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Nunneries.
BUDDHIST CALENDAR. them of their own accord, others are bought when young girls. The nuns shave the whole head .. like the men, do not compress their feet, and runneries wear a very similar costume to the monks. Some learn to read the Buddhist books, and attend upon those who worship at the temples. They also visit the sick and afflicted, and pay special attention to those who place themselves under their spiritual care. Although they have taken a vow of celibacy, the nuns are generally accused of breaking it, as in Tibet; and in some districts the Chinese officials have closed all nunneries for this reason.
While Buddhism is not ardently believed in by a large proportion of the Chinese, it is undoubtedly regarded with considerable respect; and its formulæ and Popular practices, especially those which are magical, aspect. are largely resorted to as a matter of precaution. Words not understood by the people are continually repeated by them with some sort of belief in their efficacy in overcoming evil influences. The workman will burn his paper with the charm written on it before beginning his morning's work; while the man of learning, who professes to despise Buddhism, knows by heart the magical sentences of the Ling-yen-king, or Heart Sutra.
The Buddhist calendar includes a very complete set of festivals and processions, though they are not made the occasion for such display as in Burmah. Buddhist The emperors' and empress's birthday, the calendar. anniversaries of emperors' deaths, and the four monthly feasts are, of course, kept. Then there are days for worshipping the devas of the older Hindu mythology, for eclipses of the sun and moon (addressed as Pu-sahs or Bodhi-satvas, the power of Buddha being invoked to deliver them), for sacrifice to the moon, and praying for fine weather or rain. The Deva Wei-to (really the Veda) is invoked as protector, and his birthday is kept, as also the birthdays of three other divine protectors, including the god of war, of Buddha, and each Bodhi-satva, the anniversaries of the death of the chief Chinese Buddhist saints, and of the founder of a monastery, etc. But this list might easily be lengthened,
