1899. J Mannscripls and Inscriptions from Nepal. 33 



Buddhism, as is well known to yon, still exists there, and one may still 

 note here, as in other Buddhistic countries, the great resemblance that 

 exists between their form oP divine worship and that of the Catholic 

 churches. Thus, prostrntions like the cheviin de la croix, scapulars, 

 banners, incense and rosaries are much in vogue among them, and holy 

 amulets are revered and kissed by their votaries with the same firm 

 belief in their efficacy, as a pious Catholic looks upon objects brought 

 from holy places of his own cieed. 



Another feature of religious worship in Nepal that struck me very 

 often, is the intimate connection one observes between nature worship 

 and a sense for the beauty of scenery. People seem to prefer for their 

 places of worship localities with picturesque scenery such as lofty 

 mountains, huge trees, etc., and one cannot help thinking that nature 

 worship always has been and still is influenced by this aesthetic feeling, 

 which we generally are led to deny to the lower races of man. 



At the side of Buddhism, Hinduism exists, without any spirit of 

 enmity. Brahmins partake in Buddhist festivals, they worship their 

 statues and erect Stupas over their lingas. Women are not excluded 

 from religious ceremonies, and the purdah system of modern India is 

 unknown to them. At a BSrajatrg, a Buddhist festival which 1 had the 

 pleasure of witnessing, and printed invitations to which I am showino- 

 you to-night between 7 to 10,000 bhiksus were fed at the expense of a 

 Buddhist layman who was piesent with his wife and whole family. The 

 king was present in theory only, he being represented by the actino- 

 Prime Minister. The term used for this feast in the invitation which 

 is written in Sanskrit verse and Newari prose, is samynk-sanibhojana, or 

 "complete feast," The festival consisted in the dedication of a costly 

 image of Buddha with a display of a number of images similarly dedi- 

 cated in past times. 



The juxtaposition of Buddhism and Hinduism in Nepal gives us 

 an idea of the actual relations of both religions in India durino* the last 

 centuries before the Muhammadan invasion. Hinduism, it appears, 

 gradually ab,sorbed Buddhism ; no persecutions ever existed, but what 

 happened merely was this that Buddhism slowly and by degrees became 

 moie and more Hinduized. It is for this reason, that the study of 

 modern religious life still deserves more notice than has been given to it 

 previously. It is highly probable, tiiat a good many traces of Buddhistic 

 survivals still may be found among the popular forms of worship 

 in India, as has been shown of late in one instance with regard to 

 Dharma worship in Bengal, the discovery of which is due to my learned 

 friend Haraprasad ^astri. 



Finally, it is a pleasant duty to me to record the eminent services 



