NO. 4 RELIGION IN SZECHUAN PROVINCE — GRAHAM yj 



Near Suifii on the Yangtse River is a small temple known as the 

 White Stone Temple. Originally there was only a large, white stone, 

 taller and whiter than the others. People began to worship it, and 

 ascribed to it the power of healing. Later a temple was built around it, 

 and a few common idols were added. The stone is still worshipped, 

 and for a few cash one can purchase a tiny bit of the rock, which will 

 cause him to recover from illness if he will grind it to sand, soak it 

 in water, and drink the water. Probably the process began with the 

 natural sense of awe aroused because of the size and whiteness of the 

 stone. This stone is not worshipped because a deity has taken up 

 his abode in it, but because the stone itself is thought to be a god with 

 beneficent power that is more than human. 



Near the town of Shuin Gien Si, south of Suifu, there formerly 

 lived a man who ran an oil factory. He had some large, fine bulls to 

 run the stone rollers. He prospered, and the value of his bulls in- 

 creased. Finally he burned incense to his largest bull and worshipped 

 it as a god. His action was, in his own mind and those of his Chinese 

 friends, the natural result of his growing sense of gratitude, wonder, 

 admiration, and awe towards the bulls that contributed so much to 

 his prosperity. I have heard Chinese make a similar explanation of 

 the development of the worship of the Sun God, the Moon Goddess, 

 the Fire God, the Thunder God, and of other deities. 



At Suifu, two old cypress trees are worshipped as divinities. It is 

 not that gods dwell in them, but that the trees themselves are gods. 

 They are said to have been planted in the Ming Dynasty, or possibly 

 earlier. It is asserted that they once made a pilgrimage to Mt. Omei 

 Two men giving their names as Beh, or White, worshipped at the 

 different shrines and temples on the great sacred mountain, and 

 promised contributions. They said that they were brothers from 

 Suifu. Later a priest came to Suifu to collect the money. He could 

 not find any brothers named Beh, but when he heard of the two 

 cypress trees, heh sou, he knew at once that the two pilgrims were the 

 two cypress trees. I have been told by aged priests who were experts 

 in such traditions that very old trees, especially cypress trees, are 

 able, after many years, to develop into tree-deities. There is a tendency 

 in some localities to burn incense to aged trees or to the stumps of 

 these trees. This is especially noticeable on Mt. Omei, on Washan, 

 and at the Yellow Dragon Gorge. 



Near Kiang K'eo is a large banyon tree that is worshipped because 

 a spirit or ghost has taken its abode in the tree. The people began 

 to worship it about 19 17. It is called a Huang Geh Giang Guin, 

 or " General Banyon." Its leaves are used to heal all kinds of diseases. 



