Page:The World's Parliament of Religions Vol 1.djvu/241

CHAPTER VII. WHAT RELIGION HAS WROUGHT IN THE FAMILY LIFE. THE efforts of the more advanced members of the Brahmo- Somaj of India to improve the conditions of Hindu fam- ily life were related by Mr. Mozoomdar in a third-day speech, and the success of these efforts in taking off the terrible bur- dens of youthful widowhood, in putting a stop to the burning of widows out of respect to dead husbands^ and in removing to some extent caste restrictions upon marriage. The Confucian principles applying to family life were touched upon by Pung Kwang Yu in a third-day paper. Filial duty lies at the foundation of humanity in the teaching of the great sage of China. The recognition of the relation of husband and wife is the first step in the cultivation and devel- opment of humanity. Rules of propriety for marriage, for the sphere of woman, for the education of youth,, and for the reg- ulation of the family, were among the elements of instruction and of self-education on which Confucius laid special stress. The paper of Cardinal Gibbons, on the fourth day, touched upon the care of family life which Catholic Christianity has always secured by its doctrine of the sanctity of marriage, the sanctity of infant life, and the protection, shelter, respect, and honor due to woman. The fifth-day paper of a. Siamese Buddhist remarked on the duties of a man toward his wife and family as Buddha himself preached upon these to his lay disciples. The good man is characterized by seven (pialities. He should not be loaded with faults, should be free from laziness, should not boast of his knowledge, should be truthful, and benevolent, and content, and should aspire to all that is useful. A husband should honor his wife, never insult her, never displease her, make her mistress of the house, and provide for her. On her part a 213