Show jaa explorer takes tea with a goddess EW YORK sir charles bell NEW ayears who has returned after a years sojourn in tibet reports that while at last year he had tea with a goddess she Is not a common goddess either but ranks as an incarnation of a buddhist deity find and its as such Is the highest littly in the land she rules over a monastery of 59 09 monks who believe she can convert them into pigs whenever she likes ter iter I vaunted power insures tier her not only high social position but an income Rs as well sir charles says he was the first white man to visit the goddess the tibetan explorer describes the goddess as about twenty four years old with a pensive mien and an air of quiet dignity in accordance with tibetan custom the hostess and guest exchanged presents I 1 I 1 sir charles described the great prayer service of the lamas at which monks assisted these officiates were divided into sections and placed wherever room could be found for them at various places priests stationed armed with at stout 01 t poles eight or nine feet long an and d son some e six incites in circumference one of them belabored labor a monk who was not taking a proper part in the religious service the dalai lanin lama sir charles sat said Is the chief buddhist monk of tibet and rules an area of some halt half a million lull llon square miles there are no railways no roads and no motorcars in his domain it Is a land of mount mountain itin desert and rivers a land of snow and tee ice and blizzards the last ten days of the second tibetan month corresponding with the early part of april are taken up by a festival known as the or the offerings nga of the assembly one of the rites of this festival Is a dice throwing contest between the da lal at lama and the devil if the devil wins evil will triumph during the next year and the people of tibet will suffer should the dalai lama load his dice and win the match the year will be one of bounty and happiness for his subjects |