Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1913-02-13

OF mystery, Is Slowly giving up
its secrets. though the time is
far distant when familiarity
will breed contempt The sharp
est contrasts to the civilization Of the
old and new worlds are there seen
against the picturesque background of
an immemorial past, extending so far
back as G39 A D.. when Buddhism was
first introduced from India
There are wizards and necroman-
GERS enough in the country to run the
industries of a thriving modern town,
and it is difficult for a westerner to IN
derstand how the natives can unques-
tioningly accept their hanky-panky as
indubitable proofs of supernatural
powers. No Occidental can thorough
ly understand the beliefs and prac-
tees of a people like the Tibetans, un-
less his mind is entirely denuded of its
material prepossessions. Buddhism
embraces practically the whole social
structure of the people for the half
million Ponbos who conserve the
! earlier religion of the land are the vic
Tins of similar superstitions and prac-
| tees
| In no other country in the world is
| the priestly influence SO paramount.
Wizards abound Exorcists and reli-
gious impostors live on the fat of the
land. For all the people of Tibet and
| far Eastern Asia of whom the world
knows little, the universe is full of
immaterial powers and intelligences,
demoniac and dangerous. Every Incl
| dent is believed to have supernatural
significance All the epochs of life are
ordered by the wizards or the down-at-
| heel mendicant priests, who thrive es-
pecially among the poorer classes.
The people build many temples, ex-
haust their resources in erecting sta
tues, they PROSTATE themselves, sing
weird hymns and mutter endless
prayers. make offerings and give ban
quets to all the gods and all the
| devils.
| Sorcerers' Thriving Trade.
The wizard in Tibet is sort of uni
versal proVider of every kind OF assist
ance. 1t is the wizard who comes to
the sick mans bedside If he dies a
| commemorative ceremony is held a
year after his decease. Every year.
| libations are offered to the shades of
dead ancestors A cord Is stretched
before each tent horizontally, and
streamers covered with Buddhist in
| scriptions are fastened to It, II is more
| than probable that the departure of
many sick to the other world Is has
tened by the dancing sorcerer, or mag
pa, as he is called, and his horrible
| yells, supposed to be calls for aid
| The sorcerer also does a thriving
trade as fortune teller, while diyina-
| ton is a remunerative side line When
| pebbles are arranged in a certain way
| they are supposed to convey an oracu-
lar message, and the inspection of the
shoulder blade of sheep, when held
| close to the fire, is also part Of the
fake ceremonial There is no end to
it. A house has to be built, a village
| needs quelling, the crops are back
ward and scanty, the region needs
rain. there is marriage, funeral or
| a birth-for all these affairs a wizard
| Is called in for advice, and for the ex-
| ercise of his mysterious powers over
| all forces that work against the we'll
| being of mankind
| Most of the wizard priests are men
of degenerate habits and of repulsive
| demeanor Some engage themselves
for the merest pittance. a few bowls
Of rice few cobs of maize and a gen
eral debauch when the feasts cele-
brating any of their professional du.
| ties are carried out
Lamaism Is the particular form OF
| Buddhism of which these superstitious
| practices form an integral part, and
| the strange ritual of the Ponbo sect IS
much the same But the Ponbo priests
are compelled to celibacy Some OF
/ them live in converts and others are
| distributed among the population from
whom they are scarcely distinguish
able. AS for the monks the more sol
itary they are, the greater their repu-
I tation as magicians. When engaged
! in their mystic rites the sorcerers be-
longing to the Ponbo sect wear tall
| pointed black hat, surmounted by a
peacocks feather, deaths head and
a pair Of crossed thunderbolts, and
beat drum formed Of two human
skulls. There is one spell still prac-
ticed among them which until recent
years has been occasionally used by
rustics in out-of-the-way parts Of Eu-
rope. This is the sticking of pins into
the effigy of a man over whom II is
desired to cast a spell.
Weird Cure Of Diseases.
The methods employed to cure dis
eases are extremely weird One pre-
scription is to dress up a clay figure in
the sick mans clothes. His name is
written upon the figure which is
thrown away They believe that the