Identifier: dragonimagedemon1887dubo (find matches)
Title: The dragon, image, and demon; or, The three religions of China: Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, giving an account of the mythology, idolatry, and demonolatry of the Chinese
Year: 1887 (1880s)
Authors: DuBose, Hampden C
Subjects: Taoism Buddhism Confucianism
Publisher: New York, A. C. Armstrong & son
Contributing Library: Harold B. Lee Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Brigham Young University

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into the grave from that hollow andgradually disturb the bones and the coffin. In tenyears they will be one-half turned over, and in twentyyears entirely turned over. An outer wind must notinvade the chambers of the dead for fear the familyfortunes will be overturned, so the aim of the geomancermust be to find a spot where the cold air which issuesfrom the earth is hidden, and if there is no hollow therewill be no outlet by which the pernicious wind willdisturb the dead. 7. One of the most unfortunate circumstances is fora snake or a turtle to issue from the grave; the livingexclaim, Alas! we are ruined. This is equal toopium and the Taipings. 8. Geomancy became a profession about A.D, 1200. 28 434 ^^^^ Dragon, Image, and Detnon. The geomancers or fung-shuy doctors try to find howthe two (magnetic) currents of the earth run, the onemale and the other female, the one positive and theother negative, the one favourable and the other un-favourable. The coffin must be placed in the line of
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Spreading the Lamps. these currents, not athwart them, so as not to disturbthe repose of the soul. If the Chinese are priest-ridden,they are no less the dupes of the geomancers, for theseprofessionals hold the keys of the grave. They will sayto the elder brother, * If your father is buried this year,it will be propitious to the younger brother but sad for After Death, the Seven-Sevens. 435 you, and he, of course, will not consent to the burial.The next year is favourable to the elder but destructiveto the younger, so the coffin remains at home. Thethird year they are perhaps short of funds. During thefourth year, it may be, the geomancer finds a plot ofground which he can purchase cheap and sell dear,—there the grave must be. So it is seen that the filialpiety of China is less sincere than is by many supposed ;it is more selfish than generous, more calculating thanspontaneous, and is deadened by the prevailing desirefor riches and rank. The Four Death Ceremonies. The Lamps.—TheChi

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