Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1901-10-17
MoNeoLlAN LAMAs IN JAPAN.
5uddhism's New Attempt TO Convert
the World.


| One of the most remarkable of the
religious movements of the day is the
renewed attempt of Buddhism to con
vert the world. This activity on the
part of the Buddhist missionaries is
evident from Ceylon. the present cen.
California and as far east as Japan.
Buddhism is, indeed, mixing today
more vehement claim for recognition
throughout the world than perhaps ii
has ever done before. These mission.
airy movements, as well as the re-
markable semi-poltical and entirely
mysterious mission sent by the Dalai
Lama Of Lhassa. Thibet, to the car
at st. Petersburg. reveal tremen.
dous outburst of a zeal that has been
| almost dormant for centuries
The most remarkable of the recent
Buddhist missions for religious pur.
poses, and, as it appears to us of the
west, the most audacious, is the eff
| fort begun in San Francisco to convert
| Chrstendom to Buddhism. This at
| tempt enables us to understand and
somewhat appreciate the feelings of a
heather Chinee," or some orner pa
gan sucked in creed outworn,"
when our missionaries attempt to con.
vert him from the errors of his "way."
1t is so much easier to force our opin-
ions upon some one else than to have
some one else challenge the eternal
verify of our views.
OF course Buddhism in none of It's
various forms, will convert any large
portion of the west. 1t has already
virtually failed as world creed, even
| in its own home, the Orient. II his
yielded in India to the simpler and
more scientific creed OF Brahmanism
which it once supplanted. In Japan
il is more of a cult than a religion in
the old sense. But no one
can challenge for moment the claim
that Buddhism has been one Of the
most powerful of all instruments In
the civilization and humanizing of
mankind. 1t carried peace, morality
and culture like a new dawn from the
southwest over portion of the world
inhabited by 500, 100000 of people, or
more than one-half of the population
of the globe
Lamaism, the form of Buddhism fol-
lowed in Thibet and in certain parts of
Siberia and Mongolia. has been. per-
haps, the most quiescent and mac.
tive of the vrious varieties of that
creed. 1t has rested content in it's
great Lamaseries, as densely populat
ed with students as cave with bats,
and has not sought the conversion Of
the outside world. It's missionary work
| seemed ended with its conquests OF
| Thibet and the sparse region it holds
/ in subsection in northern Asia. But
the aggressive spirit of the day seems
at last to have entered the cloisters
of the Lamaseries, and to have stirred
up their inmates until they are as ac-
tive as nest of ants. The Yelled
Prophet of Lhassa. breaking the seclu.
sion of centuries, sends off on secret
and probably a tremendously import
ant political mission TO the white car,
who has been peeping with covetous
ton, that Calcutta and Bombay are
ice-free ports, no less than Port Arthur
and Niuchwang.
The spirit of stir and progress has
penetrated even to the Monaghan Lam
aseries, and mission of great signif-
canoe has been sent to Japan. IL is led
by the archbishop of Mongolia, himself
Prince Achaftokt. who is accompanied
by five attendants and two Chinese in
terpreters. The mission is now at Ky
oto one of the great centers of Bud
dhism in Japan, and the home Of many
of the most distinguished priests and
teachers of that creed. 1t IL the pur-
pose of the Lama 10 spend at least two
months for investigating the former in
fiuence Of Buddhism and its recent de-
cay among the japanese.
The mission of these Buddhists, es
pocially as they represent the least
progressive OF the various forms of
Buddhism, will probably have no effect |
in Japan. All religious creeds are in |
diligently tolerated by the japanese. |
Shinto, Buddhism. Christianity, Confu-
cianism and the latter-day Monism and |
Agnosticism exist peacefully side by |
side, often under a single family roof |
The Japanese seem TO have the idea,
well recognized by the great teachers |
of India, that the main purpose of re-
ligion is morality; and they tolerate |
willingly all religions as so many |
paths" TO the same goal. There is no /
doubt, however, that many Japanese |
eyes over the roof OF the world into
the fertile and populous plains OF In.
dia. Thibet would afford a fine camp. i
ing ground for the cars Kacaks, and I
a good base for operations against the
English. II is always TO be borne IN
mind by those who are interested in
Russia's part in the far eastern ques.
look upon Buddhism as unsuited TO the
aggressive spirit of progress and devel-
opment in the modern world.
Prince Achaftokt is a man of great
influence in Mongolia He is recog.
nized as the most influential politically
as well as religious, leader. He is
very close in his feelings and