The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-29
THE RELIGIONS OF INDIA.
An Interesting Address by the Secretary or the
Jain Association.

Jain Association. o
Vinchand r. Gandhi OF Bombay delivered an
address at New Century Hall, 500 Fifth avenue. |
yesterday morning. on the Religions of India"
Mt. Gandi is Secretary Of the Jain Association, o
religious society OF India which is said to have
100000 members. As a delegate to the Con-
gress OF Religions during the Worlds Fair Mr..
Gandhi became known in this country as an au-
thority upon the life and religion of India. His
present visit to this cou;try has the double pur.
pose of studying our educational methods and
Of endeavoring to give the people Of the West
a true idea OF Indian life and thought. Before
his departure for America tho Jains OF India
conferred on Mr.. Gandhi the title of "Star of
Jainism." He said Yesterday:
when We study the condition Of religion in
India, as in any country, We must 60 back to
the early days before tho priests claimed the
sole right of teaching. According to tho origi.
nal Brahmin philosophy, life was divided into
four stages OF development which were univer-
sally recognized. A person was dealt with &C.
cording to his needs in each stage. The teacher
studied the child to find out in which direction
he would make the best progress. and the pupil
had TO be subservient to the teacher. The
four stages Of q mans life were: First,
as a pupil; second, as a householder,
a period Of public life: third. a period
Of retirement and mental quiet. w hen he was
known as q 'dwellcr in the forest;' fourth, q
period Of giving up Of the impurities of life and
of becoming fit for n teacher of mon. The jams
do not interpret those stages in exactly this
way. but they are practically the basis Of their
educational system. The high pressure of West
ern civilization Is unknown in India. and such
words as nervous prostration' cannot DO trans
lated into Indian medical terms. You can
until you change your ideas and make tho re-
ligious and secular life one.
development, but he evolved the idea Of re-
incarnation: instead of limiting them to a single
! drift, following the course Of nature. Where is
the necessity Of living q moral and an intel.
a ae spiritn usH so sfia w HS; accelerate @s sae al th hn sreeress y 2
The jams reply: The sooner you make progress
the better you become. In relying on the forces
one cannot become u storehouse of power to
help lift those around him. That is why tho
"Over 1000 years ago the Brahmins became
an exclusive teaching class, and made it one of
kept in ignorance. This has kept India from
advancing in spite OF tho efforts Of civilization.
and to proclaim the equality Of men-a system
Of democracy. They teach that caste is an in
q PRIESTHOOD. and is is not Of f'S divine orig P.'' The
jams gave to the peoplea code of interpretation
ferences and similarlties can be harnonized.
There are castles In the West as well as the East.
the carpenter, the potter. &c. In America they
are horizontal. beginning with the depths of the
slums and ending with the multimillionaire SO
long as competition continues. and one man
tries to better himself at the expense Of another.
solved"
In speaking Of the good accomplished by the
jams, Mr.. Gandhi said, that they had almost
lished hospitals in different places for both
men and animals. and had everywhere taught
with contempt Of the foreigners who. from su.
pericial observation, attempt to write of Indian
stories which have gained currency regarding
the car of Juggernaut with it's victims. and tho
casting OF infants into the Ganges. IF people
are, killed by the car of JuRgernaut." no
said, lit is only by accident. such AS happens
with your cable cars; and, as for women throw
ing their children into the Ganges, l never even
heard Of It until I came to Chicago In 1898"