CHINESE BUDDHISM. 



535 



Among the tenets of the faith is one commonly called " works 

 of merit/' similar to and for the same objects as supererogation 

 that is, doing more good than the present emergencies require 

 for the purpose of having a balance to one's credit in case of 

 emergency. Priests under such pious inspiration go into the 

 markets and buy squirming eels of fish-mongers and liberate 

 them. Paying for them with money first begged from door to 

 door. The relative merits of buying these eels and giving them 

 to the hungry for food have not occurred to them ; but they are not 

 the only people who take the least probable route to gain favor in 

 the sight of their final Judge. Acts of personal torture and self- 

 denial rank high in the line of " merit," and men are not infre- 

 quently met with who inflict the most atrocious penalties upon 

 themselves in the vain belief that it will gain them high standing 

 in the eyes of the powers that control their future destinies. The 

 people can not understand disinterested benevolence ; hence, when 

 missionaries go among them and apparently put themselves to 

 inconveniences to induce the people to accept their teachings, they 

 are looked upon with a certain respect ; but their actions are in- 

 variably construed as being " works of merit," and that, instead 

 of their good, it is the future good of the missionary himself 

 which he is looking after. 



I knew an English missionary who went into the famine dis- 

 trict, twelve years ago, to distribute the relief sent there from 

 England ; and the chances were ten to one that he would never 

 return alive. Yet the people admired him as being piously seek- 

 ing to lay up treasures in heaven to his own credit. 



But the leading characteristic of the Buddhist faith, and the 

 one in the light of which all their actions and observances must 

 be judged, is the doctrine of transmigration of souls. In this 

 belief lies whatever of practical good comes from the system, in 

 addition to the rest of mind and contentment which come of one 

 being entirely satisfied with his faith. It is urged by religious 

 people in this country that the disciplinary benefits arising out of 

 the belief in a future state of rewards and punishments are ap- 

 parent in and essential to good society; that if a belief in this 

 doctrine be annihilated, society would lapse into a state of bar- 

 barism and outlawry. "Without entering into any discussion of 

 this question, it is sufficient to say that the restraining effects 

 of the belief in transmigration are an equally strong motive for 

 right-doing. 



They believe that life is a succession of existences, and that 

 every grade and condition of life are the product of a former career. 

 All animals are equally immortal as men ; and, in fact, the souls 

 of all are identical and interchangeable. Hence, to kill an ox or a 

 dog is as much murder as to kill a man. So strong is this belief, 



