The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-02-06

mad seen In India. he said he didn't know.
some people said one thing about God
some smother. some said God dwelt In
images and at times spoke through GER
tain men. He didn't know. He had seen
men sit around a sweet smelling fire and
Jump Up In a Wild state. so that whatever
you asked them they could tell you; but
whether they told the truth at such time
he didn't know. And when | asked which
were the better. the Hindus or the Mo-
h mmedans. he said that as he himself
had been brought up n Hindu he couldn't
give an opinion.
After a chapter on the many gods
worshipped In India. the author gives
q chapter on the One God. The chief
gods worshipped are SILVA. Nishnu.
incarnate in krishna. and Shakti. The
first Is both destroyer and regenera-
tor. He is the great ascetic dwelling
alone among the mountains. He is
The most popular Of the Indian gods
but has not the largest number OF ex-
elusive worshippcrs. This honor is
reserved for Nishnu. In his %incarna
ton as krishna. he offers the %populace
an emotional outlet not unlike thot OF
| Mcthodism or the Salvation Army.
Shakti Is the personifcation Of cos
mic forces or Of power in general
Again Brahma. Vishnu and SILVA may
he looked upon as q trinity: creator
preserver and destroyer.
Brahma. as the Upanishads nam
the supreme absolute. Is the true. inner
being OF all things and is really the
one God.
II Is impossible 10 take space to re-
view this book chapter by chapter. al
though 1t deserves II. There is an ex-
cellent chapter on the Hindu concep.
ton OF duty and destiny; one on Dhar-
ma; one OF teachers, priests and hol.
men: reform movements within Hin.
duism: the Brahmo Samaj and thu
.Arya Samaj: the Radhasoamis anC
T~heosophists; the khabir Panthis ant
Sikhs: the Mohammedans: the Par.
sees: the Buddhists of Burma and
Ceylon; the doctrines Of modern Bud.
dhism: the value OF Buddhism and It's
springs Of power: the Christian mis-.
sions In India. and what the Yves,
might learn.
As to the Christian missions in tn
large sense Mr.. Pratt feels sure the!
will succeed because the spirit OF
Christ is a missionary spirit. Chris
tianity. he feels, has a message whicr
the mont Christian religions cannot dc
without. And the delivery of the mes
sage is the greatest debt the Wes'
owes the East. The old fashioned typ,
OF missionary. whose chief duty
seemed to he to inveigh against thu
religions he found established. is pass
ing and the new I. &c Of missionar,
points out all the possible agreement.
between the religions established an,
the religion he desires TO convey.
The chapter on What the IVES
Might Learn" Is excellent. First place
while ii would undoubtedly be to,
much to shy that there is no socia
vice and impurity of thought in India
these aspects Of life are not Haunted
In the face Of the public as they ar
in the West. We might also borrow
some profit from the Indians sens,
Of the indecency of drunkenness. An'
again to turn to the very root from
which the Indians temperance an,
sense Of public decorum grow. Their,
Is in his attitude OF mind a kind o
inwardness. Of simplicity, Of auietness
OF lack o! self-ob;rusiveness from
which profound lessons might b.
learned by the Western world, a cor
receive TO our all invading material
ism. He is unashamed and unafrai,
Of poverty. He objects 20 killing an.
one or any creature. And again h
Is never in too much OF a hurry.
This volume is chiefly illustrated h,
the authors interesting photographs
II Is a very scholarly, thorough. i'm
partial and enl!ghtenlng piece Of work
done ny a man who i" a recognize,
authority in the held.