1 182 
THROUGH ASIA 
bum towards the north, and joined the former at the 
town of Lusar. Both streams flowed in deep trenches 
amongst softly rounded, steep-sided hills, on which the vast 
complex of the temple buildings was ranged in gradually 
ascending terraces. The path led up the left side of the 
Kum-bum brook to a gateway, which was topped by 
a sovurga or sphere, surmounted by a pyramid tapering 
to a sharp point, and with a stone lion at each corner. 
Under the gateway sat a number of Chinese petty 
hucksters behind their small movable stalls, covered with 
rosaries, gauze kerchiefs, brass bowls, and other articles 
that play a part in their religious worship, as well as 
secular objects like pipes, knives, dried fruits, etc., all 
intended to tempt money out of the pockets of the 
pilgrims. 
We climbed up several steep hills and stone steps 
to the house of the prior, the “ Living Buddha.” He 
was a man of about thirty years of age, with his hair 
cropped close, but without beard, and dressed in a costume 
of dark brown cloth, made without sleeves, so as to leave 
his arms bare. The walls of the room in which he 
received us were adorned with innumerable idols, standing 
in carved and painted cabinets, and with temple flags and 
pennons representing various Tibetan deities. The holy 
man sat on a divan or bench against one of the walls, 
telling his beads and gabbling through the eternal “On 
maneh padmeh hum.” Loppsen took off his cap and 
flung himself prone on the ground at his feet. The holy 
being graciously extended his hands and blessed his 
worshipper. Then he had tea brought in for us, and 
inquired about my journey, and accorded me permission 
to look over the temple ; but warned me that I should 
not be allowed to make any sketches. 
Accordingly we left his holiness the Living Buddha, 
and went the round of the temple. The heart of the 
monastery — or rather monkish city — consisted of a 
labyrinth of sacred buildings, surrounding square or 
irregularly shaped courtyards. The principal edifice was 
the temple of Sirkang, with a steep sagging roof, pro- 
