River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-09-27
THI-BEIT WANG TSUE:
Or, tho "Dweners on the Roof of
the World"
Something About This Extraordinary Peo-
Plr-ThsIr Peculiar Manners Gus
toms and Religious Rites
The DeIai Lamas.

tti.tS Ah"ut = MS extraordinary Peo-
Ple-Thsir Peculiar Manners. Gus
toms and Religious Rites
The DeIai Lamas.
This extraordinary people. the Thi-
belt Wang Tsue, owe their nationality
10 priacely Chinese rebel, who on ac-
count of some court intrigue took
refuge with his family among those
mountainous regions now called Thibet.
Establishing himself on the Yarling
river, he gathered to his standard the
wild. hairy. moUutain-cavc jewellers OF
this lofty plateau. With the Khuenlun
Mountains on the north and the mighty
HimaIayas on the south. " oug Chou
felt him.clfiuvincibIe and impregnable;
and So u proved. for til settlement of
savages fouri-hcd. and in course OF
time developed one Of the strangest
civilizations Ia the world.
IN order 10 understand this people.
their manners. customs and religious
rites. we must glance at their country.
1t Is The loftie-t plateau on the globe,
grit with steep barriers and with ex-
trcmes of temperature. in some parts
freezing every ni.Blt, even in summer,
while in others the noon sun is more
fierce and scorching than in the hot
test regions If Hindostan. From its
lofty tlblc-laHd descend some of the
greatest rivers 81 Asia, the Indus. the
BrahtrI no1tra. the Irrawady. the Gan
-es, the H0hang-ho. At their sources
mountains pile upon mountains. some
bare and volcanic. others covered with
orimeyaI forests frightfuIly tangled
yngethor with huge creepers. as vet
unnamed by tho botanist. The highest
,eaks soar ia awful grandeur. vapor-
crowned and snOw-clad. assuming in
the rising and setting sun forms Of un-
spealabie -plendor. The annual trans
formations II this land Of mountain
and valley ara magical; evergreens.
ferns. lichcns, mo>ses. thousands Of
mountain rills. and myriads Of flowers
fill it with music. fragrance and dewv
beauty; in winter storms, darkness.
heavy mi~ts and "A terrifying silence en-
wrap the laud-nOw and then this awful
silence is broken by avalanches Of ice
and snow, laundering and booming
down the mountains as with the roar
ing Of distant cannon. And above al
when night comes ON. there is nowhere
a land 50 weird; it is full Of milky
yapOrs Of sprpentine form. OF shades
and phautoms. inspiring in the minds
~vF
mystery and subIimity. II Is not
strange that the dwcllera ON the Roof
Of the World should DC what they are
the most superstitious. reverential,
religious and credulous people on the
face Of the earth.
Nowhere. as in Thibet, does Buddh-
ism ana its mysterious doctrine of the
TRANSPORTATION of souls hold sway so
absolute. The mountain caves are
filled with male and female ascetics.
who practice the most austere forms of
penancc, abstinence and self-torture.
in order TO work out their deScation;
I'm what was once the lair of wild
bcIs' live Thihetian maidens. who for
Ner ScOurge themselves with bruises,
sanctify themselves by continual fasts,
prayers and piOus meditstions. in the
hope that they may become mothers to
future Delai I.amas; here are converts
and mona-tGric~ without end temples,
shriues and pagOdas without number,
filled with pilgrims. saints, sages. ma
gicians. rahatS (saints in the various
stages Of deitication). araLats. both
male and female. Here is enshrined
the great Drlai Lama himself. the latest
living incarnation Of tho Buddha. be-
lievcd in as veritable mam-zOd. pure,
tuia,.ible, omuipreseut and omniscient.
who Is wor-hiped with the most
sumptuous 81 pagan rituals morning.
noon and night y "a heavenly deity:
while on every conspicuous rock and
towering peak j. cut in huge Thibetian
characters the mystical and symbolic
p'ayeroffered tothis strange mau-deity:
''Om Manni Pajmjh Nom
Amid this grand scaSery and these
strange ideas OF human dedication. a
/ .hetiau village makes but a mean
appearance. The houses are alike.
and each resembles "A brick kiln in size
and shape. built Of rough stones.
heaped without mortar Cf any kind.
and on account 81 the strong winds and
terrific storms each has only one or two
aperturys 10 admit light and air. on the
fat roof are placed piles Of stones to
support a small flagstaff. from which
i suspended a strong rope strung with
scraps O. religious paper and eolOred
cloths stamped cr iuwrcusht with "a
cred texts from the Buddhist scriptures
for gIl ihe world like the tail oF kite
stretching TO neighboring roof. and
supposed TO act a charm against mi
asma. walking ghosts and evil spirits.
The Thibctiaus are pure Mongolisu>;
they have the oblique small black eye,
the eone-shapcd head. the high cheek
bones. the fat nose. wide mouth. and
tawny skin Of the Turauian family. But
+ like the Chinese. their figures are
light elastic and symmetrical; their
Young men and women have much more
attractive expressions. owing TO doubt
20 their open and generous dispositions.
They love music. and everywhere they
are heard singing. chanting or hum
ming the wild. pIaintiv, Thibetian airs.
which arc more rhythmic than those Of
the Chinese
Not only i there IN Thibet q Delai
Lama. Uut there are several Teshu
Lamas or semi-incarnations Of Buddha-
These act as vice-Cerents Of the Delai
Lama. or Pure Incarnation. in the
provinces Of Thibet. and receive the
homage ana offerings suitable TO a
Iemi-deity.
The great question Of questions in
'hih is Co iiud in what babe or child
ac Fs-e spirit Of Buddha has become
e-5 u.'a Tue first condition is
'st s.Lsr 81 this extraordinary
b. one who before mar
-.stieed the most austere