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quadrangle or open square, two stories high; the architecture is Chinese. Chaitya properly means a temple of Budha, and vihar an abode of his coenobitical followers. In the open square in the midst of every vihar is placed a chaitya; but those words always bear the senses here attached to them, and vihar can never be construed temple; it is a convent or monastery, or religious house." Poo-ta-la, then, is a vihar, with a chaitya within the quadrangle.

The Chinese pronunciation of Budha seems also apparent in the name Poo-to, applied to an island of the Chusan group, in latitude 30° 3', and longitude 121°, where Mr. Gutzlaff* visited one of the largest establishments dedicated to Fo and his priests; a place of such note as to be the resort of numerous votaries from remote parts. "At a distance (says he) the island appeared barren and scarcely habitable; but as we approached it we observed very prominent buildings and large glittering roofs. A temple, built on a projecting rock, beneath which the foaming sea dashed, gave us some idea of the genius of its inhabitants in thus selecting the most attractive spot to celebrate the orgies of idolatry. We were quite engaged in viewing a large building situated in a grove, where we observed some priests of Budha walking along the shore, attracted by the novel sight of a ship. Scarcely had we landed when another party of priests, in common garbs and very filthy, hastened down to us chanting hymns. When some books were offered them, they exclaimed, Praise be to Budha !' and eagerly took every volume that I had. We then ascended to a large temple, surrounded by trees and bamboos. An elegant portal and magnificent gate brought us into a spacious court, which was surrounded with a long range of buildings

* Journal of a Voyage along the Coast of China, 1832-33.

not unlike barracks, being the dwellings of the priests. On entering it, the huge images of Budha and his disciples, the representations of Kuân-yin, the goddess of mercy, and other idols, with the spacious and welladorned halle, exhibit an imposing sight to the foreign spectator.

He was a

"The high-priest requested an interview. deaf old man, who seemed to have very little authority, and his remarks were commonplace enough. We afterwards followed a paved road, discovering several other

[graphic]

*

Officiating Priest of Budha.

smaller temples, till we came to some high rocks, on which we found several inscriptions hewn in very large letters. One of them stated that China has sages. The excavations were filled with small gilt idols and superscriptions. On a sudden we came in sight of a still larger temple, with yellow tiles, by which we immediately

* This is a common practice of visitors, who employ artists to cut these gigantic letters very deep into the face of the rocks. The embassy of 1816 met with them near the Poyang lake.

recognised it as an imperial endowment. A bridge, very tastefully built over an artificial tank, led to an extensive area paved with quarried stones. Though the same architecture reigned in the structure of this larger building as in the others, we could distinguish a superior taste and a higher finish. The idols were the same, but their votaries were far more numerous; indeed, this is the largest temple I have ever seen. The halls, being arrayed with all the tinsel of idolatry, presented numerous specimens of Chinese art.

"The colossal images were made of clay, and tolerably well gilt. There were great drums and cylindrical bells in the temple. We were present at the vespers of the priests, which they chanted in the Pâli language, not unlike the Latin service of the Romish church. They held their rosaries in their hands, which rested folded upon their breasts. One of them had a small bell, by the tinkling of which their service was regulated; and they occasionally beat the drum and large bell to rouse Budha's attention to their prayers. The same words were a hundred times repeated. None of the officiating persons showed any interest in the ceremony, for some were looking around, laughing and joking, while others muttered their prayers. The few people who were present, not to attend the worship, but to gaze at us, did not seem in the least degree to feel the solemnity of the service. Though the government sometimes decries Budhism as a dangerous doctrine, we saw papers stuck up, wherein the people were exhorted to repair to these temples in order to induce Heaven to grant a fertile spring; and these exhortations were issued by the emperor himself. What inconsistency!

"On the island are two large and sixty small temples which are all built in the same style; and the idol of

Kuân-yin holds a prominent station.

We were told that square miles, 2000

upon this spot, not exceeding twelve priests were living. No females are allowed to live on the island, nor any layman suffered to reside there, except in the service of the priests. To maintain this numerous train of idlers, lands on the opposite island have been allotted for their use, which they farm out; but as this is still inadequate, they go upon begging expeditions, not only into the surrounding provinces, but even as far as Siam. From its being a place of pilgrimage, also, the priests derive great profits. To every person who visits this island it appears at first like a fairy land, so romantic is everything that meets the eye. Those large inscriptions hewn in solid granite; the many temples that appear in every direction; the highly picturesque scenery itself, with its many-peaked, riven, and detached rocks; and, above all, a stately mausoleum, the largest which I have ever seen, containing the bones and ashes of thousands of priests, quite bewilder the imagination."

As the Poo-to island closely adjoins Chusan, it was a place of frequent resort to the British during our five years' occupation.

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CHAPTER XVI.

RELIGION-TAOU SECT.

Laou-keun, the Chinese Epicurus - His sect

Fragment of old ro

inance "The philosopher and his wife' Origin of Voltaire's 'Zadig' Superstitions Fatalism Illustrative tale Charms and talismans Belief in ghosts illustrated Omens - Divination.

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THE third religious or philosophic persuasion that has established itself in China is that of Taou, or of Laoukeun, which was the name, or rather title, of the founder. This person appeared nearly simultaneously with Confucius, by whom he is mentioned about 560 years before the Christian era. As far as can be gathered of the real drift of his doctrines, he seems to have inculcated a contempt of riches and honours, and all worldly distinctions, and to have aimed, like Epicurus, at subduing every passion that could interfere with personal tranquillity and self-enjoyment. As death, however, was something that they could not pretend to despise, his disciples and successors set themselves to work to invent an elixir of long life, or of immortality, and thus became in time a species of alchymists. They have been alternately favoured and persecuted at different periods of Chinese history, but seem to have flourished most under the Soong dynasty, subsequent to the tenth century of our era, a period when all speculative opinions, and every species of spurious learning, were most in vogue.

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