makes the Grand Lama of Lhasa the “ Deathless ”
Buddha.
On the death of a Dalai Lama his successor is found
in the person of some newly-born infant who came
into the world shortly after the death of his predecessor.
As the Tashi Lama was said to be the incarnation
of Amitabha, the Buddha of Boundless Light;
the father of Avalokita, he, therefore, occupies in one
sense a more spiritually holy position than the Dalai
Lama. In the old days these two Grand Lamas performed
for each other the function of choosing the
exact babe which had received the deathless spirit of
the Buddha.
In the beginning of the eighteenth century a horde
of Tartars from the north of Turkestan came across the
intervening deserts of Central Asia on camels and
actually sacked the sacred city of Lhasa, in consequence
of which the help of the Chinese Emperor was asked for
and obtained. When the Tartars had been cast forth
from Lhasa the Chinese Emperor set up his claim to
suzerainty, appointed a regent, and further posted
two Ambans at Lhasa to assist in the government. In
fact, the Ambans at times chose the Dalai Lama and
sometimes acted as his regents, and effectually prevented
the boy from attaining his majority by always
murdering him in his early years. So absolute was the
power of China that one Dalai Lama was formally
deposed, exiled and finally murdered by the orders of
the Chinese Emperor.
Against the Chinese suzerainty there has sprung up a
national party which has supported the Dalai Lama,
and since the defeat of China by Japan that suzerainty
has been thrown off. I t has been prophesied that
the Dalai Lama will only reincarnate thirteen times
and it is very noteworthy that the present Dalai is the
thirteenth reincarnation.
The choosing of the babe is a ceremony that requires
From the le ft: Bowl used for drinking tea
Pipe with jade mouthpiece for smoking tobacco : the Tibetan tobacco is
exactly like chopped chaff
Purse
Bowl for drinking : in it are Tibetan coins
Table for domestic use
Purse
Bag
Pipe with onyx mouthpiece
Purse : in the centre hangs a needle-case
Purse with flint, steel and tinder (matches are not common, though known
and immensely appreciated)
Bag
Churn and piston-rod for making tea and mixing in it butter, salt and flour
great care, and there are two parts of it which are
particularly important. The first is that, when all the
infants have been gathered together who have been