ef that all persons ultimately reach the place where God dwells, and
become "one with Him."

In present day interpretations and descriptions of Shintoism, we read of
the "heathen" belief that _Kami_ himself dwells in person, in the "inner
temple" or sacred place of Shinto temples.

This idea doubtless exists as a reality among the very ignorant
superstitious devotees, much as among the ignorant Catholics we find the
unquestioned belief that the actual body and blood of Jesus the Christ is
contained in the Eucharist.

The Shinto temple always contains an "inner or sacred shrine," which is
equivalent to the "holy of holies," of the Mystic Brotherhoods, and
typifies the fact that _within_ and not _without_, will be found the God in
man, by finding which, man reaches liberation, or cessation from the cycle
of births and deaths.

A Shinto funeral is an occasion for rejoicing, because the departed one may
be a step farther on the way to God, and since his ancestors were directly
responsible, as a favor, for his occasion to become reborn, thus fulfilling
the law of _karma_, the Shintoist pays much respect to his ancestors.

The advent of Buddhism into Japan was made possible by the simple fact that
the people were becoming somewhat disgruntled with Shintoism, because of
its emphasis upon the never-to-be questioned postulate that the Mikado and
his progeny was the direct gift of _Kami_ to his people, to be obeyed
without demur, and to be adored as divine.

Several generations of Mikados who did not fulfil the ideal of Deity--an
ideal to which even savages attach the qualities of justice and mercy--left
the masses ready and eager to grasp at a religion that gave them some other
personified god, than the Mikado, much as a drowning man clutches at a
straw.

The Lord Buddha was a prince, therefore worship of him would not be an
absolutely impossible step--an unforgivable breach of contract with the
Mikado, and as he exhibited the qualities of humility and mercy and
tolerance, he was welcomed. The religion of Japan is to-day regarded as
Buddhistic, although the Imperial family, and consequently the army and the
navy are to all outward appearance, Shintoists.

Coming, then, to a consideration of the varying sects of Buddhism in Japan,
and the corresponding sects in India, we find that there have been nine
different incarnations of God, and that another, and, it is believed the
final one, is expected.

The intelligent and op