Vol. I, No. 4.] The Monasteries of Tibet. 107 
[N. 8.] 
nuns for its inmates. The nuns of Tibet have the reputation of 
being pure as only the most religiously disposed among the fair 
sex betake themselves to monastic life. The red-cap Lamas gener- 
ally keep concubines called Anz who often dress as nuns. 
Marriage being the exclusive privilege of the eldest brother in 
a landholder’s family, the younger brothers seldom care to share 
the bed of the house-wife with him which the custom of the coun- 
try allows. They generally keep concubines. It is true that 
thereis marriage among the rich cultivators and herdsmen, but the 
majority of the common people make family in wedlock either 
singly or jointly. Thus, side by side with polyandry, concubinage 
has become a popular institution in Tibet. Out of 100, 99 people 
keep concubines. This explains the question as to what becomes of 
the majority of the female population who remain unmarried. The 
Tibetan male is generally less jealous than the Tibetan female 
which circumstance has given rise to the formation of that much 
despised relationship called Nyamdo-pin, 1.e., brotherhood in wed- 
lock versus brotherhood in matrimony which is polyandry pure and 
simple. 
RA-DENG. 
x "AIC" 
a 
The monastery of Radeng was founded by Dom-ton-pa ! in the 
year 1056 A.D. Many predictions were on record in some of the 
sacred books such as Mafjucri Mila Tantra,? Phalpo-che, Do iif- 
je Padma Karpo,? etc., as to the rise and progress of a great school 
and monastery in the centre of Tibet. Conformably to them, 
Dom-ton-pa founded Ra-deng in one of the finest spots of U,* rich 
in various kinds of alpine vegetation. The valley of Ra-deng is clad 
in thick forests of firs, cedars, cypresses, and junipers. It abounds 
in numerous brooks and fountains, which yield very good water. 
Nine mountains, the culminating cliffs of which have various 
slopes, form the back-ground of this famed old monastery. Many 
kinds of medicinal plants grow on these hills. 
At this charming place which was possessed of many auspi- 
cious signs essential to the site of a sacred Buddhist institution, 
Dom-ton-pa built the monastery of Khyungo-chan, or “ Hagle’s 
head,” in the vicinity of the hill of Senge-tag ® (lion’s rock). The 
valleys which open to the east and west of Ra-deng have spacious 
plateaus rich with verdure. On account of the tall and horn- 
like shape of the trees growing in this place, the monastery of 
aber S51] : ARATAAA'S "5 | 
“SRRCE MRT age) ACA SRY 
