276 
L. A. Waddell Description of Lhasa Cathedral. [No. 3, 
fcLo-gros-rgyal-rats’an. This latter image was made at the instance of 
king 6Lon-gon to stay the great plagues of the market-place. 1 At first 
its influence (for this object) was favourable, but latterly it failed 
to exert any beneficial effect, or on wars and quarrels. The history 
of this is clearly written in the revelations of the re-incarnated Ratna- 
grliq-pa, the great Pandit of r]$ah-ri.s, the great Legs-Zdan-rdo-rje, and 
the head of the rosary 2 of revelatiou-finders S’es-rab-’od-zer. 
In the eastern corner of the outer circular road 3 is the stone image 
of (the goddess) Lo-ma-gyon-ma. This image was formerly placed on 
the western side to guard the hundred thousand circumambulators, 
from the injuries to which they are liable; but lately it was shifted to 
the south-east to guard against the damage done by the waters. 4 
There is also the fountain of milky nectar 3 in the north, and the 
monolith high as the sky 6 on the west, and the short earthy stone 7 in 
the centre of the mandala (which forms the vajrasana seat of the image) 
of the Lord (Jcmco). 8 
The Vihdra of Ra-sa-’p’rul-snaq (r.e., Lhasa) is the Vajrasana 
(Buddh-Gaj a) of Tibet. It, with all its contents, is established, not 
only for the benefit of Tibet, but for the good of all mankind and also 
of the gods. When the great lord Atlca came up from India to Tibet 
he saw the gods and goddesses making offerings here, in the plain of 
Lh asa. The holy Lamas, the kings, ministers and subjects of China, 
Tibet, Turkistan, 9 Nah-ris, and Ya-rtse all rendered great homage to 
this Vihara. 
1 These plagues were probably small-pox, which still ravages Lhasa frequently. 
2 This evidently refers to the legendary revelations being accounted 108, the 
number of beads on a Lama's rosary. See my Budd. of Tibet , pp. 202, &c. 
8 1 sKor-lam. 
4 Apparently the floods of the Kyid-ch/u river. Here may be the river em¬ 
bankment called the “ Spirit mound” mentioned by Mr. Rockbill ( loc . cit, p. 71):—• 
“ Every year in the first month, the priests of all the lama series assembling for 
the reading of the sacred books the Jo-K’ang carry some earth or stones and pile 
them up on this dyke.” Though Mr. Rockhill notes that this obligation seems to 
hold no longer good. 
6 l LDud-rtsi o-ma. 
'V'-'N 
6 \ rDo-rirj grnam. It may also mean 4 Celestial ’ monolith, as it is 
the well-known bilingual edict pillar erected as a treaty between the Chinese 
(Celestials) and the Tibetans in 822 A.D. 
7 | rDo-t’ug sa. 
8 Water is said to ooze miraculously out from under the seat of the image 
of Jo-wo. 
