Among the Wild Tribes of the Afghan Frontier A Record of Sixteen Years' Close Intercourse with the Natives of the Indian Marches

Chapter XVII

Chapter 1786 wordsPublic domain

The Hindu Ascetics

The Hindu Sadhus more than two thousand years ago much as to-day--Muhammadan faqirs much more recent--The Indian ideal--This presents a difficulty to the missionary--Becoming a Sadhu--An Afghan disciple--Initiation and equipment--Hardwar the Holy--A religious settlement--Natural beauties of the locality--Only man is vile--Individualism versus altruism--The Water God--Wanton monkeys--Tendency to make anything unusual an object of worship--A Brahman fellow-traveller--A night in a temple--Waking the gods--A Hindu sacrament--A religious Bedlam--A ward for imbeciles--Religious delusions--"All humbugs"--Yogis and hypnotism--Voluntary maniacs--The daily meal--Feeding, flesh, fish, and food 211-226