The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1932, Page 12

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ip THE LUTHERAN PIONEER

over the monks of his monastery. Lamas are noto-
rious for their cruelty, which often verges on in-
humanity, and for their frightful dishonesty and un-
cleanliness.

The market-place of Lhasa is a busy place. Here
you may see the monks in'red robes mixing with the
common people, dressed in none too clean garments,
whose original colors have been largely obliterated
by the dirt that has gathered on them. The white
turbans of the Mohammedans make them quite con-
spicuous; so also the fair faces of the people of
Nepal distinguish them from the swarthy natives of
Tibet. Side by side with the rich man, dressed in
a rich gown of yellow or blue, walks a man dressed
in the skin of some wild beast. By no means least
conspicuous are the Chinese, who show by their de-
meanor that they are the real lords of the city.
A few women, some of them richly dressed, may
also be seen. A strange sight to the visitor must be
to see all these people, no matter where they belong,
twirling their prayer-wheels or counting their rosa-
ries while they are talking or trading.

All Tibetans believe in charms and oracles.
Their charms they ever carry with them, and they
undertake nothing of importance unless they first

* consult their monks. At Lhasa there is a great

national oracle, with a high priest and a hundred
monks. The common people are certain that these

_ monks can look into the future, prevent storms, cast
out demons, and even raise the spirits of the dead.

Their medical and hygienic ideas are very crude.
At Lhasa there is a national medical school, having
a course requiring eight years’ attendance. The
course of study consists in memorizing hundreds of
formulas. Students learn at this college that a
woman’s heart is in the middle of the chest. Each
wrist is supposed to have three different pulses, and
the nature of a disease is judged by examining these
81x pulses with due care. However, the common na-
tive relies more upon incantations, since in his opin-
ion all maladies are caused by evil spirits and no
man can get well until these demons have been
cast out.

_ Whe food and drink of the Tibetans would dis-
gust us. A concoction of leaves, boiled in butter
with balls of dough, is their chief drink. This “tea”
they drink at all hours. Regular tea is sold in

“bricks weighing about four pounds each. ‘These

bricks are made up of tea-leaves and -twigs, wrapped

in yellow paper. These tea bricks are often used
Instead of money as a means of exchange. Their
; stitute for bread is a thin cake made of wheat- or

meat and many vegetables. And here is one good
thing to be said of the natives of Tibet — drunken-
ness is not known among them, for none of their
brews is intoxicating.

And now a few words about the women of Tibet.
There are fewer women than men, and so it often
happens that a woman has more than one husband.
Instead of polygamy, as elsewhere, we have here to
do with the sin of polyandry. Those who claim to
know say that the women of Tibet are braver than
the men and more intelligent. These also say that
a good-looking Tibetan woman has never been seen.
Whatever their looks may be by nature, they make
themselves hideous by smearing their faces with
some ill-smelling grease to prevent the chapping of
the skin in the strong winds which are prevalent
because of the high altitude. Many of the women
of Tibet are nuns, and there are said to be almost as
many nuns in the country as there are monks.

Just a few words as to the industries most preva-
lent in Tibet. The rural Tibetan moves a great deal
from place to place in search of pasture for his
sheep and yaks. Many of the herds and flocks are
in charge of women. Many Tibetans are engaged in
weaving into cloth the fine wools of the sheep and
the long silky hair of the yaks; others are employed
in making pottery and wooden bowls; still others
make incense, of which great supplies are in con-
stant demand.

Such are Tibetans, once thought to be the most
religious people in the world, but now known to be
the most degraded and superstitious and at heart a
most unhappy people. Judged by their government,
morals, and social life, they occupy a very low level.
The glamor and romance which once was Tibet’s has
been dispelled, and we see it to-day in all its sordid-
ness, ignorance, and debasement. They are to be
classed among the most benighted people on earth.
We cannot but shudder at their dreadful physical,
social, and moral condition and cast about us for
ways and means to bring them the only power able
to uplift them, the Gospel, the power of God unto
salvation. ;

Certain events have occurred in recent years to
help open the forbidden land of the Tibetans to the
coming of the messengers of the Gospel. Under
British influence the government has become better,
and a limited number of Christian missionaries has
crossed the boundary that separated Tibet from
other countries. God is apparently so shaping events
as to work out a way tomake known to the benighted
people of Tibet His Son, the only Savior of the
world. F. J. L.