The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1895-03-22
WHERE LOVERS BOW.
The Shrine Of q Jasanese Goddess
Who SInooths Loves Path.
A Famoua Iiuaahlss Estnbllshment In the
Sacred CitF OF sSyo,O-0ace Place
Of Pun.shmant for the
I'aitatras.

All the world loves lover, and the
Jal'anese are as romantic and suscepti-
dc SetaJ ssaaeg passion as any othcs
nea,,ie, srar-ely as their customs ana
s.iiustts caGcsal and confound its
manifestations, writes Elica Ruhamah
Ssis!gaarc in. Harpcr's Bazar. They
Lave ti;air sentimental poems and ro-
.1antic aoveis as well as western peo-
plc. and the affecting tale Of the baflled
and uahaf;.7 love OF Gonpachi end
NosnuTasalli parallels that OF Heloise
and Atelard in popular interest. The
levers grave in the temple grounds at
f!e4ura. south of Tokyo, is as much a
piaes 81 sentimental pilgrimage rs that
white tonib in pere Ia Chaise where lie
she immortal priest and nun. The trees
around this tomb flutter with paper
pocns and prayers, and instead OF caF-
rging away Leaf or stone from the
rave oi the lovers, these Latins Of the
orient leave q souvenir.
When the course of true love does
not run smoothly, and only divine in.
ssrvcasion can melt stern parents
Sc;.rtS and clear away clouds and OBJ
s;@4le tho true lover must seek the
u % hwSinnosnbe no Kama, the god
tess vino watches over the affairs of
Tie heart. Her most famous shrine is
al the t>i1inidzu temple in kyoto, one
of tha olda8t and most famous Buddhist
Embellishments in thnt sacred city. In
it Il eGsliriaed one of the thirty-three
s4l4brated images OF Kwannon, the
aoldess o. mercy, and to it pilgrims
lock ly thousands every summer. The
temple and ragola roofs are outlined
i,-a against the foliage OF Kyotos east
assl hillside. and the steep street climb
Ing ffoal the river to its ponderous
gateway & tie celebrated Teapot hill,
4 syu- lined on either side for whole
lllf-miia with an almost unbroken row
ii tiia r1ost fascinating little china
aE.crs The Hondo. or great hall Of
the temple, has platform built at one
side that ovorhnngs the edge of preci-
pice falling sheer several hundred feet
10 the rarine below. In the old dayb
Jealous husbands used to carry their
suspected wives to this place and throw
iinin over the platform rail. Ii the
victims survived the fall, they were in
n0cent, and Of course the results proved
taat no innocent women were ever
dashed TO pieces on the rocks below
kionilzn. No husband ever went
amy ssi5h . heavy conscience, and the
G:sine iswannon never interposed TO
s.sze bg ,GigaaRle or parachute.
tf il . remote corner of a sin.s,ss
.or.. euilt out from the Amida or
4a.l dsaated to Buddha himself, is
i-waniacsube no Kama's simple little
satina 4 grating OF unpainted wood
,-.g1irs ;ssa titsF I'll, ard the grating
Is cove.s,d with a thousand little strips
Of rap7r, each the prayer of some anx-
ions RIM. 10 secure the and of the
belicF sent goddess one buys printed
from the priests in the Amida-
iolls i into 4 marrow ribbon, and, with
the i!srnib and little finger only Of the
r.,'it hand. ties it TO the grating, II
any osiier fingers are used, or the bit Of
paper is even touched by them, the
charm il broken, the goddess deaf, and
the appeal vain. Anxious and per-
tr-baa as these unhappy ones must ali
have been, they have taken time 10
fassen these curl-paper petitions with
scsne very elaborate knots and loops
while they were ilnploring the goddess
aid. Gne may sit on the benches Of the
| platform and consume tea and sugar
flowers, and watch the men and WON
en-, youths and naidens, people in rust
lire silks, softest grapes, or eommonest
cO-tca garments, who seek that shrine
Al classes buy and tie before the altar.
aslii With earnest 1aces clap their hands
! 10 agll fhc goddess attention, bow their
\ hngas and make their hearts sorrow
known to Kwananosube no Kama.