BUDDHISM IN TIBET

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jun 17, 1897

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 23, No. 23.

BUDDHISM IN TIBET.

MR. F. B. SHAWE, of Ladak, Tibet, gives the Missionary Review some thoughts on the results of nine centuries of Buddhism, from which we take the following:—

"As it now stands at the present day, Ladaki Buddhism is a mixture of fetishism and demonism. Images, books, and the Six Syllables are nothing more than fetishes, which, properly treated, have the power of warding off the attacks of countless evil powers. Ladaki Buddhism knows no love, no compassion, no gratitude, no reverence, not even fear of punishment for misdeeds, but only a groveling terror of malignant spirits, who find their delight in bullying mankind. With all its vaunted compassion, Buddhism has produced a people whose sole idea is self. With all its vaunted morality, Buddhism has caused the disappearance of all moral consciousness. With all its vaunted intellectuality, Buddhism has rendered the people intellectually feebler than they were a few hundred years ago, and so unused to reflection that they are absolutely unconscious alike of their own state and of that of their priests. With all its vaunted purity, Buddhism has allowed the people to lapse into the most debasing idolatry and abject superstition. Self, and nothing but self, is the center of every man's thought. Not even intellectual selfishness has been attained; food, clothing, and sexual delights are the end-all and be-all of the life of a Ladaki. After mature consideration, I am constrained to believe that those qualities which endear the Ladaki people to those Europeans who have intimate dealings with them are not the results of Buddhism, but exist in spite of Buddhism.

"James Gilmour wrote as follows: 'Mongol Buddhism and holiness have long ago parted company, and it seems possible for men and women, living among and participating in scenes of unblushing evil, to be at the same time experiencing the effectual consolations of religion. This seems, at first sight, incredible; but I am convinced that it is true. And perhaps no more serious charge could be brought against any religion than this, which holds true of Buddhism, that, notwithstanding many excellent doctrines which characterize it as a theory, its practical effect is to delude its votaries as to moral guilt, to sear their consciences as with a hot iron, to call the wicked righteous, and send men down to the grave with a lie in their right hand.' This scathing denunciation is, word for word, true of Ladak and Tibet generally. And inquire where you will in Buddhist countries from those who have in lengthy residence acquired some behind-the-scenes knowledge of the real state of the people, the answer is always in similar terms: 'Buddhism has not accomplished what it professes to do; it does not sustain a moral life among its adherents.'"

"It may be said, 'Your description is very sad; but really such things as those you mention are not unknown in so-called Christian countries.' I am not concerned at present to contrast Christianity with Buddhism; but I may yet be allowed to suggest two points for reflection: First, the evil and immorality in Christian countries is not so unblushing as in this Buddhist land. In Christian countries such things are obliged to keep in the background, while in Ladak they stalk unashamed in broad noonday. There is an immense difference in degree. Secondly, these things happen in Christian countries in direct antagonism to the efforts of Christianity. Not only by words from the pulpit and in the press, but by unwearying efforts, entailing great expense of time, money, and men, real Christians are striving to stem the evil. In Ladak and Tibet not an effort is made to bring about a change, not even a voice is raised in protest. Christianity is engaged in a perpetual warfare; Buddhism tacitly assents in evil. This is a fundamental difference.

"Indeed, nothing else can be expected. As long as the lamas remain unreformed, a salutary influence can not be exerted from within Buddhism. But the lamas can not be reformed. An earnest effort was made by Tsongkapa, the founder of the yellow sect; the impetus, however, exhausted itself, and his followers are rapidly disappearing in the slough of iniquity and self-righteousness which represents Tibetan Buddhism. Nor need this astonish us, for Tsongkapa has merely shown by example what was foreshadowed in theory. Buddhism is in doctrine the apotheosis of selfishness. While in other religions the commands of a deity are the standard of life, in Buddhism the advantage of self is the center point. All existence in every form brings misery, and selfishness demands that release from this misery be found. All self-denial, compassion, love, and charity, enjoined as they are by Buddhism, are merely a means for freeing self from pain. They are not commanded because they are in themselves good, but because they are a profitable investment. No appeal is made to the sympathy inherent in most people for what is good simply because it is good; in Buddhism the appeal lies solely to the selfish advantage of the 'ego.' True, this is a higher, so to say, aristocratic form of selfishness, and has produced many really deep and beautiful moral precepts, especially as shown in the Dhammapada, a book from which apologists of Buddhism draw most of their quotations. None the less, however, selfishness remains the mainspring of action, and it is impossible but that the higher selfishness must deteriorate into self-indulgence and finally sensuality. Tibetan lamas and laymen have arrived at this latter point, and a greater power than sublimated selfishness is required to cause a change."