The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1870-08-17
Chinese Religion.

There is a poetry about the Chinese
religion which, 1 must confess, is fas-
cinatiug. The more see of the peo-
pie, and the closer scrutiny 1 give to
their private life, the more interested
do become in their strange, unac-
countable ceremonies. The Chinese
religion is said by great scholars 70 be
divided into three great sects-the
Buddhist, the Tauist, and Confucian
but these divisions are not patent to
the traveller. In fact, they are so
mixed and so confoended that it were
difficult matter, l am told, to find
any person but Boodist priest who IS
exclusively devotee of any one be-
lief. They believe in anything that is
strange and mysterious. To be prac-
ticable and common is to be taken out
of the Chinese religion, and made a
worldly, unless, every day matter
Everything that they see or imagine
the food they eat, the water and
wine they drink, and all the motions,
heavenly or terrestrial, which they
observe. all connected in some myste
rious way with gods and goddesses,
angels and devils. / do not believe
that the religious of China ever could
be written, or If they were explained
in print, that any library building
would be able to hold the volumes.
When a Catholic priest, who Was
inquiring of Lem about the United
States, asked him what was the reli-
gion of his. family and relatives. Lem
told him that their beliefs were various.
They believed, he said, that the drop
ping of dish-cloth would bring bad
news-that fork accidently stuck
upright in the floor when falling from
the dinner table, it was sign of good
news,-that the rooster that crowed
on the front door step, or the man
who came in at one door and out at
another, was sure to bring visitors
that laughing or singing in bed be-
fore rising was sign that you would
cry before night,-that winding a
thread through knot hole would
give young lady news of her intend
ed, that taking a looking glass down
cellar backward would show the bear
er's future wife or husband,-that rain
in new made grave indicated anoth-
er death in the family,--that three
candles in a row foretold marriage
before the end of the year,-that see
ing the moon over the right shoulder
indicated good luck,-and he really
| worried the Reverend Father with the
numerous tenets of his superstitious
religion. Bat the priest turned it to
good account, by. saying that every
people had their superstitions, and the
Chinese so, withal but he considered
it wise in Lem to call his New Eng
land superstitions his religion for
they were really as much part of the
religion in America, as are the super
stitious signs and fate known to the
Chinese, a part of the religion OF
China. "No." said he, Il have been
a laborer here for thirty years,-have
been in every quarter of the great
Empire, and have spared no pains to
get as we'll as to give instruction, and
I have never been able yet to get a
clear idea of the Chinese religion. Ii
is so mixed up with local superstitions
and supernatural signs, that l cannot
separate it. The world, at present
has Just as erroneous ideas of the
Chinese belief as 1 should have of the
United States il 1 were to believe that
the signs you jokingly claim to be the
creed of your family, were the religi
GUS beliefs of your country"
Since that conversation occurred
have seen old missionaries and mer
chants, who say the same thing, and
who declare that either the religion o1
China is wholly made up of supersti
tons like the accredited signs of Lem s
family, or its fundamental principles
have never been made known. How
ever, as / said at the beginning, there
is much that is fascinating about it.
and O. poetry lurks around it that even
n Milton or Dante failed to portray.
There is a god for everv tree. Each
tyig and leaf has its fairy or genii.
and when the great Lord of the Wind
(Shuay) comes by, they all sing and
dance together in sweet and thrilling
chorus. There is an old banana tree
at Singapore, standing near the broken
and decayed cottage of an old Gina
man, who says that his father father
located under it and heard it sing him
welcome as he lay down at night.
The present owner has built little
altar at the foot of it and keeps
taper burning all the while to the
'sgod of the tree and his family" He
has planted banyan and cocoa trees
around it this year, because, as he says.
''The tree is cold and shivers now
when Shuay (the wind) comes, and
it is getting old and crippled. He
protected my father and now [ will
protect him."
Old trees are everywhere regarded
with religious awe. The path ways
over the mountains are protected and
shaded by large oak or banyan trees,
and under each can be seen smoking
Joss sticks or an altar on which is a
paper image of some imaginary god.
The people bow to the hoary old trees
as they pass, and wish them JOY in
their old age.
There is a presiding genius in ev-
cry brook, and long its banks the
Chinaman erects his temple. Some
claim that the brook talks with them,
and upon such persons the whole town.
ship looks with reverence and respect.
Did they not caress and worship it,
the water would dry up and the trees
along it's banks would die of grief.
There is a spirit of the mountain and
of the hill, and to these MOST costly
temples rise, for theyare mighty Gods.
Their heads are in the heavens and
their feet are upon the roof of the in