China

looks with some favour also on the Hoi-Hoi or Moslems, whom Mongol emperors tolerated with Nestorian Christians, and Buddhists, in our middle ages. They say that Moslems worship truly the Tien-nu or “Lord of Heaven,” but are ignorant of philosophy, and foolishly prejudiced against the flesh of pigs. Some say cs that the gods will hereafter punish the Hoi-Hoi by turning them into pigs. But Buddhism has been more appreciated, as adapted to the feelings of the people by Chinese exponents; and, by “‘its transcendental philosophy” (Dr Edkins, Cath. Presb., August 1882) it “has won the learned; and by metempsychosis the people. By a lofty ascetic morality it has attracted those whose heart is made warm by representations of the beauty of self-denial, and contempt for worldly distinctions.” Those who regard Buddhist monks as idle should read the account, by Dr Edkins, of their labours on the engraved stones of a hill near Pekin—the Siau-si-tien, or “ Le er western heaven.” Dr Edkins here noted eight caves, closed with ma ive stone railings, in one of which alone he counted 150 tablets, each of 988 well cut characters, or 148,200 in all. A register, made about 1020 a.c., spoke of 1560 tablets at this site, all engraved between 620, and 639, a.c., by a pious monk Tsing-wan-tsing, and his five succe ors. The work went on regularly for tive generations, ceasing about 800 a.c., and recommenced in our 11th century. The first impetus seems to have been due to the return of Fa-hian, and other Chinese pilgrims to India, in our 5th century, and of Hiuen-Tsang two centuries later (see Buddha). The Liau dynasty (1026-1059 a.c.) allowed the monks of Si-yu-si monastery hard by to engrave 360 additional tablets, with an historical text to record the fact. Thus on this one hill alone there are 2730 tablets (equal in length to 32 copies of our New Testament); and of these 2130. were inscribed by six monks only, unpaid and unaided. Buddhists generally have, in like manner, often recopied their scriptures on stone. The Bible of the Amitabha sect (called the Tsing-tu-wen 0 Sakhravati-vyuba) was written in our 12th century by Wang Ti-hieu, a monk whom the Japanese regard as a reformer: for he preach reformation of character as “a source of happine to others.. enabling all to be born again in the peaceful land.” He held “though prayers and abstinence are good things, and self-reformatio a merit, yet it is a greater merit to reform others, and persuade them to exhort and teach their fellows. This gives honour in lif and endle happine hereafter... even the habit of repeating the divine name Amitabha, with desire of enlightenment, will raise u other hearty and wholesome desires, and confer peace” (see Amidas This doctrine however took little hold on the practical Chinese, being one of faith rather than of works, Most Buddhists themselves, Dr Edkins thinks (Rl, Asiatic Socy. Journal, Jan. 1881), look to Nirvana only as their goal. But their tombstones expre a hope of the heaven of Omito-Fo (Chinese for the Sanskrit Amitabha- Buddha), while they render Nirvana by Mie-tu (‘destruction and salvation ”) calling it also “joy and peace.” It is the “far-off shore”; and neither in China nor in Japan is the doctrine of transmigration of the soul much held. “Even the body of Buddha has perished, and only his Fa-shin or ‘doctrinal self’ exists in wisdom and power,” Confucius had told them that “ What you do not understand consider that you do not know.” Among the ma es Buddha became a powerful god, as Omito-Fo, “the guide, hearer, and answerer of prayer ”; “a real saviour to all who believe and call on him,” sitting in Tsing-tu, “the pure land,” and ever listening to his children’s cries. 452