that He may have beon-thero is q
most remarkable pRrallolin their lives,
tho channels OF their thought and their
code Of morals.
~ do not accept, but | do not deny
the dogma OF tho immaculate GonCep-
ton; no rational man can dOny 1t who
witnosses the mysteries oil nature oc.
curing constantly before him. 1t 10
no more improbable than hegrowth oil
flowers aud fruits from little insignia.
cant dried.up seeds.
And il may be that Christ is sitting
at tho right baud OF God, from which
he will come to Judge the quick and the
dcad, although, perhaps, that sentence
may convey a different meaning TO dill
icrcnt persons. interpret itas figure
OF speech, that, like our saints, like
Buddha, perhaps Chrisps pure life aud
martyrdom, His wisdom aud business
and His other attributes, make Him
powerful in controlling the late Of Of
binary beings. Hence, 1t is not only
proper, but n satisfaction to pray to
Him and ask His favor. We do the
Same with Duddha for the same reason,
and can pray to your God and to your
Christ Tor blessings with the same faith
that they will hear me and answer my
~ do not understand your doctrine OF
| the atOnemOnt | never could under
stand it. II docs not seem logical. |
cannot zoe how tho blood Of ono good
man can, as you say, wash away tho
sins OF multitudes Of millions oil others
who have Tic Same intelligence aud tho
same opportunities to practice good
morals aud live sinless lives, but have
neglected to do so. What is the use OF
a man trying to DO good II the blood Of
Christ is sufficient to save him from tho
penalty Of his sins. All no has to do ia
10 be as wicked as he likes up to cor
tain period, when the termination OF
his life il approaching thOn repent Of
his owl ways and accept what has cost
him nothing.
81 believe also in the holy catholic
church-that is a church universal,
religion that may apply to all men, and
under whose shelter all suffering souls
can find rest. presume that Ia what
1t means. And believe In tho com.
| muniou OF saintE-that is tho inter.
course OF tho spirits Of tho dead-and
in life evorlalting'-that 10 the immor-
tally Of tho soul.
The Great Creator implanted in tho
breast OF every man an instinct which
leads him to worship Supreme BoinE
which may be called by any name. The
| torn docs not Affect the existence nor
tho omnipotont power that belongs to
such d Being, but tho instinc. il over
present aud unerriDg liko,that which
leads tho fish to swim and tho bird TO
| fly. Without it man would DO deiOrm.
ed, This instinct has dovoloped among
mankind into what we call religion, aud
that development las been governed by
local conditions, customs aud habit9.
"Nor do wo worship idols. Your mis-
aionaricB have misrcpresCnicd Budddi'm
IT, this rospcct over sinco they first saw
our ioifl OF worship. Tho image 10 moth.
ina Of itseli-a block Of wood or IN orli
nary stone would answer the same
purposc-bul it IL Il symbol OF inviSi.
bio being, Fomotimes beautiful aud
sometimes rudo, according to tho Rrt
aud intelligence OF tho man who mal;Os
It, II ropro 'onts tho object Of our wor.
ship. Just lku your cross aud Tho image
Of Christ and tho Virgin Mary, Wo
have no image to represent our Supreme
Being. We cannot conceive what hO
looks like. But wo hRvO representations,
moro or loBg rudo. Of our doitios, just rs
n Catholic church has pictures Of itq
saints, and wo dedicate cur temples to
this or that deity, just rs your churches
arO dedicated u 81. Paul aud ST. john
aud st. Thomas
81 believe. generally speaking, In tho
Mosaic account Of tho creation. II cor.
responds with our own theory Of tho
origin Of things.
rho development Of tho religious In.