530 BUDDHISM AXD DEMON-WORSHIP. [PART IV. 



in the sacred books which contain the tenets of Buddha ; 

 and although in process of time his followers have de- 

 parted from that portion of his precepts, still distinction of 

 birth is nowhere authoritatively recognised as a quali- 

 fication for the priesthood. Buddha being in fact a deifi- 

 cation of human intellect, the philanthropy of the system 

 extends its participation and advantages to the whole 

 family of mankind, the humblest member of which is 

 sustained by the assurance that by virtue and endurance he 

 may attain an equality though not an identification with 

 supreme intelligence. Wisdom thus exalted as the sole 

 object of pursuit and veneration, the Buddhists, with cha- 

 racteristic liberality, admit that the teaching of virtue is 

 not necessarily confined to their own professors ; especially 

 when the ceremonial of others does not involve the taking 

 of life. Hence in a great degree arises the indifference of 

 the Singhalese as to the comparative claims of Christianity 

 and Buddhism, and hence the facility with which, both 

 under the Portuguese, the Dutch, and the British Govern- 

 ment, they have combined the secret worship of the one 

 with the ostensible profession of the other. They in fact 

 admit Christ to have been a teacher, second only to 

 Buddha, but inferior, inasmuch as the latter, who was 

 perfect in wisdom, has attained to the bliss of Mrwana. 1 

 As regards the structure of the universe, the theories 



1 Sir JOHX DAVIS, in his account I the Scriptures and attendance at the 



of the Chinese, states that the Budd- j hours of worship and prayer ; ac- 



hists there worship the " Queen of I counting for his ready acquiescence 



Heaven" a personage evidently bor- j by an assurance that he entertained 



rowed from the Roman Catholics, and ; an equal respect for the doctrines of 



that the name of "Jesus " appears in j Buddhism and Christianity. "But 



thelistof their divinities. (Chap, xiv.) ! how can you," said the principal, 



A curious illustration of the preva- 

 lence of this disposition to conform to 

 two religions was related to me in 

 Ceylon. A Singhalese chief came a 

 short time since to the principal of a 

 government seminary at Colombo, 

 desirous to place his son as a pupil of j 

 the institution, and agreed, without 

 an instant's hesitation, that the boy 

 should conform to the discipline of the 



"with your superior education and 

 intelligence, reconcile yourself thus 

 to halt between two opinions, and 

 submit to the inconsistency of pro- 

 fessing an equal belief in two con- 

 flicting religions ? " " Do you see," 

 replied the subtle chief, laying his 

 hand on the arm of the other, and 

 directing his attention to a canoe, 

 with a large spar as an outrigger 



school, which requires the reading of lashed alongside, in which a fisher- 



