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first portion of any fruit or cooked food which the deceased are known to be fond of. Part of these practices, which are corruptions introduced into the native ancestor-worship by the Buddhist priests, should, in Hiraia’s opinion, be abandoned, and the name of the wooden cupboard in which the tablets are kept should be changed from butsudan (Buddhist altar) to tamaya (spirit house). Water and sprigs of the cleyera should be offered up every day, and there is no objection to using flowers as a decoration, but incense (joss-stick) is an abomination. Amongst other observances which are in vogue, that of visiting the tomb of a parent or other member of the family on that day in each month which corresponds to the day of his death should be kept up, for this is not a Buddhist custom, and although the home of the spirits of the dead is in the tamaya, they are present wherever they are worshipped, being gods and therefore ubiquitous. The festival in honour of departed spirits which is celebrated on the 14th and 15th days of the 7th month, called Bon,[1] being of Buddhist origin, ought to be abolished, and the ancient rule of holding the festival in the 2nd, 4th and 11th months be reverted to.
The origin of the worship of ancestors, says Hirata, dates from the descent of Ninigi no Mikoto, who was instructed by the creator and creatrix that the worship of the celestial and terestrial gods was the most important part of Government. They taught Ama-no-koya-ne and Ama-no-futo-dama how to perform the rites, and attached them to his person. Jimmu Tennô, after his victories, worshipped his ancestral gods on a mountain. It is equally the duty of a subject to be diligent in worshipping his ancestors, whose minister he should consider himself to be. The custom of adoption arose from the natural desire of having some one to perform sacrifices, and this desire ought not to be rendered of no avail by neglect. Devotion to the memory of ancestors is the mainspring of
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- ↑ See Eitei’s Handbook of Chinese Buddhism; Art. Ulamba.
