"The tribute of respect is paid in Tibet to
the manes of the dead in various ways. It is the custom to preserve
entire the mortal remains of the sovereign Lamas only. As soon as
life has left the body of a Lama, it is placed upright, sitting
in an attitude of devotion, his legs being folded before him, with
the instep resting on each thigh, and the sides of the feet turned
upwards. The right hand is rested with its back upon the thigh, with
the thumb bent across the palm. The left arm is bent and held close
to the body, the hand being open and the thumb touching the point of
the shoulder. This is the attitude of abstracted meditation.
"The bodies of inferior Lamas are usually burnt, and their ashes
preserved with the greatest care, and the monuments in which they
are contained are ever after looked upon as sacred, and visited with
religious awe." - Turner.
[19] - jo khula kariga so kui nahin kariga
[20] - "Tibet may be considered the head-quarters of Buddhism in
the present age, and immense volumes are still to be found in that
country (faithful translations of the Sanskrit text), which refer to
the manners, customs, opinions, knowledge, ignorance, superstition,
hopes and fears of a great part of Asia, especially of India in former
ages." - Csoma de Koros, PREFACE TO TIBETAN GRAMMAR.
![A Record Of Buddhistic Kingdoms - Diary Of A Pedestrian In Cashmere And Thibet By William Henry Knight
- In the Sanscrit these are
termed Chaitya and Dagoba. - Cunningham.
[18] - This appears to have been one of the Dagobas - Page 297](../images/travel.jpg)
