| Religion is systematized religious experience and this | | | | now in the same words that came to the lips more |
| experience depends on temperament. It is one of the | | | | than two thousand years ago and even if the |
| Hindus' many merits that they recognize this. Some | | | | questions are the same, the answers of the thoughtful |
| people ask of religion forgiveness for their sins, others | | | | are still as widely divergent as the pronouncements of |
| communion with the divine: most want health and | | | | the Buddha and the Brahmans. |
| wealth, many crave for an explanation of life and | | | | But nearly all the propositions contained in a European |
| death. Indian religion accommodates itself to these | | | | creed involve matters of history or science which are |
| various needs. Nothing is more surprising than the | | | | obviously affected by research and discovery as |
| variety of its phases except the underlying unity. | | | | much as are astronomy or medicine, and not only are |
| This power of varying in sympathetic response to the | | | | the propositions out of date but they mostly refer to |
| needs of many minds and growing in harmony with the | | | | problems which have lost their interest. But Indian |
| outlook of successive ages, is a contrast to the | | | | religion eschews creeds and will not die with the |
| pretended orthodoxy of Western Churches, for in | | | | spread of knowledge. It will merely change and enter a |
| view of their differences and mutual hostility it can only | | | | new phase of life in which much that is now believed |
| be called a pretence. Indians recognize that only the | | | | and practised will be regarded as the gods and rites of |
| greatest and simplest religious questions can be asked | | | | the Veda are regarded now. |