The sun., 1905-09-10

ooun d'etat. Whistler this Dalai Lama
will ever have O successor seems, IN our
authors opinion, to be doubtful Col.
Waddell records Q saying that was current
In Lhasa In 1880, ten years before the present
Pope- king was born, to the efYeot that tho
Grand Lama would transmtgrate only
thirteen times. It so happens that tho
present Lama Is the thirteenth.
III.
No part of tho book before US is moro
interesting than that which rocounts an
interview with the Regent who signed
the treaty OF peace between Tibet and
Great Britain. It viii perhaps be remern-
bered that when tho Younghusbsnd ex-
pedition reached tho Tibetan capital 1t
found that the terror stricken Dalai Lama
had fed. It seems that about q week
before the British soldiers entered Lhasa
the Pope-king summoned to his aid the
venerable parsonage whom the author
OF this book would designate a. the 'Cardi-
ma" OF the yellow sect. This dignitary'
on hurrying from his country seat TO
Potala. was surprised and annoyed to ma
that his sanity master had become a fugi.
tive, but had left behind him his seat OF
Office and letter In which he appointed
the Cardinal to act for him as Regent,
face tho British mission In his stead and
settle the controversy with the Anglo
Indian Government as best he could. Our
author thinks that the choice did credit
to the young Dalai's judgment, for the
Regent proved himself man OF strong
character and sound sense and one OF the
very few Lamas who deserve to be de-
scribed as statesmen. 1t seems that this
cardinal has his see at the old monastery
where the founder Of the yellow cap monas-
tic order Tsong- -khapa began memo
rable reform OF Tibetan Buddhism In the
fifteenth century and started the organi-
zation which two centuries later was to
seize the spiritual and temporal power.
As the occupant OF Tsong- khapas old
chair at Gahldan Monastery, he receives
the title OF Holder bf the Gahldan Throne,
or =The Precious Enthroned.' and exercises
spiritual authority over the three Great
State Monasteries and also over the whole
OF the yellow cap order. This man. like
his predecessors In this chair, Is not one
Of the so-called "Reincarnated" Lamas,
but Of natural birth; he was appointed
to his office, which Is tenable for seven
years. by reason Of his superior reputation
for profound scholarship-as plofundity
s understood in Tibet. Col. Waddell
deems 1t fortunate for the Forbidden Land
that she has trained up In her cloisters
80 strong a man for the emergency. WE
are told that when he appeared upon the
scene In Lhasa he took in the situation
at q glance and with businesslike prompti-
tude set about to make the best Of It.
Deeply imbued with the pacific principles
OF Buddhism and It's horror OF sacrificing
life, he galvanized the tagging council ors
Of the figitive Dalai Lama into quickened
action and soon got matters into train
for the speedy signing Of a treaty OF peace.
As our author was desirious OF meeting
the Regent, to solicit his help in some re-
searches, he wrote to him. asking for an
audience. The request was Immediately
granted. On the next day Col. Waddell
set out for the Regents residence which
temporarily was not In Potala the hill
opposite Lhasa on which stands the i'm
mense palace OF the Pope-king,, but in
the opulent Muru monastery at the north
east corner OF Lhasa famous for its teach
ing of occult science and the black art.
and also as containing the printing estab-
lishment for the treatises of Transcen-
dental Wisdom. otherwise known as
the Bum or 10000 Mystic Sermons
He found that the Regent had no guard,
though 1t could be foreseen that he would
have one az soon as the British force should
withdraw, inasmuch az he was de facto
king Of Tibet. since the Chinese had de-
posed the Dalai Lama on account OF his
refusal to return to Lhasa. Our author
was ushered by the senior abbot Of Dapung
who, from his fine presence and dignif1ed
manners. might have been mistaken for an
Anglican Bishop, through two halls, fres-
coed with sacred pictures, into the presence
of the Regent. We are told that @He sat
crosslegged. Buddha-wise, on a cushion,
at the end OF long, dimly lit room, with
a low table in front Of him. The light
from a small latticed window, falling on
his form. gave him statuesque appear
ance in the glow, whilst his face, directed
toward me, wore fixed. sphinxlike ex-
preston, resembling that Of the Buddhas
on the frescoes around him. When ad-
Tibetan carpets. he held out his hand to
Dc SnakeH, dtlO, WltNOut TlbulB IuOtlOuou mo
with q bow to be seated on a side cushion
by his right hand It seems that in aspect
the Regent is quite the ascetic-an old,
rather wizened man Of sixty-fve, with
shaven crown, and garbed simply in the
monkish. ruby colored woolen robe, his
yellow hat hanging on peg near by. "Os
average height. he has strong but rather
stern features, a broad. thinking brow,
long oval face, clear, steady eyes, q firm
mouth, and rather dubious large nose-his
worst feature, which gives him a somewhat
unprepoesesslng appearance on first sight
q powerful chin. and grave, sonorous
voice. Such Is the present ruler of Tibet"
After few minutes had been spent in
the decorous exchange Of compliments
tea was brought in, and, as various matters
came up In conversation, the Regents
reserve thawed, he became more communi-
oative, and eventually he and his British
visitor struck up quite friendship. Talk
ing Of the religion Of his country, the Regent
said that he had heard Of the interest which
Col. Waddell took in the Lamaistic creed.
Looking fixedly for moment at his visitor,
=. 1n,caJ ~ ooroao tho 70 blo ,,:tL :.