The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-05-28
6ANQUETINa THE DEAD.
How Buddhists In Japan Entertain Delo-
gates from tho Spirit Lind.

in semi-circle around big Fireplace of
downtown hotel, swapping yarns and
telling experiences. Among them was
DIR. G. ii. Cotton Saltcr, who for many
years was United States Consul in Japan,
and afterward entered tho Chinese Gov
crnmcnt service. When DR.. Saltcr's
turn came to produce an original story
founded on personal experience, says
the San Francisco Chronicle, he told the
following tale:
1.-The many stories published during
the last months about Indian ghost
dances and the Messiah craze remind
me of one OF tho most remarkable incl
dents have ever witnessed during my
long career in the orient, and am sure
there are but few Americans or Euro
peans who have had the opportunity to
see the sights of which am going to
tell
"Thc native religion of the Japanese
is, as you know, buddhism, and there Is
no creed which is SO full Of superstition
as this Some of tho ancient beliefs Of
the Buddhists are calculated to frighten
the faithful and wildly portray the hor-
rible punishment that awaits the sinful
man after he closes his earthly career,
while others with charming simplicity,
show that the greatest aim of the Hindu
religion is tho release from exist
ence. The doctrine of the trans
migration Of souls and n hope
for better fate in future
life arc the principal foundations upon
which buddhism rests. Nagasaki,
where resided for many years, was
famed for the splendid festivals in honor
of Buddha, or Gautama, the founder of
the religion. Owing to the work of
missionaries and the consequent spread
of Christianity in Japan, many of these
religious fetcs are no longer publicly
observed, and the one of which l am
about TO speak had it's last grand cclc-
bration in 1886, just before l left Maya
saki.
at is called the Matsi1rc, and was
held during the last week in August or
the first week in September, continuing
four days. These days were set aside
for the reception of the spirits of the
dead, who, according to legendary be-
lief, return once every year to their
old homes For many weeks previous
to the festival preparations had been in
progress. The houses of the believers
had oil been carefully swept, cleaned
and polished, and the home affairs,
which nrc to be found in every native
house, had been redecoratcd and re-
furnished The interior of all the
buildings had been profusely adorned
with flowers, the streets had been re-
pnircd and the whole city was in holi-
day attire
ION the morning of the first day the
dead were received with much cere-
mony in the graveyard, which is in a
beautiful grove. Each mound was pro-
fuscly decorated with lighted lanterns
and garlands of many-colored paper
globes hung from tree to tree. On the
top of every grave food of the dainticst
kind was spread On mats spread
about each grave sat all the living de-
sccndnnts of the person who had been
buried in that particular spot Not q
single tomb was neglected. If in the
course of years the family of any one Of
the silent slecpcrs had completely
died out his grave had been en-
bcllishcd and supplied 10y strangers
The spirits were supposed to arrive
and depart by water from the sea, and
for four nights and days the living com
muncd with their dead and were with
them in spirit The souls of the de-
parted were supposed to hover around
the tombs like substantial visible
beings, and they were treated with
every attention due to sacred and dis
tinguished visitors from the other world.
The night of the second day was de-
voted to a grand tcrpsichorcan enter
tainInent, or spirit dance, and the grave
yard was transformed for once into a
ballroom, whore ghostly dancers were
supposed to hold revclry. The scenes
made strong and everlasting impress
sion on me. The night was perfect, the
moon was at its full and the air was
fragrant with the perfumes Of thou
sands of flowers Myriads of lights
were Pickering on the hill-sidcs which
surrounded the city, and the colorcd
lanterns swaycd gently to and fro, keep
ing time TO the chimes of the silvcry
bells in tho temple tower. which fur
nishcd the music for the mystic enter
tainmcnt. Around IN artificial lake in
the center of the graveyard the people
linclt i'll silent devotion, worshiping on
the shrine of Buddha, whose emblem,
the lotus flower, rose from the middle
of the lake.
son the last night-on the night of
nights, us it was callcd-a grand process
sion finished the festival. The people
marched i'll parade to escort their spirit
visitors to the water front, where they
were to depart. Boatmcn carried ON
their shoulders gigantic craft built of
wood and straw, in which the dead were
supposed to be seated, and which was to
convey them back to spirit-land and to
Ohata, the great father beyond the sea.