Buddhism Is Indeed The Most Salient
Feature Of Nubra.
There are gonpos everywhere, the roads are lined
by miles of chod-tens, manis, and prayer-mills, and flags inscribed
with sacred words in Sanskrit flutter from every roof.
There are
processions of red and yellow lamas; every act in trade, agriculture,
and social life needs the sanction of sacerdotalism; whatever exists
of wealth is in the gonpos, which also have a monopoly of learning,
and 11,000 monks closely linked with the laity, yet ruling all
affairs of life and death and beyond death, are all connected by
education, tradition, and authority with Lhassa.
We remained long on the blazing roof of the highest tower of the
gonpo, while good Mr. Redslob disputed with the abbot 'concerning the
things pertaining to the kingdom of God.' The monks standing round
laughed sneeringly. They had shown a little interest, Mr. R. said,
on his earlier visits. The abbot accepted a copy of the Gospel of
St. John. 'St. Matthew,' he observed, 'is very laughable reading.'
Blasts of wild music and the braying of colossal horns honoured our
departure, and our difficult descent to the apricot groves of
Deskyid. On our return to Hundar the grain was ripe on Gergan's
fields. The first ripe ears were cut off, offered to the family
divinity, and were then bound to the pillars of the house. In the
comparatively fertile Nubra valley the wheat and barley are cut, not
rooted up. While they cut the grain the men chant, 'May it increase,
We will give to the poor, we will give to the lamas,' with every
stroke.
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