Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: To our mind there has plainly been a misconception of Buddhism, but instead of answering one by one these charges, we will adopt the positive and constructive method, and point out one by one those features of Buddhism which impress us as being vital and paramount, and of which the Christian can justifiably express appreciation. A REFORMING RELIGION Buddhism has always been a reforming religion, just as Christ was a reformer in Judaism, and Huss and Luther and Knox and Cranmer were reformers in the Christian Church under the leadership of the Pope of Rome. Its beginning in India by Sakyamuni was as a reformation in Brahmanism. It was a protest against ceremonialism, the caste system, and excessive asceticism. It attempted to bring the essential ideas of Brahmanism into life. Brahmanism ever since has been different from what it was before. Sakyamuni in his own life represented the reforming spirit. He began his career as a religious devotee by practising asceticism. Finding this unsatisfactory, as being too selfish, he went forth into the busy world and for forty years preached and taught, practised and did good with thought of others more than of self. Five hundred years later Northern or New Buddhism made its appearance. This is known as the Mahayani branch of Buddhism or the Great Vehicle, with many new elements. The new teacher was Ashvagosha, during the reign of the Mogul Emperor,Kanishka. This is the reforming branch that has spread through China and Japan. In its entrance into Japan, it took on other reforming principles, as illustrated in the Pure Land School. Since contact with Christianity, the Buddhism of Japan has taken on other reforming ideas, and it is this branch which is anxious to extend its missionary activities to China. Buddhism is thus far from being...