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--* Journey to Thibet life spent in the midst of erring people, we weep over the horrible sin of those heathens who assassinated him after putting him to the most cruel tortures."
M. Notovitch was struck by the words of the Lama —the prophet Issa, his tortures, his death, the Christian Dalai Lama and the recognition of Christianity by the Buddhists-all this made him think more and more of Jesus Christ; and he begged his interpreter to omit none of the words of the Lama. He asked the Lama where those sacred writings could be found and who had written them.
“The principal rolls," said the Lama,“ which have been compiled in India and Nepal at different times according to the course of events, are to be found at Lassa and number several thousands. In some of the larger convents there are copies made by the Lamas at different times during their sojourn at Lassa and presented to their convents in remembrance of their sojourn with the great master, our Dalai Lama.”
“Do you not possess any of these copies relating to the prophet Issa?" 1. "No, we have none of them. Our convent is rather unimportant and since its foundation our successive Lamas have only collected a few hundred works for their own use. The great cloisters possess thousands of them but they are sacred things and they will not show them to you."
They conversed together a little longer, after which M. Notovitch retired to the camp, reflecting deeply on all the words of the Lama. Issa, the prophet of the Buddhists! But how could that be? Being of the Jewish origin he lived in Palestine and Egypt, and the Scriptures contain not a word, not the slightest allusion to the role which Buddhism must have played in the education of Jesus.
