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4 The Religion of the Veda

down in the Hindu mind as the baais and fundaw mental axiom of all speculations about the soul and future life. This of itself is merely a theory. The practical importance of this theory is, that it it»: coupled almost from the start with a peasimiatic View of life. According to this the everlaating round of existencea in a nuisance, and release from it an imperative necessity. It would be difficult to find anywhere else a purely speculative notion which has taken so firm a hold upon practical life. It pervadee the Hindu consciousness in n for more real and intimate way than its great rival, the belief in an eternal future life, pervades the religious thought of the Western world.

From the beginning of India’s history religious institutions control the character and the develop ment of its people to an extent unknown elsewhere, Hindu life from birth to death, and even after death in the fancied life of the Fathers, or Manes in heaven, is religious, or sacramentahithgoughout. It is surrounded by institutions and practicea, and clouded by superstitions which are discarded only by them that have worked their way to the highest philosophical aspects of religion

The religious life of the Brahmanical Hindu is divided into the four stages ‘ of religious disciple; god~

‘ Called egrama, literally, “ hermitages.”