Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies - DUBOIS, Abbé Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies, Dubois | Page 454

BUDDHISTS AND BRAHMINS
414
exterminated in India, where, it appears, they were once
so powerful.
Nevertheless, I doubt whether the genuine Buddhists,
even in countries where their religion is predominant,
would dare to avow publicly such terrible doctrines. I
even suspect that the book which contains an exposition
of this doctrine is the work of Brahmins themselves, who,
for the purpose of bringing odium upon a sect for which
their caste entertains the most implacable hatred, invented
these opinions, the very mention of which makes one shudder.
At any rate the book contains certain maxims which
betray the influence of Hindu sophistry.
The following
are
examples illustrating the foolish extremes to which they
go :—
One ought never to yield to taste or appetite in eating
one must habituate oneself to the most
or drinking
nauseous food.'
One must elevate oneself above the prejudices of the
vulgar, and one must always pursue, in one's conduct and
'
;
'
mode
of thinking, a course opposite to that of others.'
in order to cast odium on the Jains, their
enemies, accuse them also of professing the doctrines of
The Brahmins,
Buddhism but the Jains resent with indignation the false
I have myself heard
insinuations of their adversaries.
several Jains speak very forcibly on the horror which such
principles inspire in them, and complain most bitterly of
the dubious methods of the Brahmins, who, actuated by
hatred and jealousy, are not at all ashamed to resort to
these false imputations.
There are also other sects, not so well known and
among them is the Nastika sect, whose fundamental
doctrine consists in absolute pyrrhonism or scepticism
and also the Lokayatha Sastra sect, whose adherents
recognize no differences of condition amongst mankind,
no precepts relating to pollution and purification, and who
are, moreover, accused of devoting themselves to witch-
;
;
;
and enchantments.
Such, in brief, is what I have been able to understand
of the numerous doctrines about which there exists such
With the object
diversity of opinion amongst the Hindus.
of obtaining an insight into these various matters with
craft