The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1901-02-19
Colonel OIcOtt at
the Temple of
Buddha.
TT )SOpHIST TO
BIG AUDIENCE
II nem To Refuse CllrlSian.
.y and St;ck 10 incI
Own UuGS.

COLONEL II. 5. OLCOTT, the
father of modern theOsophy, de
u. livered an address upon Buud-
hism yesterday afternoon. Spok-
en- within the walls of an edihce dedl-
Gated by the Japanese residents OF lto-
nolulu to the worship of Buddha ana
with hundreds of the followers OF
Buddha in the audience, Colonel Olcoll
stood amid surroundings which were
peculiarly adapted to the subject ana
the faith which he has adopted ana
cherished as his own for the past
twenty-seven years. The little temple
has a severe yet ornate interior IN
which the symbols of Buddhism were
apparent on every hand. The shrine
gilded and partihued, sacred to the
holy presence of Buddha, was partially
hidden from the view of the audience
by sem-transparent bamboo screens,
and before this was placed covered
table and patform from which the
big theosophist delivered his address
The greater part of the audience was
Japanese. There We're many foreigners
present, some out of mere curiosity, to
listen to the great lecturer, others to
learn more of a creed which they have
studied and in which they have belief.
Colonel Olcott spoke earnestly upon
his theme. The Japanese We're advised
not to give up the religion of Buddha
for another religion which they were
told to believe, as the lecturer said,
although they could not understand.
He compared Buddhism and the relig-
ion of Christ to the story of Aladdin
and his wonderful lamp. Christianity
was likened to the evil magician in the
bn
old. Buddhism was an old lamp which
had been tried and found satisfactory.
The new lamps which the Christians
wished to exchange were to be accept
ed untried and unknown. The pleas
ures of life which the Buddhists receiv-
ed from their religion We're much the
same as the benefits Aladdin received
by the mere rubbing of his lamp.
The Japanese auditors broke into
loud and prolonged applause when the
theosophist delivered himself of his
opinion as to the relative benefits of the
two religions.
Through an interpreter Colonel Oh
colt spoke to the audience in part as
follows:
II have been professed Buddhist for
twenty seven years and first declared
my belief in my own country long be-
fore | ever saw an eastern Buddhist.
So you will understand ! am not say
ing this merely to please you or to
make you think well of me- because.
many, many years before some of you
Were born l declared myself follower
of the Lord Buddha had studied the
different religions of the world and |
found that so far as 1 was concerned
Buddhism was the most acceptable.
found that the moral teachings con-
tanned in Buddha We're as high as any
teachings ever given to mankind by
sage Then found that Buddhism. in
stead of being in opposition to modern
science, was in agreement with its lat
est discoveries.
you know that in our most modern
schools we have been taught to believe
what we discover is true to inquiry and
experiment. There are other religions
which say If you don't believe us then
you will be eternaly damned. They
will not allow you to believe except
that as taught from a certain book.
How is a person who has been edu
Gated in our modern schools to accept
a doctrine like that? My mind was SO
constituted that | could not believe
anything | was told TO believe without
getting proofs. Then when | came to
look at these religions | found that the
Lord Buddha had expressly preached
a sermon upon that very point called
the Kalama Sutra, given to the Kala- /
ma tribe in India"
The learned theosophist then told the
story of Buddha when travelling in
India and how he asked the tribesmen
questions as to how they knew the true
from the false religions He dilated
upon stealing, gambling and drinking
as bad things and not taught by the
sages. The sacred books told them 10
eschew these habits. 1t was the knowl-
edge OF these things which We're taught
them which enabled the people to
know the difference between the good
and the bad
Suppose man came here Contln-
ued Col Olcott, "and said an animal
out there was an ass when you knew
il was a buffalo. and he said TO you
II you don't believe It Is an ass you
win be burned in hell? How can you
believe II when your owG experience
tells you differently? That Is what II
called false religion something that
does not coincide with your own In
quiry.
You know why ! have called myself
BUDDHIST Because found that this
religion ana not ask me 10 believe any
absurd teachings that might be offered.
There are thousands NJ people who
make u u business 10 persuade Budd-
histH "a leave their religion and take
another one, But I advise YOU 10 be
very careful how you give up your re
ligion until you know something ~ 10
value. Nov there iH q story ~ a Nirk
ed magician who wanted ~ Rst pos
HeAalon Of certain wonderful lamp
II you rubbed Il gsnii would come ana
yop could order them 81 bflnn you any.
lhinH yuu wanted '-fiehss happiness