So Different from the Whirl of the Coast with Its Yak Butter-tea Monotony Tachlentu, Apr. 30.
There is a popular and somewhat important incarnation In Techienlu at the present time, He fas spent fifteen years in Lhasa and is probably one of the most highly educated lamas to visit this ely. Among other stories. about him isthe following: When the Communists were In Kanze last year, 1936, this wily incarnation, 10 Protect his lamasery and immense property, made an alliance with the Reds. As clever and as scheming as Machiavelli himself, the Geda Incarnation very soon' become persona grata with the Red leaders and was soon on friendly terms with Holong and Hslaokeh and Hsu Hsiang-chien—so much so that they entrusted to his ender care 3,000 rifles, which he promptly, afler the Communists had eft for Kansu, handed over to the border authorities, "The Reds, with their depleted forces afler their' long and arduous march up from 'Yunnan, found themselves. with more rifles than they' could carry. What then was to be done With this surplus stock? The Yellow. Incarnation "suggested to the Red command that they should be left in his lamasery and he would take care of them. This was done but the Geda the social circle on the Roof of the World. 'That he might clearly understand my meaning 1 told him something of the social Life of Shanghai, and inquired if there anything' similar The "North China Herald," wisely or deliberately, refers the social life of Shanghai to the last page of the Journal, knowing that one modern weakness among readers Is to see just how the show will end. 1 read with much distress that a doctor friend mine was leaving Shanghai, and after she had fied all her social engagements there was every probability that a. stretcher would be necessary to carry her on board, Imagine that! Drebung has 7,700 Jamas and sometimes the number rises to 10,000, Sera has' 5,500 lamas and Galdan has 3300, In these great roigious institutions T asked, is the any social life? Do the lamas eve get together and have a real good time? On festive occasions is there much feasting among the people and what nature does it take? From these questions T gained very little Informa than.
'BUt to get back to Shanghai and of the "North China Lama soon found himself in an ¢m-Varrassing. position, What was he, an incarnation, going to do with 3.000 rifles? The problem was solved bby the incarnation handing the whole armoury over to the Border Administration, so he is now free to bend ihis mind once more towards religion and the pursuit of Nirvana, Favoured by Authorities But he finds himself once again persona grata, and during his visit 10 Tachientu he has been feasted and entertained almost to the point of embarrassment. Tu some sense he has become quite a hero and while hundreds and thousands fled at_ the approach of the Communists the Geda Lama remained at his post. He is now bout to return to Kanze and carries with him considerable authority, not only as a Jama, but as a minor official lurider the Border Administration, Our interest in the incarnation Wes in the fuct that he is a highly educat~ ed lama and sought intercourse with tus, He would drop in occasionally in the afternoon and frequently enjoy a'cup of tea and a bit of cake. Religion, of course, was his tour de force, but he was quite prepared to discuss" any "subject, "geography, Science, or philosophy. 'He was under the impression that Christianity was Jsynonymous with war and bloodshed and that Lamaism was a. religion fof peace. Tt was not easy moving him from this point, but we tried to show high there are' such things as a passive, active and negative attitude to any question. T spent nearly one hour attempting to convey the idea an attitude' and T have very grave double if he understood, Question and Answer "what," T asked, "is your attitude to opium?" and from his answer gathered it was none of hhis business. What," 1 again asked, "is your attitude' to gambling and drinking?" }Being an educated lama and in touch with world movements such as Naziism, Fascism and Communism, 1 was interested to learn how these terms would be expressed in the Tibetan language. The term for Communism jin Tibetan "nor-jucji-dum." simply. means a division of wealth or proerly, "nor" meaning substance or material. After considerable twisting, fand turning, the word "altitude" in the Tibetan language was simply "mind" or "heart" so T let it that.
Ninety tomas in every 100, the incarnation informed me, were ignorant of their own written language: what then T asked was the attitude of the Land of the Lamas towards this appalling iMiteracy. The question might have been asked, with equal pertinence mat is the altitude of ignorance towards: education and culture: Ignorance always being in the majority." To these and other questions T gathered that the attitude of {the Geaa Lama was both passive and
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.