Middletown transcript., 1870-06-25
CUSTOMS IN TIIIBET,

But little is known of the manners anc
customs of the inhabitants of Thibet. Il
is an extensive region of central Asia
bounded on the north by Chinese Toorki
stan, east by China, south by Burmah anG
Hindostan, and west by Khoondooz anc
Cashmere The population is about c,
900, 900. A large portion of the country
is subject to China. The inhabitants be.
long to the Mongol race, are brave, active
and hardy, generous and honest. They
cultivate the soil where it is practicable,
but are not skilful farmers. They arc
celebrated for their workmanship in gold
and silver, and they manufacture beauti-
full shawls and exquisitely tempered
swords. The customs Of the country are
peculiar, and none more so than their
courtship and the manner in which they
manage to do their praying by aid of ma
chinery, custom which we should think
some of our clergymen had borrowed from
the Thibetans, to judge from their cold,
stolid manner when addressing the Throne
of Grace from their pulpits or by the side
of a sick or dead parishioner. It is only
necessary to wind the thing up and let it
run, and all the prayers that are consid-
cred necessary by the inhabitants of Thib-
ct, are unwound for twenty-four hours.
The religion of the people dosent amount
to much, to be sure, and neither does that
which some of our own countrymen enter
tain, for, while the Thibetans worship the
Grand Lama, a fat, lazy individual, who
has nothing to do but eat and wear good
clothes, it should be remembered that
there are thousands of Americans who care
but little for Christianity but good deal
for dollar, and they don't even take the
trouble to keep praying machine going
in the hope that some of their sins will be
pardoned through its aid.
These strange instruments are usually
made of brass, but in some cases among
the higher order of Lamas or priests, they
are of gold, and encircled with precious
stones. The handle passes up through
the cylinder, and forms the spindle round
which it revolves; only very slight ac-
tion of the hand is necessary to make it
turn, The whole of the interior of the
cylinder is filled with papers or cloth
closely printed with the prayer; ; and the
letters on the outside have the same mean
ing as those inside. Such machines are
constantly used by the Lamas in the SER
vice of the temples. Indeed, at all times
there is merit in whirling them, so that
they may be seen in the hands of the own
er in his walk through the villages, when
engaged in the ordinary affairs of daily
life. The wheel is always turned in one
way. They believe, it is said, that if
turned in the other direction it undoes all
the good that was gained by turning it in
the first direction They are therefore
very unwilling to sell their wheels to
strangers, lest they might turn them the
wrong way In some Of the villages there
are cylinders about two feet in height sta
toned in conspicuous place, so that the
people, when they pass, may give them a
turn by a push with the hand. The tenn
Piles of monasteries contain very large
praying machines, which are kept revolv-
ing by the priests or monks. They are
also placed in small buildings, erected
over streams, and turned by the water, so
as to save the people the trouble of keep
ing them going Two or three that run
by water can say prayers enongh for
whole village, most cheap aud certain
way of taking care Of their spiritual well
fare, SO that 20 one peed be neglected, as