Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-06-01
Translated for the Living Age From the
French Of Andre BeeSo In Revue
des Deux Mondes.

uagu IN old times 20 have an odd Kind
of music at their religious functions.
The players went through with the mo-
tons ON their wind and string instru.
ments Of performing silent airs They
played In Imagination and the tranquil
congregation listened attentiyely TO
their silence 7 viii not youch for this,
hut no Japanese whom / have ques-
toned about It ever seemed to consider
II improbable. II symbolzes to per-
lection, an AN events, the choicest lux
ury of the Buddhist-that Of Voluntary
hallucInation.
BUDDHIST REINCARNATION
But Buddhism has gone beyond this.
Having first dissolved nature In n
perpetual stream OF phenomena, II re-
duced the soul also to the condition Of
lmpid water composed OF millions VI
molecules giving back reflections, trav-
ersed by passing shadows. At death
the soul is jeoomposed. resolved into
Its elements and cyoporates. But we
have an inyincible desire 10 live which
results In reincarnauon. II is not the
ego which transmIgrates into other
shapes 70 Is the result Of our actions.
The balance between good and evil
which our lives maintain at the mo-
ment Of extinction constitutes the
germ Of new existence What we
are Is derived from what we have been.
We no more remember the former
things than I'm dreams we remember
other dreams which have rayished or
tortured us before Our reincarna-
lions are but the dreams-loyely or
terrible as the case may be--of that
principle within us which wills 10 live.
When at last we attain deliverance,
that is TO say. when we wake, our
births, our lives our deaths win all
unroll before our unsealed eyes their
pleasures and their pangs II Is the
implacahle law of the "Karma"
Here, then. we touch upon an ESSEN
tial difference between ourselves and
the japanese We believe In the con-
sciOus Identity Of the human indiYid-
ual They do not ! know they seem 10
live as though they believed It. The
people at large have assuredly never
assimilated these profound theories, al
they retain thcrefrom are the ideas %
pre-eNlstence and reincarnation These
ideas have power over their hearts.
They have coined proverbs inspired
popular songs, created idloms end
metaphors. Social intercourse even,
has been modified by their influence.
The thought that the criminals crime
Is but his heritage from a preceding
life has often caused the sword 20
drop from the hands Of the ayenger
The sunerings whose injustice appears
so revolving 10 us, are accepted by the
japanese with resignation. through
vague feeling that doubtless he had &C.
served them I'm a previous existence
Love strikes us Ike bolt from the
blue. We have sudden "reminiscences
They mean that the sweetheart q to-
day was the love OF long ago. The sDan
OF our brief HE cannot satisfy our decp
craving for tenderness and devotion
Our affections. yeaming for a bit Of
eternity overflow the undisputed re.
gons Of the HE 20 come Fathers md
children are bound 10 one another for
one NE husband and wife for two;
moyter and servants for three; but lov-
ers, In their divine rachncss, make
VOWS for five six and seven lives.
SENTIMENTS or BUDDHISM.
The Japanese accept the great mys-
terry Of ethics as Christians accept
the mysteries Of their faith. Under
the old social order where the chief
end OF man was not TO differ from
other men, where the received code
permitted neither the holding nor the
bequeathing Of private property, the
mystic unity Of the Buddhist creed
was translated into civil communism,
Marvel not that these folk have no con-
ception either Of liberty, or Of charity"
so-called for these are indlyiduallst
Ideas. They will appeal from them 10
QanflYn4uu "a y.ctgpatiga
10 quote Schopenhauers admirable
treatise on sympathy. they viii ask
fer grace Instead Of Justice. leading US
back 10 that point of view whence all
things appear merged In one The
consequence Of all this Is that their
legends and romances often take what
seem 10 as rather shocking turns.
remember one tragic story where the
lover, who has been herolcally de-
ceyed by the woman who is I'm his
power slips into her house under COW
er OF night with intent To murder her
husband, and, by mistake, murders
her instead In his CONSERVATION he
goes the next day and casts himself
down at bis rivals feet, c0nfesslng his
crime and offering him the bloody sa-
bre, But the husband recOils. exclaim-
ing, How could ! Stay one who loved
her2', Just fancy the feelings of re-
pulsion and disgust which such n scene
would excite II offered without com
ment 10 one OF our audiences! The
end Of the story was that the husband
and the lover both retired to a Buddh-
ist monastery.
This mighty power Of sympathy often
produces virtues as beautiful and pure
as any Christian ones. But something
ism knows naught Of effuslon-that I'M
petuous and charming overflow Of the
heart which makes its way irresistibly
into other hearts It's gospel Is one OF
silence Grief does not cry out I'm Jap
an. nor love indulge IN transports. be-
reavement smiles and abnegatlon ut
ters no sound, The seeming isolation
NJ souls I'm this country ls Comprehcn-
sibe from the moment one realizes
that AN IT'S souls are but a single one.
The love Of the japanese for long pre-
amblCs and intermnable compliments
IL but the counterpart Of their deep re-
serve concerning an that touches their
inncrmost hcinp They excel In the
art of saving nothing when they speak.
4 European resident once told me that
for fifteen years. during which he had
been a frequent guest IN n certain
house, be had never yet surprised the
faGtest sign Of affection between hus-
band and wife The deferoutal and
silent woman and the naughty tacl-
turn man. actually seemed 90 have
nothing in common save the roof that
covered them. They did not eat to-
rothcr they did not go out together.
they bad no apparent community q
pleasures or of dreams. But eventually
he man fell ill and his case was pro-
bounced hopeless 81 was there salf
uv opmuatIiot "Whcn he was struck
with death He took his wife's head
very gently IN both hands and laid IL
FOR one instant upon his shoulder.
rhen tholr Wrt eyes met and such
ook % love passed between them as
have never seen elsewhere
Tho Incredible power of silence which
DE japanese possess irrgdiates their
scIf.reuuuy'ation with sorroWful
smile and Infinitely prolongs each act
lf sacrifice They devise exquisite ng-
,uics FOR their own souls and dlssimu-
ate their seusiblity as they do their
material wealth 4 EufOuoan. mar