Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-02-01
UIBET'S STRANGE RULER.
.,,r,ns Received Daily by Grand Lama--only Budd-
hlss May Look Upon His Face
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dienee the Dalai Lama enters the large
hall ana takes his seat ON throne
mat IL about five feet In height. As
soon az he is seated about two hun.
dred functionarles, half OF them ofll-
olals IN the government and half monks
IRON the nOnasteries, take their places,
one hundred to the right and one hun.
dred to the left OF the throne.
'Ihen the pilgrims and other devO.
tees who have been formed in line
outside, begin to file into the hall pass
ing up between line Of attendants
10 the throne, where each in his turn
stands face TO face with the Dalai LA.
ma.
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 dlstlnc-
ton between the pilgrims accurdn 20
inc value OF the presents they bring
him Those who come without any
gift receive indeed the tenedictlon as
well as the others but they depart
without the sic tai Ion rs conferred
upon those wi bring gifts. Some Ofter
gold, silver or copper pate engraved
with design Of the universe In ac-
cordance with BuddhIstic ideas. others
may offer a silk scarf or only little
tea or rice
1T was on the morning Of the third
day Of the month Of the dog that I
went out from Lhasa to Norbu-Linka.
! found the pilgrims already assembled
to the number Of 800 or 400,
II was introduced into the hall before
most Of them for my hands were full
Of presents. | was escorted In front Of
the throne on which was seated the pa
lai Lama My attendant told me to
kneel and salute the great king by
touching my forehead three times 10 the
floor
After had done so arose and pre-
sented the gold plate, which the Dalai
Lama deigned TO accept with his own
hands, He Immediately passed II ON to
a servant who was standing quite near,
~ added to this Offering the following
articles, each Of which the great king
received and passed on to the servant:
A bourkhane an image Of the Laman-
tie divinity, sacred book a sourbour-
gan commemorative medal, 15 lans
Of white silver about 50 and gold
coin Of our own Russian ear Then
waited to receive his blessing and the
great king delgned to place his hands
on my head as token OF the benedIc-
ton.
Then | was escorted a little TO the
right where stood a pilgrim who had
preceded me. A monk held out his
hand to me, which / kissed; another
was buying pieces OF yellow and red
silk, which he sanctlhed with his breath
and gave to us,
"Then the other pilgrim and myself
were placed before the Dalai Lama
again and were honored with being
permitted to taste the tea and rice Of
which he had partaken. This ended
the ceremony as far as we were con-
cerned"
This boy before whom the Kalmul
priest had Frustrated himself IL ac-
knowledged as the head of the Buddhist
church throughout Tibet Mongolia
and China, lie has no supremacy ac-
cording to Professor Rhys Dayids, over
his corelglonists In japan, and even In
China there are many Buddhists who
are practically not under his control or
influence.
The same authority tells how the
grand lama is chosen, When either
the Pantshen Lama or the Dalai Lama
dies, Il is necessary for the survivor TO
determine in whose body the celestial
being whose outward form has been
dissolved, has been pleased again to in
carnate himself,
For that purpose the names Of all the
male children born Just after the death
Of the deceased grand lama, are laid
before the survivor. He chooses three
out of the whole number, their names
are thrown into golden casket pro-
vlded for that purpose by former en-
peror Of China.
The abbots of the great monasteries
then assemble, and after week OF
prayer the lots are drawn In their pres
ence and In the presence Of the survive
int, grand Lama and Of the Chinese poll
itical resident. The child whose name
Is first drawn Is the future grand lama;
the two others receive each of them 800
pieces Of silver and are returned to
their PARENTS New York Sun.