Life and religion of the Hindoos.

by Joguth Chunder Gangooly

It is more difficult to speak with accuracy of a young man’s opinions, especially if he be a foreigner. The faculty of expressing these with clearness and distinctness is the result of high mental training, or original power of intellectual discrimination. Still, Mr. Gangooly’s general religious views existed in his mind as clear and definite ideas. In his reception of Christianity he has been influenced chiefly by the internal evidences. The superiority and the sanctity of the Saviour’s life and instructions have taken the deepest hold of his convictions. The miracles recorded in the Gospels never had much weight with him as grounds of evidence. Often he said that it would be useless to urge them—as a proof of the Christian religion—on the attention of the intelligent Hindoo. This state of mind did not arise so much from a philosophical difficulty, as from the fact that wonderful narratives were wrought into the superstitions of his own people, and that he associated the two together. His general theory on this subject was the wellknown axiom, that the miracle must be tested by the Truth connected with it, and not the truth by the Miracle.

We can also trace the same influence on his mind in his estimate of the Jewish Scriptures. He became a Christian directly through Christ. He passed at once from Brahminism into the Christian Church, and had listened to the voice of Jesus before he knew of Moses. He was thus led, I think, to undervalue the positive side of Judaism as a religious faith. With a caste of mind strongly rationalistic, he accepted the truths of Christ as those in harmony with the conclusions of the rational faculties. He believed that Christianity was a rational religion. But it was more to him than a philosophy,—it was a Divine life. Coexisting with his rational bent was a deep religiousness. The spirituality of the Gospel and the moral beauty of Christ’s character made a deep impression on his heart. His piety had its roots in trust and love. The affectionateness which he exhibited in his constant and always abiding love for his mother, he carried into his religion. In his sadness, sorrow, and temptations, he lived as a child in the presence of a Father, and in his New Testament readings or in conversations on his future plans he would give utterance to the loftiest sentiments of piety. Indeed, piety with him is stronger as a sentiment than as a principle. This I apprehend is true of all Christian converts among the Hindoos. In the darkest hour of disappointment or of lonely home-sickness, his face would light up with a smile as he gave utterance to the words of trust. He reposed with unfaltering confidence in the Divine Providence. Called, as we all are, to struggle against weakness, error, and sin, as he grew into a diviner knowledge of Christ, he increased in strength. He often spoke of his need of Christ. It was the Saviour who satisfied the deepest yearnings of his nature. He expressed this after reading the “Experience of Theodore Parker.” Although on many points he was in intellectual sympathy with Mr. Parker, he differed from him in his estimate of Christ. He often spoke of the Saviour as his absolute teacher, and often spoke with deep feeling of the value of Christ’s invitation to sinners, “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls; for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

He laid great stress on the doctrine of the simple Unity of God. As the Hindoo Trinity was associated in his mind with the superstitions of his old faith, he always had the same feeling with respect to the Christian Trinity. As he emancipated himself from idolatry by a natural law of thought, he seized hold of the truth of the simple unity of God, and clung to it with great tenacity of conviction. In his mind Unitarianism, that is, the idea of the Oneness of God, was synonymous with that of Christianity. He left the idols of men’s creating, and clung to the doctrine of the one living and true God.

But the most interesting feature of his life here was to see the power of the Gospel, as a spiritual force, working out moral results in his character. He came among us the creature of impulse. This in the early period of his sojourn here led him into hastiness of action. His impulsiveness was the weak side of his character. But through the influence of prayer, and the spirit of Christ strengthening him, he was enabled to overcome this defect to a great degree. At first, like a child, the desire and the effort to gratify the desire followed each other without reflection intervening. But he learned through experience the important lesson of self-control. He had great truthfulness. This is the more remarkable, because lying is a universal sin among the Bengali. With the knowledge of this national vice, and with a scrutiny which sometimes ran into an unwarranted and ungenerous suspicion, and in the most confidential intercourse for a year, I cannot recall a single instance of wilful prevarication. He also blended great simplicity with a sagacity which bordered on cunning. This was so evident that often he would say he had the cunning of the serpent with the gentleness of the dove. It was the union of these opposites, in connection with his impulsiveness and ignorance of our conventional prudence, which gave his friends solicitude. While they had confidence in his character, they feared he might be misunderstood from his apparent indiscretions. How few of our own youth are enabled to go through the various exposures of life and come out with Christian victory! It is therefore no disparagement of our young Hindoo brother to confess to a feeling of deep solicitude lest in the moral dangers of our society he might have been lured from the Christian path. But the longer he remained the stronger he became, until armed with the spirit of a Christian faith and devotion he was consecrated for his life-work.

Sir John Bowring, in a speech at the Unitarian Collation in London, last May, in reply to a sentiment,—that Christianity may gain new triumphs in heathen lands,—gave some very valuable suggestions as to the best methods of Christianizing the heathen. The report of his speech as given in the London Inquirer is well worth the consideration of every missionary. Any one who will read the remarks of the British statesman, and the Farewell Address of Mr. Gangooly, on Sunday, June 10, in Boston, will see in many respects the striking similarity of the views of both speakers in their idea of the best method of approach to the Hindoo mind. Mr. Bowring says: “The result of my observation was that there was everywhere a vast deal of truth to respect, and everywhere a vast deal of truth to love, and if we went forth with a desire to discover that with which we could sympathize, and a disposition to recognize that there was much that was excellent in the religion of others, we should the more easily prepare the way for the advancement of our religion.” As an illustration he cites Brahminism, and uses thoughts very like those of Mr. Gangooly’s Address. Again, in the same speech, Sir John adds: “If the missionaries, however, recognized that there was much in their books—(i.e. those of the Brahmins and the Buddhists)—that was attractive and lovable, they would win the affections of those people, who would easily be led into argument. If the Unitarians sent forth missionaries, as he hoped they would at some future period, he was convinced they would not meet with so many difficulties as the Orthodox missionaries met at every step. There were many absurdities, and a recognition of a vast deal that was abominable in the religious systems of heathenism; but at the same time there were great truths, and if we sympathized with these we should obtain greater success than had hitherto been achieved. It was certainly our duty, as far as we are able, to enter as harbingers of civilization, and as teachers of wisdom and virtue, into regions which had hitherto been but imperfectly explored.” This is the language of an intelligent observer, who has spent many years among the Oriental nations. He testifies to the transitions of society which are going on in India, and expresses the rational ground for belief that the times are propitious for carrying there the light of Christianity. I allude to this here so fully because his views of the state of India, and his opinion of the best methods of missionary effort, coincide with those entertained by Mr. Gangooly, and confirm the justness of the latter’s conclusions. Indeed, if there is any striking peculiarity in Mr. Gangooly, it is a remarkable tact in adapting himself to the state of mind of the persons whom he addresses. His perception of character is rapid and unusually correct, and he has the eclectic power of drawing from a system its excellences. In his revolt from his old faith he still discriminates between original Brahminism and the present effete religion and superstitious idolatry of India. Here again his conversations on this point were in striking agreement with the opinions of Sir John Bowring.

But I have already taken up too much of your time. I have not exaggerated my estimate of the mind and character of Mr. Gangooly. From the time he first came to my house to the present hour, his mind has ripened and his character gathered up strength. He returns to his home to begin the fiery struggle. His moral courage is greater than his physical, but he goes with the conviction that he is in the hands of Divine Providence. If his life is spared, I can see no reasonable ground to doubt that he will be an instrument of good to his darkened and superstitious people. But the future belongs to God. He has found a host of sympathizing friends. To carry out his plans he will need the aid of our prayers and active co-operation. That he deserves these I have not the shadow of a doubt; that he ought to have them is my firm and deep conviction.

Truly yours,

S. W. BUSH.

Medfield, July 20, 1860.

Mr. Gangooly’s manuscript was put into my hands just as he was about leaving the country for England, on his way home to India. Had he been near me I should have been glad to have consulted him about some points of his composition, especially about the spelling of some words. It will be observed that his orthography in the spelling of words of his own language familiar to us is peculiar.