THE RIDDLE OF TIBET.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 806, 2 May 1910, Page 2

THE RIDDLE OF TIBET.

The flight of the Dalai Laina inioj Northern India recalls the fact-that, his brother pontiff, the Tashi Ifama,once visited the same region. - from travellers' accounts it woulcl seem that of theso two reputed incarnations of Buddha, the Tashi Ls.ma possesses the more attractive personality, if indeed an incarnation can. be said to possess a personality of ita own. Sir Sven Hedinj whose fascinating book, "Trans Himalaya," is ' ieadl by all students of the Tibetan enigma, describes the smile of the Tashi Lama as being of surpassing sweetness: T<a have succeeded ia retaining any sweetness at all under tho restrictive conditions of life in the grim monastery, of the La'rnas, argnes an unusual degree of natural amiability.

. That the Tashi Lama is not alto-' gqther impervious or hostile to Western ideas is proved by his friendly reception of Sven Hedin. The' worthy doctor, who evidently possesses a good: deal of the art of "tho diplomat as well 1 as the courage and resource of the explorer,- having secured an audiencc with the Tashi Lama, was puzzled to know what gift he should present, in accordance with Oriental custom, upon the occasion of his visit. At last he hit upon the idea of offering a very elegant aluminium medicine chest of English, make which, he had brought with him, and which had often been used. 011 the march, and had been an object of special admiration and curiosity to his followers. "The chest itself," says Sir Sven Hedin' in his description of the incident, "of aluminium and all its.elegant tabloid boxes, bottles, cases, bandages, and instruments were rubbed and polished up till they shone likei silver, and then wrapped in a large, piece of silk which Nahnmed Isa had picked' up in the bazaar, for it was next -lay to be my friendship's offering to the Pauchon Rinpoche of Tashi Lama." ■

The following day Sir Sven Hedin was introduced into the presence of the Tashi Lama, an.i he continues: "When we h&d conversed for two hours, I made a -move to leave him, but the Tashi Lama pushed me back on to the chair and said: 'No, stay . a little longer.'' Now was the time to present my. offer-, ing. The elegant English, ' medicine chest was taken-out of its sills cloth, opened and exhibited, and : <;xcit-ed his great admiration and lively interest — everything must' be explained' to. him. The hypodermic syringe in its tasteful aluminium case, with all its belongings, especially delighted him. . "Two' monks of the medical facultywere sent for several days running, to our camp to write down in Tibetan the contents of the various tabloid boxes and the uso of the medicines." This amusinc; episode shows that the Lama- views the manners and methods of AVesteru civilisation with an open mind, and his conduct at this crisis. of liis fate will therefore be watched with-added interest.