Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1895-10-02
BUDDHISM IN JAPAN.
Views of One of the Shiu-Shin-
Monte Sect.
MORE OF RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE.
Christianity Looked Upon. as Perma-
nent Institution In the Land
Of the Mikado.
MORE OF RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE.

heilJO akdmdbDu 10 Duuuuisb piloot
of the Shiu. Shin Monte sect and is at
tached to the Nishi Honganji temple at
Kyoto, the largest and most beautiful
in Japan. 1t is one of the very few
and perhaps the only large temple that
has been erected during the present
century. 1t cost several millions of
dollars in cash, without including an
equal amount of contributions in the
way of labor and materials. Thou
sands of people throughout the empire
furnished aid in its erection. One
man gave timbers. another the stone,
third tiles. Artists, mechanics and
laborers gave their time and talent,
and with love of the cause in their
hearts produced results that surpass in
beauty and grandeur everything else in
Japan except the mausoleums and
mortuary shrines of the great Shotgun
Ieyasu at Nikko.
1t was for the building of this tenn
Pile that the women of Japan gave
their hair to make the cables which
hoisted the timbers in place, and. hav-
ing performed their functions, now lie
in an old shed in the neighborhood
awaiting final disposition in some
chapel connected with the temple
Every one of them is composed of
tresses of jet.black hair shorn from the
heads of women and girls of Japan. A
piece of one of the ropes was sent to
the national museum in Washington
some years ago as evidence of the de-
votion of the Japanese to their reli-
gion.
Mr.. Akamatzu was educated in
Europe. He spent some years in Eng
land, and afterward went to Ger
many. where he was pupil OF the
famous Max Muller. The latter al
ludes to him in one of his books.
asked him the other day if he de-
sired to say anything concerning the
anti foreign crusade that now prevails
in Japan, which is popularity attrib-
uted to the Buddhist priests and their
desire to drive Christian missionaries
out of the empire.
ST think" said he, in reply, "the
anti foreign feeling that has sprung up
SO suddenly and has extended so rap
idly over Japan is due more to the de-
velopment of national pride and inde-
pendence than to any religious preju-
dice. Our people are naturally vain OF
their own achievements and have
reached point now when they con-
slider themselves able to get along
without foreign assistance. They want
to throw away their crutches and walk
alone, and you can scarcely blame
them for such an ambition. 1t is the
natural and logical consequence of
their advancement in knowledge. No
doubt many priests of my own church
and the Shinto faith have taken ad-
vantage of this national spirit of inde-
pendence to promote the interests to
which they are devoted. 1t would be
natural and logical for them to do SO.
but think there is more liberality
and religious tolerance among the peo.
pie of Japan, particularly among the
younger generation, than ever before.
permanent institution. I think, judg-
ing from observation alone, that the
Christian church here can get along
without aid from abroad. Formerly
there was great deal of friction and
disvrust. The Buddhist did not know
what Christianity is, and very few
Christians now understand what
Buddhism is. They came here with
violent prejudices, which have been
exaggerated by contact with indiscreet
and unreasonable persons, but many
of the ablest of the Christian teachers
and many of the ablest of the Buddhist
priests recognize that there is merit in
both religions, and that both are ca
pable of doing good. There is no rea
son why Buddhism and Christianity
cannot exist in Japan without fric-
ton, because both appeal to the hearts
and minds of men and there are those
who would be better satisfied with one
than with the other. The Christians
have gathered in a great many Jap
anese who had left the Buddb ist
church and were without religion.
Religion has become matter of indi'
vidual opinion among the educated
people of japan, as it is among similar
classes in other countries, and they
should study both and find out which
is more suitable to their wants.
"You believe that Buddhism is the
only true religion?"
"No. / am not SO bigoted as that
l do believe, however, that it is thu
most suitable religion for this people
It is impossible to say that one religion
is better than another. They are al
based, more or less, upon faith ant
mysteries, and every one has his owl
tests as he has his own wants. Th
effect of all religions should be t
make men good, just as the effect OF sci
ences to make them clever. Individual.
/ believe that Buddhism is better for tn
japanese than Christianity, and it