Thureday evening, 26th" January, American Legation, the Peking held its monthly meetin the President in the chair, when a dit sion took place on the influence of Buddhiem. on Chinese civilisation, Mr. Owen had asked to lead off and he took the affirmative side, that the influence had been favourable. He spoke first of the self-denying life of Buddha, then referred to the dogmas of future life and retribution, and dilated on the pity exemplified and the comfort and hope extended to the poor and needy. Buddhism stimulated thought and enlarged the conception of the world; ethics, divinaion and politics were factors in the Cons fucian system. The knowledge of an alphabet, of initials and finals, of tones, of astronomy, of the calendar, of the notation, were accidental benefits which the Chinese had derived from Buddhist priests, Architecturally. too, Buddhiem had benefited China. No landscape was considered Chinese without the pagoda. In all points in which Buddhism had been a blessing to China were explained. The reader who wishes to see these more fully discussed should consult Edkins' Chinese Buddhism.
The Rev. W. S. Ament followed and took the negative side of the question. Among many good and telling things, he said that Buddhism was a reaction from the excessive religious ners of the Brahminical faith in the direction of man. With mau Gautama associated all animate creation, Instead of elevating man,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.