INTRODUCTION.. 21 



can I look upon you without wishing to kill you. My best way to avoid such ingratitude, and to 

 reconcile my conflicting duties, is never to see you more; and thus do I insure it." With these 

 words, he tore out his eyes, and presented them to Yoritomo on a salver. The prince, struck 

 with admiration, released him, when Kakekigo withdrew into retirement and founded this 

 second order of the blind, which is called, after Prince Feki, the Feldsado. 



There are two sects among the Sin-syu : the Yuitz and the Riohoo-Sintoo. The first are the 

 rigidly orthodox, who will allow of no innovation. They are few in number, and consist mostly 

 of the Kaminusi or priests. The other sect, which comprises the great body of the Sintoos, is 

 eclectic, and has introduced a great deal of Buddhism into the system. 



Buddhism is the most widely diifused of all false creeds. Its followers amount to three hundred 

 and twenty millions, while those of Mohammed fall short of this number by fifty millions. The 

 founder of this religion was a man called Sal-ija-Sinha, (Syaka in Japan,) who, by his virtues 

 and austerity, attained to divine honors, and after death was deified under the name of Buddha, 

 or "the Sage." It is impossible to say when he was born. The earliest period named is 2,420 

 years before the Christian era ; the latest is but 543 years prior to that event. Neither can it 

 be said with certainty when Buddhism was introduced into Japan. Klaproth and Siebold, both 

 of whom profess to follow Japanese writers, differ as to dates. The probability is that it was 

 brought in from India or Corea near the close of the sixth century of our era. 



The leading features of this system of religion are the metempsychosis, whence arises the 

 dogma that prohibits the taking of animal life ; the worship of a countless host of idols ; that 

 the grand Lama, or high-priest King, never dies ; that their priests constitute a distinct order in 

 the State, and that they are bound to celibacy. The chief commandments of Buddhism are five 

 in number, and constitute a code which is called the Gokai, or five laws. They are these : not 

 to kill, not to steal, to live chastely, not to lie, and to abstain from strong drink. The Sika'i, 

 or ten counsels, contain the division and application of these laws to particular cases. Buddhism 

 made its way in Japan by degrees, although the government tolerated it from the beginning. 

 Indeed, no feature is more striking among the institutions of the Empire than its enlarged spirit 

 of religious toleration. It was extended to Christianity on its first promulgation by the Portu- 

 guese ; and was not withdrawn until the Japanese supposed that intolerance and treason lurked 

 under the new religion. Christianity was driven from Japan on political, not on religious 

 grounds. Such is the liberality of the government on the subject of religion that, at this 

 moment, may be found in Japan no less than thirty-four sects, all quite distinct from Buddhism, 

 (which is the faith of a majority of the Kingdom,) perfectly unmolested. The truth is, that the 

 Japanese government exhibits now, as it always has done, a very remarkable indifference to 

 mere doctrinal points, so long as they interfere not with the public tranquility. "When the 

 priests of the Japanese sects joined, centuries ago, in a petition to the Emperor that he would 

 banish the Jesuits and the Komish monks, annoyed by their importunities, he asked them how 

 many different religions there were then in Jajjan ? They answered "thirty-five." "Well," 

 said the Emperor, ' ' when thirty-five religions can be tolerated we can easily bear with thirty- 

 six ; leave the strangers in peace." 



The Buddhism of Japan, at this day, has probably much of the old Sintoo mixed up with it ; 

 but there is reason to think that no creed in the Kingdom has a very strong hold on the popular 

 mind. Christianity, however, is viewed with suspicion by all, and at present is not, in any 

 degree, tolerated. 



