Tibet and the Tibetans

Front matter

ASIA

(locneU Hnioeraitg ffithrarg

CHARLES WILLIAM WASON COLLECTION

Preface

In the following pages have been epitomized the results of many years of personal investigation into Tibetan mysteries. The unique physical features^ the geology, the botany, the zoology of the country, also the characteristics, occupations, religion, and literature of the inhabitants, are the subjects mainly treated of. Much of the matter included here had been put in type before the conclusion of the recent political Mission to Tibet. However, few new facts concerning Tibet were revealed by this Mission. It is, moreover, a testimony to the fulness of the information brought back in previous years by the secret native agents of the Transfrontier Survey, that our own description of Lhasa in these pages (derived mainly from the private reports of these agents) tallies in most particulars with the accounts of the city as now described by the English visitors of 1904. Only, the native explorers in question seem on the whole to have been a little more exact in their narratives than the English visitors.

GRAHAM SANDBERG.

London : \ January, 1905. J

Cornell University Library

The original of tiiis book is in tine Cornell University Library.

There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text.

NOTE.

When death overtook Mr. Sandberg, this book was almost ready, for publication. The bulk o£ the work — 280 pages — had already been revised in proof by him ; and had he been spared for a few weeks longer, he would have seen his book go forth into the world as another testimony to the ripe scholarship that he had strenuously gathered through years of toil. Unhappily it was not to be. In March of this year he was taken away, and his book was denied the finishing touches of the master's hand. At the request of Mrs. Sandberg, I have accordingly revised the remaining sheets and added a list of contents.

The career that was thus cut short was one of singular devotion to learning and religion. In 1870 Samuel Louis Graham Sandberg graduated at Trinity College, Dublin. Called to the Bar in 1874, he practised for some years on the Northern Circuit, while at the same time eagerly carrying on literary studies. His sympathies were extraordinarily wide, interesting him alike in science, natural history, literature, and philology. In 1879 he took orders, and in 1886 he entered upon a chaplaincy in India. Here, as chaplain at Dinapur, Dacca, Jhansi, Cuttack, Subathu, Darjeeling, Barraekpore, and St. John's, Calcutta, he was able to give full scope to his manifold interests, and speedily attained to acknowledged authority. In particular the associations of Darjeeling inspired him to the study in which his life's work culminated — the language, literature, ajid natural history of Tibet. In the Nineteenth Century of 1889 appeared his first published work on Tibet, soon followed by other articles in various magazines. In 1888 his linguistic studies bore fruit in a Manual of the Sikkim Bhutia Language, of which a second edition appeared in 1895 ; and in 1894 he published a most useful Handbook of Colloquial Tibetan. An Itinerary of the Route from Sikhim to Lhasa appeared in 1901. At that time he began his heaviest task, supervising the publication of Sarat Chandra Das's Tibetan Dictionary j but even this labour could not exhaust his energies, for in 1904 appeared his Exploration of Tibet, and he was busied with the preparation of the present work.

VI

But now his health, always delicate, gave way entirely. In June 1904 he was seized with tubercular laryngitis, and in March of this year, after sore suffering, the strenuous and noble life came to an end. Manibus date lilia plenis.

L. D. BARNETT.

London : August, 1905.

CHAPTER I. At the Threshold

Frontier scenery, p. 1 — The view beyond the barriers, p. 4 — The way into

Tibet, p. 6.

CHAPTER II. Tibet in its General Aspects

General elevation, p. 11 — The highest country on earth, p. 12 — Pour classes

of territory, p. 13 — T'ang districts, p. 13 — Doh districts, p. 16 — Winter

aspect of T'ang and Dok, p. 17 — Rong districts, p, 18 — Gang districts,

CHAPTER III. Climate and Mbteokology

Climate in general, p. 21 — The water-supply of the great rivers, p. 22 — The, seasons in Tibet : Spring conditions, p. 24 — Vast range of temperature, p. 25 — ^The summer season, p. 26— Autumn and winter, p. 30 — Climate of Lhasa, p. 32 — The snow-line in Tibet, p, 33 — The wind, p. 35.

CHAPTER IV. The Salt and Fresh-water Lakes

Tibetan lakes in general, p. 38 — The highest lake in the world, p. 40 — Sex of lakes, p. 40 — The salt lake district, p. 41 — The North-Western Bower series, p. ,44 — The Manasarowar lakes, p. 48 — Lang-gak, p. 62 — Ma-pang, p. 53— Yamdok Ts'o, p. 56— Koko Nor, 69— Nam Ts'o Chhyidmo, p. 65.

CHAPTER VI. The Geeai Rivbe, of Tibet

The river's name, p. 74 — Source of the Tsangpo, p. 74 — From the source to conjunction with the Ohhorta Tsangpo, p. 76 — From the Chhorta Tsangpo to Shigatse, p. 79 — From Shigatse to Tset'ang, p. 81— From Tset'ang to Gyalla Seng-dong, p. 83— From Gyalla Seng-dong to Sadiya in Assam, p. 86— The Dihang and Eastern Brahmaputra, p. 87 — The Brahmaputra- Irawadi controversy, p. 90 — Concluding remarks, p. 94.

Viii CONTENTS.

CHAPTER VII. Monasteries and Nunnekjes

Their distribution, p. 96-Historic origins, p. 96— ArcHtecture and internal arrangement, p. 98— Sources of revenue, p. 100— Grades of religious houses, p. 101— Img, p. 101— Ohhoide, p. 10^— Td' -is' cmg, p. 102— Gompa, p. 103— -4m Gompa, Tsunpo, Jomo-ling, p. 104— P'm&, p. 104— Modem sects in Tibet, p. 106— Sar-ma, Ge-luh-pa, p. 105— Nying-ma, p. 106— Galden or Ganden Ling, p. 107— Sera Ling, p. 108— Daipung Ohhoide, p. 109— The four Lings of Lhasa, p. Ill— Tashilhumpo Monastery, p. 112— Tho-ling Gompa, p. 114— Sakya Ling, p. 115— Sam-ye Ling, p. 116— Sam-ding Monastery, p. 117.

Chapter VIII

Inmates op Monasteries : their Grades, Discipline, and Occupation. Trapa, p. 121.— Ge-nyen, p. 12S—Ge-fsul, p. 124— Ge-Zorajf, p. 124- Ge-she, p. 126- Discipline and morality, p. 126— Lamas of the higher ranks, p. 127 — Incarnate lamas, p, 128,

CHAPTER IX, The Inhabitants in General

Residents in Central Tibet, p. 138— The Dokpa or nomadic people, p. 143— The tribes north and north-east of Lhasa, p. 148 — The Horpa or northern robber tribes, p, 148 — The Gya-de tribes or Khyung-po-pa, p. 151 — The people of Kong-po, p. 153 — Khama and the Khampas, p. 154 — The Abors or Abars, p. 158 — The Miri tribes, p. 161 — The Mishmis, p. 163 — The natives of Ladak, p. 164.

CHAPTER X, Lhasa : the Capital oe Tibet

Situation and general aspect, p. 168 — The inner and enclosed city, p. 171 — The Cho-khang Square, p. 172 — Lhasa merchants, p. 173 — DweUing houses, p. 174 — Denizens and visitors, p. 176 — Buddhist cathedral of Lhasa, p, 178 — The Dalai Lama's home, p. 180. — The city monasteries, p. 180 — Ramochhe temple, p. 182 — Wang-to-shingkha market, p. 183 — The Ragya-pa or scavenger beggars, p. 186 — The corpse-yards of Lhasa, p. 187 — ^Water-supply and canals, p. 188 — Council Chamber and Palace of Justice, p. 189 — The prisons of Lhasa, p. 190.

CHAPTER XI. The Mythology op Tibetan Buddhism

General character, p. 195 — Buddhas and Bodhisattwas, p. 197 — The Maitreya cult, p. 199— Bodhisattwas, p. 200— The Dhyani Buddhas, p. 201— Dewachan, the heaven of W6-pak-me', p. 203 — Dhyani Sattwas, p. 204 — The

CONTENTS. IX

Dhyani Sattwa Ohenraisi, protector o£ Tibet, p. 206— Deified Saints, p. 207— Gods and goddesses, p. 209— The Mother Goddess, p. 210— Paldan Lha-mo, p. 211— Tamdiu: the god with the horse's neck, p. 212 — Dorje P'agmo, the Sow Goddess, p. 212— Gods of the soil, p. 213.