1905.] Sarat Ch. Das— Tibet under the Tartar Emperors of China. 95 
residence on the slopes of the lofty Ngan-tse thang mountain. At 
this time 1 there reigned in Tibet the mighty king Thi-srong-deu tsan. 
Early History. —In later times the family of Khon multiplied in 
the valley of Shab-chu in Tsang. One of its principal members 
named Khon Konchog Gyalpo, having received religious instructions 
and precepts from some learned Lamas, became famous for his learn¬ 
ing in Western Tibet. On the occasion of a religious festival which 
took place at Dob he witnessed a Lama dance. In it, many Lamas 
who pretended to be very holy, took part. Some of them wore the 
frightful masks of the twenty-eight goddesses called Wang-chug-ma, 
and with different weapons in their hands, danced before the assembled 
people in a fantastic manner. Some Tantrik Lamas, who wore the 
flowing and clotted locks of the Matrika or Mamo nymphs, also 
danced to the music of drums and cy mbals. Konchog Gyalpo 
returning home, described what he had seen to his brother, who 
observed: “ Now the time of the degeneration of the Nying-ma 
mysticism has arrived. Henceforth, in Tibet, none among the 
Nying-ma Lamas will attain to sainthood. We must now sever our 
connexion with them. Let us, therefore, take care of our paternal 
possessions, our religious books and symbols. In Mankhar there is 
a Buddhist sage named Dogmi Lochava. You should go to take 
religious instructions from him.” He then concealed all his sacred 
books securely underneath some rocks in a cavern. 
Konchog Gyalpo could not find Dogmi at Mankhar, but he met 
Khyin Lotsava in a cemetery at Yahlung. With him he studied 
Buddhist metaphysics. Before he could finish his studies the 
Lotsava 2 died, in consequence of which he had to search out Dogmi 
Lotsava. He presented his teacher with seventeen pony-loads of 
valuable things including some beads of precious stones, gold and 
silver. Having acquired great proficiency in Buddhist metaphysics and 
in some of the new theories found in the reformed works of Dogmi 
called “ Sarnia Choi” (new tenets) he became known as a religious 
professor. He removed his residence to Yahlung. Erecting a small 
monastery at Taolung, he also spent a few years there. One day, 
accompanied by one of his disciples, while he was walking on the top 
of the hill of Taolung, he saw a fine site for a monastery in front of 
Ponpoiri hill—a plot of white land with a river flowing by its right. 
Noticing that it possessed many auspicious signs, he thought that if 
he built a monastery upon it, it would contribute much to human 
happiness and welfare. He asked the advice of his friend Jovo 
1 This was the fh'st part of the 8th Century A.D. 
8 A Tibetan Sanskritist was called Lochava or Lotsd-va from locha to speak. 
