The San Francisco call., 1896-05-08

manufactures OF India, but they added nothing to
tianity planted her standard in India by means of
Syrian missionaries. though tradition assigns the
honor to st. Thomas, the doubling Apostle.
hourishing commerce arose between Venice and
other Italian republics with India through the so
called DARK Ages Of European history.
The difficulty in considering this subject Is great
because of the multiplicity of castles, religions.
languages, social customs and races; because of
this vast region and because India is a land of con-
tradlctions and Inconsistencies. What is true of
one district may not be true of any other and the
laws of one community may be the opposite of
those of another within sight India the camp
lng-ground or differences OF belief, the home of
contrarities, the nursery of hairsptting casustry
the place of the strongest accentuation of minute
al this, however, Is a system to which all seek to
adapt themselves, and that Is the religious and
cial system imposed by the Brahr,in priesthood,
conception OF Indian life and history
In the sixth century, B. c., Buddhism and kim
dred reformed religions. entered like a wedge Into
the great social and religious structure built up by
Brahminlsm. The life OF Buddha was a typical
one, based on the Indian ideal of the noble life.
He found, however, that the path Of salvation did
not lie In the old ascetcism, but in the nobler type
OF the preacher, striving to bring deliverance to
others TO his banner hocked all classes of people,
even women, for in his religion women were per-
mitted 70 become nuns though no woman could
ever attain to Buddhahood without deing born
again rs q man.
1t not without a struggle that Gautama per-
mitted the order of nuns, such the stigma at
tached to unmarried women in India. 1t is related
that women were Indebted to the intercession of a
monk, Gautama's cousin Amanda. for permission
TO found an order and that Buddha's nurse became
| the first nun. Yet when Amanda asked, How are
we monks 10 behave when women?'' Gau-
tama replied, Don't see them" "But ii we should
| see them, what are we 10 do?" Don't speak to
| them" But IL they should speak TO u.s. what
then?" LET your thoughts be fixed in deep medi-
| aation and make no repy.'
Among other women of India the Parsees
and Ben Israeli. Although they enjoy greater
degree OF freedom than the high-caste women, yet
1t has always been true that the proud Jew Par
see could thank God that he did not make him a
woman, and she would most humbly thank God
that ne did not make her anything Gorse, while
the proverbs of both Ii indoos and Moham medan;
are full OF the most abominable gibes about wom-
/ ans inferiority to man, regarding her un-
mitigated evil, but the greatest evil of all being
that sne is necessary.
There is, however, n dark side and every reform
IN india begins with some reference to the abuses
which woman suffers in connection with infant
| marriage, enforced widowhood, and her illiteracy
In spite of the restrictions of caste and custom.
OF law and religion. wish TO say that have found
throne" than in India But as 1 have already
said India is lani Of contradictions, and side by
side with all that IS most pure and lofty and holy
| In lie are the most cruel and degrading super
| stitions.
| The women of India are. however, their greatest
conservators, the strongest and btterest opponents
| OF reforms, although, these reforms seek the
amelioration of the evils from which they
especially suffer. There is in the Oriental woma q
asuomissiVeness, self-depreciatloa, conserva-
Srn which seems be the Crystalli cation of habits
OF thought produced by the social system under
which she lives, by the code OF Manu- and by the
Vicissitudes OF her national history.
Added 10 thls and perhaps most important OF
all, Is that doctrine of Brahminism, whereby
woman can secure eternal blessedness only far
as she conforms to all the minute regulations of
ner religion, whereby in the whiriing cycle of
births and deaths she may some time be born a
man, live and die man. aud thus attain in this
blessed condition. to the heaven of heavens,
complete absorption In the Deity, or Nirvans
In reply to question from Miss Yates,