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

4GGAPPENDIX.lie was visited, the next morning, by the prince, the Emperor's eldest son,who informed him, thatmany of the Emperor's favourite women were in apalace, in a distant part of the gardens, and that they had expressed muchanxiety to see the Lama, and receive his blessing; and that it would beagreeable to the Emperor's wishes, that he, the Lama, should visit them,which he accordingly did :and being placed opposite a door of their apartments,upon an exalted seat,a purdow, or skreen, of a yellow kind of gauze,being dropt before the door, the ladies approached it,one by one, and havingjust looked at the Lama, through the gauze;each, according to her rank, andabilities, sent her offering, or present, by a female servant, who delivered itto one of the Lama's religious companions, that were allowed to continuenear him ;and upon the present being delivered to him, and the name of theperson announced, he repeated a prayer, or form of blessing, for each ;all thetime bending liis head forward, and turning his eyes directly towards theground, to avoid all possibility of beholding the women.This ceremony,which took up four or five hours, being ended, the Lama returned to theplace he had occupied forsome nights past, where he continued that night,and the next morning returned,with the prince, and his attendants, to thegardens, where they had left the Emperor.The next morning the Lama visitedhis Majesty, and was received withthe usual respect and ceremony.After conversing for some time, respectingthe curiosities that the Lama had examined for some days past,the Emperortold him, that he had still a greater to shew him, than any that he had yetvisited ; and, added he, it shall be my own care to carry you to see it ; whereupon,rising from their seats, the Emperor tookthe Lama by the hand, andleading him to a temple, in a different part of the garden, he shewed him amagnificent throne, and informed him, that it was an ancient, and invariablecustom, of the emperor's of China, to seat themselves upon it, at certaintimes, to hear and determine all matters of complaint, that might be brought:before them : and that such was the extraordinary virtue of this seat, thataccording to the justice, or injustice of the Emperor's decrees, his existence,or immediate death depended. This temple, and seat of justice, he said.