1865.] Description of a Mystic Play. 75 



The whole of these last named Maskers marched round the Flag 

 Poles in solemn procession, the band still playing ; they then sat down 

 in a line on the ground ; Thlogan Pudma Jungnas in the centre. 

 Then with shrill whistling, made by putting the fingers in the 

 mouth, several boys came rushing out of the monastery, and running 

 up made obeisance to the chief in the centre, and danced wildly about 

 round the Poles. They were called " Spao," warriors, and wore short 

 skirts, and streamers of silk hung from the waist, round which was 

 a belt carrying small round bells (Grungaroo, Hind.) ; the same were 

 also attached to the ancles. Their masks were green with a broad 

 face on them, and from the centre of the crown rose a stick with a 

 triangular red flag ; they held a bell in the left hand, and a large handled 

 drum in the right. With these also careered about two jesters, one 

 of whom had two small kettle-drums tied on his back, on which the 

 other would occasionally thump, and play other practical jokes for the 

 amusement of the crowd, salaming also in mock respect to Pudma 

 Jungnas and his attendants. There were also another set who made 

 up this court of Indra, of which it may be a representation ; these 

 were called Katinchun,* wearing a red mitre-shaped hat, silk capes 



ah (north) 



(centre) 



(west) Shi — om ■ hung (East) and each of 



these points is 

 again supposed 

 to be the dwell- 

 ing of a god. 

 traug This curious 



(South) system is seen 



drawn out on the walls of some of the monasteries, in a complicated sort of 

 labyrinth called Mikkyodi'A dkyilkhar, the circle of Akshobhya in Sanscrit. 

 I once saw one in process of construction on a square with sides quite four feet 

 in length. The deities assigned to the different parts are numberless, but of 

 the principal I may name,— North, Tonydt thiibba, West, Nam-'wa-ta-yas, East, 

 Doric Sempspa, South, li. Zingsten Jungldau, Centre, Nang-per-nang-Tsat.- 



See Hodgson, on the Literature and Religion of the Bhuddists, note, foot of 

 pa»e 117. " In niches at the base of the hemisphere are frequently enshrined 

 four of the five Dhiani Buddhas, one opposite to each cardinal point. Akshobhya 

 occupies the Eastern nitch ; Ratna Sambhava, the Southern ; Ajiita'bha, the 

 Western and AMOGHASIDDHA the Northern. Vaiiiochana, the 1st Dhyani 

 Buddha, is supposed to occupy the centre invisibly. Sometimes, however, he 

 appears'visibly, being placed at the right hand of Akshobhya. 

 * See No. 3 of Capt. M.'s Photographs. 



10 



