Sec. 5.  The Spirit of Buddhism Rational and Humane.

Ultimately, two facts appear, as we contemplate this system,—­first, its rationalism; second, its humanity.

It is a system of rationalism.  It appeals throughout to human reason.  It proposes to save man, not from a future but a present hell, and to save him by teaching.  Its great means of influence is the sermon.  The Buddha preached innumerable sermons; his missionaries went abroad preaching.  Buddhism has made all its conquests honorably, by a process of rational appeal to the human mind.  It was never propagated by force, even when it had the power of imperial rajas to support it.  Certainly, it is a very encouraging fact in the history of man, that the two religions which have made more converts than any other, Buddhism and Christianity, have not depended for their success on the sword of the conqueror or the frauds of priestcraft, but have gained their victories in the fair conflict of reason with reason.  We grant that Buddhism has not been without its superstitions and its errors; but it has not deceived, and it has not persecuted.  In this respect it can teach Christians a lesson.  Buddhism has no prejudices against those who confess another faith.  The Buddhists have founded no Inquisition; they have combined the zeal which converted kingdoms with a toleration almost inexplicable to our Western experience.  Only one religious war has darkened their peaceful history during twenty-three centuries,—­that which took place in Thibet, but of which we know little.  A Siamese told Crawford that he believed all the religions of the world to be branches of the true religion.  A Buddhist in Ceylon sent his son to a Christian school, and told the astonished missionary, “I respect Christianity as much as Buddhism, for I regard it as a help to Buddhism.”  MM.  Hue and Gabet converted no Buddhist in Tartary and Thibet, but they partially converted one, bringing him so far as to say that he considered himself at the same time a good Christian and a good Buddhist.

Buddhism is also a religion of humanity.  Because it lays such stress on reason, it respects all men, since all possess this same gift.  In its origin it broke down all castes.  All men, of whatever rank, can enter its priesthood.  It has an unbounded charity for all souls, and holds it a duty to make sacrifices for all.  One legend tells us that the Buddha gave his body for food to a starved tigress, who could not nurse her young through weakness.  An incident singularly like that in the fourth chapter of John is recorded of the hermit, who asked a woman of low caste for water, and when she expressed surprise said, “Give me drink, and I will give you truth.”  The unconditional command, “Thou shalt not kill,” which applies to all living creatures, has had great influence in softening the manners of the Mongols.  This command is connected with the doctrine of transmigration of souls, which is one of the essential doctrines of