Mesmerism, Spiritualism, and Other Secret Sciences
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A MONTHLY JOURNAL DEVOTED TO ORIENTAL PHILOSOPHY, ART, LITERATURE AND OCCULTISM: EMBRACING- MESMERISM, SPIRITUALISM, AND OTHER SECRET SCIENCES. columns, in order that justice be strictly dealt out; but t o I it rather proceeds to have the MSS. handed to it for p u b lication, opened, a n d carefully read before it can consent THERE IS NO RELIGION HIGHER THAN TRUTH. to send it over to its printers. A n able article has never sought admission into our pages and been rejected for [ f ’um ili/ motto of the M aharajahs of Benares.] its advocating any of the religious doctrines or views to which its conductor felt personally opposed. On the other hand, the editor has never hesitated to give any TO THE “DISSATISFIED.” J one of the above said religions and doctrines its dues, W e have belief in the fitness and usefulness of impar aud speak out tho truth whether it pleased a certain fac tial criticism, and, even at times, in that of a judicious tion of its sectarian readers, or not. W e neither court onslaught upon some of the many creeds aud philoso nor claim favour. N o r to satisfy the sentimental em o phies, as w e have in advocating the publication of all tions a n d susceptibilities of some of our readers do w e such polemics. Any sane man acquainted with human feel prepared to allow our columns to appear colourless, nature, must see that this eternal “ taking on faith” of least of all, for fear that our ow n house should be shown the most absurdly conflicting dogmas in our age of as ‘ also of glass.’ ” scientific progress will never do, that it is impossible . ' » ■■■- ‘ . .. that it can last. Our journal being devoted to the pre TIIE BUDDHIST MOVEMENT IN ENGLAND. sentation of every creed in all its naked truthfulness, aud T h e frequent publication of books on the subject, in resolved to favour none in preference to another, its England, of recent years, has evidenced the strong inter columns are therefore open to writers of all and nearly est n o w felt b y the cultivated classes in the study of every creed k n o w n — at least on hear-say— to the civilized Buddhism. That this interest grows rather than declines world. Thus there is some chance for all, of getting, is plainly indicated by the following report of a meeting by comparing notes, to the bottom of more than one of the Royal Asiatic Society in London, held quite mystery, and of eliminating a few truths out of this jun recently with distinguished people present, which we gle of more or less philosophical and metaphysical con reprint from an English paper :— cepts. W e have seen the folly of the system of favour At the last meeting of the Royal Asiatic Society, Sir Bartle Frere, itism and sectarianism to the exclusion of all other opi president, in the chair, His Royal Highness the Duke of Connaught, nions prevalent among most of the periodicals in India; K. G-, Sir Thomas Brassey, M. P., and Mr. Cas'sels were elected resi and we are resolved that in the management of the Theoso- dent members, and Her (?) Highness the Maharanee of Oodeypore, Lieutenant-Colonel C. Maclean Smith, nnd Mr W. M. Ramsay, non phist the rule of religious impartiality shall be strictly resident members. Mr. Arthur Lillie, M, R. A. S., read a paper “ On observed. W e form the circle of its contributors from tho Buddhism of Ceylon,” in which he combated the idea advanced by a the ranks of Heathen and Christian, of Materialists and scction of writers, headed by Mr. Rhys Davids, that the ancient books of Coylon teach nothing but annihilation, non-existence of the soul, and Spiritualists, Theists, Atheists and Polytheists, men of abi atheism, lie cited the “ Tevigga Sutta,” in which Bnddha is questioned lity, in short, wherever to be found, without enquiring on the subject of that union with Brahma which it was the great object into their faith and without the smallest preference of the Brahmin ascetio, in Buddha’s day, to gain. Buddha, instead of given to personal partialities or antipathies. N ever answering that the Supreme Brahma is non-existent, and that those who sought union with him wore unwise, proclaimed distinctly tho contrary theless, w e have not hitherto been able to satisfy all proposition. Mr- Lillie then urged that the charges of annihilation, &c„ our readers, nor, our correspondents either. In the opi brought against Buddha by Mr. Rhys Davids wero founded on an erro nion of the former, our columns and editorials w hich are neous reading of tho Buddhist ideas about Karma and the Skandas. These, he stated, cease jjot on the death of the individual, but on his expected to acquaint our subscribers with every new-fan attaining spiritual awakonmcnt. A passage in tho Brahma ‘‘Jala Sutta,” gled doctrine, with the exposition of every religion old much relied on by Mr. Davids, was thon compared with its context, and or new for the necessity of comparison, has, at the same it was shown that the doctrine of the annihilation of human beings was pronounced as heretical as that of future conscious existence. Mr. time, to remain “ goody goody,” never treading upon the Lillie, in conclusion, expressed the opinion that the northern and toes of the creed under analysis, nor expressing an honest southorn systems should be compared together, as by these means alone, opinion upon its professors. W ith our contributors it is the archaic and true Buddhism could be detached from its later still worse. W e are either to be deluged witli the rub a c c re tio n . bish that can find admission to the columns of no other This paragraph correctly indicates the antagonism periodical, or stand accused of “ favouritism,” something between the views of the two great representatives of we have altogether and strenuously avoided. To those B u d d h ism in m odern English literature. B o th M r . Lillie contributors w h o m the present cap will fit, w e can answer and Mr. Rhys Davids have struggled to divine the real but the following : “ Gentlemen, our Magazine is by no meaning of Buddhism from the exoteric books and papers means intended to be a refuge for the destitute, an to which they have had access, and, broadly speaking, Mr. omnium gatherum for those w ho have to satisfy an old Davids has come to the conclusion that Buddhism must grudge; nor is it a receptacle for any and every thing mean to teach annihilation and non-existence of the soul, which may not be able to find hospitality even in its own because it entirely ignores the idea of a personal God, sectarian journals. The Theosojihist does not take for its while Mr. Lillie argues that because it certainly does fonndation-principle the, idea that because an. atheistical not teach annihilation, but, on the contrary, says a quantity article has been rejected by a paper conducted by a of things that directly l’elate to a continued existence of tlieist, it must, therefore, fixid room in these impartial the soul in other states of being after this life, therefore in reality it must intend to preach a personal God, greatest truths that have hitherto unfortunately escaped however little it may say on the subject. the notice of medical men of almost all countries. For On these lines this very pretty controversy may go on w ant of this truth alone, im m ense quantities of drugs are for ever without either party being in the least danger brought down from the remotest recesses of the globe, of defeat at the hands of the other. M r. Lillie will never manufactured into tinctures, extracts, powders, globules, dig up from Buddhist literature any declaration of the triturations, oils, plasters, and ointments, and are ad existence of a personal God with which to crush Mr. ministered within and without the human bodies when D avids, and M r . Davids will never find chapter, a n d verse indisposed, no matter however unpleasant they might be for his theory about the nihilistic significance of B uddhist to the senses. This truth at first came to light from the doctrine with which to Crush M r. Lillie. observations of some of our Indian sages, and is now T h e futility of the argum ent turns on the groun d m aking way for us to discard henceforth all gross matter— lessness of the assumption that the question about the ex solid, liquid or gaseous— from the treatment of diseases istence of a Supreme Being in the sense of an intelligent which our frame is liable to. The dilatation of this truth entity, whether with limbs and features or without, con has laid the foundation of a new system of treatment sciously willing the Universe to come into shape and which I like to term Magnetopathy or the Magnetic activity out of nothing,— has any thing really to do with system of treatment of diseases. the question whether human souls have a conscious sur Before proceeding to elucidate and illustrate the theory vival after death. W e are now concerned, in these few of the Magnetic system of treatment, it seems necessary lines, merely with what B u d d h is m thinks,— not with the to give the public a succinct account of the origin and tremendous questions involved themselves.