Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1873-10-16
How They Bury the Dead in
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Japan Correspondence Boston Globe. .
There is nothing that better defines
the character Of any race than their re-
ligious ideas and customs. Their are
two religions, so to term them, pre-
vailing in Japan, and of very widely
differing doctrines and customs. The
national religion is called the Shintoo,
but Buddhim is even more the pre-
vailing belief. The .Shintoors, for ex-
ample, of whom the -Mikado was the
spiritual head-a sort of Pope-bury
their dead in large jars, and in a sitting
posture. The Buddhists burn their
dead. The first worship no images or
idols; but the last have huge images,
which they devoutly. reverence. In
one respect, however, their is curious
resemblance, for the Shintoos, if they
omit idols, make up for this in part, by
enormous foxes of stone placed at the
entrance to their temples, this animal
having some sacred character in their
worship. A Buddhist funeral and
!. : :. ~.
burial is solemn, Impressive, and full
of tenderness, in spite of its superstiti-
Gus features. White here takes the
place of our black as amounting SYM
boil. In the centre of a Buddhist GEM
etery their is column or pedestal, and
when a burial is to occur, this supports
vessels of burning incense, and pro-
fusion of flowers in elegantly fashioned
caskets. Incense is also burned around
the sides of the cemetery q, 80 &. s+
The funeral cottage is preceded by
men carrying white flags, and Others
carrying bouquets Of flowers, fruits,
cakes, and delicate CONNECTIONS. The
men are all dressed in white. Next
comes the priest, and great chair be-
hsnd him, heavily carved. Over him
an attendant holds large canopy like
an umbrella. Then follows a process
sion of men in white, from ten to thir-
ty in number, each, having hold of q
white cloth reaching to the bier After
this are the pall-bearers, the, corpse,
and the mourners. When the pall-
bearers have placed the bier near the
pedestal mentioned above the priest
seats himself in the carved chair, and
performs the burial services, the sem
tences being divided by the tinkle of a
small bell,, struck at proper intervals
by an attendant lad. Finally the
priest puts incense into the burning
censor, throws a bundle of rice straw
upon the bier, and his part of the SER
vice is at an end. Those who attend
the funeral go through with similar
ceremonies, ending by sprinkling wat
er upon the bier, and then the priest
.retires. The men bearing the flowers,
fruits, etc, and the mourners now fol-
low the body to the burning-lot, which
is a square enclosure fenced with stone.
The body is in a sort of barrel; and,
sfter filling it with eombustibles, each
member applies a lighted torch, and
the. consuming process is thus begun.
The further burning is watched by one
woman only. us EEszoysl o-iz OIL -il-5
The next day the teeth and bones of
the deceased are burned. The graves
are constantly supplied with water
and rice, and adorned with blooming
fowers-eyidently from the belief that
worldly appetites and tastes are still
felt by those who have died in the
flesh. Save the difference in the reli-
gious ceremonies, a Buddhist funeral is
certainly as solemn, affecting and i'm
pressise as any Christian service in
other jands.sI 5on al y8asu ao6g Hsy