THE PARAMAHANSA. 
177 
holy and sanctified acts, I am not prepared to state 
but I believe the latter, as I have known other in- 
stances where individuals of different sects, by per- 
severing in extraordinary piety or penance, have been 
deemed in a state incapable of sin. The holiness of 
the actor sanctified the act, be it what it may ; or, as 
we say, f to the pure all things are pure/ But I never 
heard of these voluptuous saints carrying their devo- 
tion or impudence to the disgusting extravagance under 
our consideration. They are still much respected; 
more, however, under all their shapes by women than 
by men. 
ce I will finish my notice of the Paramahansa by ob- 
serving that my information stated, that the human 
brain is judged by these epicurean cannibals as the 
most delicious morsel of their unsocial banquet.” * 
In the ninth volume of the Asiatic Researches, in an 
account by Major Mackenzie of the Jains, — a sect 
remarkable for their humanity, and it is against 
the express law of their religion to put any animal 
to death — there is the following remarkable pas- 
sage, referring to the Buddhists, who also consider it 
a deadly sin to take away animal life. It would 
lead to the inference that these latter are likewise 
cannibals. “ The Jains generally account modestly 
for all their tenets, and conduct themselves with pro- 
priety; and never assert that their bodies are eternal 
and that there is no God. Nor do they, like the 
Buddhists, say after death there is no pain in the 
flesh nor feeling ; since it feels not pain nor death, what 
* Miscellaneous notice of the Brahmins and Hindoos. Vide 
Hindoo Pantheon, page 352. 
