The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-07-04
THE CHINESE CIVILIZATION.
Methods of Furnishing Crime Are
Bnrbaric. But an Excuse Is offered.

From the New York Times.
zone of the reasons why the Chinese
object to conversion by missionaries is
because they have already a pretty good
religion of their own" said Richard
Brinsley Sheridan, who is at the Hotel
Kensington on his way home to England,
after a fifteen months stay in Peking
and Tien Tsin. Probably more myths
have been circulated about China than
about all other countries put together,
and some day, when the Powers shall
nave thrown open the empire, we shall
be surprised to find the Chinese pretty
decent lot, suspicious of foreigners only
because they fear the disruption of their
own country. 1t is true their modes of
punishment and their manner of admin
STEERING justice seem to our Western
minds barbarous and brutal; still, with
the French Revolution at our backs and
the Spanish bullfghts before our faces
it is more satisfactory for us not to
judge Cinnamon from our own stand
ards of mercy, but to take them as they
are, a strange people from whom we
WesteTners have much to learn morally
and otherwise
Their Religion.
"To begin with their religion: A large
number of Chinese are Buddhists. Budd-
ha was born 623 b. c. Chinese Buddhism
embraces a trinity known as the Three
Precious Ones, namely Buddha, the past (;
Dharma. the present and the Lord, and
Lenga, the future and the church or the
priesthood. The moral code of the relig-
ion contains zen Notwithstanding
stealing adultery, lying, selling wine
speaking false of others, self-praise and
bacKbiting, parsmony and soothing, I'M
corrected anger, and reviling the Three
Precious Ones
THE Buddhist Church in Thibet has its
Pope, its Cardinals, its Bishops, priests
and nuns exactly as has the Roman Cath
Ollie Church. And more. it has infant bap-
tism, confirmation, masses for the dead,
rosarieS. chaplets. candles, sacred water
and professions.
The teachings of Buddha were reduced
to writing 90 B. c. The entire canon of
the faith was compiled in A. D. 400. In
this Buddha is described as coming from
heaven, being born of virgin, welcomed
by angels received by an old saint pre-
scented in a temple, baptized with water,
and later with fire He is described as as
tonishing the doctors with his understand
ing. was later led into a wilderness. where
he was tempted by the devil. and there
after he went about doing wonders end
preaching. He was a friend to the Door
was TRANSPORTED on d mount, descended
into hell, and finally assembled into heav-
en-.
An Ancient Faith in China.
1T seems doubtful when Buddhism was
introduced into China. 1t is recorded.
however that in the year 63 A. D. the En-
peror Han-Ming-Ti had vision wherein
he saw a great golden image around whose
head was halo and ii was believed il
meant Truth. The Emperors brother.
Prince Tsu having heard of Buddhism
from India, said the vision seen was
nothing but the Great Buddha. A mis-
sion was sent forth. which returned after
some years, bringing back wooden i'm
age, a counterpart of the golden one, one
book. and a Hindu priest.
THE great temple at Picking, called the
Yung- Ho-Kung. or the Lama temple, is
Mongol Buddhist monastery, in which
there are some 200 acting priests. Here
the dogmas of Buddhism are taught un-
der the control of a Gagan, or living
Buddha.
The studies comprise a course of in
struotion in metaphysics, ascetc duties
astrology, and medicine.
MANY Chinese are Confucians These
follow the teachings of Confucius. which
provisions of this creed is that no son
shall live more extensively than his father
or mother.
Chinese Proverbs.
The proverbs and sayings Of a people
are always indicative of its character
Here are some Chinese sayings: If the
blind LEAD The blind they Will both go to
the Tit. An old man marrying a young
wife is like a withered willow sprouting';
A wife should excel in four things. vir-
tue, speech, department and needle work ;
Every day cannot be a Feast of Lam
terms Would. you look at the character
Of a Prince, lock at his minister. or the
disposition of a man, observe his com
panion, or that of a father, mark his son; =
The higher a rat cre6ps up cows horn
the narrower he finds it; Let us get
drunk to-day whla we have wine. the
sorrows of tomorrow may be borne by
Tomorrow
There is probably no o her character
Isle which has 80 branded the Chinese
as barhariaus as have their methods of
punishment. In the Beard Of Punishments
in Picking. which is the prison for minis
tiers, they use The rack thumbscrews, hot