or (the Brahman’s Heaven.)
THE Brahman believes that his soul, when he dies, will go into some other person, or creature. This passing of souls from one being to another is what is called transmigration. These poor, benighted people think that the soul of a good person will, at, death, go into a king, a queen, or someone of high caste. But if a person has lived an immoral, or wicked life, his soul will go into one of low caste, or into a fish, or a swine, or a snake, or some other dreadful creature. If a snake comes into the house, or is seen at the door, or in the street, it must not be killed.
Hiraloll’s sister once told him not to kill a snake, for it might be his mother. Priest and people alike dread the thought of becoming some vile or monstrous creature, and they make big offerings to the gods, thinking thus to appease them, and if possible avert so dreadful a fate. To become a king or one of high caste is the highest heaven of which they have any conception. A home with Jesus, beyond the skies—a home of joy and ineffable delights in that cloudless scene of glory, where each heart will be filled with endless bliss, is a thing of which they have never heard.
We who have the blessed light of the gospel little realize, perhaps, the fearful darkness and degradation of the heathen. May the hearts of those who know the Lord go out in earnest supplication for them.
Now a little word as to the gods. Brahma says, “I am the god; I created the world.” Vishnu makes the same claim. Buddha says “I.” Krisna says, “I.” Thus the various gods claim each for himself the first place, and the glory and power of creation. Our friend Hiraloll claimed that Brahma, or Brahm, was “the” god, but he worshipped the other gods also. After a time a new god, in another temple, claimed his attention, and after looking into the matter he concluded this god—Siuu (Seoo)—was more righteous than the others, so he accepted him as his god. He still held to Brahma and the other gods, but Siuu got the first place. In accepting Siuu he went through a strange ceremony. Entering the temple where this dumb idol was placed he was asked, “What do you want?” “Simi,” was his reply. He was then asked, “Can you bear the yoke?” “Yes,” he replied. Then they brought a lot of flowers and laid on his extended hands, and asked, “Is it heavy, or light?” “Light,” he said. He was then told to choose his god-father. When this was done, unbelievers, who were present were sent away. They then put a coverlid over Hiraloll, and had him sit down on the lap of one of the priests; this priest blew through a shell into his ear, and said something he was not meant to understand, and then he whispered the name of Siuu and Hiraloll was supposed to be consecrated to this new priest.
Such mummeries belong to the darkness of heathendom, surely. Bless God that the light has shined, and may “God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness,” shine in the hearts of each of my dear readers, giving to them “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ!”
We hope to tell you in another paper, how our friend Hiraloll was brought out of darkness into the light.
ML 11/06/1904