The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1902-04-08
TIBETS STRANGE RULER
PILGRIMS RECEIVED DAILY BY THE
MYSTERIOUS GRAND LAMA.

TIC hetN OF the buhunl-t
Faith seems Always To Die in His
Houth-Only Buddhists See Him.
A great deal Of mystery has always
surrounded the personality of the
Dalai Lama of Tibet. Hundreds of
pilgrims from Tibet. mongolia and
China are permitted every day TO
pay homage to him. but any unhe-
lever who should attempt To enter
his presence would do so at the risk
of his life.
A Buddhist priest or Kalmuk origin
and subject of Russia has at last
had the temerity to write an account
of his reception by the Grand Lama.
This man. whose name is Baza-
Bakchi, made the pilgrimage to
Lhasa about three years ago from his
home near Astrakhan at the north
end of the Caspian Sea.
The Pantshen Lama is Theoretically
the spiritual successor of the great
founder of the faith. but practically
the Dalai Lama has the supremacy.
owing to his residence ut the capital.
He is called the great king. while the
other Grand Lama Is known rs the
great teacher
Somehow or other the Dalai Lama
always dies young At least. no
writer who has ever visited Lhasa
has ever spoken of him as anything
more than boy.
Colonel Holdich has said that the
Dalai Lamas OF Tibet are invariably
children, and that they die as those
die whom the gods love. Manning.
who visited Lhasa in 1911 in the Culse
of n Hindu doctor. said the Dalai
Lama was n well educated. princely
child about seven years old.
1t is curious fact that Baza-
Bakchi, the latest observer TO see the
Dalai Lama, fails to describe the an
pearance of the boy who is now in
that exalted position; he compensates
for this strange omission, however.
by giving the first details yet pub
lished OF the ceremony of presenta-
ton at the daily receptions which this
Grand Lama gives to the pilgrims who
are constantly flocking to the holy
city.
When Baza- Bakchi was in Lhasa
the Dalai Lama was not in his famous
temple-palace on the sacred hill of
Potala, for he had gone to his summer
palace, Norbu-Linka, charming
abode in the midst of park few
miles west of Lhasa. Thither the
stream Of pilgrims was pouring and
the ceremony of presentation there is
said to be identical with that at
Potala.
The quaintness of Baza- Bakchis
short account can scarcely be repro
duced from the Russian version from
winch the following has been trans
lated for the Sun. AS far as known
it is the only report of the Kalmuk
narrative that has yet been turned
into English:
The Dalai Lama" writes Baza-
Bakchi, receives, every day. all the
pilgrims who have arrived in the holy
city to pay him their homage. The
audiences are usually given at 0
O'Clock in the morning, everybody
from the mobiles to the common Deo-
pie being privileged to attend.
At the time appointed for the
audience the Dalai Lama enters the
large hall and takes his seat ON
throne that is about five feet in
height AS soon as he IS seated about
ZOO functionaries. half of them officials
III the Government and half monks
from the mOnasterirS. take their
places n hundred to the right and n
hundred to the left Of the throne.
Then the pilgrims ana other de-
voices, who have been formed i'm line
outside, begin to file into the hau
passing up between the lines Of ot
PENDANTS to the throne where each in
his turn stands face to face with the
Dalai Lama.
Guards, who are very conspicuous
for their tall stature, enter the hall ON
either side OF the line of pilgrims
The guards are provided with long
whips and 1t is their duty to prevent
anything unseemly from occurring.
The Dalai Lama makes a dis.
tinction between the pilgrims accord
ing TO the value Of the presents they
bring him. Those who come vyitbout
any gift receive indeed the bcncdiction
as well as the others but they deport
without the special honors conferred
upon those who bring gifts. some
oter gold. silver or copper plate en-.
grayed with design of the universe
in accordance with Buddhisic ideas
others may offer silk scarf CT only
little tea or rice
ut was on the morning of The third
day of the month of the dO2 that
went out from Lhasl TO Norbu-Ii ul,g
j found the pilgrims already assembled
to the number of 800 or 100.
81 was introduced into the nall be-
fore most of chem for ms hands were
fun of presents L was escorted fin
front of the throne on which was
seated the Dalai Lama My attend
amt told me TO kucrl and salute the
great king 10y touching my forehead
three times 90 the floor
after L bad done $50 Z arose and
presented thc gold plate which the
Dalai Lama deigucd to- accept with
his own hands he immediately
passed it ON To- acrymt who was
standing quito near
81 added to this Offering the follow
Ing articles each OF which the grcat
king received and passed ou to- th.
servant, bOurkehane Duu image of
The Lamonite divinity. sacred book
s0urbuurrIu { commemorative