Is another about 45
miles south of Ning hsia Fu, near the left bank of the Yellow River.
(Rockhill, Land of the Lamas, 26, and Diary, 47.) The great recumbent
figure of the 'Sleeping Buddha' in the Wo Fo ssu, near Peking, is of clay."
King Haython (Brosset's ed. p. 181) mentions the statue in clay, of an
extraordinary height, of a God (Buddha) aged 3040 years, who is to live
370,000 years more, when he will be superseded by another god called
Madri (Maitreya). - H. C.]
[Illustration: Great Lama Monastery]
NOTE 3. - Marco is now speaking of the Lamas, or clergy of Tibetan
Buddhism. The customs mentioned have varied in details, both locally and
with the changes that the system has passed through in the course of time.
The institutes of ancient Buddhism set apart the days of new and full moon
to be observed by the Sramanas or monks, by fasting, confession, and
listening to the reading of the law. It became usual for the laity to take
part in the observance, and the number of days was increased to three and
then to four, whilst Hiuen Tsang himself speaks of "the six fasts of every
month," and a Chinese authority quoted by Julien gives the days as the
8th, 14th, 15th, 23rd, 29th, and 30th.
