292 BUDDHISM AND TAOUISM. 



monstrous figures, wliicli now often disfigure their 

 simple edifices. 



The second creed, and pei'haps the most popular 

 amongst the mass of the people, — Buddhism, — was 

 introduced from India in B.C. 217, and 150 years 

 later occupied the position of third state religion in 

 China, when, however, it also soon lost its original 

 purity, nor were the priests allowed to monopolize 

 education as they do in Burmah and Siam. For the 

 style of their temples they have adopted the Chinese 

 pagoda of many storeys, which they crowd with images 

 of Buddha. The priests wear the loose yellow garb, as 

 in Ceylon and elsewhere ; but their form of worship 

 differs in many respects from that of their co-religion- 

 ists in Tibet and Ladakh, who belong to the Lama 

 sect, famous for their prayer wheels and red robes. 



Lao-tse, the founder of Taouism, was born in B.C. 

 604. Originally it was a simple faith adapted to the 

 condition of the people at that early time ; it has, 

 however, since degenerated into a sort of mystic 

 worship, or more correctly, into a priestly jugglery. 

 The priests are ignorant, and practise spells and 

 incantations, stars and sj)irits now holding a promin- 

 ent position in their worship. They wear slate- 

 coloured gowns, and live with their families in the 

 temple. Taouists burn their dead, and place the 



