788 LHASA AND CENTRAL TIBET. 



imported from India, are called "Idma,"" while those of lower rank 

 are called simply "Choichong-," or "Choisrung-." The Choichong 

 speak with the lips of the prophets whom they inspire. Only 

 Choichong- of lower degrees thus descend to prophets. As pro- 

 tectors and defenders of the faith the people imagine them to be 

 horrible monsters in warriors' outfit. On this account the prophet, 

 before the descent of "Choichong-" upon him, dons a helmet and 

 arms himself with spear, sword, or bows and arrows. The sense of 

 the descent is contained in the fact that the spirit guardian of 

 learning becomes incarnated in the chosen prophet for the sake of the 

 liv^ing being's. Of such spirit guardians there are many, and the 

 prophets are correspondingly numerous. The superior among them 

 is the one confirmed by the Chinese Government — the Prophet Nai- 

 chung- Choichong, whose gold-crowned temple and church suite is in the 

 shady gai;den southeast of the monastery of Brebung. He is appealed 

 to for prophecies, not only by ordinary mortals, but by all the higher 

 clergy, including the Dalai Lama. Their mutual relation is as follows: 

 Lama is "the abode of learning," and Choichong, its "guardian," 

 having sworn to defend the religion vigilantly, will be honored of all 

 for it. The Lama, therefore, honors — that is, brings sacrifices to — the 

 Choichong, and the latter forestalls all that threatens the religion and 

 the Lama, its representative. The}^ constitute a check on each other 

 and are allies at the same time. In this role of defenders of the faith 

 the Choichong — or, more correcth", their prophets — wield a powerful 

 influence over all classes. Their power is so great that even the Dalai 

 Lama and the highest Hutuktu must reckon with them; they endeavor 

 to incline all toward themselves. * * * 



The "ritods," who are particularly numerous at Sera, are ascetic 

 monks, who have retired from the world and buried themselves in 

 meditation, which is regarded as one of the six means of attaining 

 holiness — its origin based on Gautama's a})dication of kingly luxuries 

 in search of truth. The later ascetics choose obscure nooks in dense 

 forests or dark caves in the rocks as places for meditation. More 

 recently they have concerned themselves not only about their own 

 attainment of holiness, but al)Out the good of others, and their peaceful 

 existence became distracted by the care of enlightening fellow-men. 

 The silence of the cell for solitary meditations was broken b}^ the 

 cries of those hungry for knowledge, and to the lot of the ascetics fell 

 the new care of their spiritual and material satisfaction. Then the 

 idea of worldly vanit}^ and comfortable quarters enticed the ascetics, 

 and the cells were converted into comfortable dwellings, with quarters 

 for pupils. The ascetic was thus transformed into the full master and 

 ruler of his servants. Later on, with the appearance of the incarnates, 

 the ritods become the inheritable property of the incarnates of the 

 organizer, and several are transformed into separate monasteries. 



