14. Khar-chen-pal-gyi-wong-chuk.— This great interpreter
of Khar-chen wrought wonders with his purbu.
15. Shu-po-pal-ki-sing-gd.— A Tibetan “ doctor,” who
controlled the sea.
16. Ko-wa-pal-tse.— A Hindu. His supernatural gifts
are not specified.
17. N a-jal-den-ma-tse-mang.— A Hindu magician of
the Red-cap school.
18. Gyal-wo-lo-den.— A Hindu pundit (who brought
brass images to life ?),
19. Kyu-chung.— A youthful Hindu interpreter, who
spoke the language of birds.
20. Kun-chok-jang-nd.— A Hindu pundit who controlled
the elements.
21. Nal-jor-pal-gyi-dor-je.— This man was able to
walk as easily over precipices as over the ground.
22. Lo-che-ma-thog-rin-chen. — With his magical
powers he was able to tear off great boulders from the
mountain side and crush them to powder in his hands.
23. Wo-den-pal-gyi-wang-chuk.— This teacher could
swim through water as quickly and as easily as a fish.
24. Nal-jor-den-pa-nam-khe.— This great Lama was
so skilled in magic lore that he could catch by the ear
even the " flesh-licking ” bison. -(This is the repeated
statement of a Tibetan lama, but if the yak is intended,
it neither “ licks flesh ” nor much minds being held
by the ear.)
25. Dub-chen-gyal-wo-chang-chub.— While meditating
he was levitated into the air and so remained.
I have given these uncouth names in order to place
upon a proper footing the supernatural claims of theoso-
phists for Tibetan Lamaism. I have myself no doubt
that in these traditions lies the origin of many of their
beliefs, and I am glad to provide such material for
[acquiescence or argument as these 'supply.*
The word Mahatma is not known in Tibet, and,
j though he must know little of the East who will definitely
say that any apparent variation therein of the ordinary
[course of nature, whether due to hypnotism or not, is
incredible, I do not think, on the whole, that any parti-
Icular occult knowledge will come to us from Tibet.
Formulae and details of ritual we did indeed find in
j overwhelming numbers, and the credulity and superstition
of the common people may once have suggested
that there really is something in these claims
to theurgy, but the success with which a monotoned
imprecation impresses a crowd of worshippers in a
Tibetan gompa is, we found, due merely to the policy
of extinguishing knowledge which the lamas have
1 adopted.
To return to the history of the Church, Buddhism,
in its earliest shape, was an agnostic rather than an
i atheistic form of religion. Buddha’s scheme of retribution
implies a belief in a First Cause, but when on a
[certain occasion he was asked to express an opinion
[upon the validity or otherwise of the traditional deities
[known to Asia, he declined to admit the necessity of a
[categorical answer. He may have thought that it was
[convenient for common people of low intelligence, whose
minds could only grasp a truth objectively, to have
some external and tangible crystallization of truths,
however far they might be from that which he saw.
* This list is, I believe, a complete one of all the “ red letter ” doctors of the
Lamaic Church who wrought miracles« It is included in the full “ ong kur-wa or
‘ ‘ power-sending ” equipment of a Lamaic wizard,
V O L . I I . 3