A Singular Ceremony in Thibet

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 299, 15 September 1888, Page 5

A Singular Ceremony in Thibet

TiLJ'. selection of thePantshen Lama," whose headquarter are at the Monastery of Kiashie Lunpo in Fiuther Thibet, and who lv» shared the over-lordship of Thibet with the Dalai Lama since the rifteenth century, took place at Lha&>a iti the last week of February. The ceiemony is, perhaps, the strangest re\ i\ al in the ritual of any Church. 1 1 was an old idea with the northern Buddhiht*- that distin uuiahed membeis of their oider were incarnations of divine beings, u ho, w liile continuing to live in heaven, had the powei to assume an earthly evistence. ThK beliet is still held regat ding the pontiffs ot Uediui JHibpa and Krashie Lunpo, the one being looked on as the incarnation of the third person in the trinity of which the great teachei is the head, and the other chat of the second person in the same. Aci oidingh, when either of the Pontiffs dies, as the Pantshen Lama did some time ago, the other has to &et to work and di&cove) wherein the celestial spirit has embodied himself anew. The first step is to get the iuimeb of all the male children born lust after the death of the deceased Lama, and to select tlneeirom these, one ot which, cast by lot, is the name ot the new incarnation. About the beginning ot the year the Chinuce Rc-identat Lhas>a was informed that three 'young bojs ot lemarkable intelligence and stiangenesa % had been found, and after some time spent in communicating with L'ekin, the youngsteis weio brought to Lhasta and preparations mc.de foi the grand ceremonj r . All the abbots of the great monasteiies were present to supervise the week of prayer ; the three children were received by the Resident and Thibetan authorities 'in order that their intelligence and difference from other persons, might be tested,' and finally, on an auspicious day, a golden vase containing the fate of the boys having been brought in and placed in front of the Emperor's im.'iffe, which stands in the hall at (ledun Dubpa, the lot was drawn, and the elect of tho three hailed as Amitabha incarnate, the Piait>hai HinpoLshe, ' Cilorious Tea hei,' henceforth to rule over half Thibet.

The ttiigli.-li Board of Trade returns for June continue to indicate a considerable expansion in the foreign commerce of the country. The imports amounted to £30,379,000. being an increase of £2,924,000, or about 10i percent. , and the exports to C 59,043,000, "an increase of £1,722,000, or about 9^ per cent. Veiy large quantities of grain, especially wheat .and oacs, are still being received from Russia, and there is a decided increatse in the arrivals of wheat from India. The month's* lotal imports of wheat were £2,101,848, against £1,945,714 in 1887. and £2,347,649 in 1886. The auivalshom the United St>ites are much reduced. The import- of copper show a fcliirhl fall in u oil in quantity. The landings o\ tea -show an increase, and more also has been taken ontot bond than in June last yeai. A tavourublo feature in the large receipts of the raw materials for mainijaQtuvevt»aiKi Mindrv industiies.