The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-05
SOME NEW BOOKS.
Another book About Lhasa.

pVsHb NfV DO''h'-
Another Book About Lhasa.
The publication Of a second book about
Tibet only few weeks after the appearance
OF Mr.. Gamblers volume may seem at
the fret glance supertiuous, but we shall
scarcely 80 regard it when We bear in mind
that, up to some months ago. no European
eye had looked upon the Tibetan capital
for upward Of sixty years Il IL only fair
TO say. moreover that the work entitled
The Opening Of Tibet by PERcEvAL LANDoN
Doubleday Page Coz, has the sanction
II Col Cnow Sir Frank Iounghusband
himself. who contributes an Introductory
note Neither do we detract from the
merits Of Mr. Gamblers narrative, consid-
cred as the embodiment Of vivid, first hand
impressions when we say that certain
chapters in Mr.. Landon's book seem 10
deserve special commentator. such, for
example as those devoted TO the early
annals of Tibet. 10 the Buddhist religion
and that outgrowth of it which We know
as I.amaism, and to the manners, customs
and arts Of the Tbetan people. Those
a.s D., 10 desire to gain full and accurate
conception Of Ihasa will do we'll 10 supple
ment what they have learned from Mr.
Gambler by perusal Of the three chapters
allotted to the same subject In the book
before us The two authors have APP
preached their common theme from some
what different points Of view, and have
given their most studious attention to
different aspects Of it, on the whole. 1t
may be truthfully affirmed that we could
not spare either Of the volumes that under
take 10 set forth the outcome Of the Young
husband expedition In our review Of
Mr. Landons work we shall pass over the
reasons for the mission despatched from
Calcutta to Lhasa. reasons sufficiently
discussed in the notice of Mr., Gamblers
book, and confne ourselves for the most
part 10 data upon which comparatively
little stress was laid in the first published
volume. We should mention that in en-
Introductory note Col Nounghushand,
while disclaiming persona responsibility
for any political views expressed Ia the
book before MS. declares himself confident
that no moro competent chronicler Of what
the Tibet Mission saw and did could be
found He considers himself and hs
fellow officers fortunate in having a com
panion of Mr.. Landon's enthusiasm and
powers Of description He Landonl
revelled in the mysteries of Tibet and APP
preoiated to the fun the wonderful scenery
which to my mind, was infinitely the most
fascinating of all our experiences.
L.
We should not omit TO note some his
torioal facts brought ont in Mr. Landon's
initial chapter. He tells us tina the earliest
historical relic of the Tibetans is weather.
beaten stone. the Do-ring. which stands in
the centre of Lhasa. across the courtyard
in front of the Western doors Of the Jo-
kang. or cathedral. beneath famous will
low tree. Like Asoka's pillars on the one
hand. or the Black Stone OF Mlkden on
the other it both records treaty and is
the outward symbol of the prosperity OF
Tibet, Our author adds that, like the
Omphalos at Delphi or the London Stone,
It il to the Tibetans not only the centre Of
their strange shoulderblade shaped earth.
but, from a more practical point Of view
the goal from which their journeys and
stages are reckoned The Do-ring is even
more than this The terms Of the Treaty
OF 1888 A. D., now barely deoipherable upon
It's cup shaped surface, corroborate in
some degree the legendary history of Tibet
so far as this is ascertainable from Chinese
chronicles We learn from Mr.. Landon
that this history Is not one of great in
terest, and tina. it may be described as one
Of continued hostility 10 China. but Of
hostility prosecuted on equal terms. That
the result Of these border sdnmishes was
by no means as uniformly satisfactory
10 the Middle Kingdom a. might be inn
agined from the Chinese version OF the
events il evident from the fact that, about
the year GAO A. D.. king Of Tibet succeeded
In obtaining the hand Of a princess Of the
Imperial House OF Tang. against the will
OF the Emperor and after some years fight
ing 1t seems that the story Of this Tibetan
king is inorsted with inconsistent legends
He appears to have been a devout Buddhist
TO havo married Nepalese as we'll "a a
princess and to have led an army into
India, where, about the year CAS-, he in
hicted defeat upon the King Of Magadha,
from which place he carried of the famous
image which 10 this day ia the chief treasure
Of the Jo-kang or Tibetan cathedral Ac-
cording to another story, the image was
presented as free gift from the Buddhists
Of Magadha by the hand Of an envoy whom
the same Tibetan king had despatched
to India to acquire more ex tensive informa-
ton concerning the Buddhist religion.
The legend that this man introduced writ
ing in Tibet and that his Chinese wife made
known several Of her country's arts is held
petus given TO foreign influence in Lhasa
by the origin and travels Of the two persons
named.
The grandson Of the Tibetan King 10
whom we have just referred resumed
hostilties against China, and in 1913 A
D. actually sacked the city which was
then the capital of the Middle Kingdom.
Changan. or HsiaFu. He had previously
given proof of Buddhist zeal by inviting
the famous Buddhist saint Padma Samb-
hava to visit his country. This incident
was destined to have a profound effect
upon the future Of Tibet. for, apart from the
influence welded by him personally at the
time. this man, known also az Padma PAM
or the Gulu Rinpoche. founded the Sainye
Monasteries and the Red Cap school in
74e A. D, and eventually reappears as the
central figure of Lama1sm- actually more
important than the Buddha himself in its
tradition and rt6al 1t is his soul, itself a
reincarnation OF that 81 Amitabha. tho
Bodisat, which is born again both in the
person Of the Grand Lama Of Tashi-lhumpo
II. a.