Life and religion of the Hindoos.

by Joguth Chunder Gangooly

I became acquainted with a young Brahmun deist,—Baboo Raj-kifsen Bannerjea, of Mahessolla, whom I found the embodiment of truth, love, and piety. Indeed, the first angel I met in this world was he. His very mild appearance, his soft eyes, shedding forth love from them, his tender voice, are the index of his inward accomplishments. He is a man of considerable learning, and of wealth and high standing in the community. Would I knew what first led him to reject the idol gods! It would make a volume to write all about his life, which, though short, is full of noble, philanthropic acts. His charity is broad, yet discriminating; his dealings with others are frank and kind, yet impartial; his manners are prudent, yet childlike. He observes Christ’s rule as far as it is possible in regard to giving alms,—not letting the left hand know what the right hand doeth. For the benefit of the children of high and low castes he established a school at his own expense chiefly; for the little help which he received from a few individuals was frequently withdrawn on account of his anti-heathen principles.

He has a large landed property which he manages with great caution, as well as to the entire satisfaction of his subjects. I was present one day at his office when a Mohammedan man was brought in on the charge of robbing the garden of our Brahmun friend, his landlord. While he was swearing vehemently in the name of his Allah, to convince the officers of his innocence, our friend had been working an algebraic sum. Having finished his work, he looked at him pityingly and with a tender voice, said, “Friend, swear not! Think how much wrong you have done unto us! You know all! you owe some money to us,—you are my subject. These two obligations bind you to our family, as you say; you ought to protect my property against the usurper,—lo! you are a usurper yourself! I wonder you do not feel sorry for your conduct!”

Noble as this brother is, admirable as his deeds are, he lacks, as I have observed before, that degree of moral courage which none but the “Sent” of God could give. While enjoying the pleasure and privilege of being with these brethren, and deriving much edification from their amiable lives, the under-current of my soul was constantly flowing toward Christ. I could not go away from him, nor forget his loving, precious words that brought me out of superstition. Are not there men who believe as I do,—that God is strictly one,—that Christ is the best of all religious teachers whom the world ever had or will have, that he is the Sent and oldest Son of our common Parent? If there are not any found professing such belief,—no matter; I shall stand alone, and offer my help unto the world as far as I am able. Theological differences would not stop my hand and heart from serving and loving others, and this is the best religion indeed! While thus defining my position and receiving instruction from Jesus secretly, my esteemed friend, Baboo C. C. Singha, a convert to Christianity, and who has been a preacher for three years, I should think, told me that he had been told by Hodgson Pratt, Esq., of the arrival of a Unitarian missionary in Calcutta, under the auspices of the American Unitarian Association, and whose views of Christianity are different from those of other missionaries. I could not understand the term Unitarian Christian, because I was told if I did not believe in the Trinity I was not a Christian, but a deist. We went to hear the missionary, Rev. C. H. A. Dall, but not being accustomed to hear or talk English, I did not gain much at first. He gave us his printed sermons, and the writings of Channing, Burnap, Elliot, Cordner, Bartol, etc., which, as I read them, not only confirmed what my belief had been, but whispered to me, saying, “Friend, there are thousands on the other side of the Atlantic who hold the same views of God as you do, so you are not alone. Our fellowship and sympathy are yours.” Being made acquainted with and interested in this missionary, I began to attend his religious services on Sunday; but I could not do it regularly for several reasons. Mr. Dall’s place is nearly seven miles from my house; besides, there is the majestic Gunga to be crossed, which “alone is twenty miles,” as the Hindoo saying is.[32] I had to take my breakfast very early and to walk to and fro all the way, crossing the river by steamboat either at Shal-kea, or Howrah. My dear mother was told by my Hindoo brethren that I attended the religious services in a Christian church, with Baboo C. C. Singha. She felt very much frightened at this, and took measures to stop my going to Calcutta on Sunday. “If you will not hear me, but will go to Calcutta on Sunday, go Joguth. The people tell me, and I can presage too, what a disgrace and ruin you will bring upon the family. They say you are almost a ‘Kistan’ now. You eat beef with the Yobuns; or, if you do not, they are quite sure you will soon! I am afraid they will turn you out of the feast sometimes, and I don’t blame them for it. Joguth, have you forgotten the proverbs your father taught you? Remember that one member of the family destroys its peace as one tree burns the whole forest, in creating fire by conflagration. You will be the ruin of the family! You would not hear the advice of those who are older and wiser than yourself; nor would you heed my words. And why should you? The young bird, the moment its wings are covered with down, leaves its mother’s nest to look out for itself; so you, Joguth, you are grown up now; my advice, my guidance would not be of any service to you (at least you think so). I do not blame nor hate the Christians. Let them follow their own customs faithfully. Jesu Kisto is their God; let them worship him; I have no objection to that. As Brahmuns, we ought not to hate the gods of other nations. Still we cannot worship them, for they are not ours; we have gods over us. O what a pleasant sight it is to see the young Brahmuns going to the sacred river, to the temples, etc. My heart is delighted to see them! And you, mistaken child, hardly go to the temples or to the Ganges! What business have you in Calcutta? If you will go there on Sunday, go without breakfast; I shall not have it ready for you so early,” etc.

Now, under these circumstances, I could not attend Mr. Dall’s services on every Sunday, much as I wished to do so, and whenever I went, I went without breakfast, and to the utter displeasure of my mother. On my return, at four or five o’clock in the afternoon, she would not set the plate before me, nor help me while I ate my dinner, but would go out of the room to weep over the loss of her child.[33]

I grew so unpopular and the people began to dread me so much that they would not let their boys visit Calcutta with me, lest I should make them “Kistan.” But “where is will there is way,” is a true saying. Notwithstanding all vigilance, ridicule, many from “north and south, the east and west” of Calcutta would be glad to meet in Mr. Dall’s room. Not fearing the difficulties, but rather rejoicing in them, with an inward consciousness that we are not doing wrong before God,—that to seek after the spiritual welfare of man in love, is the best service humanity could render unto God and man,—some of us determined to form a band of believers in and seekers after Truth. The Sunday-school cards, containing beautiful verses, and the Sunday-School Gazette, which Mr. Dall gave us, suggested the plan, and we succeeded in gathering twenty-one high-caste boys, all of whom knew English more or less. Not finding a convenient place for our purpose, we would meet in some garden, away from the Brahmuns, and there read, sing, and speak of God as set forth in the publications of the American Unitarian Association, and of the Sunday-School Society. Again I was connected with the school of Baboo C. C. Singha, a noble, energetic gentleman, and this gave me a good opportunity to be known to many and to disseminate the seeds of truth in their youthful hearts. But “a man’s foes will be of his own household.” The brother of Baboo C. C. Singha, a Trinitarian in his belief, having been converted to that faith in his early years, began to trouble us in various ways, and not unfrequently to take unfair measures and to use unkind words. From an American book, called “Sargent’s Reader,” No. 3, I believe, I had selected a beautiful piece, “Prayer for a Pure Heart,” and asked my young friends to write it down and commit it to memory, which they did cheerfully. This gentleman, while examining their writing-books, saw it, read it, and liked it I am sure, and asked them who gave it to them. Of course they told him that I had given it to them. He uncharitably made some unkind remarks which surprised us all,—saying, in effect, “Joguth is a hypocrite. Let him first be baptized, and then teach these things to others,” etc. I smiled at this, and realized then the truth of Dr. Channing’s discourse on the Church.

In the next chapter I shall attempt to give some reasons in relation to my faith, and to state in what respects I differ from the brethren of other denominations, and why.

CHAPTER IV.

Why I became a Unitarian.—My own Reading and Study of the Bible.—The Missionaries’ Doctrines.

Before I begin to give my reasons in regard to my taking the Unitarian name, I should say that these reasons are my own. They are the fruits of a mind uninfluenced by Unitarian, or Trinitarian theology. Beside the New Testament, and the Author who studied his theology “in the bosom of the Father,” I had no missionary to influence me at first. So that what I say I utter from my own heart, and on my own responsibility. Let not the Trinitarian condemn, nor the Unitarian triumph on account of my views and interpretations of some of the leading dogmas, which have split the Church of God into fragments. But let them both charitably hear my free thoughts and testimony. I do not attack nor flatter any particular dogmas, through force of sectarian feeling.

My object is to seek truth with an unprejudiced mind, and to speak it faithfully when found. I would observe perfect frankness in my statements; and if I use any word, or expression, that sounds irreverent to the reader, I would beg him to regard it as unintentional, for I mean nothing irreverent, nothing hostile to true piety. Moreover, I should say that I did not resort to Neander, Clarke, Livermore, or other writers and commentators for help, not because I should not value them, but because they are almost strangers to me. I did not know that they were to be had, and so could not go to any such commentary on the Life of Christ. I believe that the best and most infallible commentary a man can write, is to explain Christ, by his life, by his actions; thereby exhibiting him in vivid, living illustrations. The blessed Teacher did not come to puzzle us with intricate enigmas, nor to bind us under the heavy burden of mystery. Nor did he come with imperfect knowledge of things, to favor us with half of the necessary information, and leave us to guess out the other half. Whatever he deemed necessary to the life, comfort, and salvation of man, he taught distinctly, intelligibly, though often in parables. He did not even resort, like the modern preachers, to those truths in nature which lie beyond the conception of the masses; such as the solar system, or the attraction of gravitation. But, that we all might understand, and be profited by him, he alluded to the fowls in the air, the lilies of the field, the fall of the sparrow, and the hair of our heads. He prayed, and thanked his Father that through him He had revealed truth unto babes, or simple-hearted men.