Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1908-10-09
Dr.. Edwards Letter

dDOuL ne temples, anu Tue manner
IN which they we're kept. Natural
ly one would imagine that in China,
the home Of Buddhism, the temples
would be on a most magnificent Or
der, consequently | was anxious to
visit some of the places of worship.
As | passed along the street | stop
ped at several Buddhist temples, but
they were so dirty and dilapidated
that any description of them would
fill my readers with disgust, and if
l were to attempt to describe them
you would think was exaggerating.
These ancient homes of the great
god Of the Chinese, which were build.
ed ages ago, are going to ruin, and
it is pitiful to see these once
splendid structures going to decay,
without not a single effort made to
preserve or repair them.
One of the most noted temples in
China is to be found here, and in or
der to obtain an adequate idea of
how these places of worship are car
ed for by the people l spent some
time examining it, despite the fact
that my voyage of discovery was un-
der the most trying difficulties. In
general, the style Of architecture,
with great gateways and huge carv-
ed dragons and figures at the door
ways, was similar to those in jap
an, but here all similarity ended.
Everything was dilapidated and
extremely dirty. In the inner court
were some thirty priests, chanting
their various offices, while dozen
Chinese stood about, looking like
so many curious people gathered
around some strange rite. They
were not worshippeis, nor did they
seem at all interested in what the
priests were doing.
The priests were dreary and dirty,
their shoes, stockings and vest
ments dirty and bedraggled, and
the Enclosure looked as if it had
never been swept since the temple
was built. Sticks, stones and
describable litter was strewn over
the floor, and pools Of sinking wat
er were everywhere. Back Of the
temple was a famous flower garden
in an equally dilapidated condition.
Some curiously trainew evergreens
in huge flower pots adorned the sides
of the wall, and these were the
most interesting things to be
found. They were trained in shapes
resembling men and animals or fig
ures, such as fans, fruits or flowers.
AS l wandered about a new scent
assailed my nostrils which, If it
be possible, was even worse than
any Of the others which l had come
across, and in looking for its origin,
l came across the pen of the sacred
hogs. Here, wallowing in filth,
were the sacred hogs, about TWEEN
ty Of them, and | was told that none
lof them we're ever killed, but they
were allowed to die natural deaths,
The priests attended them and
they were so fat they could not
walk. They were in a most horrible
condition, as their pen had never
been cleaned. They wallowed IN
their filth and we're covered with
swarm Of flies, spreading over the
neighborhood a most horrible stretch
In Japan the people pay much at
tentiOn to thier temples, care fol
them and clean them scrupulously
In China the temples were neglect
ed and l am sure that the people
have no thought of the religion
which they symbolic. 1 noticed sew
eral Chinese coming out of the TEN
pies looking very much bored, yawn
ing and stretching themselves az
II they were dead tired of then
devotions. They would burn a littls
strip Of paper before the door ana
then 60 their ways. This burninf
OF incense paper is done in a mos
pefunctory manner, as II It wert
simply done to be rid of It, ant
their attention to this part O
their worship remindde me of al
old preacher l used to know whel
!. a boy. He always prayed hurriedly
I with both eyes open, looking GU
Q over his congregation, and wheneve
r a little boy got sleepy, or did mis-
r chief he would stop In the mids
Of his prayer to scold. These Chi
nese do their religious acts in mucl
the same way, and I can imagin
that Il they could pray by machiner,
they would do so In order to saw
themselves Of the trouble.
Speaking Of this religion remind
, me Of death, and IN passing throug
the streets Of Shanghai I was I'm
pressed with the utter disregard tina
A. r,nnrI1 g. I--kl