Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-08-30
The Cost of Dead Relatives in China.

In an entertaining, illustrated article
in the September Century on "Ningpo
and the Buddhist Temples" Miss Con
stance +. Gordon Cumming describes as
follows the great expense to which the
living are put in China on account of
the Dead
Great indeed are the expenses en-
tailed on the living by the dead In no
land can the loss of a kinsman be more
seriously felt. To begin with, there are
heavy funeral expenses. The body
must be dressed In fine new clothes, and
another good suit must be burnt, as also
his boots and shoes, most of his ward
robe, his bed and bedding, and the
things most essential to his comfort
when living, for he is supposed to re-
quire all these In the unseen world; and
though paper representations are useful
later, the real articles are needed for the
original outfit. Then handsome coffin
is essential, and the priests must be
largely paid for funeral services at the
house of the deceased, and again for
their services IN ascertaining the lucky
day for burial-while a professor of
fung shati must also be paid, TO choose
the exact spot where they may safely
prepare the grave so that the dead may
be shielded from the evil influences
which proceed from the north, and en-
comprised by all the good which
breathes from the south. From the
10th to the 18th day after death, the
priests, whether Taoist or Buddhist,
hold services in the house, to protect
the living from the inroads Of hosts of
spirits who are supposed to crowd in, in
the wake of their new friend, and as all
relatives and friends of the family
must be entertained, as well as the
priests, there is another heavy
item of expense. In short, many falni-
lies are often permanently impoverished
by the drain to which they are thus sub
Jected and which, In the form of masses
for the departed and offerings at his
grave or before his tablet, are certain to
recur again and again. To omit them
would be to incur the anger of the spite
full dead, who are now In a position to
avenge themselves on the living, by in
flicting all manner of sickness and suf-
fering. Besides, if the priests know
that there Is any possibility of extracting
money from family by playing on their
feelings, they pretend to have revela.
lions from the spirit world, showing the
unfortunate dead to be tortured in pur.
gatory and that the only means by which
he can be. extricated is by fresh course
of costly services in the house. The
price to be paid for these is fixed at the
highest sum which they Judge it posi-.
BILE to extract-say a thousand dollars
and though the family may demonstrate
and endeavoI 70 make better bargain
it generally ends IN their raising every
possible coin and even selling their jew
els to procure the necessary sum which
shall free their dead from suffering anC
also procure their protection and gooC
will. The sums thus expended in con
nection with the worship of the dead arr
almost incredible. [ heard a calcula
ton once made by one well entitled tt
know what he spoke of, to the effect tina
fully thirty million dollars are annual,
expended in China at the three grea
festivals in honor of the dead; while, il
addition to the above, by calculating th'
average expenditure of each family at {
dollar and half year, be computed
that fully hundred and fifty million
dollars are annually spent in quietins
! the spirits