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BUDDHISM. 145
spirits, or of ancestral shades, he studied the first causes of things, and his language,
as far as it can be ascertained from the obscure text of the Taote-king, recalls that
of the Western philosophers. For him " matter and the visible world are merely
manifestations of a sublime, eternal, incomprehensible principle," which he calls
Tao ; that is, the " way of salvation." Whoso controls his passions may escape
successive transmigrations, and through contemplation pass directly to everlasting
bliss. Such was the doctrine of the great mystic and his immediate successors.
But the Taoist priests soon claimed to have discovered immortality even in this
world, and sought the favour of emperors by means of elixirs and nostrums. Thus
was Taoism gradually confounded with magic, and of the teachings of Lao-tze
nothing
Fig. GO. HummisT PJIIEST.
remained but an empty name. The Taoist priests, most of whom, like the
Buddhist lamas, take vows of celibacy, are the magicians, wizards, " table-turners,"
and " mediums "
of China. Without any
common body of doctrine, some are mere Shamanists,
others astrologers and fortune-tellers.
The learned generally affect to despise Taoism,
although some of its practices are imposed on
the mandarins, or introduced into the national
cult, as observed in presence of the Emperor.
The Taoist high priest, or " heavenly doctor,"
who claims direct descent from Lao-tze, receives
a subvention from the State in exchange for
the amulets, holy objects,
and instructions on
red or green paper which he distributes through-
out China.
BUDDHISM.
The Buddhist religion, more faithful than
Taoism to its original doctrines, has secured
the adherence of the great majority of the popu-
lation. Although of foreign origin,
it has
become at least outwardly the national religion,
but in a form which closely assimilates it to the primitive spirit worship. It was intro-
duced twenty-two centuries ago, and three hundred years afterwards received official
recognition. Yet it had to struggle both against the disciples of Confucius and the
Taoists, and did not reach the regions south of the Yang-tze till the sixth century.
At this time thirteen thousand Buddhist temples had been erected, but the alliance
had already begun with the old national cult. The spirits of wind and water, the
shades of the great, all the members of the Chinese pantheon were easily introduced
into the multitude of Boddhitattafi, and other more or less incomplete incarnations of
Buddha. To m:tki> room for all, new degrees of holiness and beatitude were added
to those already in existence. The domestic gods remained under other names by
the side of those worshipped by the oommonity, and the number of ceremonies was
increased without exciting the suspicion of the people. To the cultivated classes