BOOK OF REWARDS AND PUNISHMENTS. The " Book of Rewards and Punishments " is said to be the most popular exposition in its modern form of the Chinese religion or system of ethics known as Taoism (y.v.). It does indeed claim to be the production of the reputed founder of Taoism, Lao-tsze himself (sixth cen tury B.C.); but, according to Prof. Douglas, it can hardly have been published earlier than the fifteenth or six teenth century A.D., that is to say, many centuries after Buddhism became known in China (A.D. 62). Some of the maxims of the book, as given by Douglas, are as follows: " Practise righteousness and filial piety, be affectionate towards your younger brothers and respect ful towards your elder brothers. . . . Do no injury, either to insects, plants, or trees. . . . Rejoice at the success of others, and sympathise with their reverses, even as though you were in their place. . . . Bestow favours without expecting recompense. . . . Do not introduce vexatious reforms into the administration of the empire. . . . Don't shoot at birds, nor hunt animals. . . . Don't drive insects from their holes, nor frighten roosting birds. . . . Don't seek your own
advantage at the expense of others. . . . Don't suck other men's brains. . . . Don't break asunder mar riages. . . . Don't decry the excellences of others, nor conceal your own imperfections. . . . Don't put obstacles in the way of the promotion of men who are endowed with talents or worthy of praise. . . . Don't delight in picking and stealing. . . . Don't murmur againIst Heaven at your lot, nor accuse men. Don't scold the wind, nor abuse the rain. . . . Never say anything you don't mean. . . . Don't employ all your strength to accomplish your aims. . . . Live in har mony with your wife. Wives, respect your husbands. . . . Don't do anything which is not useful. . . . Don't leap over a well or a hearth. . . . Don't shout or get angry on the first day of the month, or in the morning. . . . Don't point rudely at the sun, moon, and stars. . . . Don't needlessly kill tortoises and serpents." Douglas's translation is based upon the French translation of Stanislas Julien. See Robert K., Douglas, Confucianism and Taouism; Frederic H. Bal four, " Taoism," in R.S.W.