The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-02-26

scending on the clouds to attend the care
monial. In this gathering is Buddha's
mother, of whom mention will be made
later. The body of Buddha is surrounded
by the natives of the land. while in the
foreground is to be seen a representative
OF each species Of animal and bird, all
weeping and rolling on the ground mourn
ing the loss of Guatama. There Is the
sacred white elephant, most conspicuous;
the rat, the camel, the dog and scores of
others, but not one of any animal repre-
senting the cat family. This seems strange
at first sight, for the lion with us ALWAYS
represented the king of beasts, but the rea-
son is this: When Buddha was i'll he was
tended by the wise men OF the earth, but
they exhausted all of their powers to pre-
serve the life of their great teacher
From Niryana, Buddha's mother saw
this state of things and threw down to
her son red bag containing roots and
herbs OF healing nature with instructions
how TO use them. The instant the bag
touched the ground, the legend says, it
was seized by cat. who rapidly sprang
into the tress and hung il up on limb out
OF reach OF Buddha and his physicians. So
Buddha died and in consequence of this
the cat is considered an unholy animal by
the Buddhists to this day
In the painting the bag can be seen, sus-
pended from one OF the sarras trees above
the heads of the people. This picture is
over 1,500 years old. the records say and
may be still more ancient. The co.or5 are
still apparently as bright as the day they
were put on it, for there is no duplicate
OF the picture in the world. so far as is
known, not even in Japan itself
The next article in importance is set
of three bronze gods representing Peace,
Wind, and Water. These stand aboIt
thirty inches high and are grouped upon
IL
the temple OF Nishi-Hong- Wangi in Kio.o
for hundreds of years.
These gods were supposed to influence
the elements and on the occurrence of the
simoons. earthquakes, and ty2hoons, which
are common at certain seasons of the year
in Japan. they were prayed 20 by the high
priest and his two assistants TO abate the
| storm In the rear of the central figure.
| that of Peace. stood a large incense pan,
| thirty inches high, in which sweet smelling
stuffs were burned while the prayers were
being offered. DIR. West has this jar in his
possession and the japanese records which
| he had from the temple show il to be over
| $500 years old. How puny semes the life
of man beside that OF this piece of life
! less bronze, made over six hundred years
I before the beginning of the Christian era,
/ yet today as well preserved as when il
| was completed. This jar weighs almost
| seventy-fve pounds and represents pile
| of rocks from which little stream bub-
| bies forth and from which deer and his
| mate are shaking their thirst.
The table on which these four bronzes
stood has history Of its own. 1t was
presented by the Emperor OF China to the
Mikado of Japan, who in turn presented it
| to the old temple of Nishi-H Hong Wangi.
This occurred 900 years ago and this
was the old temple which was DESTROYED
| 800 years ago. The table was then removed
| TO temple in the Island of Satsuma. af-
ter which it was returned to Kioto, whence
| 1t was brought to America
There are hundreds of other valuable AMI
interesting articles which cannot be dup
| Heated outside OF Japan, but space forbes
more than a brief mention OF them What
| is the dining room in most houses Dr.
| West calls the Japanese room, and here
most of the larger articles are kept There
| are five shrines, each with all the furniture
| used in worship. One of these contains
| lo4 gods, little figures about one and one
| half to two inches high. another the most
| holy in the temple, which was woIshipsd
| but once year; another which was open
| ed once week, each containing Buddha
and his sons: one large shrine for the wor-
| ship of charity tFuan YAM containing the
! thousand armed god herself and vet an
other smaller and less elaborate shrine
| These shrines consist primarily of a sort of
DoA dOoul tnFte leet nlSn, TWO feet wide,
and two deep. and are lined with copper
highly polished. In the front are folding
doors which. when opened, reveal a la
Quered lattice through which the gods can
be seen. When they were worshiped rice
and water were placed in small cups be-
fore the deitys representatives, perfuned
can6Ies lighted inside the lattice and pray
ers offered
DR.. West said that in the British Museum
shrines are not uncommon, but that none
contains the furniture. being totally empty
and those in the Smithsonian are the same.
He was told there that the japanese did
not allow their gods TO be taken away
His. therefore, are among the few outside
of the land of fans and flowers. Continu-
ing, there are two bronze lamps and bells
from the temple two candle-holders
twenty-four inches high and eight in di-
ameter. weighing over $50 pounds each;
miniature of the great bell from the
temple. This latter is so massive that it
is said to take one hundred men to sound
il. The temple clock is over $50 years old
and still good timepiece. There are all
| the weapons. such as spears. lances, pixies
etc, used TO defend the temple; a bur
nished silver mirror; the high priests
robes, robe box, letter box for carrying
messages, and several hundred small vet
wonderfully wrought Japanese bronzes,
paintings, and samples Of the art of the
potters of Satsuma and all the other dis
! tricts where fine china is made.
| In short, DIR. Vests is a most wonder
fully complete collection and such one
| as cannot be seen anywhere else in the
| world today.