's father and mother,
and the prohibition to injure one's neighbors in any way. The latter is
preached, but seldom practised. According to the commandments contained
in some eight hundred volumes called "the Kajars," the Tibetans believe
in a heaven (the _Deva Tsembo_) free from all anxieties of human
existence, full of love and joy. Their heaven is ruled over by a god of
infinite goodness, helped by countless disciples called the _Chanchubs_,
who spend their existence in performing charitable deeds among living
creatures. With a number of intermediate places of happiness and
punishment, they even believe in a hell where the souls of sinners are
tormented by fire and ice.

"God sees and knows everything, and He is everywhere," exclaimed the
Lama, "but we cannot see Him! Only the _Chanchubs_ can see and speak to
Him."

"What are the evil qualities to be mostly avoided?" I inquired of the
High Lama, who spoke a little Hindustani.

"Luxury, pride, and envy," he replied.

"Do you ever expect to become a saint?" I asked him.

"Yes, I hope so; but it takes five hundred transmigrations of an
uncontaminated soul before one can be a saint."

Then, as if waking to a sudden thought, he seized my hand impulsively
and spread my fingers apart. Having done this, he muttered two or three
words of surprise. His face became serious, even solemn, and he treated
me with strange obsequiousness. Rushing out of the temple, he went to
inform the other Lamas of his discovery, whatever it was. They crowded
round him, and from their words and gestures it was easy to see they
were bewildered.

When I left the company of the strange idols and came into the
court-yard, every Lama wished to examine and touch my hand. The sudden
change in their behavior was to me a source of great curiosity, until I
learned the real cause of it some weeks later.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 6: _Kata_ (veil of friendship and love)--a long piece of gauze
presented on all occasions in Tibet in order to show friendly
feelings.]

CHAPTER XIII

LIFE IN THE MONASTERIES

Before I left the monastery the Lamas asked me many questions about
India and concerning medicine. They also questioned me as to whether I
had heard that a young Englishman had crossed over the frontier with a
large army, which the Jong Pen of Taklakot had defeated, beheading the
leader and the principal members of the expedition.

I professed to be ignorant of these facts. I was amused