Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-09-16
NO.3S


In the year 2S5, Vain, a disciple OF Con
fucius, obtained permission to visit Japan
under pretext of seeking remedy for dis
ease under which the Chinese Emperor was
suffering, but really to escape from his tyr
amy. He was well received at the Japanese
Court and taught the doctrines of Contucius
so effectualy that the Mikado became a
convert, and his example was largely follow
| ed Considerable tracts OF land were given
as endowments in various parts of the EN-
lire, which were apportioned as - livings
by members of the Mikado family. So scru-
pulous were they in the observance OF the
precepts of Confueius, that when the Mikadt
died the two heirs to the throne, whose claims
were best, refused the succession, in obedi-
ence to the rule that when the right to
thing or place is disputed each must refuse in
Difference to the other. After three years oi
delay one of the heirs kindly terminated the
controversy by committing suicide The
Shintos, happy in the belief OF their epicur-
can doctrines. made no violent opposition t.
those of Contucius
The introduction of Buddhism was, how
ever. attended with difficulties The writer
says:
{. The date at which this took place, and
the attending circumstances of the event, we
find given with much precision and consid
| erable detail in the national records. In Oh
a. D., the peninsula ofCo was visited by
terrible famine. In the universal distress,
the seed usually reserved for the ensuing
crop was consumed, and the land conse-
0uently without means of reproducing the
necessaries of life The Mikado hearing OF
this sent to the Coreans several thousand
/ bushels of wheat as seed. As an expression
of gratitude for this imperial munifcence,
the afflicted people sent an embassy to the
Mikado. with the most cosly and precious relic
their country possessed, viz, golden image
of Buddha, which had been brought from In
dia, the birthplace of the sacred person 1t
represented. Accompanying them was a
corps of missionaries and teachers, with book
and all the paraphernalia of BuddhistIc wor-
ship.
:. Ro-re-t tinna, of the thirty-second dynas-
tv. was on the throne. and he Immediately
called council of state to deliberate and
decide upon the propriety OF accepting SO
novel a return for his wheat. These dellb-
erations amounted to this: IF two such an
cIent and great nations AS India and China
have adopted the religion and worship OF
Buddha is it not consistent for us to give
the subject at least our earnest consideration
At the close of the conference division OF
oninion was found to exist-Inama and Mo-
ria. the two principal ministers of his MaJes-
ty taking opposite sides An earnest appeal
from Noria in favor of their national religion
and the gross and wicked heresy of abandon
ing the creators Of their country and progen-
iturs of their race, carried the council, ana
Inama was told that if he wished to adopt the
foreign faith he could do SO, but it could not
become the religion of the court or country
Upon this he took the golden Buddha,
built temple, and placing it upon the altar,
instituted for the first time idolatrous wor-
thpron oh convert To
Buddhism. his zeal for its establishment only
increased with opposition. Having a great
influence at court, he at once began to use II
to strengthen his position and overthrow his
opponents Unscrupulo is as to the means,
he resorted at first to the dagger OF the ass
ASSN and lastly to the massacre of hundreds
who opposed his work of apostasy, among
whom was Mana. By these means, and in
tripues at court. he succeeded. alter several
wears of incessant effort. in placing on the
throne q Mikado who had been imhued with
the Buddhist faith. The zeal of this Mikado
was quite equal to that of lnama s; but he
soon abdicated the throne. took the priestly
robes. and devoted his life, revenue and intiu-
ence to the building up of the faith OF his
adoption. During his reign, and through hl-
labors the number of temples erected to the
worship of Buddha amounted to 46, the
priests to Sl6 and the nuns TO 500.
This was the pndition of Buddhism IN
Japan in ga \. D., or seventy-two years
after the presentation of the golden Buddha
by the Coreans From that time forward
the worship of the great mass of the Japan
ese NAV be considered as essentia ly Budd-
hist. nothing having arisen to check in any
way its steady advance. until the country
was discovered by the Portuguese. and the
Jesuits and Franciscan monks entered upon
their missionary labors, in the year l549.
There are no evidences that up to the time
of the immigration of the Portuguese there
was anything like Union between church
and state, which began in 1904 with the
present dynasty of Tong-en-sama. An i'm
perial edlct was promulgated about this
time, requiring every subject to register him
self as a Buddhist Especial effor.s were
made to crush out Roman Catholicism, but it
is believed that there are large numbers to
this day who cherish secretly the doctrines
of that faith and are bound TO each other by
ties unknown to the public.
For two hundred years Buddhism has
made no real progress. The Tycoon. even,
worships the Shinto divinities The priests
are. as a class, s' ignorant, bigoted, lazy and
licentious" :" and come mainly from the lower
classes and from among those who seek the
sacerdotal profession as an escape from the
consequences of some crime. The mountain
| Buddhist priests are not allowed to eat flesh
or meat, and have generally a sickly appear
ance.
The description we have used concludes at
| follows
The forms and ceremonies of Buddhisti
worship as practised by the japanese consist
/ in the repetition of set forms of prayer,
which. with their religious works and litur
gy. are written in strange language Cat
and Sanscrit; y in prostratlon before the
image of their goldman Buddha, toward
which they bow their head on passing IL
set sermons Of uAl,vI tut tivn to tho people IL
fasts, religious professions and pilgrimagcs
| in self-denial, modification of the flesh, and
external forms of purity, inprayers for he
dead, and sale of merits. The temple wor
ship is conducted by several priests, who OF
ticiate in turn, or together. They wear white
robes with gold and silver trimmings, which
are changed frequently, and are assistei by
small bows, also robed, who tinkle bells, a
certain points in the ceremony.
:. The congregation chant in unison with
the priests the prayers of the liturgy, keep
ing count on rosary. The priesthood are
bound to celibacv, and the establishment Of
work. Many of the priests are unable to un
derstand the prayers they repeat, or trans
late them into their own language. Rever
ence for temples and places of worship is no
apparently very strong among the Japanese
The temples especially are often used as no
tells by princes and their retinues, and BY
foreigners when travelling portions O.
the country where the hotels small and
announcement. For the first three years o
our intercourse with the nation, our consul
and ministers rented temples as places O