The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1895-09-05
MASS FOR The SLAIN.


SOA hCAS, do you always see Lutm IN
Japanese pictures. The roof covers ac-
commodations {or three hundred
monks, with reception room, libraries,
reliquaries, treasure houses, apart
ments for the priests, kitchens, ward
robes, perhaps five hundred rooms in
all, which are arranged in the Japan
csc style and separated by sizzling par
tions. Some of them are of beauti-
fully polished wood and others of
small panels, in which paper is pasted
instead of glass The great chamber
of worship is perhaps two hundred feet
square, with frequent pillars hand
somely carved and painted red. The
interior is a mass of lacquer, gild-
ing, banners, streamers and bronzes,
with immense lanterns of brass and
copper tiligree, bronze images and lotus
leaves, gongs and drums placed upon
pedestals or hanging from the roof,
gilded streams, portraits of famous
priests, and quaint pictures in the jap
| anese style representing scenes in the
life of Buddha and Nicherin, who s.. s..e,
to have been a sort of st. Peter
The altar was a pyramid of rather
gaudy decorations, candlesticks, and
paper flowers, with myriads of candles,
! burning incense sticks and bundles of
paper prayers before the images of diff
! ferent gods. On the summit and in the
center of the altar is a massive effigy
of Buddha, wearing the invaria BILE
complacent smile. The peasants think
it is solid mass of gold, but it is only
block of wood gilded. At the right
of the altar, behind gilded doors, is a
similar image of the sainted Nicherin.
| The priests came from their retiring
rooms in long procession, marching
awkwardly and unevenly, some with
long strides and some with short, and
their faces furnished most interest
ing study for physiognomist. Some
| were gross and gluttonous; others wore
sanctitied expression, as if they had
| acquired the supreme, ambition of
every Buddhist, which is the entire
suppression of the passions and the en-
| joyment of holy calm. Some were
old and toothless; others were young,
almost boyish. Several had strong,
! LII SCAACSOuSlA IlCCos OGhtIS were dlillOSI
ldiotic in their expression, and it did
not require Lavater to decide that all
sorts of characters have found their
way into the Buddhist priesthood.
The procession was led by priests
who wore robes of a distinctive color
and fashion, handsomely embroidered
Then came two acolytes bearing trays
that were covered with napkins, which
they afterward placed on the altar
Following them was the high priest,
who wore a long white beard and
looked like a patriarch. He is the
bishop of the largest Buddhist diocese
in Japan, and is reputed to be man of
proper life, profound learning and
great influence in public affairs. His
robes were gorgeous brocades, ss@.,let
and purple and gold. He carried an
elaborate lacquer staff like crozier
md horse-tail switch, which is used
in the distribution of blessings. 1t is
waved before the image of Buddha and
/ then over the heads of the worship
ers to distribute the benefcent infu-
euce of the god through the atmos-
phere. The other priests wore robes
of different colors, which seemed to in
! dictate their rank - white, yellow
green, purple, blue and scarlet. Some
were embroidered and some were plain,
and every priest carried in his hand a
folding fan, which he used frequently
! through the service. We counted two
hundred OF them, and there were many
more.
The high priest knelt in front of a
reading desk before the altar and NUT
| tered a prayer, switching his horse
hair wand to and fro at intervals,
while the other elebrants took their
places in long rows at either side of
the altar, facing each other and squat
ting upon their heels in front of low
lacquer tables covered with boxes. l
noticed that the tables correspondent in
color with the robes of the priests
/ There was strong odor of incense as
the high priest led a chanted service
from a parchment roll spread out be-
fore him, and muscular monk over in
a corner beat suspended drum about
the size and shape of whisky barrel
WIN Oh lhool bhdI lOOhcu like d
baseball bat. Whenever he struck the
drum the priests chanted the sacred
! formula of Nicherin: "Namu milo Ohio
renge kyo," which literally means:
GLORY to the Book that brought saliva
ton, the blossom of religion"
The high priest then arose from his
reading desk and, followed by the AGO.
lytes bearing something on lacquered
trays that was concealed under en-
broidered covers, took his place at the
other end of the aisle under an i'm
mense red umbrella. His attendants
threw over his shoulders a scarlet robe,
and then, as he touched gong, all of
the priests lifted the covers from their
little lacquer tables and disclosed piles
of books-the sacred gospels Of Bud
dha. Then, under the leadership OF
the high priest, they commenced to
intone the contents of these volumes
in concert, while two or three priests
struck gongs occasionally, first one
and then another, without any APP
parent regularity or order, but sup
pose they understood their business.
AS the gong would strike, the mo-
notonous intonations would swell in
volume, as if the sleepy ones were
aroused to more zeal in the tedious
4 Il