The San Francisco call., 1897-03-10
LOOKING BACKWARD
INTO OTHER LIVES
DharmaDala, the Buddhist
Priest, Talks of Re-
incarnations.
The Continuity of Life the Foun.
dat.on of Buddhistic
Philosophy.
II Is Not Only Necessary to Have
Faith in Order to Be
Saved.

Dharmapala, the eloquent Buddhist
priest. lectured before the Golden Gate
branch of the Theoso phical Society at
Native Sons Hall last evening. A large
andie nee was present. His subject was
1.-THE Continuity of Life"
He said that the continuity of life was
believed in 5000 years ago. At the time
Buddha appeared skepticism was rife con-
cerning the philosophy of the time in all
its variety, the question of how the '1'-
the individual-was to be perpetuated
through in6nity.
Buddha studied the question for a
long time. and at last declared that it
could not be. There is a consciousness
that lives forever, but it is subject to eter-
nal and onstant change He denied the
dogma of the time, that was universally
accepted, that the soul came into exist
ence at certain period OF time and would
terminate at some other period.
1t had no stated beginning and would
continue forever through infinite changes.
1t was a new philosophy. The ascetics
who gave their lives to a concentration of
thought upon the future state were
equally in error with those who gave
themselves up to the requirement of
wealth and power in this life. Both were
equally selfish. To live a noble and pure
life, full of activity for good, was the better
wav, for it builded character.
To control ones thoughts, refusing to
admit evil, that brought bliss to the soul
here and now. No dogma is true, he said.
A religion that forces one to believe can
not be true. The true religion can have
no extremes.
He referred to the suicides that have
fleckeG the news of The day since his re.
cent arrival. the death of Oakley at the
Palace from debauchery ana champagne.
the turning on of the gas by anNunhappy
wife the day before. The act of both was
the result of selfishness.
Selfishness meant suffering; love an d
enlightenment and compassion was to ex-
pand and live and know bliss.
So it comes to this he said, that con-
sc BUSINESS lives for ever and the man VIII o
would progress toward higher planes must
not only desire and aspire. but he must
act; he must live an upright pure life and
strive Tor better things. The conscious
ness OF Schopenhauer, of Washington.
What has become OF them? Where did
they go to?
at was the message of Buddha to the
world and it is the message that bring
to you, that eternal change is the order
and progress is the result of effort. There
Is no Qedtu IL Is LueIcIN ChduSc. Ocdtu,
so called, is the end of generation OF
thought With the release OF conscious
ness in this life, it IS born into an
other, and 30 on, and so on for
ever Concentration of thought and
pure life will enable you to look
backward from year to year to the earliest
year OF your life, and beyond that to the
period of gesta ton In the womb for We
hold that consciousness is even there, and
then beyond that into the preceding in
carnation-what thoughts controlled at
that time"
Dharmapala will lecture before the Starr
King Fraternity OF the First Presbyteria an
Church, Oakland. on Friday evening. His
subject will be 1.-THE Religions of Asia. {"
Admission 25 cents.
Sunday morning he will occupy DR..
Wendte's pulpit, Oakland, and will speak
on the Reconciliation of Buddhism and
Christianity"
He will address the students of STAN
ford University in the latter part of the