The Red Cloud chief., 1888-09-21
AID each resembles a brick kiln in size

AOol1VA WASAioAN IN " oily hAA0
and OF account Of the strong winds ant
terrific storms each has only N or tw'
apertures to admit light and air; on tn,
fiat roof are placed piles OF stones t.
support a small flagstaff. from which
Is suspended a strong rope strung will
scraps of religious paper and cOlorei
cloths stamped or inwrOught with sa
cred texts from the Buddhist scripture;
for all the world like the tail of a kite
stretching to a neighboring roof. and
supposed to act a a charm against mi
asma, walking ghosts and evil spirits
The Thibetians are pure MOngOlians
they have the Oblique small black eye,
the cOne-shaped head. the high cheek
bones, the <iat nos wide mouth, and
tawny skin Of the Turanian family. But
unlike the Chinese. their figures are
light, elastic and symmetrical: their
young men and women have much more
attractive expressions. owing no doubt
to their open and generous dispositions.
They love music, and everywhere they
are heard singing. chanting or hum.
ming the wild, plaintive Thibetian airs.
which are more rhythmic than those OF
the Chinese.
Not only is there in Thibet 4 Delai
Lama, but there are several Teshu
Lamas or semi-incarnatiOns of Buddha.
These act as vice-gerents of the Delai
Lama. OR Pure Incarnation, in the
provinces of Thibet. and receive the
homage and offerings suitable to a
semi-deity.
The great question OF questions in
Thibet is to find in what babe or child
the pure spirit of Buddha has become
re-incarnate. The first condition is
that the mother of this extraordinary
infant should be one who before mar
riase has practiced the most austere
forms Of penance. fasting and prayer,
and that the father should be a man
of equal piety and faith. The babe
itself must show the five supernatural
marks on its body: a crescent mark on
its forehead. a dimple in its chin.
bright glistening eyes. a red spot on
its stomach and a similar mark on its
right foot. Every male infant born in
in this strange country is subjected to
the stricteSt scrutiny.
When several such babes have been
heard of. they with their parents are
escorted to the city of Lhassa and con-
Quoted to the monastery of Lha-Brang.
or Sanctified House. This building is
regarded as the center and heart of
Thibet. from which all the religious
life. as we'll as the main roads. radiate.
1t is not merely a religious center. for
here are the seats OF the civil, political
and judicial officials of Thibet. Here
the chief Lamas of all the mOnasteries
meet. and after a week of fasting.
prayer and meditation. each in his ap-
pointed cell. they come together in the
temple. open to the sky in the middle.
towering in many-stOried roofs all
around, and o. its huge gates. standing
out in strong relief. colossi of the
spirit guardians of the fonr corners of
earth. Here they wait in profound
silence the hour appointed for the
ceremony Of divining in which of the
babes the pure spirit Of Buddha has
deigned to become i~ncarnate.
At sunset these baby-candidates for
divinity are ushered with great pomp
into the temple: here they are prayed
over. then examined as to the accuracy
of the supernatural marks. This done
their anne are written on the backs
of artificial golden fishes. which are
then cast into a golden urn Of water.
which stands on the right Of the altar
throne of Buddha. Then the chief Of
the Lamas puts his hand into the urn.
and with his eyes lifted up to the blue
sky. he draws out "A fish and reads
with IA loud voice the name of the babe.
Loud trumpet blasts repeat the name
through and through the ancient tenn
Pile. The parents. with JOY.
fall on their knees before the wonderful
babe and worship it. not doubling its
divinity. The other babes are looked
upon as semi-incarnatiOns and reserved
to become Teshu LamaS.
The next day the sacred babe is car
ried through the city at the head OF a
vast concoursc of priests and people.
with music. shoutings and hymns Of
JOY, and placed in the POtala until he
shall have become of age and his mind
illuminated with the i%ndwelling spirit
ofthe Buddha. Stranger to say this ripen-
ing of the spirit Of the Delai Lama va
ries; in some incarnatiOns it takes
place at the age of fifteen. in others
not until eighteen OF twenty. The evil
dence of this maturity is to be per-
ceived by a certain rare fragrance
emitted by the body of the Delai Lama.
and An almost profound expression in
the eyes.
After his Inauguration, the Delai
Lama appears at stated times on his
various thrones or affairs openly to re-
ceive the alteration of his fellOw-men.
But of his private life the public knows
nothing. Those whose business it is
to wait in private on this strange fiction
are vowed IN fhe S~frjcteSf silence and