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past has very little personality for the present。 As for the former； its
attention is； if anything； derogatory to him； for we are always shy of
making fun of what we feel to be too closely a part of ourselves。 But
impersonality has prevented the Far Oriental from having much amour
propre。 He has no particular aversion to caricaturing himself。 Few
Europeans； perhaps； would have cared to perpetrate a self…portrait like one
painted by the potter Kinsei； which was sold me one day as an amusing
tour de force by a facetious picture…dealer。 It is a composite picture of a
new kind； a Japanese variety of type face。 The great potter； who was also
apparently no mean painter； has combined three aspects of himself in a
single representation。 At first sight the portrait appears to be simply a
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full front view of a somewhat moon…faced citizen； but as you continue to
gaze； it suddenly dawns on you that there are two other individuals； one on
either side； hob…nobbing in profile with the first； the lines of the features
being ingeniously made to do double duty； and when this aspect of the
thing has once struck you； you cannot look at the picture without seeing all
three citizens simultaneously。 The result is doubtless more effective as a
composition than flattering as a likeness。
Far Eastern sculpture； by its secondary importance among Far Eastern
arts； witnesses again to the secondary importance assigned to man at our
mental antipodes。 In this art； owing to its necessary limitations； the
representation of nature in its broader sense is impossible。 For in the first
place； whatever the subject； it must be such as it is possible to present in
one continuous piece； disconnected adjuncts； as； for instance； a flock of
birds flying； which might be introduced with great effect in painting； being
here practically beyond the artist's reach。 Secondly； the material being of
uniform appearance； as a rule； color； or even shading； vital points in
landscape portrayal； is out of the question； unless the piece were
subsequently painted； as in Grecian sculptures； a custom which is not
practised in China or Japan。 Lastly； another fact fatal to the
representation of landscape is the size。 The reduced scale of the
reproduction suggests falsity at once； a falsity whose belittlement the mind
can neither forget nor forgive。 Plain sculpture is therefore practically
limited to statuary； either of men or animals。 The result is that in their art；
where landscape counts for so much； sculpture plays a very minor part。
In what little there is； Nature's place is taken by Buddha。 For there are
two classes of statues； divided the one from the other by that step which
separates the sublime from the ridiculous； namely； the colossal and the
diminutive。 There is no happy human mean。 Of the first kind are the
beautiful bronze figures of the Buddha； like the Kamakura Buddha； fifty
feet high and ninety…seven feet round； in whose face all that is grand and
noble lies sleeping； the living representation of Nirvana； and of the second；
those odd little ornaments known as netsuke； comical carvings for the
most part； grotesque figures of men and monkeys； saints and sinners； gods
and devils。 Appealing bits of ivory； bone； or wood they are； in which the
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dumb animals are as speaking likenesses as their human fellows。
The other arts show the same motif in their decorations。 Pottery and
lacquer alike witness the respective positions assigned to the serious and
the comic in Far Eastern feeling。
The Far Oriental makes fun of man and makes love to Nature； and it
almost seems as if Nature heard his silent prayer； and smiled upon him in
acceptance； as if the love…light lent her face the added beauty that it lends
the maid's。 For nowhere in this world； probably； is she lovelier than in
Japan： a climate of long； happy means and short extremes； months of
spring and months of autumn； with but a few weeks of winter in between；
a land of flowers； where the lotus and the cherry； the plum and wistaria；
grow wantonly side by side； a land where the bamboo embosoms the
maple； where the pine at last has found its palm…tree； and the tropic and
the temperate zones forget their separate identity in one long self…
obliterating kiss。
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CHAPTER 7。 Religion。
In regard to their religion； nations； like individuals； seem singularly
averse to practising what they have preached。 Whether it be that his self…
constructed idols prove to the maker too suggestive of his own intellectual
chisel to deceive him for long； or whether sacred soil； like less hallowed
ground； becomes after a time incapable of responding to repeated sowings
of the same seed； certain it is that in spiritual matters most peoples have
grown out of conceit with their own conceptions。 An individual may
cling with a certain sentiment to the religion of his mother； but nations
have shown anything but a foolish fondness for the sacred superstitions of
their great…grandfathers。 To the charm of creation succeeds invariably
the bitter…sweet after…taste of criticism； and man would not be the
progressive animal he is if he long remained in love with his own
productions。
What his future will be is too engrossing a subject； and one too deeply
shrouded in mystery； not to be constantly pictured anew。 No wonder that
the consideration at that country toward which mankind is ever being
hastened should prove as absorbing to fancy as contemplated earthly
journeys proverbially are。 Few people but have laid out skeleton tours
through its ideal regions； and perhaps； as in the mapping beforehand of
merely mundane travels； one element of attraction has always consisted in
the possible revision of one's routes。
Besides； there is a fascination about the foreign merely because it is
such。 Distance lends enchantment to the views of others； and never more
so than when those views are religious visions。 An enthusiast has certainly
a greater chance of being taken for a god among a people who do not
know him intimately as a man。 So with his doctrines。 The imported is
apt to seem more important than the home…made； as the far…off bewitches
more easily than the near。 But just as castles in the air do not commonly
become the property of their builders； so mansions in the skies almost as
frequently have failed of direct inheritance。 Rather strikingly has this
proved the case with what are to…day the two most powerful religions of
the world；Buddhism and Christianity。 Neither is now the belief of its
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founder's people。 What was Aryan…born has become Turanian…bred； and
what was Semitic by conception is at present Aryan by adoption。 The
possibilities of another's hereafter look so much rosier than the limitations
of one's own present！
Few pastimes are more delightful than tossing pebbles into some still；
dark pool； and watching the ripples that rise responsive； as they run in ever
widening circles to the shore。 Most of us have felt its fascination second
only to that of the dotted spiral of the skipping…stone； a fascination not
outgrown with years。 There is something singularly attractive in the
subtle force that for a moment sways each part