Padmapani is a "Dhyani Bodhisattna," and of all the gods is most frequently worshipped, because he is a rep- resentative of Sakyamuni, and guardian and jiropagator of his faith until the appearance of the Buddha iMai- treya. He is the patron deity of Thibet, and manifests himself from age to age in human shape, becoming Da- lai Lama (see below) by the emission of a beam of light, and ultimately is to be born as the most perfect Buddlia — not in India, where his predecessors became such, but in Thibet. He has a great many names, and is repre- sented in various figures, sometimes having eleven faces and eight hands, the faces forming a pyramid ranged in four rows, each series being of a different complexion, as white, yellow, blue, red ; sometimes he is represented as having one head and four arms.
Co-regent with Padmapani is ^lanju Sri, who diffuses religious truth, bearing .1 naked sword as symbolic of power and acumen; he is lord of the intellect, and the author of the joy of the family circle, and is deputy governor of the whole earth. The representations of him in Thibet, as in Mongolia, make him to have innu- merable eyes and liands, and even ten heads, crownetl, and rising in the form of a cone, one above another ; he is often represented as incarnate in the person of some Dalai Lama as Padmapani.
It must not be supposed, however, that these are the only objects of worship in Thibet. The earliest wor- ship of that country was a species of nature or element worship ; and, as Lamaism ingrafted tJie ancient gods and spirits of the former inhabitants on itself, tlie poorer people still make offerings to their old divinities, the gods of the hills, the woods, the dales, the mountains, the rivers, and have field, family, and house divinities. La- maism was, besides this, greatly affected by its contact with the Shamanism (q. v.) of the Mongolians.
These gods are particles of the Supreme Intelligence, and, though they are many, they are all a multiplica- tion of the one God. The Thibetan name for deity is >.S'/i!(/, the equivalent of the Sanskrit Dera. They assist man, each having his own sphere, within which he reigns supremo. These gods are both male and female.
There arc, besides these, malignant gods, called " Da," or envmif, and " Geg," decil. The most malignant of them are, 1. Lhamayin, to whom many ill-natured spir- its are subject. They cause untimely death. 2. The Dudpos, or judges of the dead. Tlicse try to prevent the depopulation of the world by prompting evil desire, by becoming beautiful women. They disturb devout assemblies. They are, of course, antagonized by the more benevolent deities, among whom some become specially famous, as the Drag-sheds, " the cruel hang- men," who are subdivided into eight classes. Legends concerning them abound.
Doctrines. — AccortUng to Csoma, (in the Bengal Soci- efg Journal, vii, 1-45), the higher philosophies are not popularly understood, yet the people of Thibet are in general tolerably familiar with the doctrine of the Three Vehicles (Triyana), a dogma of the JIahayani school, explained in the Thibetan Compendium called Lamrim, or " The gradual Way to Perfection." The argument of the book is to the effect that the Buddha dogmas are intended for the lowest, middle, and highest people, and they are graded accordingly. In the matter of creeds, for instance, there is tlie following order. The lowest people must believe in God, future life, and that the fruit of works is to be earned in this life, while the mid- dle class are to know (1 ) that every compound is per- ishable ; (-2) that all imperfection is pain, and that de- liverance from bodily existence is the only real happi- ness. A person of the highest class, in addition to all
the foregoing, must know that from the bodj' to the Supreme Soul nothing is existent but himself; that he will not always be, nor ever cease absolutely from being.
In moral duties there is a like gradation. Tlie vul- gar are to jiractice ten virtues, to which the middle class are to add meditation, wisdom, etc. ; while the supe- rior class must, in addition to the foregoing, practice the six transcendental virtues. In their ultimate des- tiny this gradation pursues these classes, the lowest be- ing admitted to Ijecome men, gods, etc., the next hav- ing hope of rebirth in Sukhavati, without pain or bodily existence, and the best expecting to reach themselves Nirvana, and to lead others thereunto also. The priests who take the vows called Dom can alone hope for this.
A more popular code, however, is necessary for sim- pler people, and hence the following eight precepts com- monly obtain: 1. To seek to take refuge only with Buddha. 2. To form in one's mind the resolution to strive to attain the highest degree of perfection, in order to be united with the Supreme Intelligence. 3. To pros- trate one's self before the image of Buddha to adore him. 4. To bring offerings before him, such as are pleasing to any of the six senses, as lights, flowers, gar- lands, incense, perfumes, all kinds of edibles and drink- ables, stufls, cloth, etc., for garments, and hanging or- naments. 5. To make music, sing hymns, and utter the praises of Buddha, respecting his person and doctrines, love or mercy, perfections or attributes, and his acts or performances for the benefit of all animal beings. G. To confess one's sins with a contrite heart, to ask for- giveness for them, and to resolve sincerely not to com- mit the like hereafter. 7. To rejoice in the moral mer- its of all animal beings, and to wish that they may thereby obiain final emancipation or beatitude. 8. To pray and entreat all Buddhas that are now in the world to turn the wheel of religion (or to teach their doctrines), and not to leave the world too soon, but to remain here for many ages or kalpas.