Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-28

japanese streets, then through half mile
Of pretty suburban ways, lined with gardens,
behind whose perfectly clipped hedges are
houses light and dainty as cages of wicker
work, and then, leaving our vehicles, we
ascend green hills on foot by tortuous paths
and traverse region of fields and farms
The King of the Dead.
After long walk in the hot sun we reach
tiny village almost wholly composed of
shrines and temples. The outlying sacred
plan with its buildings in one inclosure of
bamboo fences, belongs to the Shinzon Sect.
A small open shrine to the left of the
entrance first attracts us. It is dead
house; Japanese bier is there. But almost
opposite the doorway is an altar covered
with startling images, the shapes of phan-
tom powers ruling the world of ghosts.
But all this is not what we came to see
The pictures of heaven and hell await us in
the Len-Shu Temple close bv. On the way
nv guide tells me this: "When one dies the
body is laved and shaved and attired in the
garments of pilgrims (Koromo), and wal
leS (sanebukero), like Buddhist pilgrims
wallet, is hung about the neck of the dead,
and in this wallet are placed three rim.
And these coins are buried with the dead.
For all who die, except children, pay three
rim at the -San-Zu-no- Kawa, The River of
the Three Roads. When souls reach that
river they find there the Old Woman of the
Three Reads, Sozu-Baba, waiting for them;
she lives on the bank of that river with her
husband, Ten7Datsn-Ba; and if the Old
Woman is not paid the sum of three rim she
takes away the clothes Of the dead and hangs
them on the trees"
Eating a Rare Chrysanthemum.
The temple is small, neat, luminous with
the sun pouring into its widely opened
shojis; and Akira must know the priests
well, so affable their greeting is 1 make
little offering, and Akira explains the pur-
pose of our visit. Thereupol we are in
vited into large bright apartment in a
garden. Little cushions are placed on the
floor for us to sit upon and a smoking box
is brought in, and a tiny lacquered table,
about eight inches high. And while one of
the priests opens a cupboard, or alcove with
doors, to find the pictures which are Kake-
monos or paintings on long scrolls, rolled |
up on wooden rollers, another brings US tea,
and plate of curious confectionery consist
ing of various pretty objects made OF
paste of sugar and rice -four. One is per-
feet model Of chrysanthemum blossom;
another is lotos; others are simply large, |
thin crimson lozenges bearing admirable de-
signs-fying birds, wading storks, fish,
even miniature landscapes. Akira picks
out the chrysanthemem, and insists that I |
shall eat it; and I begin to demolish the |
sugary blossom, petal by petal, feeling all |
the while a sense of acute remorse for spoil |
ing SO beautiful theme.
Meanwhile four Kakemonos have been |
brought forth. unrolled and suspended from |
pegs upon the wall; and we rise to examine |
them. They are very, very beautiful kake- |
monos, miracles of drawing and Of color, |
subdued color, the color of the best period |
of Japanese art; and they are very large, |
fully 8 feet long anG more than broad |
mounted upon silk.
The Buddhist Idea Of Death.
And these are the legends of them: First |
Kakemono-In the upper part of the paint
ing is a scene from the Shaba, the world of |
men; then mourners kneeling before tombs
All under the delicious soft blue light of
Japanese day. Underneath is the world of
ghosts. Down through the earth crust souls
are descending. Here they are fitting, all
white through inky darkness; here they
are wading through weird light, the flood of
the phantom river of the Three Roads.
Further down I see fleeing souls overtaken
by demons, hideous blood-red demons, with
feet like lions, with face half human-the
of the Minotaur Of fury One
is rending q soul asunder Other demons
are forcing souls to reincarcerate themselves
in bodies of horses, of dogs, of swine. And
as they are thus reincarnated hideously
they flee away into shadow-mysterious
shawow, like the darkness of the Future.
Second Kakemono: Such gloom as the
diver sees in deep sea waters lurid twi-
light, an underworld cleaning. In the
midst throne, ebon-colored, and upon it
an awful figure seated, Eunna, Lord of
Death, and Judge of Souls, Implying,
mighty, tremendous Frightful guardian
spirits bower about him like armed goblins
On the left, in the foreground below the