Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-01-09

ought to be perpetuated simply because
II came down to them from their ances
tors.
1t is probable that TO manyoif not to
most of the fworshpcrs in pagan temples
the ceremonies performed there have no
Significance other than that of custom.
They are like the Chinese idea of the
Fung Shway; that is, the eternal balance
of things. When a Chinaman builds
house in one corner of Il square lot.
house must also be built in the opposite
corner 20. restore the Fung Shway; when
one chimney or tower is erected on
building. there must be another on the
opposite side. to preserve the fung
Shway: when plate of rice Is placed on
one side Of q table. another must be opro-
site that the Flung Shway he not dis
turbcd The Celestial does NOT know
why this should be so, but he knows that
every other Chinaman has the same iGca
and that is enough for him and to talk 10
him about architectural proportions, nr
Ia tell him that his notion probably or
igiuated in n nice sense of relation. would
he TO waste your words. for about these
things he neither knows nor cares any
thing: the fact that everybody else bo-
lieyes that the Fung Shway ought not 10
he disturbed being quite enough for mis-
purpese. He has another idea that, 10
our minds. seems ludicrously absurd. AT
the gates Of the temples in which he
worships there hang bells and when n
native of the Celestial Empire wants TO
say his prayers, or to make offerings TO
his gods to insure good luck in any enter
prise in which he may be engaged, he
goes to the parish temple and before en-
tering gives the bell at the gate a, tap TO
let the deity of the place understand that
n worshiper is at hand and DESTROYS of
attending to business. Nothing, to our
minds. could be more exquisitely absurd
than this method of signifying To deity
desire to pay reverence. yet to the
Chinaman it is fit and proper and he de-
voutIy believes that unless this prelim-
mary were performed, his prayers and
sacrifices would be wasted for the lack
of god to hear and receive them. The
idea had its origin in an ancient use,
very similnr to our own, of bells for noti-
flying worshipers of the proper time for
service but of this fact the Chinaman
of the present day knows nothing; he
rags the bell because everybody else
does, and(because as far back as any one
can remember, the bell has been rung for
this purpose, and that is quite enough.
Speaking Of prayer and praying, how
ever. perhaps the most peculiar method
ever in vogue in the pagan world is that
which IS prncticed by millions Of people
In India, Thibet, Chinese 1artary and
China at the present day. The Budd-
hists have many prayers but of them I'll
none is supposed to have the virtue of one
simple sentence, ON mani padmi hum.
"The Jewel In the Lotus. Amen" These
words are constantly on the lips Of the
dcyotees Of this faith. The 'Iaborer ut his
toll. the merchant in his store. the trav.
eler on the way, all repeat this mystic
supplcafion: not always aloud. but even
when mentally engaged, their lips keel
up a mechanical motion as the praying
goes on. for the belief is universal that
the greater the number of times this sen
tcnce is repeated the greater the benefit
A few hundred years ago. however, some
impatient genius, finding his tongue roc
slow, conceived the idea that the thing
could be done in another way. so he IN
vented mechanical device to further hii
deyotions. II consisted of wooden cyl
inder about IL inches in diameter and
In height. At the middle of one end 1
stapIe was inserted, to which n cord &
10 inches long was fastened, the othc
end being Made fast to a rounded piece
of wood Of convenient size and shape Z
be held In the hand. The cylinder wa
hollow and contained a roll of thin parch
mcnt. on which this prayer was writer
several hundreds of times. The handl
was taken and the cylinder was revolyed
on the theory that at each revolution al