Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-12-12

try; He believes that the West has much
ieaTn from the East, but he is also sure
nat me reverse Is true. And so he has
come back to interest Americans in the
problem of education in India.
The great need of the country" he said.
is Tree schools for the masses. Ninety per
Sthl Oh the population cannot read or write
ihe country has been under one form or
ahother of foreign rule for 1900 years. The
result has been mental inactivity and lack
OF ambition in the majority of the peonle-
education; free education. is the only way
to raise them out of their present condi-
ton; The schools must be free. because
Of the great poverty of most of the inhabit-
ants. The British have introduced schools
at winch instruction is given for what
would be thought a nominal cost in the
West. but which in India is altogether be-
yond the means of those for whom the
best way to begin is to educate the women,
Who will in turn teach the children; and so
! nave started the international Society
for the Education of the Women of India
OF which there are already branches in
Chicago and other large cities"
In the other branch of his work, that in
much from the East. Mr.. Gandhi has been
equally active. He has founded schools for
irgton and Chicago. and hopes to start a
similar institution in New York. The jams,
of whom he is a leader. are the most en-
lIGhtened and catholic religious body in In
dia. In their teaching there is little or no
separate dogma.
They take the various religions Of the
WI "a siil'A tIli'siNoi ~ tTdW lle tSSpnllal
truths from each. As a result they hold
that the fundamentals of all the chief re-
lgicns are the same. They have a canon
OF philosophical Interpretation which they
| apply to Brahminism. Buddhism. Christian
ity and Mahometanism. and in this way
strive to find the. %esoteric truth of each.
The philosophy which Mr.. Gandhi teaches
may be described as esotericism without
mysticism. He approves of the tendency
toward 4 deeper realization of the true
| meaning of religion created by such bodies
| as the T~heosophical Society without sub
scribing to all the ideas of the latter. With
regard TO the sevenfold constitution of
man. for instance, Mr.. Gandhi says that
the teaching is true. in a sense. but it is
equally true to say that man is a unit.
or q ternary or a multiplicity of beings.
As to the laws of Karma and reincarnation
IS much the same as that of the modern
occulusts. although with regard to Mir
N2na. the jams lay much more stress than
the theosophistS seem to do on the survival
of the individuality. as opposed to the per
sonality. of man when he has completed
his evolution through successive reincarna-
tons.
The jams divide existence into four
akin to the Christian hell: the next. TRY
arch, is that of the minerals, vegetables.
and lower orders of ~sentient beings: the
Dsra Is the state ,of the dweliers in the
celestial world. Nirvana is termed Moksha.
the state of existence in which mans soul
become divine.
God. in the sense of an a-cosmic per-
sonality. has no place In the Jain philoso-
ply. They consider such a belief illogical
but hold that there is a subtle. eternal
essence underlying all creation. conscious
and unconscious; which is the cause of all
the myriad notifications OF the Infinite.
Ethics are an important part of the
teaching. 1t is held that the highest hap
piness is 10 he obtained by knowledge and
good conduct. Life. whether of human
beings or of animals, is considered sacred.
Mr.. Gandhi will remain in New York
about n month. after which he will yisi,
other parts of the country.