Forlong - Rivers of Life

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Rivers of Life, or Faiths of Man in all Lands.
—that bible of the Sun, is the “golden handed.” Now, one of Zoroaster’s names,
as before stated, is “the golden and silver-handed one;” and the hand is one of Siva’s
most prominent signs, as a euphemism for the Lingam, and these two Irish sculpturings
are excellent illustrations of what the ancients really meant. The hand is “the Fashioner
or Former”—the distinguishing feature of man, and therefore his Nishān—no animal
having any limb so perfect in all respects. It is the hammer of Vulcan or Tor, and
thought to represent “The Unknown,” Almighty and Incomprehensible one. Though
the emblem of Brahma and the Trimoorty, it is more peculiarly that of Siva, and much
used in the form of the “red hand” on the walls of his holiest shrines. This impression
is always made with the living hand, previously dipped in red, or rubbed over with
vermillion and oil, as described in Stephens’ Yukatan, and by many other writers on
ancient America.
I have elsewhere stated how carefully the Jews constructed their temple and its
enclosure walls on Mount Moriah, so as to admit the rays of the morning and evening
sun into the most hallowed portals, and that most Christians have been equally careful
as to the orientation of their sanctuaries, and especially in the embellishments of their
Eastern and Western windows. These they have always striven to enrich with every
variety of colour, gold and ormolu, portraying stories of “His loving-kindness,” “tender
mercies,” and “awful judgments;” so that the god’s rays may not only enter the shrine,
bright with many hues, but may be a means of elevating the thoughts of worshippers
to some of his many mysteries; of warming their hearts with love, or filling them with
fear and awe. Especially should his effulgence lighten up some mysterious scene above
the sacrificial altar, or “Holy Eucharistic Table” in the Eastem recess, though the
Navis Latonæ as of old lies hidden in dusky dimness, as becomes her name.
All peoples have been careful in regard to their Eastern aspect. The “atheistic
Boodhist,” as half-informed preachers call him, ever sinks on his knees, when he turns
to this Deity, or reverently stands with downcast face to try and contemplate the
mysteries of the Incomprehensible, and make himself a wiser, humbler, and better man.
The sacred volumes of the Maha-Vāsno abound with matter in regard to the suna dn
orientation of shrines and holy objects.
In the Vehars of Japan or Ceylon not only must the pulpit face the east, but the
principal doorway too, and over it an opening must be left, through which at a particular
hour daily the sacred light may shine on the prophet’s figure, which must also
invariably face due East. Boodha, like Christ, is said to have died with his face to
the rising Sun-god, which is the position all good Boodhists must assume. We
therefore find all Nirvána statues, as well as Mahomedan graves, placed due north
and south; but the child of Islám should die with his face to the “Kaba—a great
mistake of this hero-prophet, but the old Phallic faith was too strong. Arabia could
not forget its Maha-Deva and its Argha, nor Jews their Moriah and her cave.
Though we have every reason to believe that Boodhists—“the actual disciples of
their Lord,” and men full of enterprise, genius, zeal and diligence—preached and con-