Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-06-01

! marshes fOrest-Whale. The transceh
dental metaphysic Of Buddhism gives
| II q wonderful nuidity and enables u
70 assume the most unexpected shapes
! II Is at once gross and subtle; suOll'
! oven IN It's grossness, Nothing stay'
| IT, II penetrates everywhere IL m
pregnates the old idols with new
! meaning saturates the woods, th'
| rocks, the soil. the men Of the country
! Native superstitions lock to II, az
! snakes 20 the charmer. IL tames them
sports with them luggles with them II
opens schools of asceticlsm, and shops
! for the sale Of amulets. It's drugs are
mixed by philosophers; it's prescriptions
| written out by professors OF hypnollsm
It's BONES would have confirmed oui
| encyclopedias In the notion thar an re-
ligions are the fabrication of priests
They hide, IN the bait which they pre-.
| pare for souls, a homeopathic dose OF
truth. Detestable or delightful, Buddh-
ism preserves even In its worst ava
( tars, trace OF exalted goodness ThaI
| great master OF illusion fears not to
compromise itself by substituting Tor
| the Illusions that destroy, the Illusions
| that save US.
It's many subterfuges which were
made so many vehicles for sanctity'
were the prime cause Of It's success IN
Japan 1t did not require the destruc-
ton Of the old temples, but merely APP
propuated their gods, and turned their
established anCestor-worship 10 its own
account. There was no apparent change
IN the country save that the number
of its divinities had multiplied and their
images become visible But the elias
tic diplomacy Of Buddhism and the sem
suous novelties which il introduced con-
tributed yet more powerfully TO us
triumph, II has been said that ShintO-
ism does not speak 20 the heart ~
might better be said that II does not
speak % the senses, Through those
unoccupied senses buddhism slipped
softly In and installed itself trium-
phantly In the soul Of Japan.
INNOVATION or BUDDHISM.
Not without reason did Hlrata, the
venerable Shlntoist who recommends
the Offering Of water and flowers TO the
dead condemn incense as abominable,
Buddhism tried the effect upon the
Japanese Of perfume previously un-
known Up 20 that time no odor had
pervaded their temples but that OF
LEAKAGE and Of trees freshly stripped Of
their bark and the Japanese flowers
having more color than aroma, prayer
was offered to the gods In an atinOs-
phere pure save for the wholesome
smell Of humid earth. Religious rites
were performed In broad daylight If
In the shade OF a grove, still with
heaven visible between the 0verarching
boughs. Men held communion with
the Invisible quite naturally. and with
no tension of the nerves. But the mo-
ment one passes the porch OF a Buddh-
list church the aisles thanked with
lanterns, the emblematic gardens the
stone basins and gilded doors, the red
corbels carved into heads Of Hons, tigers
or rhlnoceroses, the columns which
when painted, seem draped with the
rich stuffs of Benares or. II bare. sym
boize by The beauty Df their Veining
the glory OF some mysterious essence,
the panelled ceilings painted In many
hues, the brocade, the walls Of cedar
wood sculptured with glorious birds
each perched upon the bough Of nest
ling amid the foliage proper to It's
fayorite haunt-everything surprises,
dazzles and enchants the eye, suggest
ing a whole sensible universe OF form
and color, until the gaze Is lost In the
penumbra of a sanctuary OF lacquer
and bronze where burning braziers and
perfumed candles transmute the intoxi-
cation Of sight into that of smell.
These temples packed with maryels,
these veluptuous museums OF nanenu-
IT, vast, labyrinthine, ramifying In cor
ridors prolongIng themselves by foot
bridges, reveal under the panthestical
disorder OF their architecture, and
bring home TO the excited sensibility
of the visitant their secret unity.
Buddhism awoke the Japanese TO a
whole world Of new sensations. some
strange and others fascinating. 1t inn
ported from India. that ancient f0unt
Of miracle for mankind, rituals Of eXor-
cism, magic sentences, midnight in
carnations, and theosophy alluring 20
all amateurs and especially seductive
TO women out Of the elementary tel
epathy Of Shntoism il made an occult
science The shyrlo, or spirit OF the
dead. acting upon the living, was dis
tingulshed from the inkyrio, or spirit
Of the living acting upon the living at
q distance NecrOmanCcrs ana al
chemists began 10 abound. Mourn
ing mothers were made 20 see their
lost children, more beautiful than
at the hour Of their birth, passing with
a smile along the silent way that
crosses the river Of tears. The Gaki
were heard bowling with hunger
which Is one OF the choicest OF the
torments reserved by buddhism for
the damned. Voices without resonance
uttered prophecies in the temples. and
the heayeR-sent Tennin were de-
spatched with messages for men, cleav-
ing the dark blue skies OF night on
their angelic pnions
Then came Art, and shed q magic
light upon all this twilight sorcery. All
the art Of Japan is born OF Buddhism.
Bones were her sculptors. painters,
poets musicians. potters. weayers and
gardeners. From her temple ara
besques TO the heroglyphics craven on
the stone, from the sacred frescoes TO
the smallest picture books. from dra-
matte recitatiyes 10 street-songs, from
gcld-lacquer marvels 20 the humblest
Of household utensils from brocaded
silks 20 simple cotton stuffs. from lord
~ parks 10 tiny miniature gardens. the
genius uf Japan has produced absolute
~ nothing which does not suggest a
Buddhist thought. Illustrate n Buddh-
list legend on betray Buddhist feeling.
Buddhist art has
developed among the Japanese a
gentle and refined sensuality: teaching
them through the medium of sense-im
pressions that the most precious reall-
ties are but mirages.
Perfumes, gold-lacquer. brocade.
glowing dusk OF temple interiors paint
ings fraught with magical suggestion.
q poetry Of CLEANS and shivers, a rich
ness IN trivial objects. wholly dlspro-
portionatc TO their importance. inclte-
men;s 90 dreaming. and the sting OF a
piercing melancholy. Shintoism had
clothed nature with every grace ex-
cep the one which Buddhism revealed
TO the Japancse-the grace of fragnltyi
Nature became dearer 10 them than
ever from the hour when they first
realized It's ey acsCcnce. and foirer
after they had come 10 understand
how much Of its beauty is IN the seeing
eye.
/ doubt whether The Japanese have
ever formally conceived OF the universe
as The outcome Of creative thought
but their funniest peasants reaiize
90 o degree inconceiyablc by ours. the
pv.IunN.r Z f.ueafffof t.t.umu.....