A CONVERT TO BUDDHISM.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1303, 14 February 1885, Page 2

A CONVERT TO BUDDHISM.

A correspondent writing from Colombo to the Madras Mail on December 18th, said:—"An interesting ceremony took place at Robinson street, Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, Ceylon, on the 17th inst., consisting in the public acceptance of Buddhism by a Christian minister of the Established Church of England. The Rev. Charles Webster Leadbeater, (clergyman ' from Hampshire, England, and curate of a church in which he but recently expounded the doctrines of Christianity), thereby formally severed his connection with the sect to which he belonged, and promised to dedicate his services to the promulgation of the truths of that high philosophy which, although expressed in various allegorical shapes in all religious systems, are so plainly and unequivocally laid down in the teachings of Gautama Buddha. It was a sight heretofore seldom seen a Christian minister sitting gt the foot of the yellowrobed priests of the followers of Buddha, and solemnly repeating after them, ‘ I take my refuge in Buddha I I lake my refuge in the law ; I take my refuge in order. ’ The Pansil ceremony was administered by the high priest, the Rev. H. Suraaugala, principal of the Vidodaya College at Colombo, who was assisted by the Rev. T. Amaramoli, a Buddhist priest, and a learned and eloquent speaker, both of whom recited the pirit (blessings) used on such occasions. There were present many of the prominent native citizens of Ceylon. On being requested by the high priest to state his reasons why he desired to become a follower of Lord Buddha, Mr Leadbeater stated that it was his desire to arrive at the (ruth, and that he had found the truth expressed in a purer form in Buddhism than in any other system with which he was acquainted. He farther stated, that, while the Christian doctrines were all based upon hearsay evidence and upon doubted authority, and required him to believe many unreasonable things, the teaching of Gautama Buddha, which ’stands forth most prominently, is that we should bellarS nothing which our reason cannot acetpt as true, because faith, to be lasting, must be based upon sound, reason and common sense.”