Page:The Chinese Repository - Volume 01.djvu/300

 condnctconduct [sic],—intended, as is said in the book itself, to give dignity and inspire respect,—"A Catechism," we do not know. There is nothing of the catechetical form in the composition. Indeed, we have never seen that form used in any Chinese book. The ten precepts in Mr. N's translation are thus arranged.


 * 1. Thou shalt not kill any living creature.
 * 2. Thou shalt not steal.
 * 3. Thou shalt not be lewd.
 * 4. Thou shalt not do wrong by thy mouth.
 * 5. Thou shalt not drink strong liquors.
 * 6. Thou shalt not perfume the hair on the top of thy head; thou shalt not paint thy body.
 * 7. Thou shalt not behold or hear songs, and pantomimes, and plays; nor shalt thou perform thyself.
 * 8. Thou shalt not sit or lie on a high and large couch.
 * 9. Thou shalt not eat after the time.
 * 10. Thou shalt not have in thy private possession either a metal figure (an idol), or gold, or silver, or any valuable thing.

Such is the Decalogue of the Shamans! The original expressions are more simple than the translation of Mr. N. He has, unnecessarily, added thou to each interdict to make it read like the Decalogue of Moses: as in other places, he very erroneously applies Christian names to what differs materially from the Christian sense, and so blinds his own understanding, and throws dust in the eyes of others, to give colour to his own sceptical theories; such as that, all religions are alike; and to the philosopher all are equally untrue. In this way he uses, Scripture, church, clergy, &c.; and says first, that Budhism is like Roman Catholicism; and next, that it is the Lutheranism of the Hindoo church; whilst another Indian sect, is its Calvinism; and a third its Socinianism. He might, with as much philosophical accuracy, say that every brute biped is like man, because it has feet, and body, head, eyes, mouth, and ears;—which certainly indicate a great deal of similarity. How can a system which talks of Deity as being "nihility," "a something-nothing, or a nothing-something," &c., be compared to any thing either Jewish or Christian! The Chinese wording of the first five interdicts is thus;


 * 1. Puh sha sang, "Do not kill sentient beings."
 * 2. Puh taou, "Do not steal."
 * 3. Puh yin, "Do not marry."
 * 4. Puh wang yu, "Speak not falsely."
 * 5. Puh yin tsew, Drink not wine.

The third, interdicts to the Shamans all sexual intercourse; and these precepts are for the priests, and not for the people, therefore Mr. N.'s translation is wrong. The word he has translated lewd is explained as we have now given it. The Confucianists often laugh at the Buhdists for interdicting marriage; which seems to have induced the commentator to add