Worcester morning daily spy. (Worcester, Mass.) 1888-1898, 1898-01-13
The JAINlsTs OF INDIA.
Interesting Lecture on Unique Religious
Sect by Virchand r. Gandhi OF Bombay

Interesting Lecture on Unique Religious
Sect by Virchand r. Gandhi OF Bombay.
Salisbury Hall was well filed We'd
nesday evening by those who wished to
hear Virchand R. Gandhi of Bombay ex-
pound the principles of Jainism, the re-
ligious sect OF India to which he belongs.
Mr.. Gandhi was prominent member of
the parliament of religions, which met
in Chicago at the time of the exposition,
and has since been lecturing in this
country. He is native Hindu, and was
dressed in striking national costume,
consisting of a long purple cloak, and
bright yellow turban and sash, which,
however, did not prevent him from talk
ing well-nigh perfect English
He was happily introduced by Prof.
Chamberlin of Clark University, who
referred to the debt which philosophy
and religion owe to India, and asserted
that the seeds of our modern Darwinism
were sowed in that country, thousands
of years ago.
Mr.. Gandhi began by saying that In
dia is the land of philosophy. AS Prof
Max Mueller has it, india has many
PHILOSOPHERS but only one kind of soup"
certainly record of which any country
might be proud, and high praise coming
from German. There are three dis
tinct Indian religions-the religion of
the Vedas, commonly called Hindooism;
Buddhism, and Jainism, which is rela-
lively small, having only about three
million adherents. Jainism is the wor-
ship of Jaina, a generic term, meaning
the ideal man, the Christ of huma nity."
Jainism is older than Buddhism, al
though the speaker candidly admitted
that that argued nothing for the truth
n dor trNfrA tnVN N rRlI
theory, Jainism reconciles the tenets of
Hindooism and Buddhism, and main
tains that the universe is real and per-
manent, and that no force i'm it can be
created or taken away. That is, how
ever, the modern principle of the con-
servation of energy; and the real meta
physical question, namely, what induces
| the transformation of forces in the uni
verse? Mr.. Gandhi did not answer.
For the practical results of Jainistic
teaching, Mr.. Gandhi made some great
claims, and one could not but wish that
statistics in proof of his statements
were at hand. He claimed that since its
very foundation no adherent of Jainism
has committed murder, a record which,
if true, puts the Friends to shame.
The members of this sect have ever
been patrons of learning, and one of
them was instrumental in founding the
| University Of Bombay. They have also
established free hotels in India, and hos
| pitfalls for men and for animals, in which
latter institutions such lowly animals as
| sick rats are cared for.
! The Jainists never practiced the burn
| ing of widows which has long been sup
posed to be favorite pastime In India.
! Their temples are the most beautiful in
/ India. They have been leaders in COM
merce, and their greatest prophet was
a woman. In fact this country is far be-
| hind in point of woman preachers.
| They also believe in the transmigra-
/ ton of souls, and explain the fact that
/ the wicked are often happy, by alleging
i that the evildoer's soul is now receiving
the reward for good acts which he did
in some past existence The object of
/ the SOULS life is perfection; but, in de-
filming perfection, Mr.. Gandhi had to be
4 as vague as are our ethical philosophers
| After the lecture, questions were
asked; and most of them turned on the
vegetarian principle of Jainism, and
mans relation to the lower animals
One gentleman lost his courage when
he learned that the Jainist objects to
killing mosquitoes; and another decided
to stick to Christianity when the speak
/ err told him that Irish potatoes were a
forbidden article of diet.