Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-06-01
THE RELIGIONS
NJ OF JAPAN.
CONTINUED IRON Page seyenteen.l

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slight shake of the head and a half
smile. During the days that preceded
| the funeral, he gave no sign OF emo
| ton. But on the last night he crept
| into the mortuary chamber, and the
| father who was sittlng In an arm chair
and feigning sleep, saw him approach
the little body and burst into violent
weeping.
Japan is full of tales as simple as the
Shintost temples. but which amaze us
no less by their sublimty than by the
natural ease with which the folk Of
the country accept the sublime.
such are the sentiments which
emerge from the dark depths of Buddh-
ism. They have the inexpressible beau
" of the lotus flower which blossoms
at twilight on the surface Of solitary
mere. | know very well that there Is
mud at the bottom OF that mere /
do not pretend to deny that the most
gnoble impurities are mixed up with
Japanese Buddhism and that its
priests are often grossly ignorant or
positively scandalous. Nor do think
that the philosophers OF Japan have
added much to the glory Of It's doctrines.
They have stopped TO the yoke OF q met
aphysical system. whose conclusions
they have adopted. without enriching
them by any additions. Their twelve
scots are In a perpetual wrangle over
the fine points OF a petty scholasticlsm.
Buddhism is In fact, uninteresting ex-
cept as we get ileetng glimpses OF II
through the eyes of poor and simple
folk, Whatever there may be OF grace
in the gospel Of the lotus, Of soft mel
ancholy In It's pesslmisIn and tender
ness In its despair, has impaired a rich
perfume o4the inner life OF the Japan
ese. and embalmed their peculiar viz
tues. Idolatry In a Chinese mask, has
not yulgarlzed their Dreams and the
grinning supersttons Of the imported
faith have stepped lightly for fear OF
wounding the native heart. The air that
breathes about their affairs is pure and
sweet. and | forget the hideous coun-
tenance OF the god Emma, when re-
member that that King Of the Under
world allows the damned a respite OF
a day or two in each year to enable
them TO take breath. Let those two
days be set down to his account, In all
lands and under all skies! And | have
no choice but to love Kwannon, with
her sweet face and sad eyes and chaste
drapery--Kwannon the most popular
OF all diylnities, the goddess OF pity.
Shintoism and Buddhism have had a
great influence upon one another. Shin
toism has had power 10 temper the ex-
travagance of Buddhism and to stay
the japanese upon the steep slope
down which other peoples have !
plunged headlong. The worship OF
country which Il inculcates became to
them sure anchor amid the eternal
flux Of the universe Moreover Buddh-
ism corrected the rustic poverty of ma
tive japanese worship. Many a time
have the two religions made mutual |
concessions under the roof Of the same
temple; the one modifying its countri-
fed rudeness, the other its volumptuous
and art-sckening pomp, II was the
old alliance between the cobbler and
the banker. The banker lost some OF
his ennui. the cobbler some Of his
gaiety and dash
WHAT OF REFORM?
But what will become whether of
Buddhism or Shint0ism before the sud
den Eruption Of western IDEAS? Euro
pean discoveries inyalidate Shintolst
modern life upsets the ideal of Buddh-
ism. The faith of the Japanese does
not chime with their new condition.
The religious accord Of the empire is
destroyed. European science may
amuse itself by detecting presentiments
Of truth In the local symbols OF an an
Client Worship and prodiglous intu-
tons IN the metaphysic OF the Hindoo,
but these divertihg condolences do not
alter the fact that our civilization,
with its independence Of the past its
Difference to tho individual its indus
trial progress and consuming greed, its
democratic instincts and plutocratlc IN
science, Is In fiat contradiction with the
main principles of Japanese society,
and rends with violence the heaven OF
the japanese religion. This Is so true
that the political overturn, as Is always
the case with revolution in which
souls are disabled and drag their an
chors, has resulted In an access OF
mysticism and bred a whole class OF
prophetesses and Missionaries. and the
whole country is overrun with religious
reformers.
But while the Japanese are learning
more about their own religion they are
cad and and 5ersive BrIdhien, 81 tha o,den
time begins to terrfy them lest they !
should meet the fate qf the patriarch |
Daruma Of the sect ~ Zen who lost |