Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1850 edition. Excerpt: ...Between the ranks of the drumming and trumpeting priests, the successor elect of the Khamba lama came forward to receive us. He stated, by way of apology, that the holy man was unable, from the infirmities of age, to come himself to meet us; and the truth of this was rendered apparent at once, when we saluted Khamba lama at the steps of his wooden house: he was so prodigiously corpulent, that every motion must have been a labour to him. But in spite of his bodily grossness, the features of his dark brown face, and his calm self-possession, bespoke the cultivated man. He, too, like the rest of the lamas, wore a scarlet robe. We sat down with the high priest in one of his rooms, in which were several wooden presses or cabinets, by no means deficient in elegance; and some Chinese easy chairs. With the help of Gantimur, who served us as interpreter, we now commenced a very agreeable conversation. To a question of mine respecting the relation which the religion of the Buraets in this place bears to the Buddhism found by the English in Ceylon and Nepal, and to that of the Chinese; the Khamba lama answered, that the worship of Chigemtine followed here, is exactly like the Buddhism of India, but that it has no connexion whatever with the religion of Fo. He named, as an object of their worship, the mother of Chigemune: but when I ventured to remark thereupon, that they seemed, therefore, to acknowledge more than one God, he replied, that this was by no means the case; that the Burkhans, whose images they set up in the temples, are like the saints in the Greek Church, only teachers and instructive examples of men. I then asked if they reckon Con-fu-tse as one of these, and was answered in the negative. The Khamba lama seemed to have never heard of...
