Basing their plea on the ground that, after all, they are but human' beings, Buddhist nuns of Japan are appealing to public opinion to elie them of at least som: of the restrictions made necessary. by their religious vows.
Two thousand nuns belonging to the Jodo-shu, or "Pure Land Sect, Jo militant Buddhistic organization fare leading the fight, causing 4 ser nin Buddhist circles and cons ternation amongst the men priests, The right to have long hair, like other women, instead of being foreed to shave the head when they enter the monastery, is one of the mai concessions sought after. With the shaving or non-shaving of the head is intimately connected the question of whether or not the nuns marry.
In Japan, Buddhist nung are compelled to take the vow of celibacy, but abject poverty or implicit obedience is not exacted. The shaving of the head, however, is deemed obligatory, as it is regarded outward sign of inward acceptation of the vow of celibacy. The Bud-diiist hierarchy is now alarmed, because it is thought that the next step would be a demand that nuns should be permitted to marry if they 'Men priests, in many sects, are' not forced to take the vow of celia back and the change waa effected in comparatively modern times. The reason advanced then was that the priests were but human, and that. it was both cruel and ile deny them rights inherent to all aid. The same reason is now being advocated by the nuns who, in their manifesto to the public, ' declare: We experience the sonic feel as do the priests and all others.
It was about a yar ago that the nuns sought to "elevate" their status, The High Priest, however, severely frowned on the movement and the nuns were silenced. The nuns have now carried their case to the bar of publ jon. They are! better organized and have more participants than they had a year ago. The first shots in what the nuns call their campaign for emancipation will be fired next month, on the same day the Diet meets, when 5,000 nuns from all parts of the country, will hold a mass meeting and de-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.