beasts, men and gods-第52章

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　world。　　With　its　disappearance　the　Mongol　people　began　gradually　to　die。〃

〃Enough！〃　ordered　Bogdo　Gheghen。　　〃Our　neighbors　hold　us　in　contempt。　　They　forget　that　we　were　their　sovereigns　but　we　preserve　our　holy　traditions　and　we　know　that　the　day　of　triumph　of　the　Mongolian　tribes　and　the　Yellow　Faith　will　come。　　We　have　the　Protectors　of　the　Faith；　the　Buriats。　　They　are　the　truest　guardians　of　the　bequests　of　Jenghiz　Khan。〃

So　spoke　the　Living　Buddha　and　so　have　spoken　the　ancient　books！


CHAPTER　XLII

THE　BOOKS　OF　MIRACLES


Prince　Djam　Bolon　asked　a　Maramba　to　show　us　the　library　of　the　Living　Buddha。　　It　is　a　big　room　occupied　by　scores　of　writers　who　prepare　the　works　dealing　with　the　miracles　of　all　the　Living　Buddhas；　beginning　with　Undur　Gheghen　and　ending　with　those　of　the　Gheghens　and　Hutuktus　of　the　different　Mongol　monasteries。　　These　books　are　afterwards　distributed　through　all　the　Lama　Monasteries；　temples　and　schools　of　Bandi。　　A　Maramba　read　two　selections：

〃。　。　。　The　beatific　Bogdo　Gheghen　breathed　on　a　mirror。　Immediately　as　through　a　haze　there　appeared　the　picture　of　a　valley　in　which　many　thousands　of　thousands　of　warriors　fought　one　against　another。　。　。　。〃

〃The　wise　and　favored…of…the…gods　Living　Buddha　burned　incense　in　a　brazier　and　prayed　to　the　Gods　to　reveal　the　lot　of　the　Princes。　In　the　blue　smoke　all　saw　a　dark　prison　and　the　pallid；　tortured　bodies　of　the　dead　Princes。　。　。　。〃

A　special　book；　already　done　into　thousands　of　copies；　dwelt　upon　the　miracles　of　the　present　Living　Buddha。　　Prince　Djam　Bolon　described　to　me　some　of　the　contents　of　this　volume。

〃There　exists　an　ancient　wooden　Buddha　with　open　eyes。　　He　was　brought　here　from　India　and　Bogdo　Gheghen　placed　him　on　the　altar　and　began　to　pray。　　When　he　returned　from　the　shrine；　he　ordered　the　statue　of　Buddha　brought　out。　　All　were　struck　with　amazement；　for　the　eyes　of　the　God　were　shut　and　tears　were　falling　from　them；　from　the　wooden　body　green　sprouts　appeared；　and　the　Bogdo　said：

〃'Woe　and　joy　are　awaiting　me。　　I　shall　become　blind　but　Mongolia　will　be　free。'

〃The　prophecy　is　fulfilled。　　At　another　time；　on　a　day　when　the　Living　Buddha　was　very　much　excited；　he　ordered　a　basin　of　water　brought　and　set　before　the　altar。　　He　called　the　Lamas　and　began　to　pray。　　Suddenly　the　altar　candles　and　lamps　lighted　themselves　and　the　water　in　the　basin　became　iridescent。〃

Afterwards　the　Prince　described　to　me　how　the　Bogdo　Khan　tells　fortunes　with　fresh　blood；　upon　whose　surface　appear　words　and　pictures；　with　the　entrails　of　sheep　and　goats；　according　to　whose　distribution　the　Bogdo　reads　the　fate　of　the　Princes　and　knows　their　thoughts；　with　stones　and　bones　from　which　the　Living　Buddha　with　great　accuracy　reads　the　lot　of　all　men；　and　by　the　stars；　in　accordance　with　whose　positions　the　Bogdo　prepares　amulets　against　bullets　and　disease。

〃The　former　Bogdo　Khans　told　fortunes　only　by　the　use　of　the　'black　stone；'〃　said　the　Maramba。　　〃On　the　surface　of　the　stone　appeared　Tibetan　inscriptions　which　the　Bogdo　read　and　thus　learned　the　lot　of　whole　nations。〃

When　the　Maramba　spoke　of　the　black　stone　with　the　Tibetan　legends　appearing　on　it；　I　at　once　recalled　that　it　was　possible。　　In　southeastern　Urianhai；　in　Ulan　Taiga；　I　came　across　a　place　where　black　slate　was　decomposing。　　All　the　pieces　of　this　slate　were　covered　with　a　special　white　lichen；　which　formed　very　complicated　designs；　reminding　me　of　a　Venetian　lace　pattern　or　whole　pages　of　mysterious　runes。　　When　the　slate　was　wet；　these　designs　disappeared；　and　then；　as　they　were　dried；　the　patterns　came　out　again。

Nobody　has　the　right　or　dares　to　ask　the　Living　Buddha　to　tell　his　fortune。　　He　predicts　only　when　he　feels　the　inspiration　or　when　a　special　delegate　comes　to　him　bearing　a　request　for　it　from　the　Dalai　Lama　or　the　Tashi　Lama。　　When　the　Russian　Czar；　Alexander　I；　fell　under　the　influence　of　Baroness　Kzudener　and　of　her　extreme　mysticism；　he　despatched　a　special　envoy　to　the　Living　Buddha　to　ask　about　his　destiny。　　The　then　Bogdo　Khan；　quite　a　young　man；　told　his　fortune　according　to　the　〃black　stone〃　and　predicted　that　the　White　Czar　would　finish　his　life　in　very　painful　wanderings　unknown　to　all　and　everywhere　pursued。　　In　Russia　today　there　exists　a　popular　belief　that　Alexander　I　spent　the　last　days　of　his　life　as　a　wanderer　throughout　Russia　and　Siberia　under　the　pseudonym　of　Feodor　Kusmitch；　helping　and　consoling　prisoners；　beggars　and　other　suffering　people；　often　pursued　and　imprisoned　by　the　police　and　finally　dying　at　Tomsk　in　Siberia；　where　even　until　now　they　have　preserved　the　house　where　he　spent　his　last　days　and　have　kept　his　grave　sacred；　a　place　of　pilgrimages　and　miracles。　The　former　dynasty　of　Romanoff　was　deeply　interested　in　the　biography　of　Feodor　Kusmitch　and　this　interest　fixed　the　opinion　that　Kusmitch　was　really　the　Czar　Alexander　I；　who　had　voluntarily　taken　upon　himself　this　severe　penance。


CHAPTER　XLIII

THE　BIRTH　OF　THE　LIVING　BUDDHA


The　Living　Buddha　does　not　die。　　His　soul　sometimes　passes　into　that　of　a　child　born　on　the　day　of　his　death　and　sometimes　transfers　itself　to　another　being　during　the　life　of　the　Buddha。　This　new　mortal　dwelling　of　the　sacred　spirit　of　the　Buddha　almost　always　appears　in　the　yurta　of　some　poor　Tibetan　or　Mongol　family。　There　is　a　reason　of　policy　for　this。　　If　the　Buddha　appears　in　the　family　of　a　rich　prince；　it　could　result　in　the　elevation　of　a　family　that　would　not　yield　obedience　to　the　clergy　（and　such　has　happened　in　the　past）；　while　on　the　other　hand　any　poor；　unknown　family　that　becomes　the　heritor　of　the　throne　of　Jenghiz　Khan　acquires　riches　and　is　readily　submissive　to　the　Lamas。　　Only　three　or　four　Living　Buddhas　were　of　purely　Mongolian　origin；　the　remainder　were　Tibetans。

One　of　the　Councillors　of　the　Living　Buddha；　Lama…Khan　Jassaktu；　told　me　the　following：

〃In　the　monasteries　at　Lhasa　and　Tashi　Lumpo　they　are　kept　constantly　informed　through　letters　from　Urga　about　the　health　of　the　Living　Buddha。　　When　his　human　body　becomes　old　and　the　Spirit　of　Buddha　strives　to　extricate　itself；　special　solemn　services　begin　in　the　Tibetan　temples　together　with　the　telling　of　fortunes　by　astrology。　　These　rites　indicate　the　specially　pious　Lamas　who　must　discover　where　the　Spirit　of　the　Buddha　will　be　re…incarnated。　For　this　purpose　they　travel　throughout　the　whole　land　and　observe。　Often　God　himself　gives　them　signs　and　indications。　　Sometimes　the　white　wolf　appears　near　the　yurta　of　a　poor　shepherd　or　a　lamb　with　two　heads　is　born　or　a　meteor　falls　from　the　sky。　　Some　Lamas　take　fish　from　the　sacred　lake　Tangri　Nor　and　read　on　the　scales　thereof　the　name　of　the　new　Bogdo　Khan；　others　pick　out　stones　whose　cracks　indicate　to　them　where　they　must　search　and　whom　they　must　find；　while　others　secrete　themselves　in　narrow　mountain　ravines　to　listen　to　the　voices　of　the　spirits　of　the　mountains；　pronouncing　the　name　of　the　new　choice　of　the　Gods。　　When　he　is　found；　all　the　possible　information　about　his　family　is　secretly　collected　and　presented　to　the　Most　Learned　Tashi　Lama；　having　the　name　of　Erdeni；　〃The　Great　Gem　of　Learning；〃　who；　according　to　the　runes　of　Rama；　verifies　the　selection。　　If　he　is　in　agreement　with　it；　he　sends　a　secret　letter　to　the　Dalai　Lama；　who　holds　a　special　sacrifice　in　the　Temple　of　the　〃Spirit　of　the　Mountains〃　and　confirms　the　election　by　putting　his　great　seal　on　this　letter　of　the　Tashi　Lama。

If　the　old　Living　Buddha　be　still　alive；　the　name　of　his　successor　is　kept　a　deep　secret；　if　the　Spirit　of　Buddha　has　already　gone　out　from　the　body　of　Bogdo　Khan；　a　special　legation　appears　from　Tibet　with　the　new　Living　Buddha。　　The　same　process　accompanies　the　election　of　the　Gheghen　and　Hutuktus　in　all　the　Lamaite　monasteries　in　Mongolia；　but　confirmation　of　the　election　resides　with　the　Living　Buddha　and　is　only　announced　to　Lhasa　after　the　event。


CHAPTER　XLIV

A　PAGE　IN　THE　HISTORY　OF　THE　PRESENT　LIVING　BUDDHA


The　present　Bogdo　Khan　of　Outer　Mongolia　is　a　Tibetan。　　He　sprang　from　a　poor　family　living　in　the　neighborhood　of　Sakkia　Kure　in　western　Tibet。　　From　earliest　youth　he　had　a　stormy；　quite　unaesthetic　nature。　　He　was　f