An Embassy to the Court of the Teshoo Lama in Tibet - Prajna Quest

;248 TIBET.the arrangements necessary for the celebration of the great festivals ofreligion;he is always personally attendant on the Lama; he is his cupbearer; he has charge of the wardrobe ; and to his immediate care isintrusted allthe wealth of the sovereign, w^hether derived from the religiousofferings of his votaries, or from other and less sacred sources.He brings, and places before the Lama, all his food, and in particular,pours out his tea, of which it is the custom first to taste himself, in thepresence of his master. In fact, I have been led to understand thatTeshoo Lama receives neither food nor raiment from any other handyet Still he is found to hold a very high rank in the religious order,which is implied by no less a title than that of Lama.My arrival in Tibet happened at a period of high importance in theannals of the state, as well in a political as a religious point of view;for now they had to acknowledge, in the person of an infant, theirfuture sovereign, to whom also, as to their sacred pontiff, they wereabout to pay the first public tribute of homage and allegiance, andthereby to give currency and authority to the belief, that he was theregenerated, immortal mediator with the Supreme.On such an occasion,itwill easily be conceived, that no mark of respect, no pomp orparade, was omitted, which, in their ideas, could possibly tend, to adddignity and splendour to the solemn ceremony.The Emperor of China, a votary of the Tibet faith, had commandeda military officerof high rank, with a large detachment of troops, toattend and escort the infant Lama; other Chinese attended, for thepurpose of bearing his Tuckt rowan f, or moving throne ;and the'A Persian term, whence probably the use of this stately accommodation is derived.