large/12430/twooldfaiths_1901_librivox_64kb_mp3/twooldfaiths_03_mitchell_64kb_55
large/12430/twooldfaiths_1901_librivox_64kb_mp3/twooldfaiths_03_mitchell_64kb
English
12430
Of physical phenomena it was especially those connected with light that enkindled feelings of reverence. OF PHYSICAL PHENOMENA IT WAS ESPECIALLY THOSE CONNECTED WITH LIGHT THAT ENKINDLED FEELINGS OF REVERENCE
they do not possess in northern or even southern Europe. Sunlight, moonlight, starlight, the clouds purpled with the beam of morning or flaming in the west like fiery chariots of heaven; to behold these things in their full magnificence one ought to see them in the East. Even so the sterner phenomena of nature--whirlwind and tempest, lightning and thunder, flood and storm-wave, plague, pestilence, and famine; all of these oftentimes assume in the East a character of awful majesty before which man cowers in helplessness and despair. The conceptions and feelings hence arising have from the beginning powerfully affected the religion of the Hindus. Every-where we can trace the impress of the grander manifestations of nature--the impress of their beneficence, their beauty, their might, their mystery, or their terribleness. [Sidenote: The deities are "the bright ones," according to the language of the sacred books of India.] The Sanskrit word for god is _deva_, which means _bright, shining_. NTED IN THE WADY HYMNS MAY BE BROADLY DESIGNATED AS NATURE WORSHIP ALL PHYSICAL PHENOMENA IN INDIA ARE INVESTED WITH A GRANDEUR WHICH THEY DO NOT POSSESS IN NORTHERN OR EVEN SOUTHERN EUROPE SUNLIGHT MOONLIGHT STARLIGHT THE CLOUDS PURPLED WITH THE BEAM OF MORNING OR FLAMING IN THE WEST LIKE FAY CHARIOTS OF HEAVEN TO BEHOLD THESE THINGS IN THEIR FULL MAGNIFICENCE WERE NOT TO SEE THEM IN THE EAST EVEN SO THE STERNER PHENOMENA OF NATURE WHIRLWIND AND TEMPEST LIGHTNING AND THUNDER FLOOD AND STORM WAVE PLAGUE PESTILENCE AND FEMINE ALL OF THESE OFTENTIMES ASSUME IN THE EAST A CHARACTER OF AWFUL MAJESTY BEFORE WHICH MAN COWERS IN HELPLESSNESS AND DESPAIR THE CONCEPTIONS AND FEELINGS HENCE ARISING HAVE FROM THE BEGINNING POWERFULLY AFFECTED THE RELIGION OF THE HINGOOS EVERYWHERE WE CAN TRACE THE IMPRESS OF THE GRANDER MANIFESTATIONS OF NATURE THE IMPRESS OF THEIR BENEFICENCE THEIR BEAUTY THEIR MIGHT THEIR MYSTERY OR THEIR TERRIBLENESS THE SANSCRIT WORD FOR GOD IS DEVA WHICH MEANS BRIGHT SHINING
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