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RELIGION- ANIMISHI
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tism of their religious conceptions, that they were more given to superstition, less intellectual, than for instance the Greeks and Romans, must be given up. Derived partly from a too exclusive study of the zriestly books, partly from reading back into the past a inistaken view of modern conditions, it cannot stand against the new evidence derived from the Jain and Buddhist literatures written, or rather composed, in independence of the priests. The real facts lead to the opposite view. They show a constant progress from Vedic times onwards. Some reasons for this will be suggested in the next chapter. But whatever the facts, and whatever the reasons for them, we are not likely to cease from hearing that parrot cry of self-complacent ignorance, " The immovable East" — the implied sop to vanity is too sweet to be neglected.
Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
