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The Earth

The Chinese from a spiritual point of view (30 April 1847)

[75.1] Alongside the Brahmans, the Chinese, who have the so-called religion of Zoroaster, stand almost on the same level. These people are not so miracle-addicted, and therefore, in their own way, a hair better than the Brahmans; but, in spite of this, they are very far behind in the actual formation of true Christians, for they are fatalists on the one hand, and, on the other hand, the strictest pedantics, who have established "up to here and no further".

[75.2] Their houses and their clothes must always have the same form; also the food and drinks for each class and for each feast are precisely determined, as well as their compliments and their speeches. It cannot be perfected, but nothing can be worsened either.

[75.3] Diseases are treated according to class; the common people class is always cured by beating, for they say: An inner disease is thereby lured to the skin; this may then, when beaten properly blue, cut open in several places; once it has been properly bluffed, then all evil material will go out.

[75.4] Cholera is cured besides the beating and skin cutting, also with cutting off of the tongue. The military is cured in an almost similar way when one would fall ill; only after such treatment, a kind of plaster is applied. This plaster is applied rather hot on the back and on the belly, and remains on until it falls off by itself.

[75.5] The nobler classes are cured with rhubarb and Chinarinde; only the emperor and court officials have the right to use the whole pharmacy in case of illness, which, however, consists of ten medicines only in the most extreme cases. This always remains the same; those it helps, it helps, but who it does not help, was destined to die.

[75.6] In addition to the one great god, whom they worship as the supreme being, they have a number of house-gods, who are to help them in small things; but with these house-gods it is usually a very unpleasant affair, and they have no longevity; for when a Chinese appeals to his house-god, and the latter can of course not grant it to him, such a god will soon be deprived of his office, and from this point on he is deeply despised, and beaten for three hours.

[75.7] Such a deity then taken to an old restroom, and in this way is retired. If there are already a number of such pensioned gods in the restroom, an auto-da-fé is held with them, and their useless ashes are thrown into a river.

[75.8] They are likewise very peculiar with the construction of their paths. A path must never go over anyone's land, but rather in a ditch in which nothing grows, or in which some stream flows, but this is less frequently the case; because the Chinese also know to fill the trenches. Bridges which extend for many miles over dry country, are therefore a common sight, so that the ground under the bridge can still be used.

[75.9] This practice would be good, where it better constructed; but sometimes these bridges are so bad that the wanderer is hardly able to get over it, and would the bridge break somewhere, the victim, if he is still alive, must compensate for the damage, which happens not infrequently, as such a bridge are supposed to last a certain number of years. If it was already bad, nothing will be done to it unless a hiker has fallen through somewhere, then he must repair it.

[75.10] In addition to these bridges, there are also some main roads, which are only intended for heavy vehicles and the military. These main roads are never dry, and never without excrement, for these are usually alongside a stream or a brook, for which reason the Chinese usually go barefoot; only when they leave the street, do they wash their feet, and only then put on their very pointed sandals.

[75.11] The plots of land are almost just as defined as in Japan, except that they are not subject to the same penalties for violating the boundaries. Thus, the number of children that a countryman or citizen may have is still determined in many points; if he has more than one, he must immediately report this to the authorities, who will then issue him the edict of extermination.

[75.12] The midwifes are usually used to exterminate the children; but these now know that Europeans buy such children from them, so if they can, they bring such children to the market, where also childless Chinese are allowed to buy these children.

[75.13] That this people, together with many stupidities, which at times even appear cruel, but does portray good qualities, are usually very sober, you can be assured of; therefore they have almost perpetual peace, and they have, although they have the greatest number of people in the world, also the greatest earthly wealth.

[75.14] But that with this people, as it is, there is nothing to be done in the spiritual world, is self-evident. One have to be very careful with them if they were to be won for the true kingdom of the heavens; for, according to the doctrine of their Confucius, they are, according to their totalitarian and terminism teachings, pure Stoics.

[75.15] But how difficult it is for a Stoic to be accessible to a better light, has already been shown, namely in the representation of the spiritual sun. It is not easy to find on earth, besides the Japanese, a nation which observes it’s laws and doctrines as strictly as them; but it is precisely for this reason that they will not let go of their Diogenic self-satisfaction for any price.

[75.16] But when this self-satisfaction has reached the highest culmination point, everything else is a bare zero; all the heavens and all the glory of the angels, yes, My own supreme glory have no predominance with them. We have answered the 'Why?' as we have said, in the spiritual sun, and indeed in the evening of the general spiritual kingdom.

[75.17] But that these people are constant Stoics, can you already see from their state institutions; this people keep themselves in favour of their own, they keep themselves as their focal point; they regard themselves to be the inhabitants of the heavenly kingdom, and their excellence in everything overshadows everything on the earth. Their emperor is a pure son of heaven, and have his lineage straight from the sun. For this reason, this people also avoids, as much as possible, every communion with the rest of the peoples of the earth, and refuses to be instructed by anyone; because they know the best about everything.

[75.18] But as on this earth it is difficult to make something better out of a Chinese, and to bring him to another faith, it is still much more difficult to bring a departed spirit to a better conviction.

[75.19] But since we now know this people in so far as is necessary for the set purpose, we will no longer stay with them, but at once go to another.

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