“’Oh Gods!  All my life I have carried this heavy burden and now, when there was left so little to go, I have lost it.  Help me, great, good Gods!’

“Suddenly a tottering old man appeared.  He collected all the diamonds into the basket without trouble, cleaned the dust from them, raised the burden to his shoulder and started out, speaking with the Lama: 

“’Rest a while, I have just carried my burden to the goal and I am glad to help you with yours.’

“They went on and were soon out of sight, while the riders began to fight.  They fought one whole day and then the whole night and, when the sun rose over the plain, neither was there, either alive or dead, and no trace of either remained.  This I saw, Bogdo Hutuktu Khan, speaking with the Great and Wise Buddha, surrounded by the good and bad demons!  Wise Lamas, Hutuktus, Kampos, Marambas and Holy Gheghens, give the answer to my vision!”

This was written in my presence on May 17th, 1921, from the words of the Living Buddha just as he came out of his private shrine to his study.  I do not know what the Hutuktu and Gheghens, the fortune tellers, sorcerers and clairvoyants replied to him; but does not the answer seem clear, if one realizes the present situation in Asia?

Awakened Asia is full of enigmas but it is also full of answers to the questions set by the destiny of humankind.  This great continent of mysterious Pontiffs, Living Gods, Mahatmas and readers of the terrible book of Karma is awakening and the ocean of hundreds of millions of human lives is lashed with monstrous waves.

Part V

MYSTERY OF MYSTERIES—­THE KING OF THE WORLD

CHAPTER XLVI

THE SUBTERRANEAN KINGDOM

“Stop!” whispered my old Mongol guide, as we were one day crossing the plain near Tzagan Luk.  “Stop!”

He slipped from his camel which lay down without his bidding.  The Mongol raised his hands in prayer before his face and began to repeat the sacred phrase:  “Om!  Mani padme Hung!” The other Mongols immediately stopped their camels and began to pray.

“What has happened?” I thought, as I gazed round over the tender green grass, up to the cloudless sky and out toward the dreamy soft rays of the evening sun.

The Mongols prayed for some time, whispered among themselves and, after tightening up the packs on the camels, moved on.

“Did you see,” asked the Mongol, “how our camels moved their ears in fear?  How the herd of horses on the plain stood fixed in attention and how the herds of sheep and cattle lay crouched close to the ground?  Did you notice that the birds did not fly, the marmots did not run and the dogs did not bark?  The air trembled softly and bore from afar the music of a song which penetrated to the hearts of men, animals and birds alike.  Earth and sky ceased breathing.  The wind did not