1844.] and on Gerard's Account of Kundwar, 191 



Bonpo faith of the Tibetans before the ascendancy of Buddhism. 

 (Csoma de Koros' Grammar, 177- J 78). The Sanscrit Bandya, a per- 

 son entitled to reverence, is, Mr. Hodgson says, the real and significant 

 form of the Chinese Bonze. (Lit. and Rel. p. 40, Note). 



The Pitchobas, (or Pitchos and Nangbatchos, or Nangtchos,) are, I 

 apprehend, fakirs or ascetics of different countries and religions, who 

 frequent the great monasteries for the sake of the alms regularly dis- 

 tributed. I sometimes heard they were Mahometans, and sometimes 

 people of China Proper ; but pipa means any foreigner ; nanga, (i. e. 

 nihang, pure,) means a Hindoo or man of India equally with a 

 Buddhist; while tcho is religion, and we thus have foreign religionists 

 or holy men of India and other countries. 



The Grand Lamas, or Supreme Pontiffs of the Gelukpasect, are two 

 in number, and reside at Lassa and Teshi Lonbo. They would seem 

 to be of equal rank, or rather priority of incarnation decides their 

 relative superiority, and the younger becomes the spiritual adviser of 

 the elder. Their functions in the state are perhaps different ; the one 

 whose residence is in Lassa may be the temporal lord of the country ; 

 while the Lama of Teshi Lonbo, may be the religious superior of the 

 sect ; but this point is by no means clear to me. The Lassa Lama 

 is termed Gheawang Rimbotcheh. Gheawa is said to be equivalent to 

 Sakya, and Ghewang to the emanation from, or incarnation or pro- 

 phet of, Sakya ; but the word seems identical with the " rgyelva," 

 (the victorious, or a Buddha or emanation,) of Csoma de Koros, (Gram. 

 148-198,) although it is not understood by the people I have met, as 

 simply equivalent to rgyelpo or king. (Tib. Gram. 157) The power of 

 a termination, however, may be too subtle for the apprehensions of the 

 vulgar. The people understand Rinbotcheh to be expressive of great- 

 ness, and Csoma de Koros gives it as equal to precious or holy. 

 (Gram. 191, &c.) 



The Teshi Lonbo Lama is called Panchin Rimbocheh Panchin is 

 no doubt, the Panchhew of Csoma de Koros, (Gram. p. 202,) and 

 both are perhaps the Phanchajnyana, (or he of the five sorts of wis- 

 dom) of Hodgson, (Lit. and Rel. p. 40) ; and whether the application 

 of the term be general or particular, it is not impossible that Presbyter 

 or Pastor John may be a joint corruption of the same words by orien- 

 tal sectaries and western travellers. The Bhootees have some notion 



