Indian Antiquary Vol 23

SR No.: 032515
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 412
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 16 MB

Page 218

206
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[AUGUST, 1894.
O, ye flesh-eating demons, ghosts of the dead, life-cutting demons, breath-taking demons, death-causing demons, and all kinds of evil spirits, I hereby drive you all away. If ye do not go instantly, I, the Great One of Fore-knowledge, will smash your heads into a hundred bits and cut up your bodies into a thousand pieces. Ye had better, therefore, go away instantly and not disobey my commands. Om ma ma kham kham chhuye swahah!
Now are they all driven away to the extreme boundaries of the four directions! Om su su ta ta ye swahah! (Here the people shout joyously, 'God has won! The demons are defeated'!)
Kye! Kye! O, thou frog of precious gold, made from the thunderbolt of Byam-mgön (pronounced Cham-gön), The Loving Protector, be pleased to remain in the south and there become the king of all the evil spirits. We pray thee remain also in the vast ocean, where the rains are deposited and the clouds originate, and there become the emperor and over-lord of the land-owning demons and of the kings (of demons). Overthrow also all the gShed of the bad planets, of the stars, mewa, time, day, month and year. Overthrow all the gShed of bad luck. I give thee from the depths of my heart the offerings of the five sublime nam-khamasts, the rgyang-bu, etc.
Overthrow the inimical gShed! Bhyo !!
Overthrow the inimical gShed !!! Bhyo !!!! Let glory come! Tashi-shok! Let virtue increase! Ge-leg-phel!"
9. Demonolatry in Death Ceremonies.
As the rites in connection with a death include a considerable amount of devil worship, I notice the subject in this place.
On the occurrence of a death the body is not disturbed in any way, until the Pho-bo (pronounced Pho-o) Lama has extracted the soul in the orthodox manner. For it is believed that any movement of the corpse might eject the soul, which would then wander about in an irregular manner and get seized by some demon. Immediately on death, therefore, a white cloth is thrown over the face of the corpse, and the hPho-bo, or Soul-extracting, Lama, is sent for. On the arrival of this Lâma all weeping relatives are excluded from the death chamber, so as to secure solemn silence, and the doors and windows are closed. The Lâma sits down on a mat near the head of the corpse, and commences to chant the hPho-bo service, which contains directions to the soul for finding its way to the Western Paradise (Dewa-chên) of the mythical Buddha, Amitabha. After advising the spirit to quit the body and its old associations and attachment to property, the Lâma seizes, with the forefinger and thumb, a few hairs of the crown of deceased's head, and by plucking them forcibly is supposed to give vent to the spirit through their roots. It is generally believed that if the hPho-bo is, as he should be, a Lâma of exceptional virtue, an actual perforation of the skull occurs at this instant through which passes the liberated spirit. The spirit is then directed how to avoid the dangers which beset the road to the Western Paradise, and instructed as to the appearance of the demons and other personages to be met with en route, and is then bidden god-speed. This ceremony lasts about an hour.
In cases where, through accident or otherwise, the body of deceased is not forthcoming, the operation for the extraction of the soul is done by the Lâma spiritually, while engaged in deep meditation.
10. Death-horoscope.
Meanwhile the Tsi-pa, or Astrologer-Lama, has been requisitioned for a death-horoscope, in order to ascertain the age and birth-year of those persons who may approach and touch the corpse, the necessary particulars as to the date and mode of burial, and the necessary worship to be done for the welfare of the surviving relatives. The nature of this horoscope will best be understood by an actual example, which I here give, of the death-horoscope