Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-05-21
Photographs The News by Frank g. Carpenter
EARL MIMIC SUGGESTS A PAGODA FOR BUDDHA
THIS ONE is PLATED WITH GOLD.

1t is said that single pilgrim upon
| one occasion laid 5000. 900 flowers upon
| IT,
Next to Ccylon and Burma. 1 find
| that siam is the chief Buddhist coun-
| try Of this part Of the world. Ii has no
| relics OF the saint but the splendor
| Of its temples beggars description 1
| visited one at Bangkok which has a
| carpet Of woven silver wire,and contains
| a little gold god set with emeralds and
other precious stones. Bangkok has
hundreds Of figures Of Buddha plated
with gold, and IN one temple there
saw what is perhaps the largest idol
OF the world. II Ia a sleeping Buddha
so heavily plated that Il shines like a
new wedding ring II is $50 feet long.
and. its arm IS as big around as a flour
barrel.
INDIAN BUDDHISM.
India should have more Buddhists
than any other land. II was here that
Buddha was born. Here he spent his
whole life, and from here his religion
spread TO other parts Of the world
Today. Of the three hundred millions Of
India, not more than one I'm a thousand
is a follower OF Buddha. There are be-
tween nine and ten millions OF that
faith In Burma, and many more in Cey-
Ion and parts Of farther India.
The Buddhists OF Hindustan number
less than 300. 1000 They are found in
small numbers along the northern from
tier OF BENGAL and upon the lower
slopes Of the Himalayas In Nepal
where Buddha was born. he has still
many followers, and IN Kashmir near
where these ashes We're found there
are OF his believers perhaps 10000 all
told.
The religion at first had great sway
II spread throughout Hindustan, and
at the time OF King Kanishka, who
built the great temple over the ashes
recently found. IL was one Of the pre-
dominant faiths. After that IL began
to decline. and IL was almost wiped out
1t the time the Mohammedans came
in and took possession Of northern In
dia. Today there are something like
$50 100000 Buddhists in the world but
this estimate Is based upon figures
which cannot be verified. The religion
is the chief one Of Japan. two-thirds Of
the Chinese are supposed TO believe il.
and its most ardent followers are Tib-
otans and the Monaghan population Of
Asia. There are Buddhists i'm Siberia
and in the Dutch East Indies, and tho
faith is supposed to be alive in Korea.
although the priests there are low fell
lows and are despised and rejected OF
men.
IN THE FOOTPRINTS OF BUDDHA.
During my present stay in India I
have walked in the footprints of
Buddha. 1 passed his birthplace on
my way up the Himalayas He was
the son OF a king who lived on their
slopes, in southern NepaL and his boy
hood was spent In the most beautiful
scenery under the shadows Of the high
est mountains on earth, During the |
earlier part OF his life he enjoyed such |
luxury as only India knows He was
given every pleasure, was married 10 |
a charming princess and in due time |
had a beautiful son. During this period |
he was kept from the sight OF all evil, |
sorrow and pain, for fear that his con- |
and ascetic nature might |
lead him to take 10 the church II /
was not until he was almost % years /
u age that he learned Of the trou- /
bles OF mankind, and decided upon /
the great renunciation. He then gave /
up his palace, cut on his long hair /
and putting on the clothes OF a beg /
gar went forth upon the highways. He /
spent six years In wandering about In
his efforts for the attainment OF peace
He practised one religion after anoth-
nr. he tasted and prayed he mortified /
the flesh in every way and went
through struggle after struggle and
after temptation, until az
last at Buddha Gayn, he found the
light and went 20 Benares, where he
arst gave IL TO mankind.
Buddha Gaya Is 20 the Buddhists the
most holy spot upon earth. The 30
Tree under which Buddha sat during |
his great contemplation they believe
10 be the center OF the earth They
will tell YOU that the original tree still
stands and that branches Of II have
been carried 20 Ceylon and there
,prouted This tree is situated near
, Buddhist temple which Is about seven
niles from the little city OF Gaya. II
les some distance south Of the Ganges.
ne miles by rail from Calcutta, and Is
cached by way 81 Patna, whore the
treat opium factories are. As the |
row lies it Is about l25 miles from
3enares.
The temple. which stands near the
rec. was erected about 300 years after
3uddhas death. and Is hence about |
800 years old. II Is 100 feet high and
he wall Of IT'S tower Is Il feet thick |
{ is In the form OF a pyramid ~ nine
tories. embellished with inches and |
I have no space 10 speak |
Il the tree or It's surroundings. The
hrines are chiefly in the hands Of the
lrahmins, although there are few
buddhist monks who worship in a
monastery near by. They say their