Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-03-19
sARouETINe THE DEAD.
How BuddhIsts In Japan Entertain Dele
gates from the Spirit Land.

Not long ago number of elderly and
much-traveled gentlemen were grouped
In asemi-circle around big fireplace Of
a downtown hotel, swapping yarns and
telling experiences. Among them was
DR.. G. II. Cotton Salter, who for many
years was United States Consul in Japan,
and afterward entered the Chinese Gov.
eminent service. When DIR. Salter's
turn came to produce an original story
founded on personal experience, says
the San Francisco Chronicle, he told the
following tale:
THE many stories published during
the last months about Indian ghost
dances and the Messiah craze remind
me of one of the most remarkable Incl
dents have ever witnessed during my
long career in the orient, and l 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.
The 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 the ancient beliefs of
the Buddhists are calculated to brighten
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 the release from exist
ence. The doctrine of the trans
migration of souls and a hope
for a better fate in a future
life are 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 fetes are no longer publicly
observed, and the one of which am
about to speak had its last grand cele-
bration in 1886, Just before left Maya
sal1i.
at is called the Matsidre, 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 a 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 all been carefully swept, cleaned
and polished, and the home affairs,
which are to be found in every native
10 ,.alanA-aAal II
furnished. The interior of all the
buildings had been profusely adorned
with flowers, the streets had been re-
paired and the whole city was in Holt
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-
fusely 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 daintiest
kind was spread. On mats spread
about each grave sat all the living de-
scendants of the person who had been
buried in that particular spot. Not
single tomb was neglected. If in the
course of years the family of any one Of
the silent sleepers had completely
died out his grave had been en-
bellished and supplied by strangers.
The spirits were supposed to arrive
and depart by water from the sea, and
for four nights and days the living COM
muned 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
visitors from the other world
THE night of the second day was de-
voted to grand terpsichorean enter
tainment, or spirit dance, and the grave
yard was transformed for once into a
ballroom, where ghostly dancers were
supposed to hold revelry. 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-sides which
the city, and the colored
lanterns swayed gently to and fro, keep
ing time to the chimes of the silvery
bells in the temple tower, which fur
nished the music for the mystic enter
tainment. Around an a-- -,,,c,al 1sl,a IN
tne cent- ~ VI the graveyard the people
knelt In silent devotion, worshiping on
the shrine of Buddha, whose emblem,
the lotus flower, rose from the middle
of the lake.
ION the last night-on the night of
nights, as it was called-a grand process
sion finished the festival. The people
in parade to escort their spirit
visitors to the water front, where they
were to depart. Boatmen carried on
their shoulders gigantic craft built of
wood and straw, in which the dead were
to be seated, and which was to
convey them back to spirit-land and to
Ohata, the great father beyond the sea-
This boat, which is called Fukuy, was
of japanese carpentry. 1t
was ninetyfeet long, and had state
" mast, with huge sail, which bore in
native characters the inscription: Mai
word which is symbolic
Of Gautama's greatness.
This boat, artistically and richly
decorated, was launched with much GER
emony after the last spirit had been en-
braced and, fguratively speaking, had
taken his seat on board. 1t was pushed
put into the sea, and, drifting away, was
finally carried out of sight by the tide.
And so ended the last festival of Mat
o,-o,- hold ,,,,l,1;oI1, ~, Nao,s,I-; o1d