Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1854-03-10
of his system of spotting a gen.
From the Athenaum.
Funeral Of a Buddhist Priest.

GREATNESS one morning INTO the house where
was staying, and called out to my host, also a
priest, " Come with me, make haste, for Tang-a
is dying" We hastened to the adjoining house,
which was the abode of the sick man, but found
that the king Of terrors had been before us. and
/ the priest was dead By this time about dozen
persons were collected, who were all gazing in
, a,4'.y on the countenance Of the dead man. After
| allowing a Few minutes o elapse =o.,.-s ,,oo
I given to have the body washed and dresser- ond
4 removed from the bed to a small room with al,
! open front, which was situated on the opposite
side of the little court. Mosquito curtains were
then hung round the bed on which the body was
! placed, lamp and some candles were lighted as
fwell as some sticks of incense, and these were
! kept burning day and night. For three days the
body lay in state, during which time, at stated
intervals, four or five priests, decked in yellow
! robes, chanted their peculiar service. On the
| third day was told that the coffin was ready,
and, on expressing q wish to it, was led into an
adjoining temple. " Are there two priests dead2"
| said I, on observing another coffin in the same
place. NO." said one, '' but that second coffin
belongs to the priest who lived with deceased,
and it will remain here until it is needed"
On the evening Of this day, when 1 returned
again to what going on, and now q very
different scene presented itself And hereI must
endeavor to describe the form of the premises, in
order that this scene may better understood
The little house or temple consisted of centre
and two wings, the wings being built at right
angles with the centre, and forming with it three
sides of square, a high wall connecting the two
wings, and SO little court or Chinese garden
was formed, very small in extent. A square
table was placed inside the central hall or temple,
one in front Of it, and one in front Of each Of the
two wings. Each of these tables was covered
withgood things-such as rice, vegetables, fruits,
cakes and other decacies, all the produce Of the
vegetable kingdom, and intended as feast for
Buddha, whom these people worship. This Of
fering differed from others which had often seen
in the public streets and in private houses, in
having no animal food in any Of the dishes. The
Buddhists priesthood profess an abhorrence of
taking away animal life or Ofeating animal food,
and hence no food of the kind was observed on
any of the tables now before me. On two strings
which were hung diagonally across the court,
from the central temple to each end of the front
wall, were hung numerous small paper dresses
cut in Chinese fashion, and on the ground were
large quantities of paper made up in the form
and painted the color of the ingots Of Syoee silver
common in circulation. The clothes and silver
were intended as offering to Buddha, and was
certainly cheap way of giving away valuable
presents. A rude painting of Buddha was hung
up in the centre of the court, in front of which
incense was burning and these, with many 9TH
er objects of minor note, completed the picture
which was presented tony view. I" Is not this
very fine 2' said the priest to me; g have you
any exhibitions of this kind in your country
You must pay visit in the evening, when all
will be lighted up with candles, and when the
scene will be more grand and imposing" Ipro-
missed to return in the evening, and took my
leave.
About eight o'clock at night an old priest came
to inform me that all was lighted up, that the GER
emonies were about to begin, and kindly asked
me to accompany him. On our entrance, the
whole court was blazing with the light of many
candles the air was filled with incense, and the
scene altogether had an extraordinary and impo-
sing effect. priest dressed in rich scarlet
robe and having sort of star-shaped crown on
his head, with four others of an inferior order,
were marching up and down the court, and bow
ing lowly before the images Of the gods. At last
they entered the central hail. and took their seats
at two tables. The high-priest, if I may call
him so, occupied the head of the room, and had
h;s .h-:---I .-lI- ri--~I ~-.. hiehA- 1aval than
the others, who were exactly in front of him.
A servant now placed cup of tea before each OF
them, and the service began. The high-priest
uttered a few sentences in halfsinging tone,
making at the same time great many motions
with his fingers as he placed and replaced num-
Der of grains of rice on the table before him
Two little boys, dressed in deep mourning
(white,) were engaged in prostrating themselves
many times before the table at which the high
priest sat and, singular contrast to all this
seeming devotion, number of Chinese were sit
ting smoking on each side, and looking On as If
there was play or some other kind of like amuse-
ment. The other priests had now joined in the
chant, which was sometimes slow, and at other
times quick and loud, but generally in melan-
| choly tone, like all Chinese music.
| A priest, who was sitting at my elbow, now
whispered in my ear that Buddea himself was
| about to appear. ''You will not see him, nor
shall I, nor any in the place except the high
priest who is clothed in the scarlet robe, and has
star shaped crewn on his head: he will see him. "
Some one outside now fired three rockets, and at
once every sound was hushed one might have
heared pin drop on the ground; and the priests
at my elbow whispered" Buddha comes -
=" Prostrate yourselves ah pull your caps oil, "
said one of the young priests In white, already
noticed. The boys Immediately took of their
little white caps, and bent lowly on the straw
cushions placed in front Of tbe vsrirus atars, end
s.s.-st - ,.-s- .zsF -. a. .. =