Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-20
I'm CEYLON'S SPICY ISLE
1.-THE MANY GODS OF EDEN
By Frederic j HaSkin

striven for through countless lives ana
reincarnations is perfection, and that
the reward of perfection is the liftlng oil
the burden of sorrow called life ana
annihilating absorption in 'Nirvana'
appealed strongly to Col. Olcott, al
though many of his fellows In the Bla-
vatsky movement looked more favor
ably to the Hindu faith.
Col. Olcott resolved to reform Budd-
hism. Enough of his Christian train
ing and Occidental heritage remained
with him to convince him that faith'
IL 1t have not works, Is dead" lie es-
tablished a Buddhist college, in when
boys and young men were to be IN
structed in the ordinary branches of
learning and In the pure precepts OF
their fathers ancient faith. soon atter
came Mrs. Marie Higgins, also an
American, who established a similar
monks rubbed their eyes In wonder
and then they too caught some OF the
inspiration of the western blood in an
eastern religion.
A great Buddhist theological semi
nary was established here In Colombo,
close to Colonel Olcott's college. Young
men were trained for the monastic
life, the sacred Pail language was re-
vived and taught to all comers. New
temples were built and old ones were
purged of their Hindu profanations.
Finally the government was forced 10
disestablish the Church of England,
and Buddhists gained the right TO hold
office under the government without
prejudice on account of faith. A prince
of the reignlng royal family Of Slam
came to Colombo and became a monk.
The piety and learning of the Ceylon
monks was spoken of throughout the
Buddhistic world, and the pilgrims
from Japan, China, Tibet, Burma and
Siam began to flock here. The Temple
of the Tooth at Handy, where a re-
puted tooth of the great teacher is
enshrined, regained its old religious
prominence. And this great revival of
Buddhism, the first sign of vitality
displayed by a dying religion in more
than a thousand years, is universally
credited to Colonel Olcott. Ceylonese
gentlemen of culture, men who have
won their degrees at Cambridge and
who would be at home in any drawing
room in the world, express gratitude to
visiting Americans that it was the
United States which sent a man to re-
vive the national religion.
The British government was un-
friendly at first Colombo newspapers
spoke darkly of Russian spies In
Jackets of stars and stripes" and some
trying to annex the pearl of the Brit
ish empire. But that opposition has
passed away long ago. Colonel OIL
colts college has expanded into more
than 200 Buddhist schools for boys In
Ceylon. Mrs. Higgins college still
fourishes and the education of Bud
dhist girls has become quite common
the island, something that
Buddha did not contemplate, and
which no oriental religion has ever en-
In this same Garden of Eden the
American laborers in the Christian
vineyard are also hard at work. The
American mission In the north OF the
Island is taking outcast boys and girls,
educating them, giving them English
names and setting them out on the
road to prosperity.
In Colombo there Is an old Dutch
Presbyterian church, the congregation
dating from 1643. The present church
building was erected in 1749 and is the
largest ond handsomest building in the
city. 1t contains the tombs OF the
Dutch governors, generals and ad-
mirals-a mighty host. Its people are
all "burghers," descendants OF the old
Dutch colonists. They have forgotten
heir ancestral tongue and speak only
English. Their minister is Padre" st.
Clair an American but three years
)uI OF princeton.
The Y. NJ. C. A. in Colombo is
organization with a hand
some building, a dormitory, a restau-
ant, a night school and the best gym
lasium east of Suez. It's membership
s made up of representatives of seven
'eligions and fifteen races. The entire
Z. NJ. c. A. work in the island is under
he direction of w. w. Crutchfield,
ometime football player with Wander
oilt university He was preceded by
/ man from Alabama of whose work
he highest native official In the island
! Buddhist, said: "Mr. Hart did more
rood in Ceylon than any other man
Who has come here In many years"
Mrs. Higgins formerly a clerk in the
department at Washington,
$ working on with her Buddhist girls
chool; Colonel Olcott is dead, but his
work. lives and fourishes; the Dutch
'urghers church is preparing to be-
ONE an integral part of the American
Presbyterian church; the Y. NJ. c. A.
'oys are learning religion and ath-
etics from American preceptors, and
american missionaries are lifting up
he degraded low-caste tribes for
lhom nothing was ever done before.
Whether the footprint on the peak is
hat of Adam or Buddha or Vishnu
My the pilgrims care. But there is
o doubt that today American inffu-
nee is the most potent in the con-
used religions of this island.
CeylOn's Spicy Isle, uI-The
acred Shrine of Handy.