66 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 8o 



happiness. Kuanyin is in Tibet a male god, and in Cliina generally a 

 female known as the Goddess of Mercy. She can undergo almost 

 any transformation that will enable her to help men. Often she is 

 represented with a vial of magic water in her hands. The number 

 of her arms varies from two to one thousand. Sometimes she holds 

 a baby in her lap, and is called the Song Tsi Kuanyin, or the Goddess 

 of Mercy who gives sons. She may even transform herself into an 

 odd-looking demon-god who rescues the suffering souls in hades. 



I. mFFERENT REPRESENTATIONS OF THE GODS 



A god may exist without any visible representation. Occasionally 

 the images have disappeared from the shrines, but often the worship 

 goes on just the same. T'ien Lao Yeh, or the Old One in Heaven, is 

 a well-known god, but there seem to be no images of him. 



To the Chinese worshipper it seems desirable, if not necessary, to 

 visuaHze in some way the god who is worshipped. Sometimes this 

 is accomplished by merely inscribing the name of the deity on paper, 

 wood, or stone. The commonest housegod consists of a red scroll 

 of paper hung on the wall in the most prominent place, on which 

 are written in large characters T'ien, Di, Guin, Ch'in, Si, Wei, 

 or the throne of Heaven, Earth, Rulers, Relatives, and Scholars. 

 This really includes the enlarged family of superiors or elders to 

 whom one owes filial piety or gratitude. From heaven or the sky 

 come rain and sunshine, two things that are indispensable to life 

 and happiness. Earth yields coal and other minerals, vegetables, 

 fruits, grasses, and trees. Guin really signifies the emperor and 

 his rulers so that it indicates the imperial government. There has 

 therefore been a tendency in some localities to substitute the word 

 kueh, or country, which is more in harmony with the new patriot- 

 ism. In general, however, the use of the word guin, has been 

 continued, giving it the meaning of rulers, those who are the par- 

 ents and protectors of the people. The word ch'in means relatives 

 or elders, and particularly one's ancestors. Si signifies scholars or 

 teachers, most highly respected because of their learning and because 

 they are the educators of the young. This is one of the most difficult 

 gods for a Chinese to give up on becoming a Christian. It is wor- 

 shipped as a god, incense is burnt to it, and people pray and make 

 obeisance to it. Sometimes the name of a god is written on a board 

 and set up to be worshipped. 



A further stage beyond this is the drawing, painting, or printing 

 of the image of the god. In wayside shrines round stones will some- 



