Three years in Tibet : with the original Japanese illustrations / by the Shramana Ekai Kawaguchi.

  • Ekai Kawaguchi
Date:
1909
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Three years in Tibet : with the original Japanese illustrations / by the Shramana Ekai Kawaguchi. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    appear somewhat ])re.sum])tuous ; l)ut it ouglit to be roniemberecl that the sick always need a medicine too strong tor a person in normal health, and the two classes of peo})le mnst always be treated differently in spiritual ministration as in cor]K)real ])athology. lie that as it may, 1 cannot help thinking of these gifts of effective promises, as often as i recall iny adventures in the Himrdayas and in Tibet, which often brought me to death’s door. 1 know that the great love of the merciful Buddha has always ])rotected me in my dangers; yet, who knows but that the saving of the lives of hundreds and thousands of tinny and feathered creatures, as the result of these ])romises, contributed largely toward my miraculous escapes. Farewell visits over, 1 was ready to start, but for some money. 1 had had a small sum of one hundred yen of my own savings; but this amount was swelled to 530 yen, by the generosity of IMessrs. AVatanabe, llarukawa, and Kitaniura of Osaka, Hige, Ito, Xoda, and Yamanaka of 8akai, and others. Of this total, 1 spent about one hundred in fitting myself out for a peculiarly problematical journey, and the very modest sum of half a thousand was all I had with me on my de))arture. It is curious how little })eople believe your words, until you actually begin to carry them out, especially when your attempt is a venturesome one, and how they protest, expostulate, and even ridicule you, often ])redicting failure behind your back, Avhen they see that you are not to be dissuaded. And 1 had the j)leasnre of going through these curious experiences ; for many indeed were those who came to me almost at the last moment to advise, to ask, to beg me to change my mind and give up my ’I'ibetan trip, and 1 conld see that they Avere all in earnest. For instance, on the very eve of my de})arture, while spending my last night at