The Washington times., 1894-10-13
DR.. HENSOLDT The ONLY One
First and Last White Man to See the
Mysterious Dalai Lama.
HOW HE PENETRATED THIBET
Disguised as a High Caste Brahmin and at
the Risk of His Life-story Of the German
Scientists Adventures Wonderful Hyp-
motto Feats of the Adopts He Is in the City.

motto Feats Of the Adopts Is in the City.
Dr. Heinrich Hensoldt, the only white man
who ever met or conversed with the Hindoo
Dalai Lama, the incarnated Bodhi-sattva or
President George VI. Coffin, of the Blavalsky
branch of the Theosophical Society.
DIR. Hensoldt penetrated Lhasa, the capital
of Thibet, under the disguise Of a high-caste
Brahman, and, at the risk of his life, entered
Bhota-la, the golden temple in which the sue
Since 1S45, when two disguised French mis-
sionaries spent some time in Lhasa, no man
OF Western birth has ever set foot insice Of
the sacred city OF the Hindoos and returned
to tell the story.
Dr. Hensoldt's story Of his adventures and
the hardships which he was compelled to un-
dergo is more fascinating than any romance
After eleven years spent in India, Ceylon. and
Thibet he has come back 10 America 10 tell
something Of his experiences and 10 explain
more fully the tenets Of the theosophists of
the far East He speaks not only from tine
q
scholar deep-versed in modern science and
conversant with more than dozen Ian
guaGes. After his journey into the far East,
Dr. Hensoldt was for years lecturer on ge-
ology in Columbia College.
DIR. HESsoLDT's EXPERIENCE.
When I went TO India" "-these is a rich
German accent in his voice-''I was a
thorough materialist, versed in the science Of
the West was always seeking to find out
how things were done, not why, as the Hin
docs do 1 was confident that my science
would entirely unraveI every mystery OF which
I had ever heard. But when got into the
work Of unraveling soon found that my sub
ject was much larger than my science-that I
had undertaken to comprehend u wisdom
thousands OF years older and many times
greater than mine.
''AIy attention was first attracted by the
marvellous exhibitions OF the ordinary street
fakirs. and had heard thar the tricks-al-
though I do not like the word-Of the adopts
were still more wonderful. When I saw the
much-described mangO-tree exhibition and
the rope and basket teats l determined 10
know more of the power which the HindOo
yogls and rishis possessed In vain offered
them money-their secret was not for sale at
any price In fact, they cared little for any
thing l could offer them.
Accordingly as soon as l was thoroughly
acquainted with the language l went to
Serinagur in the Vale OF Cashmere and lived
with Ave hermit adopts for about six months.
/ saw their daily lives and watched them dur
ing their marvellous periods OF abstraction and
yet was no nearer the strange secret than
was before Occasionally 1 thought 1 could
catch ghmpses behind the curtain, as ii were,
but it was Just as the adopts said. they could
not tell me how they reached their wisdom
While there [ was convinced OF their perfect
conscientiousness in keeping their secrets aud
OF their pevOtion 10 q wOrk which western
people cannot understand.
ATTEMPT TO REACH TIE CAPITAL.
"My taste OF the occult here determined me
TO make an attempt to reach Lhasa, the capi-
tai of Thibet and the center of Buddhism.
knew its perils. Hundreds of men who had
tried it had never been heard from again. In
fact, Col. Prelevalsky. Russian, had made
four desperate sallies with an armed force,
but had never been able 10 reach his destina-
ton. An American named Rockhill had also
tried it. but he had never got nearer than 500
miles TO Lhasa.
II stained my face and hands to a rich
brown color, and, donIing the dress of a
high-caste Hindoo. set forth on my way north
ward over the Himalaya mountains l was
accompanied by q HindCo servant. When We
reached the hiEhland5-fOr Thibet is more
than 900 feet above sea level ex-
perienced much difficulty in breathing at
times, and was. of course. in constant dan
ger of being discovered. Several times NJ
blue eyes got me into difficult situations
Alter a long journey we reached lhasa. a
beautiful old city built on @ series Of terraces,
on the highest point OF which CLEANS the
nj 60 al.
Dalai Lama. Here spent several weeks dis
cussing Hindoo philosophy with the adopts
as a HIndoo pilgrim
''One day l received & sudden message tina
the Dalai Lama wanted to see me. Ordinarily
the Dalai Lama is seen only twice year by
the faithful, and how l came to be sent for
don't know. II is part of the mysterious
thought transference common among the
Hindoos.
"The Lama is always child OF tender
years. never more than ten years old. As
soon as ne dies Buddha passes 10 the body OF
another child and is thus always present with
his people When the child is first possessed
OF the Bodhi-sattva he predicts the day of his
death.
BEHELD TIE DALAI LAMA
81 was ushered into the great building and
at last beheld the Dalai Lama seated on a
high pile of cushions He was child about
seven years old, stroug : and healthy looking.
As approached him he looked at me with
the peculiar far-away expression which had
seen in lesser degree in some Of the more
aged adopts. L ielt at once that ne knew all
my thoughts-his eyes seemed to pierce me
through and through. After 1 had stood for
some time what was my surprise to hear hin
address me- in German. my own tongue, and
colloquial German at that. The Lama speaks
every tongue. l answered and we discussed
all kinds of subjects.
Usually ne did not wait for me to speak
but answered my thought Just as II had
spoken. He discussed botany, microscopy
and various other departments Of modern
science in q way which made me, with my
western education. feel how small my knowl
/ edge was. And yet the figure before ME was
that of child of only seven years A few
days later saw the Dalai Lama again, an6
we talked as we had done before. he answer
ing my thoughts l went away with enough
food for thought to last me many years.
DR.. Hensoldt is short, broad-shouldered
man with clear blue eyes and yellow hair. Hi
| face is bronzed with sun and his short mus
tache has tawny appearance. His motion;
are quick and everything he says is marked
with the greatest enthusiasm. He impresse:
the hearer with belief that he Is thorough,
convinced of the truth of every word he says
He will lecture at the Academy of Music to
morrow night on Occult Science In India. -"
TERRY NOT A MURDERER.