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are pure, those who are not Brahmans impure ; that the Brahmans alone are the sons of Brahma, the legitimate off- spring of Brahma ; that they are formed by Brahma, sprung from Brahma, and are inheritors of the patrimony of Brahma/' The priest replied that this declaration was a sound, and no- thing but a sound ; for that when a Kshatriya, a Brahman, a Yaisya, or a Sudra, abounds in wealth, members of all the four castes rise before him in the morning, and minister to his wants ; go not to sleep until he has retired to rest ; wait for his commands ; behave themselves according to his plea- sure ; and use soft words to administer to his gratification ; " so that the four castes are equal to each other ; there is no difference to be perceived between them." Again, when a Kshatriya, a Brahman, a Yaisya, or a Sudra, takes life, and commits other sins, at the dissolution of the body, one as well as the other, falls into the wretched place of torment. Again, when a Kshatriya, a Brahman, a Yaisya, or a Sudra, observes the precepts that forbid the taking of life, as well as the other precepts, at the dissolution of the body, one as well as the other, goes to the region of the blessed. Again, when a criminal is brought before the king, whether he be a Kshatriya, a Brahman, a Yaisya, or a Sudra, he is either put to death,* or disgraced, or some other punishment is ap- pointed; no difference is made on account of his caste. From all these facts, Maha Kach&no concluded that there is no real difference between the members of the four castes ; the difference is only in name. The king further declared that if any one, whether he be a Kshatriya, a Brahman, a Yaisya, or a Sudra, shaving his head and beard, putting on yellow robes, &c., shall become a priest, he himself wiU rise * The custom followed in the natiye statee, to exempt all members of the caste of the Brahmans from capital punishment, must be of modern origin. Q 2 84 A MANUAL OF BUDHISM. from his royal seat out of respect to that priest, present him with gifts, and protect him ; " for his fonner appellation has disappeared; he is no longer a Kshatriya, a Brahman, a Vaisya, or a Sudra ; he is become a sramana priest" " What think you, then, great king,'* demanded Maha Kach&no, *' if this be the case, are not these four castes equal to each other ; or what is your opinion on this point ?* " Assuredly," said the monarch, " this being the case, they are all equal ; I do not, my lord, perceive any difference between the four castes." There is the same uncertainty relative to the number and order of the castes in Ceylon, that there is with respect to those in ancient Egypt. No two natives will give the same classification of the inferior castes; though all will agree that among the Singhalese there are no Brahmans, Esha- triyas, or Yaisyas; and aU will admit that the first class among them is the Ooy-wansa, or Welldla. This uncertainty in the enumeration of the castes arises, in part, from the number of subdivisions into which some of them have been ramified. There are more than 100 classes of the Brahma- nical caste, each of which h&s a different name. There ap- pears to be a greater leaning towards caste in Ceylon than in any other Budhistical country, which in part may have arisen from the circumstance that their recent monarchs were of Malabar extraction These kings confined the privilege of upasampada ordination to the Well&la priests. In Nepal, where Budhism is yet professed, the original inhabitants were all of one caste, or had no caste ; but their descendants, in the course of time, became divided into many castes, ac- cording to the trades or professions that they followed ; but even now we are told that in Nepal caste is merely a popular usage, without the sanction of religion, and altogether a very different thing from caste, properly so called. In Tibet and Burma, both of which are Budhistical countries, caste is un- known. In China there are clans, resembling those of the Scottish Highlanders ; but this institution differs from caste, and has many features that are peculiar to this singular race. ni, PRIMITIVE INHABITANTS OF THE EARTH. 85 Under almost every aspect in which caste can be viewed, its influence is most pernicious. Its restraints extend to nearly every act of social intercourse, and its existence is eternal No power of intellect, no ingenuity, no wealth, no official rank, no personal merit of any description whatever, can break through the formidable barrier it has established. It is a deadly incubus, exerting its power every moment, throughout century after century, upon the minds of a great proportion of the people. It defies all government ; it robs the state of the best energies of many of its most able sub- jects ; it scowls at all innovation ; there can be no change, no improvement, wherever it ensconces in its strength; no power can coerce it; and were it possible for a universal monarch again to reign, with all the influence that the legends give him, even this mightiest of rulers would be unable to change the caste, or in any important particular alter the social position, of one single individual among the countless millions of his subjects. Tet if a numerous population be any evidence of a nation's power, it must be apparent, that when the state is prevented from employing the intelligence of any part of its people for its own advantage, there is a proportionate loss to the well-being of the whole community, besides the injustice that is done to a class who may possibly be the most efficient of its citizens. It is said by the apologists for caste, that those who are under its power to the fullest extent, are beings so rude, de- graded, and licentious, that they deserve all the insults they receive, as their vices place them without the pale of hu- manity ; and that they do not in reality feel their degrada- tion, as all but the very lowest, (and even the very lowest has something upon which he prides himself), are as tena- cious of their rights as the proudest of the twice-born Brah* mans. But can anything be a stronger argument in favour of the abolition of this baneful institution ? Unless it can be proved that these wretched beings have an inherent de- pravity more malignant in its nature than that which is pos- sessed by other men, it is evident that the meanness or im- 86 A MANUAL OF BUDHI8M. morality with which they are charged must be the result of hereditary wrong, and that under other circumstances their character would have been changed. And is it not a glorious privilege we possess, in being enabled to tell these outcasts that by the great Buler of all they are watched with the same care, and regarded with the same affection, as the rest of mankind ? At an early period after the establishment of Christianity in India by Europeans, it was deemed necessary to institute rules for the guidance of native converts in relation to caste. At the synod of Diamper, in 1599, it was declared that '* it would rejoice the synod to see the superstitious and absurd customs of the heathen Malabars of the better sort not mixing with the lower, and having no correspondence or communi- cation with those that have but touched any of them, totally abolished among the Christians of this bishopric;" but as many of the Christians resided under heathen princes, it was considered that in these circumstances the customs might be observed lawfully, and without scruple. Where these impedi- ments did not exist, as '* there is no distinction of persons with Ood, who is Lord of all," *' the synod doth command that all that shall be guilty of forbearing to touch such, or having touched them shall wash themselves, to be severely punished as superstitious followers of the heathen customs, and com- mands the preachers and confessors to admonish them thereof in their sermons and confessions/'* The entire spirit of Christianity is opposed to the system of caste. The revelations that are made in the sacred Scrip- tures relative to the oneness of mankind are most emphatic ; and their immense value can only be imderstood by those who have seen the slave of the west or the outcaste of the east, in the fulness of his degradation.