The Morris County chronicle., 1908-06-02

eu, MS supernatural IeabS were OF a
low and even pettifogging order, and
he had enriched the faith, with no
fresh precepts of any value
And the head guru, to whom the
point was referred, not unnaturally
backed his original opinion; Chalan-
ka was a genuine arhat, the first of
new order, and as such he was en-
titled to the reverence of all devout
Jains, and an image must conse-
quently be set up in honor and as
signed niche in the temple of his
native village.
The gurus decision was, of course,
final, the idol-carver was set to work
and soon produced small, seated
image, which was as faithful repre-
sentation of the real Chalanka as
could be expected or desired.
The new idol had only spent one
night under the temple roof on the
morning which witnessed Acharya
Chicks perplexity beneath the porti-
Ca perplexity of which it was the
unconscious cause.
For the worthy Jain, though too
humble-minded to think of question
ing even to himself the wisdom of his
superior, could not consider his latest
deity an acquisition. His little Pam
theon had been quite large enough
before; he was too old to relish hay-
ing new object of veneration thrust
upon him in this way.
And SO in apportioning the days
offerings on the previous evening he
had, without perhaps any conscious
intention, reserved the least tempt
ing fruits and the more faded flowers
| as the share of the newcomer; and
now he was not quite certain whether
he felt more self-reproach or repug-
nance as the time drew near when he
must again enter the inner shrine.
However, these unpleasant medita-
tlons of his were to receive as un-
pleasant an interruption. From his
seat he could command a view of the
winding path which led up the knoll
from the village gates, and now he
saw advancing a tall and stately fig
ure, in which his eyes were keen
enough to recognize his bitterest enc
my, Ram Chunga, the Brahman who
presided over the massive temple
where Brahma and silva and Paryati
and Geneswara, their son, were wor-
SHIPPED.
He thought he could guess the
others errand. 1t had come to Ram
Chunga's ears that the Jain temple
contained, as such buildings fire.
quently did, an exceedingly hand
some image of silva, and on one or
two occasions when the rival priests
had met in the bazaar the Brahman
had made offers to purchase an idol
which, as he urged, could be but out
OF place in an alien sanctuary.
That Ram Chunga had any real
wish to acquire the silva was more
than the Jain could believe; he was
probably acting out of pure aggraya-
ton or with tyrannical desire to
dictate and domineer, which Chick
was determined to withstand, even
while his mild and gentle nature
shrank from the impending wrangle.
AS the Brahman came in with a
general and highly offensive air of
precaution against moral and physi-
cal contamination, the Jain rose and
saluted him as courteously as he
could bring himself to do.
Ram Chunga declined the seat
which the other indicated on the
stone bench, and, remaining at some
distance, began by saying that the
errand which alone could bring him
to such a place would probably be
guessed.
II, said the Jain, his visitor had
come to renew his offer to purchase
the silva, he must with every respect
make the same answer as before.
The Brahman replied that he no
longer proposed to purchase the
image; he now demanded that it
should be surrendered to him with
out price.
That, said Acharya Chick, was OBJ
viously unjust. The silva was his
own, he had bought it at his own ex-
pense from one of the Jain temples
at Padan-guddy. How, then, could
the Brahman claim it from him?
AS the ministrant of silva, the
azure-throated Ram Chunga replied.
it was intolerable to him to know
that the image of that mighty one
was forced to share the offerings and
suffer the companionship of such a
herd of insignificant little demigods
as he understood were venerated in
the temple of the Jain.
To which Acharya Chick answered
peaceably that his brother was mis-
taken. 1t was true indeed that many
of the Vedantic emblems were to be
found in Jain temples, and he in
stanced Brahma, Indra, Indrani, and
the bull Of Nandi, as well as silva;
but they were not at any time con-
sidered as more than devatas or at
tendants upon the various tirthank-
ars, and this particular image of silva
was mere ornament, and never re-
ceived offerings or alteration.
His reply did not improve matters,
for the Brahman retorted that this
only increased the impiety. Why
should silva so unhonored while these
tawdry little tirthankars were loaded
with gifts? Which were more pow
erful, handful of deified men or a
god who was before all things began?
You mistake, Ram Chunga; you
do not grasp the spirit of our creed"
(the Brahman's thin lips curled con-
temDtuOuglv1 1--WE Law our hmm hIa