Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-21

IM Vol what Mecca is to the Mo-
lE A Nl hammedan, so Is Randy to
lS AE the 400 O00,0 900 Buddhists OF
lEESNNl the world. The sacred shrine
at Buddha-Gaya in India,
where grew the Bo tree under which
Guatama Buddha attained perfection,
has been in the hands of the Brahmins
for centuries and India knows Buddha
only as an incarnation of one OF Its
own gods. At Anuradhapura, the long
buried capital of ancient and glorious
Ceylon. still hourishes a sacred Bo tree
which was grown from a cutting OF
the very tree under which Buddha sat-
II is the oldest historical tree in the
world. and an object of great venera-
ton, but Anuradhapura does not at
tract the pilgrims as does Handy
For in Handy is the Temple OF the
Tooth. wherein is enshrined what the
devout believe to be one of the eye
teeth of the great teacher, rescued
from the funeral pyre half a thousand
years before Jesus was born in Beth
lehem. The fact that the tooth is over
two inches long and nearly an men
in diameter, and could not possibly De
that of a human being, makes no diff
ference with the religious pilgrim. The
further fact that the original and gem
uine tooth was captured by the Portu-
guese and burned by the Archbishop
of Goa with great ceremony in the
wear 1860 does not alter the veneration
of the multitude of votaries'
For centuries the original tooth was
the most highly priced relic IN 1hula'
1t went with the hand OF a princess IN
international marriage settlements
Wars were fought for its possession
and blood was spilled over 1t through
thousands of years. 1t was brought 70
Ceylon in the hair of fleeing princess
was retaken by the Indians in war
was again returned to Ceylon ana SCI
ND in a temple at the then village OIL
| Handy. The Portuguese captured aho
/ burned II, but it was not long DeIore
the enshrined monstrosity of TO-DAY was
| invented. The temple at Kandy was
enlarged and beautifled, and finally
Handy was made the royal capital oi
the Sinhalese. kings. No one may see
the tooth, which is kept in seven locked
boxes in a windowless temple room, the
air Of which is sickeningly heavy with
| the perfume of flowers. once year II
Is carried in procession on the back OF
sacred elephant and may be seen, al
a distance, by the devout. AT otneI
times 1t is kept In its cell, while Budd.
hist pilgrims from all over the eas'
| bring presents of gold and silver to the
temple, and tourists from the unbeliev-
ing Occident bring fees to the priests
and guides.
Whatever one may think of the wis
dom or folly OF the veneration or the
| Tooth, everyone must agree that the
most sacred shrine of Buddhism mas
been placed in spot or SURPRISING
beauty. High in the mountains, seven
ty-five miles from Colombo, the little
a
spirit of the Sinhalese. Here the kings
of The ancient line fortified themselves
behind the natural fortresses OF the
surrounding hills and here they sue
cessfully kept Arab, Portuguese and
Dutch invader at bay only to fall into
the hands OF the British In the same
year that the battle of New Orleans
placed the final seal on the independ-
ence of the great American republic.
Randy is built around an artificial
lake which is bordered by a profusior
of beautiful trees and flowers. High
on one side is the pavilion of the last
king of Handy, and just under that Is
the Temple of the Tooth and the great
dagoba which also enshrines some bone
relics OF Buddha. Across the lake is
Buddhist monastery, where the an
cient religion is being taught with
some American theosophical improve
ments of method. The drives around
the lake and on the higher benches OF
the hills are not surpassed in the world
for beauty. Looking at Randy one
might imagine that he was seeing q
miniature Japanese garden through @
magnifying glass of wondrous power
Evangelical Christians who use the
English language have been singing
for a generation a hymn by Bishop
Heber which says:
What though the spicy breezes
Blow soft DER Ceylon's isle;
Though every prospect pleases,
And only man Is vile.
Surely the good bishop had not been
to Handy or he would never have In
cluded its people among those described
in the last line. The people Of Kandy
are always happy and smiling, always
ready to enjoy a good-natured brush
with the visiting tourist, and they are
always clean. They wear very few
clothes, but much jewelry. Even the
babies ("Kandy kids') have bracelets
and anklets and necklaces OF silver and
gold, although they are absolutely In
nocent of clothing.
Being high and cool kandy is inc
social capital of the tea growing coun-
try, and its spacious hotels cater 70
the resident Englishman as we'll as To
the tourist. Yet the Englishman mas
| not spoiled the beauty OF the city. lie