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legends is indeed unreliable and grotesque； but we have from him the truth
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as to what he saw and heard。
3。 In concluding this introduction I wish to call attention to some
estimates of the number of Buddhists in the world which have become
current； believing； as I do； that the smallest of them is much above what is
correct。
i。 In a note on the first page of his work on the Bhilsa Topes （1854）；
General Cunningham says： 〃The Christians number about 270 millions；
the Buddhists about 222 millions； who are distributed as follows： China
170 millions； Japan 25； Anam 14； Siam 3； Ava 8； Nepal 1； and Ceylon 1；
total； 222 millions。〃
ii。 In his article on M。 J。 Barthelemy Saint Hilaire's 〃Le Bouddha et sa
Religion；〃 republished in his 〃Chips from a German Workshop；〃 vol。 i。
（1868）； Professor Max Muller （p。 215） says； 〃The young prince became
the founder of a religion which； after more than two thousand years； is still
professed by 455 millions of human beings；〃 and he appends the following
note： 〃Though truth is not settled by majorities； it would be interesting to
know which religion counts at the present moment the largest numbers of
believers。 Berghaus； in his 'Physical Atlas；' gives the following division of
the human race according to religion：'Buddhists 31。2 per cent； Christians
30。7； Mohammedans 15。7； Brahmanists 13。4； Heathens 8。7； and Jews 0。3。'
As Berghaus does not distinguish the Buddhists in China from the
followers of Confucius and Laotse； the first place on the scale really
belongs to Christianity。 It is difficult to say to what religion a man belongs；
as the same person may profess two or three。 The emperor himself； after
sacrificing according to the ritual of Confucius； visits a Tao…sse temple；
and afterwards bows before an image of Fo in a Buddhist chapel。
（'Melanges Asiatiques de St。 Petersbourg；' vol。 ii。 p。 374。）〃
iii。 Both these estimates are exceeded by Dr。 T。 W。 Rhys Davids
（intimating also the uncertainty of the statements； and that numbers are no
evidence of truth） in the introduction to his 〃Manual of Buddhism。〃 The
Buddhists there appear as amounting in all to 500 millions：30 millions of
Southern Buddhists； in Ceylon； Burma； Siam； Anam； and India （Jains）；
and 470 millions of North Buddhists； of whom nearly 33 millions are
assigned to Japan； and 414；686；974 to the eighteen provinces of China
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A RECORD OF BUDDHISTIC KINGDOMS
proper。 According to him； Christians amount to about 26 per cent of
mankind； Hindus to about 13； Mohammedans to about 12 1/2； Buddhists
to about 40； and Jews to about 1/2。
In regard to all these estimates； it will be observed that the immense
numbers assigned to Buddhism are made out by the multitude of Chinese
with which it is credited。 Subtract Cunningham's 170 millions of Chinese
from his total of 222； and there remains only 52 millions of Buddhists。
Subtract Davids' （say） 414 1/2 millions of Chinese from his total of 500；
and there remain only 85 1/2 millions for Buddhism。 Of the numbers
assigned to other countries； as well as of their whole populations； I am in
considerable doubt； excepting in the cases of Ceylon and India； but the
greatness of the estimates turns upon the immense multitudes said to be in
China。 I do not know what total population Cunningham allowed for that
country； nor on what principal he allotted 170 millions of it to Buddhism；…
…perhaps he halved his estimate of the whole； whereas Berghaus and
Davids allotted to it the highest estimates that have been given of the
people。
But we have no certain information of the population of China。 At an
interview with the former Chinese ambassador； Kwo Sung…tao； in Paris； in
1878； I begged him to write out for me the amount； with the authority for
it； and he assured me that it could not be done。 I have read probably
almost everything that has been published on the subject； and endeavoured
by methods of my own to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion；without
reaching a result which I can venture to lay before the public。 My
impression has been that 400 millions is hardly an exaggeration。
But supposing that we had reliable returns of the whole population；
how shall we proceed to apportion that among Confucianists； Taoists； and
Buddhists？ Confucianism is the orthodoxy of China。 The common name
for it is Ju Chiao； 〃the Doctrines held by the Learned Class；〃 entrance into
the circle of which is； with a few insignificant exceptions； open to all the
people。 The mass of them and the masses under their influence are
preponderatingly Confucian； and in the observance of ancestral worship；
the most remarkable feature of the religion proper of China from the
earliest times； of which Confucius was not the author but the prophet； an
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overwhelming majority are regular and assiduous。
Among 〃the strange principles〃 which the emperor of the K'ang…hsi
period； in one of his famous Sixteen Precepts； exhorted his people to
〃discountenance and put away； in order to exalt the correct doctrine；〃
Buddhism and Taoism were both included。 If； as stated in the note quoted
from Professor Muller； the emperor countenances both the Taoist worship
and the Buddhist； he does so for reasons of state；to please especially his
Buddhist subjects in Thibet and Mongolia； and not to offend the many
whose superstitious fancies incline to Taoism。
When I went out and in as a missionary among the Chinese people for
about thirty years； it sometimes occurred to me that only the inmates of
their monasteries and the recluses of both systems should be enumerated
as Buddhists and Taoists； but I was in the end constrained to widen that
judgment； and to admit a considerable following of both among the people；
who have neither received the tonsure nor assumed the yellow top。 Dr。
Eitel； in concluding his discussion of this point in his 〃Lecture on
Buddhism； an Event in History；〃 says： 〃It is not too much to say that most
Chinese are theoretically Confucianists； but emotionally Buddhists or
Taoists。 But fairness requires us to add that； though the mass of the people
are more or less influenced by Buddhist doctrines； yet the people； as a
whole； have no respect for the Buddhist church； and habitually sneer at
Buddhist priests。〃 For the 〃most〃 in the former of these two sentences I
would substitute 〃nearly all；〃 and between my friend's 〃but〃 and
〃emotionally〃 I would introduce 〃many are；〃 and would not care to contest
his conclusion farther。 It does seem to me preposterous to credit Buddhism
with the whole of the vast population of China； the great majority of
whom are Confucianists。 My own opinion is； that its adherents are not so
many as those even of Mohammedani