The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-06-25
IN THE LAND OF MAGIC.
Modern Miracles and Miracle Work
erS of Thibet.

Modcrn MIRACLES and miracle work
ers of Thibet.
Dr. Henry Liddell in the Home Magazine
The country known to English-speaSing
folk as Tibet bears very different name
among its own peop,e. 1t is called Bod, or
Bod-yul, the country of Bod" The name
Bod probably refers to Buddha. Thibet
being the headquarters of what is termed
Northern Buddhism, in contradist inction
10 the Buddhism Of Ceylon, which is spok-
en- of as Southern Buddhism. In India
proper Buddhism is TO longer a dominant
cult.
Though ostensibly Buddhists the people
Of Bod are in reality slaves TO Lamaism.
a system OF theology which has been de-
nned as Buddhism corrupted by ClvajsTn
and by Shamanism or spirit worship.
Shamanism is the dominant cult of Mon
golia. and is a system of demon wor-
ship rather than spirit WORSHIP.
Thtbet is regarded by students Of the oc-
cult as the home Of magic. and Wheeler or
no there be "Mahatmas' in that wild and
weird land. in which the late Nine. Bla
Vatsky. the high priestess Of theos9phY'
il is claimed. served seveff-t-t5sf 4 fAf4E-sf2-
ticeship in the magic art. we have il On
the most respectable testimony that the
lamas of Bod-yul can and do perform feats
which have not yet been explained in
terms OF science and which can. only be
classed as maSical.
The performance of the Bokts or Won
der-wOrking lamas. are quite as astound-
ing in their way as those Of the indSan
takirs who are Mohamm edans. or of the
Sanyahis or NosiS who are BrahmuS, but
they are usually terrible and reVo ting.
Thibetan Bokt. who had wandered from
his native land ana penetrated as far as
Benares gave an exhibition of his wonder
full powers in one of the vast temples OF
49, fen =
accompanied and assisted by A mongrel
crowd OF half-human compatriots. The eX-
hibitiou promised by the wonderful magi-
clan was truly an astounding one. lie
proposed. in view Of ell benolders, 10 mp
up his abdomen. remove a handful OF IN
tesunes, display them to the spectators
and then replace them again and heal Up
the wound by "a few magical passes, ieaN-
ing no Vestise of the damage inflicted.
Not Everyday Occurrences.
Needless to say such exhibitions are not
everyday occurrences, and the ordinary
GLOBE trotter might traverse India from
cane Comorin 10 Nepal and not be fortC-
nate enough 10 witness 50 marvellous. IL
revolving, spectacle as that III ques-
ton
appeared and took his seat before the
! raised altar. on which candles had been
| lighted Before him MAS radiant image
| Of the sun. and on either side OF the altar
were grim idols which had been placed
there by the attendants.
The lama was in person small, spare
man with fixed. glittering eyes an ema-
c!ated frame and an immense mass Of long
! back hair which 1oated over his shout
/ ders. he appeared altogether like walk
ing corpse in whose head two blaZlng
I ires had been lighted, which cleaned II
/ unnatural luster through his long. almond
/ SHAPED ewes. He was about forty years OF
{ age. and report alleged that he had al
/ ready some four times previously perform
/ ed the great sacrldcial act he was nov
/ about 20 repeat.
From the moment this skeleton figure
/ had taken his seat the seventy fakrS who
/ surrounded him Ia semi-circ.e BEGAN to
/ sway tre.r bodies back and forth. singing
/ meanwhile "a loud. moCotonous chant In
I rhythm with their movements. In Few
/ minutes the Eesticulatl0ns OF the fakirs "
| creased almost TO frenzy. They tossed
4 thelr arms on high bent their bodies TO
l earth row forward. now backward. now
Z swung them around as II thrown by the
/ hands OF others Meantime their mOnoto-
! nous chant rose into shrieks and yehs SO
! frizhtful chat the ears OF the listeners
were deafened and their senses distracted
/ by the c,amor. On every side Of the au-
/ ditoriuu braziers Of incense were burning
Z Six fakirs sWUng pots OF frankincense.
/ dlling the air With intoxicating Vapors.
( While six others stood behind, beating
metal drums or clashins cynoais. which
/ they tossed on high with gestures o. fran
I tic eNaltsuou For some uule the how.s.
shrisls ana dis.raCting actions Of This
maniac crew produced no effect on tbs
Z lmm0vaa,e laua-
SAT- Like One Dead.
us sa- Ike ore dad his fixed ana
I glossy ewes scanning 10 store into lumi-
I fatls distance. witfcu needing the ran
/ de- onium that vas raging around him
] can he be real y living" whispered one
Of the awe struck Ens,lshmen % his
/ ueghbor. lux this question was specify
The Irritating