NO. 4 RELIGION IN SZECHUAN l'K()\ I XCE — GKAIIAM II 



and that we may have many children." In other words, happiness, as 

 used in Szechuan. is an inclusiAe word, meaning- the satisfying Hfe. 

 All are seeking it, and the rehgious rites and ceremonies are the 

 techniques for its attainment. 



One is impressed with the fact that in Szechuan rehgion is very 

 closely and vitally related to human life and human needs. This is 

 expressed in Dore's Chinese Superstitions, Vol. Ill, preface, page ix, 

 in the following words : 



Religion in China is not an cffdrt 1<i aiiprclKiul the Infmitc, love and enjoy 

 it; it is not man's nature clamouring for food necessary for life and perfection; 

 nor is it a duty to serve the deity directly. So far as these three volumes im- 

 press us, it yokes rather the spiritual world, the superhuman element in which 

 man believes, to the needs and welfare of humanity. 



II. THE ANCESTRAL CULT AND DEMONS 



I. THE IDEA OF THE SOUL 



We have seen that in China the family and not the individual is 

 the social unit. Newly married couples generally do not establish 

 separate homes of their own. They become a part of a large family 

 group, of which the oldest members are the heads. The individual 

 earnings are often shared with the family. If a member of the group 

 acquires wealth, it may be necessary for him to assume the support 

 of his parents and of poorer relatives. 



The deceased ancestors are considered a part of the family group. 

 They are the most honored members. There is a state of interde- 

 pendence between the dead and the living. The living descendants 

 ])rovide food, clothing, money, and other necessities, and in return 

 receive the help and the protection of the departed ancestors. 



Sometimes a person is scared by a mad dog and takes a certain 

 kind of medicine which destroys the kidneys and causes death. The 

 popular explanation is that the dog has stolen his shadow and that 

 this is the cause of his death. A variation of this explanation is that 

 the dog has bitten his shadow. Here we have the conception that the 

 shadow is a vital part, if not the soul or a soul, of the human being. 



The Chinese have the idea of a multii~)le soul, three Intcii and seven 

 f^ch. This makes it possible for them to commemorate the dead person 

 at the grave and also at the ancestral tablet, considering that the 

 deceased is present in both places and also in hades. For all practical 

 purposes, however, we may speak of one soul or spirit as representing 

 that which is most vital and valuable in the individual. 



