| After reviewing the characteristics of a religion it is | | | | The fact that Hinduism is something larger and more |
| natural to ask what is its effect on those who | | | | comprehensive than what we call a religion is one |
| profess it. Buddhism, Christianity and Islam offer | | | | reason why it contains much of dubious moral value. |
| materials for answering such a question, since they | | | | It is analogous not to Christianity but to European |
| are not racial religions. In historical times they have | | | | civilization which produces side by side philanthropy |
| been accepted by peoples who did not profess them | | | | and the horrors of war, or to science which has |
| previously and we can estimate the consequences of | | | | given us the blessings of surgery and the curse of |
| such changes. But Hinduism has racial or geographical | | | | explosives. There is a deep-rooted idea in India that a |
| limits. It proselytizes, but hardly outside the Indian | | | | man's daily life must be accompanied by religious |
| area: it is difficult to distinguish it from Indian custom, | | | | observances and regulated by a religious code, by no |
| as the gospel is distinguished from the practice of | | | | means of universal application but still suitable to his |
| Europe: it is superfluous to enquire what would be its | | | | particular class. |
| effect on other countries, since it shows no desire to | | | | An immoral occupation need not be irreligious: it |
| impose itself on them and they none to accept it. | | | | simply requires gods of a special character. Hence we |
| It is, like Shinto in Japan, not a religion which has | | | | find Thugs killing and robbing their victims in the name |
| moulded the national character but the national | | | | of Kali. But though the Hindu is not at ease unless his |
| character finding expression in religion. Shinto and | | | | customs are sanctioned by his religion, yet religion in |
| Hinduism are also alike in perpetuating ancient beliefs | | | | the wider sense is not bound by custom, for the |
| and practices which seem anachronisms but | | | | founders of many sects have declared that before |
| otherwise they are very different, for many races | | | | God there is no caste. A Hindu may devote himself |
| and languages have contributed their thoughts and | | | | to religion and abandon the world with all its |
| hopes to the ocean of Hinduism and they all had an | | | | conventions, but if like most men he prefers to live in |
| interest in speculation and mysticism unknown to the | | | | the world, it is his duty to follow the customs and |
| Japanese. | | | | usages sanctioned for his class and occupation. |