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But, as in most cases, there is much incredible matter added to the story——— as for instance, with regard to the contro- versy between the Taouist priests and the new missionaries or envoys from India. In this account, we are assured that miracles were wrought to convince the emperor and people of the superior claims of the Buddhist religion; and it is added, the Taouist priests, abashed at their de- feat, fell dead in the presence of the assembled multitudes. Leaving these stories out of the account, we seem to 74 BUDDHISM IN ENGLISH have before us a simple narrative of an event probable in itself, viz., of the introduction into China of books and teachers related to a foreign religion, now gathering no- tice throughout the east, and which had already spread to the confines of the empire. When we remember, too, that Kaniska and his followers had embraced this creed, and that it had probably found its way into Parthia,— all this taken into connexion with the story of the emperor’s dream, makes it likely that we have in the foregoing re- cord an historical fact, viz., that Buddhism found its way from India to China in 71 A. p. —S, Beal, “Buddhism in China” — CHAPTER XIX SHINTOISM AND BUDDHISM No contrast in religion is greater than this, Shznio, the Way of the Gods, and Butsudo, the Way of the Buddhas, In Shinto all is simplicity: the shrine(miya) is the an- cient hut slightly modified without elaboration or or- namentation ; with the sori, or bird perch, before it, it contains no idol or symbol except a mirror, and, in the great historic temples, the stored insignia; the priests are plain citizens who are versed in the ritual; the prayers are involved in form but simple in substance, and the di- SHINTOISM AND BUDDHISM 75 vinities are the familiar objects of everyday contemplation —mountains, and sea, and sun, and rock, and tree. Around these gather the sacred memories of the dead, and connected with them are the traditions of the past. The worshipper is conscious of adoration, reverence, wonder, dependence, but he is unable to tell the inquirer how or why. There is neither creed nor dogma nor required ceremonial, but a dim conviction and a vague emo- tion which make life the better worth living. But when from the mya we pass to the sera, how great the contrast! Instead of the simple ord are towering gateways, elaborate, ornate, with immense guardian statues, and within are a large and complicated structure and elaborate worship: gongs, bells, incense, revolving libraries, pagodas, sacred wells, drum towers, images, pictures, carvings, litanies, and companies of tonsured monks. There are monasteries, nunneries, schools for priests, assembly rooms for congregations, holy days and seasons; magnificently illuminated copies of sacred books with everything for the satisfaction of the intelligence, the emotions, and the will. Shinto has, properly speaking, no sacred book, but the Buddhist canon numbers hundreds of volumes and its perusal is a task beyond the powers of any but the most exceptional students. It has many great sects, some of them mutually hostile, with a large number of minute di- visions and subdivisions, as if nothing were too petty for the foundation of a distinct order, Hence it has a 76 BUDDHISM IN ENGLISH minute and intricate theology, with apologetics, dogma- tics, exegesis, polemics, and traditions. It thus is in con- trast to Shinto on its intellectual as on its material side; the ethics of Shinto are at most “Fear the gods and obey the Emperor,” But Buddhism has an ethics which embraces all orders of sentient beings throughout the universe. Shinto is bounded by Japan in time and space, but Bud- dhism embraces the universe and stretches its claims throughout unnumbered ka/yas from eternity to eternity. Shinto has to do with the world we see and hear and touch, but Buddhism conceives this all as a “fleeting show, for man’s delusion given,” and seeks salvation in a world behind the world. In Japan the two are in juxtaposition. We may pass at once from miya to tera, and in like fashion the nation it- self went from primitive Shinto to the Buddhist faith. For we do not study in this change a slow evolution by means of “resident forces,’ but a conversion —-not growth, but regeneration, — for thus may man’s nature respond to ex- ternal influences and more be accomplished in a genera- tion than otherwise in centuries. The seventh century A. D, was more important to Japan than all the time which had preceded it. We have referred already to the effect of the introduction of Chinese civilisation upon the minds of the leaders of the people. According to the Wéhong#, after earlier ineffectual attempts, in the year 552 priests and images came to Yamato and were given a welcome anda habitation, the prime-minister becoming patron of the ~ SHINTOISM AND BUDDHISM 77 foreign cult. But shortly after, a pestilence breaking out, it was attributed to the wrath of the native gods, so that the temple was destroyed, the books disappeared, and the statue was cast into the sea. But the image was re- covered miraculously, and shortly after the Emperor’s palace was destroyed by fire from heaven, the two chief opponents of Buddhism perishing in the lames. Therefore the Emperor commanded the rebuilding of the temple, and a further mission of Korean priests took the place of those who had been driven away. These were followed by others in increased numbers, and the favour was won not only of the prime-minister but of the court, and finally of the Emperor himself. _Anti- foreign and anti-Buddhistic feeling was aroused and a re- bellion resulted, but it was put down, and in the year 621 Buddhism became the established religion. Bishops and archbishops were appointed, the country was divided into dioceses, temples were erected in all important places, and students crossed the sea to Korea, and more especially to China to study the religion in its sources. Thenceforth there was still conflict, but Shinto grew steadily weaker and Buddhism stronger, for Shinto could not maintain itself against the doctrines, rites, and com- plete organisation of its rival. Shinto could only invoke the wrath of the native gods and the love of the people for their divinities. The attribute of deity was power, and it was manifest in the pestilence which broke out when the first temple was erected ; but the argument could be turned 78 BUDDHISM IN ENGLISH the other way, and the Buddhists were quick to seize the opportunity, for who could say that the pestilence did not come because of the anger of the Buddhas at the coolness of their reception? The Shinto priests were not fairly matched with the newcomers, neither in dialectics nor in miracles. Thus did the fire fall from heaven to reinforce the argument, and thus later at a crucial moment was a solemn voice from the most holy Shinto temple in Ise heard commanding a hesitating Emperor to build a great statue of Buddha. Dreams and portents added effect to the ar- guments, and finally the love of the people for their deities was utilised when the ingenious and miracle-working priest, K0b0-Daishi, declared that the native gods were incarnations of Buddha. Besides, the Buddhist monks were deeply in earnest and devoted to evangelistic labours, and how could simple-hearted laymen like the Shinto priests compete with them ? —G, W. Knox, “ The Development of Religion in Japan” — CHAPTER XX KOBO-DAISHI Kobd indeed was both the Philo and Euhemerus of Japan, plus a large amount of priestly cunning and what KOBO-DAISHI 79 his enemies insist was dishonesty and forgery. Soon after his return from China, he went to the temples of Isé, the most holy place of Shinto, Taking a reverent attitude before the chief shrine, that of Toyo Uké Bims no Kami or Abundant-Food-Lady-God, or the deified Earth as the producer of food and the upholder of all things upon its surface, the suppliant waited patiently while fasting and praying. In this, Kobd did but follow out the ordinary Shinto plan for securing god-possession and obtaining revelation; that is, by starving both the stomach and the brain, After a week’s waiting he obtained the vision. The Food- possessing Goddess revealed to him the yoke (or yoga) by which he could harness the native and the imported gods to the chariot of victorious Buddhism. She mani- fested herself to him and delivered the revelation on which his system is founded, and which, briefly stated, is as follows : All the Shint6 deities are avatars or incarnations of Bud- dha. They were manifestations to the Japanese, before Gautama had become the enlightened one, or the jewel in the lotus, and before the holy wheel of the law or the sacred shastras and siitras had reached the island empire. Furthermore, provision was made for the future gods and deified holy ones, who were to proceed from the loins of the Mikado, or other Japanese fathers, according to the saying of Buddha which is thus recorded in a Japa- nese popular work: 80 BUDDHISM IN ENGLISH “Life has a limited span, and naught may avail to extend it, This is manifested by the impermanence of human beings, but yet, whenever necessary, I will hereafter make my appear- ance from time to time as a god(Kami), a sage (Confucian teacher), or a Buddha (Hotoké).” In a word}. the Shintd goddess talked as orthodox (Yoga) Buddhism as the ancient characters of the In- dian, Persian and Pre-Islam-Arabic stories in the Arabian Nights now talk the purest Mohammedanism. According to the words put into Gautama’s mouth at the time of his death, the Buddha was already to reappear in the par- ticular form and in all the forms, acceptable to Shintdists, Confucianists, or Buddhists of whatever sect.