LHASA AND CENTRAL TIBET. 787 



sections of dogma, compiled by Indian pundits and translated into 

 Tibetan. After the Tsong-kapa reform, commentaries were made by 

 various learned men upon those sections, which, according to the 

 Lamas, do not differ in substance, all the commentaries adhering to 

 the general idea of the teachings of the famous i-eformer. In the 

 monasteries mentioned religion is taught from commentaries of six 

 scholars in seven editions, each of which has a separate faculty. Three 

 of these are Brebung and two each in Sera and Galdan. 



Beside these religious faculties the first two monasteries have a fac- 

 ulty called "Agpa," to perform the mystic rites and to pray for the 

 welfare of the monaster3\ The clergy is very unevenly divided in 

 the various faculties. In Brebung, for instance, there are 5,000 men 

 in one faculty and only 600 in the other. 



It must be admitted that the monastic communities seem more con- 

 cerned in securing "dailv bread" than in the education of their mem- 

 bers. Honors and degrees are conferred only upon those who endow 

 the connnunity in some practical manner. High positions, too, are 

 encumbered with an obligation to distribute gifts among the members 

 of the community. The principal source of endowments comes from 

 the incarnates; that is, the incarnates of the soul of some predecessor. 

 Whosesoever soul he may incarnate, ho is recognized in the community 

 as such only after he has distri})uted a certain amount of money and 

 food. On the other hand, howsoever learned a monk ma}' be, he 

 receives the degree only after he has made endowments. Conse- 

 quently charity and scholarship are measured by the amount of gifts 

 to the monastery communities. 



Each monaster}" has some specdal characteristic. Thus Brelnmg is 

 famous for its prophets, Sera for its cells for the ascetics, and Gal- 

 dan for various old curios. 



The cult of the prophets or oracles is in its turn based upon the cult 

 of the so-called "Choichong," or the guardians of learning. Judging 

 by historical tradition it may be presumed that Buddhism, introduced 

 into Tibet in the seventh century A. d., could not be rapidly developed 

 because of difficulty in conquering the native gravitation toward their 

 former deities, to which the people were accustomed and which were 

 dear to them because they were their own creation. Besides, the 

 sorcerers or priests were no doubt defenders of the old cult. On the 

 other hand, however, Buddhism was protected by the rulers of Tibet 

 and was bound to spread, and in the hard struggle popular supersti- 

 tion was granted some concessions. This compromise between Bud- 

 dhism and sorcery was made, we are told, by a preacher of the ninth 

 century, Padma-Sambava. He compelled the former local spirits to 

 swear that henceforth they would defend Buddhist learning only, 

 for which they were promised honors, rendered in the form of sacrifice 

 of wine, barley seeds, etc. The highest of these spirits, which were 



