________________
280
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
India is beyond doubt." Muhamad (speaking under Col. Olcott's correction we understand that the conqueror's name was, however, Mahmûd) of Ghazni we thought lived nearer nine centuries than seven centuries ago. But then, two centuries of time are as nothing in the retrospect of a poet! And we are glad to hear, because it is news, that it was the wicked Muhammedan' (we follow the 'chiefly advised' writer in making 'Muhammedan' the correct adjectival form of Muhamad') who carried through the destruction of Buddhism in in India from start to finish. A little lower down we learn how it was done :
"From the tenth to the twelfth centuries a systematic vandalism of sacred shrines was carried on by the devastating hordes of Arabs under Muhammedan generals."
The armies of the Ghaznavi and Ghôrî generals were, of course, all Arabs! We are learning quickly indeed; but there is yet more to learn - much more than was ever dreamt of in our philosophy:
"From the twelfth to the sixteenth century indigenous literature was not only not allowed to be cultivated, but every method was adopted to stamp out a national growth."
O shades of Akbar and Jahangir and Dârâ Shikôh! O Chand Bardâi! O Kabir! O Gurû Nának! O Tulsi Dâs! O ye Medieval Reformers! what say ye to this ?
However, the Muhammedan' is evidently a red rag to the writers in the Journal of the Mahabodhi Society, and it may be that their personal feelings. have warped their sense of historical accuracy.
The Journal is severe on those who differ from its views. Sciolists and superficial critics, failing to grasp the philosophy, and merely for the sake of notoriety, condemn Buddhism as atheistic." Granted for the sake of argument. Let us hear what the scientific and deep critic has to teach us - - for we confess to being with the sciolists in this matter: "The cherished gods of the Aryans, the mild Vishuu, the protecting Brahma, and the guarding Indra (the differentiation between protecting' and guarding' is distinctly good), besides most of the devas and devatás have not been relegated into the land of myths. They have a niche in the pantheon of gods in the Buddhist system."
4
"The pantheon of gods in the Buddhist system" exhibits a truly scientific appreciation of the Buddhist philosophy no doubt, but we shall remain sciolists' nevertheless.
Passing by the muddling together of devas and devatás', as exhibited in the extracts already
[SEPTEMBER, 1892.
quoted, we have to note a peculiarity in the Journal, which is typical of the theosophic variety of the scientific man. Outer sciolists, who lay claim to some knowledge of Indian languages, have a habit, when transliterating, of diacritically marking certain letters to show their form in the original. The scientific theosophist always tries to do the same, and the result is invariably startling. We have fine specimens before us now, e. g., Vaishnáva, Mágadha (the country), Kusinágara, Priyadási (this is most excellent, for it has the advantage of being neither Pâli nor Sanskrit), and so on. And then again, if you write Siva and Saiva (p. 3), why write Sri and Sankaracharya.
If the Mahabodhi Society's views of things ancient are astonishing, its ideas on contemporary movements are equally so:
ultimate development, and it is impossible to go "The intellect of the educated has reached its back to the dualistic stage of religion, when scientific monism is gaining ground among the highest intellects of Europe and America. This scientific monism is the Advaita Philosophy of ancient India. This scientific and realistic monism in all its comprehensiveness was promulgated by Gautama Buddha twenty-five centuries ago."
This is well conceived, but the following is better from the pen of the chiefly advising' Colonel himself:
"Western dogmatism cannot stand before it (the Arya Dharma of Sakya Muni, miscalled Buddhism'). Western men of light and learning welcome it, the weary-souled begin to hail it with enthusiasm. The two chief reviving agencies, the two channels through which it is flowing, are a book and a Society- -the Light of Asia and the Theosophical Society. Ten years hence Buddhism will have gained an unshakable foothold throughout Christendom."
This is enough for us! When Western man of light and learning accept the Light of Asia as a true exposition of Buddhism the Christian will deserve to go down before the Buddhist.
We have thus dwelt on the errors in the Journal fully sympathise with the general aims of the of the Mahabodhi Society at length, because we Society, which are apparently to protect the remains at Buddh-Gaya from further neglect, to misappropriation, and to ensure the preservation secure the funds of the temple from further of Buddhist literature. The sooner therefore the conductors of the Journal of the Society cease to publish downright nonsense the sooner will they secure respect towards themselves, and general sympathy with their laudable objects.
