Three years in Tibet : with the original Japanese illustrations / by the Shramana Ekai Kawaguchi.
- Ekai Kawaguchi
- Date:
- 1909
Licence: In copyright
Credit: Three years in Tibet : with the original Japanese illustrations / by the Shramana Ekai Kawaguchi. Source: Wellcome Collection.
49/772 (page 19)
![will Le the signal foT you to sink me in the river.” The instruction was iu response to a question, if the high Lama wanted to say or have done anything ere his execution, asked hy one of the executioners, who was already tying around the holy man’s body one end of a thick rope, with which he was to he low’ered under the water. In the meantime, the suspense grew intense and the great multitude that had gathered around had become blind to everything but the mighty, cruel waters of the Brahma])uL’a, the executioners, and the holy j)riest, and deaf to all but their owoi sobbings and w'ailings. They saw before them a man of their hearts, of national esteem, profound in learning and saintly in behavior, who, as a priest of the highest order, should w^ear three layers of red and yellow silk, but who was wrapped in an unclean prison-suit of white, and was now to die a victim to his enemies’ malice. They knew all w^as not right, but they knew not how to undo the wrong, and they appealed to their owm tears. As it happened, the day had been cloudy, and rain had even begun to come dowm in drops as the high Lama raised one of his hands, the purpose of which act was all too evident, and lamentation became loud and universal. Once, twdee, and three times the noble prisoner had shaken his finger, but none of the executioners dared to come forward— they were in tears themselves. Then the high Lama said : “ My time is come : what are ye doing ? Speed me under w^ater.” Thereupon, with heavy hands and heavier hearts the executioners, after having weighted the high Lama’s loins with a lai-ge stone, slowl}^ low^ered the whole burden into the rushing’ waters of the BrahmaputrB'. After a ■while they pulled up what they expected to have become the remains of the saintly man, but finding that life had not yet departed, they](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b29351650_0049.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
