The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-04-05

powers Now he writes to the khutukh-
ia informing him that in the opinion
of the Tibetan clergy. his manner or
living Is open to grave objection on
account of profanity, and that unless
| he mends his ways he is likely to be
repudiated by the buddhist church.
The message goes on to enumerate
some Of the Irregularities committed by
J the khutukhta, making special mention
| of his wife and children as a worldly
Ri4sse'si0n Ri3s. incompatible with n0Ha''''
But he might have gone further A
| phonograph and an automobile are
among the frivolities Of the ruler OF
Mongolia and he is very fond Of bet.
ting on athletic contests.
Proclaims Wife Goddess.
AS one OF the heads of the buddhist
church the khutukhta has no right to
marry: yet no sooner did he become in
dependent Gas he thought) than he not
only took to himself a wife, but actual.
! ly proclaimed her to be the reincarna
ton OF the goddess Chagandara
To be anybody in Mongolia you must
| be the reincarnation of somebody. This
takes the place Of Norman blood.
For three years he has been allowed
| 10 maintain this standing scandal at
mis- monastery at Urga, the Russians en-
couraging him. But now the Russians,
using Yuan and the dalai lama as cats.
paws, are about TO put the khutukhta
to the question through the last-named
worthy.
There will be little sympathy wasted
on the khutuShta himself He is GER
tainly a most unworthy representative
Of the Buddhist church.
The kuhutukhtas Of Urga originated
at tho beginning OF the seventeenth
century, when the dalai lama, after
a long period Of real if not nominal
captivity at the capital Of Mongolia,
returned to Lhassa.
The question arose; How would the
Monpols continue TO live without liy-
ing Buddha in their midsti The dalai
lama then discovered that the son just
born into the house of Tushetu Khan,
the most powerful of the Mongolian
conoueror of Ghenghis Khan; was him
self reincarnation Of Buddha.
The marvellous boy was taken TO
ILhnssa, there brought up and afterward
sent home as the first khutukhta (grand
abbott of Urga-
Living Too Long.
1t was from this great appointment
that the present khutukhta, the eighth
in the order OF succession, has descended
though not in the flesh. For the
khutukhtas have no business TO marry
and TO establish dynasty, but are Sc
lectca each time on the death OF the
last holder OF the office from among
the babies born at that very moment,
Al first the selection lay entirely IN
the hands OF the lamas learned in the
mysteries of rcincarnaticn, but expert
oncn having shown that the selection
ALWAYS fell on some scion or the mouse
| Of Tushetu Khan, the Pekin emperors
transferred this sacred duty TO them
selves, with tho result that the present
khutukhta was picked from the tamlly
of n poor Tibetan customs official,
None OF the previous seven khu-
tukhtns was allowed TO live too long:
n ia sign of dccadence Of the old
Pek;n authority that the eighth kbu-
tukhta. who was born in 1871, has sue
cecded in asserting his right to live so
llong rs this, n.,
one Tie has a great prediction Tor
strong LIQUORS. he is very fond OF cards,
he likes the yellow, glttering metal
more thnn anything else in the world,
and so far from passing his time IN
nious devotions, he rides IN a motor
ear plays the piano, listens TO the
phonograph and has surrounded himself
with n little harom; -
II is these worldly qualities which
hnve made him accessible to Russian
;nfluonces. but il would not surprise
tho Monaghan world 10 learn that they
also have brought upon him hls ruin.
For when il really proves true that
Russia has withdrawn from him her