The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-01-13

is about one-tenth Of the total number
III the empire. Report went forth
that. following an ancient custom, a
young maiden was wanted to propitiate
the gods by throwing herself into
the molten metal; and a young woman
really presented herself as an offering.
but of course the authorities would
not permit the sacrifice. This bell,
which is second TO the broken bell at
Moscow in size, was made of gifts of
swords and ornaments and money,
and has a tone Of more than ordinary
richness. All Buddhist temples CON
tain large bells and their sound is soft,
deep and musical.
One other phase of worship at this
temple is the pond full Of sacred tur-
ties. II is pious act to feed these
with the pink rice balls which priest
sells. Here | enjoyed the sensation of
purchase of half a nickel s worth of
the food tabout quarter of n peck)
caused the wondering natives to eX-
claim, "Oh. seel He is a very rich
mani The hundreds of turtles race
and fight for the bouyant balls and
then beg for more, This feeding of
the living creatures that are called
devotion. ! have fed wriggling eels to
sacred cranes (the cells were not
sacred, and has no rights. beans to
sacred horses, rice to sacred fishes;
and have paid few coppers TO see a
! dancing prlestess 60 through her slow
graceful posturing and gesturing, with
out moving her feet, Certainly worship
at p popular shrine or temple can
scarcely he called monotonous with
all these diversions, and the various
booths for the sale Of souvenirs be-
sides.
Pngrimages as a Picnic,
The whit" robed pilgrim, with his
bell and umbrella hat. is one OF the
sights of Japan. Some of these pill
grims are mere mcndicants, who 20
about from house to house, tinklinc
their bell In front Of each, and gener.
ally, in rural parts at least, receiving
from tho householder rim or two "a
rim is one.twentieth of a cent?. These
pilgrims hnve their outcr garment
stamped in red at each shrine they
visit, the most coveted probably being
that from the top Of Mount Full The
pilgrims may be roughly divided into
three groups The first consists Of
these professionals, or medicants. who
are little different from tramps. The
second includes those who are sent ms
representatives of a neiehborhood on
tour of the important shrines. and
the third is made up cf those who 20
forth in bands at their own expense for
pilgrimages to some one sacred place.
usually near at hand.
Pilgrims travel third class Mt one half
the regular rate, with occasional fur
ther concessions to crowds, which makes
II possible for them to cover some
stretches at the rate of less than one.
Gfth of a cent a mile.
This sort Of piety and plain Anglo
Saxon morality are by no means iden-
tical A pilgrimage is more or less of
a picnic. The stock of merit acquired
thereby is sufficient excuse, If excuse
be needed, for any lapses from virtue.
Thus it comes that white light upon
the character of Japanese religion Is
thrown by conditions ut points OF popu-
lar pilgrimage, At Kuwano, to cite
particulars, the famous Buddhist shrine
in Ise. eight Of the thirtv-two streets
are devoted exclusively to the social
evil. Yamada, the seat Of the imperial
shrines. contains 600 inns, 400 of which
are of character that would cause
them to be raided were they situated in
n wcll-ordered American community. At
Kioto | found the quarter devoted to
licensed vice cheek by lowl with one
of the most famous temples, For that
matter, the head Of one OF the Buddhist
sects, who lives MT Kioto and is rela-
tive Of the Emperor, has 40 concubiues,