70 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 80 



To the common people of Szechuan Province the presence of the 

 image of a deity suggests the actual presence of the deity who is 

 imaged/ 



2. THE LIST OF GODS 



This enumeration, which can be only a partial one, will begin with 

 those which are distinctly Taoist or Buddhist. U Huang Shang Ti, 

 the Pearly Emperor, and Lao Tsi or Li Lao Guin, the reputed founder 

 of Taoism, are primarily Taoist gods, although both are sometimes 

 found in Buddhist temples. Ku.anyin P'usah, while she was brought 

 into China and is widely used by the Buddhists, is now as commonly 

 seen in Taoist as in Buddhist temples. The Buddhists have a medicine 

 god, Yoh Si Fuh, while the Taoists have one called Yoh Wang or 

 Medicine King. Both are miraculous healers, and are probably the 

 same god with different names. Amitabha, Sakyamuni, Wei To 

 and Jia Lan, the two protectors of Buddhist temples. Mi Leh Fuh, 

 the Buddhist messiah, the eighteen Lohans or Arhats, and many 

 others are seen only in Buddhist temples. With many of the gods, 

 however, it is impossible to say whether they are primarily Buddhist 

 or Taoist, for they are found in the temples of both rehgions. 



Some of the gods are highly specialized ; that is, they have only one 

 or two duties to perform for the worshipper or for society. The 

 buffalo god cares for the water-buffalo, which is the principal animal 

 used in farming. There is a horse god who cares for horses, a sheep 

 god, and a medicine god. The Kuh Wang, or grain god, causes the 

 rice to grow abundantly. The Song Tsi Niang Niang is a goddess who 



^ In a Doctor's thesis, The Origin and Development of T'ien and Shangti, 

 Mr. Kuen Ih Tai states that the Miao and the kindred tribes of aborigines in 

 China are ghost or demon-worshippers (p. 92). The writer has had several 

 years of contact with the Chuan Miao and some with Hua Miao. The evidence 

 is that the Miao, Hke the Chinese, fear demons as the source of diseases and 

 calamities, and that they exorcise them, but do not worship them. The following 

 lines from Among the Tribes in Southwest China, by Samuel R. Clarke, are 

 illuminating. — 



At first we were inclined to think that the Miao worshipped demons, but 

 when again and again they denied this, and seemed unfeignedly amused 

 at the idea of worshipping demons, we concluded that we were mistaken. 

 The performances they go through, which seem to us like religious rites, 

 are done to drive away or keep away the demons, and to counteract their 

 evil influences. If a man is ill, or his cattle sick, if he has had bad luck, or 

 any misfortune befalls him, he attributes this to demons ; and a wizard 

 or exorcist is summoned. (Pp. 67-69.) 



