The Religions of Japan | Page 3

oriental words I have followed, in the main,
the spelling of the Century Dictionary. The Japanese names are
expressed according to that uniform system of transliteration used by
Hepburn, Satow and other standard writers, wherein consonants have
the same general value as in English (except that initial g is always
hard), while the vowels are pronounced as in Italian. Double vowels
must be pronounced double, as in Méiji (m[=a]-[=e]-j[=e]); those
which are long are marked, as in [=o] or [=u]; i before o or u is short.
Most of the important Japanese, as well as Sanskrit and Chinese, terms
used, are duly expressed and defined in the Century Dictionary.
I wish also to thank especially my friends, Riu Watanabe, Ph.D., of
Cornell University, and William Nelson Noble, Esq., of Ithaca. The
former kindly assisted me with criticisms and suggestions, while to the
latter, who has taken time to read all the proofs, I am grateful for
considerable improvement in the English form of the sentences.
In closing, I trust that whatever charges may be brought against me by
competent critics, lack of sympathy will not be one. I write in sight of

beautiful Lake Cayuga, on the fertile and sloping shores of which in old
time the Iroquois Indian confessed the mysteries of life. Having planted
his corn, he made his pregnant squaw walk round the seed-bed in hope
of receiving from the Source of life increased blessing and sustenance
for body and mind. Between such a truly religious act of the savage,
and that of the Christian sage, Joseph Henry, who uncovered his head
while investigating electro-magnetism to "ask God a question," or that
of Samuel F.B. Morse, who sent as his first telegraphic message "What
hath God wrought," I see no essential difference. All three were acts of
faith and acknowledgment of a power greater than man. Religion is one,
though religions are many. As Principal Fairbairn, my honored
predecessor in the Morse lectureship, says: "What we call superstition
of the savage is not superstition in him. Superstition is the perpetuation
of a low form of belief along with a higher knowledge.... Between
fetichism and Christian faith there is a great distance, but a great
affinity--the recognition of a supra-sensible life."
"For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the revealing of
the sons of God.... The creation itself shall be delivered from the
bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of
God."
W.E.G.
ITHACA, N.Y., October 27, 1894.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
PRIMITIVE FAITH: RELIGION BEFORE BOOKS, PAGE 1
Salutatory.--The Morse Lectureship and its provisions.--The Science of
Comparative Religion is Christianity's own child.--The Parliament of
Religions.--The Study of Religion most appropriate in a Theological
Seminary.--Shortening weapons and lengthening boundaries.--The

right missionary spirit that of the Master, who "came not to destroy but
to fulfil."--Characteristics of Japan.--Bird's-eye view of Japanese
history and religion.--Popularly, not three religions but one
religion.--Superstitions which are not organically parts of the
"book-religions."--The boundary line between the Creator and his
creation not visible to the pagan.--Shamanism: Fetichism.--Mythical
monsters, Kirin, Phoenix, Tortoise, Dragon.--Japanese mythical
zoölogy.--The erection of the stone fetich.--Insurance by amulets upon
house and
person.--Phallicism.--Tree-worship.--Serpent-worship.--These
unwritten superstitions condition the "book-religions."--Removable by
science and a higher religion.
CHAPTER II
SHINTO: MYTHS AND RITUAL, PAGE 35
Japan is young beside China and Korea.--Japanese history is
comparatively modern.--The oldest documents date from A.D.
712.--The Japanese archipelago inhabited before the Christian
era.--Faith, worship and ritual are previous to written espression.--The
Kojiki, Many[=o]shu and Norito.--Tendency of the pupil nations
surrounding China to antedate their civilization.--Origin of the
Japanese people and their religion.--Three distinct lines of tradition
from Tsukushi, Idzumo and Yamato.--War of the invaders against the
aborigines--Mikadoism is the heart of Shint[=o].--Illustrations from the
liturgies.--Phallicism among the aborigines and common people.--The
mind or mental climate of the primæval man.--Representation of male
gods by emblems.--Objects of worship and _ex-voto_.--Ideas of
creation.--The fire-myth, Prometheus.--Comparison of Greek and
Japanese mythology.--Ritual for the quieting of the fire-god.--The
fire-drill.
CHAPTER III
THE KOJIKI AND ITS TEACHINGS, PAGE 59

Origin of the Kojiki. Analysis of its opening lines--Norito.--Indecency
of the myths of the Kojiki.--Modern rationalistic interpretations--Life
in prehistoric Japan.--Character and temperament of the people then
and now.--Character of the kami or gods.--Hades.--Ethics.--The Land
of the Gods.--The barbarism of the Yamato conquerors an
improvement upon the savagery of the aborigines.--Cannibalism and
human sacrifices.--The makers of the God-way captured and absorbed
the religion of the aborigines.--A case of syncretism.--Origin of evil in
bad gods.--Pollution was sin.--Class of offences enumerated in the
norito.--Professor Kumi's contention that Mikadoism usurped a simple
worship of Heaven.--Difference between the ancient Chinese and
ancient Japanese cultus.--Development of Shint[=o] arrested by
Buddhism.--Temples and offerings.--The tori-i.--Pollution and
purification.--Prayer.--Hirata's ordinal and specimen prayers.--To the
common people the sun is a god.--Prayers to myriads of
gods.--Summary of Shint[=o].--Swallowed up in the Riy[=o]bu