138 
ORDINARY MEETING (held at the House oe the 
Society of Arts), January 19, 1874. 
The Rev. Robinson Thornton, D.D., Vice-President, 
in the Chair. 
The Minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed, after which, 
the following paper was read by the Author 
BUDDHISM. By The Right Reverend Bishop P. C. 
Claughton, D.D., Archdeacon of London, &c. See. 
I N consequence of the many urgent engagements which 
I have to fulfil, I have not had time to do more 
than put down simply what many may think a very superficial 
account of Buddhism as I have myself met with it m the 
East. I do not profess that this paper is more than that. 
What acquaintance I have with Buddhism is not derived fiom 
books, but arises simply from my acquaintance with Buddhists 
themselves. At the same time, I should like to say that it is 
not simply due to my having lived in the country a certain 
time and having gone among the people during that residence, 
but also from the fact that I have had much more knowledge ot, 
and acquaintance with the Buddhist priests than other mission- 
aries, and almost more than any other Englishman, for the 
time I was among them. In point of fact, I introduced a sou 
of change of policy with regard to our missions in Ceylon. 1 
found it was the custom of missionaries to avoid the priests 
and to go only among the people, because they thought thepriests 
were impostors and that the people were deceived. Ididnotthmk 
that was a fair view to take of the case, although it was perhaps 
natural that it should suggest itself to simple missionaries 
going out to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 1 rather 
reversed the policy, and when I came to a strange part of toe 
country I first inquired for the nearest priest— sometimes a 
college of them : sometimes only an individual priest and the 
nearest temple. In that way I went much among the priests, 
and I have further to say, that I have great pleasure in bearing 
testimony to the almost invariable candour and courtesy with 
which they received me, 
