292 THE TEMPLE. 



II. — The Do (Skt. Butra) or Sermons of the Buddhas, in 

 66 volumes. 

 III. — The Sher-cJiin with its divisions (Skt. Ahi-dharmma) or 

 Transcendental Wisdom, in 21 volumes. 



These divisions broadly correspond to the classification of the 

 Southern Buddhist Canon into the Tripitaka or ' three baskets or 

 collections ; ' but the lamaic versions are all of a highly inflated 

 and tantrik type, and the Gyut or tantrik charms and incantations 

 to the number of 22 volumes, which has no counterpart in the 

 Southern scriptures, has been introduced into the Do class of the 

 Kah-gyur. 



As might be supposed from the leading part which mysticism 

 plays in the lamaic creed, the sections of the Kah-gyur which are most 

 highly prized are the Do and the 8her-chin or Transcendental Wisdom 

 of the tantrik kind. 



The monasteries which cannot afford to buy the full Kah-gyur 

 — and these in Sikhim form the majority — possess the following 

 parts of the Sher-chin, viz., the 12 volumes called Bum, literally 

 „ _ „ "100,000" precepts of Transcendental Wisdom, 



forming the main body of the Sher-chin. Also the 

 abridged edition of the same in three volumes called Nyi-thi, literally 

 " K i-thi " " the 20,000 '' precepts, adapted forthose individuals 



who are unable to peruse the full text. And for the 

 common use of the junior clergy a still smaller abstract in one volume 

 exists under the name of Gye-tonrj-ba — literally, "the 8,000" precepts 

 "G4t b " °^ Transcendental Wisdom. This is the volume 

 y ■ ong a- -which is Carried on the lotus of Jam-pal, the God of 

 Wisdom. The Dorje-chopa or the " Diamond cutter" is a sloka which 

 ,,_.,.. „ is commonly printed in separate form. And for 

 the youngest boy-novices is prepared a tract of 

 about six leaves containing the most popular portions of the Sherchiu. 

 From the D6 division of the Kah-gyur are culled out those 

 j.^ mystic formulas, mostly in unintelligible Sanskrit, 



" " '^' which are deemed most potent as charms, and these 



form the volume named iiiDo-maiig ^zung^ Isdus or curtly Do-mamj 

 or " assorted aphorisms " — literally "many sutrasy These formulas are 

 not used in the worship of the Buddhas and superior gods, but 

 only as priestly incantations in the treatment of disease and ill- 

 fortune. Being thus the forms of worship of which the laity have 

 most experience, small pocket editions of one or other Sutra are to 

 be found in the possession of all literate laymen, as the mere act of 

 reading these charms suffices to ward off the demon-bred disease and 

 misfortune. 



i^zang*= Skt. dharani, vrliicli is a mystic spell like the HinAw mantra. 



