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In the Courts of the Living Buddha

OF THE five Oriental religions that prevail within the walls of the capital, none is more interesting—none more strange and weird, perhaps—than that of the popular Buddhist sect from Tibet and Mongolia. From an early date this Lama cult from the far-flung border provinces has made itself felt in Peking, and here in the city of the Emperors it has established its stronghold in China.

Great was the influence of the Lamas in those early days. Throughout Mongolia and Tibet their power and authority was absolute, and the old Emperors, in order to strengthen their hold on these distant provinces, cultivated assiduously the friendship of the powerful western pontiffs. By large Imperial grants and rich gifts they sought to bind the temporal and spiritual heads of these vast provinces in loyalty to the throne. Thus it came about that the beautiful Yung Ho Kung—a princely estate close by the northern wall of the capital—fell into the hands of the Lamas.

It was in the year A. D. 1722 that this beautiful palace—the birthplace and home of the Emperor Yung Chêng—was transferred to the Lama hierarchy, to be used by them for religious purposes. And ever since that early date this fine estate has been one of the great sights of the capital. As the residence of a Living Buddha—"a god incarnate from the Lamaistic point of view," and the home of a large community of over fifteen hundred priests, it has been for two centuries a center of great religious importance; "while its political prominence was also considerable, owing to the official patronage of the Chinese emperors who granted the monks many privileges, such as permission to speak with the Sovereign face to face, besides lands and revenues."

The approach to the Yung Ho Kung is impressive. Passing under a colorful yellow topped pailou, we gain access to the outer courts of the "gompa" [a Tibetan word meaning "solitary place"] through a broad entrance avenue. This avenue, with its widespreading trees—always alive with magpies and big black crows—leads past the low dwelling pavilions to the first courtyard. In this outer court the festival commonly known as the "Devil Dance" is conducted each year.

Passing through the Hall of the Four Great Kings, with Pu Tai, the popular Laughing Buddha, as the central figure, we enter a spacious courtyard containing a huge bronze incense burner nearly ten feet high. Many, many years ago this wonderful work of art was brought all the way across mountain, hill, and plain from the wilds of distant Tibet, to the fertile plains of Chihli, to grace the courts of this famous Peking cloister. It is the most beautiful specimen of its kind in Peking, and probably one of the finest incense burners in China. It shares the spacious courtyard with a large tablet upon whose four sides are inscribed, in four languages, the history of Lamaism. See pages 74, 238, and 154.

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