The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-09-06
THE 4,0OO LAMAS
 OF FAR KUNBUM Light on the Mysterious Devotees of
 Tibet.
GERMAN OFFICER SEES
Kumbum Really a Small City-Study of the
 Lamasery.

home in the Tibetan monastery of Kumbum. From early life till mid dle age they are in a religious pris- on, walled in from the rest of the world. They may be sent far away on missions, they may climb the hills outside when religious fetes are cele- brated, but they are tied to the great cloister.
 Lieut.. w. Filchner of the German army went to Kumbum some time ago equipped. with a pass from the Chin- ese resident minister in Tibet which enabled his wife and himself to re- main there long enough to make careful study of one of the most cele- brated of Tibetan lamaseries and its inmates. The book he has written about Kumbum is said to throw new light upon the life of these mysterious devotees.
 Most of these lamas do not like for eigners and they gave Filcher a curl ous specimen of their logic, They said that the Japanese, after thrash ing the Chinese, had given the Rus sians a stil worse thrashing. This was sufficient proof, they said, that foreign devils are no match for the Chinese and undoubtedly the Chinese will some day wipe them out.
 Kumbum Is a compound of two Tibetan words meaning The thous- and pictures" The name was first oprIto1 +o tI,o lo(,y tron ov wi, nsa leaves Buddhists of greatest sanctity can see the likeness of Buddha. Fin ally the name was transferred to the cloister amid whose hundreds of buildings the famous tree stands.
 Among the numerous ceremonies which occupy much of the time of the lamas perhaps the most childish is that occurring on the 18th of each month and dedicated to travellers of the whole world" Hundreds of the priests go to the top of mountain three hours walk from Kumbum, where they offer prayers and strew to the wind many little packages con- taining the figures of galloping hors- es cut out of paper. The supposition is that through the power of Buddha these paper horses will be transform ed into living animals that will be sent to the succor of suffering pilgrims wherever they may be.
 Of the thousands of priests three- fourths of Tibetans, and nearly ail the others are Mongols, with Just a sprinkling of Chinese.
 Most of the lamas are between Is and 40 years of age. The oldest among them often have snow white hair and are held in much respect. Nearly all of them shave their heads preserving only the scalp lock. and wear no boards.
 Their coarse yellow undershirts are covered by a red robe coming down to their feet, but leaving one arm and shoulder bare, so that they have a little of the effect of the Roman toga though they are belted around the waist. No hose are permitted, furs are strictly forbidden and the priests have to inure themselves to the rig ors of winter with clothing that is really inadequate. But they are per mitted to wear stockings when sent or winter journeys across the plains oi Mongolia.
 The lower priests are always bare. headed, but the higher lamas have 6 head covering. One would think there was no water in Kumbum fol washing purposes, for all the priests without exception are encrusted witf dirt and their dingy visages contrast strongly with the prevailing whiteness of the walls and houses.
 Kumbum is really small city GOV. ering a large area with many tenn. pies, private chapels, halls of instruc. ton, Repositories of sacred literature and dwellings. The poorest lamas are herded together in living rooms provided by the monastery, but they must pay a small fee for their accom- modations
 Their more fortunate brethren livt in quarter by themselves where thu dwellings they erect are surrounded by wall that completely hides them The one story houses, very badl! lighted and ventilated, hold from f1v, to twenty priests. who are joint own CTS. Not a few of them are assisted by the families from which the,
 sprang to pay for the roofs that shelt CT them and to buy conveniences ant comforts that are mean enough a
 best.
 The lamas in higher station hay better dwellings with Title gardens and lamas of the first rank live il
 beautiful houses with windows an,
 many other comforts, decorated wall
 and not few of the luxuries of life
 and the highest of all, the ruler of tn
 monastery, who is one of tn many in
 carnations of Buddha, lives in 8 smaI palace and has his reception room, hi secretaries and is really so great parsonage that most of the priests SC l him only at the supreme functions. The lower priests who compose tn great mass of the inmates are calle : lamas only by courtesy. The monas 9 tery contributes nothing whatever { - their material needs They must pro f vide their own shelter, food and cloth 1, ing.
 ] What the institution does for ther 3 Is to teach them to read and write s 3 that they may read and copy the sa D cred books, It grounds them in tn 7 principles and philosophy of tn ] Buddhist faith, trains them in one c : another of the four departments C l education which are maintained with , in the walls and familiarizes ther : with all the ritual and formulas ths ] attend private and public worship s . that they may act well their part l