Yvტ مستعمتحتی محتاتنه BUDDHISM ANT) CHRISTIANITY. (By a Bengali Professor of Europe) সত্যন্নি প্রমদিতব্যং ( ংৈ ব্ররীযেlপনিষদি ) “Know the Truth and the Truth shall make you fro-C Josus. TITE object of this paper is rather to provoke further inquiry on an important subject than assert anything. From the autumn of 1876 to that, of the Introduction.) fol: wing year, I delivered in (i rimany a serics of Lectures on a variety of subjects bearino on our Hindu Litorature a. o., on Buddhism in its relation to s hristianity. (Some of these Lectures have in the meantime been published in the “ Deut. 3, hc Wochenschrift," See. Nos: I. II. XH. XII. nud XI 11. of 1877.) In these Lecture. I tried in the first place to point out the dissiniilarities and then the The latter had greatly struck me from the very beginning of my studies on the subject and now this similarities of the two religious. feeling of astonishment scene, to be cqually §hared by my all litors. In the last Lecture on “Buddhism and Christianity” which I delivered in L “pzig a yell ago and in which I dwelt exclusively on the similarities or as it was announced “on the Harmony between Buddhista and Christianity,” one of my auditors rose up after I had finished to make some very kind observations about what he liad heard that evening and he actually concluded his remarks with : “Now, gentlemen l if this be Buddhism, then I am indeed a Buddhist s” II, Such internal correspondence—such striking thmilarities between the cardinal points of both very naturally induced the belief that there wold be found also an Internal and equally striking corresponExternal Cor- dônce' botwoeni their rites tuspoudence, and ceremonies—their, Soto say, priestly or ecclesiastical institutions. From a given number of internal functions, the biologist concludes on the existonce of a corresponding number of external organs with indubitable certainty and vice verst. Has Buddhism then also developed ecclesiastical institutions similar to those of Christianity? Being in Europe and ' তত্ত্ববোধিনী পত্রিকা · R
- कछ * छा?
_ SAS SSAS SSAS SSAS SSAS SSAS especially on the Continent, these I have rare and daily opportunities to study but how could l study the similar Buddhist institutions : Although proud of bring born in Hindustan and indeed not very far from the Holy Land itself ( Kosala and Magadha ) which was the nativity as well as the principal scene of the labours of the great Founder of Buddhism--where, whole herds of pilgrims from all and even the remotest, parts of Asia streamed in for 1000 ( from 61 A. C. when Buddhism became the state-religion in China to 954 A. (!, when Khi-net; visited India at the head of 300 pilgrims we have about 900 years. Pilgrimage to India must have commenced even a century or two anterior to this date) Yet such is the singul:, sport of circumstances years which gre it antiquarians are still at a loss to unravel, Buddhism and Buddhistic institutions almost have to aily disappeared from the soil of their birth or if they exist at all they have found refuge as it were in a corrupt forin in the comparatively unfi equented fastnesses of Nepal and 13httan or in the far off Isle of Ceylon. To study Buddhism and Et dlhist institutiolus, in all the v &i ious rainifications of their developiuent, it is necessary therefore to go to China, Japan, Thibet, Burmah or Siam. I was in this mood of mind when amidst new and different studies on Comparative Philology, I met with in the grand Bibliotheqne de L'Im&titute in Paris the following work entitled: “Voyage dans le Thibet” par Abe Huc. Conceive my astonishment when I read the following passage:–On ne peut s’empecher d’etro frappé de leur rapport avec le Catholicism. La Crosse, la mitre, la dalmatique, la chape ou pluvial que les grands Lamas portent en voyage ou lorsqu’ils font quelque ceremonic hors du temple; l'office á deux choours, la psalmodie, les cxorcismes, l'encensoir soutenu par cinq chaines, et pouvant s'ouvrir et se fermer á volonté les cenedictions données par les Lamas en etendant la main droite sur la tete des fideles ; le chapelet, le clibat ecclesias stique, les retraites spirituelles, le cnlte dessaints, les jeunes, los processions, les litanies l'cau bénite ; voila! autant de rapports que les Buddhistes ont avec nous !” (CHARETos III. P. 110)
