Principal among the private dwellings is that of A-chia Fu-yeh, who belongs to Kumbum, and is the first Buddha of the Empire. The story is, that just before he died, the Emperor promised him that if, on his return to this world, he would repeat all the conversations they had had, in his then lifetime, he would make him the first Buddha in the Empire. In due time he was reincarnated, and of course had no difficulty in doing what was required, and the Emperor fulfilled his promise. A-chia Fu-yeh now lives almost entirely in Pekin, in the presence of the Emperor, and rarely visits his distant home. A fire broke out in his house in 1895, which spoilt it a good deal, and it has not been restored yet.
CHORTENS OF KUMBUM.
All the private houses and temples at Kumbum are supposed to be whitewashed annually, but, like many other things, this had been neglected owing to the rebellion. They were now due two coats of whitewash, and consequently did not look as clean and bright as they should have done. The method of whitewashing appears strange to us, for the custom is to mix the wash, then to ascend to the roof, and pour it down over the walls. The result is not quite satisfactory, as we should look at it, but customs like these cannot be altered.
KUMBUM.
We now recrossed the stream, and began our tour of the temples. The first place we visited was the kitchen, chiefly remarkable for its enormous iron cooking-pots. Of these there were three, fixed in a mud range, each big enough to hold a man with comfort, and each heated by a large furnace. Everything was perfectly clean, and one might have eaten one's food off the floor. From here we went to two small temples of Sakya Muni, which stand on the right of the "Gold-Tiled Temple." In them there was nothing peculiar, merely the ordinary ornaments and lamps, which can be seen in any temple.
Just in this corner, however, is the original "Sacred Tree,"[9] which sprung, according to some, from Tsong K'aba's hair, according to others, from his swaddling-clothes. However this may be, the main fact remains, that on its leaves a true believer can distinctly trace the figure of Sakya Muni, or his name in Tibetan characters. Some priests say that one thing is to be seen, some the other, but Mina Fu-yeh says that on some leaves the figure may be seen, on others the characters; as only firm believers can trace anything, the question is likely to remain in doubt, in spite of Huc's assertion that he detected images.