We finally made it to our end destination at the edges of China, the marvelous city of Lhasa!
On their way back to Europe after 5 months of traveling since they had left Beijing, our priests stopped in Lhasa for three months in order to rest and prepare for the remaining part of the trip (their end destination was Rome!).
Grueber and d’Orville were the first Europeans to set foot on such a holy and mysterious city since 1328 and they provided the world with the first photo of Lhasa.
In the drawing, they drew the front side of the Potala, the palace of the Dalai Lama, at the time still at the beginning of its construction. Today, it is recognised by UNESCO as world heritage.
The city which for a long time remained a town made of tiny roads and small traditional houses made of mud, today resembles any other fast growing Chinese cities, apart from what remains of the old city.
Therefore during their time spent in Lhasa, Grueber and d’Orville, had the chance to learn and discover a lot about the culture and customs of the Kingdom of Barantola, today Tibet.
However their view on Tibetan culture was of course distorted by their Christian and western beliefs!
The Jesuits reported: “They are all involved in the abominable errors of the heavens. It worships different images of divinities. Among this idols the principal is that which they call Menipe. It tries to a great height and has a nine fold division of heads.”
“The stupid people worship this idol making unusual gesture and performing their rites while repeating over and over ‘O Manipe mi hum, O Maniple mi hum!’ that is ‘Maniple, save us!'”
Their description of the Tibetan Buddhist religion is hilarious as it lacks any understanding of it!
For example they thought that the prayer ‘O Maniple mi hum’, meant ‘Maniple, save us!’ as they saw people repeating it in front of the Buddhas. However, we also saw with our own eyes pilgrims repeating this sentence which is of a completely different meaning.
The correct transliteration: “Om mani padme hum” is actually a very powerful Tibetan mantra sang to obtain liberation. Since pilgrims repeat this sentence when praying in front of every Buddha, they thought the Buddha was named Menipe, but actually the Buddha with nine heads drawn by the fathers is the Buddha embodying compassion, Buddha Chenrezig!
The Jesuits also provide a drawing of the Dalai Lama whom they did not, however, see in person as in order to be received by him everyone has to do certain rituals which they refused to do, being as they were two Catholic priests, and so were not admitted.
They report how they were shocked by the fact that this High Lama is treated like a Pope and how outrageous it is that people consider him a deity when there is only one true Pope and that is the one of Rome!
The Dalai Lama, they say, is in fact called the Lamas of Lamas, just like the Pope is called Priest of Priests.
Dear Samantha and Angelica,
I really appreciate and admire your initiative to start this blog (and I’ am a little jealous too – I have to admit). Such a good idea going into the footsteps of these Jesuits. This university owes a lot to them – although unknowingly and I dare to say that not being a catholic myself…). Their international mindset is yours – best to the high lama and the pope !