NOTES ON THE ETHNOLOGY OF TIBET. 741 



The usual form given the dorje in Tibet is shown in tig. 3. It is of 

 bronze and about 5 inches long. Exactly the same form is found iu 

 Japan (tig. 2). 



Fig. 1 is another form of tlic dorji- used by certain sects in Japan. 

 Here there are but tluee prongs at eacli end instead of tive, as in the 

 more commonly used one. 



The holy- water vase (/>/n///><r or ts%'hi(m) is used in certain lamaic cere- 

 monies connected with tlie worship of Ts'e-pa-med.* 



On pi. 42, tig I, is shown one of these vases made of brass, with the 

 spout, top, and base heavily gilded. The vase is of Persian shape, 

 with a large spherical body and slender bent spout. The neck is short 

 and narrow and terminates in a tlaring mouth, in shape lilce an over- 

 turned boMi. In the top of this is a suudl circular opening, in which a 

 chased metal tube tits, reaching far down into the vase and liaving iu 

 its u]>per end a bunch of lusa grass and some peacock feathers — this 

 instrument is the asi)ergil. The vase has a covering of silk fastened 

 around the neck so as to completely hide the vase. Such coverings are 

 not only put ou these vases but on most objects used iu church worship, 

 on the sacred images, books, etc., probably as a mode of honoring these 

 sacred objects. The water used iu these vases has a little satfrou iu it 

 and sometimes a little sugar. The vase is 6.J inches high and elabo- 

 rately chased where exposed to view. The portion of the vase under 

 the silk covering {iKtbzv or ''gown'') is ronglily beaten copi)er. Fre- 

 quently these vases are of silver and liiiely chased over the whole of 

 their surface. 



Tbo Tuisol, "to pray for ablution," ranks among the most sacred of the 13udclbist 

 rites, ami is performed at everjf solemn assembly for the wasbiug away of sins. 

 Water is poured out from a vessel similar to a teapot, called man«j;u,and alsobumpa, 

 over the vessel's well-cleaned cover, called yanga, or a i)articnlar metallic mirror, 

 melong, which is held so that it retlects the image of Sakyamnui, ■which stands on the 

 altar. The water falls down into a tlat vessel, called dornia, jdaced ujuju a tripod. 

 (Kmil Schlagiutweit, IJuddhism iu Tibet, p. 239, and T. W. Khys Davids, buddhism, 

 p. '21S ct aeq.) See also Waddell, loc. siij). cit., in which he describes the ceremony 

 called "The obtaining of long life;'' also W. W. Kockliill, Ou the lauiaist ceremony 

 called ''The making of mani jtills'' (Journ. Amer. ( )rient. Soc, xui), which is ai cere- 

 mony of the same class as that described by Dr. Waddell. 



The purhu or nail is a triangular nail ending in a sharp point. The 

 handle is iu the shape of a half dorji', with a hunmn head terminating 

 it. It is used iu exorcising evil spirits. (See Waddell, Buddhism of 

 Tibet, pp. 483 and 488). 



The skull bowl is used in worshiping Ts'^-pa-med, when it is tilled with 

 nectar brewed from ch'ang. After the ceremouy it is drunk by those 

 l)resent. It may bo noted that various gods — among otliers TsV-pa iiied 

 and Paldiin-lh'amo — are represented with skulls in their hands fdled 

 with and)rosia [duil-isi, literally "devil's juice'*). The custom of using 

 skulls as holy vessels, or eveu as eating bowls, is a very old one in Asia; 



*See L. A. Waddell, The so-called ''encharist" of the lamas, in Asiatic Quarterly 

 Review, April, WM, and Buddhism of Tibet, p. 298, 444 et aeq. 



