The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-11-18
Picturesque Ceremonial
---lmage of Buddha
Unveiled.

A Buddhist Temple of the Jodo sect
was dedicated yesterday with cere-
monial and circumstance, picturesque
and absorbing in high degree to west
ern eyes and minds accustomed to
western customs. and interesting to
5 the Japanese, for the Jodo sect of
Buddhists is one of the eight great
Buddhist sects. the fourth in point of
numbers.
The temple itself is on the Waikiki
side of South street between Kawaia-
hao lane and Queen street, structure
that, in its gate and roof and the SYM
bolism with which these are adorned,
is quite striking. The building is of
two stories, about forty feet square.
The lower story contains large room
to be used as an assembly room, for
lectures, for night schools, and other
educational and secular purposes. Be
sides this large room there are other
smaller rooms for the living quarters
o. the officiating priest, and for kin
dred purposes.
The temple itself occupies the upper
floor. In the center OF the Waikiki
side of this second story is a dais,
about sixteen feet square, raised only
a few inches above the floor. AT the
outer corners of this are columns of
perfectly plain white wood about eigh
inches in diameter which rise to the
ceiling, and are Joined near the ceiling
by a wide panel of exquisite carving,
-, :
Japan. These two columns are like
wise Joined with the back wall of the
building, thus forming a sort of canopy
over the dais. On the dais and within |
she enclosure marked by these posts |
sare the altar and the chancel, to adapt |
terms of church arrangement to Bud |
dhist usage.
The altar consists of two parts, one |
Etsing above the other, like two tables |
of unequal height one behind the other, |
and separated from each other by a /
narrow passage way, and each ex-
tending about half way across the dais |
The front of the altar from top to /
bottom is covered with gorgeous cloth |
of gold in which rows of figures of |
storks. in silver thread. are patterned. |
The colors in the cloth besides gold I
and silver are beautiful maroon in
longitudinal stripe. The cloth was a
magnificent fabric, woven in breadths
OF about a yard each. but in putting
these breadths together the stripes
have not been matched. giving it an
homogeneous appearance to western
eyes and detracting vastly from its eff
fectiveness and sumptuousness.
In front Of the altar, covering almost
all that part of the dais. was spread
a finely woven red blanket, like a car
pet or rug, the blanket in the middle
covering a raised portion OF the dais,
In use. though not in appearance, like
a prie-dieu. At the left at the foot
OF the altar. as one faced it, is a small
red lacquered taburet on which rests
one of the bronze bells of the Japa-
nese. which is sounded by striking it
as one would gong. At the foot of
the altar at the right is a sort of
triangular framework whose use was
cpnjectural until the procession of the
Priests entered, when it was seen to
be a stand for the temple flag. the
staff of the flag fitting into it and be-
ing held in an upright position.
On the top of the lower portion Of /
the altar at each end is a magnificent ;
vase of Kutaniware. each standing
fully two feet high, figured in Japarese
characters. The vase on y
the left end OF the altar contained I
mass of gorgeous purple asters, while I
that at the right end contained equal I
ly gorgeous ones of a redder hue. A !
plain wooden placard inscribed with !
Japanese characters announced that I