Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1895-08-11
FAITH OF BUDDHISTS.
COMPARED WITH CHRISTIANITY.
Teachings ofathe Japanese Religion De- fended by Broad-Minded Priest Forms and Ceremonies Diff fer, but Not the In.
 stinets of Man
Lwm. E. Curtis in Chicago Reeora.l

NIKKo, July 10.-Tired out with q long days sightseeing, we sat on an immense block of moss covered granite that had for centuries sup pol ted the pillars of a portico before Buddhist temple. We had followed bafe-footed monks through wilder ness of marvellous carving and gold lacquer until we were bawildered and willing to let the rest of hegorgeous spectacle go by default. The face of the priest who had been our chape- ron was scholarly and refined and wore that expression of calm con- tentment that can be acquired only
 by those to whom the world has offered everything they covet. His pallid skin and his blue veins indi- cated the student and the recluse,
 and his simple robe of white was
 very becoming although that fact
 never entered his mind, He asked
 me natural question-how the
 Buddhist religion impressed me-and
 l made nataral reply-that while
 it may appeal strongly to the senti-
 mental as a combination of peace,
 purity and composure, practical
 man of modern ideas could not be
 expected to place much faith in a re-
 ligfon whose believers ring a bell to
 awaken the god before they offer d
 prayer and then throw spitballs at
 an image of the deity to see if he has
 heard it.
 An expression of mingled pain and
 reproach replaced the usual calm serenity of his face and he rebuked me thus:
 "You ought not to speak so
 thoughtlessly. You have no more
 right to judge of my religion by the
 exerescenes the ignorant have at-
 tached to it than I have to judge of
 the church of England by the salva-
 tion army which I saw in the streets of London. No one can understand or appreciate Buddhism without serious study any more than any other religion. 1 understand that
 the comparative religions has keen
 introduced into some of the rheologi-
 cal schools of your country, which is
 wise thing and 1 hope your teach
 CTS will adopt such text books as
 do justice to the Buddhists. The
 comparison of religions is necessary
 for man to understand and appre-
 ciate his own, and while I do not ex-
 pect any of your theologians will be
 led to accept our faith by individual
 investigation, it will certainly
 broaden their minds and make them
 more tolerant to church that has
 done much good among men and is
 better rsuited to the conditions of the people of the East than any other.
 I have studied the Christian religion
 and have spent years of reflection
 upon it, and I will tell you what I think of it if you like"
 , "Hold on" said, until sharpen } my pencil. I would like to print what you say, if you have no obiec-
 tion."
 II would be glad to have it [ printed, he replied, "but please do not mention my name, lest some mis- sionary might claim me as aconvert. , They claim everybody that mods . during their sermons" and he smiled gently at his own witticism.
 q claim that am member of the nc st liberal sect of Buddhists. We have broad men and narrow men in our church just as you have in yours. men, and we have also wise men and foolish men. Perhaps we have a larger proportion of narrow, ignor- ant and foolish priests than are found in the Christian church, because of our limitations, but you have your share. Our priests have not had the same opportunities for learning and seeing the world that your clergy men have had. We are several 1 hundred years behind the times but you will find many i, men in the Buddhist church 1 who believe much as I do and who 1 find in the Christian religion much that almost parallels our own. , i, 1T can accept nearly everything in 1 your confession of faith; by that 1 mean the Apostles Creed that you l reeite in your church services, and , ,, which I take to be a condensed form 1 of your belief. I too, believe in God 1 the Father Almighty, Maker o
 Heaven and Earth" although may l not call Him by that name or wor l ship Him as you do. 1 bleieye II s Jesus Christ, who was one of thf k most sublime and beautiful charac
 ters that ever existed and is worthy