The times., 1898-08-07
A HINDU HIGH PRIEsTEss.
An American swami of an Ancient
Indian Order.

trate; as witness the first OF her race.
and only the second woman west OF the
Orient was the other day in Chicago er-
dained as a Swami. which. according to
the tenets of the Hindoo religion. eonsti-
tutes her a god. Mrs. L. V. Conner, who
was. the Swami ShraddanaGda that -. was
inducted into this philosophy and initia-
ted into the order by the Swami Abhay-
amanda, the first woman, and. indeed. the
first person of the Western World. TO be
thus exalted
Swami Abhayananda is a keenIy intel
lectual Frenchwoman who had Tor many
years been student or philosophy. when
the famous Viyekananda came to this
country to represent the HindOo faith at
the Worlds Congress OF Religions She
lost time in placing herself under his
tutelage. and later became priestess of
the Oriental cult. which is. by the way.
the oldest order OF monks in the world,
and of HindOo origin.
In order to become a member of this
body one is SU posed 70 have passed
through some extraordinary spiritual ex-
periences, and by study and meditation
to have arrived at that high state Of soul
development where all desires for
wealth, power and fame vanish, and all
ideas of separateness or attachment TO
personalities are merged into the infinite
One then voluntarily relinquishes family
and name. and takes upon himself or her
self the vows OF celibacy. confluence, pow
erty. non-resistance and service to all be-
ings of the universe.
Swami Abhayananda came TO America
when young wOman-thOugh she still
speaks English with an accent-and lived
for many years in New York, where she
was initiated into her mystic faith This
imposing ceremony has, by the way, new
er been performed in Europe. For some
time she taught in New York, but came
TO Chicago two or three years ago, where
she continues TO be at the head Of the
order in this country. She has quite 4
large following in the Western city. and
may be found at almost any hour IN the
rooms of the Adwaita Society, on Twenty
fourth Street
One cannot look at this nobly proper
toned French woman, with her nne.
strong. expressive face and distinctive
personality, and not be convinced of her
power: nor come to comprehend the sim
plicity Of her life and environment Win
out feeling that in espOusing poverty and
service she has in reality eliminated from
life half of its wearisOme details
Her iron gray hair. for instance, franz
ing her face with its full pompadour.
need never give her an instant's uneasi-
ness as 10 how she viii wear it. nor con-
sumo any time in its arrangement, while
her costume gives that delightful free
dom from the muitability and exacti1ns
of fashions that goes with the adoption
OF any simple uniforms. besides which
it is very pretty. and-if one may judge
from the two this side the Orient who
have donned it-universalIy becoming
The robe is always Of oChre hue sig
nifying the publication by fire IL is
made in something the form OF scant
| princess open all the way down but held
/ in place by buttons. and reaching 10
/ within two or three inches of the floor.
\ a convenient walking length and quite
/ effective with tan shoes. If bUttOned to
/ the right il signifies that one is a Brah-
man: otherwise il may indicate some
/ other branch Of religion In this country.
/ of course one must use such materials
/ as are at hand. and soft cashmeres and
I crepons seem the most suitable. HindOo
/ beads. also of Ochre, are worn on Occa-
/ sions and add a certain air of mysticism
/ to the costume
/ One might conclude that the robe as
! whole was intended to stand for comfort.
Z but instead it symboliZes universal love
! II is fitted loosely 10 the figure and -
yirdied with a silken sash wound twice
! around the waist to signify twice born
I One end of the sash is made into Il bag
/ signifying forestry. this was originally
/ for the convenience OF the founders OF
| the order who dwelt in forests and used
| il as the receptacle for their scanty fare
/ probably not made Of silk, and certainly
/ in these days the monks. male OF female
/ do not take TO the woods. but live in
comfortable homes and are evidently auffi-
ciently well fed
Ny curiosity was piGued as to the ways
and means in which one who has taken
the vows of poverty manages thai part
OF the program, since in this practical
/ age food and shelter are unfortunately
I not secured without money and without
price 1 found that the Swami breaches,
I teaches. holds classes and meditati0ns.
I ETC. and the followers OF her cult con-
I tribute what they choose to her support
How is it, Swami Abhayauanda. ask
ed the worldly interviewer. that the
idea Of equal rights came 10 percolate this
/ ancient order? When were women first
/ admitted TO its mystic rites2
'Ah madam" replied the Swami. lin
the world of the spirit there Is no sex.
Members of our order are neither men
| nor women, but souls. Sex is but a phe-
! uomenon. a mere wave upon the surface.
while the soul is the deep. quiet, change
less ocean that exists from century to
century. now in one form. now in another
You may be a man in one incarnation,
and a woman in the next. according 70 the
nature Of your development The dudes,
for instance. who mark the dege1eracy OF
rhis generation. will be women In shsiT
der of intelligence too; while the strong
! stalwart, earnest women Of today like
Susan 3. Anthony and Julia Ward Howe
viii be men and leaders OF men in theiT
next stage of development Women as
such have never been recognized by this
order: but any human creature who has
become dead to the world and desires tC
live after the spirit, has been welcome tC
the brotherhood from its most ancient
days. There is no distinction in the cos
tune. We are all monks and wear thc
ochre robe
, Have many Indian women joined tn,
order?"
'I believe not a large number
Does your remuneration bring happi
ness?"
I'VE at least attain peace and liberation
Attaching ourselves to nothing We ar
never forced 10 detach ourselves from
anything and the ordinary cares an,
struggles of human life do not touch US
But one must live" was insisted
"Oh, yes; but our life IS so simple that
5 1t costs next to nothing BY the spirit o
e our religion we are yegetarians"
= Meat is then prOhibited2'-
I'VE are forbidden nothing There IS
not thou shalt not in cur whole code
But we could not take upon ourselve:
I the vow of service to all living beings
animals included and then use the lat
: ter as food"
DO you claim to preach Budhism?"
''Our order does not acknowledge race
sex or creed. or rather. ii is the epitom
of all races and creeds. You notice ther
back of our altar pictures of the Christ
1 "a af NOT tba Er1i=c 80 rsTy