x and age, in the
principal parts of the town, and in the public squares. As soon as
groups are formed, everyone kneels down, and they begin slowly and in
undertones to chant prayers.

The religious concerts produced by these numerous assemblages create
throughout the town an immense solemn harmony, which operates forcibly on
the soul. The first time we witnessed this spectacle, we could not help
drawing a painful comparison between this pagan town, where all prayed
together, and the cities of Europe, where people would blush to make the
sign of the cross in public. The prayer which the Thibetians chant in
these evening assemblies, varies according to the seasons of the year;
that, on the contrary, which they repeat on their rosary, is always the
same and only consists of six syllables--_Om mani padme houm_. This
formula, which the Buddhists call, by abbreviation, the mani, is not only
in everyone's mouth, but you see it written everywhere about, in the
streets, in the squares, and in houses. On all the flags that float
above the doors, or from the summit of the public edifices, there is
always a mani printed in Landza, Tartar, and Thibetian characters.
Certain rich and zealous Buddhists maintain, at their own expense,
companies of Lama sculptors, whose business it is to diffuse the mani.
These singular missionaries travel, chisel and mallet in hand, over hill,
dale, and desert, engraving the sacred formula upon the stones and rocks.

According to the opinion of the celebrated orientalist Klaproth, "Om mani
padme houm" is merely the Thibetian transcription of a Sanscrit formula
brought from India to Thibet. Towards the middle of the seventh century
of our era, the famous Hindoo Tonmi-Sambhodha introduced writing into
Thibet; but as the Landza alphabet, which he had at first adopted, seemed
to King Srong-Bdzan-Gombo too complex and too difficult to learn, he
invited the learned personage to draw up an easier writing, better
adapted to the Thibetian tongue. Accordingly, Tonmi-Sambhodha shut
himself up for awhile, and composed the Thibetian writing now in use, and
which is merely a modification of Sanscrit characters. He also initiated
the king into the mysteries of Buddhism, and communicated to him the
sacred formula "Om mani padme houm," which spread rapidly through all the
countries of Thibet and Mongolia.

This formula has, in the Sanscrit language, a distinct and complete
meaning, which cannot be traced in t