294 THE ETHICS OF JAPAN. 



and practical utility. Buddhism, it is said, is very philosophical, 

 aud deep iu its ideas of the cosmos, and there is no doubt that it is 

 capable of exercising a great influence on the popular notion of a 

 future life, though it does not do so as much in Japan as in some parts 

 of the Asiatic continent. It has, however, very little to say with 

 regard to ethics relative to the actual life of the human being. It 

 says you must not do wrong; it says you must do good; but as to 

 what is good or what is bad it is very vague in its meaning. It sug- 

 gests rather religious notions than practical ethics, how one should 

 behave in this world toward one's fellow-creatures or toward the com- 

 munity or state to which one belongs. It speaks of ten warnings 

 and four benevolences. The ten warnings are : 1. Do not kill the liv- 

 ing. 2. Do not steal. 3. Do not 'commit adultery. 4. Do not speak 

 Avantonly. 5. Do not make sensational exaggerations. G. Do not 

 calumniate. 7. Do not use a double tongue. 8. Do not be greedy. 

 9. Do not be angry. 10. Do not entertain crooked views. 



The four benevolences which one has to remember are : 1. The 

 father and the mother. 2. The ruler of the land. 3. "All beings." 

 d:. The three treasures, i. e., the Buddha, the laws, and the priesthood 

 (order). 



It speaks of compassion and forbearance. It also speaks of eight 

 correct ways: 1. Correct views. 2. Correct thoughts. 3. Correct 

 words. 4. Correct conduct. 5. Correct living. G. Correct ministra- 

 tion, meaning self-reflection and aspirations. 7. Correct conception. 

 8. Correct mediation. In their essense, however, all these teachings 

 are mostly of negative character, and, moreover, I must say that they 

 have more importance from a religious point of view than from an 

 ordinary and a practical ethical point of view. Therefore I can say 

 that Buddhism has very little to do Avith the ethics of Japan in the 

 sense of a sj^stematic exposition of them, though in an indirect way 

 it has had some influence on the moral atmosphere of the Japanese, 

 as I shall show later cm. 



The Chinese teaching, otherwise called Confucianism, is a system 

 of moral teaching founded upon a patriarchal system of community. 

 It does not, therefore, only speak of the good conduct of an individ- 

 ual as relating to his fellowship with other individuals, but also from 

 the point of view of the whole system of connnunity as a state. 

 Therefore it s^ieaks of modes of governing and of being governed, as 

 well as of individual relationship between man and man. It 

 does not recognize any difference between sovereignty and ruler, nor 

 does it notice a difference between state and country. In it the great- 

 est natural bonds of humanity are five, and they are: (1) Sovereign 

 and subjects; (2) father (implying also mother) and child; (3) hus- 

 band and wife; (4) l)rothers (imi)lying also sisters) ; (5) friends. To 

 each of these relationships the essential duty which is to be borne in 



