The Coffin Was Carried Into The Temple And
Laid Upon Trestles, While Incense Was Burned And Prayers Were Said,
And
Was then carried to a shallow grave lined with cement, and
prayers were said by the priests until the earth
Was raised to the
proper level, when all dispersed, and the widow, in her gay attire,
walked home unattended. There were no hired mourners or any signs
of grief, but nothing could be more solemn, reverent, and decorous
than the whole service. [I have since seen many funerals, chiefly
of the poor, and, though shorn of much of the ceremony, and with
only one officiating priest, the decorum was always most
remarkable.] The fees to the priests are from 2 up to 40 or 50
yen. The graveyard, which surrounds the temple, was extremely
beautiful, and the cryptomeria specially fine. It was very full of
stone gravestones, and, like all Japanese cemeteries, exquisitely
kept. As soon as the grave was filled in, a life-size pink lotus
plant was placed upon it, and a lacquer tray, on which were lacquer
bowls containing tea or sake, beans, and sweetmeats.
The temple at Rokugo was very beautiful, and, except that its
ornaments were superior in solidity and good taste, differed little
from a Romish church. The low altar, on which were lilies and
lighted candles, was draped in blue and silver, and on the high
altar, draped in crimson and cloth of gold, there was nothing but a
closed shrine, an incense-burner, and a vase of lotuses.
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