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.

    57/772 (page 27)
    CTIAPTER V. Journey to Nepal. During juy second and sliorfc stay in Calcnita T liad the good luck of being introduced to a Neprdcse na-iued Jibbaliadur, who was then a Secretary of tlie Ne])rd Govern- ment, but who is now tlie Minister Resident of tliat country in Tibet. He was kind enougli to write two letters introduciug me to a certain gentleman of iuHuence in Neprd. On the 20th of January, 1899, I came to the famous Buddhagaya, sacred to Holy Shakyamuui Buddha, and there met Mr. Dharniapala of Ceylon, who happened to be there on a visit. I had a very interesting conversation with hini. On learning that I was on my way to Tibet, he asked me to do him the favor of taking some presents for him to the Dalai Lama, ddie ])resents consisted of a small relic of the Bnddha, enclosed in a silver casket which was in the form of a miniature pagod.ii, and a volume of the sacred Text written on palm leaves. I, of course, willingly complied with the recpiest of the Sinhalese gentleman, who expressed himself as being very anxious to visit Tibet, but thought it useless to attempt a trip thither, unless he were invited to do so. The night of that day I spent meditating on the ^ Diamond Seat Ainder the Bodhi-tree—the very tree under which, and the very stone on which, about two thousand five hundred years ago, the holy Buddha sat and reached Buddhahood. The feeling I then experienced is indescribable : all I can say is that I sat the night out in the most serene and peaceful extasy. I saw the tell-tale moon lodged, as it were, among the branches of the Bodhi-tree, shedding its ])ale light on the ^ Diamond