Ques. Are the castes ancient?
Ans. So much so, that it is impossible to say when they were first established. The Pariahs are being gradually raised from their degradation by the efforts of Christian missionaries.
BUDDHA.
Ques. Who was Buddha?
Ans. Buddha is said by the Vedas to have been a delusive incarnation of Vishnu, but his followers give a different account.
Ques. What do they say?
Ans. They say that he was a mortal sage, called Guatama, and also Buddha, or the Wise.
Ques. When did Buddha live?
Ans. We cannot ascertain exactly, but it is probable he was a contemporary of Solomon—that is, he lived about one thousand years before our era. He was the son of a king, and was distinguished by wisdom, virtue and every personal gift. He was so disgusted with the wickedness of men, that he retired into a desert place, where he spent six years in prayer and meditation. At the end of this time, he began his career as a religious teacher. He preached first in Benares, but his doctrines were received with so much favor that he lived to see them spread over all India. Buddha died at the age of eighty.
Ques. Was Buddhism tolerated by the Brahmins?