The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1933, Page 141

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THE LUTHERAN PIONEER

141

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Prayer and Priests in Tibet.

Tibetans pray, and pray without ceasing, by day
and by night. They pray everywhere, utilizing
everything movable and immovable in this one act
of devotion. The gentle breeze waves their praying-
flags in the air; the mountain stream revolves their
cumbersome praying-wheels; the sacred oil forever
keeps alive the voice of prayer. The traveler notes
the fact that the Tibetans are a praying people. The
roads, especially the entrances to the villages, are
literally strewn with prayers; streamers hang from
tree to tree and house to house. In gaily different
colors they flutter across the rivers. Bridges are
literally pasted with paper prayers. Rocks and cliffs
are carved and chiseled with the sacred inscription
“Om mani pad-me hum” (“O jewel in the lotus’).
One never passes a caravan without hearing some
‘Tibetans in it mumbling their prayers.

The Tibetan needs no muezzin to call the hour

of prayer; dawn finds him well through the first act

of devotion. If the alacrity of his prayers proves
anything, it proves his willingness at least to pray.
Leisurely he can utter four hundred words a minute.
Nothing but the eating of food will keep a Tibetan
from praying. No matter how stormy the elements
may be, he still goes on repeating the well-worn
phrase “Om mani pad-me hum.” Traveling across
a grassy plateau or over a high, snow-bound pass, he
would much rather pray than indulge in coarse
banter. Every Tibetan prays, and prays personally ;
he does not leave his spiritual welfare in the hands
of the lamas (priests). He believes that Kun-cho
(the highest deity in lamaistic philosophy) is ac-
cessible at all times and in all places.

Tachienlu, West China, is a city of temples.
There are eight such edifices in different parts of
the city, representing five different sects, the most
popular being the Ni-ma, or Red sect; the most
influential the Geluba, or Yellow sect. From early
morning till late at night prayer is offered in some
form in all these temples. Several different kinds
of instruments assist them in their worship, the
most conspicuous being trumpet, drum, bell, and
cymbal. Every Tibetan house has its own private
temple, with a number of private lamas. Thus in
palace, home, and temple the voice of prayer is
never silent.

The priestly population may be divided into
three classes. First, the lama, or ordained priest,
who has made the long journey to Lassa and there
received ordination from the Dalai Lama or some
other high dignitary. Secondly, the draba, or un-

ordained priest, who hopes some day to visit Lassa ;
thirdly, the amcho, or private lama, who has neither
desire nor ambition of ever sceing the sacred city.
Another may be added, namely, the chang-cha-be.
This class is seldom met, though there is one or tw6
in Tachienlu. They have accumulated unlimited
merit and have made heaven with all its joys and
happiness an absolute certainty.

The lama, or ordained priest, is a respectable,
wealthy, well-fed, well-clad person. He spends his
life almost wholly in the temple, accepting engage-
ments only from the very wealthy Tibetan families.
Having visited Lassa and been received by the Dalai
Lama, or Panchenim-bo-che, his prayers are more
efficacious, a fact very evident from the price he
charges for reading them. For one day’s service he
receives the sum of one rupee (33 cents), not in-
clusive of food and wine. To many wealthy fam-
ilies he acts as family priest, family physician, and
family adviser. If he has great influence in a home,
nothing is done without his permission or sanction.

When the King of Chala was in trouble, a num-
ber of wealthy lamas were invited to his palace to
read prayers. After the usual divining and casting
of lots it was ascertained, they said, that the cause
of his impending calamity was due to the fact that
many evil spirits had taken up their abode in his
palace. To avert the calamity, the evil spirits had
to be removed in the following manner: For ten
days a large number of lamas, drabas, and amchos
assembled in the large open courtyard of the palace.
In the center of this large assemblage were placed
a number of small clay figures into which they
hoped to induce the evil spirits to enter. To this
end a number of appetizing dainties were placed in
front of them. At a given sign from the diviner
a number of guns were fired, which indicated that
the evil spirits had taken up their abode in the
figures. The assemblage then formed into.a long
procession and marched outside the North Gate.

This religious procession is one of the most in-
teresting and truly grotesque sights to be seen any-
where in Tibet. The procession is over two hun-
dred yards long and moves through the whole
length of the city. The most important persons in
it are several mounted lamas, dressed in their long
monastic robes. Following the lamas are a large
number of drabas, playing various instruments and
producing all kinds of sounds. Two priests blow
tremendous trumpets ten feet long, and a number
of coolies are hired to carry them; to produce even
the faintest sound requires no small amount of
breath. A number of drabas reading their sacred