[From Manx Quarterly, #4 1908]

HINDUISM.

Generally speaking, so little is known concerning the Orient in the Western World, that the Eastern is more often than not put down as a pagan or heathen -a worshipper of idols and false gods. Of course, these conclusions arise through ignorance of the East, its people and religions. India is the home of religions, the land of holy traditions and sacred literature, the home of spiritual aspirations, the one country in the world where for untold ages the spiritual fire has been kept aglow, whose inhabitants are born steeped in religion, and whose temperaments are peculiarly adapted to religious contemplation. It has been well said that varieties of opinion about God are valuable, not mischievous, because each opinion by itself expresses so small a fragment of the mighty truth, while the totality of opinions gives a fuller presentation than could otherwise be obtained. The writer, having the good fortune of being intimately acquainted with a Hindu gentleman, concluded it would be opportune, when religious controversy is occupying the minds of so many people, to invite this gentleman to write an exposition of the Hindu religion for publication in the " Isle of Man Examiner." Hinduism is the great religion of the East, the mother of that great religion Buddhism, which has the largest number of adherents in the world-it is said a third of the human race are followers of the teachings of the Buddha. The writer of the article in question. Mr Gandhi, is a Hindu of the Hindus, whose name is known throughout the British Empire, from Cabinet Minister down to the humblest Indian. Mr Gandhi, a solicitor by profession, is well known throughout South Africa as the leading exponent of Indian thought, and the champion of Indian rights and liberties.

In enclosing Mr Gandhi's MS. herewith, the writer does so with the fervent hope that it will receive at the hands of the Insular community a fair and impartial consideration, which it undoubtedly deserves.

A. M.

Johannesburg.

HINDUISM AS I KNOW IT.

An esteemed friend has asked me to jot down my thoughts on Hinduism. I feel, however, that I am quite incapable of dealing with that vast subject. Hinduism may mean one thing to one man, and a totally different thing to another. I propose, therefore, as briefly as I can, to deal with that great religion as I know it.

I may start with the statement that I consider myself, with all modesty, to be a Hindu of the Hindus, and yet I do not believe in artificial caste barriers or restrictions. The fact is that these form no part, in my opinion, of the religion.

The chief beauty of Hinduism consists in its unrivalled toleration, its unquenchable faith in one Godhead, its regard for all life, and in its making truth synonymous with religion.

Its spirit of toleration teaches me not to condemn any religion, but to regard all as manifestations of the same truth. It enables me, therefore, to accept the Bible and the Koran as much part of my scriptures as the immortal Bhagavad-Gitã. It would give me pain to see a Christian declaring himself to be a Hindu, but, at the same time, it does no debar me from pointing out the truth to a Christian. Entertaining the same veneration for the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as for those of Krishna, I should be able to hold communion with my Christian brother, if he would allow me to call him so, without any reserve.

The unconquerable faith in the Godhead is a necessary consequence of the belief that the ultimate goal of every human being is union with and absorption in that Godhead. Such Divine union cannot be attained without the exercise of absolute faith. It is for that reason that to a Hindu " You cannot serve God and Mammon " is an ever present reality, and it is also for that reason that his religion is all in all to him. He must accept without limitation the statement, " Sell all and follow Me."

Regard for all that lives is a necessary consequence of what I have just stated. Hinduism believes in transmigration as an incontrovertible fact. It means that the soul, which is uncreate and immortal, passes from body to body according to its deserts, these envelopes being either human, superhuman, or sub-human, including even insect and vegetable bodies. The argument briefly is this-the soul reaches union with the Godhead only from the human platform. If it, in the human body, does the work of a non-human animal, then it descends to the animal body. Being attached to the results of good deeds, if it aspires to the state of Paradise, it can reach there, and, after having exhausted the effect of the good deeds, it re-descends to the human platform. And this process, whether we like it or not, continues until the soul realises itself and its Maker. Thus the Hindu can with perfect sincerity accept the truth of " As ye sow, so shall ye reap," or St. Paul's aphorism, " Work out your own salvation," or yet once more, " Not everyone that sayeth unto me 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven."

Its regard for truth is summed up in a verse which, translated, means " there is no religion other (or higher) than truth." The story of the king who, for the sake of truth, abandoned all earthly riches and allowed himself and his wife and children to be sold as slaves, and was even ready to put the sword across his son's neck, is well known to every Indian. And from this regard for truth directly follows every branch of the moral code. It is the anvil on which every act has to be tested.

It may be asked, " Can Divine union be attained without Divine grace? Is not atonement necessary before the spark can return to the fire from which it was thrown out?" The answer is "Yes" and "No." In Hinduism the letter literally killeth and the Spirit literally giveth life. Every man has to sacrifice himself and bear the cross. There is no room in Hinduism for a belief in an outside person physically shedding blood for the sake of others, and the appropriation of such shedding. That does not mean that Jesus did not die for us. He did indeed, in that he has set us an example what we should do to obtain salvation.

This is Hinduism as I knew it and, I hope, practise it. I have not entered into the dogmatic teaching, which has little interest for me, and can have less for those who will see these lines. Religion being a heart state, and not a mental state, I have simply outlined those facts of Hinduism which can assist heart culture. There are many evil eruptions throughout the length and breadth of India which pass as Hinduism, but these are no more Hinduism than devil worship can be Christianity. It is not my purpose to deal with them. I believe that there are thousands on thousands of Hindus in India who practise their religion as above described, but if it were to be proved that there is no single Hindu in whom it is to-day reproduced, my belief in the truth of it will stand unshakable.

M. B. GANDHI.