honour
and position to their women, and in all matters of civilization are
considerably in advance of even the best class of Hindus.

This religion, though from the same source with Brahmanism, has
fundamental differences of doctrine from that faith. None is more marked
or significant than its Dualism as contrasted with the Pantheism of its
sister faith. The problem of the origin of evil has found these two
diverse interpretations and these have had a large influence in shaping
the characters, respectively, of these two great ethnic religions.

Besides the far-off common source of these two religions, indicated by the
earliest names and character of their deities, there is hardly any bond of
fellowship in doctrine, worship or observance between the fire worshipping
Parsee and the Hindu idolater. And though these Parsees have, for more
than a millennium, made India their home, they have kept themselves apart
from the people of the land and are still as truly foreigners in the land
of their adoption as are the English residents.

(_d_) Buddhism.

This religion is a child of India; its founder, Gautama, was the product
of that land, and, next to our Lord Himself, is the greatest among the
founders of religions. Buddhism arose as a reaction, twenty-five centuries
ago, against the excesses of Brahmanism. It flourished wonderfully for a
few centuries, and at the time when Christ was on earth, had gained
supremacy over the old faith and had become the State religion in India.
Owing to the Brahmanic revival, in the eighth century of our era, Buddhism
was in its turn, driven out of the land, and has found refuge in Ceylon
and in more eastern countries from that time until the present. Since then
it has been almost entirely without followers in India proper. Of the
British India possessions Burma is the only place where it is the popular
faith today.

Still it is not without much influence in the land of its birth. For,
Brahmanism overcame its rival faith in India only by adopting some of its
most fundamental contentions and teachings. Indeed, modern Hinduism is
largely a blending of the Brahmanism of old with its supplanter, Buddhism.
The abundant sacrifices which Brahmanism offered were entirely abolished
in deference to Buddhistic sensibilities. The doctrine of transmigration,
through Buddhism, received new emphasis; and kindness to all living
creatures was extolled to a supreme virtue. As a climax to this attitud