Evening star., 1937-12-27
AMERICAN FINDS
LHASA UNEXC|T|NC
Scholar Who Penetrated
Odd Country Interested by
life's Simplicity.


Life In remote Tibet Is described
here IN the second OF ttco articles BY
q young Tucson, Aris., ldpyer nho
q one OF the je,r White men eper to
penetrate that mysterious country.
The trriter is graduate OF the Uni
oersitv OF Ar:.ona and is preparing
a thesis on Buddhism ard Tdntra
tor masters degree IN philosophy
at Columbia University based on
his observations and discoveries.
BY THEOS BERNARD.
NEW YORK, Dec. ~ (N.A.N.AD.-
A day in Lhasa is not intriguing, it is
not exciting. 1t is not hair-raising. A
day in Lhasa Is calm, but 1t is far from
uninteresting.
The people Of Lhasa sleep as We do
eat more or less at We do, converse as
We do, and enjoy the same things
which We enjoy True, think that
the average Tibetan sleeps fewer hours
than does the average American. and,
perhaps, he eats more. or at least he
NoNS pltSlISA Aut, AIoAII Jul poltit VI
view. there is nothing of the unusual
or extraordinary in the life of the av-
erage Tibetan. Much more Of his life
is occupied by things religious than is
the life of the average American. but
then he Is not a member Of a Rotary
club or a fraternity. his education is
not secular. and his government is not
a democracy in the strict sense Of the
tom. Religion plays the same part
IN his life that all these ocular in
stitutions do in our ours. and more.
Simplicity in Living.
While I did not have any weird
ideas about Tibetan life when I en-
tered Tibet. was none the less inn
pressed with the simplicity and mat
ter-of-factness Of Tibetan living.
NV trip to Gyantse was suspicio''Sly
planned so that I arrived there on =
famous feast day. and my appearance.
plus my knowledge Of the significance
of this feast day. so ingratiated me 70
the Tibetans there that my researches
and my conversations with the lamas
were both easy and immensely profit
able. That which I found and learned
during my days in Gyantse would
alone have made my whole journey up
to that point profitable. but I dScov-
cred that I could find more literature
and meet even better informed
Buddhist scholars in the capital. and
for this reason I sought permission 70
60 to Lhasa.
This permission was finally granted
70 Bernard Of America as the tele-
gram read. by the Kashag, or central
cabinet Of Tibet According to the
telegram, which received in Gyantse.
I was to be permitted to visit Lhasa
for a period of three weeks. Subse-
quently, was granted permission for
an indefinite stay in Lhasa. as we'll
as permission to visit q number Of
other Tibetan cities.
Native Guide = Teacher.
A description of a typical day in
Ihasa might serve to picture the sim
plicity of Tibetan life While house
guest Of Tsarong, 1 used to arise
daily at 4:30 o'clock in the morning.
I would be brought tea by one OF my
servants. and, after drinking this. I
would discuss the program for the
day with my Lopon, who was acting as
my secretary. Ny Lopon was. as
matter Of fact. my teacher, guide and
interpreter (until I had sufnciently
mastered Tibetan to get along without
one)
Following the conference with my
Iopon. would study and read until
about 8 o'clock. when I would have
breakfast with my host. Tsarong For
breakfast, We would have thukpah
sort of thick soup: sha gumba. de-
licious dish made up chiefly OF finely
ground dried yak's meat, and tsam-
pa. parched barley flour. All this
would be washed down with Tibetan
tea, imported from China. This tea.
after being boiled for several hours.
Is churned with butter and salt for
taste. and is quite good If the butter
Is not too many years old.
After breakfast, I would converse
while with Tsarong and then return to
the room which served as my study.
There I would meet with various
lamas and with them would pore over
manuscripts and documents which
had been able to buy or which were
given to me as presents.
Simple Lunch at l O'clock.
Although I would have had one
or two cups Of tea during the morn
ing, by l o'clock was always hungry
and ready for my simple lunch with
Tsarong. After lunch, we would con-
verse q while, or might take a nap
for an hour or two.
More conferences with lamas would
be followed by 4 o'clock tea. a de-
cidedly English function. Tsarong
had a beautiful English silver tea
service and we had English tea, i'm
ported from India. and the same sort
OF cookies and cake that one might
have at 4 o'clock in Mayfair or on
Park avenue.
Tsarong is. incidentally. one OF the
most wealthy men In Tibet; and mis-
outlook is as cosmopolitan and his
horizon as wide as that Of any man.
His home Is relatively comfortable.
even by our standards. and life with
him was anything but narrow and
restricted. His English wireless set
brought in Calcutta and London broad
casts daily. and with him was able
to keep up with the outside world
quite As we'll as I might in London
or in New York.
Following by 4 O'Clock tea I would
study again until dusk when walked
with Tsarong in his garden, which has
in 1t apple trees from America and
other western trees and plants which
grow there quite as well as in their
native habitat. The vegetable garden
was filled with as fine cabbages. cauli-
flower, beets and tomatoes as I have
ever seen.
Radio Evenings Entertainment.
After olIr walk We would have dinner