Evening Star Newspaper, September 22, 1929, Page 27

FARE PRAYER B PLAGED N MUSELN Tibet Volume of '_p;enturies Ago Gift of Chgrles S. Ishamg BY JZSSIE G. FLACH. The universal oustnm of prayer knows many forms wijich have found | expression 'in various,/ways. In olden{ times pragyer did not wequire the spoken | word; the gods werey'invoked by means | of offerings made at¢rudely styled altars | after the fashion of'the ancient Druids. | Later the practize of chanting pray- | ers and religious poems became poru- | lar amd grew to 8, profession which has passed from father to son as 8 kind of lezacy. Then came the written prayer When the sacred/thoughts of the priests were inscribed on tablets of stope or ‘pages of parciment, which often filled Volumes of enormous size. 1t is this Tave type of prayer book executed by the Jama priests of Tibet, two cenfuries ago, that has just been received by the Department of Ethnology of the Na- tional Museum, under the head cura- torship of Dr. Walter Hough. ‘This enormous , 21> feet long by 8 inches thick, is a gift from Charles 8. Isham of Detroit, who has just returned | 1r Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, where | he was fortunate enough to procure this unusual ethnological specimen. # Book Highly Praised. ' In speaking of the gift Dr. Hough said: It is one of the most inuteresting and highly prized objects that have come under my observation during my con- nection with the museum. It is eher- ished for the reason that only oue other of its kind, that in the Museum cf Ber- lin, is known. In addition it fills in & link in the chain of ethnological history of a country whieh, throughout the ages, has been invested with a vell of mystery because of its isolated geo- graphic position and irresponsiveness to outside influences.” So carefully guard- ed are the sacred writings of the lama priests that a single volume, even for scientific pus s, is rarely allowed to cross the Tibetan borders. For this reason, Dr. Hough said, “the museum is mauy infl:brfi : dt(hu: efforts of Mr. am, who, n to a handsome sum for the bonk.p.t»:a“;fild for 30 days on horseback with the 4115- pound volume concealed beneath his saddle-bags. Dignity of Workmanship Cited. The high esteem with which the lama priests regard their sacred books is also reflected in dignity of work- manship, for the 520 pages of this beautifully decorated veriety of Sans- krit are not written with ordinary pen and ink, but were executed in 24-carat gold leaf stamped on high quality parchment by means of wooden tlnclu. ‘The process consisted of dissolving the gold and applying it to a stamp-pad type of wooden block, which contained the desired characters. Since this book was for the exclusive use of the priests, it eriginally occupied a place of promi- | nence in a prayer house, which was | open only at certain hours. Prayers are provided in abundance for everybody, however, for the inhabi- tants of Tibet are rhaps the most religious people on the earth. Their faith is a degenerate form of Buddhism knewn as Lamaism, a kind of “devil worship” believing in ghosts and the fl,;:;:xxenc interference of devils in daily affairs. Head of Church Supreme. ‘The head of the church, as well as the supreme temporal ruler of the ‘Tibetan theocratic form of goyernment, is the dalai lama, residing at Lhasa, ‘whoge deeision in all matters is final. is term of office is, of course for | life, which usually means until he is openly murdered or mysteriousiy dis- appears from his throne never again to be_seen. The chief governments! officisls of the dglai lama, or all-embracing lama, as he is called, are the lama priests, ‘who oecupy a privileged position, con- stituting, in fact, a class to themselves. It is estimated that one person in every seven is a lama, who, besides his civil duties, occupies a place of prominence in religious affairs. These priests live in the lamaseries, which are supported by the remainder of the population. In Dr. Walter Hough which has been presented 2 of the National Museum with the Tibetian prayer book to the Depantment of Ethnology by Chacles §. Isham. DELIUS AGAN WORKS ON BELOYED MUSIC Youthful Organist Aids Blind and Paralyzed British Composed at Home in Forest. FONTAINEBLEAU (N.AN.A.) —Deep in the great forest at his Old Werld hous= at Grez sur ‘Loing, where Freder- ick Delius, the great British composer, ears and now lies paralyzed and blind, Whither . countiess > Amerioan - tourists ntly flocked to P! him—came a few months back 8 youth who has become to Delius a great com- forter and helper. o .2 et working man, wi P the time when ngh’m could not. ‘med @ unigue tem usical of which is the completion of & b‘ Delius for baritane solo and full or~ u‘a.mn ds a setting of ‘‘Cyuara, Ernes WEON'S poam. (Capyright, 1929. by North American News- paper Alliance.) —Star Staff Photo. marries 8 woman who beecomes the | common wife of himself and all of his brothers. If there are no sons in & household but several daughters, nne‘ of them usually is kept in tbe home and a husband acquired, thus carrying on the family succession. In cases where the family consiusts of two daughters only, a common husband is brought snd a polygamous household established. Next in rank to the lame priests are the lay officials of the govermment: a step below them in social gradation are the wealthier headmen of the villages. ‘Then in order are the common people the majority of whom cannot read or write, but who, faithful to form, have ‘memorized long strings of the inevitable “Om-mani-padme-hum, the translation of which is (Oh. the Jewel in the Lotus, Amen). ‘The. repeti- tion of this sacred formpula, believed to be definite assurance of happiness after death as well as prevention from being reborn in a lower scale of life, is repeated thousands of times a day. Invocation to Merciful One. The mani, as this six syllable prayer is ealled in Tibet, is an invecation to the “Merciful One,” whose mission is believed to be the salvation of all liv- ing creatures. Although a native his- torian ‘claims the mani was introduced into Tibet by missionaries in the sev- enth century, the earliest mention of it found in European writings dates from | the second half of the thirteenth cen- tury. The proyer is often counted off on strings of beads, but perhaps more often is written upon yards and yards of paper, which is mounted on yer | wheels of various sizes. Some of these are turned by hand; in other cases the | very wind is harnessed to pray for the Tibetans for the mystic phrase is written upon thousands of flags, which, waving in the air, recite prayers for all who pass under them. In still other instances the prayer wheels are at- tached to windmills, thus the Tecitation of millions of prayers with a single turn of the wm. C: the 1340 G St. N.E A Bargain at $9,950 Terms for quick sale A semi-detached two-story brick dwelling with a delightful outlook on Maryland. Ave. Front porch has large Colonial columns, and back porch ex- addition to their income from contribu- tions, they often accumulate vast wealth | from ' interest on money loaned to the | common people. All Tibetan art of any consequence is found in the lama- | series, a condition attributed to the] faet that many valuable objects of art, a5 well as other forms of wealth, fali | into the hands of the lamas, who on| the death of a person demand much of | his material wealth in payment fdr prayers. Priests Officiate at Marriages. The performance of marriage cere- monies also comes within the duties of these priests. Marriage in Tibet is a peculiar combination of tends across entire bldg. Six large rooms, kitchen and bath. QOpen fireplaces and cellar under entire house. Two-story two-car brick garage in rear. Near public schools and Sears, Roebuck & Co.s new department store. Open all day Sunday and from 7:30 to 9:00 o'clock week days. MERICAN SECURITY Resl Estate Dept. 15th and Pa. Ave. N.W. ‘monogamy, polygamy and polyandry. Aceording to the polyandrous custom the eldest son National 4815. At . 715 Thirteenth A Magnificent Oriental Rugs In all sizes and weaves, To Be S 27, 1929, at 2 P, Also 2 SPECIAL NIGHT SESSIONS Tuesday, September 24th, and Thursday, Sep- tember 26th, at 8 P. On View Up to Hour of Sale Each Day The above collection is a large New York importing firm and represents ORIENTAL RUGS | Sloan’s Art Galleries . an unusual number of Antique and Semi-Antique pieces and extra large carpets. PUBLIC AUCTION Within Our Galleries 715 13th St. N. W. | Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday i and Friday, September 23, 24, 25, 26 and P[-! Opening Fall Sale Street N.W. fd Collection of and Carpets including in particular | old at M. Each Day. M. Each Evening. being sold by order of ' examr'~s from all the famous rug weaving dis- | tricts of the 0. G. SLOAN Far East. & CO., Inc. Auctioneers TERMS: CASH. 5020,22,23,24,25.26 N N piles of stones, representing years of labor for the priests, are carved in the omnipresent “Om. -padme-hum.” m. To Keep Your LAWN BEAUTIFUL§ £ The Ideal Plant Food for Lawns, Flowers, Shrubbery, Garden, Fruit and Ornamental Trees. ¥Free of offensive odor and easy o use. 5-Lb. Pkg., 50c; 25c-Lb. Bag, $1.75; 50-Lb. Bag, $3.60 100-Lb. Bag, $5.00 At Our Store and Local Hardware Stores MANN’S EVERGREEN LAWN GRASS SEED Fall Seeding 1deal 1 Lb., 45c; 5 Lbs., $200; 10 Lbs,, $3.75 White Clover for Lawns s ..50c Lb. Fancy Kentucky Blue Grass . ..45¢ Lb. A Full Line of Fartilizers for Fall Seeding Wizard Brand Sheep Manure 2 2 Lbs., 15c; 25 Lbs., $1.00; 100 Lbs., $2.75 Pure Raw Ground Bome Meal, 5c Lb.; 100 Lbs., $3.00 P. MANN & CO. .2 v Phone National 1121 has lived in seclusion for the last 30} RETAIL DEPARTMENT STORE Bladensburg Road at 15th and H Sts. N.E. 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