298 THE MONKHOOD. 



Then a magic cii'cle or manchd^ is prepared. And on the 

 following morning all the monks (r/ge-dun) before 

 f^anTd /'"'^^P'^"'^® early mass drink tea at the expense of the candi- 

 date. And after early mass, when all the mouks 

 have departed except the elders (f/iU-chhos), the parent or guardian of 

 the boy with his relatives, who has been waiting outside, now requests 

 an interview with the elders (<7^U-chhos), and accompanies his request 

 with a present of a slaughtered pig and a load of beer, a load of parched 

 gram (zib-Abras), and about half a raauiid of rice. On these being 

 accepted, the boy is brought in and is made to recite some of the books 

 he has learned, especially "the Eight Precepts," "the Refuge 

 formula," " the performance of religious kindness," and the celebra- 

 tion ritual of " sKu-rim " and " Mon-lam." Then is done the ceremony 

 of ZiGes-sprad and the proclamation iKab7>sgo. 



The boy is then tonsured (in Pemiougchi this is done with the 

 identical razor used by the pioneer lama Lhatsun 

 ^Tonsuring, baptism, Chhembo). He then is given a religious name, and 

 takes the usual vows of poverty, celibacy, &c., 

 followed by the declaration that " From to-day I have entered on a 

 religious life." The ceremony concludes with a jDresent to the "^nas 

 zhag," of two bricks of Chinese tea : when these are not procurable the 

 sum of seven rupees is paid. 



At the midday mass, the boy is brought into the Great Assembly 

 Hall dressed in the three pieces of monkish vest- 

 o.Iv,*i!?^r<.* K^A° ^^' ment (chhos-gos) and carrying a bundle of incense 

 sticks; and he is chaj^eroned by a monk (gonpa) 

 named the "bride-companion" (ba-grags), as this ceremony is regarded 

 as a marriage with the Church. He sits down on an appointed seat 

 by the side of the bride-companion, who instructs him in the rules 

 and etiquette (sgris) of the monkish manner of sitting, walking, &c. 

 Then mass is begun, and on its conclusion beer is brought inside 

 in a skull-cup, and distributed to the assembled 

 noS^atT''*''"' "^ monks under the name of ^zo-chhang. (It is con- 

 sidered imjH'oper to bring the ordinary bamboo jugs 

 of beer into the Assembly Hall.) Then a pig and a bullock are 

 given by the boy's people, as well as a money present. If the boy's 

 relatives are wealthy, this sum should amount to two rupees for each 

 of the two fZiU-chho5 and one rupee to each of the 108 monks. But 

 if the boy's relatives are poor, the total amount may be limited to 

 sixty rupees. Should, however, this money and "flesh" presents not 

 be forthcoming, the boy's admission cannot be confirmed. 



On the third day, that particular one of the boy's relatives 

 who is the "dispenser of gifts" (*byin idajrs) must visit each of the two 



' For description, vide Chapter V, page 320. 



