beasts, men and gods-第50章

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　to　their　higher　life　those　among　the　Lamas　who　had　shown　too　much　radicalism　in　their　proposed　method　of　solving　his　problem。

He　never　ceases　to　ponder　upon　the　cause　of　the　church　and　of　Mongolia　and　at　the　same　time　likes　to　indulge　himself　with　useless　trifles。　　He　amuses　himself　with　artillery。　　A　retired　Russian　officer　presented　him　with　two　old　guns；　for　which　the　donor　received　the　title　of　Tumbaiir　Hun；　that　is；　〃Prince　Dear…to…my…　Heart。〃　　On　holidays　these　cannon　were　fired　to　the　great　amusement　of　the　blind　man。　　Motorcars；　gramophones；　telephones；　crystals；　porcelains；　pictures；　perfumes；　musical　instruments；　rare　animals　and　birds；　elephants；　Himalayan　bears；　monkeys；　Indian　snakes　and　parrotsall　these　were　in　the　palace　of　〃the　god〃　but　all　were　soon　cast　aside　and　forgotten。

To　Urga　come　pilgrims　and　presents　from　all　the　Lamaite　and　Buddhist　world。　　Once　the　treasurer　of　the　palace；　the　Honorable　Balma　Dorji；　took　me　into　the　great　hall　where　the　presents　were　kept。　　It　was　a　most　unique　museum　of　precious　articles。　　Here　were　gathered　together　rare　objects　unknown　to　the　museums　of　Europe。　The　treasurer；　as　he　opened　a　case　with　a　silver　lock；　said　to　me：

〃These　are　pure　gold　nuggets　from　Bei　Kem；　here　are　black　sables　from　Kemchick；　these　the　miraculous　deer　horns；　this　a　box　sent　by　the　Orochons　and　filled　with　precious　ginseng　roots　and　fragrant　musk；　this　a　bit　of　amber　from　the　coast　of　the　'frozen　sea'　and　it　weighs　124　lans　（about　ten　pounds）；　these　are　precious　stones　from　India；　fragrant　zebet　and　carved　ivory　from　China。〃

He　showed　the　exhibits　and　talked　of　them　for　a　long　time　and　evidently　enjoyed　the　telling。　　And　really　it　was　wonderful！　Before　my　eyes　lay　the　bundles　of　rare　furs；　white　beaver；　black　sables；　white；　blue　and　black　fox　and　black　panthers；　small　beautifully　carved　tortoise　shell　boxes　containing　hatyks　ten　or　fifteen　yards　long；　woven　from　Indian　silk　as　fine　as　the　webs　of　the　spider；　small　bags　made　of　golden　thread　filled　with　pearls；　the　presents　of　Indian　Rajahs；　precious　rings　with　sapphires　and　rubies　from　China　and　India；　big　pieces　of　jade；　rough　diamonds；　ivory　tusks　ornamented　with　gold；　pearls　and　precious　stones；　bright　clothes　sewn　with　gold　and　silver　thread；　walrus　tusks　carved　in　bas…relief　by　the　primitive　artists　on　the　shores　of　the　Behring　Sea；　and　much　more　that　one　cannot　recall　or　recount。　　In　a　separate　room　stood　the　cases　with　the　statues　of　Buddha；　made　of　gold；　silver；　bronze；　ivory；　coral；　mother　of　pearl　and　from　a　rare　colored　and　fragrant　species　of　wood。

〃You　know　when　conquerors　come　into　a　country　where　the　gods　are　honored；　they　break　the　images　and　throw　them　down。　　So　it　was　more　than　three　hundred　years　ago　when　the　Kalmucks　went　into　Tibet　and　the　same　was　repeated　in　Peking　when　the　European　troops　looted　the　place　in　1900。　　But　do　you　know　why　this　is　done？　　Take　one　of　the　statues　and　examine　it。〃

I　picked　up　one　nearest　the　edge；　a　wooden　Buddha；　and　began　examining　it。　　Inside　something　was　loose　and　rattled。

〃Do　you　hear　it？〃　the　Lama　asked。　　〃These　are　precious　stones　and　bits　of　gold；　the　entrails　of　the　god。　　This　is　the　reason　why　the　conquerors　at　once　break　up　the　statues　of　the　gods。　　Many　famous　precious　stones　have　appeared　from　the　interior　of　the　statues　of　the　gods　in　India；　Babylon　and　China。〃

Some　rooms　were　devoted　to　the　library；　where　manuscripts　and　volumes　of　different　epochs　in　different　languages　and　with　many　diverse　themes　fill　the　shelves。　　Some　of　them　are　mouldering　or　pulverizing　away　and　the　Lamas　cover　these　now　with　a　solution　which　partially　solidifies　like　a　jelly　to　protect　what　remains　from　the　ravages　of　the　air。　　There　also　we　saw　tablets　of　clay　with　the　cuneiform　inscriptions；　evidently　from　Babylonia；　Chinese；　Indian　and　Tibetan　books　shelved　beside　those　of　Mongolia；　tomes　of　the　ancient　pure　Buddhism；　books　of　the　〃Red　Caps〃　or　corrupt　Buddhism；　books　of　the　〃Yellow〃　or　Lamaite　Buddhism；　books　of　traditions；　legends　and　parables。　　Groups　of　Lamas　were　perusing；　studying　and　copying　these　books；　preserving　and　spreading　the　ancient　wisdom　for　their　successors。

One　department　is　devoted　to　the　mysterious　books　on　magic；　the　historical　lives　and　works　of　all　the　thirty…one　Living　Buddhas；　with　the　bulls　of　the　Dalai　Lama；　of　the　Pontiff　from　Tashi　Lumpo；　of　the　Hutuktu　of　Utai　in　China；　of　the　Pandita　Gheghen　of　Dolo　Nor　in　Inner　Mongolia　and　of　the　Hundred　Chinese　Wise　Men。　　Only　the　Bogdo　Hutuktu　and　Maramba　Ta…Rimpo…Cha　can　enter　this　room　of　mysterious　lore。　　The　keys　to　it　rest　with　the　seals　of　the　Living　Buddha　and　the　ruby　ring　of　Jenghiz　Khan　ornamented　with　the　sign　of　the　swastika　in　the　chest　in　the　private　study　of　the　Bogdo。

The　person　of　His　Holiness　is　surrounded　by　five　thousand　Lamas。　They　are　divided　into　many　ranks　from　simple　servants　to　the　〃Councillors　of　God；〃　of　which　latter　the　Government　consists。　Among　these　Councillors　are　all　the　four　Khans　of　Mongolia　and　the　five　highest　Princes。

Of　all　the　Lamas　there　are　three　classes　of　peculiar　interest；　about　which　the　Living　Buddha　himself　told　me　when　I　visited　him　with　Djam　Bolon。

〃The　God〃　sorrowfully　mourned　over　the　demoralized　and　sumptuous　life　led　by　the　Lamas　which　decreased　rapidly　the　number　of　fortune　tellers　and　clairvoyants　among　their　ranks；　saying　of　it：

〃If　the　Jahantsi　and　Narabanchi　monasteries　had　not　preserved　their　strict　regime　and　rules；　Ta　Kure　would　have　been　left　without　prophets　and　fortune　tellers。　　Barun　Abaga　Nar；　Dorchiul…Jurdok　and　the　other　holy　Lamas　who　had　the　power　of　seeing　that　which　is　hidden　from　the　sight　of　the　common　people　have　gone　with　the　blessing　of　the　gods。〃

This　class　of　Lamas　is　a　very　important　one；　because　every　important　personage　visiting　the　monasteries　at　Urga　is　shown　to　the　Lama　Tzuren　or　fortune　teller　without　the　knowledge　of　the　visitor　for　the　study　of　his　destiny　and　fate；　which　are　then　communicated　to　the　Bogdo　Hutuktu；　so　that　with　these　facts　in　his　possession　the　Bogdo　knows　in　what　way　to　treat　his　guest　and　what　policy　to　follow　toward　him。　　The　Tzurens　are　mostly　old　men；　skinny；　exhausted　and　severe　ascetics。　　But　I　have　met　some　who　were　young；　almost　boys。　　They　were　the　Hubilgan；　〃incarnate　gods；〃　the　future　Hutuktus　and　Gheghens　of　the　various　Mongolian　monasteries。

The　second　class　is　the　doctors　or　〃Ta　Lama。〃　　They　observe　the　actions　of　plants　and　certain　products　from　animals　upon　people；　preserve　Tibetan　medicines　and　cures；　and　study　anatomy　very　carefully　but　without　making　use　of　vivisection　and　the　scalpel。　They　are　skilful　bone　setters；　masseurs　and　great　connoisseurs　of　hypnotism　and　animal　magnetism。

The　third　class　is　the　highest　rank　of　doctors；　consisting　chiefly　of　Tibetans　and　Kalmuckspoisoners。　　They　may　be　said　to　be　〃doctors　of　political　medicine。〃　　They　live　by　themselves；　apart　from　any　associates；　and　are　the　great　silent　weapon　in　the　hands　of　the　Living　Buddha。　　I　was　informed　that　a　large　portion　of　them　are　dumb。　　I　saw　one　such　doctor；the　very　person　who　poisoned　the　Chinese　physician　sent　by　the　Chinese　Emperor　from　Peking　to　〃liquidate〃　the　Living　Buddha；a　small　white　old　fellow　with　a　deeply　wrinkled　face；　a　curl　of　white　hairs　on　his　chin　and　with　vivacious　eyes　that　were　ever　shifting　inquiringly　about　him。　Whenever　he　comes　to　a　monastery；　the　local　〃god〃　ceases　to　eat　and　drink　in　fear　of　the　activities　of　this　Mongolian　Locusta。　　But　even　this　cannot　save　the　condemned；　for　a　poisoned　cap　or　shirt　or　boots；　or　a　rosary；　a　bridle；　books　or　religious　articles　soaked　in　a　poisonous　solution　will　surely　accomplish　the　object　of　the　Bogdo…Khan。

The　deepest　esteem　and　religious　faithfulness　surround　the　blind　Pontiff。　　Before　him　all　fall　on　their　faces。　　Khans　and　Hutuktus　approach　him　on　their　knees。　　Everything　about　him　is　dark；　full　of　Oriental　antiquity。　　The　drunken　blind　man；　listening　to　the　banal　arias　of　the　gramophone　or　shaking　his　servants　with　an　electric　current　from　his　dynamo；　the　ferocious　old　fellow　poisoning　his　political　enemies；　the　Lama　keeping　his　people　in　darkness　and　deceiving　them　with　his　prophecies　and　fortune　telling；he　is；　however；　not　an　en