New-York tribune., 1896-12-27
A SANSKRIT REVIVAL.
ESTABLISHMENT OF A CLASS IN THIS
CITY TO STUDY OLD BUDDHIST TEXTS

CITY TO STUDY OLD BUDDHIST TENTS.
movement has been set on foot which will have
great influence on literature. and especially on
philosophy. Notwithstanding the fact that the be-
ginnings OF this new field of thought were ap-
preached 100 years or more ago A class has been
formed in this city with the idea of popularizng
Sanskrit and other Oriental tongues. This Is dis
tncty popular enterprise, for 1t has been under
taken without incentive of connection with any col
lege or university. But two facts insure success;
One is that CDrles Johnston. European Sanskrit
scholar. has started this class and the other Is the
personnel of the class itself. There are score OF
members ranging from white-haired people OF fifty
TO n child OF fourteen. One of the class Is Yale
graduate. one a graduate OF Columbia. three arc
Harvard graduates and two have studied At foreign
universities This in itself is an indication that
intelligent work will be done of "A kind destined to
make lasting impression on the philosophical lit
erature Of the coming decade.
Mr.. Johnston went through the Indian civil
service course at Dublin University, and was
Sanskrit prize man and prize man In subsequent
Indian civil service examinations. His appoint
mcnts TO magistrates in Bengal gave him large
opportunities of perfecting his knowledge OF SAN
skirt and cognate tongues by study among the
sources.
The salient feature of the class will be It's es-
pecal attention to the philosophy Of the Nedan'a
rather than TO the mythology of the Nedas ana
pholoey. The texts to be studied are trcatises ny
SankaraCharNa.
present examination; the best chapters or the
bnagavad-Gta and some of the Cpanishads Inc
great value of the Nedantic and other forms OF
philosophy is testified to by letters from Max
Muller. Whitney, W"issman, thc ',eiihai ina,i,, an,
maiician; Deussen, the metaphy scian ana many
others.
The value of Sansf<rit to metaphysics ana science
can be measured only by an acquaintance with inc
Hndoo method OF developing IDEAS Wnlch gives
each syllable and root precisely accurate SS-
nifcance with regard TO the facts OF poth ou'ei
and inner nature and the mental limitations placeu
tn. rcon. Men to-day speak OF 'tuougi' Whch
they mean ''cerebratiOn' and Of PHILOSOPHY Hhcn
such close distno ions that this mistake would be
Impossible for the Orientalist.
When 1t can he stated that only two or three
Oriental scholars are produced by the universities
In a year the significance of class OF twenty belhs
started will clearly show that this Is an important
though popular movement Another Sanskrit class
will be started for some time by Mr.. Johnston
certain Of his pupils Will be expected TO give
the rudments to others less fortunate than tney
Thibetan will he begun facilitate the examina-
ton OF certain solrhern and northern manuscripts
on early Buddhism. a systematic course OF re
search and study has been planned by MT Jonii-
ston and others into the wealth OF texts Whlcn
will now be accessible through efforts maintained
for upward OF hundred years.
1t might be added that Mr.. Johnston Is no stran-
ger in scholastic circles being on terms or init
macy and having letters from every living Oriental
isl Of any worth. Here he has received a warm
welcome from such scholars A. Y. W. jackson.
Of Columbia and Professor Lanman of Harvard
made the Journey from Cambridge on purpose TO
n1ep