Identifier: faceofchinatrav00kemp (find matches)
Title: The face of China, travels in East, North, Central and Western China; with some account of the new schools, universities, missions, and the old religious sacred places of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism
Year: 1909 (1900s)
Authors: Kemp, Emily Georgiana, 1860-
Subjects:
Publisher: New York, Duffield
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

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nd another gong is usedto summon them to tea. One of the monks looked as if he had been recentlybranded for sainthood with nine marks about the sizeof threepenny-bits, symmetrically dotted over his skull.Hackmann gives an interesting description of the waythis is done in his book Der Buddhismus. The candi-date for sainthood has small pieces of incense fastenedon to his shaven head by means of resin. These arelighted and allowed to burn into the flesh, while achant is kept up by the other monks, and the suffererhas some one to press his temples with his thumbs torelieve the pain. At the end of the third courtyard we were takeninto a lofty temple, where the Abbots throne facedthe doorway. A gilt Buddha, with fruit and flowersplaced on a table, formed a sort of altar in front of it.Round doorways, without doors, led to guest-roomson either side of this hall, and we were hospitablyentertained in one with tea and cakes. By permissionof the Abbot, I returned next day to make a sketch of 166
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ch. xv Chengtu this picturesque interior, and in this sketch the door-way is shown, which is very characteristic of Szechwanarchitecture. Many of the inns in this province havecircular doorways and windows. The Abbot cameand talked with us very politely, and on inquiry Ilearnt that a most beautiful painting of lotus blossomsin black and white, which hung over the doorway, wasby a celebrated artist, and had been presented to themonastery by a pious worshipper. The Abbot satdown and began discussing our respective religions,which he said were exactly the same. While agree-ing as to their fundamental principle being the same,I felt unable to discuss their differences, being some-what inattentive, I fear, owing to my endeavour to geton with the sketch as rapidly as possible. Next theAbbot was sure we must be hungry, though we hadjust been regaled with excellent sweets and tea, and,despite our refusing it, he insisted on sending us someof the meal to which he had been summoned. Amonk soon

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