Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1874-07-02


the vast saloon was decorated with rare
and beautiful flowers, arranged in sll the
various forms of crowns scepters, tenn
pies, angels, birds, lanterns, wreaths and
arches, till Flora herself might have won
dered at the boundless resources of her
domain. Day and night musical instru-
ments were played, dirges walled forth,
and prostrations perpetually performed;
while twice every day the King, attended
by his whole court, made offerings to the
departed spirit, beat his breast, tore his
hair and declared life " utterly unen iura-
BILE without the beloved one." All this
was kept up for eight months, and then
the scene changed to one of festivity.
For thirty days, during most of which
time | was present, there was a succession
of levees, concerts and theatricals with
feats Of jugglery, operas and fireworks;
and then the embalmed body, surrounded
by perfumes and tiny tagots of sandal.
wood, was consumed by fire, and the
ashes collected by the high priest or his
deputy in golden urn, and deposited
with other relics of royalty in the Kings
palace. The funeral cost the nation about
100000.
AT all funerals choice flowers, espe-
cially tuberoses, the golden blossoms of
the clustering henna and the sweet
scented dauk-mali, are profu ly used,
and there is constantly q crowd of we'll
dressed people, for Orientals are always
at leisure, and always in mood to enjoy
sightseeing. When the pile is to be ig-
nited, lighted papers are plentifully dis.
tributed by the priests, and applied by all
who are near enough to reach the pyra-
mid Rejoicing and music are kept up
during the burning to celebrate the happy
liberation of the spirit of the deceased.
There IS one other ceremony connected
with the incarceration of the body at all
Booddhistic funerals that must not neg.
lect to mention While the flames are
cleaning most tfercely, sending forth
their forked tongues of glowing fire, the
nearest relatives toss bundles of clothing
across the flaming bier, uttering mean
while, in low, plaintive tones, solemn,
earnest invOcations which can be heard
only occasionally in the pauses of the
wailing dirge and The fierce clang of in
struments. had witnessed these strange
proceedings, so like child's play to us, at
several different funerals before | was
able to comprehend their signiticancy.
To the imaginative Oriental they are no
unmeaning ceremony, but species of
necromancy, by means Of which he would
peer into the unknown future to catch a
glimpse of the fate OF the loved and lost.
All Booddhists believe IN TRANSPORTATION,
and their sacred books tell them that six
times at least the souls of even the best and
purest must cross the fiery gulf that sep.
arates this state of being from the Nigban
for which they pine-the Elysian fields,
where, in shady groves and amid faded
flowers, the faithful ever securely slum-
Der in dreamless unconsciousness, insensi.
BILE alike to pain and pleasure and utterly
incapable of volition, thought and action,
yet not dead. When guilt has been in.
Cured by any breach of Booddhstic law
the number of probationary lives is
increased in proportion to the magnitude
OF the otfense-often, aye, generally,
reaching to hundreds and even thousands
of states of being-till, "by oft-repeated
trials and sutferings, the soul is purged
from sin and rendered meet for the com,
partnership of the blessed" But six times,
at the very least, the soul must have
inhabited an earthly body; and it, in
tossing the bundles of clothing across the
pyre, they fall not single time, the sur
vivors believe that the deceased has
passed his last ordeal and is thence for
ward safely housed in Nigban. But if
the bundles fall they read in this casualty
an omen of additional states of trial and
discipline, just as many in number as the
failures in catching the bundles. After
eight or ten falls they give up in despair,
thinking it useless to peer further into
the dismal future of one who has still so
many lives of discipline before him.
There is no childish trifling in this mat
ter, as some travellers have supposed it is
an affair of the gravest moment and of
heartthrilling interest, while its results
are watched with intense anxiety In this
ceremony is doubtless to be found the
reason why devout Booddhist never
plays in any game that requires ball or
other object to be caught in the hands.
To him such pastime is sacrilege-a
profane tritling with things sacred-sure
to be visited in some future state with 2.
severe penalty.
| have spoken Of the lack of cemeteries,
yet have read many Oriental epitaphs,
engraved, not on pillars or tablets of mar
BILE, but on those precious gold and silver
urns which, to the imaginative Oriental,
form the tangible links in the chain that
binds him to the dear ones that have faded
from his view, and, watering them daily
with his tears, the very spots where they
rest become to him hallowed ground
The epitaphs are characterized by touch
ing simplicity. "The flower that once
lay in my bosom, "The heart where l
loved TO nestle" "My withered bud"
Joy of the harem," "Earths fairest
flower" "Pure as a dewdrop," Sunlight
OF my home" and "Sleep sweetly,"
without the name and age of the deceased,
are some of the inscriptions | have read,
not without northumberland T. F'eldge,
in LipptHc0tts hagdzt71e.