that Yoritomo strove most earnestly to gain his friendship; he loaded him
with kindnesses and finally offered him his liberty. Kakekigo replied : “ 1
can love none but my slain master. I owe you gratitude; but you caused
Prince Feki’s death, and never can I look upon you without wishing to kill
you. My best way to avoid such ingratitude and to reconcile my conflicting
duties, is never to see you more; and thus do I insure it.” With these
words, he tore out his eyes, and presented them to Yoritomo on a salver.
The prince, struck with admiration, released him, when Kakekigo withdrew
into retirement and founded this second order of the blind, which is called,
after Prince Feki, the Fekisado.
There are two sects among the Sin-syu: the Yuits and the Bioboo-Sintoo.
The first are the rigidly orthodox, who will allow of no innovation. They are
few in number, and consist mostly of the Kaminusi or priests. The other
sect, which comprises the great body of the Sintoos, is eclectic, and has
introduced a great deal of Buddhism into the system.
Buddhism is the most widely diffused of all false creeds. Its followers
amount to three hundred and twenty millions, while those of Mohammed
fall short of this number by fifty millions. The founder of this religion was
a man called Sakya-Sinha, (Syaka in Japan,) who, by his virtues and
austerity, attained to divine honors, and after death was deified under the
name of Buddha, or “ the Sage.” I t is impossible to say when he was born.
The earliest period named is 2,420 years before the Christian era; the latest
is but 543 years prior to that event. Neither can it be said with certainty
when Buddhism was introduced into Japan. Klaproth and Siebold, both of
whom profess to follow Japanese writers, differ as to dates. The probability
is that it was brought in from India or Corea near the close of the sixth
century of our era.
The leading features of this system of religion are the metempsychosis,
whence arises the dogma that prohibits the taking of animal life; the worship
of a countless host of idols; that the grand Lama, or high-priest King, never
dies; that their priests constitute a distinct order in the State, and that they
are bound to celibacy. The chief commandments of Buddhism are five in
number, and constitute a code which is called the Gokai, or five laws. They
are these: not to kill, not to steal, to live chastely, not to lie, and to abstain
from strong drink. The Sikai, or ten counsels, contain the division and
application of these laws to particular cases. Buddhism made its way in
Japan by degrees, although the government tolerated it from the beginning.
Indeed, no feature is more striking among the institutions of the Empire
than its enlarged spirit of religious toleration. I t was extended to Christianity
on its first promulgation by the Portuguese; and was not withdrawn
until the Japanese supposed that intolerance and treason lurked under the
new religion. Christianity was driven from Japan on political, not on
religious grounds. Such is the liberality of the government on the subject
of religion that, at this moment, may be found in Japan no less than thirty-
four Sects, all quite distinct from Buddhism, (which is the faith of a majority
of the Kingdom,) perfectly unmolested. The truth is, that the Japanese
government exhibits now, as it always has done, a very remarkable indifference
to mere doctrinal points, so long as they interfere not with the public
tranquillity. When the priests of the Japanese sects joined, centuries ago, in
a petition to the Emperor that he would banish the Jesuits and the Bomish
monks, annoyed by their importunities, he asked them how many different
religions there were then in Japan ? They answered “ thirty-five.” “ Well,”
said the Emperor, u when thirty-five religions can be tolerated we can easily
bear with thirty-six; leave the strangers in peace.”
The Buddhism of Japan, at this day, has probably much of the old Sintoo
mixed up with i t ; but there is reason to think that no creed in the Kingdom
has a very strong hold on the popular mind. Christianity, however, is viewed
with suspicion by all, and at present, is not, in any degree, tolerated.
The idolatry of the common people, who are Buddhists, is exceedingly
gross, while among the learned the religion assumes the character of a high
mystic creed, not wanting in some features that are pure enough.
There is a third sect, called by some writers religious, though Kaempfer
more properly speaks of it as a school of philosophers. I t is known by the
name oiSiutoo, which means “ the way of philosophers.” I t inculcates no
particular faith, and can accommodate itself to any, whether true or false.
In some of its features it borders closely on Pantheism. I t is supposed, and
we presume correctly, to be an importation from China, compounded of most
of the moral precepts of Confucius, and some high mystic Buddhist notions.
I t has no religious rites or ceremonies of its own. There are five great
points which characterize it. They call them JDsin, Gi, Be, Tsi, Sin. Dsin
teaches them to live virtuously; Gi to do right and act justly with everybody
; Be to be civil and polite; Tsi sets forth rules for a good and prudent
government; and Sin treats of a free conscience and upright heart. Nearly all
the early European writers say that by far the larger number of the learned
men of Japan belong to this school, which is remarkable for its scorn of the
Buddhist idolatry. When Christianity was driven from J apan, the Siutooists
were suspected of a tendency toward that faith, and thenceforth every J apanese
was required to have in his house an idol of some kind.
Meylan, the Dutch official at Dezima, speaks of a fourth religion, which
co-existed with these three prior to the introduction of Christianity. His
story is, that about A. D. 50, a Brahminical sect was introduced into J apan,
which taught as doctrines the redemption of the world by the son of a virgin,
who died to expiate human sin, thus insuring to man a joyful resurrection.
It also taught a trinity of immaterial persons constituting one eternal,
omnipotent God, the maker of all things, who was to be adored as the
source of all good.