TWO PRIESTS BURNED. TERRIBLE PUNISHMENT OF VICIOUS BUDDHIST MONKS.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 253, 7 April 1888, Page 4

TWO PRIESTS BURNED. TERRIBLE PUNISHMENT OF VICIOUS BUDDHIST MONKS.

Round Rir«-h wllau-e, neai iht fa\ ounte picnic result of Tai J^nek, neai Canton, \\alately the -ceiie ot a leinai liable tiaguh The iollowing account vi tht uccuncncui* taken irom tho " Kuong Po — Au Round Jlidf/c \illage i-> a Buddhi-t monastery known a-s the <lolden L>u\\ 1 Temole. In lln= temple at tht time ap pointed by the Abbot lor the ceremony (alwajs a iew day- beiorc the wintei -ol^ticc) a number of monk- and nun- appealed to take upon them the >o\\.-> of the otdei. Among che latter weie two female-, ot at tractive and prepossessing appeaiance. Obsersing this, two pne?t.-, inmate^ of the monastery, had their e\il passion-, aiouhed and the demon of laseiwoucne-^ .stnied within them : Buddhists though they were, their hearts weie full of tenaiuility. Befoie the nuns could lea\e the precincts oi the temple the prieiU attempted to \ loiate them. Screams ol t'iiior and alarm hi ought the inmate^ to the rescue. The two piie«t-> were M-re-ted and taken belote the Abbot, who had them delivered o\ei loi trial and punishment to asub-distuct magi?trate. This official, influenced partly by the con&ideiation that the oiience fiftuail) committed was but flight, and paitly by the fact that the alleged ollendei- wcie Buddhist puesth, sent them back to the j-oonastery to be dealt with l>y the superioi. l\Heieupon the Abbot ie:-orted to Lho<e nun^bments which Buddhist mles pic scribe. acn of tlie o(leilclers received twenty lashes in the presence of all the brethren. The punishment, instead of bavins the good elieeb intended exasper°ted the culprits to a pitch of uncontrollable fury. No hooner were they unbound than they rushed oil and armed themselves with knives, ana returning- forced their way into the Abbot *. presence, and commenced a muruerous attack upon him. The Abbot defended himself successfully. The uproar brought the rest of the priests to the fepofc, and the would-be murderers were again secured. Once more the Abbot declared his intention to deliver up the two men to the secular S m But the speech being made in the presence of the ruffians, drew from them a storm of curses and threats They ended •by^ig that aince they had neither killed nor wouSded the Abbot the magistrate must Deeds let them off with a light punish-

m'ent. releasing them speedily to wreak a terrible '\ en&eance on tho Abbot and hirf monastery. This, display of \ iolcnce caused the Abbot to change- hit- intention in regard tupiesenb punishment, and he determined to apply toreountvl to (lie inmate;, ot leputation belonmny to the li\o «;i->ut mona-teues of CantoiT— that is, the Flowery Foiost,, the Ocean Banner, Longevity, (Ireatcr Huddha, and Tei leeted Submission. The matter wa* debated aeeouhngly, and tin; unanimous opinion ot those cunMilte.l was that tho reputation ot all the moiKi.sterie.s was. at stake, and that only one niethed remained of dcalinu" w ith the guilty paitie-. It was vool\ed to burn t ho ollLMi'lris to death in the eiomalin^-houso ot their mouaster\, that the puiituiiG miluenee.s of liiennj.'ht ln-t, oleaiK-e their heat t-. Then it was hopeil that. e\en on then behalt, the siwni; iiower ot Buddha mi^ht be excited. On the Ttli of ilanuai} the Mjntenee w >-> eaiiied out. r Uhe two piiest- weie earned bound into the oioniatinu house ot the nionas-teiy and then in the pu\senee ot then biethien and a lai^e crowd ot .speetaloi^ fiom the Mllaue the\ weie burnt, to death, thu,- expiating their enmes.