Indian Antiquary Vol 60

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 185

August, 1931)
SCRAPS OF TIBETO-BURMAN FOLKLORE
157
8. Flags. "In the middle (p. 26) of the bridge (over the Tata) we found a number of paper prayers fluttering in the breeze. Toby brought out with him three such printed prayers, which he had carried with him, and tied them on to the others."
“On reaching the town of Pari the first thing we noticed was a tiny saored island in the middle of a frozen lake. Hereon were erected prayer flags, which as they fluttered in the breeze wiped out the sins of man, according to the Tibetan belief” (p. 44).
“The Tibetan roofs (are flat and) are rendered picturesque by having placed at each corner the prayer tufts and prayer flags which flutter in the wind. Each flutter is as a prayer which rises to the gods and brings supernatural protection to the house and its inhabitants."
“The chorten or shrine (at Lhasa), which lay a few yards (p. 282) away seemed a special object of attraction for the women. Many of them came with little prayer cloths which they attached to the shrine; while others burnt small quantities of brush in the adjoining sacrificial urn."
In Burma, says Shway Yoe, The Burman, 188, “Prayer flags .... are made of paper, cut fancifully into figures of dragons, lizards, and the like, with embroidery work round their edges. In the centre is written some pious reflection or aspiration, and the offerers place it on the shrine.... There are other small flags or streamers made of coloured cloth, and some of them, especially those presented by Shans, are stitched with many plies, until they stand out quite stiff. Others are made of varnished strips oi zinc. They have nothing written on them and stand simply for the advancement of the piety of their offerers."
9. Ragbushes. " Just at the top (p. 236) of the pass [above the Brahmaputra Valley) we found two chortens or shrines. We added our stones to the little pile in front of each, and also tied & rag to the brush sticking out above the stone heaps. We recited a charm (mantram) in honour of the gods and rested a few moments."
Ragbushes are very common in India and indeed practically over the world. In The Word of Lalla, 726, we read: "The poison of Shaktiem entered only too largely into Mahayana Buddhism .... The MahAyAna system of spells was greatly extended by making the mere repetition of them efficacious, leading to the well-known prayer wheels and rage on trees and bushes, which repeated on behalf of the users the spells they contained indefinitely by mere mechanical agitation and fluttering in the wind."
10. Cairns. "On many occasions (p. 48), as we went along the road, we passed by some shrine or sacred image. One of these, the famous Red Idol, as it is called, is quite imposing, and I notic. ed with particular interest the heap of tiny stones in front of it. As Tibet has no flowers to preBent to the idols, the Tibetan peasants will carry pebbles and heap them up before the image."
“Here [Pass near Kampa Dzong) we found (p. 126) another Gyatse and though no one was around we carefully followed Tibetan custom and added a stone to the little beap in front of the mountain shrine and called on the gods for protection."
11. Prayer-wheels. "Let into the walls (p. 54) of the lower part of the pagoda [at Gyangtse) were a number of revolving barrels. These were the famous Tibetan prayer-wheels. It is the duty of every man, as he passes along, to stop and twist these wheels, causing them to revolve. By this exercise, it is believed, a man aoquires an enormous merit, and by his pious efforts he is ridded of all his sins."
" The old man (p. 158) carried a prayer-wheel in his hand, which he kept constantly turning in his hand, thereby laying up an enormous merit for himself, and he occasionally ejaculated the sacred formula of Tibet: Om mani peme hung, spelt Om mani padme hum, to make up for delinquencies, which the prayer-wheel might have left untouched."
(To be continued.)