52 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 8o 



The burning of incense is to some extent a complimentary act, but 

 incense is pleasing to the smell, and is calculated to put the ancestor 

 or the god in a good humor. As a part of the writer's early language 

 study he had to read with the Chinese teacher the account in the 

 Chinese Bible of Noah's flood. After coming out of the ark, Noah 

 offered burnt-offerings to Jehovah, "And Jehovah smelled the sweet 

 savor" ; which apparently caused Jehovah to be in a good humor and 

 therefore more propitious, so that Jehovah determined not to curse 

 the ground any more for man's sake, nor again ever to smite all the 

 living.^ As the writer read that passage, it came to him that this 

 is exactly the conception that the Chinese worshipper has of what 

 occurs when he burns incense before his ancestors or his gods. 



The first and fifteenth of each month are special times for cere- 

 monies of respect and commemoration to one's ancestors in the homes, 

 where at dusk every day the people worship the housegods. A bell 

 is struck to awaken the gods and to notify them of the presence of 

 the worshipper. A few sticks of incense are burnt. Very often not 

 a single word is uttered. The worshipper simply bows his respects 

 and departs. 



In the temples there is " worship " by individuals or by groups. 

 Every day at daylight and at dusk a priest goes to each god, lights a 

 stick or two of incense, strikes a bell or gong, bows to the deity, and 

 goes on. A worshipper who is not a priest may enter a temple and 

 worship all the idols as described above without uttering a word. His 

 worship is merely establishing friendly relationships and expressing 

 reverence — but of course he expects this to be beneficial to him. If 

 there is something special on the heart of the worshipper, then he is 

 apt to utter a prayer and perhaps burn paper money. 



More elaborate worship is performed by a number of priests for 

 the individual or for the community. Portions of scriptures are 

 generally chanted, and musical instruments — bells, gongs, and some- 

 times drums and horns, are used. At times these ceremonies are 

 beautiful. At other times they sound monotonous and discordant to 

 the foreign ear. One of the most beautiful and impressive ceremonies 

 that the writer has heard was that of an evening worship in the lower 

 Wan Nien Si Temple, or the Monastery of Ten Thousand Years, on 

 Mt, Omei. It was performed by the temple priests before the god 

 P'ushien who rides on the bronze elephant. 



In the temples there is much reading or chanting of scriptures. 

 This is considered an act of great merit, helping the indi\idual to secure 



' (li-'iiesis, cliapter VIII, verses 20-2^ 



