Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-07

bother about the common moyelities which
Sd along With tie western faiths.
brainiest was reclining on a couch Of
eharpened pals Ia torture which probably
looked more horrible than II felt, for this
man underwent 1t with no sign OF discom-
forO when i interviewed him. through an
Interpreter. ! asked him about the holy
woman at his side. comely even through
her ashes. on account of whom this cele-
brated "fakeer' is considered outcast by
certain of the stricter sort of new Hindus
He assured me that the woman merely
lived with him to take care Of his house
ard that he is not married to her India
Is full of stories of the immoralities of
these holy men" who, as they march in
procession stark naked through the streets
are truer to type than when on their visits
oyer seas they sit, picturesquely clad, the
adored center OF groups of American wom-
faddists.
At Benares ] discovered q grievance
against the stories ! used to hear and
read when a youngster in Sunday school,
about these "fakeers." and the other Hindu
pilgrims to the Ganges' cleansing flood !
saw thousands of the latter in single day.
II used TO be represented that these men
and women were all smitten with a sense
OF their sins. so burdened with their con-
seriousness of unholiness, that they per-
formed all their exacting vows in order TO
secure spiritual release. But missionaries
on the spot tell me that the Hindu is as
lacking In a sense of sin as l found the
japanese and the Chinese TO De; lhey
know little or nothing about what the
Anglo Saxon experiences as conscious
ness of personal sin. What these people
are trying to expiate is the dread burden
of life Itself, and to secure by the IaVor OF
the innumerable gods in their pantheon d
mitigation Of life's ills in the next birth, In
the long order of rencarnations.
Every Hindus dread is that he may al
death he transmigrated into lower caste
man. or even into a woman, or into an ass.
q snake toad some other loathsome
creature. His hope is that he may be re-
born into higher caste, possibly Brah-
man; and eventually. In the dreary process
sion OF ages. into Nirvana: which. while
mystiCaly explained in various ways,
amounts really to the extinction of per-
sion OF ages into nirVana: which, while
expect 10 proceed from this present life into
Nirvana.
Therefore all these washings Early in
the morning the people of this old city
Benarcs far antedates the Christian era
and the pilgrims from all parts of the en-
pire come down by thousands to the west
eTn bank OF the Gauges in order to battle
From infants 10 decrepit old men they DIP
into the waters and mutter their prayers
with an earnestness and sincerity which
cannot be doubted. The great CHATS, OF
steps down into the water thronged
with devotets. Many carry away the water
for household use, or to be borne laboriously
back home to the pilgrims native village
Only the western bank of the Ganges Is
efficaciOus. To die on the eastern bank is &c
be reborn an ass. So the western bank is
lined with temples, CHATS and palaces In
various stages of disrepair. There is merit
In erecting one of these structures but nc
merit in maintaining one after another has
built II. one huge brown stone palace espe
cially. a wonder of workmanship, has ''sa
down" in disorderly ruin on the bank.
II ever modern science takes hold Of