Sacrifice to the Moon, 8th month, 15th day.--The ground for this observance is that this day is, according to national tradition, the moon's birthday. As in the service for eclipses, Namo, "Honour to," the introductory formula of worship, is used in addressing the moon. She is called in full Yue-kung-t'ai-yin-tsun-t'ien-p'u-sa, "The moon in her mansion, luminary of night, honoured Deva and Bodhisattwa."

Prayer for fine weather.--Prayer to various Buddhas, and other divinities.

Prayer for rain.--Worship is performed towards the East, and prayers offered to the Dragon king, the various Buddhas, &c.

Prayer for snow.--Ditto.

Prayer against locusts.--To various Devas and spirits.

Prayer to Wei-to (Veda).--The Deva Wei-to is the protector of the Buddhist religion. When the supplies of the monastery fail, he is prayed to, to replenish them. He is chief general of the army of the four Mahadevas.

Birthday of Wei-to, 6th month, 3d day; according to some the 13th day.--Wei-to is a deity of Hindoo mythology, who protects three of the four continents into which the world is divided. (See Remusat's Notes to Foe koue ki.)

Birthdays of the divine protectors of the monasteries.--They are three:--(1.) Hwa-kwang, 9th month, 28th day; (2.) Lung-wang, or Naga-raja, the "Dragon King;" (3.) Kwan-ti, the "God of war," 5th month, 13th day, according to the common account; but according to his biography in the national annals, 6th month, 24th day. These three personages take the place of eighteen worshipped in India. One of them is the well-known hero of the "Three Kingdoms." They receive the same honours that are awarded to Wei-to.

Birthday of the Kitchen god, 6th month, 24th day, 8th month, 3d day, and 12th month, 24th day.--The Buddhists say, to excuse themselves for adopting a Tauist superstition, that the Kitchen god they worship is not the Tsau-kiun venerated commonly by the people, but a king of the "Kinnaras" (a fabulous race of celestial beings), who became a Chinese priest in the T'ang dynasty, and was appointed at death to preside over the vegetarian diet of the monks. This is a lame defence of what is evidently a self-interested accommodation to popular notions.

3. THE BUDDHAS AND BODHISATTWAS.

Birthday of Shakyamuni, 4th month, 8th day.--He is also called Buddha, "Tathagata" or Julai, and Gautama,

and is revered as Pun-shi, the "Teacher of the world during the present kalpa."

Anniversary of Shakyamuni's elevation to the rank of Buddha, 12th month, 8th day.--The phrase in use is Ch'eng-tau, "Attained the summit of knowledge and virtue."

Anniversary of Buddha's entrance into the Nirvana, 2d month, 15th day.