--- title: Opening — In Ghostly Japan · full text with trees · page 3 description: Opening, «In Ghostly Japan» by Lafcadio Hearn: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: In Ghostly Japan --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg8128/1/page/3/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [In Ghostly Japan](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg8128/) / Opening # Opening · page 3 [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg8128/1/) [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg8128/1/page/2/) **3** \[3\] By \_sîla\_ is meant the observance of the rules of purity in act and thought.[151](../../151/ "tree and pragmatics") \_Dhyâna\_ (called by Japanese Buddhists \_Zenjō\_) is one of the higher forms of meditation.[152](../../152/ "tree and pragmatics") Sometimes in Buddhist sermons the destruction of Karma by virtuous effort is likened to the burning of incense by a pure flame,—sometimes, again, the life of man is compared to the smoke of incense.[153](../../153/ "tree and pragmatics") In his “Hundred Writings “(\_Hyaku-tsū-kiri-kami\_), the Shinshū priest Myōden says, quoting from the Buddhist work \_Kujikkajō\_, or “Ninety Articles “:—[154](../../154/ "tree and pragmatics") “In the burning of incense we see that so long as any incense remains, so long does the burning continue, and the smoke mount skyward.[155](../../155/ "tree and pragmatics") Now the breath of this body of ours,—this impermanent combination of Earth, Water, Air, and Fire,—is like that smoke.[156](../../156/ "tree and pragmatics") And the changing of the incense into cold ashes when the flame expires is an emblem of the changing of our bodies into ashes when our funeral pyres have burnt themselves out.”[157](../../157/ "tree and pragmatics") He also tells us about that Incense-Paradise of which every believer ought to be reminded by the perfume of earthly incense:—“In the Thirty-Second Vow for the Attainment of the Paradise of Wondrous Incense,” he says, “it is written: ‘\_That Paradise is formed of hundreds of thousands of different kinds of incense, and of substances incalculably precious;—the beauty of it incomparably exceeds anything in the heavens or in the sphere of man;—the fragrance of it perfumes all the worlds of the Ten Directions of Space; and all who perceive that odor practise Buddha-deeds.[158](../../158/ "tree and pragmatics") \_’ In ancient times there were men of superior wisdom and virtue who, by reason of their vow, obtained perception of the odor; but we, who are born with inferior wisdom and virtue in these later days, cannot obtain such perception.[159](../../159/ "tree and pragmatics") Nevertheless it will be well for us, when we smell the incense kindled before the image of Amida, to imagine that its odor is the wonderful fragrance of Paradise, and to repeat the \_Nembutsu\_ in gratitude for the mercy of the Buddha.”[160](../../160/ "tree and pragmatics") IV[161](../../161/ "tree and pragmatics") But the use of incense in Japan is not confined to religious rites and ceremonies: indeed the costlier kinds of incense are manufactured chiefly for social entertainments.[162](../../162/ "tree and pragmatics") Incense-burning has been an amusement of the aristocracy ever since the thirteenth century.[163](../../163/ "tree and pragmatics") Probably you have heard of the Japanese tea-ceremonies, and their curious Buddhist history; and I suppose that every foreign collector of Japanese \_bric-à-brac\_ knows something about the luxury to which these ceremonies at one period attained,—a luxury well attested by the quality of the beautiful utensils formerly employed in them.[164](../../164/ "tree and pragmatics") But there were, and still are, incense-ceremonies much more elaborate and costly than the tea-ceremonies,—and also much more interesting.[165](../../165/ "tree and pragmatics") Besides music, embroidery, poetical composition and other branches of the old-fashioned female education, the young lady of pre-Meiji days was expected to acquire three especially polite accomplishments,—the art of arranging flowers, (\_ikébana\_), the art of ceremonial tea-making (\_cha-no-yu\_ or \_cha-no-e\_),\[4\] and the etiquette of incense-parties (\_kō-kwai\_ or \_kō-é\_).[166](../../166/ "tree and pragmatics") Incense-parties were invented before the time of the Ashikaga shōguns, and were most in vogue during the peaceful period of the Tokugawa rule.[167](../../167/ "tree and pragmatics") With the fall of the shōgunate they went out of fashion; but recently they have been to some extent revived.[168](../../168/ "tree and pragmatics") It is not likely, however, that they will again become really fashionable in the old sense,—partly because they represented rare forms of social refinement that never can be revived, and partly because of their costliness.[169](../../169/ "tree and pragmatics") \[4\] Girls are still trained in the art of arranging flowers, and in the etiquette of the dainty, though somewhat tedious, \_cha-no-yu\_.[170](../../170/ "tree and pragmatics") Buddhist priests have long enjoyed a reputation as teachers of the latter.[171](../../171/ "tree and pragmatics") When the pupil has reached a certain degree of proficiency, she is given a diploma or certificate.[172](../../172/ "tree and pragmatics") The tea used in these ceremonies is a powdered tea of remarkable fragrance,—the best qualities of which fetch very high prices.[173](../../173/ "tree and pragmatics") In translating \_kō-kwai\_ as “incense-party,” I use the word “party” in the meaning that it takes in such compounds as “card-party,” “whist-party,” “chess-party”;—for a \_kō-kwai\_ is a meeting held only with the object of playing a game,—a very curious game.[174](../../174/ "tree and pragmatics") There are several kinds of incense-games; but in all of them the contest depends upon the ability to remember and to name different kinds of incense by the perfume alone.[175](../../175/ "tree and pragmatics") That variety of \_kō-kwai\_ called \_Jitchū-kō\_ (“ten-burning-incense”) is generally conceded to be the most amusing; and I shall try to tell you how it is played.[176](../../176/ "tree and pragmatics") The numeral “ten,” in the Japanese, or rather Chinese name of this diversion, does not refer to ten kinds, but only to ten packages of incense; for \_Jitchū-kō\_, besides being the most amusing, is the very simplest of incense-games, and is played with only four kinds of incense.[177](../../177/ "tree and pragmatics") One kind must be supplied by the guests invited to the party; and three are furnished by the person who gives the entertainment.[178](../../178/ "tree and pragmatics") Each of the latter three supplies of incense—usually prepared in packages containing one hundred wafers is divided into four parts; and each part is put into a separate paper numbered or marked so as to indicate the quality.[179](../../179/ "tree and pragmatics") Thus four packages are prepared of the incense classed as No. 1, four of incense No. 2, and four of incense No. 3,—or twelve in all.[180](../../180/ "tree and pragmatics") But the incense given by the guests,—always called “guest-incense”—is not divided: it is only put into a wrapper marked with an abbreviation of the Chinese character signifying “guest.”[181](../../181/ "tree and pragmatics") Accordingly we have a total of thirteen packages to start with; but three are to be used in the preliminary sampling, or “experimenting”—as the Japanese term it,—after the following manner.[182](../../182/ "tree and pragmatics") We shall suppose the game to be arranged for a party of six,—though there is no rule limiting the number of players.[183](../../183/ "tree and pragmatics") The six take their places in line, or in a half-circle—if the room be small; but they do not sit close together, for reasons which will presently appear.[184](../../184/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the host, or the person appointed to act as incense-burner, prepares a package of the incense classed as No 1, kindles it in a censer, and passes the censer to the guest occupying the first seat,\[5\] with the announcement—“This is incense No 1” The guest receives the censer according to the graceful etiquette required in the \_kō-kwai\_, inhales the perfume, and passes on the vessel to his neighbor, who receives it in like manner and passes it to the third guest, who presents it to the fourth,—and so on.[185](../../185/ "tree and pragmatics") When the censer has gone the round of the party, it is returned to the incense-burner.[186](../../186/ "tree and pragmatics") One package of incense No. 2, and one of No. 3, are similarly prepared, announced, and tested.[187](../../187/ "tree and pragmatics") But with the “guest-incense” no experiment is made.[188](../../188/ "tree and pragmatics") The player should be able to remember the different odors of the incenses tested; and he is expected to identify the guest-incense at the proper time merely by the unfamiliar quality of its fragrance.[189](../../189/ "tree and pragmatics") \[5\] The places occupied by guests in a Japanese \_zashiki\_, or reception room are numbered from the alcove of the apartment.[190](../../190/ "tree and pragmatics") The place of the most honored is immediately before the alcove: this is the first seat, and the rest are numbered from it, usually to the left.[191](../../191/ "tree and pragmatics") The original thirteen packages having thus by “experimenting” been reduced to ten, each player is given one set of ten small tablets—usually of gold-lacquer,—every set being differently ornamented.[192](../../192/ "tree and pragmatics") The backs only of these tablets are decorated; and the decoration is nearly always a floral design of some sort:—thus one set might be decorated with chrysanthemums in gold, another with tufts of iris-plants, another with a spray of plum-blossoms, etc. But the faces of the tablets bear numbers or marks; and each set comprises three tablets numbered “1,” three numbered “2,” three numbered “3,” and one marked with the character signifying “guest.”[193](../../193/ "tree and pragmatics") After these tablet-sets have been distributed, a box called the “tablet-box” is placed before the first player; and all is ready for the real game.[194](../../194/ "tree and pragmatics") The incense-burner retires behind a little screen, shuffles the flat packages like so many cards, takes the uppermost, prepares its contents in the censer, and then, returning to the party, sends the censer upon its round.[195](../../195/ "tree and pragmatics") This time, of course, he does not announce what kind of incense he has used.[196](../../196/ "tree and pragmatics") As the censer passes from hand to hand, each player, after inhaling the fume, puts into the tablet-box one tablet bearing that mark or number which he supposes to be the mark or number of the incense he has smelled.[197](../../197/ "tree and pragmatics") If, for example, he thinks the incense to be “guest-incense,” he drops into the box that one of his tablets marked with the ideograph meaning “guest;” or if he believes that he has inhaled the perfume of No. 2, he puts into the box a tablet numbered “2.”[198](../../198/ "tree and pragmatics") When the round is over, tablet-box and censer are both returned to the incense-burner.[199](../../199/ "tree and pragmatics") He takes the six tablets out of the box, and wraps them up in the paper which contained the incense guessed about.[200](../../200/ "tree and pragmatics") The tablets themselves keep the personal as well as the general record,—since each player remembers the particular design upon his own set.[201](../../201/ "tree and pragmatics") The remaining nine packages of incense are consumed and judged in the same way, according to the chance order in which the shuffling has placed them.[202](../../202/ "tree and pragmatics") When all the incense has been used, the tablets are taken out of their wrappings, the record is officially put into writing, and the victor of the day is announced.[203](../../203/ "tree and pragmatics") I here offer the translation of such a record: it will serve to explain, almost at a glance, all the complications of the game.[204](../../204/ "tree and pragmatics") According to this record the player who used the tablets decorated with the design called “Young Pine,” made but two mistakes; while the holder of the “White-Lily” set made only one correct guess.[205](../../205/ "tree and pragmatics") But it is quite a feat to make ten correct judgments in succession.[206](../../206/ "tree and pragmatics") The olfactory nerves are apt to become somewhat numbed long before the game is concluded; and, therefore it is customary during the \_Kō-kwai\_ to rinse the mouth at intervals with pure vinegar, by which operation the sensitivity is partially restored.[207](../../207/ "tree and pragmatics") [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg8128/1/) [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg8128/1/page/2/) **3** - ← previous: [page 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg8128/1/page/2/) - next →: [Record of a Kō-kwai.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg8128/2/) - ↑ back to [In Ghostly Japan](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg8128/)