What Made Tibet Mysterious- Notes on Tibet's Topography, History and Religion (1921)

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What Made Tibet Mysterious?Notes on Tibet's Topography, History and Religion

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WALTER J. KIDD ^4%'k 't>lC

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Hin^Uiya JnU .3q,ooo Feet 2cti)ve_S.eaJcv.e.SiS.Q.O.O.

_ .2 0.0.0.0 Tkian SHah nitV,-.I5;000_ Altai.mts.-.10,0.0.0

This diagram represents a north and south line about 3,000 mileslong, from the Siberian plains running over the mountains and acrossthe Tibetan plateau to the plains of India, both plains being near sealevel. Scale about 600 miles to an inch.

The elevations are on a scale of about 25,000 feet to an inch.

Newark, N. J.NEWARK MUSEUM ASSOCIATION19211922


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Reprint from The Newark, N. J., Sunday Call, October 23, 1921.

Tibetan Exhibit at Free PublicLibrary in December Will Portray

Little Known Elemental CivilizationMore Than Eight Hundred Objects Brought Here by Amer-

ican Missionary, Dr. Albert L. Shelton, to GiveInsight Into Interesting Life of IsolatedPeople of Long-Forbidden Land.

THE principal event of the year atthe Free Public Library will be theTibetan exhibition to be opened by

the Museum Association on December 7.It will be the most notable display shownat the library since the Colombian ex-hibit of three years ago. With more than800 objects brought from Tibet by theAmerican medical missionary, Dr. AlbertL. Shelton, an opportunity such as hasnever before been enjoyed will be affordedto Newarkers to get a closer insight intothe interesting- life of the isolated peopleof the long' forbidden land, a land thatin its mountain fastnesses has shelteredelemental races and civilizations, whileother peoples of the world were movingforward m the path of progress.The forthcoming exhibition is to be held

under the auspices of the Contemporaryof Newark. There is to be a privateview on Tuesday, December 6, with theformal opening on the following day.This large collection includes paintings

and pictured scrolls, rich in glow of color,from lamaseries (monasteries) and tem-ples, together with all kinds of articlesused in the elaborate ceremonies of publicworship or private devotioncensers, in-cense burners, altar lamps, bowls andother vessels for holy water, prayerwheels, sweet-toned bells, cymbals, trum-pets, some made out of human bones,drums made from the crowns of skulls,offering bowls, prayer beads like rosaries,charm boxes, images of Buddha, ofgods, goddesses and demons, beggingbowls and hoods of the monks orlamas and, last but not least, valuable

sacred books. It contains clothing andother articles illustrating the domesticlife of the peopleearrings for womenand men, finger rings, head dresses,coats, dresses, belts, curtains brocadedsatin, mirrors, churns, snuff boxes, tea-pots, bowls, pitchers, wine bottles, locksand keys, seals, coins, bridles, saddles andharness, saws, etc. There is a headsman'sknife used by the executioner, swords,guns and other military accoutrements.Among the clothing is some that wasworn by a one-time living Buddha. Thereare also numerous photographs taken byDr. iShelton which admirably aid in illus-trating the topography of the country, itssocial types and national customs.

Dr. Shelton's Career.Dr. Albert D. Shelton, to whose efforts

the possession by Newark of this valu-able collection is due, was born in In-diana about forty-six years ago. Thefamily moved to Kansas, where he wasbrought up on a farm. When he was 17he began teaching school and three yearslater he himself entered the school atEmporia. While he was securing an edu-cation there he carried newspapers, actedas janitor, cut wood, herded cows, tend-ed furnaces, tutored and otherwise cov-ered his expenses. He married a pupilhe had met in the Normal School. Laterhe secured a scholarship in a Kentuckymedical school, worked his way throughthe medical course and. after being gradu-ated as a physician he became medicalmissionary under the Foreign ChristianMissionary Society. Following his or-


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ditions is the prevalence of polyandry. Itis usually carried out by the brothers ofa family having one wife in common.Generally the elder brother is consideredthe father of the children and the otherbrothers as uncles. As a rule there isharmony in these families, but sometimesone husband will drive another out. Thewife has a position of importance, butshe is also likely to find she has to serveseveral masters instead of one. Thechildren of such fainilies do not seem tobe numerous, three or four being" theaverage. Such a system would naturallylead to an excess of unmarried women.There is a partial offset, however, .through a certain amount of polygamy,'but the tendency is to a large proportionof unmarried women. In addition to thisalmost every family gives one sonto the church to be brought up as alama (monk), so that one-seventh of thepeople consist of these celibates.Polyandry has generally arisen in con-ditions where the struggle of life washard, whereas polygamy was more of aluxury of the rich and had, therefore,less widespread effects. In Tibet, whileamong the plain people a wife may havefour or five husbands, a king, prince orother high personage does not so sharehis wife with others, but has one or morewives who are the wives of himself alone.

Claim Descent From Apes.The Tibetans are a genial, kindly,easy-going people, fond of dancing and

gaiety; honest withal, but lacking ininitiative and energy. They have beensuccessful in the working of metalsiron gold, etc.and in the manufactureof the articles they use in domesticlife and for religious purposes. Be-side the older Tibetan stock othertypes are found due to infiltrationsfrom China on the east, Mongolia onthe north and India on the south. Butthe old Tibetan character has in gen-eral dominated and modified the others.A curious tradition exists amongthem as to their origin. It is the frankclaim that they are descended fromapes, which has an interest in connec-tion with the teachings of anthrop-ology and the proximity of Tibet tothe cradles of the human race. Anape from India, these stories tell us,and a female demon from the Hima-layas were the parents of six chil-dren which in time increased to 500. Afamine came upon them until afriendly deity, Chenresig, declaringthat he would be their protector, pro-cured for them supplies of five kinds ofgrain. As the consequence of eatingthis grain their tails and the hair ontheir bodies grew shorter and shorteruntil they finally disappeared. Themonkeys began to speak, became menand clothed themselves with leaves.Today the more peculiarly Tibetantypes are said to have some resem-blance to the American Indians. Thereare also Chinese types and others thatshow thoroughly western physiog-

nomies and might easily pass forEuropeans.Racially the Tibetans are classed asTurko-Mongols, With the exceptionof some Mongol and semi-Chinese dia-lects the languages spoken in Tibetbelong- to the linguistic family knownas Tibeto-Burman, which is one of thedivisions of the Turano-Scythian lan-guages.

The Forbidden Land.The situation of Tibet made it easy for

the country to become a "forbidden land."During the middle ages a few RomanCatholic missionaries visited that country,but even in the course of several cen-turies their number was very small. Thefirst Englishman to enter Tibet went ona special embassy in 1774. In 1811 ThomasManning made his way from India toLhasa, the capital, being the first English-man who had reached the holy city. Buthe soon had to leave it. During the nine-teenth century Europeans were con-stantly prevented from entering thecountry or speedily expelled if found init. In 1844-1846 two French missionaries,made their way to Lhasa from China,but were soon deported back again. In1866 the Abbe Desgodins entered easternTibet, but was prevented approacihingany closer to Lhasa. Later still a Rus-sian officer explored portions of northernTibet, but was unable to penetrate south-ward.Although treaties provided for the secur-ity of trade ibetween Tibet and India con-tinual hindrances to this trade occurred onthe Tibetan side. Consequently in 1904 theIndian government sent a mission underSir Francis Younghusband with an escortto arrange matters with the Tibetangovernment. The British party metwith opposition, but it reached Lhasa,where a convention was agreed to settlingthe questions at issue. Confirmatoryagreements were made with China assuzerain and with Russia, the latterguarding against danger from pro-Rus-sian or pro-British activities in Tibetby providing that neither countryshould have a representative at Lhasa..The British troops w^ere "withdrawn..The results were most happy and didmuch to remove the prejudices of Ti-betans against Europeans.Dr. Shelton mentions Tibetans who toldhim how, after being taken prisoners in

the fighting, the British nursed them inthe raospitals, sent them safely back andgave them money to take them home.Nothing had done so much to lower thebars of the forbidden land, and now Dr.SIhelton's years of healing service as amedical missionary has carried this feel-ing still further and secured for him ad-mission to Lhasa and opportunity tO'open his hospital there. The British-Russian treaty, however, still seems toprevent any activities of British or Rus-sian missionaries in Tibet. There is prob-ably fear on the part of the British thatchurch missions' in Tibet might be a.means of political exploitation and propa-


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ganda. So that to some extent the barsare still up.A Wonderland of Religion.

Religion is everywhere in evidence inTibet. Its all-absorbing dominating char-acter strikes every visitor. It is, how-ever, religion of a deeply superstitiouscharacter, marked by an intense beliefin ghosts, devils, charms, incantationsand in the efficacy of strange mechanicalexpedients to ward off the powers ofevil that surprise the stranger. Theprayer wheel is an illustration. It maybe large or small. There are small ones,about the size of an alarm clock, thatcan be set on a table. Inside the wheelis a roll inscribed with prayers and piousejaculations, repeated over and overagain, such as the "Oim mane padmehum." It is believed that the mechanicalturning of the wheel gives efficacy tothe prayers that are written within. Youcall on a Tibetan friend. He receivesyou, and, seated with the table andprayer wheel near at hand, as you bothtalkbusiness of pleasantries or othermattershe does not fail to give theprayer wheel occasional twists, so thatthe conversation and mechanical prayinggo on together. Large prayer wheels aresometimes run by water power, thussecuring continuous offering up of theprayers. Prayer flags are an equivalentaid to prayer. Prayers or religiousejaculations are inscribed upon them. Inlarge numbers such flags are strung oncords. All Tibet is more or less awavewith these countless flags wafting theprayers to heaven or to the gods, demonsor spirits to whom they are addressed,while at the same time serving as a verypleasing and graceful decorative feature.The devotion of Tibetans to charms,spells and magic is so deep-rooted thatsome of the lamaseries (monasteries) haveschools for the teaching of magic tothose who are to become lamas (monks)and who are to derive their incomes partlyfrom the exercise of this art. Theirtemples or places of worship are sup-posed to be haunted 'by the goblin ghostsof mischievous ecclesiastics who former-ly ministered there.There is a gruesome character in the

fondness of Tibetans for the crowns ofskulls as dishes or drums, for trumpetsmade out of human thigh bones, espe-cially if these parts of human anatomycome from the body of a near and dearrelative. In the collection at the librarythere is quite a little graveyard in theway of human remains worked up intoarticles of general use, among these beingaprons made of bones from the hand andelsewhere strung together. These latterare worn by the monks in the exercise oftheir religious duties.

Public worship is marked by the mostelaborate ritual and ceremonial. Mixedup with all these features is a certainamount of more distinctively Buddhistteaching. Lamaism is, however, the bestname for the national religion. It claimsto be Buddhism, but is far removed from

the original doctrines of that greatteacher.Buddha, who was contemporary withthe Chinese sage Confucius and whosegreat religious work dates from the earlypart of the fifth century before Christ,sought primarily to purify and simplifythe religious ideas of his time. With thedying out of the Aryan stock that gaveits northern vigor to the life of India, itsinfluence was gradually supplanted bythat of the older peoplesthe Mediter-ranean stock that had affinities with thepresent brunet populations of south-ern Europe and the still older and moreswarthy Dravidian and Negrito popula-tions, who were more deeply supersti-tious. Outbreeding of the higher races bythe more primitive peoples went on andled to the decline of both Brahminismand Buddhism.Corruption of Buddhism.Buddhism has probably retained its

greatest purity in Burmah. In India, itsbirthplace, it became corrupted with su-perstitious elements drawn from the olderpopular religions. Gods many and lordsmany were introduced, dark and debas-ing rites and usages crept in from theolder faiths, complicated and senselessritual and ceremonial, abhorrent to all theteaching- -ef Buddha, gained ground,with attention to idle and endless repe-titions of sacred phrases and prayersrather than deeds. Charms, incanta-tions, magic and the mechanical relig-ious aids that have been alreadyreferred to gained ascendancy. Themultiplication of words was held tocount, and in public worship entirechapters from the service bookswould sometimes be rushed through withthe most remarkable dispatch by theingenious expedient of each monk in-toning at the same time a different verseso that an entire chapter would be chant-ed in the same time as a single verse.Strange pranks were played with the

ancient doctrine of reincarnation. Buddhaheld that deliverance from the endlessround of fresh incarnations and from thesorrows and evils of life could only befound by a change of heart that involvedan entire break with all earthly desireseven of life here or hereafter. He whoby such renunciation, by a life of con-templation and the sole pursuit of holi-ness had found redemption from his ownlower self, had attained "Arahatship,"and his "karma" (character) could notpass on to any other individual in an-other life, that is, after "Arahatship"there would be no rebirth.But in the corruption that went on thereturn to earth of Buddhas or spirits ofBuddhas was accepted. Deities of allkinds became associated with them. Itwas in northern India that this decad-ence began, and it was this corruptionof Buddhism that was accepted in Tibetand there merged with the older religion.Dr. Shelton says of the Tibetans thatthey are "perhaps the most religious peo-ple on earth. Their faith is nominallyBuddhism, but in reality it is more truly


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a veneer of Buddhism over the old Bonreligion, a religion of devil worship. Theyare exceedingly superstitious, believingin ghosts and in the daily interferenceof devils in their affairs."

The Temporal Power.Originally Tibet was ruled by kingsand chieftains, but in the middle ages

the abbot of the Sakya Monasterygained control and was recognized bythe Mongol ruler, Kublai Khan, as thetributary sovereign of the country andthe ecclesiastical head of Buddhism.Thus was established the temporalpower of the Dalai Lama, the pope ofTibetan Buddhism, who lives at thecapital, the holy city of Lhasa. He islooked on as more than an ordinarymortal, as nothing less than a rein-carnation of the spirit of the Buddhas.When he dies the names of all thechildren born in Tibet since his deathare sent in. After solemn ceremo'nies.and a week of prayer, names aredrawn, the first being that of the childthat is believed to be the reincarnationof the lately deceased Grand Lama,the infant being recognized and broughtup as the Dalai Lama.

Religion, being the dominant featureof Tibet, naturally calls for especialattention. But there is not space totell all of the wonderful story of theimmense lamaseries, almost villages inthemselves; of the celibate lamas andgreat abbots, of the impressiveness ofthe service at the great cathedral atLhasa, with the Dalai Lama, the chiefabbots and other leading dignitariesofRciating with the most elaborate cere-monial, the chanting of the service, thetinkling of the soft-toned bells, the clashof cymbals, the blare of trumpets, theglow of altar lights, the aroma ofincense, the rich vestments of thelamas, the mystic rites and the manyother points of interest of this strangeform of religious faith.

Secular Life of the People.Tibet has its mountain passes, itsmountain torrents, its grazing lands on

the plains or mountainsides, and its cul-tivated lands in the valleys below. Thereare no railways or great highways(wagon roads). The yak, a mountain ox,serves as the beast of burden, and as itis covered with wool like a sheep it servesmore than one purpose. This yak, orwoolly ox, is also a survival, perhaps,from the days of the woolly elephant. Itthrives in the high, bleak altitudes anddies off on removal to warmer regions.In addition to the yak. heavy loads arealso carried long distances on men'sshoulders, the men under these weightsclimbing and descending the mountains,even old men stepping out cheerily underthese heavy burdens.Tea from China is carried all over

Tibet either by yaks or men. It is thenational and popular drink, but is brewedin a way all their own. So universal and

extensive is its use that it is often pre-pared, especially in lamasaries, on awholesale scale in great vats largeenough to hold a man ; in fact the Chi-nese have in some cases boiled Tibetanprisoners alive in such cauldrons.The sojourn of Dr. Shelton, an Ameri-can, in Tibet at the seat of gov-ernment with the full approval of theDalai Lama is an unusual occurrence,especially when British and Russiandiplomatic agents are excluded underthe treaties. Dr. Shelton's presencethere may not impossibly lead to manybeneficent results in addition to th'evalue of his services in introducingthe healing art of the civilized nationsinto Tibet.

The Museum Collection.Before leaving the United States Dr.

Shelton at the Newark library gavemany details concerning the variousobjects in the collection. A valuablecatalogue has been prepared under thedirection of Miss Louise Connolly ofthe museum and library staff. A fur-ther contribution from Miss Connollyis a bright and ' interesting ac-count of the religion of Tibet inthe shape of a synopsis of the volumeon "Lamaism," by the British writer,L. Austine Waddell, who spent somany years in the study of the sub-ject of w^hich he made Mmself amaster. Miss Connolly has also pre-pared a brief sketchy story ofTibet and its people and of Dr. Sheltonand his labors.^^hen on view in December an in-telligent consideration of the variousobjects will be greatly aided by thecarefully prepared descriptive labelsthat will give to the visitor a mass ofinteresting information. Valuablework has also been done in decipheringsuch Tibetan words, inscriptions, titlesand descriptions as appear in thatlanguage in manuscripts, books andoth'er objects through the services ofthe Rev. Albert E. Andre of Minne-apolis, who knows the language andwas for fourteen years a Lutheranmissionary in China, India and on thesouthern border of Tibet.A list is being prepared at the libraryof the books it possesses on the subjectof Tibet and these, of course, can beborrowed or consulted by Newarkers.The following call for special mention:William Carey, Adventures in Tibet; A.L. Shelton, Pioneering in Tibet; L. A.Waddell, Lhasa and Its Mysteries, Bud-dhism of Tibet; Ekai Kawaguchi (a Jap-anese Buddhist), Three Years in Tibet;Rudyard Kipling, Kim; S. C. Rijnhart,With the Tibetans in Tent and Temple;O. T. Crosby, Tibet and Turkestan.There is also an interesting work byFielding Hall, The Soul of a People,which gives an illuminating descriptionof the Buddhism of Burmah and enablesthe reader to make comparisons of muchsignificance between the religions of thetwo countries, a -comparison that is ofunusual value.


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Part of the Library in the Litang Lamasery.In Kham the sacred Buddhist writings are printed from blocks, such as

were first used in China, or are written by hand. The printing of religiousbooks is one of the principal industries of the town of Litang. The BuddhistBible is a "work of 108 volumes and the companion commentary -work is ofequal bulk. (Copyright, 1921, by the National Geographic Magazine.)


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Tibetan Houses in the Robber-Infested Bad Lands,These homes are built primarily for protection. With the exception of the

main entrance, there is no opening until the third story is reached. The styleof architecture greatly simplifies the problem of defense against marauders.

(Copyright, 1921, by the National Geographic Magazine.)


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Bird's-Eye View of Batang Surrounded! by Terraced Fields.The white building's on the hill are the hospital and residence of the Ameri-

can Mission. Note the head of the horse in the foreground; the photog'raphwas taken from the vantage podnt of its back.


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An Elaborate Chorten (Shrine) Near Batang.Chortens are a common sight in Tibet and the surrounding lands. In

Peking- there are larg-e Lama towers similar to these shrines, As^hioh are built,solid, thoug^h they may contain valued, relics.

(Copyrig-ht, 1921, by the National Geographic Mag^azine.)

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Men and Women Threshing With Flails on the Roof of a Batang House.Threshing methods are primitive throughout the East; but "with primitive

transportation methods and small fields, a modern threshing machine wouldbe useless.


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The Governor of Lower Kham, His Wife and Piper.This piper was brought down from Chiamdo, a ten days' journey, for the

entertainment of the American physician and his family. The Tibetans haveadopted the Scottish bagpipes as their national military instrument. It w^asstartling- to hear the piper playing "The Cock of the North," "The CampbellsAre Coming" and "The Drunken Piper." He played with great skill, for theTibetan instructors have learned their music in India.

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Bandit Brave or Tibetan Troubadour?

The horseman, is making a circuit of the -walls of aruined lamasery at Batang. This monastery was once oneof the most flourishing- establishments in eastern Tibet, butwas destroyed by the Chinese during one of their invasions.The Tibetans are not allowed to rebuild damaged lamaseriesor to erect new ones, for the Chinese conceive these re-ligious communities to be centers of rebellion.(Copyright, 1921, by the National Geographic Magazine.)

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A Street Scene in Batang.Batang", or Paanhsien, derives most of its importance from the Tibetan trade

route, which passes through it on its way from Yachow to Chiamdo, connectingthe Yangtze Valley "with the highlands of Tibet.


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A LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

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What Made Tibet Mysterious- Notes on Tibet's Topography, History and Religion (1921)

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Transcript of What Made Tibet Mysterious- Notes on Tibet's Topography, History and Religion (1921)