42

THE HINDOO RELIGION.

ancient and pleasing fictions of the Hindoo mythology, which bears a great resemblance to that of the Greeks, and may perhaps be traced to the same origin, are of opinion, that the religious and civil laws of the Hindoos, called the Institutes of Menu, were compiled about eight hundred and eighty years before the birth of our Saviour; that the Vedas, or sacred volumes, were written three hundred years prior to the Institutes; and that preceding this period, every thing being handed down by oral tradition, the account was obscure and fabulous.

But divested of extraneous matter, there appears to be a great degree of purity and sublimity in the genuine principles of the Hindoo religion, though now obscured by superstitious rites and ceremonies, and blended with gross idolatry: in their original simplicity, they teach that there is one Supreme Ruler of the universe; who is styled Bramā, or the Great One: they inculcate also, that this Supreme Intelligence consists of a triad, or triple divinity, expressed by the mystic word Om; and distinguished by the names of Vishnu, Bramā, and Sheva; or the creating, preserving and destructive power of the Almighty. Images of these attributes are placed in their temples; and worship and sacrifices are daily performed before them, and a variety of other statues, representing the different qualities of the Supreme Being: so that it is a complete system of polytheism, and a source of a thousand fables subversive of truth and simplicity.

Yet it ever was, and ever must be difficult, for either Christians or Mahomedans to convert a Hindoo: for with them theology is so blended with the whole moral and civil obligations of life, that it enters into every habit, and sanctions almost every action.

BRAMA, OR THE SUPREME DEITY.

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On withdrawing the veil from the sacred volumes of the Hindoos, we see Brama, or the supreme deity, represented as absorbed in the contemplation of his own essence, but from an impulse of divine love, resolving to create other beings to partake of his glory, and to be happy to all eternity. He spake the word, and angels rose into existence! He commanded and the host of heaven were formed! they were created free; and were made partakers of the divine glory, and beatitude, on the easy condition of praising their Creator, and acknowledging him for their supreme Lord. But not content with this happy state in the celestial regions, some of the principal spirits rebelled, and drew a number after them; who were all doomed to languish in that scene of horror, so finely described by our sublime poet :

Regions of sorrow, doleful shades, where peace,
And rest can never dwell; hope never comes

That comes to all; but torture without end,
Still urges, and a fiery deluge, fed

With ever burning sulphur, unconsum'd!"

In process of time, at the intercession of the faithful angels, the fatal doom of these fallen spirits was revoked; and they were released on the conditions of repentance and amendment, in a state of probation. For this purpose a new creation of worlds took place; and mortal bodies were prepared for the apostate angels, which they were to animate for a certain space; there to be subject to natural and moral evils; through which they were doomed to transmigrate under eightynine different forms! the last into that of man! when their powers and faculties are enlarged, and a merciful Creator rests his chief expectations of their repentance

44

VENERATION FOR THE COW.

and restoration to his favour. If they then fail, their punishment is renewed, and they are doomed to begin again their first state of transmigration. In this system we are struck with the intermixture of truth with error, and false traditions, bearing in many particulars a resemblance to the sacred truths of divine. revelation.

On this hypothesis, it appears that one principal reason for the Hindoos regarding the cow with such religious veneration, is, that they believe the soul transmigrates into this animal immediately preceding its assumption of the human forin. No Hindoo, even of the lowest caste, will kill a cow, or taste its flesh; they will die with perfect resignation, rather than violate this tenet; as has been frequently experienced on board the vessels in the Indian seas, when all the provisions except salt beef have been expended. But I am not certain respecting the first principle of the Hindoo's veneration for the cow; since many conjecture the command to have originated in the preservation of an animal so useful to mankind: and it is well known, that the Egyptians, Phoenicians, and other ancient nations, have equally venerated this valuable animal.

The Hindoos estimate the delinquency of these apostate spirits, by the class of mortal forms which they are doomed to inhabit; thus all voracious and unclean animals, whether inhabitants of earth, air, or water, as well as men whose lives and actions are publicly and atrociously wicked, are supposed to contain a malignant spirit; on the contrary, those animals which subsist on vegetables, and do not prey upon each other, are pronounced favoured of the Almighty.

That every animal form is endued with cogitation,

DEVOTION OF THE HINDOOS.

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memory, and reflection, is one of the established tenets of the Brahmins: indeed it must necessarily follow, from the supposed metempsychosis of the apostate spirits through these mortal forms: they also believe that every distinct species of the animal creation have a comprehensive mode of communicating their ideas, peculiar to themselves; and that the metempsychosis of the delinquent spirits extends through every organized body, even to the smallest insect and reptile. They highly venerate the bee, and some species of the ant; and conceive the spirits animating these forms to be favoured by God, and that the intellectual faculties are more enlarged under them than in most others.

With such tenets we cannot be surprised at their unwillingness to take away the life of any creature whatever; as they must suppose them to possess still more acute sensations than our dramatic poet describes :

“The smallest beetle that we tread upon,

In corporal suffering feels a pang as great
As when a giant dies!"

SHAKSPEARE.

The devotion of the Hindoos to the Supreme Being, and the inferior deities, consists in regular attendance at the dewals, or temples, especially at the solemn festivals; in performing particular religious ceremonies in their own houses; in prayers, ablutions, fastings, and penances; but especially in oblations, which consist chiefly of spices, incense, rice, fruits, and flowers; and although they have been in former times. accused of offering human sacrifices, it is certain they now very rarely shed even the blood of an animal in their religious services.

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VEDAS OF THE HINDOOS.

I shall not dwell particularly on the religious books of the Hindoos, but it would be injustice to omit the following sublime description of the Supreme Being, from the writings of Governor Holwell; who was an early investigator of those subjects, before the field of oriental literature so laudably engaged the attention of the English.

"GOD is ONE! Creator of all that is! God is like a perfect sphere, without beginning, and without end! GOD rules and governs all creation by a general providence, resulting from first determined and fixed principles. Thou shalt not make inquiry into the essence of the ETERNAL ONE, nor by what laws he governs. An inquiry into either is vain and criminal. It is enough, that day by day, and night by night, thou seest in his works, his wisdom, his power, and his mercy:-Benefit thereby!"

As applicable to this subject, I shall transcribe a few passages from the Vedas of the Hindoos, translated by Sir William Jones; to whose invaluable works we are indebted for so many acquisitions in oriental literature.

"By one Supreme Ruler is this universe pervaded; even every world in the whole circle of nature. Enjoy pure delight, O man! by abandoning all thoughts of this perishable world; and covet not the wealth of any creature existing."

"To those regions where evil spirits dwell, and which utter darkness involves, all such men surely go after death, as destroy the purity of their own souls."

"Unveil, O Thou who givest sustenance to the world, that face of the true sun, which is now hidden by a vase of golden light! so that we may see the truth, and know our whole duty!"