THE MYSTERIOUS MONKS OF TIBET.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXII, Issue 2037, 28 December 1907, Page 2

THE MYSTERIOUS MONKS OF TIBET.

More than 1000 men make their home in the Tibetan monastry of Kumbum. Prom early life till middle ago they are in a religious prison, walled" in from the rest of the world. They may be sent far away on missions, they may climb the hills outside when religious fetes are celebrated, but they are tied to the great cloister. Lieut. W. Filchnor, of the German Army, went to Kumbum some time ago, eonipped with a pass from the Chinese resident minister in Tibet, which enabled his wife and himself to remain there long enough to make a careful study of one of the most celebrated of Tibetan lamaseries and its inmates. The book lie has written about Kumbum is said to throw new light upon the life of these mysterious devotees. Most of these lamas do not like foreigners, and they gave Pilchner a curious specimen of their logic. They said that Japanese, after thrashing hte Chinese, had given the Russians a still worse thrashing. This was • sufficient proof, they said that : foreign devils are no match for the Chinese, and undoubtedly the ; Chinese will some day wipe them j out. Kumbum is a compound of ( two Tibetan words, meaning “The ( thousand pictures. ’ ’ The name was -j first applied to the holy tree on whose leaves Buddhists of greatest sanctity can see the likeness of ! Buddha. Finally, the name was transferred to the cloister amid whose hundreds of buildings the famous tree stands. Among the numerous ceremonies which occupy much of the time of the lamas, perhaps the most childish is that occurring on the 25th of each month and dedicated to ‘ travellers of the whole world,” Hundreds of the priests go

to the top of a mountain three hours’ walk from Kumbum, where they offer prayers .and strew to the wind many little packages containing,the figures of galloping horses cat out of paper. The supposition is that through the power of Boddha these paper horses will he transformed into living animals that will be sent to the succour of suffering pilgrims where ever they may he. Of the thousands of priests three-fourths are Tibetans, and nearly all the others are Mongols, with just a sprinkling of Chinese. Most of the lamas are between 15 and 40 years of age. The oldest among them often have snow white hair , and are held in much ’ respect. Nearly all of them shave their heads, preserving only the scalp lock, and wear no beards. Their coarse yellow under-shirts are covered by a red robe coming down to their feet, but laaving one farm and shoulder bare, so that they have a little of the effect of the Roman toga, though they are belted around the waist. No hose are permitted, furs are strictly forbidden, and the priests have to ihure themselves to the rigors of winter with clothing that is really inadequate. But they are permitted to wear stockings when sent on winter journeys across the plains of Mongolia. The lower priests are always bareheaded, but the higher lamas have a head covering. One would think there was no water in Kumbum for washing purposes, for all the priests without exception are encrusted with dirt, and their dingy visages contrast strongly with the prevailing whiteness of the walls and house. Theoretically all the priests are on terms of perfect equality, but actually their material condition marks them off into sharply defined classes. The poor priest is the servant of his brethern who were horn to better fortune. He wears their cast-off clothing and accepts their gratuities. He may beg outside the walls if he desires. Filchner mentions a number of their menial pursuits, among which is the collection and drying of horse manure to sell as fuel in a near by town. Filchner says that the general air of the priests is that of indolence, and not a few of them look like outlaws and criminals, and that others have the bearing of dudes. But an enormous amount of labour must be performed by these 4000 priests. They are dirty in their persons, hut it is their charge that the streets and the temples and other public buildings are kept immaculate The altar service requires the atteudauce of hundreds of men. The butter lamps . must glisten, and the melted butter in which the floating wicks are ever blazing must never run short. Then there are the elaborate ceremonials in the temples, the private devotions, the prayer wheels always turning at the corner of every living room, the police service manned by priests, who lay their cudgels well on the backs of loitering crowds, the great fete days when everybody must be in the procession, the manufacture of prayer wheels, and the instruments, ornaments, and trappings of worship, to say nothing of the constant struggle of the majority to keep body aud soul together, and the time spent in the study halls —there would seem to be plenty of work for all from the presiding lama to the humblest priest. A priest is not ordained until he is 15, but he enters the monastry when a mere child, and the chief rules imposed upon him in the preparatory stage are that he must not lie or steal, drink anything intoxicating, or kill anything that has life. There are many minor rules that forbid him, for example, to eat after midday, to sing or dance, to make music on any instrument, to use perfumery, or adorn himself with ribbons or flowers. If the novice fails in his studies or does not live up to the rules he is turned back into the laity, but if he stands the test he is ordained and begins to perform the minor duties of the priesthood. Whether he may wear the priestly robes after his twentieth year depends upon his conduct and achievement, but if his record is goed the final 25 rules of conduct and religion are imposed upon him, and he remains a monk till he is 45. when he is free to retire from the sacred service. A great many withdraw, but many others, especially those who have developed aptitude for the work, and won distinction in it, remain monks to the end of their days. The violation of many rules may be forgiven, hut woe to the monk who may he caught stealing. He is led through the cloister in a white robe, the emblem of mourning, and outside the walls is beaten with sticks aud turned away, a priest no longer.