23rd Jan.
A Bouppuist work of twelve hundred years ago by a Chinese author says that im Djambudwipa, that is in Asia, the clothing of the inhabitants varies to a large extent, and the custom of shaving off the heir and beard exists in some regions, while elsewhere hair is worn divided into two pendent guedes, here are also countries where all the hair is shaved off except that at the crown, which is tied into one ne. This author also mentions that some nations pluck out the hair entirely, while others cut it short. Some people, he says, let the hair flow loose down on the shoulders while others prefer to plait it, In some instances the front hair is plaited and the back hair left loose. A thousand years Passed away and the Tartar custom, which this author described as an outlandish novelty, became the custom of all China. The crown was left but all the rest of the hair was shaven. This became the national custom at the Manchu conquest about A.D. 1644. It did not become the rule in China to shave off the hair all round the crown from any religions motive but simply by military compulsion. You have to obey orders, said the conquerors, sword in hand. If you refuse to shave according to the Tartar custom you must die, for iesthood. In the case of every Budlhistthe shaving of the entire head isthe fruit of a religious vow, professedly made with the most serious and desired act of will to forsake the world. It is only dispensed with when he takes a greater vow, that of the long-haired ascetic. Buddhism opens the way to a succession of stages in the religious life, and he who wears his hair unshorn has reached a higher grade than the shaven crowd of monks who chant their prayers together in praise of Buddha in the sacred hall of their temple. Such a man lives alone and gives himself to high meditation. His wearing his hair unshorn is a sign that he is too absorbed in thought to attend to the adornment of the body. This and other customs of the Buddhists have, it may be said, been silent witnesses to the rest of the Chinese of the importance of the Buddhist spiritual teaching. 'I'he complete shaving of head and beard of the common Buddhist, and unshaven hair of the hermits who are bound by the higher vows, have been symbols from which Buddhism desired that all neophytes should learn the importance of the spiritual and the eternal, and the iufeziority of the material and the evanescent.
But the tonsure did not begin with the Buddhists. It began in south-western Asia, that wonderful centre of the world's great movements of thought, or in Egypt, early distinguished for its civilisation. The Egyptian priests were completely shorn atid from them the habit of shaving off hair and beard extended to the laity. Only the women always wore their own hair, and they were not shaved even in mourning or after death, Shaving was universal among the men, but the hair and beard were allowed to grow in times of mourn-proof of the judicious economy that refusal will constitute you a rebel.
So ing. They wore wigs instead of their marks the present management of the the d was made from the north-natural hair, and they had a wig for the company could not be desired. As to the readiness to make changes of sys-east Rennes as the conquest proceeded, till the whole nation had their heads chin which could be pat on and taken off at pleasure like the wig they wore tem, Mr. Sutherland mentioned that shaved except the crown. The Mongols on the head. Shaving began with reli-the company were now coaling their when they conquered China did not act gion and ended with its being adopted ships at Brindisi, because they could in this way in the '13th century, but as necessary to cleanliness and civilisaget Cardiff coal carried there and put allowed the Chinese to dress their hair tion. The ancient Greeks visited Egypt on board more cheaply than they could with a comb in the national way, while and adopted Egyptian customs and we get it put on board in London. It is they themselves wore a central guese see the result in the way in which this acuteness to see and to seize advan- anc shaved round the crown, like the they treated the hair. They combined tages of this kind as they arise, that Manchus of to-day. the religious idea with that of civilisamakes Mr. Sutherland so invaluable a If it be asked why did the Tartars tion and cleanliness, and they added, chairman to this great company. shave, the reply will probably be correct as they would be: likely to do, the There is one other very interesting that the custom began in religion and notion that part of the hair should "point to notice in Mr. Sutherland's was continued for cleanliness, forfashion's be retained for ornamental purposes. speech, and that is his calculation that sake and for the comfort of the skin.
Each young man of respectable parentage the total and partial losses the com-'That religion was the originating cause when he became sixteen or seventeen pany's fleet has suffered during the last is likely, because in India with the cut off his hair as an offering to the twenty years by wrecks, collisions, spread of Buddhism the shaving of the gods. The commonness of this custom strandings, averages, law expenses, and entire head became very common. This in ancient Greece and Rome is certain all charges of a similar kind, would be was in pursuance of a vow to forsake evidence that a religious motive in-covered by a contribution of 22s, per the world. The monastic vow of the Budfluenced the ordinary population in £100 per annum upon the written-down diiists requires abandonment of worldly removing the natural hair by outting value of the fleet. "It amounts to this," enjoyments, and luxuries. To drink wine or shaving. They carried away the hair he says," that if we assume the pre-and eat flesh are both forbidden. People to dedicate it to some river god or to sent reduced value of your fleet at prided themselves on their hair and the temple of some divinity locally £2,500,000, we find that according to therefore that must go also. The monk worshipped. At Rome the Vestal Virgins the experience of the last 20 years our probable loss will- be covered by an and nun must ad forsake the world. cut their hair short on taking their The entire loss of the hair is requisite for vows. At the present time in the Papal annual contribution of something like every one who gives himself in cordial Church nuns do so too on taking the £27,000 or £28,000." This is a mag-devotion to Buddha, the law, and the veil. Our own cutting of the hair
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.