98
HOLMES WELCH
43 Reichelt quotes a warning by the late Ming monk, Hsi-ming, against "being deceived into joining the Catholic church or some other outside sect,” and states that it was often reprinted (Truth and Tradition in Chinese Buddhism, Shanghai, 1927, pp. 157-158).
44 It was in 1920 that Reichelt first proposed an "institute for special work among the Buddhists." He wanted to make contact with monks whose hearts were filled with bitterness towards Christianity because some Christians were "so fatally lacking in a sympathetic and gentle attitude towards others." It was to be "a half-way house" with many of the features of a Buddhist monastery, including a wandering monks' hall, a meditation hall, a bell tower, a crematorium, and a hall for the aged. See K. L. Reichelt, "Special Work among Chinese Buddhists" Chinese Recorder 51.7 (July 1920), 491-497. When it finally went into operation, under the name of the "Christian Mission to the Buddhists," in the autumn of 1922, it had only a "very small, semi-foreign house." After a year and a half, it moved to somewhat larger quarters which included a dining room, where vegetarian meals were served, and the all-important "pilgrims hall" where monks were allowed to put up for three days (as they would be at a Buddhist temple) and stay longer if they were interested in serious study. The layout was "just as in monasteries with two long platforms where they can spread their bedding, and, above them, shelves where they can place their things. Between the two platforms, there is an altar with an incense burner and two candlesticks and above all an impressive crucifix." Even more significant was the arrangement of the chapel, to which they were summoned for worship twice a day (as they would be in a monastery) by "a Chinese bell with deep tones." The altar was of red lacquer "in a true Chinese style," adorned with gilt designs that included the following: "the lotus lily symbolizing the purity, the fire, and the water of the cleansing spirit” (but also, of course, symbolizing the Buddha Amitabha and his Pure Land), "the swastika of peace and cosmic union" (but also one of the Buddha's sacred marks and a general symbol for Buddhism), and the cross over a lotus, which was the Mission's emblem.
Just as in a Chinese temple, plaques with parallel inscriptions were hung on the walls. One bore a quotation from the Gospel according to St. John: "The true light that enlightens every man has come into the world." The other legend was more Buddhist in flavour than Christian: "[Join in] the great vow compassionately to help people across to the other shore" (ta-yüan tz'u-hang).
These efforts to make Buddhist monks feel at home attracted a large number of them as visitors (about a thousand annually) but in the first four and a half years of operation, only seventeen male Chinese were converted and baptized. See Notto Normann Thelle "The Christian Mission to the Buddhists," Chinese Recorder (September 1927), 571-575. A photograph of four of the Buddhist and Taoist novices, whom Thelle says were enrolled in the boys' school opened by the Mission, appears in the Chinese Recorder 54.11 (November 1923), facing p. 671. When the permanent headquarters of the Mission were constructed at Tao-fung Shan in the New Territories of Hong Kong during the 1930s, the approximation of a Buddhist monastery became almost as close as Dr. Reichelt had originally envisaged it. Some missionaries were afraid that he was being too broad-minded in his use of Buddhist motifs and even that he might be fostering a kind of Buddho-Christian syncretism. He and his colleagues maintained, however, that their only purpose was to "lead these people into a living faith in Jesus Christ." (Thelle, p. 571).
45 Maha Bodhi, 41.3.4 (March-April 1933), 133,
46 Most of the information on Chao-k'ung up to this point is taken from David Lampe and Laszlo Szenasi, The Self-made Villain, London, 1961.
47 Victor Purcell, The Chinese in Southeast Asia, London, 1951, p. 47.
:
98
HOLMES WELCH
43 Reichelt quotes a warning by the late Ming monk, Hsi-ming, against "being deceived into joining the Catholic church or some other outside sect,” and states that it was often reprinted (Truth and Tradition in Chinese Bud- dhism, Shanghai, 1927, pp. 157-158).
It
44 It was in 1920 that Reichelt first proposed an "institute for special work among the Buddhists." He wanted to make contact with monks whose hearts were filled with bitterness towards Christianity because some Christians were "so fatally lacking in a sympathetic and gentle attitude towards others." was to be "a half way house" with many of the features of a Buddhist monastery, including a wandering monks håll, a meditation hall, a bell tower, a crematorium, and a hall for the aged. See K. L. Reichelt, "Special Work among Chinese Buddhists" Chinese Recorder 51.7 (July 1920), 491-497. When it finally went into operation, under the name of the "Christian Mission to the Buddhists," in the autumn of 1922, it had only a "very small, semi-foreign house." After a year and a half it moved to somewhat larger quarters which included a dining room, where vegetarian meals were served, and the all- important "pilgrims hall" where monks were allowed to put up for three days (as they would be at a Buddhist temple) and stay longer if they were interested in serious study. The layout was "just as in monasteries with two long platforms where they can spread their bedding, and, above them, shelves where they can place their things. Between the two platforms there is an altar with an incense burner and two candle sticks and above all an impressive crucifix." Even more significant was the arrangement of the chapel, to which they were summoned for worship twice a day (as they would be in a monastery) by "a Chinese bell with deep tones. The altar was of red lacquer “in a true Chinese style," adorned with gilt designs that included the following: "the lotus lily symbolizing the purity, the fire, and the water of the cleansing spirit” (but also, of course, symbolizing the Buddha Amitabha and his Pure Land), "the swastica of peace and cosmic union" (but also one of the Buddha's sacred marks and a general symbol for Buddhism), and the cross over a lotus, which was the Mission's emblem.
Just as in a Chinese temple, plaques with parallel inscriptions were hung on the walls. One bore a quotation from the Gospel according to St. John: "The true light that enlightens every man has come into the world." The other legend was more Buddhist in flavour than Christian: "[Join in] the great vow compassionately to help people across to the other shore" (ta-yilan tz'w-hang).
These efforts to make Buddhist monks feel at home attracted a large number of them as visitors (about a thousand annually) but in the first four and a half years of operation only seventeen male Chinese were converted and baptized. See Notto Normann Thelle "The Christian Mission to the Buddhists," Chinese Recorder (September 1927), 571-575. A photograph of four of the Buddhist and Taoist novices, whom Thelle says were enrolled in the boys' school opened by the Mission, appears in the Chinese Recorder 54.11 (November 1923), facing p. 671. When the permanent headquarters of the Mission were constructed at Tao-fung Shan in the New Territories of Hong Kong during the 1930's, the approximation of Buddhist monastery be- came almost as close as Dr. Reichelt had originally envisaged it. Some mis- sionaries were afraid that he was being too broad-minded in his use of Bud- dhist motifs and even that he might be fostering a kind of Buddho Christian syncretism. He and his colleagues maintained, however, that their only purpose was to "lead these people into a living faith in Jesus Christ." (Thelle, p. 571).
45 Maha Bodhi, 41.3.4 (March-April 1933), 133,
46 Most of the information on Chao-k'ung up to this point is taken from David Lampe and Laszlo Szenasi, The Self-made Villain, London, 1961.
47 Victor Purcell, The Chinese in Southeast Asia, London, 1951, p. 47.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.