312 THE MONKHOOD. 



About 8 A.M. the conch-shell blast again summons the monks to 



the Assembly Hall, -where, after partaking of re- 

 Other serTices. r i x £ j. i i j • • ±i 



iroshments oi tea and parched gram la the manner 



already described, a full celebration (chhoga) is done. And on its 



conclusion the monks disperse. 



About 10 A.M. a Chinese drum is beaten to muster the monks in 

 the Assembly Hall. At this meeting rice and meat and vegetables 

 are served out as before, and with this is also served beer called ^sos- 

 rgyab, the ^to-»2chhod being done as formerly. A full celebration is 

 then performed and the meeting dissolves. 



In the afternoon a conch shell is blown for tea and a Chinese drum 

 beaten for beer, the monks assembling as before and doing a fall 

 celebration of the worship of Mahakala Natha (??«gonpo) and the 

 Guardians of Religion respectively. 



When sacerdotal celebrations on behalf of lay individuals have to 

 be done, they are introduced within the latter celebration, which is 

 interrupted for this purpose. And after each of these extra celebra- 

 tions the monks remain outside the Assembly Hall for a very short 

 time and then re-assemble. On finishing the extra chhogas, the chhoga 

 of the Religious Guardians is then resumed and concluded. 



In the evening another assembly, preceded by tea as refreshment, 

 conducts the celebration of skang-shags with 108 lamps. 



Another and final assembly for the day is made by beat of drum, 

 and rice and flesh-meat is served out. 



The refreshments and meals usually number nine daily. 



In Heemitage. 



In the case of the hermit-lama (or ?«tshams-pa), of which there are 

 Hermits 'Very few in Sikhim, he is engaged all day long in 



mortifying his passions and worldly desires, repeat- 

 ing mantras and practising those postures and magic rites which, 

 according to the Tantrik school, give miraculous powers and a short 

 cut to Nirvana. 



„, . ... The order of these exercises, according to the 



&e ' "'^^'"^t'^". book entitled, " The complete Esoteric Tantrn," Hhe 



reputed work of Padma Sambhava, is as follows : — 



1st. — The mode of placing the three mystic words (i.e., hi, 



sung, and tuk). 

 2nd, — The Nectar-replying rosary. 

 ^rd. — The jewelled rosary-guide for Ascending. 

 ^th. — Secret counsels of the four Yogas. 

 bth. — The great Root of the Heart. 



^sang.mgags ^pyi rgyurf. 



