320 MAGIC RITES, 



v.— SOME MAGIC EITES AND CHARMS. 



Tibetan Supeestitions. 



Magic and mysticism enter largely into lamaic ritual, and especi- 

 ally into the priestly ministrations for the laity. 

 Magic and mystic Under this head I describe a few of the more pro- 



ntes here described. . . . .. . , iltii t i ii re • • 



mment magic rites, viz., the '■'■Manaala onermg in 

 effigy of the Universe, &c., &c. , which forms part of the daily worship 

 of every lama ; the casting of lots for soothsaying purposes, charms 

 against sickness and accidents of sorts, ill-luck, &c., and the printed 

 charms for luck which form the "prayer-flags" and tufts of rags 

 affixed to trees, bridges, &c. 



The "Mandala" or Magic Circle-offering of the Universe. 



It is a matter of history how Asoka, the greatest of Indian Em- 

 perors, thrice offered India to the Buddhist church 

 The daily ofEering ^^^ thrice redeemed it with his treasure and iewels. 



of the UniTerse. rni i- i i •/• ,^ 



I he lamas, however, are mucb more magnificently 

 generous than Asoka, for every day each lama offers to the Euddhas 

 and other saints and demons not only the whole of India, but the 

 entire universe, including the heavens and their inhabitants. This 

 is done in effigy, but the offering is considered to be none the less 

 effective than were it actually made in reality. To render this cere- 

 mony intelligible we must refer to the lamaic ideas on the cosmo- 

 gony of the universe. 



The UNIVEESE according to the LAMAS. 



The universe according to the lamas — and they closely follow 

 " The Universe " of Hindu notions on the subject — is graphically depict- 

 the Lamas. g^j j,^ ^jjg chart facing this page ( Plate X), 



The system of worlds forming one universe (5«Z-?faZ), of which there 



,. 1 J ... are many, consists of a series of fabulous continents 

 Lrsneral description. • i i i • j i , i , , , 



circularly disposed around the great central mass 



Ri-rah (Mt. Meru) which supports the heavens, and which is separated 



from the circle of continents by seven concentric oceans alternating with 



seven concentric whorls of golden mountains, and the whole system 



