Puslapio vaizdai
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made complaint to the Governor Li Pih, who was just about to examine into the case, when the bonze at the head of his creatures rushed into court armed with sticks, and, dragging Pih across the official table which separated him from them, and forcing him to the ground by the hair, commenced to pummel him vigorously, dragged him back and shut him up in an empty room. After some time he succeeded in getting out, when he hurried to court to lay his complaint, but here again the offenders escaped under a pardon. In the 2nd year another case occurred in which eighteen bonzes, headed by one Kung Ko, got into a dispute about the right of the road with one of the princes named Hoh-erh-pah-lah, the Huh-t'uh-ch'ih-tih-kin; his princess was dragged out of her cart and beaten, and moreover they used language insulting to the emperor. When the matter was reported the emperor ordered their dismissal without trial. But when the high departmental officers had made their representation about the matter they obtained a decree to the effect that any persons beating the western bonzes should have their hands chopped off, and any persons abusing them have their tongues cut out. At that time Jen Tsung was heir-apparent, and, hearing of this lost no time in persuading the emperor not to put this law into force.

The Emperor Tai Ting ordered the bonzes to chaunt the sutras in one of his halls, and personally took the vows at the hands of the Imperial Instructor. He built Buddhist monasteries and adorned them with ornamentations in gold and jewels. His minister Chang Kwei said: "From ancient times our sacred princes have confined their zeal to the cares of government, hoping by these means to move Nature and the Unseen Powers in their favour. No one has ever sought felicity from bonzes and Taoists at the cost of injuring the people and the state. The bonzes have no other motive than greed for gain, and all the fine things supplied them are pocketted by themselves. They take possession according to their lusts of the fat of the land and the people for their own personal benefit. They keep wives and have children,10 which, besides being an impurity in itself, is nothing less than a foul insult to the gods. In what way 2 Probably the general pardon on a new accession. 3 3 By AJ.

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4 A this was his name; of the remainder,, Teghin, according to Bretschneider (N. C. B. R. A. S. J., Vol. x, p. 190) was a Turkish title. 5; evidently a mistake for E, "to pull.”

語侵上

; I presume this is what is meant, as another authority gives 7宣政院臣

8 Ayyulipalipata. Mr. Watters says he wasted a great deal of gold in having

sacred books transcribed in characters of that metal. Mr. Watters gives a full

account of similar waste ou the part of Shotopola, or Ying Tsung, who came between Jen Tsung and T'ai Ting.

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can felicity be obtained from such. Of late years Buddhist operations have been ever on the increase, and emperor after emperor has reigned but a short time, while disasters have followed each other with increasing rapidity, from which it is evident such doings do not pay. I and my colleagues are of opinion that all works upon new temples and such like should be at once put a stop to." But the emperor would not listen. Then the censor Li Chang2 represented that Tibetan bonzes, supplied with baizas in golden letters, were continually on the road, making themselves comfortable in the people's houses, trying to get hold of young boys and defiling women with their lust. The post-masters had no one to listen to their complaints, and the censorate was afraid to take any steps. He begged that the Hall of Censors might be allowed to bring offenders to book. But no notice was taken of this.

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In Shun Ti's time a decree appointed a Tibetan bonze as National Instructor to the Mongol empire, and his pupils all selected girls of free birth; sometimes three, sometimes four, to wait upon them under the name of "nurses." The emperor went on to invent the Dance of Celestial Demons, and things got to such a pitch that men and women went about naked, whilst sovereign and subject openly proclaimed their lewdness. Meanwhile a pack of bonzes had the free run of the private palace buildings, and their vile doings were so notorious that the humblest of the lower orders heard of them with disgust.7

In this devotion to Buddhism on the part of the Mongol dynasty the expenditure lavished upon religious buildings grew more extensive day by day. Every year the gaols were delivered of their criminals with a view of bringing down happiness." The acceptance of bribes and the sale of office was openly indulged in under cover of the Imperial Instructor's expressed words, and as for murderous robbers and ravishing blackguards very many of them got off clear through judiciously intriguing for it.10

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3 Mr. Watters seems to be a little out in his dates, for he says Ying Tsung had already taken their travelling privileges from them on account of these abuses. 6 天嵬舞; probably from Mara (魔羅),

4大元國師

the God of Lust."

5 供養

7 Mr. Watters remarks that Marco Polo says nothing of all this, but Marco had left for Europe long before this. Shun Ti was the last of the wretched Mongol dynasty. 8 醮祠 ; to a certain extent this absurd practice is still in vogue; this year, for instance, on the cccasion of the Dowager-Empress' 60th birthday. 10 A note from the B says: "The high esteem for the Buddhist faith shown by the Mongol dynasty produced corresponding greed and licence on the part of the bonzes, whose wealth in property of all kinds exceeded that of the Imperial Princes and Royal Personages. The domineering use they made of their power was greater than that of the most powerful princes and the most arrogant ministers. They meddled in matters of state and squandered the wealth of the empire. It has been said, indeed, of the Mongol empire that it perished half through bouzes,' which ought to be a salutary warning to others."

The Ming Emperor Ch'êng1 Tsu conferred a title upon western bonzes, and by imperial decree one Ha Hih-ma2 was placed in charge of all affairs in the empire appertaining to the Buddhist teaching. The number of bonzes and Taoists in the imperial dominions was fixed at not exceeding forty for each prefecture, thirty for each department and twenty for each district. The Emperor Suan Tsung' said to his ministers in attendance: "It is only human nature to desire long life. In the cases of Chung Tsung, Kao Tsung and Tsu Kiah, of the Shang dynasty and Duke Wên, of the Chou dynasty, all these enjoyed the longest of reigns, but who ever heard of spiritual beings in those times? On the other hand, Ts'in Shi-hwang and Han Wu-ti instituted search for such, whilst Liang Wu-ti and Sung Hwei-tsung were devout Buddhists. In not one of these cases did anything good result. I am fain to sigh when I see that in our own day men are just as superstitious as ever."

The Emperor Shi Tsung caused to be burnt all the Buddhist sanctuaries in the palace precincts, together with hundreds and even thousands of gold printed books' and images of Buddha. All the relics of Buddha in the shape of bones and teeth were pitched away almost without an exception.8

1A; this man appears to have been a Tibetan conjuror, or at least to have come from Tibet. See Manchu Relations with Tibet (N. C. B. R. A. S. J., 1886) page 290. He was made大寶法王

As each of these is a subdivision of the other it would appear that a prefecture might have had several hundred in all.

3 The third emperor and usurper Yung Loh (1403-241), who sent eunuchs all over the Indian Ocean and Red Sea to find the legitimate monarch. The term is used of conquerors and founders, whilst the term is considered good enough for ordinary "preserving" monarchs.

1425-1435. 5,. posthumous titles subsequently conferred, probably by the Chou dynasty upon Tai Mao (B. C. 1637-1562) and Wu Ting (B. C. 1324-1265) "restoration" () monarchs. Previous to Chou Wen-wang there were no posthumous titles. 8 I believe one exception still exists underneath

as

6神仙‧

7金範

a stupa near the Marble Bridge of Peking.

The Executive Committee of the Synodical Missionary Society of China, Presby. terian Church U. S. A. (North) held its annual meeting at Shanghai, May 8th. The treasurer reported receipts as follows:

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Deducting 50 cts, expenses there remained $425.55 in the treasury.

$212.23

111.24

71.98

25.00

5.60

$426.05

The Committee decided to begin work by sending two young men, who had been recommended by the Ningpo and Shanghai Presbyteries to open up work at the city of Dzong-byong (), south of the Great Lake, inviting other Presbyteries to recommend suitable men to occupy such other fields as may be opened in the future.

Subscriptions to "Empress Presentation Fund."

(Continued.)

Since our report, which appeared in the May No. of the RECORDER, we have to acknowledge the receipt of the following sums :—

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8th L. M. S., Peking

120

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Miss Wigham

2.70

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200

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135

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21

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Mrs. Allerdyce

2.00

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Union Church Jun. C. E.,
Shanghai

C. I. M., Kao-in...

9th Free Meth. M., Wenchow 331
L. M. S., Peking

11th Wesleyan Miss., Canton
Prot. Episc. M., Shanghai
Amer. Bapt. M.,Shanghai 12
Amer. Bapt. M., Quinsan
Amer. Bapt. M., Soochow
C.I.M.,Chin-chow, Kansuh 38

12th L. M. S., Hongkong
13th Bridgman School and A.

B. C. F. M., Peking...
American Bapt., Ningpo 127
A. Bapt., Sui-fu, Szechuan

14th C. I. M., Sui-fu, Szechuan
B.M.U., Sui-fu, Szechuan
L. M. S., Tientsin

Canton...

L. M. S., Amoy

15th Rhenish M., Fuk-weng...
U. B. Mission, Canton...

Swatow

387

U. P. Scotch M., M'churia 47
Am. Presb. M., Shantung 143
C. I. M., Cheo-kia-keo,
Honan

C. M. S., Hangchow

L. M. S., Chili

A. B., Huchow, Chekiang

13

16th A. B. C. F. M., Foochow 144

C.I.M., Lao-ho-keo, Honan 32

L. M. S., Chung-king

N. W. of Fukien

18th C. I. M., Chung-king

NOTE. If those who have not sent the number of contributors would, if possible, yet do so it would make the record much more complete.

1 Quinsan Road,

Shanghai, June 18th, 1894.

MRS. T. RICHARD,

Treasurer.

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