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tions through all grades to regeneration and liberation, and up to the perfect state. But despite all this, to you we confidently look for that recognition of truth in us which shall lead to the universal fellowship which the law of universal brotherhood implies.
We come gladly, at your invitation, for another reason. You are the most tolerant and liberal nation in the Western world, and tolerance is the first article in the faith of every Hindu, Buddhist or Jainist. No man can point to any instance in the history of my people where any man was ever persecuted for religious cpinion's sake. Our very language does not contain an equivalent word for the English word "persecution." We have words in Out language in the ancient Sanskrit, that cover the whole ground of justice, purity, of godness, of love and of all the sweet beatitudes of the soul's attainment, but not one world that means malice, persecution or tyranny for religious opinion's sake.
It may be objected to this statement of mine, which objection may be founded on statements of distinguished ecclesiastics, such as Bishop Caldwell, who has lived in India for many years, that the Hindus worship gods of destriction, but acquaintance with us will prove that we do not worship gods in the sense conveyed, but they represent to us ideas of retribution and penalty and destruction for the wrongdoing and misdoing of man, and we seek to appease wrath and
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