382 DEMONOLATRY. 



The lamas chant by relays all night and day the De-wa-chan kiji 



, J.. . monlam^ or the service for sending the soul of the 



deceased direct to " The Western Paradise" of the 



mythic Dhyani Buddha — Amitabha. According to the means of the 



deceased two or more lamas are entertained to read 



Paradise." ^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^ service in chorus, as the more frequently it is 



repeated the better for the deceased. And a special 



reading of this service by the assembled monks in the Gompa is also 



arranged for by those who can afford the expense. 



One or more lamas also read at the house of the deceased the 

 For " The Valley " thos-grol" (pronounced *' tho-doV), or guide for the 

 of the Shadow of spirit's passage through the valley of horrors in- 

 ^^^^^■" tervening between death and a new rebirth. This 



passage is somewhat suggestive of Bunyan's " Pilgrim's Progress," 

 only the demons and dangers which beset the way are much more nu- 

 merous and awful. But full directions are read out for the benefit of 

 the deceased as to how to avoid these pitfalls and ogres, and how to 

 find tlie proper white-coloured path which will lead to a good rebirth. 

 It is, however, rather incongruous to find that while the lama reading 

 this service is urging the spirit to bestir itself to the necessary exer- 

 tions for a good rebirth, the other lama by his side in the De-wU' 

 chan service is sending the sjiirit direct to the Western Paradise — a 

 non-Buddhist invention which is outside the region of rebirth. 



Though it is scarcely considered orthodox, many of the lamas 

 find, by consulting their lottery books, that the 

 tion from'hell!^ '^^ ^'^' spirit of the deceased has been sent to hell, and the 

 exact coraj)artment in hell is specified. Then must 

 be done a most expensive service by a very large number of lamas. 

 First of all is done "f^ge-ba" or "virtue" on behalf of the deceased; 

 this consists in offerings to The Three Collections, viz. — 



1st. — Offerings to the Gods of sacred food, lamps, &c. 

 2nd. — ,, ,, Za;«as of food and presents. 



3rd. — ,, ,, Poo;- of food, clothes, beer, &c. 



The virtue resulting from these acts is then supposed to tell in 

 favour of the spirit in hell. Then many more expensive services must 

 be performed, and especially the propitiation of Thuk-jechhcn-po^ or 

 " The Great Pitier," for his intercession with the king of hell (an off- 

 shoot of his own self) for the release of this particular spirit. Even the 

 most learned and orthodox lamas believe that by such a service may 

 be secured the release of a few of the spirits actuall}^ in hell. But in 

 practice every spirit in hell for whom its relatives pay sufficiently may 

 be released by the aid of the lamas. Sometimes a full course of the 



