. The Russian road to China . lama will memorizeTibetan prayers, and pore for years over the bigholy books which lie within the chests of the lama-sery chapels. He will repeat the creed over his beads,in rapt self-hypnotism, meditating in celestial holi-ness. He will pray down rain for the grass, and willexorcise glanders from the ponies. A priest taking the medical course will gain aknowledge of the innumerable herbs that grow onthe Tibetan mountains, many of which are of greatvalue as drugs, and are known only to these mon-astic seekers. Massage, warm sulphur baths, andwaters, are part of hi
. The Russian road to China . lama will memorizeTibetan prayers, and pore for years over the bigholy books which lie within the chests of the lama-sery chapels. He will repeat the creed over his beads,in rapt self-hypnotism, meditating in celestial holi-ness. He will pray down rain for the grass, and willexorcise glanders from the ponies. A priest taking the medical course will gain aknowledge of the innumerable herbs that grow onthe Tibetan mountains, many of which are of greatvalue as drugs, and are known only to these mon-astic seekers. Massage, warm sulphur baths, andwaters, are part of his pharmacopoeia. Mixed withgenuine instruction in anatomy and medicine, hewill be taught the incantations that cast out tchut-gours, or evil spirits, the words of power to be writtenon rice-paper and rolled into a pill for the patientto swallow. He will learn what devil is responsiblefor the disease which has brought low the lustyherdsman, and the right order of image to makefor allaying the infernal anger. He will be taught. A PROSTRATING PILGRIMAGE THE CITY OF THE REBORN GOD 235 when the fever crisis is at hand, so that the cymbal-clashers, the drum-beaters, and the prayer-wailersmay assemble, and by these holy noises and atranscendental counter-excitement, lift the patientover the fever-point. If he elects astrology, he will be instructed incasting horoscopes of unfailing value, in reading thestars, predicting their future stations and the com-ing of eclipses. He will be prepared to declare thereasons for visitations of murrain and to trackthe trail of straying camels. Divers are the paths of knowledge, but all maylead to the honor of Grand Lama, head of a mon-astery, or member of the college of shabniars, whoform the Council of the Living God. And when thegreat reaper has called the high priest from hisearthly glory, a whitened tomb will be raised tohis memory just outside some town along the camel-trail, while his ashes will be moulded into briquettesand godly images, to r
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjecttranssi, bookyear1910
