CHESS AND PLAYING-CARDS. 



821 



1 



Fig. 137. 



TjyONG-KYENCiTO. 



Length, 1^ iudies. 



Korea. 



Cat. No. 17627, Museum of 

 Archaeology, ITiiiversity 

 of Pennsylvani:i. 



wliicli are written tlie iiaincs of |>lac(!S throiigiioiit Korea fauioiis for 



beauty of scenery,' Still auothei' Ivoreau game (Cat. No. 17G28) of This 



type in tlie University Museum is known as the "Monk's tjyoiig-~kye)i(/-to,'^ 



and is intended for the purpose of giving instruction in 



the religion of Buddhism. The sheet, which measures 



about IL* inches S(juare, is inscribed with a diagram, the 



inner part of which is divided into one hundred and 



sixty-nine sipuires (13 by 13). These contain the names 



of the various conditions of exi.stence, advancing from 



the lowest forms through the eighteen Brahmalokas, to 



the goal, which is Nirvana. 



It is, in fact, a Buddhist game of Promotion. The 

 moves are made according to the throws with three 

 small Avooden dice (flg. 1 i8), each inscribed on its six 

 sides with the magic formula: J^Tdin mo o ni fo fat 

 {Namah Amituhha). Under each name 

 is written the place of the next move, 

 according to the throw. The name 

 at the top of the sheet is in Sanskrit 

 characters, which are also Avritten on seven of the 

 squares, while the remainder of the text is in Chinese.^ 

 An interesting parallel to this game is to be found 

 in the French Jeu Moral et Instrnctif, 

 the goal of which is Paradise. 



This last described Korean game 

 suggests a likely explanation of certain 

 Tibetan divination tables figured by 

 Schlagintweit.' 

 One of these ( I'late 25) forms part of a great roll in- 

 scribed with other divinatory diagrams. It is divided 

 into squares, of which those in the upper corners, left 

 and right, bear, respectively, pictures .of the Bodhi- 

 sattva Manjusri, and the sword of wisdom, the emblem 

 of his knowledge. Of tlie remaining sixty squares one- 

 half 4ire inscribed with religious emblems and the 

 others, placed immediately beneath, with Tibetan words 

 which in greater part were illegible. The assumption 

 that the diagram is intended for a divinatory game, 

 like the Korean Buddhist game above referred to, is supported by 

 much corroborative evidence. Thus, on page 320 we find the following 



' For which the Koreans have a passion, making excursious for the sake of tlie 

 scenery to celebrated sites. 



-That is, Chinese trauscripti<iiis iiiul explanations of the Sanskrit names. A 

 detailed aecount of the game is being prepared by the writer. 



^ Buddhism in Tibet. 



Fig. 138. 



KOREAN DIE FOR 

 BUDDHIST GAME. 



isliy/sliyAinch. 



C.-it. No. 17629, Museum 

 of Archffioloj^y, Univer- 

 sity of Pennsylv.*»in;i. 



Fig. 139. 



DIE USED WITH 1)1- 

 VIXATOHV UIA- 

 (iRAM. 



Tibet. 

 Kepioduced from de- 

 scription by Schla- 

 gintweit. 



Cat. No. 19-i3:i, Museum 

 of Archaeology, Univer- 

 sitv nf Penusvhanin. 



