HINDU THEOLOGY. UNKNOWN

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1968, 17 February 1885, Page 3

HINDU THEOLOGY. UNKNOWN

Wn/iON points nit that " all Hindu--, no niattci what then view-, may bo on other point*., all agice in tho doi-tune of nietun |isjct)o-,is, en ti.tif-iiitgijtum of souls. It is .in e-.scnti.il dogma, of the Hindu leligion. How the w.indcimg of tho soul ni.iv be aueitud, its \ icis-itndcs of coiporeal u\h tcnco hjjv bo teiminated, )ts emancipation tiom bedily impiisonnient and degiadacion may bo effected for over, is the point which occupies the attention of all the T)hilo«oplnc schools. The iiddiinco of tiansiuigi.ition is called inoks-haor mukti -liberation, emancipation. The s oul liberated ceasus to tiansmigrifv, it loses all bodily individuality. Anmlnla tion ia tho ultimate nnd of miul and body. Not to be is the lesult of the religion and philosophy of the Hindu." The Indian lawgiver, Mann, cap. xii., Bays, " A ra-tion.il creature has a reward or- a punish niuiit for mental acts in ins mind, foi vcibal acts lit hi* organs of speech, foi corporeal acts in his bodily fiame. Foi sinful acts, mostly corporeal, a man shall assume after death a vegetable or inmoi.il foim ; for such act", mostly verbal, the form of a bird or beast; for acts, mostly mental, the lowest of human conditions. ' Keabwrption of the soul into the essence of the Divine Spirit is what the majority of the Hindus believe, and act on the belief. Though the greater part are doomed in the piesent biith to aspim after *n inferior recompense, all are taught to look foiward to absorption into tlio Divino essence as the ultimate reward. The soul is looked upon as an emanation of deity ; but, having been tainted by passion and crime, it must be punned by trial and suffering. Tor this purpose it must pass in a circle of initiations, from one form of being to anothei, until, puiged of evil stains, it is prepaied finally to be jeabsorbed into the Divine essence. And if tho original depi.ivity or actual tiansgiehsi-m be such that uiigiatiou through any kind 01 number of earthly foi ms be not adequate punishment, tho wicked aie banmhed to inferior vvoilds, theie to enduie toiments in one or other of the hells piovideilforgrc.it transgressors. .Some in that state aio made to tread on binning sand or sharp-edged stones ; others are exposed to showers of blazing embers or scalding waters ; some are rolled amonc thorns, bones and spikes ; others aie beaten with clubs, seared with hot nous ; in fine, there are not only twenty-eight, but hundreds and thousands of hells. "As numerous as aro the offences that men commit, so many are tiie hells in which they aio punished ; and all who deviato fioni the duties imposed upon them, whether in thought, woid, or deed, are .sentenced to punishment in the legion of thodamned." - Vwhna Penance, cap. v., p. 200. But tho torments of those hells aro not eternal. Tho »onl, having expiated its guilt, ascends to caith, there to ungrate anew through hundreds of millions of animal, vegetable and mineial foi ins, until it reappears at length in the garb of humanity. Having once more ntmimod human form, it may perform acts of merit w hich shall raise it to one of the heavens of the gods or send it back to one of tho hells. And unless final hbeiations has boon secured, every soul may enjoy happiness or undergo torment again. K\<-ry Hindu believes that eveiy human boing possesses the power of laying up foi himself a store of merit, by good doods pei formed in the present or former births. Among meritorious actions daily practised aie fa«tings, long continued, vvtli meditation ; giving gifts to Urahmans, such as land, cows, food, clothes ; leading poitions of the sacred books on a'ispicious days; digging public tanks ; building flights of steps to the banks of rivers, to help the faithful to the easy performance of their ceremonial ablutions ; tho planting of tiees, especially on the roadside, to give shade to the ti,i\di< is ; the erection of booths, to give them watu to drink in tho hot season ; tho repaii ing of old and erecting 1 new temples; pilgi nn.ij.fi sto the confluence of sacred stu'.iins, <n to shrines where tho presence of nouns divimlv may bo more than ordinarily realised ; and self-immolation or mutilation— all being done with the tnpeotatiott of earning .i temporary heaven! When tho gicat day of destruction «uiivi>d, all souls, whothei they have done good or ovil, or whercvci they may be, in eaitli or hell, will be reabsoibed into tho essence of tho supreme sole-existing Spirit. TUo hitfhoit form, thon, of sidvu-

tiun known to the llm<lu i-> absolution into tin 1 IMino essence, i>i, what 1-1 t nit iiiKimit to it, individual anmliil itiuu, as tin 1 smil will then cease to ha\e .my con .11 >u ness of nulnidual existence. A in.in i. m ithei hopeless 111 liell nm seciii. 1 111 he won. A m.iy in \y --ink. t > the lowest hell llruliusiu h.is pumded, yet liv m.iy ])eifomi \iitnou> acts while theie, and be leleised fiotn [imiishiiient .tud ,ii(und to liecni'ii; .mii, liein^ l.used to hc.iven, ho ni.i^ lie huiled down to In 11 ,i<j >'ii foi some sin committed a\ hilo 111 the hhs fill .ibode.

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A Fklmi Tin ou\.— The tlicoiy tliat ll.es adhere to amnotli suifacvs by ' a'inosphc-iic pressine is now abandoned The ily h:is, in addition to joints and claws, two and thiee pads between the <hws. These pids bmr hiiis whirl) terete a sticky fluid, by means of w hidi the fly .idluK-s to a siiriacc Pkmi-\<. vriM. Tis.i.l s — The foiestiy dcpji tment ot South Austialu, which is wOlw 01 king eneigctic.illy in that lathci hoi.'k«s lo^iou, fi.uis. that the olne glows well tlicie, anrl not only i» proving itself tho best tiee to plant along milways and in like bituatiou*), but is pioducing a \eiy liigh i;idde of oil, which is likely soon to come into the market. Yes ! It is ceitainly true. Ask any of \our friends who hu\c pun li.iseci llicro. (i.irlick and Cranwell h.ive numerous unasked for and .erv f.i\ourablo commend itions> fiom tountry cust rri-rs on their excellent packinff of Furniture, Crockery, and Glass, S.c. Lndies and about to furnish should renumber that Girlick and Cranwt H's is run Che.ip Furnislnng Warehouse of AuckI md I'lirniture to suit all t lissvs ; alio Carpets, Floor Cloths and all House NV< es--ines If > our new house is nearly finished. Or. voij arc going to (jet marnwl, sisit G irlick .m<l Cr.inwfll, Quccn-itrcct jnd Lorre-street, Auckland. IntendifftpurrViisi nnn have a rattlo£Ur