CHAPTER XIV.

SIXTEEN SAVIOURS-LOST KNOWLEDGE.
fHE profound philosophies taught in our beloved Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite bodies of the Southern Jurisdiction were subjects for a discussion I held one day in San Francisco, California, with my friend and brother, the late C. M. Plumnier, of the " Trestle Board." During our conversation we drifted to the teachings of Buddha, Zoroaster Confucius, Pythagoras, Orpheus, Socrates and others. We soon found ourselves floundering in the depths of Christian Theology, Christ and Salvation, when Brother Plummer arose and walking to the shelves of his library, selected a copy of the "Trestle Board" — September, 1896. He ■turned to page 423, and handing it to me, said : " My dear Doctor, you and I think very much alike along these Theosopbical, Philosophical and Metaphysical lines of thought, take this and read it and you will do me a personal favor by inserting it in your own work." I thanked him and read the article and give it to you verbatim ; it is called " The World's Saviours."
" Many people have never heard of more than one Saviour and many more of no more than one crucifixion. Coming across an old book, recently, giving an account of no less than sixteen Saviours that have been crucified, we have compiled from it the following: They are named in the order of the prominence which they have attained by the number of their followers :
" I. Chrishna, of India, b. c. 1200. Among the sin-atoning gods wbo condescended, in ancient times, to forsake the throne of heaven and descend upon the plains of India, through human birth, to suffer and die for the sins and transgressions of the human race, the eighth Avatar or Saviour, may be considered the most important and the most exalted character, as he had the most conspicuous life, and commanded the most devout and the most universal homage. And while some of the other
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incarnate demigods were invested with only a limited measure of tlie infinite deit3'-slaip, Clirishna, according to the teachings of their New Testament (the Ramazand), comprehended in himself 'a full measure of the Godhead bodily.' The evidence of his having been crucified is as conclusive as any other sacrificial or sin-atoning God whose name has been memorialized in history or embalmed as a sacred idol in the memories of his devoted worshippers.
" Mr. Moore, an English traveler and writer, in a large collection of drawings taken from the Hindoo sculptures and monuments, which he arranged together in a work entitled ' The Hindoo Pantheon,' has repre- senting, suspended on the cross, the Hindoo crucified God and Son of God, ' our Lord and Saviour,' Chrishna, with holes pierced in his feet, evidently intended to represent the nail-holes made by the act of crucifix- ion. Mr. Higgins, who examined this work, which he found in the British Museum, makes report of a number of the transcript drawings, intended to represent the crucifixion of this oriental and mediatorial God, which we will here condense.
"In plate 98 this Saviour is represented with a hole in the top of one foot, just above the toes, where the nail was inserted in the act of cruci- fixion. In another drawing he is represented exactly in the form of a Romish Christian crucifix, but not fixed or fastened to a tree, though the legs and feet are arranged in the usual way, with nail, holes in the latter. There is a halo of glory over it, emanating from the heavens above, just as we have seen Jesus Christ represented in a work by a Christian writer entitled ' Ouarles Emblems,' also in other Christian books.
" In several of the icotis (drawings) there are marks of holes in both feet, and in others in the hands only. In the first drawing which he con- svilted the marks are very faint, so as to be scarcely visible. In figures 4 and 5 of plate 11, the figures have nail-holes in both feet, while the hands are not represented. Figure 6 has on it the representation of a round hole in the side. To his collar or shirt hangs an emblem of a heart repre- sented in the same manner as those attached to the imaginary likenesses of Jesus Christ, which may now be found in some Christian countries. Figure 91 has a hole in one foot, a nail through the other and a round nail or pin mark in one hand onl}', while the other is ornamented with a dove and a serpent, both emblems of the deity in the Christian Bible.
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" The history of Christian Zeus (or Jeseus, as some writers spell it), is contained principally in the Baghavat-Gita, the episode portion of the Mahabarat Bible. The book is believed to be divinely inspired, like all other Bibles, and the Hindoos claim for it an antiquity of six thousand years. Like Christ, he was of humble origin, and like him had to encounter opposition and persecution. But he seems to have been more successful in the propagation of his doctrine, for it is declared he soon became surrounded by many earnest followers and the people in vast multitudes followed him, crying aloud, ' This indeed is the Redeemer promised to our fathers ! '
" His pathway was thickl}^ strewn with miracles, which consisted in healing the sick, curing lepers, restoring the dumb, deaf and the blind, raising the dead, aiding the weak, comforting the sorrow stricken, relieving the oppressed, casting out devils, etc. He came not ostensibly to destroy the previous religion, but to purify it of its impurities and preach a better doctrine. He came, as he declared, 'to reject evil and restore the reign of good, and redeem man from the consequences of the fall, and deliver the oppressed earth from its load of sin and suffering.' His disciples believed him to be God himself, and millions worshipped him as such in the time of Alexand-er the Great, B. c. 330.
" The hundreds of counterparts to the history of Christ, proving their histories to be almost identical, will be found enumerated in Chapter XXXII, such as: i. His miraculous birth by a virgin; 2. The mother and child being visited b}^ shepherds, wise men and the angelic host, who joyously sang, 'In thy delivery, O favored among women, all nations shall have cause to exult ; ' 3. The edict of the tyrant ruler Cansa, ordering all the first born to be put to death ; 4. The miraculous escape of the mother and child from his bloody decree by the parting of the waves of the River Jumna to permit them to pass through on dry ground; 5. The early retirement of Chrishna to a desert ; 6. His baptism or ablution in the River Ganges, corresponding to Christ's baptism in Jordan ; 7. His transfiguration at Madura, where he assured his disciples that present or absent I will always be with 3'ou ; 8. He had a favorite disciple (Arjoon), who was his bosom friend, as John was Christ's ; 9. He was anointed with oil by women, like Christ; 10. A somewhat similar story is told of him — his disciples being enabled b}^ him to calch
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large draughts of the finny prey in their nets. Like Christ he taught much by parables and precept.
" On one occasion, having returned from a ministerial journey, as he entered Madura, the people came out in crowds to meet him, strewing the groiind with branches of cocoa-nut trees, and desiring to hear him. He addressed them in parables, the conclusion and moral of one of which, called the parable of the fishes, runs thus: 'And thus it is, O people of Madura, that you ought to protect the weak and each other, and not retaliate upon an enemy the wrong he may have done you.'
" Here we see the peace doctrine preached in all its purity. ' And thus it was,' says a writer, ' that Chrishna' spread among the people the holy doctrines of purest morality, and initiated his hearers into the exalted principles of charity, of self-denial, and self-respect at a time when the desert countries of the west were inhabited only by savage tribes; ' and we will add long before Christianity was thought of. Purity of life and spiritual insight, we are told, were distinguishing traits in the character of this oriental sin-atoning Saviour, and that ' he was often moved with compassion for the down trodden and the suffering. '
" Many' of the precepts uttered by Chrishna display a profound wisdom and depth of thought equal to any of those attributed to Jesus Christ. In proof of the statement, we will recite a few of the examples out of the hundi-eds in our possession : i. Those who do not control their passions cannot act properly towards others. 2. The evil we inflict upon others follow lis as our shadows follow our bodies. 3. Only the humble are the beloved of God. 4. Virtue sustains the soul as the mviscles sustain the body. 5. When the poor man knocks at your door, take him and administer to his wants, for the poor are the chosen of God (Christ said, ' God hath chosen the poor '). 6. Let your hand be always open to the unfortunate. 7. Look not upon a woman with unchaste desires. 8. Avoid envy, covetousness, falsehood, imposture and slander, and sexual desire. 9. Above all things, cultivate love for 3'our neighbor. 10. "When you die you leave your worldly wealth behind you ; but j-our virtue and vices follow after yovi. 11. Contemn riches and worldly honor. 12. Seek the company of the wicked in order to reform them. 13. Do good for its own sake, and expect not j'our reward for it on earth.
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14. The soul is immortal, but must be pure and free from all sin and stain before it can return to Him who gave it. 15. The soul is inclined to good when it follows the onward light. 16. The soul is responsible to God for its actions, who has established rewards and punishments. 17. Cultivate that inward knowledge which teaches which is right and wrong. 18. Never take delight in another's misfortune. 19. It is better to forgive an injury than avenge it. 20. You can accomplish by kind- ness what you cannot by force. 21. A noble spirit finds a cure for injustice by forgetting. 22. Pardon the offense of others but not your own. 23. What you blame in others do not practice yourself 24. By forgiving an enemy you make many friends. 25. Do right from hatred of evil, and not from fear of punishment. 26. A wise man corrects his own errors by observing those of others. 27. He who rules his temper conquers his greatest enemy. 28. The wise man governs his passions, but the fool obeys them. 29. Be at war with men's vices, but at peace with their persons. 30. There should be no disagreement between your lives and your doctrine. 31. Spend every minute as if it were the last. 32. Lead not one life in public and another in private. 33. Anger, in trying to torture others, punishes itself 34. A disgraceful death is honorable when you die in a good cause. 35. By growing familiar with vices we learn to tolerate them easily. 36. We must master our evil propensities, or they will master us. 37. He who has conquered his propensities rules over a kingdom. 38. Protect, love and assist others, if you would serve God. 39. From thought springs the will, and from the will action, true or false, just or unjust. 40. As the sandal tree perfumes the axe which fells it, so the good man sheds fragrance on his enemies. 41. Spend a portion of each day in pious devotion. 42. To love the virtue of others is to brighten your own. 43. He who gives to the needy loses nothing himself. 44. A good, wise and benevolent man cannot be rich. 45. Much riches is a curse to the possessor. 46. The wounds of the soul are more important than those of the body. 47. The virtuous man is like the banyan tree, which shelters and protects all around it. 48. Money does not satisfy the love of gain, but only stimulates it. 49. Your greatest enemy is in your own bosom. 50. To flee when charged is to confess yovir own guilt. 51. The wound of
conscience leaves a scar.
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"We will cite a few examples relative to women: i. He who is cursed by women is ciirsed by God. 2. God will punisb him who laughs at woman's sufferings. 3. When woman is honored, God is honored. 4. The virtuous woman will have but one husband, and the right-minded man but one wife. 5. It is the highest crime to take advantage of the weakness of woman. 6. Woman should be loved, respected, and pro- tected by husbands, fathers and brothers.
" II. Crucifixion of Hindoo Sakia, b. c. 600. How many gods who figured in Hindoo history suffered death upon the cross as atoning offerings for the sins of mankind is a point not clearly established by their sacred books. But the death of the, God above named, known as Sakia, Buddha Sakia, or Muni is distinctly referred to by several writers, both Oriental and Christian, though there appears to be in Buddhist countries different accounts of the death of the famous and extensively worshipped sin-atoning Saviour.
" In some countries the story runs, a God was crucified by an arrow being driven through his body, which fastened him to a tree ; the tree, with the arrow thus projecting at right angles, formed the cross, emblem- atical of the atoning sacrifice. Sakia, an account states was crucified by his enemies for the humble act of plucking a flower in a garden — doubt- less seized on a mere pretext, rather than as being considered a crime.
" One of the accusations brought against Christ, it will be remem- bered, was that of plucking the ripened ears of corn on the Sabbath. And it is a remarkable circumstance, that in the pictures of Christian countries representing the Virgin Mary with the infant Jesus in her arms, either the child or the mother is frequently represented with a bunch of flowers in the hand. That his crucifixion was designed as a sin-atoning offering is evident from the following declaration found in his sacred biography, viz : ' He in mercy left Paradise, and came down to earth because he was filled with compassion for the sins and miseries of mankind. He sought to lead them into better paths, and took their suffering ixpon himself that he might expiate their crimes and mitigate the punishment they must otherwise inevitabl}'' undergo.'
" He believed, and taught his followers, that all sin is inevitably punished, either in this or the future life ; and so great were his sym- pathy and tenderness, that he condescended to suffer that punishment
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himself by an ignoininous death upon the cross, after which he descended in Hades (Hell) to suffer for a time (three days) for the inmates of that horrible prison, that he might show he sympathized with them. After his resurrection, and before his ascension to heaven, as well as during his earthly sojourn, he imparted to the world some beautiful, lofty and soul-elevating precepts. 'The object of his mission,' says a writer, ' was to instruct those who were straying from the right path, and expiate the sins of mortals by his own suffering and procure for them a happy entrance into Paradise by obedience to his precepts and prayers to his name.' ' His followers always speak of him as one with God from all eternity.' His most common, title was ' the Saviour of the World.' He was also called ' the Benevolent One,' ' the Dispenser of Grace,' ' The Source of Life,' ' the Light of the World,' ' the True Light,' etc.
" His mother was a very j^^ire, refined, pious and devout woman ; never indulged in any impure thoughts, words or actions. She was so much esteemed for her virtues and for being the mother of a God, that an escort of ladies attended her wherever she went. Tlie trees bowed before her as she passed through the forest, and flowers sprang up wher- ever her foot pressed the ground. She was saluted as ' the Holy Virgin, Queen of Heaven.' It is said that when her divine child was born, he stood upright and proclaimed, ' I will put an end to the sufferings and sorrows of the world.' And immediately a light shone round about the young Messiah.
" He spent much time in retirement and like Christ in another respect, was once tempted by a demon, who offered him all the honors and wealth of the world. But he rebuked the devil, saying, ' Begone ; hinder me not.' He began, like Christ to preach his gospel and heal the sick when about twenty-eight years of age. And it is declared, ' The blind saw, the deaf heard, the dumb spoke, the lame danced, and the crooked became straight.' Hence the people declared, ' He is no mortal child but an incarnation of the Deity.' His religion was of a very superior char- acter. He proclaimed, ' My law is a law of grace for all.' His religion knew no race, no .sex, no caste, and no aristocratic priesthood.
" ' It taught,' says Max Muller, ' the equality of all men, and the broth- erhood of the human race.' ' All men, without regard to rank, birth or
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nation,' says Dunckar, ' form according to Buddha's view, one great suffer- ing association in this earthly vale of tears ; therefore the commandments of love, forbearance, patience, compassion, pity, brotherliness of all men.'
" Klaproth (a German professor of Oriental languages) says this relieion is calculated to ennoble the human race. ' It is difficult to com- prehend,' says a French writer (M. Laboulay) ' how men, not assisted by revelation, could have soared so high, and approached so near the truth.'
" Dunckar says this Oriental God ' taught self denial, chastity, tem- perance, the control of the passions, to bear injustice from others, to suffer death quietly, and without hate of your persecutor, to grieve not for one's own misfortune, but for those of others.' An investigation of their history will show that they lived iip to these moral injunctions.
" Besides the five great commandments, says a Wesleyan missionary (Spense Hardy) in Dahmma Padam, ' every shade of vice, hypocrisy, anger, pride, suspicion, greediness, gossiping and cruelty to animals is guarded against by special precepts. Among the virtues recommended, we find not .only reverence for parents, care of children, submission to authority, gratitude, moderation in all things, submission in time of trial, equanimity at all times, but virtues unknown in some systems of morality, such as the duty of forgiving injuries, and not rewarding evil for evil.' And we will add, both charity and love are specially recommended.
" We have it also upon the authority of Dunckar, that ' Buddha pro- claimed that salvation and redemption have come for all, even the lowest and most abject classes.' For he broke down the iron castle of the Brah- minical code which had so long ruled India, and aimed to place all mankind iipon a level. His followers have been stigmatized by Christian professors as ' idolators ' but Sir John Bowring, in his ' Kingdom and People of Siam,' denies that they are idolators, 'because' says he 'no Buddhist believes his image to be God, or anything more than > an out- ward representation of Deity.' Their deific images are looked upon with the same views and feelings as a Christian venerates the photograph of his deceased friend. Hence if one is an idolater, the other is also.
" With respect to the charge of polytheism, missionary M. Hue says, * that although their religion embraces many inferior deities who fill the
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same offices that angels do under the Christian system ; ' yet, adds M. Hue, ' Monofheism is the real character of Buddhism,' and confirms the statement by the testimony of a Thibetan. It should be noted here, that although Buddhism succeeded in converting about three hundred million, or one-third of the inhabitants of the globe, it was never propagated by the sword, and never persecuted the disciples of other religions. Its conquests were made by a rational appeal to the human mind.
" Mr. Hodgson says, 'It recognizes the infinite capacity of the human intellect.' And St. Hilaire declares ' Love for all beings is its nucleus ; and to love our enemies, and not persecute, are the virtues of this people.'
" Max Muller says, ' Its moral code, taken by itself, is one of the most perfect the world has ever known.' Its five commandments are :