ancestors to follow him. Everything pertaining to idolatry may be given up easily, but ancestor worship only with great difficulty. Some have pretended to be without a family altar, while they have still been continuing the worship in a secluded part of the house. This is the kernel of the religion of the Chinese; fear of the displeasure of departed ancestors is very real, and no expense is spared to make their spirits rest in peace.
The idea of transmigration or rather rotation of souls seems to be found in this altar, and the tzŭ p‘ai 字派 of the family bears this out. Most families use only sixteen names; but some have thirty-two and a few have twenty-four; when these have run their course the round begins afresh, and the spirits of ancestors are probably supposed to do the same.
The furniture in the chief room in the house does not belong to any individual member of the family, but is attached to the family altar and is family property.
A tablet to three classes of religions is not uncommon, and in some homes it takes the place of the Heaven and Earth tablet. It includes (1) 上三教 shang san chiao, the upper three religions, viz.—Confucius 儒教孔聖 ju chiao K‘ung shêng; the Taoist Sage 道教老君 tao chiao Lao chün; Buddha, 釋教牟尼 Shih chiao mu ni. (2) Chung 中 san chiao, the middle three religions: the god of Literature 文昌帝君 Wên Ch‘ang ti chün; the god of War 銀闕大帝 Yin ch‘üeh ta ti; the god of dark Heaven 玄天上帝 hsüan t‘ien shang ti. (3) Hsia 下 san chiao, the lower three religions: the god of Medicine 藥王菩薩 Yo wang p‘u sa; the goddess of Mercy 觀音大士 Kuan Yin ta shih; the god of cattle Niu 牛 wang p‘u sa.
On this tablet there is also written 歷代昭穆 li tai chao mu, to the ancestors far and near.
At the outer left hand side of the door as one enters a house may be seen an idol or tablet to the Taoist trinity, 三品三元三官大帝 san p‘in san yuan san küan ta ti. The worshipper bows to the outside as he is supposed to be worshipping heaven. The idol is generally a painting about a foot square.
