temple was erected was in communication with hell, and that there was a crystal palace inhabited by the Nagas deep in the earth underneath this place.[1]
Among the most remarkable relics preserved in this temple, and which I had not had time to examine on my first rather hurried visit, I now noticed one of Dolma[2] made of turquoise, and which is said to render oracles, one of Tse-pa-med[3] made of coral, and one of Rin-chen Khadoma[4] in amber, and a number of others of jade, conch-shells and mumen,[5] besides many jars and bowls of jade and gold.
In the afternoon I called on the Lhacham, and was sorry to learn that her second son had small-pox. I told her how disappointed I was at not having been able to get even a glimpse of the Kyabgong, the "lord protector" of Tibet, the Dalai lama. "Alas!" I added, "I have not acquired a sufficient moral merit in former existences to be able to see Shenrezig in flesh and blood!"
"Do not be cast down, Pundib la; though it is not an easy matter for even the Shape and nobles of Tibet to see the Dalai lama, I will arrange an audience for you."[6]
Early the next day a gentleman (ku-dag), who was a Dungkhor of Potala, called on me, and said that the Kusho Lhacham of Phala had arranged with the Donyer chenpo of Potala for an audience for me with the Dalai lama, and that I must get ready as soon as possible.
Swallowing breakfast as quickly as possible, I put on my best clothes, and had hardly finished when the Dungkhor Chola Kusho, accompanied by a servant, arrived. Having provided myself with
- ↑ The Kung-chu came to Tibet a.d. 639 (see I. J. Schmidt, op. cit., p. 341). He there says (translating from the Bodhimur) that when the princess reached the spot where the Ramoche temple now stands, the cart on which was the image of the Buddha (Jo-vo) stopped of itself, and could not be made to move forward.—(W. R.)
- ↑ Dolma, or Drolma (Sanskrit Tara). The two wives of King Srong-btsan gambo are worshipped under this name. The Chinese princess is called Dol-kar, or "the white Dolma," and the Nepalese princess Dol-jang, or "the green Dolma." The latter is prayed to by women for fecundity. On the worship of Dolma, see Waddell, op. cit., p. 435 et sqq.
- ↑ The god of eternal life; in Sanskrit, Amitāyus.
- ↑ The Ka-dro (mkah-hgro) are nymphs or fairies, all friendly to man. In Sanskrit they are called Dakini. See Waddell, op. cit., p. 366.
- ↑ Mumen, "a precious stone of dark blue, but inferior to the azure stone, occasionally used for rosaries." Mention is also made of mumen dmar-po ("red mumen"). Jaeschke, 'Tib.-Engl. Dict.,' s.v. mu-men.
- ↑ From what the author says a little later, it would appear that, on the contrary, the Tale lama is very accessible. Manning called repeatedly on him in 1811, and Huc tells us there was no difficulty about being admitted to his presence.—(W. R.)
