The goddess of mercy is vet catholic in her favours, for she dispenses blessings in into and Taoist temples impartially. In the ling Miao (Red Temple) of Shanghai, the prostitutes posture and burn candles before her for the good of their profession, which as Kipling says is the oldest in the world. Since the days when the Temple of Mylitta flourished in Babylon supplications have been raised to this calling. The Hing Miao Temple, sometimes called by foreigners the workman's temple, carries on a bus' ness as lucrative as any in Shan; hai. It was "ordained" by the Government before the white man knew this port. Situated on the most important business street of the city it is flanked by two shops that pay an enormous rent! to the Temple, for the privilege of selling jus money, incense and candles to ihe benighted public. One shop with the true Chinese eye te business runs a money ange department in connexion. In the temple five result of which was to be a filteriax fortune-tellers and an "eye spec- of virtue from top to bottom soci: laiist" carry on a paying business. ly. There are many shrines erected About the walls hang many mottoes to his memory, where sacrifices. are donated by the faithful. Many of propitiatory. ' The first of these them are from prostitutes. whose sacrificial shrines in China, though income has been increased by the not of course to Confucius, was kindly offices of the goddess. To erected in 2600 B.C. the right of the idol is the hall of Buddha lived in the sixth confu the calendar. Each year is repre- B.C. He was an Indian prince who The Russian Consulate now obscures this view of the German Church. sented by an image who governs the—gave up home and family to und 3 born during take a hie of self-suppression, Each image is associated—tain educators say that he was the an animal, in the Tanist greatest moral influence before Christ. He was, if cultivating a On a Feast Day. progress is moral. He wis ha negative virtue id denying all
The Shinto Yewple of Kwanr r in India, the land of in Japan, known as Hase-no-Kwan- sical torture, in' the name of non, also shelters the goddess st Teligion. Asoka, in the third cen merey. In this abode she is made tury B.C., was entirely won over of lacquer and gilded over. The Buddhisn' and, with Buddhist mis doors of this temple are. usually Sionaries, spread the teaching over closed, and a small fee (a large fee India. The first Buddhist temple is not prohibited) must be paid to Was erected at Buddh Gya, India. the priest to admit one. I met the In the grounds of this temple flow Kwannon goddess first on a feast ishes a slip of the original Tio t and her attendant images wider witch Buddha sat when ring feeding bibs. It is received his enlightenment. The 4 Shinto temple and consequently temple is built in " hollow, and one foot is given to the spirits of the must descend a flight of stone stai and to the gods who guard to reach it. The main temple is the spirits of the dead. shut in by mai I buildings.
The Shinto.religion (together It is an imposing structure 170-ft. with other forms of ancestor wor. high. Considering that it is con-ship) is, no doubt, the basic note "f structed of brick, cemented with religion. The Taoist School mud, it has lasted unusually well, aches the search for immortality. for its date is 543 B.C. Inside are Tt believes in deathlessness and the Many. statues of Buddha—Buddha translation of both body and soul, teaching. Buddha praying, Buddh Temons and genii are legion in this meditating, and Buddha renouncing creed. All Taoist temples have the world. Most of the yellow-toby divination instruments—such as Priests une sees about the place stalks of grass, tortoise shells, ani- stop long enough between puffs of mals, bamboo roots, the planchette smoke from the hookah to mumble (this humbug came originally from something called prayer and to beg China), fortune-telling sticks, ete. for money.
Tao Chiao, or Taoism means "The Way," Chiao meaning "to beat a The Law of the Vedas. child into imitation," and Tao, of ¢ q "the unknown factor or principle, Hinduism, a philosophy rather of nature." than a religion, started with the law of the Vedas, and if it had The Cult of the Learned. followed its original lines it ight have given the world the finest jo Confucianism is the cult of the. in its crown of cree Hinduism learned. It emphasizes the politico- is divided into numberless religious side of life. Its roots are tes, each worshipping a separate to be found in primitive animism, idol. Hindus will tell one that but its spirits were subject toa they do not worship idols, but that supreme personal being. Confucius each idol represents a symbol was practical, but never heroic. He something they do worship. This enforced a negative golden rule, the is all very well, but to see this
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.