CHAPTER XIII.

RELIGION-BUDHISM.

Three systems of Religion, or Philosophy-History of Budhism-Resemblance to Popery-Temple and Monastery near Canton-Nine-storied Pagodas-Chinese Objections to Budhism-Debtor and Creditor account in Religion-Pagan and Romish Practices-Divinity of the VirginBudhists and Papists-Paradise and Hell of Fo-Doctrines of Budhism -Worship of Fŏ in China.

WHEN a Chinese is asked how many systems of philosophic or religious belief exist in his country, he answers, Three-namely, Yu, the doctrine of Confucius, already noticed; Fo, or Budhism; and the sect of Taou, or "Rationalists." It must not, however, be inferred that these three hold an equal rank in general estimation. Confucianism is the orthodoxy or state religion of China; and the other two, though tolerated as long as they do not come into competition with the first, have been rather discredited than encouraged by the Government. "First (it is observed in the Sacred Instructions) is the honourable doctrine of the Yu, and then those of Fo and Taou. Respecting these latter, Choo-tsze has said, the doctrine of Fo regards neither heaven nor earth, nor the four regions. Its only object is the establishment of its sect, and the unanimity of its members. The doctrine of Taou consults nothing more than individual enjoyment and preservation."

The religion of Fŏ,* or, as it is pronounced at Canton, Futh, is that of Bud'h, in the precise shape

*This has been constantly confounded with the name of the ancient Emperor, Fo-hy.

which that superstition has assumed throughout Thibet, Siam, Cochin-china, Ava, Tartary, and Japan. The extensive dissemination of Budhism in countries foreign to India, its original birth-place, must necessarily be ascribed in a great measure to the rancorous persecution it experienced from the Brahmins, whose hatred towards this heresy gave rise, as soon as they became the predominant sect, to the most cruel treatment of the reformers, for such the Budhists appear at first to have been. About one thousand years before the Christian era, an extraordinary man appeared in India, who laboured with unceasing assiduity, and not without success, to reform the popular superstitions and destroy the influence of the Brahmins. This was Budha, whom the Brahmins themselves regard as an avatar of Vishnu. The efforts of Budha were exerted to bring back the religion of his country to its original purity. He was of royal descent, but chose an ascetic life, and embraced the most abstruse system of philosophy prevalent in India. Many princes, among others the celebrated Vikramâditya, who reigned in the century that preceded the commencement of our era, adopted the faith of Budha, and, as far as their influence extended, obliterated the religion of the Brahmins and the system of castes. It is certain, however, that the learned adherents of the Brahminical religion did not remain silent spectators of what they deemed (or at least called) the triumph of atheism. They contended with their equally learned opponent, and this dispute, as is manifest by the tendency of many of the works still read by the Hindoos, called forth all the talents of both sides; but here, as in innumerable other instances, the arm of power prevailed, and, as long as the reigning monarchs were Budhists, the Brahmins were obliged to confine themselves to verbal contentions. At length, about the beginning

of the sixth century of our era, an exterminating persecution of the Budhists began, which was instigated chiefly by Cumavila Bhatta, a fierce antagonist of their doctrine, and a reputed writer on Brahminical theology. This persecution terminated in almost entirely expelling the followers of the Budhist religion from Hindoostan; but it has doubtless contributed to its propagation in those neighbouring countries into which it had previously been introduced, through the intercourse of commerce and travel."*

The above is the Indian history of Budhism. According to the Chinese, it was introduced into their empire about sixty-five years after the commencement of our era, during the reign of Ming-ty of the Hân dynasty. That monarch, considering a certain saying of Confucius to be prophetic of some saint to be discovered in the West, sent emissaries to seek him out. On reaching India, they discovered the sect of Budhists, and brought back some of them with their idols and books to China. The tradition is, that Budha was both king and priest in a country of the West, with a queen whom he made a divinity: that he was obliged to abdicate his power and seek a secluded retreat for twelve years, after which he taught the dogma of the netempsychosis, or transmigration of souls, making that the vehicle of a system of rewards and punishments hereafter. He is said ultimately to have regained his power, and to have departed this life at an advanced age, being transformed at once into the god Fŏ, or Budha. It is a common saying of his disciples, that "Fŏ is one person, but has three forms," which are represented by three distinct gilded images, called the "Three precious, or pure Budhas." The mother of the god is said to have dreamed that she had swallowed an

*The Hindoos, vol. i. p. 175.

elephant, whence the veneration for elephants in Siam and Pegu. Budha's character as a reformer is indicated by the Chinese legend, that he aimed at instructing men "to amend their conduct and practise virtue."

The five principal precepts, or rather interdicts, of Budhism must be understood as being addressed to the priests alone, or to those who devote themselves to the god. They are the following:-1. Do not kill living creatures. 2. Do not steal. 3. Do not marry. 4. Speak not falsely. 5. Drink no wine. The Shamans, Hoshângs, or priests, are associated together in monasteries attached to the temples of Fo. They are in China precisely a society of mendicants, and go about like the monks of that description in the Romish church, asking alms for the support of their establishments. How much their costume resembles that of the Catholic priesthood, may be seen by the annexed cut, from original Chinese drawings done at Canton.

Their tonsure extends to the hair of the whole head. There is a regular gradation among the priesthood, and according to his reputation for sanctity, his length of service, and other claims, each priest may rise from the lowest rank of servitor, whose duty it is to perform the menial offices of the temple, to that of officiating priest, and ultimately of Tae Hoshang, abbot or head of the establishment. The curious resemblance that exists between the observances of the Budhist priests of China and Tartary, and those of the Catholic church, has excited the surprise of the missionaries from the latter; and the observations and surmises of Père Gerbillon, who was intimately acquainted with the subject, may by some be considered as worthy of attention. He questioned a well-informed Mongol as to the time when his countrymen had first become devoted to the Lama of Thibet, who is a

spiritual sovereign closely resembling the Pope. The reply was, that priests first came into Mongol Tartary in the time of Koblai Khân, but that these were really persons of holy and irreproachable lives, unlike the present. The father supposes that they might have been religious Christians from Syria and Armenia, the communication with which countries being subsequently cut off by the dismemberment of the Mongol empire, the Budhist priests mixed up their superstitions with the Catholic observances. Certain it is (and the observation may be daily made even at Canton) that they now practise the ordinances