The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1888-10-18

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strange ideas of human dedication. ;
Ihlbetlan village makes but NEAR
appearance. The houses are alike
and each resembles brick kiln in size
and shape, built of rough stones
heaped without mortar of any kind
and on account of the strong winds and
terrific storms each has only one or two
apertures to admit light and air; on the
hat roof are placed piles of stones to
support small flagstaff, from which
is suspended a strong rope strung with
scraps OF religious paper and colored
cloths stamped or inwrought with sa-
cred texts from the Buddhist scriptures
I-for all the world like the tail of a kite
stretching to neighboring roof, and
supposed to act as 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 fiat nose. 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 a 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
riage 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: crescent mark on
its forehead, a dimple in its chin,
bright glistening eyes, 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 well 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 APP
pointed cell, they come together in the
temple, open to the sky in the middle,
towering in many-storied roofs all
around, and on 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 incarnate.
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 names are written on the backs
of artificial golden fishes, which are
then cast into 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 fish and reads
with loud voice the name of the babe.
Loud trumpet blasts repeat the name
through and through the ancient tenn
pie. The parents, overcome 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
vast coneourse 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 indwelling spirit |
OF the Buddha. Strange 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 or 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 |