The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-02-11


that Sydney Smith said that, "there is
no danger of a mans breaking down in
making speech who had walked
twelve miles the same day." Variety
is the spice of life, as the prOverb has
it, and certainly it is variety in this
city, the first Or second time going
through it.
Well, here we are dropped from the
chaise at the beginning Of the street
leading to Asakusa, which can be trod
only by sacred feet-that means you
must walk to the temple. Surely as
we start on the religious way we do not
discover on either side any angels or
pious creatures. Candy stands, fancy
girls, fortune tellers, snake charmers,
pottery stalls, gambling tables, knicll-
knacks for sale, pictures of demons,
dragons, phenixes, all sorts of fummery,
put up in the most gewgaw style.
Why, this far surpasses going to old
fashioned musters in America, or to
cattle fairs in later days. AS we ap-
proach the temple the path is paved
with long stones, twelve feet wide,
with sidewalks covered with filigree
booths, displaying dolls, tops, cards in
scribed with requests and petitions for
the good and the bad, the sick and the
well, the single and the married, haters
and lovers, young and old; these are
for sale, that they may be purchased
and chewed into almost pulp and car
ried into the temple to be thrown at the
face Of some image representing the
god to be served.
Now we can commence to realize
that every day az this temple is fes-
tive one. People come hither from all
over the land. It is kind of Mecca to
Japan.
AS you stand i'll front of Budd-
hist temple surveying it, you are i'm
pressed with the feeling, massive;
more, perhaps, from its projecting roof,
heavy with tiling and rising to a promi-
nent ridge; then the large round
wooden columns, set in sockets of
stone, and the whole, save the tiling,
painted with vermillion, give it some
what of an imposing aspect
Ascending the smooth stone steps,
removing the boots, for this is a divine
injunction, we pass within the Budd-
hist holy Of hOlies. The crowds are
coming and going The altar and the
golden Buddha are fenced in by coarse
wire gauze. However, other shrines
and images are in different parts OF the
auditorium. There are no seats here;
but doves are whirring round hens are
walking about and dogs are lying on
the floor. We wonder why the people
do net tread on them, but with extrem-
est care they forbear 1t is true the
japanese are extremely kind to their
animals. But just see those worship
pers throwing their salivaed petitions at
the face of the god whose favor they
covet If the ball sticks, they rejoice,
believing their request will be granted;
behind the wires, close under the
shadow of the great gilded image of
QuanwOn, forty feet high, with thirty
six arms and hundred hands, lighting
joss-sticks and SO honoring Buddha, for
this god was one of his favorites In
the center and just in front is a large
chest into which are being thrown coins
of iron and copper. BY spells they
come thick and fast. This makes
the priests behind the screens show
their teeth. In another portion of the
flooring is an ugly looking and inferior
image, before whom mothers are assem-
bled with their children. Maternal
hands are rubbed over the face of this
god and then over the faces Of their
darlings, believing that if sick, this will
cure them, and if well, become proof
against any future illness. See that
peasant and daughter bowling before
QuanW0n, lifting up their thin hands
in the attitude of devout worship but
as the father turns aside, he buys at
once a box of pomatum and a comb and
presents them to the daughter. No
doubt this was in answer to her prayer.
So you are made to feel the service is
all of this world. Across the street,
directly in front of the temple is a
colossal structure serving as a gateway.
On either side, as you are passing
through, sits mOnstrOus image with
iercest eyes and horrid mouth. Many
one while passing stops for moment
and prays TO these gods.
A short distance to the south is a
seven story pagoda. After closest
examination, it is hard to guess what it
is for. You may decide it is expressive
of grandeur, but you cannot define it as
beautiful. 1t is a good resting place
for doves.
But we must pass to the rear of the
great temple and have look at the two
white horses kept in readiness for
QuanwOn, whenever he shall return
from his wanderings in the land of
Niryana.
UT,n +I,o 1901, ,,,o 80. - -----.