Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 46.djvu/228

216 Even there was a custom of the retainers following their deceased master to the grave, being buried alive. This indicates the naïveté of their thought, and at the same time the recognition of some sort of future existence. They also thought that the deceased have some interest in the affairs of their friends and relatives who are still living on this earth. This belief is still quite common among the Japanese, even among the educated classes; and who can say that it has nothing rational and helpful in it?

The fact that the early Japanese were remarkably optimistic in their temperaments and dispositions is to be properly emphasized. Here, in conclusion, I will cite only two facts which confirm this statement. In the first place, it is true that Buddhism pessimized Japan, but at the same time it is also true that Japan optimized Buddhism. This is, of course, too big a subject here to enter in any detail. However, if any one carefully compares the Japanese Buddhism with Buddhism of any other country, he will surely find out that our Buddhism is more optimistic than that of anywhere else. The cause of this, it seems to me, lies in the natural tendency of the Japanese mind to see the bright side of things. The hare in the moon, instead of pounding drugs as a punishment, as a Hindu legend has it, is described in a Japanese legend as making mochi or rice pastry—the national cake of Japan—which represents the joy and happiness of the new year. The other fact is this: Some time ago an American lady who was in Japan for many years told me the following incident, which is almost an everyday occurrence in Japan. While the lady was in that country, one of her Japanese friends, who had recently married, died. So the lady made a call to condole the family deprived of its head, when she was surprised by the young widow, who thanked the American lady, expressing her sentiments by words like these: "I am sure that my husband must be glad to have your company here to-day, and be thankful for your kindness." This was quite a new experience to the American lady, who never expected such cheerful words from a bereaved young widow, and who never had happened to see the belief in the future life from such a point of view.

Thus, to the Japanese, especially to their early ancestors, the utmost enjoyment of this earthly life—that is, to be happy with gods and men—was the final object of their existence. To them religion was nothing but the very means of accomplishing this end. This is evident from the fact that in our olden times all festivals were religious, there being no distinction between religious and secular. By eating, drinking, singing, and dancing, which form the main elements of these festivals, they wanted to be happy with gods and with men. Therefore I say that Shintō may be defined, from this aspect, as a religion of merrymaking.