CHAPTER X.

THE BUDDHIST CALENDAR.

National festivals--Festivals in honour of celestial beings--In honour of the Buddhas and Bodhisattwas--In honour of characters in Chinese Buddhist history--Supplemental anniversaries--Singhalese Buddhists keep a different day for Buddha's birthday--In the T'ang dynasty Hindoo astronomers reformed the calendar--Gaudamsiddha--The week of India and Babylon known to the Chinese--Word mit for Sunday--Peacock Sutra--The Hindoo Rahu and Ketu.

ONE of the most instructive illustrations of a religion is its calendar. Not only do the fasts and festivals kept by a people point out in succession who are the personages held by them in the highest honour; they also contain an epitome of the history and doctrines of the religion they believe, and especially aid in opening to observation the popular religious life.

The work called Ts'ing-kwei, "Regulations of the Priesthood," contains instructions for the observance of all fasts and festivals through the year. From it are extracted the following details of anniversaries:--

1. NATIONAL.

Emperor's birthday.--The ceremonial for this anniversary lasts a week, embracing three days before and three after the day in question. It is called Sheng-tsie, "Sacred festival."

Empress's birthday.

Day of receiving an imperial message at the monastery.--Six persons are sent out "five li" (nearly two miles) to

meet it. On its approach, the monks, headed by their chief, issue from the monastery, and bow their foreheads to the ground three times.

Four monthly feasts.--These are at the new and full moons, and on the 8th and 23d of the month. They are called Kin-ming si-chai, "The four feasts illustriously decreed." The last two words refer to a decree of an emperor of the Sui dynasty in A.D. 584, requiring the special observance of the monthly feasts in the 1st, 5th, and 9th months; because then the great Southern continent was prayed for, in which China is included.

Anniversaries of emperors' deaths.--Those of the present dynasty only are included.

2. CELESTIAL BEINGS

Day of worshipping the Devas (Kung-T'ien).--All the chief personages, whether Devas, spirits, demons, Asuras, Rakshas, &c., of the Hindoo older mythology, are worshipped on this occasion. This observance rests for its authority on the Kin-kwang-ming-king, "The Bright Sutra of Golden Light."

Eclipses of the Sun and Moon.--In the services for these days, the sun and moon are addressed as "Bodhisattwas" (P'u-sa), and the power of Buddha is invoked to deliver them. Hence the name of the service, Hu-ji, Hu-yue, "Delivering the sun and moon." The prayers offered for them are considered as gratitude for their light.