Two Old Faiths | Page 9

human destiny and duty, has ended in total failure.
Each system baseless, and all mutually conflicting; systems cold and
cheerless, that frown on love and virtuous exertion, and speak of
annihilation or its equivalent, absorption, as our highest hope: such is
the poor result of infinite speculation. "The world by wisdom knew not
God." O, that India would learn the much-needed lesson of humility
which the experience of ages ought to teach her!
[Sidenote: Sacerdotalism. The tyranny of sacerdotalism.] While
speculation was thus busy Sacerdotalism was also continually
extending its influence. The Brahman, the man of prayer, had made
himself indispensable in all sacred rites. He alone--as we have
seen--knew the holy text; he alone could rightly pronounce the words
of awful mystery and power on which depended all weal or woe. On all
religions occasions the priest must be called in, and, on all occasions,
implicitly obeyed. For a considerable time the princes straggled against

the encroachments of the priests; but in the end they were completely
vanquished. Never was sacerdotal tyranny more absolute; the proudest
pope in mediæval times never lorded it over Western Christendom with
such unrelenting rigor as the Brahmans exercised over both princes and
people. The feeling of the priests is expressed in a well-known stanza:
"All the world is subject to the gods; the gods are subject to the holy
texts; the holy texts are subject to the Brahman; therefore the Brahman
is my god."
Yes, the sacred man could breathe the spell which made earth and hell
and heaven itself to tremble. He therefore logically called himself an
earthly god. Indeed, the Brahman is always logical. He draws
conclusions from premises with iron rigor of reasoning; and with
side-issues he has nothing to do. He stands upon his rights. Woe to the
being--god or man--who comes in conflict with him!
[Sidenote: Ritual becomes extravagant.] The priests naturally
multiplied religious ceremonies, and made ritual the soul of worship.
Sacrifice especially assumed still more and more exaggerated
forms--becoming more protracted, more expensive, more bloody. A
hecatomb of victims was but a small offering. More and more awful
powers were ascribed to the rite.
[Sidenote: Reaction.] But the tension was too great, and the bow
snapped. Buddhism arose. We may call this remarkable system the
product of the age--an inevitable rebellion against intolerable
sacerdotalism; and yet we must not overlook the importance of the very
distinct and lofty personality of Buddha (Sakya Muni) as a power
molding it into shape.
[Sidenote: Buddhism. Moral elements of this system. Conflict with
Brahmanism. Victory of Brahmanism.] Wherever it extended it
effected a vast revolution in Indian thought. Thus in regard to the
institution of caste, Buddha did not attack it; he did not, it would appear,
even formally renounce it; as a mere social institution he seems to have
acknowledged it; but then he held that all the religious were freed from
its restrictions. "My law," said he, "is a law of mercy for all;" and

forthwith he proceeded to admit men of every caste into the closest
fellowship with himself and his followers. Then, he preached--he,
though not a Brahman--in the vernacular languages--an immense
innovation, which made his teachings popular. He put in the forefront
of his system certain great fundamental principles of morality. He made
religion consist in duty, not rites. He reduced duty mainly to mercy or
kindness toward all living beings--a marvelous generalization. This set
aside all slaughter of animals. The mind of the princes and people was
weary of priestcraft and ritualism; and the teaching of the great
reformer was most timely. Accordingly his doctrine spread with great
rapidity, and for a long time it seemed likely to prevail over
Brahmanism. But various causes gradually combined against it. Partly,
it was overwhelmed by its own luxuriance of growth; partly,
Brahmanism, which had all along maintained an intellectual superiority,
adopted, either from conviction or policy, most of the principles of
Buddhism, and skillfully supplied some of its main deficiencies. Thus
the Brahmans retained their position; and, at least nominally, their
religion won the day.

III.
RECONSTRUCTION--MODERN HINDUISM.
[Sidenote: Revival, in an altered form, of Hinduism. Only the position
of the Brahman and the restrictions of caste retained.] But the
Hinduism that grew up, as Buddhism faded from Indian soil, was
widely different from the system with which early Buddhism had
contended. Hinduism, as it has been developed during the last thousand
or twelve hundred years, resembles a stupendous far-extended building,
or series of buildings, which is still receiving additions, while portions
have crumbled and are crumbling into ruin. Every conceivable style of
architecture, from that of the stately palace to the meanest hut, is
comprehended in it. On a portion of the structure here or there the eye
may rest with pleasure; but as a whole