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The incense, especially, must be prepared from sandal wood, not such as is commonly used, which may not be genuine, or, at least, not free from adulteration, but of the purest kind. The western portion of the building should be covered with mats, or, if the ground be damp, kneeling stools may be provided. The days appointed for worship and for reciting the sentences are the thi-ee seventh days of the month; the ' Kwan-yin witli the thousand hands and thousand eyes. 400 A CATENA OF BUDDHIST "' hours" are six, viz., thrico in the morning and thrice in the evening. There must on no account be any abatement of the prescribed hours. Before entering the sacred precincts, due attention must be given to personal cleanliness ; the garments worn must be new ones and clean, or, if not new, at any rate the best in the possession of the worshippers. One hour before and after service there should be no mixed conversation. On meeting one another there should be merely the customary mode of respectful salutation. After the first service {i. e., the service of the first canonical hour) the mind should be chiefly occupied in con- sidering and weighing the nature of the ten vows of obliga- tion entei'ed on. The thoughts should be so occupied with- out intermission. Even whilst eating and drinking- such thoughts should be persevered in, nor should the impressions received be allowed to be lost. But if at time of prayer there be no devotional thoughts, but only a confused way of going through external duties, and if after worship there be indifferent conversation, gossip- ing and babbling, hurrying to and fro, lounging about or sleeping, just as on ordinary days; if there be such criminal acts of careless self-indulgence, what benefit or assistance can we look for from our religious exercises ? The rules and directions for the service must also be properly studied and prepared ; so that in going through it there may be outward decorum observed as well as inward devotion, whilst each portion of it is properly rendered. Without such preparation, at the time of beginning the service, the mind and thoughts will be confused and hurried, and so the whole course of it will be unprofitable and nuga- tory. Finally, let all worshippers strive after a firm faith, and excite in themselves an earnest intention : and so havinjr purified the three faculties of thought, speech, and action, and engaging in this worship in a spirit of entii'e devotion, they shall obtain their prayei's. End of Preface. SCRIPTURES FROM THE CHINESE. 401 THE ENTRANCE. [DirectionJ] — The worshippers, on entering the main court of tlie Temple, shall reverently bow the head. On leaving it let them say — {^Invocation.'] — Hail ! Great Compassionate Kwan-yin Bod- hisatwa ! \_Direction.'] — Slowly and reverently reciting this invocation, let them enter the sanctuary, and having invested the altar three times, and arranged themselves in an upright position, let them, after reflection, begin the following Hymn of Praise : — [Hymn.']— Hail diffusive lucense-Cloud !^ Bright mirror of the Divine excellences ! Far-spreading, boundless is the Heart of Wisdom (Divine essence). Wherever lights one single ray (of that wisdom) There is worship — there is praise — To honour him who reisfns as King" in the midst of all. [Invocation.~\ — All hail, Incense-clond-canopy, Bodhi- satwa! Mahasatwa. (To be repeated three times.) [Direction.'] — The Hymn of Praise being finished, then chant the fol- lowing : — [Chant.] — Profoundly Reverent, In close communion^ we adore the Everlasting Buddha, and the Everlasting Law, and the Everlasting Assembly (Church). (One bow after each asci'iption.) [Then continue], "This whole assembly, prostrate in adoration, holding flowers and incense, presents this bounden sacrifice. [Direction^ — Here the worshippers, holding flowers and incense in their hands, shall prostrate themselves and chant — [Chant.] — Oh ! may this incense-cloud and the perfume ' In all Buddhist temples incense is continually burning before the various objects of worship. ■■' The phrase "in close communion" is an adaptation from the original, which is "one heart." This phrase "one heart'' is explained in an appendix of the present work to signify that worshippers and the object of worship are both " one" (spiritually). D D 402 A CATENA OF BUDDHIST of tbese flowers spread through the worlds of space (lit. of the ten regions) ^ and reach to every land of all the Buddhas. l^Direction.'] — Then let the worshippers light the incense and scatter the flowers, and with profound reflection, say — 1 scatter these flowers and this incense In token of the mysterious character and the excellence of the Doctrine we (profess)^ (Symbols of) the harmony of Heaven and its hol}^ joys [lit. precious perfume). Angels' food and their sacred vestments. How impossible is it to exhibit in words the infinite por- tions of the mysterious^ universe ! Each single atom evolved from all the atoms, Each single atom evolved from the aggregate of all, Revolving thus unhindered they unite in one harmonious whole. And thus diffused through space they appear before the three precious objects of worship. And before the three precious objects of worship through- out the vast collective universe. Thus as I with my body offer this sacrifice. It is presented throughout each region of the universe. Unhindered, unopposed by any external object ; And so through endless ages yet to come, discharging these sacred duties. All sentient creatures united at length with the Divine essence, (Thus united) shall attain the Heart of Wisdom," the State that admits of no Birth, the Wisdom of Buddha him- self. [Having concluded these offerings, let all remain solemnly reverent.] l_Directio7i.'] — Having finished this chant, bow once. Let the wor- shippers now repeat the following invocations. ' Miau fah, i. e., saddharma. 2 I need not say that in the translation of such passages as the above, T can only hoi)e to attain to some obscure idea of the meaning of the original. The Ili-avt of Wisdom evidently implies Supreme Wisdom, or the Divine essence. SCRIPTURES PROM THE CHINESE. 403 [Chant.] — One in Spirit, respectfully we invoke thee. Hail ! our own Teacher Sakya Muni Lokajit. l^Secret.'] — My nature being one with that of Tathfigata, if only the obstacles be removed, he will come and receive our offerings. [The following invocations are similar to the above, following in order] ; viz., to — 2. Amitabha Lokajit of the world Sukhavati. 8. Silaprabha Raja Lokajit, of endless Kalpas past. 4. All the past Buddhas numerous as the sands of count- less rivers Ganges. [And so on down to Devas, Nagas, and Spirits.] [Prayer,] — Oh! would that our own Teacher, Sakya Muni, and our merciful Father Amitabha (and the rest), would descend to this sacred precinct and be present with us who now discharge these rehgious duties. Would that the great, perfect, illimitable compassionate Heart, influenced by these invocations, would now attend and receive our offerings. May the Omnipotent and Omniscient Kwan-yin, bearing the sword of her own strong vow^ now come amongst us recit- ing these Divine sentences, and remove from us the three obstacles (viz., of impure thought, speech, and action). [And so on for other invocations.] \_Direction.'] — [All the above part of the Service, from the first invoca- tion to Sakya j\Iuni down to the last words in the Text, must be repeated only on the first day; on other days, after the oblation of incense and flowers, proceed as follows] — [Chant.'] — Hail ! Saddharma Prabha Tathagata of by- gone ages ©.^ And thou ! our ever-present Kwan-shi-yin- Bodhisatwa, who hast perfected wondrous merit, and art possessed of great mercy, who, in virtue of thine infinite power and wisdom, art manifested throughout the universe for the defence and protection of all creatures, and who leadest all to the attainment of boundless wisdom, and teachest them the connection of Divine Sentences©. ^ Thou 1 The mark © in the original probably denotes a change of tone in the recitation of the chant. The celebrant priest always holds a small bell in his hand with which he denotes a change of tone, etc.