Bisbee daily review., 1914-08-30
HUGE ENTERTAINMENT IN JAPAN DISRUPTS
 BUDDHIST CRUSAOE
Sect With More Than a Million Followers Had Planned 'fo
 Make It's Creed As Strcng a
 Force As Is Christianity Now

TOXIC. Aug. 2g. Indictments
 which have been returned charging
 five Buddhist priests with the embez.
 zle meut of approximately S4.O00 .OOO together with allegations that the cor ruption has extended to some promin-
 ent officials attached to the Imperial Palace in Tokio and the resignation of the distinguished abbot. Count ] Otaui of the Western Honganii sect. because of the scandal, and his an- uouuced intention of migration Co ! Chile To begin life anew as a farmer. have constituted a sensation for an Japan.
 Count OtanTs case is of absorbing interest. The Western Honganji sect.
 founded 700 years ago has been one ! of the richest Buddhist associations ! in Japan Today it has a debt of
 some S5,000,O0O The sect has a beau l tiful temple at Kioto and its leader. ! Count Otani has over @ million fol-
 lowers throughout the Empire. He
 was ore of the most picturesque and commanding figures in Japan. al- ' though only 30 years of age
 His great idea was 10 make Bud | dhism of the East as strong force l in the world as the Christianity of the West He had travelled much 1 abroad He went through China. stud jed Buddhism in India. made inyes- | legations in England. sent favorite l priests on long journeys to all parts
 of inc world. equipped an exploration ! tO Central Asia, started a reYigluus propaganda on a large scale for the l diffusion of Buddhism and kept in touch with the world problems Co an exceptional degree. He spent much time and money in establishing Bud dhist schools In which his priests harbored an ambition Co become a member of the House of Peers. and
 were educated. bought and sold land. built a magnificent palace on the top of Bok kosan, a mountain near Kobe He saw that Christianity .as he put it was like a strong chain that joined 1 the countries of Europe together. He predicted a time when there might be 1 great clasb between Oriental Bud dhism and Occidental Christianity. and wondered whether Buddhism would be strong enough 10 hold to. | gether the yellow race.
 His ambition was to strengthen Bud tdhism SO that when the great combat came the religion of the East would predominate
 { Tn Japan Buddhism found it's great
 est strength. he believed. Returning
 to Japan he began a vigorous cam IDaign He preached his doctrines and ! Iris ideas He told the young men that they should go abroad as missionaries. specially to the uncultured parts of ! the world for the diffusion of Bud dhhm His students began to dream l of adventures in far distant lands. Some went to Australia and others
 to the Pacific coast of South Amer. lea.
 Then he conceived gigantic scheIue to explore Central Asia. He
 would be able to make discoveries was convinced that a Buddhist party that would strengthen the claims of Buddhism upon the world. Older ! priests pleaded with the abbot not to launch such an expensive project. but ! the Count insisted and sent boy of ] IS. son of a Nagoya priest. as the | leader of the expedition The under. taking cost thousands of dollars. Its results were doubtful as concerning l science. say the Counts critics Count Otani meanwhile lived in ai- most regal style in his wonderful vil-
 Ia at Rokkosan. is mansion was rich ] in carvings and paintings and rare objects Of art There were gardens. ] dormitOries, schools and an that goes ] Co make mp a little Kingdom of itself. looking down Upon tho harbpr of Kobe and the Bay of Osaka. The ] dormitories were modelled after those ] tAo abbot had seen at Eton. CothIns. Furnishings and food were luxurious l When the old priests who slowly l climbed the mountain coming from | tie temple al Kiota. remonstrated ] tN'' .'AAAA Ahl NhNl ldh oE EaNNth nc IDIN them not to worry as he was seeking the great interests of Buddhism.
 Not one of the abbots present crit
 ics accuse him of vanity or personal aggrandisement He was sincere. they
 say in his big enterprises which in- ! cluded speculations in land. He was
 influential and well liked by his priests But debts began to accumu-
 late and the sect with its S8O.OOO
 priests and 10000 temples began to
 face Financial troubles The superb
 art treasures O fthe Kiote temple
 had to be sold Then 6nally came Che
 arrest of the priests on charges of embezslement
 The five priests who are under in- Idictment were members of the board ] of directors managing the extensive l proportion of the sect. The charges
 include allegations that there was
 payment am dacceptance of illicit com
 missions in the transfer of property
 from the sect to the Imperial house