LIBEARY OF THE Theological Seminary PRINCETON, N. J. 3LK-70 ' - B59 WL- I THE LIFE OR LEGEND OF cs-aui>am:a ? THE BUDHA OF THE BURMESE, WITH ANNOTATIONS. NOTICE ON THE PHONGIES, OR BUDHIST RELIGIOUS, AND THE WAYS TO NIBAN. -♦♦•IB'?-" BY The Right Rev. P. BIGANDET, &c. &c. &c. RANGOON: Printed at the Pegu Press, Thos. Stowe Ranney. 1858. PREFACE Whether Budhism be viewed in its extent and diffusion, or m fhe compound nature of its doctrines, it claims the serious at- tention of every inquiring mind. In our own days, it is, under different forms, the creed prevail- ing in Nepaui, Thibet, Mongolia, Corea, China, the Japanese Archipelago, Anam, Cambodia, Siam, the Shan States, Burmah, Arracan and Ceylon. Its sway extends over nearly one fourth of the human race. Though based upon capital and revolting errors, Budhism seaehes a surprising number of the finest precepts, and purest moral truths. From the abyss of its almost unfathomable dark- ness, it sends forth rays of the brightest hue. To the reflecting mind the study of this religious system becomes the study of the history of one of the greatest religious labours, that has ever been undertaken, for elevating our nature above its low level, uprooting the passions of the heart, dispelling the errors of the mind, and restoring man to his real dignity and genuine •condition. He sees, at a glance, the dark and humiliating picture of the sad and barren results of the greatest and mightiest efforts of human wisdom, in its endeavors to find out the real eause of all hum. in miseries, and the remedies to cure the moral distempers our aiature is subject to. The fact of man's wretched and fallen con- 4ition was clearly perceived by the Budhist Philosopher, but he failed in his attempts to help man out of the difficulties which encompass hina in all directions, and bring him back in the path of truth and salvation. The efforts begun on the banks of the Ganges, at an early period, and carried on with the greatest ardor and perseverance, have proved as abortive as those made, at * later period, throughout Greece and Italy, by the greatest ana IV brightest Geniuses of antiquity. What a grand and irresistible demonstration both of the absolute inability of man to rescue and save himself, and of the indispensable necessity of divine inter- ference to help him in obtaining that two fold object ! It maybe said in favor of Budhism, that no philosophico-reli- gious system has ever upheld to an equal degree the notions of a savior and deliverer, and the necessity of his mission for procuring the salvation, in a Budhist sense, of man. The role of Budha, from beginning to end, is that of a deliverer, -who preaches a law designed to secure to man, the deliverance from all the miseries he is laboring tinder. Budhism, such as we find it in Burmah, appears to have retain- ed to a great extent its original character and primitive genuine- ness, exhibiting the most correct forms and features of that Pro- tean creed. At the epoch the Burmese left the northern valleys, and settled in the country they now inhabit, they were a half civilized Mongolian tribe, with no kind of worship, except a sort of Geniolatry. much similar to that we see uow existing among the various tribes bordering on Burmah. They were in the same condition, when arrived among them the first Budhist missionaries. Deposited in this almost virginal soil, the seed of Budhism grew up freely, without meeting any obstacle to check its growth. Philosophy, which, during its too often erratic rambles -in search of truth, changes, corrects, improves, destroys, and in num- berless ways, modifies all that it meets, never flourished in these parts, and therefore did not work on the religious institutions, which have remained up to this day, nearly the same as they were when first imported in Burmah. The free discussion of re- ligious and moral subjects, which constituted the very life of the Indian schools, and begat so many various, incoherent and con- tradictory opinions on the most essential points of religion and philosophy", is the sign of an advanced state of civilization, which does not appear to have ever existed on the banks of the Irrawady. Owing to its geographical position, and perhaps also to politir cal causes, Burmah has ever remained out of the reach of Hindoo influence, which in Nepaul has colored Budhism with Hindoo myths, and habited it in gross idolatric forms. In China, where already subsisted heroes,' and ancestors' worship, at the time of the arrival of the preachers of the new doctrine, Budhism like an immense parasitic plant extended all over the old institutions, which it covered rather than destroyed, allowing the ancient form* to subsist under the disguise it afforded them. But such wag not the state of Burmah, when visited by the first heraldsof Budhism. The epoch of the introduction of Budhism in Burmah, has hitherto been a matter of conjecture. According to Burmese annals, Boudhagautha, at the end of the fourth century of our era, brought from Ceylon a copy of the scriptures and did for Burmah, what Fa Hian, the Chinese pilgrim, accomplished a few- years afterwards in India and Ceylon, for the benefit of his own country. But Burmese maintain that they were followers of Bu- dha, long before that epoch. If an inference may be drawn from analogy, it is probable that they are-right in their assertion. China is fully as far from the ancient seat of Budhism as Burmah. Yet it appears from the Chinese annals, that the doctrines of tlift Indian Philosopher were already propagated in some parts of that empire, in the middle of the first century of our era and probably at an earlier date. There can be no improbability in concluding that at least at the same time, Budhist missionaries had penetrated iu this country for propagating their tenets. Be that as it may, we know from the magnificent Budhist monuments of Paga.n i, that that religion had reached, in the eleventh and twelfth century, a degree of splendor that has never since been equalled. The Budhist scrptures are divided into three great parts, the Thoots or instructions, the Witti, or discipline, and the Abidama, or methaphysics. Agreeably to this division, the matter of the fol- lowing pages is arranged under three heads. The life of Budha with some portions of his preachings will convey notions of his principal teachings and doctrines. It is accompanied with copious annotations intended to explain the text, and convey detailed notions of the system of Budhism, in genera!, and parti- cularly- as it is found existing in Burmah. We have added a few small dzats, or accounts of some of the former existences of Gaudama, and the summary of two large ones. In the notice on the Phongies, will be found the chief points of discipline, fully explained and developed. We have endeavoured .to render as complete as possible the a^ecuunt of the Religious VI. Budhi*t, or Phongies. It is an exposition of the practical illus- tration of the highest results that can be obtained under the in- fluence of the doctrines of the Indian Philosopher. In the Ways to Niban, an attempt has been made to expose and unfold the chief points of methaphysics, upon which hinges the whole religious system. We confess that the summary of meta- physics is rather concise. We were reluctant to engage too far in this subject, which, to the generality of readers is an uninviting one. A suggestion from Captain H. Hopkinson, Commissioner of the Martaban and Tenasseriin Provinces, has induced us to add a few remarks on the names and situations of the principal towns and countries, mentioned in the Legend, with the view of identi- fying them with modern sites and places. It is hardly necessary to sttte here that the writer, when he undertook this work, never had any other object in view, but that of merely exposing the religious system of Budhism, as it is, explaining its doctrines and practices, as correctly as it has been in his power, regardless of their merits and demerits. His inform- ation has been derived from the perusal of the religious books of the Burmese, and from frequent conversations on religion, during several years, with the best informed among the laity and the Re- ligious whom he has had the chance of meeting. The surest way perhaps of coming at least to an exact and accurate knowledge respecting the history and doctrines of Bud- hism, would be to give a translation of the Legends of Budha, MJ* such as they are to be met with, in all countries where Budhism has established its sway, and accompany these translations with an exposition of the various doctrinal points, such as they are held, understood and believed by those various nations. This has already been done by eminent oriental scholars, on Thibetan, Sanscrit, Cingalese and Chinese originals. A similar work exe- cuted by competent persons among the Shans, Siamese, Cambodi- ans and Cochin Chinese would considerably help the Savans in Europe, who have assumed the difficult task of exposing the Bud- hist system in its complex and multifarious forms, to give a full, general, and comprehensive view of that great religious creed with all its variations. VII. The best way of undermining the foundations of a false creed and successfully attacking it, is to lay it open to the eyes of all, and exhibit it such as it really is. Error never retains its holdover the mindj but-bectuse of the appearance of truth it contrives to assume ; when deprived of the mask that has hitherto covered its emptiness and unreality, it vanishes away as a phan- tom and an illusion. We are happy to have an opportunity of returning publicly our thanks, to the worthy Commissioner of Pegu, Major A. P, Phaybe, for his kind exertions in furthering the publication of this work. Not only he is an eminent oriental scholar, and pro- foundly versed in all that has reference to Budhism, but his great delight is to encourage evey effort that tends to unfold and explain a Creed, which, despite all that has been written about it, in several countries where it flourishes, has still many mys- teries in the parts relating to its history and doctrines, that have remained hitherto uncleared. Out of our limited stock of information concerning the Budhist system, as it exists in these parts, we have with a deeply felt dis- trust of our poor abilities, taken the best portion, and, with a willing heart, presented it to the public. We hope that our ex- ample may induce others, whose stores of knowledge on this sub- ject are richer and better supplied than ours, to act in a similar liberal spirit, for aiding the prosecution of a great object, viz : the acquisition of a correct knowledge of the religion of near- ly 300,000,000 of fellowmen. Rangoon, October, 1858. tEGEM) TO THE BURMESE BU1I1IA CALLED GAUMMiL Chapter L Invocation of the. Burmese trdnstator — Humor of the coming, birth of a Budha — Phrnlaong in the sent of Nats — Dream of Maia— Conception of Pliralaong— Wonders attending that event. I adore l Budha who has gloriously emerged from the bot- tomless whirpool of endless existences ; who has extinguished the 1. — All Budhistic compositions are invariably prefaced with one bf the following formulas of worship always used by writers on religious subjects. The one relates to Budha alone, and the other to the three most excellent things, ever deserving the highest veneration. The first, always written in Pali, beginning with the words Namau tassa, may be translated as follows : I adore thee, the blessed, perfect and most intelligent. Here are proposed to the faith, admiration and vene- ration e'f a true Budhist, the three great characteristics of the founder of his religion, his goodness and benevolence, his supreme perfection and his boundless knowledge. They form the essential qualifications of a being who has assumed upon himself the task of bringing men out of the abyss of darkness and ignorance, and leading them to deliverance. Benevolence prompts him to undertake that great work ; perfection fits him for such a high calling ; and supreme science enables him to fol- low it up with a complete success: They are always held cut to Bud- hists as the three bright attributes and transce'ndant qualities inherent to that exalted personage, which are ever to attract and centre upon him the respect, love and admiration of all his sincere followers. The second formula may be considered as a short act of faith often repeated by Budhists. It consists in saying — I take refuge in Budha, the Law and the Assembly. ^ This short profession of faith is often much enlarged by the religious zeal of writers and the fervent piety of devotees. From the instance of this legend, we may remark how the compiler with a soul warmed by fervor, is passing high encomiums upon each of the three sacred objects of veneration, or the sacred asy- lums wherein a Budhist delights to dwell. There is no doubt but this formula is a very ancient One, probably coeval with the first age of Bud- hism. The text of this legend bears out the correctness of this asser- tion. It appears that the repetition of this short sentence was the mark that distinguished converts. Ordinary hearers of the preachings of Budha, and his disciples evinced their adhesion to all that was de- livered to them by repeating the sacred formula. It was then, and even now it is to Budhists, what the celebrated Mahomedan declaration of faith — there is but one God and Mahomed is his prophet — is to the followers of the Arabian Prophet. It is extremely' important to have an accurate idea of the three sacred abodes in which the believer expects to find a sure shelter against all errors, doubts and fears, and a resting place A YVV-fl $ LEGEND OF THE BURMESE EVDIXK. turning 5rc of anger and other passions ; opened and illuminate a the fathomless abyss of dark ignorance, and who is the greatest and most- excellent of all beings. Where his soul may securely enjoy the undisturbed possession of truth. They constitute what is emphatically called the thra> precious thing*- Phra and Budha are two expressions which, though not hav- ing the same meaning, are used indiscriminately K for designating the almost divine being, who after having gone, during myriads of successive existences, through the practise of all sorts of virtues, particularly self-denial and complete abnegation of all things, at last reaches to" such a height of intellectual attainments, that his mind becomes gifted with a perfect and universal intelligence or know- ledge of all things. He is thus enabled to see and fathom the misery and wants of all mortal beings ; and to devise means for relieving and fi'ling them up. The law that he preaches, is- the wholesome balm* designed to cure all moral distempers. He preaches it with unremit- ting zeal during a certain number of years, and commissions his chosen disciples to carry on the same benevolent and useful undertaking. Having laid on a iimi basis his religious institution,, he arrives at the state of Niban. Budha means wise, intelligent Phra' is an expressions convoying the highest sense of respect, which was applied originally only to the author of Budhism, but now through a servile adulation it is applied to the king, his ministers, all great personages, and often by inferiors, to the lowest menials of government. The word Phra, coupled with that of Thaking, which means Lord, is used by Christian* in Burmah to express the idea of (iod, the supreme being. From the foregoing lines the reader may easily infer that the author of Budhism is a mere man, superior to all other beings, not in nature, but in science and perfection. He lays no claim what- ever to any kind of superiority in nature ; he exhibits himself to the eyes of his disciples as one of the children of men, who* has been" born and is doomed to die. He carries no farther hi* pretensions. The idea of a supreme being is no where mentioned by nim. In the course of his religious disputations with the Brahmins, he combats the notions of a God, coolly establishing the most crude atheism. No one, it is true, can deny that in certain Budhistic coun^ tries the notions of an Adibudha, or supreme being, is to be "found' in the writings and the opinions ofits inhabitants, but we know that these writings are of a comparatively recent date, and contain many doc- trines foreign to genuine Budhism. This subject will, however, receive hereafter further developements. The Law, the second object of veneration, is the body of doctrines delivered by Budha to his disciples during the forty-five years of his public career. He came to the perfect knowledge of that Law, when- he attained the Budhaship under the shade of the BJiodi tree. At that time his mind became indefinitely expanded ; his science embraced all that exists ; his penetrating and searching eye reached the farthest limits of the past ; saw at a glance the present, and fathomed the secrets of the future. In that position unclouded truth shown with radiant effulgence before him, and he knew the nature of all beings individual- ly, their condition and situation, as well all the relations subsisting between them. He understood at once the miseries and errors attend- ing all rational beings, the hidden causes that generated them, and the TjEOBNB OF THE GTTRMESE BUDHA. 5 5 adore the law which the most excellent Budha has published, •svhich is infinitely high and incomparably profound, exceedingly •acceptable and most earnestly wished lor by Nats and men, capa- ble to wipe off the stains of concupiscence and is immutable. spring they issued from. At the same time he perceived distinctly the .means to be employed for putting an end te so many misfortunes, and the remedies to be used for the cure of those numberless and sad moral distempers. His omniscience pointed out to him the course those beings were to follow in order to retrace back their steps from the way of error, and enter the read that would lead t > the coming out from the whirlpool of moral miseries in which they had hitherto wretchedly moved during countless existences. All that Gaudama •eaid to the foregoing purposes, constitute the Law upon which so ma- ivy high praises are lavished with a warm and fervent earnestness. A .full and complete knowledge of that Law, in the opinion of Budhists, dispels at once the clouds of ignorance, which like a thick mist encom- passes all beings, and sheds bright rays of pure light which enlightens the understanding. Man is thus enabled to perceive distinctly the wretchedness of his position, and to discover the means wherewith he may extricate himself from the trammels of passions, and finally arrive to the state of Maban, which is, as it shall be hereafter fully explained, tho exemption from all the miseries attending existence. The whole law is divided into three parts ; the Abidama or metaphi- V^'- v ?ies, Thouts or moral instructions, and the Wini, or discipline. Ac- cording to the opiniiui of the best informed among Budhists, the law is eternal, without a beginning or an author that might have framed its^ precepts. No Budha ever considered himself, or has ever been looked upon by others, as the inventor and originator of the lav/. He who becomes a Budha, is gifted with a boundless science that ena- bles him to come to a perfect knowledge of all that constitutes the law : he is the fortunate discoverer of things already existing, but placed far beyond the reach of human mind. In fact the law is eter- nal, but has become since the days of a former Budha, obliterated from the minds of men, until a new one by his omniscieuce, is enabled to find it back and preach it to all beings. The third object of veneration is the TJiasga, or assembly. The meaning of the Pali word Thanga is nearly equivalent to that of church or congregation. In the time Gaudama lived, the assembly was com- posed of all individuals who," becoming converts, embraced the mode of living of their preacher, remained with him, or if they occasionally parted with him for awhile, always kept a close intercourse with him, und spent a portion of their time in his company. Having left the world, they subjected themselves to certain disciplinary regulations, after- wards embodied in the great compilation called Wini. The members of the assembly were divided into two classes ; the Ariahs or venerables, who by their age, great proficiency in the knowledge of the lav/ and re- markable fervor in the assiduous practice of all its ordinances, occupied deservedly the first rank amongst the disciples of Budha, and ranked foremost in the assembly. The second class was composed of the Bickus, or simple mendicant religious. It is difficult to assert with any degree of probability whether the Upasakas, or ordinary hearers, have ever been regarded as members .of the Tbanga, and forming a portion thereof. The Upasakas were - 4 LEGEND OF THE lltrUMESE Bl'DHA. I adore the assembly of the perfect, of the pure and illustrious Arialis in their eight sublime states, who have overcome all the passions that torment other mortals, by eradicating the very root of concupiscence, and who are famous above all other beings. I undertake to translate from the Pali 3 text, the history of our believers, but continued to live in the world and formed, as it were, the laity of the Budhistic church. According to the opinion of Bndr hists in these parts, the laity is nut considered as forming or consti^ tuting a part of the Thjmga ; those only who abandon a secular life, put on the yellow cannonical dress, and endeavor to tread in the foot- steps of their great teacher, are alone entitled to the dignity of members) of the assembly, to which a veneration is paid, similar to that offered to Budha and the law. The Ariahs or venerables are divided into four classes, according to their greater or lesser proficiency in knowledge and moral worth. They are called Thotapan, Thakadagan, Anagam and Arahat. In the class of Thotapan are included the individuals who have entered into the current or stream, leading to deliverance, or in other terms, who have stepped into the way of perfection. The Thota- pan is, as yet, to be born four times ere he can obtain the deliverance. Those who belong to the second class, glide rapidly down the stream, following steadily the way leading to perfection, and are to be born once more in the condition of Nat, and once in that of man. Finally those pf the fourth class, have gone over the fourth and last way to perfec- tion, reached the summit of science and spiritual attainments, and are ripe for the state of Niban they infallibly obtain after their death. The Ariahs are again subdivided into eight classes, four of which include those who are following the four ways of perfection ; the four others comprehend those who enjoy the reward of the duties practised in following the ways of perfection. 3. — The Burmese translator of the Pali text gives us to under- stand, that his intention is not to give the history of our Budha dur- ing the countless existences that have preceded the last one, "when he .obtained the supreme intelligence. Budhists keep five hundred and ten histories or legends of Budha, purporting to give an account of as many of his former existences ; and to enhance the value of such re- cords, the contents are supposed to have been narrated by Budha himself to his disciples and hearers. I have read most of them. Two hundred of these fabulous narrations are very short, and give few particulars regarding our .Phra, when he was as yet in the state of animal, man and Nat. They are, except the heading and the conclu- sion, but the same fables and contes to be met with amongst all Asiatic nations, which have supplied with inexhaustible stores all ancient and modern fabulists. The last teu narratives are really very complete and interesting stories of ten existences of Budha preceding the one we are about describing, during which he is supposed to have practised the ten great virtues, the acquisition of which is an indispensable qualifi- cation for obtaining the exalted dignity of Phra. Some of these legends are really beautiful, interesting, and well composed pieces of literature. 4. — Toocita is one of the seats of the Nats. But in order to render more intelligible several passages of this work, it is almost indispensable to have an idea of the system adopted by Budhists in assigning to rational beings their respective seats or abodes. There are 31 seats assigned to LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA, 5 most excellent Phra. from the period he left Tooeiti, 4 the fourth abode of Nats, t<*> the time he entered into the state of Niban. About four Thingies 5 and hundred thousands worlds ago, 6 the most excellent Budha, who is infinitely wise and far superior to all beings, which we may suppose to be disposed on an immense scale extending from the bottom of the earth to an incommensurable height above it. At the foot, we find the four states of punishment, viz. hell, the states of Athourikes, Preithas, and animals. Next comes the abode of man. Above it are the six seats of Nats. These eleven seats are called the seats of passion or concupiscence, because the beings residing therein, are still subject to the influence of that passion, though not to an equal degree. Above the abodes of Nats, we meet with the 1G seats, called Rupa, disposed perpendicularly one above the other, to an incal- culable height. The inhabitants of those fanciful regions are called Brahmas or perfect. They have freed themselves from concupiscence and almost all other passions, but still retain some affection for matter and material tilings. Hence the denomination of Rupa, or matter, given to the seats. The remaining portion of the scale is occupied by the four seats called Arupa or immaterials, for the beings inhabiting them are entirely delivered from all passions. They have as it were broken asunder even the smallest ties that would attach them to this material world. They have reached the summit of perfection ; one step farther, and they enter into the state Niban, the consummation, according to Budhists, of all perfection. To sum up all the above in a few words : there are four states of punishment. The seat of man is a place of probation and trial. The six abodes of Nata are places of sensual pleasures and enjoyments. In the 16 seats of Rupa, are to be met those beings whose delights are of a more refined and almost purely spiritual nature, though retaining as yet some slight affections for matter. In the four seats of Arupa are located those beings who are wholly disentangled from material affections, who delight but in the stiblimest contemplation, soaring, as it were, in the boundless regions of pure spiritualism. 5. — Thjngie is a number represented by a unit followed with (54 cyphersT 6. — Budhists have different ways of classsifying the series of worlds which they supose to succeed to each other, after every revolu- tion of nature is complete. As regards Budhas, who appear at un- equal intervals for illuminating and opening the way to deliverance, to the then exising beings, worlds are divided into those which are favor- ed with the presence of one or several Budhas, and those to which so eminent a benefit is denied. The present revolution of nature, which includes the period in which we live, has been privileged above all others. No less than five Budhas, as five shining suns, are to shoot forth rays of incomparable brilliancy and dispel the mist of thick dark- ness that encompasses all beings, according to their respective laws of demerits. Of these five, four, namely, Kaukassan, Gaunrgon^, Kathaba, Gaudama, have already performed their great task. Tne fifth, named Arcmideia, is as yet to come. The religion of Gaudama is to last 5,000 years, of which _2 t 350 are elapsed. The names of the 28 last Budhas are religiously preserved by Budhists, together with their age, their stature, the names of the trees under which they have obtained the universal intelligence, their country, with the names of their father 6 LKGEN'D OF THE BURWKSE BUDH-l. tu-3 three orders of beings, the Brahmas, the Nate - 7 and men, ro- au 1 njDfchsr, and those of their two chief disaiples. Dejqpakara occu- pifti the fourth place in th3 series. Ha is supposed to have been eighty cubits high, an I to have lived LQ0,Q00 years. It la not without interest ts examine whether there have existeil Budhas, previous to the time of Gaudama , and whether the twenty-eight Budhas above alluded to are to be considered as mithological beings who have never existed. It cannot be denied that mention of former Budhas is made in the earliest sirred records, but it seems difficult to infer therefrom that they are re d beings. 1st. The circumstances res- pecting their extraordinary longevity, their immense stature, and the myriads of centuries that are suppose! to have elapsed from the times of the first, to those of UauJama, are apparently conclusive proofs against the reality of their existence. 2nd. The names of those per- sonages are found mentioned in the preachings of Gaudam a, together with those individuals with whom he is supposed to have lived and conversed during former existences. Who has ever thought of giving any credence to those fables ? They were used by Gaudama, as so many means to give extension and solidity to the basis, whereupon he intend- ed to found his system. 3rd. There are no historical records or mo- numents that can give countenance to the opposite opinion. The his- torical times begin with Gaivlama ; whilst there exist historical proofs of the existence of the rival creed of Brahminism, anterior to the days of the acknowledged author of Budhism. It cannot bo doubted that there existed in the days of Budha, in the valley of the Gauges and in the Punjab, a great number of philosophers who lead a retired life, devoting their time to study, and practising vir- tue. Some of them occasionally sallied out of their retreats to go and deliver moral instructions to the people. The fame that attended those philosophers, attracted round their lonely abodes, crowds of hearers, eager to listen to their lectures and anxious to place themselves under their direction for learning the pi actice of virtue. In the pages of this Legend shall be found passages corroborating this assertion. Thence arose those multifarious schools, where were elaborated those many systems, opinions, &c. for which India has been celebrated from the re- motest antiquity. The writer ha.s had the patience to read two works full of disputations, between Brahmins and Budhists, as well as some books of the ethics of the latter : he has been astonished at finding that in those days, the art of arguing, disputing, defining, &o. had been car- ried to such a point of nicety, as almost to leave far behind the disciples of Aristotle. It has been said that the Gymnophistac whom Alexander the Great met in India, were Budhist philosophers. But the particu- lars mentioned by Greek writers, respecting their manners and doctrines, contradict such a supposition. They are described as living in a state of complete nakedness and as refusing to deliver instructions to the messenger of Alexander unless he consented to strip himself of his clothes. On another hand we know that Budha enjoined a strict mo- desty to his religious, and in the book of ordinations the candidate in at first asked whether he comes provided with his canonical dress. The Gymnophistac are represented as practising extraordinary austerities, and holding self distinction in great esteem. These and other practices are quite -at variance with all the prescriptions of the Wini, or book of discipline. It is further mentioned that the Macedonian heromet with imtsi> of mi 6'urmkse aI'dha. f reived at th? feet of the Tina Deinjvdora thy asaiirauae that he would afterwards become himself a Bnlha. At this time lie was a Rathee, 8 under the name of Thoumeaa. During that immeuste other philosophers living in community ; but whether these were Bti'dv hists or not, it is impossible to decide. It can be scarcely believed thH't Budhism in the days of Alexander wo: del have already invaded the coun- tries which the Grecian army conquered. 7. — Nat in Pali means Lord. Its signification is exactly equivalent to that of Dewa, Dewata. The Nats are OF llli: BURMESE BOPIIa. *p;ice of time, he practised in (he highest degree the ten great virtues, the tive renouncing, find the three mighty works of per"' fectton. 9 Waving become a gfeat prince under the name of Wethandra, he reached the acme of self-abnegation and renounee- ment to all the things of this world. Aftsr his death, he migrat- ed to Tooeita the fourth abode of Nats. During his sojourn in that happy place, erfjoying the fulness of pleasure allotted to the fortunate inhabitants of those blissful regions, a sudden and un- common rumour, accompanied with an extraordinary commotion, proclaimed the gladdening tidings that a Phta was soon to make liis appearance in this world,*" On hearing that a Phra was soon to make his appearance amongst men, all the Nats, peaceful inhabitants of the fortunate abode of Toocita, assembled in all haste arid crowded around Phralaong," eagerly inquiring from him, who was the fortunate Nat to whom was reserved the signal honor of obtaining the in- comparable dignity of Budha. The reason which directed their cold of winter, and the heat of summer. Such is the course of life, ac- cording to the Vedas, which the true Brahmin is bound to follow during the third portion of his existence. Some Bhudistic zealots have some- times endeavored to emulate the ancient Rathees in their singular mode of life. It is not quite unfrequont in our days to hear of some fervent Phongies who, during the three months of lent, withdraw in solitude, to be more at liberty to devote their time to study and meditation. This observance, however, is practised by but very few individuals, and that too, with a degree of laxity that indicates a marked decline of the pris- tine fervor that glowed in the soul of primitive Budhists. 9. — The three great works are : — the assistance afforded to his pa- rents and relatives ; the great offerings he had made, coupled with a strict observance of the most difficult points of the law, and benevolent dispositions towards all beings indiscriminately. 11. — This extraordinary monarch, called Tsikiawade, never makes his appearance during the period of time allotted to the publication and duration of the religious institutions of a Budha. * Remark of the Burmese translator. — There are three, solemn occa- sions on which this great rumour is noised abroad. The first, when the Nats, guardians of this world, knowing that 100,000 hence the end of this world is to come, show themselves amongst men, with their heads hanging down, a sorrowful countenance and tears streaming down their faces, clad with a red dress, and proclaim aloud to all mortals the destruction of this planet, 100,000 years hence. They earnestly call upon men to devote themselves to the observance of the law, to the practice of virtue, the support of parents, and the respect due to virtuous personages. The second, when the same Nats proclaim to men that a 1,000 years hence, a Budha or Phra will appear amongst them ; and the third solemn occasion, is when they come and an- nounce to ni(3ii that within 100 years, there will be in this world a mighty Prince whose unlimited sway shall extend over the four great islands. LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. 9 steps towards our Phralaong, and suggested their enquiry, was that in him were already to be observed unmistakeable indices foreshadowing his future greatness. No sooner had it become known that this incomparable des- > tination was to be his happy lot, than Nats from all parts of the world resorted to the abode of Toocita to meet Phralaong and to congratulate him upon this happy occasion. Most glorious Nat, did they say to him, you have practised most perfectly the ten great virtues 12 ; the time is now come for you to obtain the sublime nature of Budha ; during former existences you have most rigidly attended to the observance of the greatest pre- cepts and walked steadily in the path of the highest virtues ; you sighed then after, and longed for, the happiness of Nats and Brahmas ; but now you have most gloriously achieved the mightiest work, and reached the acme of perfection ; it remains with you but to aspire at the full possession of the supreme in- telligence which will enable you to open to all Brahmas, Nats and men, the way to the deliverance from those endless series of countless existences 13 they are doomed to go through. You alone can free them from the vicissitudes and miseries essentially 1 2. — Here I make use of the expression Phralaong, or more correctly Phraalaong, to designate Budha before he obtained the supreme know- ledge, when he was, as it were, slowly and gradually gravitating towards the centre of matchless perfection. In that state it is said of him that he is not yet ripe. Tins word implies a meaning which ought to be well understood. No single expression in our language can convey a correct idea of its import, and for this reason it has been retained through these pages. Alaong is a derivative from the verb Laong, which means to be in an incipient way, in a way of progression towards something more per- fect. A Budha is at first a being in a very imperfect state ; but pass- ing through countless, existences, he frees himself by a slow progress, from some of his imperfections ; he requires merits which enable him to rise in the scale of progress, science and perfection. In perusing the narrative of the five hundred and ten former existences of Gaudama, which have come down to us, we find that, when he was as yet in the state of animal, he styled himself Phralaong. The Bur- mese have another expression of similar import to express the same meaning : they say of a being as yet in an imperfect condition, that he is soft, tender as an unripe thing ; and when he passes to the state of perfection they say that he is ripe, that he has blossomed and expanded. They give to understand that he who is progressing towards the Budha- ship, has in himself all the elements constitutive of a Budha, laying as yet concealed in himself, but when he reaches that state, then all that had hitherto remained in a state of unripeness, burst suddenly out of the bud a. d come to full maturity. Similar expressions are often better calculated to give a clear insight into the true and real opinions of ikidhists, than a lengthened and elaborate dissertation could do. 1 . — The 10 great virtues or duties are : liberality^ observance of the precepts of the law, withdrawal in lonely places, wisdom, diligence, B LECiEXD OF HIE BTT'B 03711 r ,,)!ii • • rith it state ©fall beings. The time is a: last come, when you are to become a Budha. Unwilling to* return instantly a positive answer, Phralaon g? modestly replied that lie wanted some time to enquire particu- larly into tlie great circumstances always attending the coming of a Budha in this world, viz : the epoch or time a Budha appears; the place he chooses for his apparition or manifest- ation ; the race or caste lie is to be born from ; and the age and quality of her who is to be his mother. As regards the first circumstance, Phralaon g observed that the apparition of a Budha could never take place during the previous period 14 of 100, 000 years ami above, that had just elapsed, because during that pe- riod the life of men was on the increase. The instiuctions on birth and death as well as on the miseries of life, which form the true characteristics of Budha' s law, would not then be received with sufficient interest and attention. Should any attempt be made at that time to preach on these three great topics, men of I hose days to whom those great events would have appeared so distant, could not have been induced to look upon them with sufficient attention ; the four great truths would have made no imoression on their minds : vain and fruitless would have been benevolence, patience, veracity, fortitude, and indifference. The rive renouncements are : renouncing children, wife, goods, life and one's self. 14. — Metempsychosis is one of the fundamental dogmas of Budhism. That continual transition from one existenee to another, from a state of bappiness to one of unhappiness and, vice versa, forms a circle en - compassing the Budhist in every direction. He is doomed to fluctuate incessantly on the never settled waters of existences. Hence his ardent wishes to bo delivered from that most pitiable position, and his earnest longings for the ever tranquil state of JNTban, the way to which Budha alone can teach him by his precepts, and his examples. This dogma is common both to Brahims and Budhists. The origina- tor and propagator of the creed of thelatter, found It already establish- ed : he had but to embody it with his own conceptions, and make it agree with his new ideas. His first teachers were Biuhmins, and under their tuition, he learned this dogma which may be considered as the basis on which hinge both systems. In fact the two rival creeds have a common object in view, the elevating of the soul from those imper- fections, forced upon her by her connection with matter and the setting her free from the sway of passions, which keep her always linked to this world. According to the votaries of both creeds, transmigration has for its object the effecting of those several purposes. There is a curious opinion among Budhists respecting the mode of transmigration, and there is no doubt it is I >ut a very ancient one, belonging to the genuine productions of the earliest Budhism. Transmigration, they say, is caused and entirely controlled by the influence of merit$ and demerit;*, out in such a way that a being who has come to his end, transmits nothing of liis entity to the being to be immediately reproduced. The apart, independent of the former, created it is true by the in ice of the late being's good or had deed-, but having nothing IfEG.EIfP OF TDE RTTE3IKSE BTjpHA. II Xhe efforts to disentangle tlicm from the ties of passions then encompassing all beings, and make them sigh after the deliver- ance from the miseries-entailed upon mankind by birth, life and death. The period when human life is under a hundred years duration, cannot be at all the proper period for such ah important event, as the passions of men are then so many and so deep- ly rooted, that in vain Budha would attempt to preach his law. As the characters a man traces over the smooth super- ficies of unruffled waters, instantly disappear, without leavino- any mark behind, so the law and instructions that one would attempt to spread on the hardened hearts of men, would make no lasting impression upon them. Hence he concluded that the present period, when the life of men was of about 100 3'ears dura- tion, was the proper one for the apparition of a Budha. This iirst point having been disposed of, Bhj-ahioug examined in what part of the globe a Budha was to appear. His regards glanced over the four great islands, 15 and the in common with him. They explain this startling doctrine bvthe comparison of a tree successively producing and bearing fruits, of which some are good and some bad. The fruits though coming from the same tree, have nothing in common, neither with each other nor with those that were previously grown, or may afterwards grow out of the same plant : they are distinct and separate. So, they say Jean or the influence of merit^and demerit^, produces successively belngsTotal- ly distinct one from the other. This atheistic or materialist doctrine is not generally known by the common people, who practically hold that transmigration is effected in. the manner professed -and taught bv Pv- thagoras and his school. If between the adherents of the two creeds, there is a perfect agree- ment respecting the means to be resorted to, for reaching the point when man becomes free from miseries, ignorance and imperfections, they fall at variance as to the end to be arrived to. The Brahmin leads the perfected being to the supreme essence, in which he is merged as a drop of water in the ocean, loosing its personality to form a whole with the Divine substance. The Budhist, ignoring a supreme being, conducts the individual that has become emancipated from the thraldom of passions, to a state of complete isolation, called Niban. 15. — The duration of a revolution of nature, or the time required for the formation of a world, its existence and destruction — is divided into four periods. The fourth period, or that which begins with the appari- tion of man on the earth, until its destruction, is divided into 64 parts railed Andrakas. During one Andrak a. the life of man increases gra- dually from 10 years to an almost innumerable number of years ; hav- ing reached its maximum of duration, it decreases slowly to its former short duration of 10 years. We live at present in that second part of an Ajidraka when the life of man is on the decline and decrease. If my memory serve me right, we have reached at present the 18th An- draka of the fourth period. Should the calculation of Budhists ever prove correct, the deluded visionaries who look forward for an ap- proaching Millenium, have still to wait long ere their darling wishes be realized. j.j LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. - 000 small ..lies. He saw that the island of Dzapoudiba (the thern one) had always been the favorite place selected by all bOU Though it be somewhat tiresome and unpleasant to have to write down the absurd and ridiculous notions Burmans entertain respect- in^ the organization of matter, the origin, production, existence, dura- tion and end of a world, it appears quite necessary to give a bnel account and sketch an outline of their ideas on these subjects, the reader will then have the means of tracing up to their Hindu origin several of the many threads that link Budhism to Brahmmism, and better understand the various details hereafter to be given, and in- tended for establishing a great fact, viz : the Brahmimcal origin of the greatest part of the Budhistic institutions He will, moreover, have the satisfaction of clearly discovering, buried in the rubbish of fabulous recitals, several important facts recorded in the holy scriptures. Matter is eternal ; but its organization, and all the changes attend^ ing it, are caused and regulated by certain laws co-eternal with it. Both matter and the laws that act upon it, are self-existing, independ- ent from the action and control of any being, &c. As soon as a system of worlds is constituted, Budhists boldly assert and perseveringly main-* tain, that the laws of merits and demerits are the sole agents that re- gulate and control both the physical and moral world. But how is a world brought into existence 1 Water or rather rain is the chief agent, operating in the reproduction of a system of nature. During an immense period of time, rain pqurs down, with an unabating violence, in the space left by the last world that has been destroyed ! Meanwhile strong winds blowing from opposite directions, accumulate the water within definite and certain limits, until it has filled the whole space. At last appears on the superficies of water, floating like a greasy substance, the sediment deposited by water. In proportion as the water is being dried up, by the unremitting action of the wind, that crust increases in size, until, by a slow, gradual, but sure process it invariably assumes the shape and proportion of our planet, in the manner we are to describe. The center of the earth, indeed of a world, or system of nature, is occupied by a mountain of enormous size and elevation, called Mienmo. This is surrounded by seven ranges of mountains, separated from each other by streams equalling in breadth and depth, the height of the mountain forming its boundaries in the direction of the central elevation. The range nearest to the Mienmo rises to half its height. Each successive range, is half the height of the range preceding it. Beyond the last stream, are disposed four great islands, in the direction of the four points of the compass. Each of those four islands is surrounded by five hundred smaller ones. He- vond those, there is water, reaching to the farthest limits of the world. The great island we inhabit, is the southern one, called Dzampoudiba, from the Jambu, or Eugenia tree, growing upon it. Our planet rests on a basis of water double the thickness of the earth ; the water itself is lying on a mass of air, that has a thickness double to that of water. Below this aerial stratum is laha, or vacuum. Let us see now in what manner is our planet peopled, "and whence come its first inhabitants. From the seats of Bhrahma, which were, without the range of destruction when the former world perished, three celestial beings, or according to another version, six come on the earth, Remaining on it in a state of perfect happiness, occasionally revisiting, LEGEND OF THK BURMESE BUDHA.. 13 former Budhas : he fixed upon it, too, for himself. That island, however, is a most extensive one, measuring in length 300 youd- when it pleases them, their former seats of glory. This state of things, lasts during a long period. At that time, the two great luminaries of the day and of the night, the stats have not as yet made their appear- ance, but rays of incomparable brightness, emanating from the pHre bodies of those new inhabitants, illuminate the globe. They feed at long intervals, upon a certain gelatinous substance, of such a nutritious power that the smallest quantity is sufficient to support them for a long period. This delicious food, is of the most perfect flavor. But it happens that at last, it disappears, and is successively re- placed by two other substances, one of which, resembles the tender sprout of a tree. They are so nutritious and purified, that in our present condition, we can have no adequate idea of their properties. They too disappear, and are succeeded by a sort of rice called Tha-le. The inhabitants of the earth eat also of that rice, but alas ! the consequences prove as fatal to them as the eating of the forbidden fruit proved to the happy denizens of Eden. The brightness that had hitherto encircled their bodies, and il- luminated the world, vanishes away, and to their utmost dismay, they find themselves for the first time sunk into an abyss of unknown darkness. The eating of that coarse food creates foeces and evacuations which, forcing their way out of the body, cause the appearance of what marks the distinction of the sexes. Passions, for the first time, burn and rage in the bosom of those hitherto passionless beings. They are deprived of the power to return to their celestial seats. Very soon jealousy, contentions, &c. follow in train of the egotistical distinction of mine and thine. Finding themselves in the gloom of darkness, the unhappy beings sigh for, and long after, light ; when, on a sudden, the sun, breaking down the barrier of darkness, burst out. rolling as it were in a flood of light, which illuminates the whole world : but soon disappearing in the west, below the horizon, darkness seemed to resume its hold. New lamentations and bewailings on the part of men, when in a short time, there arose majestically the moon, spreading silvery and trembling rays of light. At the same time the planets and stars take their respective stations in the sky, and begin their regu- lar revolutions. The want of settling arising disputes is soon felt by the new inhabitants ; they agree to elect a chief, whom they invest with a sufficient authority for framing regulations which are to be ob- ligatory on every member of society, and a power for enforcing obedi- ence to those regulations. Hence the origin of society. Men at first practising virtue, enjoyed a long life, the duration of which reached to the almost incredible length of a thengie. But hav- ing much relaxed in the practice of virtue, it lessened proportionately to their want of fervor in the observance of the law, until by their ex- treme wickedness it dwindled to the short period of ten years. The same ascending and descending scale of human life, successively brought in by the laws of merit and demerit, takes place sixty-four times, and constitutes an andraka, or the duration of a world. There remains to mention rapidly some particulars regarding the end of a revolution of nature. The cause of such an event, is the influence of th^e demerits prevailing to such ah extent as to be all powerful iu 14 I EGBND OF TIIK BURMESE BUDHA. zanas, in breadth '-252, and in circumference 9<)0. He knew that tin that island, all former BucThas and semi Budhas, the two great Rahandas 16 or disciples of the right and left, the prinoe whose sway is universal. &c. nil of them hud invariably fixed upon, and selected that island, and amidst the various countries ou the island, that of Mitzima, the central one, where is to be found the district of Kapilawot. Thither, safe! he, shall I resort, and become a Budha. Having determined the place he was to working out destruction. Two solemn warnings of the approaching dis- solution of our planet are given by JSfats, near 100,000, and the other loo years before that event. The bearers of such sad news make their appearance on earth, with the marks of deep mourning the best suited to afford additional weight to their exhortations. They earnest- ly call on men to repent of their sins and amend their lives. These last summons are generally heeded by all mankind, so that men, when the world is destroyed, generally migrate together with the victims of hell who have atoned for their past iniquities, to those seats of Brahm- as that escape destruction. There are three great principles of demerit, concupiscence, auger and ignorance. Tlie world also is destroyed by the action of three different agents, fire, water and wind. Concupiscence is the most common, though the less heinous of the three. Next cornea anger, less prevailing, though it is more heinous ; but ignorance is by far themost fatal of all moral distempers. The moral disorder that is then prevailing, causes destruction by the agency that itsets in action. Con- cupisceaee has for its agency fire, anger, water ; ignorance, wind ; but in the following proportion. Of sixty-four destructions of this world, fifty- six are caused by 'conn igration, seven by water, and one by wind. Their respective limits of duration stand as follows : conflagration reaches to the five lowest seats of Brahmas ; water extends to the eighth seat, and the destructive violence of the wind is felt as far as the ninth seat. 16. — Our planet or globe is composed according to Budhists of the mountain Min-mo, being in height £2»00Q youdzanas (1 youdzana is equal fo little less than 12 English miles), above the surface of the earth, its depth is equal to its height. Around this huge and tall elevation, are disposed the four great islands, according to the four points of the compass ; and each of these again is surrounded by odd small islands. The countries south of the great chain of the Himalaya, are supposed to form the great island laying at the south. It would be easy to give at full length the ridiculous notions enter- tained by Budhists of these parts, on geography and cosmography, &fc. &c, but the knowledge of such puerilities is scarcely worth the attention of a serious reader, who is anxious to acquire accurate in- formation respecting a religious system, winch was designed by its inventor, to be the vehicle of moral doctrines, with but very few dog- mas Those speculations upon this material world have gradually found their place in the collection of sacred writings, but they are no part of the religious creed. They are of a Hindu origin, and convey Indian notions upon those various topics. Those notions even do not belon g to t hej3ystero as expounded in the Vedas, but have been set forth at a comparatively modern epoch. lEGE'ND 6t IHE BURMESE ilUMU, \iy Select for his teiTjatriat seat, Phralaong examined the race or caste from which he was t" be bom The caste of the people and that of merchants appeared too low and much wanting in respectabili- ty, and moreover no Budha had overcome out therefrom. That of the Pounhas was in former times, the most illustrious and respect- ed, but that of Princes, in those days, was far surpassing it in power and consideration. He therefore fixed his choice upon the caste of Prince s, as the most becoming his future high calling. I choose, said he, prince Thoudo dana for my father. As to th« princess who L> to become my mother, she must be distinguished by a modest deportment and (haste manners, without having ever tasted any intoxicating drink. During the duration of 100,000 worlds, she must have lived in the practice of virtue, performing with a scrupulous exactitude all the practices and ob- servances prescribed by the law. The great and glorious prin- ce ss Mala is the only person in whom all these conditions are to be found. Moreover, the period of her life shall be at an end ten months and seven days hence 17 — she shall be my mother. Having thus maturely pondered over these four circumstances, Phralaong (uruing to the Nats that surrounded him, anxiously expecting his answer, plainly and unreservedly told them that the time for his becoming budha had arrived, and bade them to communicate forthwith this great news to all the Brahmas and Nats . He rose up and accompanied by all the Nats of Toocita , withdrew into the delightful garden of Naudawon . After a short sojourn in that place, he left the abode of Nats, descended into the seat of men, and incarnated in the womb of the glorious Mai'a. At that time, the inhabitants of Kapilawot were busily enlaced in celebrating, in the midst of extraordinary rejoicings, the festi- val of the constellation of Outarathan (July — August) But the virtuous Mai'a , without mixing amidst the crowd of those devoted to amusements, during the seven days that preceded the full moon of July, spent her time among her attendants, in making offerings of flowers and perfumes. The day before the full moon, she rose up at an early hour, bathed in perfumed water and dis- tributed to the needy four hundred thousand pieces of silver ; attired with her richest dress, she took her meal, and religiously performed all the pious observances usual on such occasions. This being done, she entered into her private apartment, and lying on her couch, fell asleep and had the following dream 17 — A Ivahanda is a being very far advanced in perfection, and gifted with high spiritual attainments which confer to his mortal frame certain distinguished prerogatives, becoming almost but spirits. Con- cupiscence is totally extinguished in a LlahaUda ; he may be said to be lit, for the state Njjgan,. Several classes are assigned to Rahandag ac- cording to the various degrees of advancement in the way of perfection. IG LEGEND 01 THE BURMESE BL'DAll. Four princes of Njttg of the a- bod e of Tsadoomarit took the prin- cesa with her couch, carried it to the mount Himawonta , l8 and deposited it on an immense and magnificent rock, sixty youdzanas long, adorned with various colors, at the spot where a splendid tree, seven youdzanas high, extends its green and rich foliage. The four queens, wives of the four princes of Tsadoomarit, approach- ing the couch where Maia was reclining, took her to the banks of the lake Anawadat, washed her with the waters of the lake and spread over the couch flowers brought from the abode of Nats. Near the lake is a beautiful mountain of a silvery appearance ; the summit whereof is crowned with a magnificent and lofty palace. On the east of the palace, in the side of the mount, is a splendid cave. Within the cave a bed similar to that of the Nats, was prepared. The princess was led to that place, and sat on the bed, enjoying a de- licious and refreshing rest. Opposite this mount, and facing the cave where Maia sat surrounded by her attendants, rose another mount, where Phralaong . under the shape of a young white ele- phant, was roaming over its sides, in various directions. He was soon seen coming down the hill he was on, and, ascending that where the princess lay on her bed, directed his course towards the cave. On the extremity of his trunk, lifted up like a beautiful string of flowers, he carried a white lily. His voice occasionally resounding through the air, could be heard dis- tinctly by the inmates of the grotto, and indicated his approach. He soon entered the cave, turned three times round the couch whereupon sat the princess, then standing for a while, he came nearer, opened her right side and appeared to conceal himself in her womb. In the morning, having awoke from her sleep, the princess related her dream to her husband. Prince Thoudodana sent 18. — It is an immutable decree that she on whom has been conferred the singular honor of giving birth to a mortal, who during the course of his existence is to become a Budha, dies invariably seven days after her delivery, migrating to one of the delightful seats of_Nats. The Burmese translator observes that a womb that has been, as it were, consecrated and sanctified by the presence of a child of so exalted a dig- nity, can never become afterwards the hidden abode of less dignified beings. It must he confessed thai the conception of Phralaong in Ids mother's womb, is wrapped up in a mysterious obsciirity, which ap- pears to exclude the idea of conjugal intercourse. The Cochin-Chinese in their religious legends pretend that Budha was conceived and born from Maia in a wonderful manner, not resembling at all what takes place according to the order of nature. 19.— The Mount Hjmawonta is famous in all Budhistic com- positions, as the scene where greal and important events have hap- pened. 11 i tb Himalaya, in all probability, a being the highest range i mountains ever known to Indian B idhi ■' ■ ii.dr.xn OB riiE duimissE bcdha.. IT without delay for sixty-four Po unh as. aa Op a ground lined with cow-dung, parched rice, froAvers and other olfSrings were carefully deposited and profusely spread. An appropriate place was re-* served for the Pounhas. Butter, milk and honey were served out to them in vases of gold and silver; moreover several suits of dress and five cows were offered them as presents, as well as many other articles. These preliminaries being arranged, the prince narrated to them the dream, with a request for its explanation. Prince, answered the Pounhas , banish from your mind all anxious thoughts, and be of a cheerful heart , the child whom ths princess bears in her womb, is not a girl but a boy. He will, after growing up, either live amongst men and then become a mighty ruler whose sway all the human race will acknowledge, or, withdrawing from the tumult of society, he will resort to some solitary place, and there embrace the profession of Italian . In that condition he will disentangle himself from the miseries attending existence, and at last obtain the high dignity of Budha. Such was the explanation of the dream. At the moment Phra - laorig entered into Maui's womb, a great commotion was felt throughout the four elements, and thirty-two wonders simulta- neously appeared. A light of an incomparable brightness illumi- nated suddenly ten thousand worlds ; the blind, desirous, as it were, to contemplate the glorious dignity of .PJu^djiGuig, reco- vered their sight ; the deaf perceived distinctly every sound ; the dumb spoke with fluency ; those, whose bodies were bent, stood 20. — Pounhas are the Brahmins who, even in those days of re" luote antiquity, were considered as the wisest in their generation " They had already monopolized the lucrative trade of fortune-tellers' astrologers, etc. and it appears that they have contrived toietainit up to our own days. During my first stay in Burundi, I became acquainted with a young Pounha, wearing the white dress, and getting his liveli- hood by telling the horoscopes of newly born infants, and even grown- up people. 1 learned from him the mode of finding out by calculation the state of the heavens at any given hour soever. This mode of calculation is entirely based on the Hindu system, and has evidently been borrowed fi om that people. Tiiough Brahmins in those days, as in our own, worked on popular ignorance and credulity in the manner above mentioned, we ought not to lose sight of the great fact borne out by this legend in a most dis- tinct and explicit way, that many among them devoted all their time, energies and abilities to the acquirement of wisdom, and the observ- ance of the most arduous practices. Their austere mode of life, was to a great extent copied and imitated by the first religious of the Bud- hist persuasion. Many ordinances and prescriptions of the W in i agree, to a remarkable degree, with those enforced by the Yedas. In the beginning, the resemblance must have been so great as so render the discrepancies scarcely perceptible, since we read in this very work, of an injunction made to the earlier converts, to bestow aims on the P ounhas , as well as on the Bickus or mendicant religious, placing tlieui both oh" a footing of perfect equality. c fg LEGEND OF THE atflfSfETS^ BtVltX. nv in ftU erect position ; the lame walked with ease aud 9Tr:f€- Hess ; prisoners saw their Totters unloosed, and found themselves restored to liberty ; the tires of hell were extinguished ; the ra- venous cravings of the l'reithas- 1 were satiated ; animals were exempt from all infirmities ;- all rational beings uttered but words of peace, anil mutual benevolence; horses exhibited signs of an excessive joy ; elephants with a solemn and deep voice, express- ed their contentment ; musical instruments resounded of them- selves with the most melodious harmony ; gold and silver orna- ments worn at the arms and feet, without coming in contact, emitted pleasing sounds ; all places became suddenly filled with >t resplendent light ; refreshing breezes blew gently all over the earth ; abundant rain poured from the skies during the hot sea- son, and springs ot cool water burst out in every place, carrying through prepared beds, their gently murmuring- streams ; bird* of the air stood still, forgetting their usual flight ; rivers sus- pended their course, seized with a mighty astonishment ; sea water became fresh ; the five sorts of lilies were to be seen in every direction ; every description of flowers burst open, display- ing the liebness of their brilliant colors : from the branches of all trees, and the bosom of the hardest rocks, flowers shot forth ex- hibiting all around the most glowing, dazzling, an ' vaiied hues : lilies seemingly rooted in the canopy of the skies, hung down scattering their embalmed fragrance ; showers of flowers poured from the firmament on the surface of the earth : f the musical tunes of the Nats were heard by the rejoiced inhabitants of our globe ; hundred thousands of worlds ^ suddenly approached each other, sometimes in the shape of an elegant nosegay, sometimes in that of a ball of flowers, or of a spheroid ; the choicest essences embalmed the wdiole atmosphere that encompasses this world. Such are the wonders that took place at the time Fhralaong entered his mother's womb. When this great event happened, feur chiefs of Nats from the seat of Tsadoomarit, 23 armed with swords, kept an uninterrupt- 21. — Preitha is a being in a state of punishment and sufferings, on accouut of sins committed in a former existence. He is doomed to live in the solitary recesses of uninhabited mountains, smarting under the pangs of never satiated hunger. His body, and particularly his stomach, are of gigantic dimensions, whilst his mouth is so small that a needle could scarcely be shaved into it. •22. — In the Budhistic system of cosmogony, 100,000 worlds form one system, subject to the same immutable changes and revolutions which affect this one which we inhabit. They admit indeed that the number of worlds is unlimited, but they assert that those forming one system are simultaneously dsstroyed, reproduced and perfected by virtue of certain eternal laws inherent to matter itself. i!3.— Tsadoomaritz is the first of the six abodes of Nats, The des- cription of the pleasure enjoyed by the inhabitants of that seat, is replete with accounts of the. grossest licentiousness. LEGEND 0* THE RITRMEeK BTXDII*. 19 «d watch round the palace, to avert any accident that might •prove hurtful to the mother or her blessed fruit. From 10,000 worlds, four Nats from the same seat, were actively engaged ia driving away all iJilous a4 and ether monsters and forcing them to flee and hide .themselves at the extremity of the earth. Mai a, i'ree from every disordered propensity, spent her time with her handmaids in the interior of her apartments. Her soul enjoyed in a perfect calm, the sweetest joys ; fatigue and weariness never affected her unimpaired health. In his mother's womb, Phra- laong appeared like the white thread passed through the purest precious stones ; the womb itself resembled an elegant Dzedi. 25 * 54, — A Palou, or rather 13iiou, is a monster with a human face, supposed •ie feed en human flesh. His eves are ef a deep red hue, and his body .of so subtile a nature as never to project any shadow. Wonderful tales are told of this monster, which plays a considerable part in most of the Budhistic writings. 2o. — A Dzedi is a religious edifice -of a conical form, supported on a square basis, and having its top covered with what the Burmese call an umbrella, resembling in its shape the musical instrument vulgarly called Chapeau chinois, by the French. On each side of the quadran- gular basis, are opened four niches, in the direction of the four cardinal .points, destined to receive statues of Budha. This monument is of every dimension in size, from the smallest, a few feet high, to the tallest, of one or two hundred feet high. It is to be seen in every direc- tion, and in the neighbourhood of towns every elevation is crowned with one or several Dzedis. The word Dzedi means a sacred depository, that is to say, a place where relies of Budha w^ere enshrined. The word has been ex- pended since to places which had become receptacles of the scriptures, or of the relics of distinguished religious, who had acquired eminence by their scientific and .moral attainments. In the beginning, those Dzedis were a kind of tumuli, or mounds of earth or bricks, erected up- on the shrine wherein relics were enclosed. In proportion as the fol- lowers of the Budhistic faith increased in number, wealth and influ- ence, they erected Dzedis on a grander scale, bearing always a great resemblance in shape and form to the primitive ones. The Stupas or Topes discovered in the Punjab, and in other parts of the IndlanPenin- sula, were real Budhistic tumuli or Dzedis. During succeeding ages, when relics could not be procured, the faith- ful continued to erect Dzedis, intended, by their sight, to remind tiiem of the sacred relics, ahcTthey paid to those relics and monuments * Remark of the Burmese Translator. — It is to be borne in mind that the mothers of Budhas, having had the singular privilege of giving birth to a child of so exalted a dignity, it would not be convenient or becoming, that other mortals should receive life in the same womb, they therefore always die seven day/after their delivery and migrate to the abode of Nats, called Toocita. It is usual with other mothers to be delivered lying in an horizontal position and sometimes before or after the tenth month. But with the mother of a Budha, the case is not the same ; the time of her confinement invariably happens at the beginning of the tenth month, and she is always delivered in an erect and vertical position. c* r-0 LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. With the solicitous care and vigilant attention one carries about a thabeifM full of oil. the great Maia watched all her move- ments, ami during ten months, unremittingly laboured for the safe preservation of the precious fruit of her womb. CHAPTEB II. Birth of Budha in a forest— Rejoicings on that occasion— Kate- dewila — Prediction of the l\,„nhas—V(un efforts of Thoudo * dana, to thwart the effect of the prediction. The time of her approaching confinement being close at hand the princess solicited from her husband, the prince JIhoudodana, leave to go to the country of Dewah . 27 amongst her friends and relatives. As soon as her request was made known, the prince ordered that the whole extent of the road between Kapilawot and Dewah should be perfectly levelled and lined on both sides with plantain trees, and adorned with the finest ornaments. Jais full of the purest water, were to be desposited all along the road at short intervals. A chair of gold was made ready for conveying the princess : and a thousand noblemen, attended by an innumerable retinue, were directed to accompany her during the journey. Between the two countries an immense forest of lofty Ingicng trees extends at a great distance. As soon as the cortege reached it, the five water lilies shot forth spontaneously from the stem and the main branches of each tree; innumerable birds of all kinds by their melodious tunes, filled the air with the most ravishing music. Trees similar in beauty to those growing in the seats of Nats, apparently sensible of the presence of the incarnated Buddha, seemed to share in the universal joy. the same veneration as they would have offered to those enriched with those priceless objects. In Burmah, in particular, the zeal or rather the rage f >r building Dzedis, has been carried to a degree scarcely to be credited, by those who have not visited that country. In the fol- lowing pages, there will be found an attempt at describing tke various forms given to those monuments. 26. The Thabeit is an open mouthed pot, of a truncated spheroidical form, made of earth, iron or brass, without ornaments, used by the Budhist monks when going abroad, in their morning excursions, to re- ceive the alms bestowed on them by the admirers of their holy mode of life. 27. — This countryof Dewah is one of the 16 countries so celebrated in the Budhistic annals, where the greatest religious events have taken place. They are placed in the centre, north and northwest portions of Hindostan. In this place was born the celebrated pewadat, who be- came brother-in-law to Budha himself. I>ut notwithstanding the close ties of relationship that united him to so saintly a personage, Dewadat is represented as the incarnation of evil, ever opposed to Budha in his LEGEXD OF CHE BURMESE BUDHA. 21 On beholding this wonderful appearance of all the lofty trees of the forest, the Princess felt a desire to approach nearer and enjoy the marvellous sight offered to her astonished regards. Her noble attendants led her forthwith at a short distance into the forest. Maia approached one of the resplendent Ingieng, (Shorca robusta) with the intention of breaking a small branch and carrying it away. On that very instant, as the slender rattan, heated by fire, bends down its tender head, all the branches low- ered their extremities, offering themselves, as it were, to the hand of the princess, who unhesitatingly seized and broke the extremi- ty of one of the young boughs. By virtue of a certain power inherent in her dignity, on a sudden all the winds ble 81 THE BTJHSifcSE fHP.Ul. K oldeu swonl, the golden slippers, the cope set with the raven precious stones aud other royal insignia * Thirty-two mighty wonders nad proclaimed the incarnation ot Phralaong in his mother's womb, and the same number of wonders anonuced bis birth to the earth. Moreover, in that same mo- ment were born the beautiful Yathaudra, the son of AmUUu- dana, Anan la, the noblemen Tsanda, Kaludari, and the horse Kantika. The great tree Bodi also sprung from the ground, and the four golden vases suddenly re-appeared. The inhabitants^ Dewah joining those of Kapilawot, set out for the latter country with the newly born infant, to whom they rendered the greatest honors. The Nats of the seat of Tawadem- tha, on hearing that a son was born to Prince Thoodaudana and that, under the shade of the tree Bodi 151 , he would become a true Budha with a perfect knowledge of the four great truths, gave full vent of their boundless joy, hoisting unfurled flags and ban- ners in every direction, in token of their indescribable rejoicings. been introduced in the palace of Amerapoora, will not have forgotten how great was his satisfaction on beholdng the white umbrella tower- ing above the sides of passages and moving in the direction he was sit- ting in. He knew that the time of his expectation was at an end, and that in a moment, he would behold the golden face. 31_ l n glancing over the genealogy of the twenty-eight last Buduas, the writer has observed that every Budha has always obtained the su- premo intelligence under the shadow of some trees. Our Phralaong, as will be seen hereafter, attained to the exalted dignity of Budha, under the tree Buidhi, (fifius religiosa, ) which grew up spontaneously at the same moment he was born. The writer has never been able to discover any well-grounded reason to account for this remarkable cir- cumstance, so carefully noted down in relating the particulars attend- ing the elevation of a being to this high station. For want of a better one he will be permitted to hazard the following conjecture. Our Phralaong previous to his becoming a Budha, withdrew into solitude for the purpose of fiting himself for his future calling, in imitation of all his predecessors, leading an ascetic life, and devoting all his undivided attention and mental energies to meditation and contemplation, coupled with works of the most rigorous mortification The senses, he knew * Remarks of the Burmese Translator.— On the former existences, our Phralaong is said to have spoken a few words immediately after his birth, viz : when he was Mahauthata and Wethaudra. On the first, h» came into this world holding in his hands a small plant, which a Nat had brought and placed in his tender hands at that very moment. He showed it to his mother who asked him what it was. This is a medi- cinal plant, replied he to his astonished mother. The plant was cast into a large jar full of water and the virtualized liquid ever retained the power of curing every kind of bodily distemper. When he was horn or ratlvr began the existence in which he was called Wethandra, he stretched but his hands asking something from his mother which he might bestow on the needy. The mother put at his disposal one thou- sand pieces of silver. LEGEND OF TME BURMESE BUDHA, 23 There was a celebrated Rathee, named Kaladewila, who had passed through the eight degrees of contemplation and who was in the habit of resorting daily to the Prince's palace, for his food. On that very day, having as usual taken his meal, he ascended to the seat of Tawadeintha 3 - and found the fortunate inhabitants of that seat giving themselves up to uncommon rejoicings. He asked them the reason of such an unusual display of enrapturing transports of exultation. It is, replied they to the enquiring Itathee, because a son is born to Prince Thoudaudana, who will soon become a true Budha. Like all former Budhas, he will preach the law and exhibit in his person and throughout his life, the greatest wonders and a most accomplished pattern of the highest virtues. We will hear the law from his very mouth. On hearing the answer of the Nats, Kaladewila immediately left the seat of Tawadeintha, and directed his atrial course towards the palace of Thoudaudana. Having entered into the palace and occupied the place prepared for him, he conveyed to the Prince tho good tidings of a son having been born unto him. A few days after this message, the royal child was brought into the presence of his rejoicing father. Kaladewila was pre- sent on the occasion. Thoudaudana ordered that the child should well, were to be submitted to the uncontrolled sway of reason, by al- lowing to himself but what was barely requisite for suppoiting nature. Regardless of every personal comfort, his mind Was bent upon acquir- ing the sublime knowledge of the principle and origin of all things, in fathoming the miseries of all beings, and in endeavoring to discover the most efficacious means of affording them a thorough relief, by pointing out to them the road they had to follow in order to disentangle them- selves from the trammels of existence and arriving at a state of perfect rest. In common with all other ascetics, our Phralaong had no other shelter against the inclemency of the seasons, but the protecting shad- ow of trees. It was under the cooling and refreshing foliage of the trees of the forests, that he spent his time in the placid and undisturbed work of meditation, acquiring gradually that matchless knowledge and con- summate wisdom he needed for carrying on, to perfection, the benevo- lent undertaking he had in contemplation. 32. — It is a maxim generally received among Budhists, that he who has far advanced in the way of perfection, acquires extraordinary priv- ileges both in his soul and in his body. The latter obtains a sort of spiritualized nature, or rather matter becomes so refined and purified, that it is enabled to travel over distances, with almost the rapidity of the thought of the mind. The former, by the help of continual medita- tion on the causes and nature of all things, aggrandizes incessantly its sphere of knowledge. The remembrance of the past revives in the mind. From the lofy position such a being is placed in, he calmly considers and watches the movement of events that will take place in future times. The more his mind expands, and the sphere of his knowledge expands, the greater are the perfections and refinements attending the coarser part of his being. D' 56 LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BC-DitfA be attired with the finest dress and plaeed in the presence of the Ratheo, in order to pay him his respects. Hut the child rose up- and set his two feet on.' the curled hairs of the venerable personage „. The persons present on the occasion, not knowing that a Budha- in his last existence, never bows down to any being, thought that the head of the imprudent child would be split into seven parts, as a punishment for his unbecoming behaviour. But Kaladewila rising up from his seat, and lifting up- his hands to the forehead, bowed respectfully to the infant Phralaong. The Prince, astonish- ed at such an unusual condescension from so eminent a personage, followed his example, and out of respect prostrated 1 before his son. By virtue of his great spiritual attainments, Kaladewila could recollect, at once all that had taken place during the forty pre- ceding worlds, and foresee all that would happen* during the vame number of future revolutions of nature. On seeing the high perfections shining forth in our Phralaong, he considered attentively whether he would become a Budha, or not. Having ascertained that such a dignity was reserved for him, he wished 1 to know if the remaining period of his own existence, would per- mit him to witness the happy moment when he would be a- Budha. To his deep regret, he foresaw that the end of his life would come before the occurrence of that great event, and that he would have then migrated to one of the seats of A rupa. and be, therefore, deprived of the favor of hearing the law from his mouth. This foresight caused a profound sadness in his heart, and abundant tears flowed from his eyes. But when he reflected on the future destiny of the blessed child, he could not con- tain within himself the pure joy that overflowed his soul. The people present on the occasion, soon remarked the opposite "motions which alternately affected the soul of Kaladewila. They asked him the reason of such an unusual ■ occurrence. I rejoice, said' he, at the glorious destiny of that child ; but I feel sad and dis- consolate on thinking that it will not be given to me, to see and contemplate him, clothed with the dignity of Budha ; I bewail in tears my great misfortune. With the view of assuaging his sorrow, Kaladewila, casting an- other glance toward future events, eagerly sought t© discover, if, among his relatives, there would not be at least one who would be so fortunate as to see Phralaong in the nature of Budha. He saw with inexpressible delight that his nephew, N-alaka, would enjoy the blessing denied to himself. Thereupon he went in all haste to his sister's house, enquiring about her son. At his re- quest, the lad was brought into his presence. Beloved nephew. said the venerable Ratfiee, thirty-five years hence,33 the son of/ 33. — According to the prophecy of Kaludewila, Phralaong is to be- ome Budha when thirty-five years old. The total duration of his life- LEGEND OF THE RTORMESE BUDHA, S2 Prince Thoudaudana wilJ become a Budha ; you will contemplate liim in that sublime and exalted nature, from this day, there- fore, you shall embrace the profession of Italian. The young man ■who descended from a long succession of wealthy noblemen, said within himself: my uncle, indeed, never says anything but under the impulse of irresistible and cogent motives. I will follow his advice and will become a Recluse. Me immediately ordered the •.purchase of the insignia of his new profession, a patta, athingan, 34 being eighty years, it follows that he has lived as Budha forty-five years. The advice of the old Rathue to his nephew Nalaka, to bocome a Rahan for better disposing himself to welcome the coming of Budha, and listen- ing with greater benefit to his preachings, leads me to make a remark and write down an observation that has been already alluded to. From this passage and many others which the reader will easily notice here- after, as well as from the example of Budha himself, one must suppose that at the time Phralaong was born, some institutions, the most im- portant one at least, viz : that of the Rahans, recluses, or monks, alrea- dy existed in a more or less perfect state. Belying solely on the autho- rity of this Legend, no attempt at denying this supposition can ever be made. Kaludewila speaks of the order of Rahans as of a thing well known. Nalaka sends to the bazar for the purchase of the dress and other articles he wanted for his new mode of life. Phralaong on his way to his garden, sees a Rahan, whose habits and manners are descri- bed to him by his coachman. Having become Budha, he meets with ascetics and recluses living in community, leading a life much resem- bling that which he is supposed to have hereafter instituted, holding ;but.few opinions, which, according to his own standard, were heretical. From these facts flows the natural conclusion that Gaudama is not the .inventor or originator of all the Budhistic disciplinary institutions. He found among the multifarious sects of Brahminisin, many practices and ordinances which he approved of, and incorporated or embodied in his new system. This is another proof amounting to a demonstration, that Budhism is an offshoot of the great Hindu system. On this res- pect, Gaudama borrowed largely from what he found existing in his own days, in the schools he resorted to, and re-echoed many tenets up- held by the masters under whom he studied sciences and the training ■up to morals and virtue. He enlarged and developed certain favorite .theories and principles, which had found favor with him ; at the same time, for the purpose, of leading his disciples to perfection, he enforced many disciplinary regulations almost similar to those he had been sub- jected to during the years of his probation. He was certainly an ardent promoter of the perfected and improved system he endeavored to in- troduce. 34. — The Thingan or Tsiwaran is composed of three parts, — the thinbaing, resembling an ample petticoat, bound up to the waist, with a leathern girdle, and falling down to the heels ; the kowot, which con- sists of a sort of cloak of a rectangular shape, covering the shoulders and breast, and reaching somewhat below the knee ; and the dugout, which is a piece of cloth of the same shape, folded many times, thrown .over the left shoulder vvhen going abroad, and used to sit on, when no proper seat has been prepared. The color of these three pieces, constitu- ting the dress of a Recluse, is invariably yellow. The jack tree supplies Og LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDIIA. and other articles. His head was shaved and he put on the yel- low garb. Attired in his new dress, he looked all round and saw that amongst all beings, the Rahans are by far the most excel- lent. Then turning towards the place Phralaong occupied, he prostrated himself five successive times in that direction, rose up, placed the patta in its bag, threw it over his shoulder, and direct- ed his steps towards the solitude of Himawonta, where he devot- ed himself to all the exercises of his profession. At the time Phralaong became a Budha, our hermit went to that great mas- ter, learnt from him the works that lead to the state of perfect Stability of mind, returned back to his solitude, and attained to the perfection of Rjhanda by the practice of the eminent works. •Seven months after his return, the end of his existence arrived, when, disentangled from all the ties that had hitherto kept him in the world of passions, he reached the happy state of Niban. e Chapter 111. A name is given *o the child, — Prediction of the Pounhas respect ■ing the child, — Death of Maia, — Miraculous occurrence at th child's cradle, — adolescence of Phralaong, — -He sees the four Sigjis, — Return from the garden to the royal city. Five days after the birth of Phralaong, took place the ceremony of washing the head and giving him a name. In the apartment of the palace, several kinds of perfumed wood and essences, such as Handal wood, lignum, aloes, camphor, «fcc, were strewed profusely, as well as the most exquisitely scented flowers and parched rice. The nogana (a sort of beverage made of milk, sugar and honey) was prepared in great abundance. One hundred and eighty Pounhas 35 the most versed in the science of astrology, were in- the materials for dyeing the cloth, yellow. In order to maintain a spirit of perfect poverty among the members of the order of Recluses, the Wini prescribes that the Tsiw&ran ought to be made up with rags picked up here and there, and sewed together. The rule in this respect, at least as far as its spirit goes, is thoroughly disregarded and has be- come almost a dead letter. The hairs of the head and the beard being too often objects which vanity turns to its own purposes, are, to say the least, mere superflui- ties. A stern contemner of worldly things, must of course, do away with things which may prove temptations to him, or at least afford him un- necessary trouble. Hence no layman can ever aspire to become a Ra- han, unless he has previously submitted to the operation of a complete shaving of the head, including even the eye-brows. :v>. — Which of the two systems, Budhism, or Brahminism, is the most ancient 1 This is a question which learned Orientalists have in former days variously answered. If, however, some credit is to be given to this Legend, and the hero thereof is to be regarded as the author of JJudhism, the solution f that much controverted question is compar- LEGEN'II OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. 29 vited to partake »f a splendid entertainment in the palace. The king made to every one of them costly presents, and desired them to examine carefully all the signs, prognosticating the future destiny of his son. Amidst that crowd of soothsayers, eight Pounhas had been present and explained the dream that Maia had in the beginning of her pregnancy. Seven of them lifting up the index 36 of each hand of the child, were amazed at the won- ,atively easy and seems to admit of no doubt. Priority of antiquity is decidedly in favor of Brahminism. At the time Budha was born, and in his own country, we find already subsisting the great politico-reli- gious fabric of Hinduism. The distinction of caste is clearly mention- ed in several passages. We find the Pounhas or Brahmins already mo- nopolizing the lucrative trade of soothsaying, and regarded as the best informed among their countrymen. They are treated with great res- pect and consideration even by proud monarchs, who testify their regard for them by costly presents, and every possible mark of distinc- tion. It is true that their caste is not always spoken of with great regard by Budhist authors ; but this is to be attributed to the deadly enmity that has at a later period, prevailed between those two great rival sects, which have so long struggled for supremacy over the Indian Peninsuala. The Brahminical creed is spoken of in very dis- paraging terms by Budhists ; and as a matter of course, they have been reciprocally handled severely by their opponents. To those who feel inclined to regard Budha as but a great reformer of a religious system already existing, the ».|uestion will not appear cleared of all difficulty. But upon them rests the task of establishing on uncontrovertible grounds, their hypothesis, ere any serious attention can be paid to the conclusion they would fain infer in favor of the superior antiquity of , Budhism. As for us, we believe Budha to be the real author of the great religious system under examination. But at the same time, we readily concede that many elements found existing in those days, were seized upon by Budha, and skilfully arranged so as to harmo- nize well with his plans. 36. — Superstition and ignorance seem to have been in all ages and under every climate, the prolific source of human follies and mental delusions. Man has always been and will ever be the same ridicu- lously superstitious being, as long as his mind is left to itself, unen- lightened by revelation. With few exceptions, the greatest men of Italy and Greece were as superstitious, as the Vulgus to whom, in every other respect, they were so superior. The resemblance error bears to truth, when human passions have some interest at stake, deceives many ; under deceitful appearances, it finds its way to the mind, and then clings to the heart. There is in man an innate desire of tearing as under the thick veil that hides from him the knowledge of future events. Unable to comprehend the perfect econ- omy of an allwise Providence, in the disposition and management of the affairs of this world, he has recourse to the most absurd mean s for satiating'the cravings of his inordinate curiosity. Hence the prevailing superstition of those days, which induced men to believe that Brah- mins, on inspecting the inner part of the hand, could discover certain signs foreshowing the good or bad destiny of every individual. 30 LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. derful signs their eyes met. If this child, said they, remain ia the society of men, he will become a mighty ruler that will bring all nations under his sway ; but, if he embrace the profes- sion of Recluse, he will certainly become a Budha. They began to foretell the incomparable glory and high honors that would attend his universal reign. The eighth Pounha, named Kaun- tagna, the descendant of the celebrated son of Thoodata, and the youngest of all, raised up the index of one hand of the child. Struck with the wonderful and unmistakeable signs that forced themselves on his view, he exclaimed : no! this child will not re- main long in the society of men ; he will free himself from the vicissitudes 37 and miseries attending the existence of all beings, and will finally become a Budha. As the child was to be the in- strument for promoting the welfare and merits of all mortals, they gave him the name of Theidat. Seven days after her confinement, Maia died, and by the vir- tue of her merits migrated to the seat of Toocita, and became the daughter of a Nat. Her death was not the result of her dcliverv, but she departed this world, because the term of her life had come. On their return to their home, the Pounhas assembled their children and said to them : — we are already advanced in years. We dare not promise to ourselves that we will ever see the son of Prince Thoudaudana, become a Budha. But to you such a favor is reserved; listen respectfully to all his instructions and endeavour to enter the profession of Kahan without delay, and withdraw into so'itude. Let us also all join you in that holy vocation. Three Pounhas, refused the invitation, and would not enter the profession. The five ethers cheerfully gave up every thing and became distinguished members of the ascetic body. Prince Thoudaudana hearing of the explanation given by the Pounhas, enquired whether his son was really to become a Kahan. Having been assured that all the signs predicted the future des- 37. — Metempsychosis or the transmigration of the soul from one state of existence into another, in the same world, is one of the leading .dogmas of Budhism. Many passages of the present work, or rather the whole of the Budhistic system, can never be understood, unless this tenet be always borne in mind. It is by passing through countless .existences, that a being is slowly purified of his imperfections and gra- dually advances in the way of merits and perfection. The sacred writings of Budhists mention that our Phralaong had to range during innumerable existences, the whole series of animals, from the dove to .the elephant, ere he could be born in the state of man. Pythagoras had •likely borrowed and received directly or indirectly from the Last, this doctrine, which his school re-echoed throughout Greece and Italy. The end of metempsychosis is, according to Budhists, the state of Niban. On this point the author of Budhism has been at variance with other religious schools, which in his own days held and professed the dogma >f transmigration. LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. 31 tiny of his son to such a calling, he desired to know what those signs were. He was told that the four following things were the very signs foreshowing the luture career of his son, viz: — an old man, a sick man, a dead man, and a Recluse. 38 As soon as his son would have successively remarked those four signs, he would immediately come to the conclusion that the state of Italian is alone worthy of the warm admiration and eager wishes of a wise man. Prince Thoudaudana who ardently wished to see his son be- come a great monarch, whose sway would extend over the four great islands and the two thousand smaller ones, gave the strict- est orders that none of the four omens should ever meet his eye». Guards were placed in every direction, at distances of a mile, charged with but one care, that of keeping out of his son's sight the appearance of those fatal omens. 38- — The three first allegorical omens or signs which, according to the foretelling of the Pounhas, were to be seen and observed hereafter by Phralaong, are designed to mean and express the compound of all miseries attending human existence, from the moment man crosses the threshold of life, to that of death. The view of these objects was intended to make him disgusted with a state necessarily accompanied with such an amount of wretchedness. He was soon induced by re- flection to hold in contempt the things of this world, and consequent- ly to seek with ardor some means of estranging himself from all visi- ble and material objects. The fourth sign, that is to say, the view of a Rahan, or a contemner of this world, aspiring to the perfect disen- gagement from the trammel of passions, and shaping his course to- wards Niban, was the very pattern he had to imitate and follow for arriving to that state of perfection, he felt a strong, though somewhat as yet confused, desire of possessing. The Nats or Dewatas are the ever ready ministers for affording to Phralaong the assistance he requires for reaching in safety the Budha- ship. They rejoice at the news of his approaching conception in the womb of Maia : they watch over the mother who is to give birth to so blessed a child : they receive the newly born infant and hand it over to men : they baffle by their almost supernatural power, the obstacles which the wordly minded Thoudaudana tries to throw in the way of his son's vocation ; in a word, their angelical ministrations are always at hand for helping and protecting our Phralaong, and enabling him to reach that state wherein he shall be fully qualified for announcing to men the law of deliverance. The belief in the agency of angels between heaven and earth, and their being the messengers of Uod for conveying, on solemn occasions, his mandates to men, is coeval, according to sacred records, with the appearance of man in this world. Innumerable are the instances of angelical ministrations, mentioned in the holy writ - We look upon angels as mere spiritual substances, assuming a human- form, when by the command of God they have to bring down to men some divine message. In the system of Budhists, Nats are described as having bodies indeed, but of such a pure nature, particularly those inhabiting the superior seats, that they are, not only, not subjected to the miseries inherent to our nature, but are moreover gifted of so su- 32 LEGEND OF THE St 14MESE BCDHJk. On that day, eighty thousand noblemen, who were present at the great rejoicings, pledged themselves, each one to give one of his male children to attend on the royal infant. If he become, said they, a mighty monarch, let our sons be ever with him, as a guard of honor to confer additional lustre on his wonderful reign; if he be ever elevated to the sublime dignity of Budha, let our children enter the holy profession of Kecluse, and follow him! whithersoever he may direct his steps. Thoudaudana, with the tender solicitude of a vigilant father, procured for his beloved offspring nurses exempt from all cor- poral defects and remarkable ior their beautiful and graceful ap- pearance. The child grew up, surrounded with a brilliant retinue of nu- merous attendants. On a certain day happened the joyful feast of the ploughing season. The whole country, by the magnifience of the ornaments that decorated it, resembled one of the seats of Nats. The coun- try people, without exception, wearing new dresses, went to the palace. One thousand ploughs and the same number of pairs of bullocks, were prepared for the occasion. Eight hundred ploughs, less one, were to be handled and guided by noblemen. The ploughs, as well as the yokes and the horns of the bullocks, were covered with silver leaves. But the one reserved for the monarch, was covered with leaves of gold. Accompanied by a countless crowd of his people. Prince Thoudaudana left the royal city and went into the middle of extensive fields. The royal infant was- brought out by his nurses on this joyful occasion. A splendid jambu tree (Kugenia), loaded with thick and luxuriant green foli- age, offered on that spot a refreshing place under the shade of its far spreading branches. Here the bed of the child was deposited. A gilt canopy was immediatly raised above it, and curtains em- broidered with gold were disposed round it. Guardians hav- ing been appointed to watch over the infant, the prince, at- tended by all his courtiers, directed his steps towards the place where all the ploughs were held in readiness. He instantly put bis hands to his own plough ; eight hundred noblemen, less one, and the country people followed his example. Pressing forward his bullocks, the king ploughed to and fro through the extent of perior attainments as to almost enjoy the perfections and qualifications inherent to the nature of Spirits. On this occasion the Nats are en- deavoring to make virtue triumph over vice ; but in the course of this Legend, we will have several opportunities of remarking a counteraction worked up by evil or wicked Nats for upholding the reign of passions or of sin. In this system the two contending, elements of good and evil have each its own advocates and supporters. An Hindu Milton might have found two thousand years ago, a ready theme, for writing in Sanscrit or Pali, a poem sinailaj; to that more recently composed by the immortal English bard. LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. 33 the fields. All the ploughmen, emulating their royal lord, drove their ploughs in an uniform direction. The scene presented a most animated and stirring spectacle on an immense scale. The ap- plauding multitude filled the air with cries of joy and exultation. Tho nurses who kept watch by the side of the infant's cradle, excited by the animated scene, forgot the prince's orders and ran near to the spot, to enjoy the soul stirring sight displayed before their admiring eyes* Phralaong, casting a glance all round and seeing no one cldse by him, rose up instantly and sitting in a cross legged position, remained absorbed, as it were, in a pro- found meditation. The other nurses, busy in preparing the prince's meal, had spent more time than it was at first contemplated. The shadow of the trees, by the movement of the sun, had turned in an opposite direction. The nurses, reminded by this sight that the infant had been left alone, and that his couch was exposed to the rays of the sun, hastened back to the spot they had so imprudently left. But great was their surprise, when they saw that the shadow of the jambu tree, had not changed its posi- tion, and that the child was quietly sitting on his bed. The news of that wonder were immediately conveyed to Prince Thoudau- dana, who came in all haste to witness it. He forthwith pros- trated before his sou, saying : this is, beloved child, the second time that I bow to you. Phralaong 33 having reached his sixteenth year, his father or- dered three palaces to be built for each season of the year. Each palace had nine stories, and forty thousand maidens, skil- ful in playing all sorts of musical instruments, were in continual attendance upon him and charmed by uninterrupted dances and music, all his moments, Phralaong appeared among them Avith the beauty and dignity of a J>at, surrounded with an immense 39. — From what has been hitherto mentioned of the life of our Phra- laong, we may see that many particulars regarding his birth and his childhood have been described with sufficient accuracy, but little or nothing is said of his adolescence, at least until the age of sixteen, when he gets united to the famous and youthful Yathaudra. In common with many other great men, this celebrated and extraordinary personage, has almost all the years of his private life wrapped up in a complete obscurity. We may conclude from his great proficiency in the knowledge of those sciences and attainments befitting his high situation, he was not remiss, since he was enabled to set at defiance the greatest masters of those days. In the midst of pleasures, he knew how to devote the best part of his time to study, unless we suppose that science was infused into his mind, by no exertion of his own. The Bur- mese have a regular mania for dividing with a mathematical precision, what at first appears to admit of no such division. Virtues, vices, sci- ences, arts, &c. all, in a word, is subjected to a rigorous division, which, if arbitrary in itself, has the great advantage of conferring a substantial help to memory. Bt &f LIGEND OF XHB UXTRMBS* BODHA, r.-tinue of .laughters of Nats. According to the change of seftBoa^ he passed from one palace into another, moving as it were in s eircleofever renewed pleasures and amusements. The beauti- ful Yathaudara was his favorite wife. Whilst Phralaong was spending his time m the midst of pleas- Aures, his relatives complained to- the kin^ f the conduct of his son. They strongly remonstrated against hi* mode of living* which precluded him from applying himself to the acquisition of those attainments befitting his exalted station. Sensible of those renroaches, Thoudaudana sent for his son, to whom he made known the complaints directed against him by his relatives. Without showing any emotion, the young- prince replied : let it be announced at the sound of the drum, throughout the country, that this day a week, I will show to my relatives in the presence of the best masters, that I am fully convei-sanfc with the eigh- teen sorts of arts and sciences. On the appointed day, he dis- played before them the extent of his knowledge ; they were satisfied, and their deubts and- anxieties on his account, were entirely removed. On a certain day Phralaong^ desiring to go and enjoy amuse- ment in his garden, ordered hi* coachman to have his conveyance ready for that purpose. Four horses richly caparisoned weie put to a beautiful carriage that resembled the dwelling place of a Nat. Phralaong having occupied his seat, the coachman drove rapidly towards the garden. The Nats who knew that the tima was near at hand -when Phralaong would become a Budha, re- solved to place successively before his eyes, the four signs fore- showing his future high dignity. One of them, assumed the form of an old man, the body bending forward, with grey hairs, a shrivelled skin and leaning languidly on a heavy staff. In that at- tire, he advanced slowly with trembling steps, towards the prince's conveyance. He was seen and remarked only by Phralaong and his coachman. Who is that man, said the prince to his driver ? the hairs of his head, indeed, do not resemble those cf other men. Prince, answered the coachman, he is an old man. Every born being is doomed to become like him ; his appearance must under- go the gi-eatest changes, the skin by the action of time will shrivel, the hairs turn grey, the veins and arteries, losing their suppleness and elasticity, will become stiff and hardened; the flesh will gra- dually sink and almost disappear, leaving the bare bones covered'; with dry skin. What r said to himself the terrified prince, birth is indeed a great evil, ushering all beings into a wretched condi- tion, which must be inevitably attended with the disgusting infir- mities of old age. His mind being takeirup entirely with such con- siderations, he ordered his coachman to drive back to the palace. Thoudaudana having enquired from his courtiers what motive had induced his son to return so soon from the [dace of amusement* TTF.GKND OT THE ttTTRMESB BTTOTTA. &> irras told that he had seen an old man, and that he entertained th» thought of becoming a Recluse. Alas ! said he, they will succeed in thwarting the high destiny of my son. But let us try now •every means to afford hiui some distraction, so that he maj r forget the evil idea that has just started up in his mind. He gave orders to bring to his son's palace, the prettiest and most accomplished dancing girls, that in the midst of ever renewed pleasure, he might lose sight of the thought of ever entering ily engaged in preparing the finest clothes and most ele- gant ornaments. When all was ready, they stood silent round him waiting for his orders. Perfumes of every description were disposed in a circular row, with the various ornaments, on tha table, wdiereon the Prince was sitting. •*£ LEGEND Or THK BUJlKK.sE BUDIIa. At that vcrv moment, a chief Thakia was quietly enjoying a delicious and refreshing rest on the famous stone table, called Pantoo Kambala. On a sudden, he felt his seal, as it were, get- tin" hot. Lo ! what does this mean, said the astonished Thakia, anTl doomed to lose my happy state ? Having recollected him- self and reflected a while on the cause of such a wonderful occur- ence, he soon knew that Phralaong was preparing to put on for the last time, his princely dress. He called to him a son of a Nat named Withakioon, and said to him : on this day, at midnight, Prince Theiddat is to leave his palace and withdraw into solitude ; now he is in his garden preparing to put on his richest attire for the last time: go, therefore, without a moment's delay, to the place where he is sitting, surounded by his attendants, and per- form to him all the required services. Bowing respectfully to the chief of Thakias, Withakioon obeyed, and by the power inher- ent to the nature of Nats, he was, in an instant, carried to the presence of Phralaong. He assumed the figure of his barber and "immediatly set to work, arranging the turban, with as much taste as art, round his head. Phralaong soon found out that the skilful hand, which disposed the folds of his head-dress, was not that of a man but of a Nat. One fold of the turban appeared like one thousand, and ten folds, like ten thousand folds, offering the magical coup-d'&il of- as many different pieces of cloth, ar- ranged with the most consummate skill. The extremity of the turban, which crossed vertically the whole breadth of the countless folds, nppeared covered with a profusion of shining rubies. The head of Phralaong was small, but the folds of the turban seemed numberless. How could that be so I It is a wonder surpassing our understanding: it would be rashness and temerity to allow pur mind to dwell too much upon it. Having completely dressed, Phralaong 40 found himself surrounded by all sorts of 40. — The triumphant return of Phralaong from his garden to the city, when he is attired with the richest dress, is commemorated by Bud- hists, at least in Burraah, on the day a young boy is preparing to en- ter into a monastery of Recluses, for the purpose* of putting on tho yellow robe, and preparing himself to become afterwards a member of the order, if he feel au inclination to enlist in its ranks. Phralaong was bidding a last farewell to the world, its pomps and va- nities. So is doing the youthful candidate, who is led processionally through the stieets, riding a richly caparisoned horse, or sitting on an elegant palankeen, carried on the shoulders of men. A description of this ceremony will be found in the notice on the Budhistic monks or Talapoins. I am obliged to confess that 1 have found it somewhat diffi- cult to discover any connexion between the expressions made use of by Keissa Oautami, and the inference drawn therefrom by Phra- laong. The explanation of the difficulty may be however stated as iollows : Gautami bestows the epithet of happv or b'essed upon the fa- ther aud mother as well as on the wife of prince Theiddat, because a ha remarked and observed in him those qualities and accomplishments, b e LK(iEN'T) OF (HE BUKMESE BUDHA.. 37 musicians, singers, *nd dancers, vieing with each other in their endeavours to increase the rejoicing. The Pouuhas sung aloud his praise. May he conquer an 1 triumph! may his, wishes and desires be ever fulfilled ! The multitude repealed incessant!}' in his honor, stanzas of praises and blessings. In the midst of universal rejoicings t'kralaong ascended his carriage. He had scarcely seated himself on it, when a message sent by his father, conveyed to him thegladening tidings that Yathaudra had been de- livered of a son. That child, replied he with great coolness, is a new and strong tie I will have to break. The answer having been brought to his father, Thoudaudana could not understand its meaning. He however caused his grandson to be named Raoula. Phralaong sitting nd carrying it on, until their total destruction. Then the victorious soul, sitting calmly on the ruins of her deadly opponents, enjoys, in the un- disturbed contemplation of truth, an indescribable happiness. In this we clearly perceive the unmistakable bearing of Budhistic morals. It is, as it were, the embryo of the whole system. Prince Thoudaudana, influenced by worldly considerations, eagerly wished his son to become a great monarch, instead of a poor and hum- ble Recluse, even a Budha. This alone suggests the idea that in those days the role of a Budha was not held in so great an esteem and venera- tion, as it has been afterwards. Had it been otherwise, the most ambit- ious father might have remained well satisfied with the certainty of see- ing his very son becoming a personage, before whom the proudest mon- archs would not hereafter hesitate to lower to the dust, their crowned heads. At that time a Budha, or the personage honored with that title, was looked upon as a mere sage, distinguished among his fellow men by his great wisdom and eminent proficiency in the study of philosophy. It is highly probable that this name had been bestowed upon a great many illustrious individuals who lived before the days of Gaudama Hence the fabricated genealogy of twenty-eght former Budhas, supposed to have lived myriads of years and worlds previous, including the three that have preceded him during the continuance of this sys- fl«| -LRGRND OF THK BUJIMK8R BUDHA. with such an accomplished husband. On hearing those words, Phralaong desired to understand their meaning and know their bearirig. °By what means, said he to himself, can a heart find peace and happiness ( As his heart was already disentangled irom the thraldom of passions, he readily perceived that real happiness could be found but in the extinction of concupiscence, pride, ignorance, and other passions He resolved henceforth to search ardently the happy state of Xiban. by quitting, on this very night, the world, leaving the society of men, and withdraw- ing into solitude. Detaching from his neck a collar of pearls of aYi immense value, he sent it to Keissa Gautami, as a token of gratitude for the excellent lesson she had given him by the words she had uttered in his praise. The young princess received it as a mark of favor she imagined Prince Theiddat intended to pay her. Without further notice of her, he retired into his own apartment to enjoy some rest. Chapter IV. Phralaong haves kis palace, the royal city and retires into soli- tude, in the middle of th* plaudits of the ]\ats. Be cuts his fine hairs with a stroke of his sword, and puts on the habit of Rahan. He begs his food at Radzaguio. His interview with the ruler of that place. His studies under two Rathees. His fast and penances in the solitude of Oorouwela during six years. Phralaong had scarcely begun to recline on his couch, when a crowd of young damsels, whose beauty equalled that of the daughters of Nats, executed all sorts of dances, to the sound of the most ravishing symphony, and displayed, in all their movements the graceful forms of their elegant and well-shaped persons, in order to make some impression upon his heart. But all was in vain : they were foiled in their repeated attempts. Phralaong fell into a deep sleep. The damsels perceiving their disappoint- ment, ceased their dances, laid aside their musical instru- ment*, and soon following the example of Phralaong, quietly yielded to the soporific influence caused by their useless and harassing exertions. The lamps lighted with fragrant oil, con- tem of nature. Mere a superstitious and ill judged enthusiasm has raised up heaps of extravagancies for setting up a ridiculous theory, de- signed to connect the role of the present iiudha with those "of a fabulous antiquity, and give additional lustre to it. There is no doubt that the glowing halo of sacredness and glory, encircling now the name of Budha, has never adorned that of any former one. It has been crea- ted by the extraordinary progress his doctrines made at first in the In- dian Peninsula, and next throughout eastern Asia, and kept up by the fervent admiration of his enthusiastic followers. The means resorted to by Thoudaudana, for retaining his son in the world of passions, and therein- thwarting his vocation, could not, we hardly need to mention, be approved of, by any moralist of even the LEGEND Of lliE HfUIfMESB SUDfii. 30 tinned to shed their brilliant light throughout the apartments. Phralaong awoke a little before midnight and sat in a cross-leg- ged position, on his couch. Looking all around him, he saw the varied attitudes and uninviting appearance oi'the sleeping damsels. Some were snoring, others gnashing their teeth, others with open wide mouths, others tossed heavily from the right t© *he left side, some stretched one arm upwards and the other downwards, some seized, as it were, with a frantic pang, suddenly coiled up their legs for a while, and with the same violent motion, pushed them down again. This unexpected exhibition made a strong impres- sion on Phralaong ; his heart was t>et, if possible, freer from the ties of concupiscence, or rather was confirmed in his contempt for all wordly pleasures. It appeared to him that his magnificent apart- ments were filled with the most loathsome and putrid carcasses. The seats of passions, those of Rupa, and those of Arupa, that is to say the whole world, seemed to his eyes like a house that is a prey to the devouring flames. All that, said he to himself, is most disgusting and despicable. At the same time, his ardent desires for the profession of Kalian, were increasing with an un- eontrolable energy. On this day at this ver> moment, said he with an unshaken firmness. T will retire into a solitary place. He rose instantly and went to the arched door of his apartment. Who is here watching, said he to the first person he met. Your servant, replied instantly the vigilant nobleman Tsanda. Rise up quickly, replied the prince ; now I am ready to retire from the world and resort to some lonely place. Go to the stable and pre- pare the fastest of my hwrses. Tsanda bowed respectfully to his master and executed his orders with the utmost celerity. The horse Kantika, knowing the intentions of the prince, felt an inex- pressible joy at being selected for such a good errand ; he testifi- ed his joy by loud neighs; but, by the power of the Nats, the sound of his voice was silenced so that none heard it. Whilst Tsanda, in compliance with the orders he had received, was making the necessary preparations, Phralaong desired to see his newly born son Raoula. He opened gently the door of the room greatest elasticity of conscience and principles ; but they were emi- nently fitted to try the soundness of Phralaong's calling, and the strong and tenacious dispositions of his energetic mind. They set out in vivid colors the firmness of purpose and irresistible determination of his soul in following up his vocation to a holier mode of life ; and what is yet more wonderful, the very objects that were designed to enslave him, became the instruments which helped him in gaining and ascer- taining his liberty. Magnificent is, indeed, the spectacle, ottered by a young Prince remaining unmoved in the midst of the most captivating, soul-stirring, and heart-melting attractions, sitting coolly on his couch and looking with indifference, nay with disgust, on the crowd of sleep- ing beauties. jti ll.;l.\i» OK TIIK H'lMlMKSK BU7)IIA. where the princess was sleeping having one of her hands place! over the head of the infant. Phralaong stopping at the threshold, said to himself':— if 1 go farther to contemplate the child, I will have to remove the hand of the mother; she may be awakened by this movement, and then she will prove a great obstacle to my departure. I will see the child after having become a Budha. He then instantly stmt the door and left the palace. His charger was waiting for him. To your swiftness, said Phralaong to Kantika. do I trust for executing my great design. I must become a Budha, and lahor for the deliverance of men and Nats, from the miseries of existence, and lead them safely to the peaceful shores of Niban. In a moment he was on the back of his favorite horse. Kantika was a magnificent animal; his body measured eighteen cubits m length ; its height and circumference were in perfect proportion with its length The hair was of a beautiful white re- sembling a newly cleaned shell ; his swiftness was unrivalled and his neighing* could be heard at a very great distance ; but on this occasion the Mats interfered, no sound of his voice was heard, and the noise of his steps was completely silenced. Having reached the gate of the city, Phralaong stopped for awhile, uncer- tain as regards the course he was to follow. To open the gate, which a thousand men could but with difficulty make to turn upon its hinges, was deemed an impossibility. Whilst he was' deliberating with his faithful attendant Tsauda, the huge gate was silently opened by the Nats, and a free passage given to him through it. Phralaong had scarcely crossed the threshold of the gate, when the tempter endeavoured to thwart his pious design. Manh 41 Nat resolved to prevent him from retiring into solitude 41 Phralaon^ having overcome with uncommon fortitude, the numberless obstacles which he had encountered from the part of men, will have now to meet another foe. perhaps more formidable, a wicked Nat or demon. His name, according to its orthography, is Mar or Mara, but the Burmese call him Manh, which means pride. Manh is, therefore, the evil spirit of pride, or rather personified pride, and the enemy of mankind, ever ready to oppose the benevolent designs and generous efforts of Budha in carrying on his great undei taking, calcula- ted to benefit humanity, by teaching men the way that leads to the the deliverance from all miseries. The first plan concocted by Manh for stopping at the very onset the progress of Phralaong, is to flatter his ambition by promising him all the leingdamfpf this world and their glori/. From that day, the tempter never lost sight of the benevolent Budha, but followed him everywhere, endeavoring to prevent the immense success that was to attend his future mission. The evil propensities which constitute, as at were, the very essence of Manh's nature, are con- cupiscence, envy, and an h-resistible proneness to do harm. The devil, indeed, .could hardly be made up of worse materials. It is really interesting through the course of this legend to read of the uninterrupted efforts, made by the personification of evil to thwart LEGEND OF THE BUKMESE BUDHA. 4l and becoming a Budha. Standing in the air, he cried aloud : — > Prince Theiddat, do not attempt to lead the life of a Recluse ; seven days hence, you will become a Tsekiawade: your sway shall extend over the four great islands ; return forthwith to your palace. Who are you, replied Phralaong. I am Manh Nat, cried the voice. I know, said Phralaong, that I can become a Tsekiawade, but I feel not the least inclination for dignities ; my aim is to arrive at the nature of Budha. The tempter, pushed onward by his three wicked propensities, concupiscence, ignorance and anger, did not part for a moment from Phralaong; but as tho shadow always accompanies the body, he too from that day, followed always Phralaong, striving to throw every obstacle in his way towards the dignity of Budha. Trampling down every human and worldly consideration, and despising a power full of vanity and illusion, Phralaong left the city of Kapilawot, at the full moon of. July under the constellation Oottarathan. A little while after, he felt a strong desire of turning back his head and casting a last glance over the magnificent city he was leaving be- hind him ; but he soon overcame that inordinate desire and denied to himself this gratification. It is said, that on the very instant he was combating the rising sense of curiosity, the mighty earth turned with a great velocity, like a potter's wheel, so that the very object he denied himself the satisfaction of contemplat- ing, came of itself under his eyes. Phralaong hesitated awhile as to the direction he was to follow, but he resolved instantly to push on strait before him. His progress through the country resembled a splendid trium- phal ovation. Sixty thousand Nats marched in front of him, an equal number followed him, and as many surrounded him on his right and on his left. All of them carried lighted torches, pour- ing a flood of light in every direction ; others again spread per- fumes and flowers brought from their own seats. All joined in chorus singing the praises of Phralaong. The sound of their united voices resembled the loud peals of continued thunder, and the resounding of the mighty waves at the foot of the mount Oogando. Flowers shedding the most fragrant odour, were seen gracefully undulating in the air like an immense canopy, extending to the farthest limits of the horizon. During that night, Phra- laong attended with this brillant retinue, travelled a distance of thirty youdzanas, and arrived on the banks of the river Anauma. Turning his face towards Tsanda, he asked what was the river's name. Anauma is its name, replied his faithful attendant. I will not, said Phralaong to himself, show myself unworthy of the high dignity I aspire to. Spurring his horse, the fierce animal Budha in all his benevolent designs. The antagonism begins now, but it will be maintained with an obstinate and prolonged activity, during the whole life of Budha. 42 LEGEND OF THE GURMESE BUDHA, leaped at once to the opposite shore. Phralaong alighted on the bank covered with a fine sand resembling pearls when the rays of the sun fell upon it, in the morning. On this spot he divested himself of his dress, and calling Tsanda to him, he directed him to take charge of his ornaments and carry them back with the horse Kantika to his palace. For himself, he had made up his mmd to become a Rahan. Your servant too, replied Tsanda, will become also a Recluse in your company. No, said the prince, the pro- fession of Rahan does not at present befit you. He reiterated this prohibition three times. When he was handing over to him his ornaments, he said to himself : — these long hairs that cover my head, and my beard too, are superfluities unbecoming the pro- fession of Rahan. Whereupon, with one hand unsheathing his sword, and with the other seizing his comely hairs, he cut them with a single stroke. What remained of his hah*s on the head, measured about one inch and a half in length. In like manner he disposed of his beard. From that time he never needed shaving — the hairs of his beard and those of the head never grew longer dur- ing the remainder of his life. 42 Holding his hairs and turban toge- ther he cried aloud: — if 1 am destined to become a Budha, let these hairs and turban remain suspended in the air ; if not, let them drop down on the ground. Throwing up both at the height of one youdzana, they remained suspended in the air until a Nat came with a rich basket, put them therein, and carried them to the seat of Tawadeintha. He there erected the Dzedi Dzoulamani, wherein they were religiously deposited. Casting his regards on his own person, Phralaong saw that his rich and shining robe did not answer his purpose, nor appear befitting the poor and humble profession, he was about to embrace. Whilst his atten- tion was taken up with this consideration, a great Brahma named Gatigara, who in the days of the Budha Kathaba had been an intim- ate friend of our Phralaong, and who during the period that elaps- ed between the manifestation of that Budha to the present time, had not grown old, discovered at once the perplexity of hia friend's mind. Prince Theiddat, said he, is preparing to become a Rahan, but he is not supplied with the dress and other implements essentially required for his future calling. I will provide him, 42. — This circumstance explains one pecidiarity observable in all the statues representing Budha. The head is invariably covered with sharp points, resembling those thorns with which the thick envelope of the durian fruit is armed. Often I had inquired as to the mo- tive that induced native sculptors to leave on the head of all sta- tues, these sorts of inverted nails, without ever being able to obtain any satisfactory answer. It was only after having read this passage of the life of Budha, that 1 was enabled to account for this apparently singular custom, which is designed to remind all Budhists of the ever continued wonder whereby the hairs which remained on Budha's head, never grew longer, from the day he cut them with his sword. XEGEND OF THE ETJRMF.SE BUDHA. 43 snow with the Thinbaing, the Kowot, the Dugout, the Patta, the leathern girdle, the hatchet, the needle and filter. 43 He took t with him all these articles, and in an instant, arrived in the pre- sence of Phralaong to whom he presented them. Though unac- quainted with the details of that dress and untrained to the use of those new implements, the prince, like a man who had been a Recluse during several existences, put on, with a gi'aceful gravity, his new di-ess. He adjusted the Thinbaing round his waist, covered his body with the Kowot, throw the dugout over his shoulders, aixA suspended to his neck the bag containing the earthen patta. Assuming the grave, meek and dignified counten- ance of a Rahan, he called Tsanda and bade him to go back to his father and relate to him all that he had seen. Tsanda complying with his master's l'equest, prostrated himself three times before him; then rising up, he wheeled to the right and departed. The spirited horse hearing the last words of Phralaong, could no more control his grief. 44 Alas ! said he, I will see no more my master 43. — Every Talapoin or Recluse must be provided with one needle, wherewith he is to sew his dress, one hatchet to cut the wood he may be in need of, either for erecting a shelter for himself, or for other pur- poses, and one filter to strain the water he intends to drink, that it should be cleared from all impurities, but chiefly of insects or any liv- ing body that might be in it, which would expose the drinker thereof to the enormous sin of causing the death of some animal. 44. — The various accounts that are given of the horse Kantika, and the grief he feels at parting with his master, grief which reaches so far as to cause his death, may appear somewhat extraordinary, puerile and ridiculous to every one, except to Budhists. One great principle of that religious system, is that man does not differ from animals in na- ture, but only in relative perfection. In animals there are souls as well as in men, but those souls on account of the paucity of their merits, and the multiplicity of their demerits, are yet in a very imper- fect state. When the law of demerits grows weak, and that of merits gathers strength, the soul, though continuing to inhabit the body of animals, has the knowledge of good and evil, and can attain to a certain degree of perfection. Budhistic writings supply many instances of this belief. Whilst Budha was in the desert, an elephant ministered to all his wants. As a reward for such a series of services, Budha preached to him the law, and led him at once to the deliverance, that is to say to the state of Niban. When one animal has progressed so far in the way of merits, as to be able to discern between good and bad, it is said that he is ripe, or fit to become man. The horse Kantika seems to have reached that state of full ripeness, since after his death, he passed to the state of Nat. This peculiar tenet of Budhistic faith, accounts for the first of the five great commands, which extends to animals the formal injunction of not killing. When a candidate is admitted, ac- cording to the prescriptions contained in the sacred Kambawa, into the the order of Rahans, he is expressly and solemnly commanded to re- frain from committing four sins which would deprive him de facto of the dignity he has been elevated to. The taking away willingly of the life of any thing animated is one of these four trespassing*. 44 LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. in this world. His sorrow grew so great that his heart split into two parts, and he died on the spot. After his death, he became a Nat in the seat of Tawadeintha. The affliction of Tsanda, at parting with his good master, was increased by the death of Kantika. The tears that streamed down his cheeks, resembled drops of liquid silver. Phralaong having thus begun the life of a Recluse, spent seven days alone in a forest of mango trees, enjoying in that retirement the peace and happiness of soul which solitude alone can confer. He then started for the country of Radzagio, travelling on foot a distance of thirty youdzanas. Arrived near the gate of the royal city, Phralaong stopped for a while, saying within himself : — Peipathari, the king of this country will, no doubt, hear of my arrival to this place. Knowing that the son of prince Thoudau- dana is actually in his own royal city, he will insist upon my ac- cepting all sorts of presents. But now in my capacity of Rahan, I must decline accepting them, and by the rules of my profession I am bound to go and beg along the streets from house to house, the food necessary for my support. He instantly resumed his journey, entered the city through the eastern gate, the patta hanging on his left side, and followed the first row of houses, re- ceiving the alms which pious hands offered him. At the moment of his arrival the whole city was shaken by a mighty commotion, like that which is felt in the seat of Thoora when the Nat Athoorein makes his apparition into it. The inhabitants, terri- fied at such an ominous sign, ran in all haste to the palace. Ad- mitted into the presence of the monarch, they told him that they knew not what sort of being had just arrived in the city, walking through the streets and begging alms. They could not ascertain •whether he was a Nat, a man or a Galong. The king, lookin g from his apartments over the city, saw Phralaong, whose meek deportment removed all anxiety from his mind. He however directed a few of his noblemen to go and watch attentively all the movements of the stranger. If he be, said he, a Bilou, he will soon leave the city and vanish away ; if a Nat, he will raise him- self in the air; it a Naga, he will plunge to the bottom of the earth. Phralaong having obtained the quantity of rice, vegetables, &c. he thought sufficient for his meal, left the city through the same gate by which he had entered it, sat down at the foot of a small hill, his lace turned towards the east, and tried to make his meal with the things he had received. He could not swallow the first mouthful, which he threw out of his mouth in utter disgust. Ac- customed to live sumptuously and feed on the most delicate things, his eyes could not bear even the sight of that loath- some mixture of the coarsest articles of food, collected at the bot- tom of his patta. He soon, however, recovered from that shock; and gathered fresh strength to subdue the opposition of nature, LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. 45 overcome its repugnance, and conquer its resistance. Reproach- ing himself for sueh an unbecoming weakness : — was I not aware, , said he, with a feeling of indignation against himself, that when I took up the dress of a Recluse, such would be my food. The moment is come to trample upon nature's appetites. Whereupon he took up his patta, ate cheerfully his meal, and never after- words, did he ever feel any repugnance for what things soever he had to eat. The king's messengers having closely watched and attentively observed all that had happened, returned to their master to whom they related all the particulars they had witnessed. Let my carriage, be ready, said the king, and you, follow me to the place where this stranger is resting. He soon perceived Phralaong at a distance, sitting quietly after his refection. Peipathari alighted from his conveyance, respectfully drew near to Phralaong and having occupied a seat in a becoming place, he was overwhelmed with contentment and inexpressible joy, to such an extent, indeed, that he could scarcely find words to give ut- terance to his feelings. Having at last recovered from the first impression, he addressed Phralaong in the following manner : Venerable Recluse, you seem to be young still, and in the prime of your life ; in your person you are gifted with the most attrac- tive and noble qualities, indicating surely your illustrious and royal extraction. I have under my control and in my possession a countless crowd of officers, elephants, horses, and chariots, af- fording every desirable convenience for pleasure and amusement of every description. Please to accept of a numerous retinue of attendants with whom you may enjoy yourself whilst remaining within my dominions. May 1 be allowed to ask what country you belong to, who you are, and from what illustrious lineage and descent are you come ? Phralaong said to himself: — it is evident that the king is unacquainted with both my name and origin ; I will, however, satisfy him on the subject of his enquiry. Pointing out with his hand in the direction of the place he had come from, he said : — I arrive from the country which has been governed by a long succession of the descendants of Prince Ko- thala. I have indeed been born from royal progenitors, but I have abandoned all the prerogatives attached to my position, and entered the profession of Rahan. From my heart I have rooted up concupiscence, covetousness and all affections to the things of this world. To this the king replied : — I have heard that Prince Theiddat, son of king Thoudaudana, had seen four great signs, portending his future destiny for the profession of Recluse, which would be but a step to lead him to the exalted dignity of Budha. The first part of the prediction has been already fulfilled. When the second shall have received its accomplishment, I beg you will show your benevolence to me and my people. I hope 46 LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. my kingdom will be the first country you will direct your steps to, after having acquired the supreme knowledge. To this Phra- laong graciously assented. Phralaong having left the king, fell in with a Rathee, 45 or her- mit, named Alara, and inquired about the several Dzanes. Ala. 45. — The fact of Budha placing himself under the tuition of two masters or teachers leading an ascetic life, to learn from them notions of the most abstruse nature, establishes beyond all doubt the high an- tiquity of the existence in India of a large number of individuals, who living in some retired spot, far from the tumult of society, endeavoured by constant application, to dive into the deepest recesses of moi*als and metaphysics. The fame of the learning of many among them, attract- ed to their solitude crowds of disciples, anxious to study under such eminent masters. Hence we see some of those Rathees at the head of four or five hundred disciples. There is no doubt but the most dis- tinguished Rathees became the founders of many of those philosophico- religious schools for which India was renowned from the remotest anti- quity. Like many others who thirsted for knowledge, Phralaong re- sorted to the schools of the Rathees, as to the then most celebrated seats of learning. From this fact we may be allowed to draw another inference, which may be considered as a consequence of what has been stated in a fore- going note, regarding the superior antiquity of Brahminism over Budh- ism. Phralaong was brought up in the bosom of a society regulated and governed by Brahminical institutions. He must have been imbued from the earliest days of his elementary education with the notions generally taught, viz : the Brahminical ones. When he grew up and began to think for himself, he was displeased with certain doctrines which did not tally with his own ideas. Following the example of many that had preceded him in the way ef innovation, he boldly shap- ed his course in a new direction, and soon arrived at a final issue on many points, both with his teachers, and some of the doctrines gener- ally received in the society in which he had been brought up. We may therefore safely conclude that the doctrines supposed to have been preached by the latest Budha, are but an off-shoot of Brahminism. This may serve to account for the great resemblance subsisting be- tween many doctrines of both creeds. The cardinal points on which these two systems essentially differ, are the beginning and the end of living beings. Between these two extremes, there is a multitude of points on which both systems so perfectly agree, that they appear blended together. The Rathees seem, according to the institutes of Menoo, to have been first in observing two practices, much enforced by the Wini in subsequent times. They were supported by the alms bestowed on them by their disciples and the admirers of their singular mode of life. They ..were courted and esteemed by the world in proportion to the con- tempt they appeared to hold it in. Denying to themselves the plea- sures which were opposed to their austere life, they observed, as long as they remained Rathees, the rules of the strictest celibacy. Phralaong, preparing himself for his future high calling, began to study the science of Dzane under distinguished masters. What is meant by Dzane ? ■ This Pali word means thought, reflection, medita- LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. if ra. satisfied him on four kinds of Dzanes, but as regards the fifth, he was obliged to refer him to another Hathee named 'Adaka, who gave the necessary explanations. Having nothing more to learn from these masters, Phralaong said to himself: — • ** the knowledge I have thus acquired, is not sufficient to enable me to obtain the dignity of Budha." Whereupon he resolved to devote himself to the Kamatan 46 or meditation on the instability tion. It is often designed by the Burmese to mean a peculiar state of the soid that has already made great progress in the way of perfec- tion. Phralaong intended, by placing himself under the direction of those eminent teachers, to learn the great art of training his mind for the obtaining, by constant and well directed meditations, of high men- tal attainments. In the book of Budhistic metaphysics, I have found the science of Dzane divided into five parts, or rather five steps, which the mind has to ascend successively, ere it can enjoy a state of perfect quiescence, the highest point a perfected being can arrive to, before reaching the state of Niban. The 1st step, when the soul searches after what is good and perfect, and having discovered it, turns its attention and the energy of its faculties towards it. The 2nd, when the soul begins to contemplate steadily what it has first discovered, and rivets upon it, its attention. In the 3rd stage, the soul fondly relishes, and is, as it were, entirely taken with it. In the 4th the soul calmly enjoys and quietly feasts on the pure truths it has loved in the former state. In the 5th, the soul, perfectly satiated with the knowledge of truth, remains in a state of complete quietude, perfect fixity, unmoved stability, which nothing can any longer alter or disturb. The Burmese and all Budhists, always fond of what is wonderful, attribute superna- tural perfections to those who have so far advanced in mental attain- ments. Their bodies become, as it were, half spiritualised, so that they can, according to their wishes, carry themselves through the air, from one place to another, without the least hindrance or difficulty. 46. — Kamatan means the fixing of the attention on one object so as to investigate thoroughly all its constituent parts, its principle and origin, its existence and its final destruction. It is that part of meta- physics which treats of the beginning, nature and end of beings. To become proficient in that science, a man must be gifted with a most extensive knowledge and an analysing mind of no common cast. The process of Kamatan works are as follows : let it be supposed that man intends to contemplate one of the four elements, fire for instance; he abstracts himself from every object which is not fire, and devotes all his attention to the contemplation of that object alone ; he examines the nature of fire, and finding it a compound of several distinct parts, he investigates the cause or causes that keep those parts together, and soon discovers that they are but accidental ones, the action whereof may be impeded or destroyed by the occurrence of any accident. He concludes that fire has but a fictitious ephemeral existence. The same method is followed in examining the other elements, and gradual- ly all other things he may come in contact with, and his final conclu- sion is that all things placed without him have no real existence, being mere illusions divested of all reality. He infers again that all things are subjected to the law of incessant change, without fixity or stabilitv. The wise man therefore can feel no attachment for objects which in hia 48 LEGEND OK THE BURMESE BtlPHA. nnd nothingness of all that exists. To effectuate thoroughly his purpose, he repaired to the solitude of Oorouwela, where he devoted all his time to the deepest meditation. On a certain day it happened that five Rahans, on their way to a certain place to get their food, arrived at the spot where Phralaong lived and had already spent six years. They soon became impressed with the idea that our hermit was to become a Budha. They resolved to stay with him and render him all the needful services, such as sweeping the place, cooking rice, &c. The time for the six years of meditation was nearly over, when Phralaong undertook a great fast. 47 which was carried to such a degree of abstemiousness that he scarcely allowed to himself the own opinion, are but illusions and deceptions ; his mind can no where find rest in the midst of illusions always succeeding to each other Having surveyed all that is distinct of self, he applies himselfto the work, of investigating the origin and nature of his body. After a lengthened examination, he arrives, as a matter of course, at the same conclusion ; his body is a mere illusion without reality, subjected to changes and destruction. He feels that it is as yet distinct from self. He despises his body as he does everything else, and has no concern for it. He longs for the state of Niban as the only one worthy of the wise man's earnest desires. By such a preliminary step, the student, having es- tranged himself from this world of illusions, advances towards the study of the excellent works which will pave the way to Niban. The Burmese reckon forty Kamatans. They are often repeated over by devotees, whose weak intellect is utterly incapable of understanding the meaning they are designed to convey to the mind. Notwithstanding his singular aptitude in acquiring knowledge, Phra- laong devoted six whole years in the solitude of Ooroowela, busily en- gaged in mastering the profound science he aimed at acquiring. It was durin 0, that time that he received the visits of five Rahans, whose chief was named Koondinha. They were very probably, like so many of their profession, travelling about in search of knowledge. They placed themselves under the direction of Phralaong, and in exchange for the lessons they received from him, they served him as humble and grate- ful disciples, are wont to attend on an highly esteemed teacher. In this as well as in many other circumstances, we see that previous to Gaudama's preachings, there already existed in India, an order of devotees or en- thusiasts who lived secluded from the world, devoted to the study of religious doctrines and the practice of virtues of the highest order. The order of Budhistic monks or Talapoins which has been subsequently established by the author of Budhism, is but a modification of what actually subsiste d in full vigor, in his own country and in his own time. 47, — In a Budhistic point of view the only reason that may be as- signed for the extraordinary fast of Phralaong is the satisfaction of showing to the world the display of wonderful action. Fastings and other-works of mortification have always been much practised by the Indian philosophers of past ages, who thereby attracted the notice, respect, admiration and veneration of the world. Such rigorous exer- cises too were deemed of great help for enabling the soul to have a more perfect control over the senses, and subjecting them to the empire Legend of the Burmese budha.. 49 tise of a grain of rice or sesamum a-day, and finally denied him- self even that feeble pittance. But the Nats who observed his excessive mortification, inserted Nat food through the pores of his skin. Whilst Phralaong was thus undergoing such severe fasting, his face, that was of a beautiful gold color, became black; the thirty-two marks indicative of his future dignity, disappear- ed. On a certain day, when he was walking in a much enfeebled state, on a sudden he felt an extreme weakness, similar to that, caused by a dire starvation. Unable to stand up any longer, he. fainted and fell on the ground. Among the Nats that were pre- sent, some said : the Rahan, Gaudama is dead indeed; some others replied: he is not dead, but has fainted from want of food. Those who believed he was dead, hastened to his father's palace to convey to him the sad message of his son's death. Thoudaudana enquired if his son died previous to his becoming a Budha. Hav- ing been answered in the affirmative, he refused to give credit to the words of the Nats The reason of his doubting the accura- cy of the report was, that he had witnessed the great wonders prognosticating his future dignity that h id taken place, first when Phralaong, theu an infant, was placed in the presence of a famous Rathee, and secondly, when he slept under the shade of the tree Tsampoo-thabia. The fainting being over, and Phra- laonc having recovered hi* senses, the same Nats went in all haste to Thoudaudana, to inform him of his son's happy recovery. " I knew well," said the king, " that my son could not die ere he had become a Budha." The lame of Phralaong having spent six years in a solitude, addicted to meditation and mortification, spread abroad like the sound of a great bell' 13 hung in the canopy of the skies. of reason. They are also conducive towards the calm and undisturb- ed state where the soul is better fitted for the arduous task .of constant meditation. The fast of Gaudama, preparatory to his obtaining the Kudhaship, recalls to the mind that which our Lord underwent, ere he began his divine mission. If the writer, through this work, bas made once or twice a remark of similar import, he has done so, not with the intention of stating facts. He has communicated to the reader the feelings of surprise and astonishment he experienced when he thought to have met with many circumstances, respecting the founder of Budhism, which apparently bear great similarity to some connected with the mission of our Saviour. 48 — Bells are common in Burmah, and the people of that country are well acquainted with the art of casting them. Most of the bells to be seen in the Pagodas, are of small dimensions, and in shape differing somewhat from those used in Europe. The interior part is loss widen- ed, and there is a large hole in the centre of the upper part. No tongue is hung in the interior, but the sound is produi ed by striking, with a, horn of deer or elk, the outward surface of the lower part. No belfry erected for the bells ; they are fixed on a piece of timber laid hoi • ntally, and supported at its two extremities, b; - bs, at such G is 50 LEGEND OF THE BtTRMESE fitfD'HA. Phralaong soon remarked that fasting and mortification were not works of sufficient value for obtaining the dignity of Budha ; he took up his patta and went to the neighbouring village to get his food. Having eaten it, he grew stronger ; his beautiful lace shone again like gold, and the thirty- two signs reappeard. C 48 *" > a height that the inferior part of the bell is raised about five feet above the ground. . .*'-"•» * The largest specimens of Burmese art m casting bells of great weight are the two bells to be seen, the one at the large Pagoda of Rangoon, called Shway Dagong, and the other, at Mmgong, about 12 or 15 miles north of Amerapoura, on the western bank of the Irra- waddy. The first in the town of Rangoon, was cast in 1842, when King Tharawaddy visited the place, with the intention of founding a new city, more distant from the river, and nearer to the mount upon which rises the splendid Shway Dagong. In its shape and form, it exactly resembles the kind of bells above described. Here are some particu- lars respecting that large piece of metal, collected from the inscription to be seen upon it. It was cast on the 5th day of the full moon of (February) Tabodwai, 1203 of the Burmese era. The weight of metal is 94,682 lbs ; its height 9| cubits ; its diameter 5 cubits ; its thickness 20 fingers or 15 inche=>. But during the process of melt- ing, the well disposed came forward and threw in, copper, silver and gold in great quantities. Ic is supposed (says the writer of the inscrip- tion) that in this way, the weight was increased one fourth. The bell of Mingong was- cast in- the beginning of this century. In shape and form, it resembles our bells of Europe. It is probable that some foreigner residing at Ava, suggested the idea of giving such an un- usual form to that monumental bell. Its height is 18 feet, besides 7 feet for the hanging apparatus. It has 17 feet in diameter, and from 10 to 12 inches in thickness. In the interior, large yellowish and greyish streaks indicate that considerable quantities of gold and silver have been thrown in, during the process of melting. No idea can at present be had of the power of the sound of that bell as its enormous weight has caused the pillars that support it, partially to give way. To prevent a final disaster, the orifice of the bell has been made to rest on large short posts, sunk in the ground and rising about three feet above it. On no respect, can these bells bear any comparison with those of Europe. They are mightily rough and rude attempts at doing works on a scale far sur- passing the- abilities of native workmen, who, otherwise, succeed tolera- bly well in casting the comparatively small bells, commonly met with, in the court yards of Pagodas. 48. (bis) — One of the genuine characters of Budhism is correctly ex- hibited in this observation of Phralaong respecting fasts, mortifications and other self inflicted penances. They are not looked upon as the immediate way leading to perfection, nor as a portion, or a part of per- fection itself. Such deeds are but means resorted to for weakening passions and increasing the power of the spiritual principle over the natural one : they are preparatory to the great work of meditation or the study of truth, which is the only high road to perfection. To the sage that has already begun the laborious task of investigating truth, such practices are of no use, and are no where insisted on, as necessary, LEGEND OF THE RTJRMESE BtTDH A. 51 The five Rahans that had lived with him, said to each other : " if d« in vain that the Rahan Gaudama has, during six years of mor- tification and sufferings, sought the dignity of Budha ; he is now compelled to go out in search of food ; assuredly if he be obliged to live on such food, when shall he ever become a Budha ? He goes out in quest of food ; verily he aims at enriching himself. As the man that wants drops of dew or water to refresh and wash his forehead, has to look for them, so we have to go somewhere else to learn the way to, and the merit of, Dzan, which we have not been able to obtain from him." Whereupon they left Phra- laong, took up their pattas and tsiwarans, went to a distance of -eighteen youdzanas, and withdrew into the forest of Namiga- dawon. 'Chapter V. Thoodzata's offering to Phralaong — His five dreams — He shapes his course totvards th-e Gniaong tree — Miraculous appearance of a throne — Victory of Phralaong over Manh Nat — His me- ditations during forty nine days near the Bodi tree — He, at last, obtains the perfect science — He overcomes the temptations directed against him, by the Daughters of Manh — Budha preaches the law to a Pounha and to two Merchants. At that time, in the solitude of Oorouweia there lived in a village a rich man named Thena. He had a daughter named Thoodzata. Having attained the years of puberty, she repaired to a place where there was a Gniaong tree and made the follow- or even useful. In the book of discipline, no mention is made of them. The life of the initiated, is one of self denial ; all superfluities and luxuries are strictly interdicted ; all that is calculated to minister to passions, and pleasure, is carefully excluded. But the great austerities and macerations practised by the Religious of the Brahminical sect, are at once rejected by the Budhist sages as unprofitable and unneces- sary to them. The inmates of the Budhist monasteries in our days, are never seen indulging in those cruel, disgusting and unnatural prac- tices performed from time immemorial by some of their brethren of the Hindu persuasion. This constitutes one of the principal differences or discrepancies between the two systems. With the founder of Bud- hism, fasts and penitential deeds are of great concern to him who is as yet in the world, living under the tyrannical yoke of passions, and the influence of senses. By him they are viewed as powerful auxilia- ries in the spiritual warfare, for obtaining the mastery over passions. This point once gained, the sage can at once dispense with their aid, as being no longer required. The follower .of the Hindu creed looks upon those practices as per se eminently meritorious and capable of leading him to perfection; thence the mania for carrying those observances to a degree revolting to reason and even to the plain good sense of the peo- ■pie, G* 52 LEGEND OE THE BURMESE BUDHA. ing prayer to the Nat guardian of the place: 49 "If I marry a husband that will prove a suitable match, and the first fruit of our Union be a male child, I will spend annually in aim deeds 1U(I,000 pieces of silver and make an offering at thib spot." Her prayer was heard, and its twofold object granted. When Phra- laong had ended the six years of his fasting and mortification, on the day of the full moon of the month Katsong, Thoodzata was 49. — The Nats or Dewatas play a conspicuous part in the affairs of this world. Their seats are in the six lower heavens, forming with the abode of man and the four states of punishment, the eleven seats cf pas- sions. But they often quit their respective places, and interfere with the chief events that take place among men. Hence we see them ever attentive in ministering to all the wants of the future Budha. Besides, they are made to watch over trees, forests, villages, towns, cities, foun- tains, rivers, &c. These are the good and benevolent Nats. This world is also supposed to be peopled with wicked Nats, whose nature is ever prone to evil. A good deal of the worship of Budhists, consists in superstitious ceremonies and offerings made for propitiating the wick- ed Nats, and obtaining favors and temporal advantages from the good ones. Such a worship is universal, and fully countenanced by the Tala- poins, though in opposition with the real doctrines of genuine Budhism. All kinds of misfortunes are attributed to the malignant interference of the evil Nats. In case of severe illness that has resisted the skill of na- tive medical art, the physician gravely tells the patient and his relatives, that it is useless to have recourse any longer to medicines, but a con- juror must be sent for, to drive out the malignant spirit who is the author of the complaint. Meanwhile directions are given for the erec- tion of a shed, where offerings intended for the inimical Nat, are de- posited. A female relative of the patient, begins dancing to the sound of musical instruments. The dance goes on at first in rather a quiet manner ; but it gradually grows more animated, until it reaches the acme of animal phrenzy. At that moment, the bodily strength of the dancing lady becomes exhausted; she drops on the ground in a state of apparent faintness. She is, then, approached by the conjuror, who asks her if the invisible foe has relinquished his hold over the diseased. Having been answered in the affirmative, he bids the physician to give medicines tothe patient, assuring him that his remedies will now act beneficially for restoring the health of the sick, since their action will meet no further opposition from the wicked Nat. Ignorance brings everywhere superstition in its train. When man is unacquainted with the natural cause that has produced a result or an effect, whiidi attracts powerfully his mind's attention, and affects him to a great degree, he is induced by his own weakness, to believe in the agency of some unknown being, to account for the effect that he per- ceives. He devises the most ridiculous means for expressing his grati- tude to his invisible benefactor, if the result be a favorable one; and has recourse to the most extravagant measures, to counteract the evil influence of his supposed enemy, if the result be fatal to him. Hav- ing once entered into the dark way of superstition, man is hurried on in countless false directions, by fear, hope and other passions, in the midst ofthe daily occurrence of multifarious and unforeseen events and circumstances. Hence the expression or manifestation of his supersti-. LEGEND OP THE BURMESE BUDHA.. 53 preparing to make her grateful offering to the Nat of the place. She had been keeping one thousand cows in a place abounding with sweet vines, the milk of those 1,000 cows was given to five hundred cows; these again fed with their own milk 250 other cows, and so on in a diminutive proportion, until it happened that sixteen cows fed eight others with their milk. So these eight cows gave a milk, rich, sweet and flavored beyond all description. tion assumes a variety of forms and undergoes changes to an extent, that baffles every attempt at either counting their numberless kinds or following them up through their ever changing course In addition to the stores of superstitions bequeathed by the generation that has pre- ceded him, man has those of his own creation, and the latter, if the thought of his mind and the desires of his heart could be analysed, would be found far exceeding the former, ones, in number. Having spent many years in a country where Budhism has prevailed from time im- memorial, and observed the effects of superstition over the people in their dady doings, the writer has come to the conclusion, that there is scarcely an action done without the influence of some superstitious motive or consideration. But the most prolific source of superstition, is the belief in the existence of countless good and evil Nats, with whom the imagination of Budhists has peopled this world. It can scarcely be understood how the followers of an atheistical creed, can make, consistently with their opinions, an attempt at prayer. Such an act of devotion implies the belief in a being superior to men, who has a controling power over them, and into whose hands their destinies are placed. With a believer in God, prayer is a sacred, nay, a natural duty. But such cannot be the case with atheists. Despite of the withering and despairing influence of atheism, nothing can possibly obliterate from the conscience and heart of man, that inward faith in a supreme being. The pious Thoodzata has in view the attainment of two objects : she prays, without knowing to whom, that by the agency of some one, she might obtain the objects of her petition. She is anxious to show her gaatitude, when she sees that her prayer has been heard. Her faith to the almost omnipotence of the genii, makes her address thanks to them. The Nat is not the person to whom her prayer appears directed, but he is rather a witness of her petition. The Burmese in general, under difficult circum- stances, unforeseen difficulties, and sudden calamities, use always the cry Phra haiba. God assist me — to obtain from above, assistance and protection. Yet that Phra cannot be their Budha, though he be in their opinion the Phra per excellence, since they openly declare that he in no way interferes in the management of this world's affairs. Whence that involuntary cry for assistance, but from the innate con- sciousness that above man, there is some one ruling over his destinies % An atheistical system may be elaborated in a school of metaphysics, and forced upon ignorant and unreflecting masses ; but practice will ever belie theory. Man, in spite of his errors and follies, is naturally a believing being : his own weakness and multiplied wants, shall ever compel him to have recourse to some great Being that can help and assist him, and supplv to a certain extent, the deficiency which in spite of himself, he is compelled to acknowledge existing in him, as a stern •jnd humiliating reality. 54 LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDI1A. On the day of tke full moon of Katsong, 50 Thoodzata rose at an early hour, to make ready her offering, and disposed every thing that the cows should be simultaneously milked. When they were to be milked, the young calves of their own accord, kept at a distance; and as soon as the vessels were brought near, the milk began to flow in streams from the udders into those vessels. She took the milk and poured it into a large caldron, set on the fire which she had herself kindled. The milk began to boil ; btibbles formed on the surface of the liquid, turned on the right and sunk in, not a single drop being spilt out ; no smoke arose from the fireplace. Four kings of Nate watched about while the caldron was boiling ; a great Brahma kept open an umbrella over it ; a Thagia brought fuel and fed the fire. Other Nats by their supernatural power, infused honey into the milk, and communicated thereto a flavor such as the like is not to be found in the abode of men. On this occasion alone, and on the day Phralaong entered the state of Niban, the Nats infused honey into his food. Wondering at so many extraordinary signs she saw, Thoodzata called her female slave named Sounama, related to her all that she observed, and directed her to go to the Gniaong tree and clear away the place where she intended to make her offer- ing. The servant complying with her mistress's direction, soon arrived at the foot of the tree. On that very night, Phralaong had had five dreams. 51 1st. It appeared to him that the earth was his sleeping place, with the Himawonta for his pillow. His hand rested on the western ocean, his left hand »n the eastern ocean, and his feet on the southern ocean. 2nd. A kind of grass named Tyria appeared to grow out of his navel and reached to the skies. 3rd. Ants of a white ap- pearance ascended from his feet to the knee and covered his legs. 4th. Birds of varied colour and size appeared to come from all directions and fell at his feet, when on a sudden they all appear- 50. — The Burmese, like all trans-gangetic nations, divide the year into twelve lunar months of 29 and 30 days alternately. Every third year they add one month, or as they say, double the month of Watso (July). The year begins on, or about the 12th of April. The days of wor- ship, are the days of the four quarters of the moon ; but the days of the new and full moon seem to have preference over those of the two other quarters, which latter are scarcely noticed or distinguished from common days. It was on the day of the full moon of April, that Thoodzata made her grand offering. 51. — The Burmese translator not having given in his remarks, the explanation or interpretation of Phralaong's five dreams, it seems ra- ther presumptuous to attempt doing a thing, the omission of which on the part of the author, may be attributed either to voluntary omission or to incapacity and inability. Let us try to make up, iu part, for the deficiency. The first dream prognosticated the future greatness of Phralaong, whose sway, by the diffusion of his doctrines through- out the world, was to be universal, extending from one sea to tEGEtfD O? THE BURMESE BTJDHA. 55 ed white. 5th. It seemed to him that he Avas walking on a mountain of filth, and passed over it without being in the least contaminated. Phralaong awaking from his sleep said to himself, after having reflected for a while on those five dreams : "to-day I shall certainly become a Budha." Thereupon he rose instantly, washed his hands and face, put on his dress and quietly waited day-break to go out in quest of his food. The moment being arrived to go out he took up his patta and walked in the direc- tion of the Gniaong tree. The whole tree was made brilliant by tbe rays which issued from his person, and he rested there for a while. At that very moment, arrived Sounama to clear, accord- ing to her mistress' orders, the place for her offering. As she approached, she saw Phralaong at the foot of the tree; the rays of light wdiich beamed out of his person, were reflected on the tree, which exhibited a most splendid and dazzling appearance. On observing this wonder Sounama said to herself: of course the Nat has come down from the tree to receive the offering with his own hands. Overcome with an unutterable joy, she immedi- ately ran to her mistress and related her adventure. Thoodzata was delighted at this occurrence, and wishing to give a substantial proof of her gratitude for such good news, she said to Soudama : " from this moment you are no more my servant; I adopt you for my elder daughter." Shegave her instantly all the ornaments suit- able to her new position. It is customary with all the Phralaongs to be provided, on the day they are to become Budha, with a gold cup of an immense value. Thoodza f a ordered a golden ves- sel to be brought and poured therein the Nogana, or boiled milk. As the water glides from the leaf of the water lily, without leav- ing thereon any trace, so the Nogana slided from the pot into the golden cup and filled it up. She covered this cup with another of the same precious metal and wiapped up the whole, with a white cloth. She forthwith put on her finest dress, and becomingly at- the other sea. The grass growing out of his navel and reaching to the sky was indicative of the spreading of his law, not only amongst beings inhabiting the seat of men, but also amidst those dwelling in the abodes of Nats and Brahmas. The ants covering his legs, offer an enigma, the explanation of which is reserved to some future CEdipus. As to the birds of various colors, gathering round him, from the four points of the compass, and on a sudden becoming all white by their contact with him, they represent the innumerable beings, that will come to hear the preaching of the future Budha with divers disposi- tions, and different progress in the way of merits, and will all be per- fected by their following the true way to merit that he will point out to them. The fifth dream in which Phralaong thought he was walk- ing on a mountain of tilth, without being in the least contaminated by it, foreshowed the incomparable perfection and purity of Budha, who though remaining in the world of passions, was no more to be affected by their influence. 56 LEGEND OF THE BTJEMESE BUDHA. tired, she carried the eelden cup over her head, and with a decent gravity, walked towards the Gniaong tree. Overwhelmed with joy at seeing Phralaong, she reverentially advance 1 towards him, whom she .mistook for a Nat. When near him. she placed gently the golden vessel on the ground, and in a gold basin, offered him scented water to wash his hands. At that moment, the earlhen patta offered to Phralaong by the Brahma Gatikara, disappeared. Perceiving that his patta had disappeared, he stretched forth his right hand and washed it in the scented water; at the same time Thoodzata presented to him the golden cup containing the Nog- ana. Having observed that she had been seen by Phralaong, she said to him : my Lord Nat, I beg to offer you this food, together with the vessel that contains it. Having respectfully bowed down to him, she continued : may your joy and happiness be as great as mine ; may you always delight in the happiest rest, ever surrounded by a great and brilliant retinue. Making the offering of the gold cup, worth 100,000 pieces of silver, with the same dis- interestedness as if she had given over but the dry leaf of a ti'ee, she withdrew and returned to her home. Phralaong rising up, took with himself his golden cup, and having turned on the left of the Gniaong tree went on the banks of the river Nentzara, where more than 100,000 Budhas had bathed ere they obtained ths supreme intelligence. On the banks of that river is a bathing place. Having left on that spot his golden cup, he undressed himself. Mid descended into the river. When he had bathed, he came out and put on his tsiwaran, which in shape and form resembled that of his predecessors. He sat down, his face turned towards the east ; his face resem- bled in appearance a well ripe palm fruit. He divided his ex- quisite food into forty nine mouthfuls, which he ate all without mixing any water with it. During the forty nine days he spent round the Bodi tree, Budha never bathed, nor took any food, nor experienced the least want. His appearance and countenance remained unchanged, but he spent his whole time absorbed, as it were, in an uninterrupted meditation. Holding up in his hand.; the empty golden vessel, Phralaong made the following prayer : If on this day I am to become a Budha, let this cup float on the water and ascend the stream. Whereupon he flung it in the stream, when, gliding towards the middle of the river, and then beating up the stream, it ascended it with the swiftness of a horse to the distance of eighty cubits, then it sunk into a whirlpool, went down to the country of Naga, and made a noise when it came in contact with, and struck against, the three vessels of the three last Budhas, viz. Kaukathan, Gaunagong and Kathaba. On hearing this unusual noise, the chief of Nagas awoke from his sleep and said : How is this? yesterday, there was a Budha, LEGEND Of TttE BURMESE BUDHA. 57 and to-day again there is another." And in more than one hund- red stanzas he sung praises to Budha. On the banks of the river Nevitzara, there was a grove of Ingi- ing trees, whither Phralaong repaired to spend the day under their cooling shade : in the evening he rose up and walked with the dignified and noble bearing of a lion, in a road eight ootha- bas wide, made by the Nats, and strewed with flowers, towards the Gniaong tree. The Nats, Nagas and Galongs joined in sing- ing praises to him, playing instruments, and making offerings of the finest flowers and most exquisite perfumes, brought from their own seats. The same rejoicings took place in ten thousand other worlds. Whilst on his way towards the tree, he met with a young man ju>t returning with a grass load he had cut in the fields. Foreseeing that Phralaong might require some portion for his use, he presented him an offering of eight handfuls of grass, which were willingly accepted. Arrived close to the Gniaamg tree, 52 Phralaong stopped at the 52. — We have now reached the most interesting episode of Phra- laong's life. He is to become a perfected Budha under the shade of the Gniaong or banyan tree (Jicus indica, ficus religiosa). There are two circumstances attending that great event, deserving peculiar notice. The first, is the preference given to the east over the three other points of the compass, and the second, the mighty combat that takes place between Phralaong and the wicked Nat Manh, or Mar. I notice the first circumstance, because it agrees with the tradition pre- vailing amongst most nations previous to, or about, the coming of our Lord, that from the east there was to come an extraordinary personage, who would confer on the human race, the greatest benefits, and cause the return of happy times, like the golden age, so much celebrated by poets. The Roman historian Suetonius bears testimony to the exist- ence of that tradition, as being universally known in his own days. It is not impossible that the same notion, not unknown in the far east, might have induced Phralaong to look towards the east, at the supreme moment, when perfect intelligence was to become his happy lot. It may be said in opposition to this supposition, that the spiendor and magnificence of the sun, emerging from the bosom of night, and dispell- ing darkness by pouring a flood of light on the face of the earth, re- storing nature to life and action, were a sufficient inducement to Phra- laong for giving preference to the east. But to an ascetic like him, who has been convinced that this world is a mere illusion, such a consideration would weigh very little on his mind, and woidd not be a sufficient motive to induce him to give so marked a preference to the east. The second circumstance remarkable for the time it occurred, is the great combat between Phralaong, and Manh. The first is the personifi- cation of goodness and benevolence towards all beings ; the second is the personification of consummate wickedness. The contest is to take place between the good principle on the one hand, and the evil one, on the other. Phralaong, on his becoming Budha, will preach a law designed to dispel mental darkness, to check vicious passions, to show the right way to perfection, to unloose the ties that keep beings in the H gg LEGEM) OF THL BURMESE BUDIi'.-. south of the tree, the face turned towards the north, when on « sudden the southern point of the globe seemed to lower down to the hell Awidzi, the lowest of all, whilst the northern one ap- peared to reach the sky. Then he said: verily this is not the place where I shall become a Budha. Thence Phralaong went on his right side towards the east of. the tree, and standing up, the face turned towards the west, he said : this is indeed the ph.ce, where all the preceding Budhas have obtained the supreme intel- ligence. Here too is the very spot, whereupon 1 shall become a Budha, and set up my throne. He took by one of their extremi- ties the eight bandfuls of grass- and scattered them on the ground, when on a sudden there appeared emerging as it were from the bottom of the earth, a throne fourteen cubits high, adorned wretched state of existence, and enable them to reach safely the peace- ful shores of Niban. Hanh the devil itself, the father of darkness, of lies and deceit, delights in seeing all beings plunged into the abyss of vices, carried out of the right way, by the impetuous and irresistible torrent of their passions, and doomed to turn- for ever in the whirlpool of endless existences. He looks upon himself as the king of this world, and proudly exults in contemplating all beings bending their neck un- der his tyrannical yoke, and acknowledging his undisputed power. Now the moment approaches when a mighty antagonist will contend with him for the empire of the world. His mission will be to' labor inces- santly for the delivery of all beings from the grasp of their mortal ene- my, and set them free from the tyranny of passions. Manh is enraged at the audacious pretensions of Phralaong : hence the gigantic efforts- he makes to maintain his rights, and retain possession of his empire. At the time Phralaong left the world to become a Eahan, Manh endea- vored to dissuade him from attempting such a design. But on this occasion, the tempter summons all his forces to avert, by an irresistible attack, the deadly blow soon to be levelled at him. It is needless to- add, that the reader in perusing the detailed account of the attacks of Manh against Phralaong, ought to bear in mind that it exhibits through- out but an allegory of the opposition of evil to good. The victory of Phralaong over Manh exemplifies the final triumph of truth over error. When the contest was nearly over, Phralaong objected to the claims of Manh to the possession of his throne, on the ground that he never had practised the 10 great virtues, nor performed works of kindness,, charity and benevolence, which alone can entitle to obtaining the Bud- haship. It is to be borne in mind that these qualifications form the real characteristics of a Budha, together with the possession of the supreme intelligence. In this system, they admit that there exist certain beings called Pitsega-Budhas, who possess all the knowledge and science of a genuine Budha, but as they are divested of those benevolent feelings, which induce the former to labor earnestly for the benefit and salvation of all beings, they cannot be assimilated to the real Budhas. The crossdegged position which our Budha is always taking in preference to any other, whilst he spent 49 clays at the foot of, and in various places round, the Baudi tree, is, as every one knows, peculiar to, and favorite with, all Asiatics. But with him, it is the position fitest for meditation and contemplation. Hence most of the LEGEM) OP THE HURMESE BTTDHA. 59 with the choicest sculptures and paintings, superior in perfection to all that art could produce. Phralaong then facing the east, uttered the following imprecation : " if I am not destined to be- come a Budha, may my bones, veins and skin remain on this throne, and raj blood and flesh be dried up." He then ascend- ed the throne, with his back turned against the tree atad his face towards the east. He sat down, in a cross-legged position, rirrnly resolved never to vacate the throne, ere he had become a Budha. Such firmness of purpose, which the combined elements could not shake for a moment, no one ought to think of ever becoming possessed with. Whilst Phralaong was sitting on the throne in that cross-legged position, Manh Nat said to himself: I will not suffer Prince Theiddat to overstep the boundaries of my empire. He prepar- ed to assemble all his warriors and shouted aloud to them. On hearing their chiefs voice, the warriors gathered thick round his person. His countless followers in front, on his right and on his left, reached to the distance of eighteen youdzanas and above him to that of nine only. Behind him, they extended to the very limits of the world. Theories of that immense multitude were re-echoed at a distance of 10.000 youdzanas, and resembled ■the roaring of the mighty sea. Manh Nat rode the elephant dwaran : they resembled so many beautiful nosegays of red flow- ers that were offered to him. At the first watch of the night, Phralaong recollected what he had been during his former ex- istences, and obtained the knowledge of the past ; at midnight he was gifted witn a sight similar to that of a Nat, and obtained the knowledge of the present ; on the morning he obtainted a use of reason. No wonder, if they rejoice at seeing the triumph of him, who is to help them in advancing towards a condition belter than their present one. 55. — The Banyan tree at the foot of which Phralaong obtains per- fect intelligence, is occasionally called throughout this narrative, Baudi tree. The word Baudi means the perfect science or knowledge. The Burmese in their sacred writings always mention the tree by that name, because, under its shade, perfect science was communicated to Phralaong. It is supposed to occupy the very centre of the Island of Dzampudiba. During all the while, Phra or Buclha (let us call him now by that name) remained under that tree, his mind was engaged in the most profound meditation which tha gigantic efforts of his enemy could scarcely interrupt. It is not to be infei red from the nar- rative in the text, that supreme intelligence was communicated sud- denly or by miraculous process to our Budha. He was already pre- pared by former mental labors to that grand result; he had previously capacitated himself by studies and reflection for the reception of that more than human science ; he required but a last and mighty effort of his intelligence to arrive finally at the acme of knowledge and thereby to become a perfect Budha That last effort was made on this occa- sion, and crowned with the most complete success. He gained the science of the past, present and future. It would be somewhat curious to investigate the motives that have determined Budhists to give to that sacred tree, the name of Baudi. At first sight one will infer that such name was given to the tree, be- cause, under its refreshing and cooling shade, the Baudi or Supreme intelligence, was communicated to Phralaong. The occurrence, how- ever extraordinary it be, is scarely sufficient to account for such an appellation. Bearing in mind the numerous and striking instances of certain revealed facts and truths, offered to the attention of the reader of this legend, in a deformed but yet recognizable shape, it would not be quite out of the limits of probability, to suppose that this is also a remnant of the tradition of the tree of knowledge, that occupied the centre of the garden of Eden. #4 LEGEND OF THE Bl/UMESE BUMU. perfect knowledge of the . law, of all beings and ot all relations subsisting between them, that is to say, perfect wisdom. When this great wonder took place, ten thousandworlds were shaken twelve times ; when the supreme knowledge was imparted to him, these words "most excellent being," were heard throughout the same series of systems. Magnificent ornaments decorated all places. Flagstaffs appeared in every direction with splendid streamers. Of such dimensions were they, that the extremities of those in the east reached the opposite side of the west, and those in the north, the southern boundary. Some flags hanging from the seats of Brahmas, reached the surface of the earth. All the trees of ten thousand worlds shot out branches loaded with fruits and flowers. The five sorts of lilies bloomed spontaneously. From the clifts of rocks, beautiful flowers sprung out. The whole universe appeared like an immense garden covered with flowers ; a vivid light illuminated those places the darkness of which could not be dispersed by the united rays of seven suns. The water which fills the immensity of the deep, at a depth of eighty-four thousand youdzanas, became fresh and offered a most agreeable drink. Rivers suspended their course, the blind re- covered their sight, the born deaf could hear, and the lame were able to walk freely. The captives were freed from their chains and restored to their liberty. Innumerable other wonders took place at the moment Phralaong received the supreme intelli- gence. He said then to himself: Previous to my obtaining the supreme knowledge, I have, during countless generations, moved in the circle of ever renewed existences and borne up misery. Now I see this distinctly. Again I perceive how I can get out of the prison of existence, and extricate myself from all all miseries and wretchedness attending generation ; my will is fixed on the most amiable state of Niban. I have now arrived to that state of perfection that excludes all passions. It was at the full moon of the month Katsong that those me- morable occurrences took place, and it was day-light when Phra- laong had at last obtained the full dignity of Budha. From that moment, during seven consecutive days, he remained sitting on his throne, overshaded by the Baudi tree, absorbed in a deep me- ditation. Many Nats seeing him in this long continued medita- tion, thought that something else was still wanting towards his obtaining the perfect nature of Budha On the eighth day, de- siring to put an end to their incredulous thoughts, he raised himself up in the air 56 and in their presence wrought many 56. — Budhists allow to their Budha the power of working wonders and miracles. How is this power conferred upon him 1 This is a dif- ficulty they cannot explain satisfactorily. The science of Budha makes him acquainted with all the laws regulating nature, that is to say, the ensemble of the animated and inanimate beings constituting a LEGEND Of THE BUKAIESE BUDHA. 65 thousand wonders which put at once an end to all their doubts. Bud ha then descended from his throne, and went towards the north, at a distance of twenty cubits. There he stood, keeping his eyes fixed on his throne, and ha this erect posture, he spent seven other days absorbed in a deep meditation. Between that place and his throne be kept up walking to and fro during se- ven days in a state of uninterrupted meditation. The Nats had erected for him at the west of the tree, a splendid palace, adorn- ed with precious stones. Thither Bitdha repaired and remained again during an equal period of seven days, sitting in a cross legged position, and meditating on the seven divisions of Abida- ma. He had meditated over the six first books, and the six glories had not yet beamed out of his person. It was but after having mastered the contents of the last divi- sion, named Pathan, divided into twenty- four parts, that these glories appeared. Like the great fishes that delight to sport but in the great ocean, the mind of Budha expanded itself with un- describable eagerness and delighted to run unrestrained through the unbounded field opened before him by the contents of that volume. Brown rays issued from his hairs, beard, and eyelids. Gold-like rays shot forth from his eyes and skin ; from his flesh and blood dashed out purple beams, and irom his teeth and bones escaped rays white like leaves of the lily ; from his hands and feet emanated rays of deep red color which, falling on the surround- ing objects, made them appear like so many rubies of the purest water. His forehead sent forth undulating rays resembling those reflected by cut crystal. The objects which received those rays, appeared as mirrors, reflecting the rays of the sun. Those six rays of various hues, caused the earth to resemble a globe of the finest gold. Those beams at first penetrated through our globe which is 82, 0G0 youdzauas tin k, and thenee illuminated the mass of water which supports our planet. It resembled a sea of gold. That bod}^ of water, though 480,000 youdzauas thick, could not stop the elastic projection of those rays, which went forth through a stratum of air 960,000 youdzauas thick, and were lost in the vacuum. Some beams following a vertical direc- tion rushed through the six seats of Nats, the 16 of Brahmas, and the four superior ones, and thence were lost in vacuum. Othel- lo outiu tio ii, iixay, u^i «u iu .o uu «, u ^uu UU , *«» w »~~ always during the course of his preachings, to miracles in order to convince those who seemed to listen with rather an incredulous ear to his doctrines. Mi- racles were used successfully as powerful and irresistable weapons against certain heretics, the Brahmins in particular, who taught doc- trines opposed to his own. They often accompanied his preachings for increasing faith in the heart of his heavers, gC, LEGKNO OF THE ^TJUSfiiSE BtfDHi rays following an horizontal direction, penetrated through an infi- nite series of worlds. The sun, the moon, the stars*, appeared like opaque bodies deprived of light. The famous garden of Nats, their splendid palace, the ornaments hanging from the tree Padetha were all oast into the shade and appeared oiwcure as if wrapped up in complete darkness. The body of the chief of Biahmas, which sends forth light through one million of systems, emitted then but the feeble and uncertain light of the glowworm at sun-rise. This- marvellous light emanating from the person of Budha, was no if the result of vowing or graying : but all the constituent parts of his body became purified to such an extent by the sublime medi- tation of" the most excellent law, that they shone with a matchless brightness. Haviu^ thus spent seven days ia that place close to the Baud i tree, he repaired to the foot of another Gniaong tree' called Eat- zapala, at a distance of 44 tas (i tas = 7 cubit.*), on the east of the Baudi. There he sat in a cross-legged position during eeven days, enjoying the sweetness of self-recollection. It wa* near to that place, that the vile Manh, who since his great attack on Budha, had never lost sight of hircv, but had- always secretly followed him with a wicked spirit, was compeMed to confess that he had not been able to discover in that? Rahan 1 any thing blame- able, and expressed the fear of seeing him at once pass over th© boundaries of his empire. The tempter stooped' in the rniddle- of the highway, and across it, drew successively sixteen lines- as ha Went on reflecting on sixteen different subjects. When he hacfc thought over each of the ten great virtues, he drew first ten lines,. saying, the great Rahan has indeed practised to a high degree those ; ten virtues. I cannot presume to compare myselfto him. In draw- ing the 1 1 th, he confessed that he had not, like that Kahan, the science that enables to know the inclinations and dispositions of all' beings. In drawing the 12th, he said that he had not as yet acquired the knowledge of all that concerns the nature of the various beings. Drawing the four remaining lines, he confessed successively that he did not feel, like that Rahan, a tender compassion for the be- ings yet entangled in the miseries of existence, nor could he per- form miracles, nor perceive every thing, nor attain to the' perfect' and supreme knowledge of the law. On all these subjects, he avowed his decided inferiority to the great Rahan. Whilst Manh was thus engaged with a sad heart in meditating over those rather humiliating points, he was at last found out by his three daughters Tahna, ** Aratee and Raga, who had been for 07. — The great tempter had been foiled in all his attempts to con- quer Budha : in the sadness of his heart, he was compelled to acknow- ledge the superiority of his opponent and confess his defeat. His three daughters came to console him, promising that they would, by their united efforts, overcome the firmness of the great Rahan, by awakening •LBSBSfiB OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. 67 sometime looking after him. When they saw thoir father with a cast down countenance, they came to him, and enquired about the motive of his deep affliction. Beloved daughters, replied Manh, I see this Rohan escaping from my dominion, and notwith- standing my searching examination, 1 have not been able to detect in him anythig reprehensible. This is the only cause of any inexpressible affliction. Dear father, replied they, banish all sorrows from your mind, and be of a good heart — we will very soon have found out the y \veak side of the great Rahan, and trium- phantly bring him back within the hitherto unpassed limits of your empire. Beware of the man you will have to deal with, re- plied Manh. I believe that no effort, however great, directed against him, shall -ever be rewarded with success. He is of a firm mind and unshaken pin pose. I fear jou shall never succeed in bring- ing him back within my dominions. Dear father, said they, we women know how to manage such affairs ; we will catch him like a bird, in the net of concupiscence, — let fear and anxiety be ifor ever dispelled from your heart. Having given this assur- ance, forthwith they went to Budha and said to him : illustrious Rahan, we approach you respectfully and express the wish of staying with you, that we might minister to all your, wants. Without heeding in the least their words, nor even casting a glance at them, the mobt excellent Budha remained unmoved, en- joying the happiness of meditation. Knowing that the same appear- ance, face and bodily accom' lishments may not please every one, they assumed, the one, the appearance of a heart winning young girl, the other, that of a blooming virgin, aud the third, that of a iine middle aged beauty. Having thus made their arrangements, they appr*oached Budha, and several times expressed to him the desire of staying with him and ministering to all his wants. Un- moved by all their allurements, Budha said to them : for what •purpose do you come to me .? You might have some chance of success with those that have not as yet extinguished in, and root- ed up from their heart the various passions; but I, like all the Budhas, my predecessors, have destroyed in me, concupiscence, passion and ignorance. No effort on your part, will ever be able to bring me back in the world of passions. I am free from all passions, and have obtained supreme wisdom. By what possible ■means could you ever succeed in bringing me baek into the whirl- pool of passions ? The three daughters of Manh, covered with in his heart, the fire of concupiscence. The names of those three .daughters ©f Manh mean concupiscence. Those new enemies of Budha are mere personifications of the passion of lust. Pride, personified in Manh, had proved powerless against the virtue of Budha ; he is now assailed from a different quarter ; the attack is to be directed against the weakest side of human nature. But it is as successless as the for- irner one : it affords to Budha another occasion for a fresh triumph. 63 LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. confusion, yet overawed with admiration and astonishment, said to each other : Our father, forsooth, had given us a good and. wise warning. This great Kalian deserves the praises of men and •Nats. Every thing in him is perfect : to him it belongs to in- struct men in all things they want to know. Saying this, they with a cast down countenance, returned to their father. At that time a certain Pounha who was habitually falling into fits of "Teat passion, approached, without being perceived, close to the most excellent Budha. Having entered into conversation with him, and heard many instructions worthy of being ever re- membered, 58 he said to Budha : Lord Gaudama. what are the 58. In Burmah the originator of the great Budhistic system is cal- led Gaudama, and this according to many, appears to be his family name. When he is called Rahan Gaudama, it means the ascetic be- longing to the family of Gaudama. In Nepaul, the same personage is known" under the name of Thakiamuni, that is to say, the ascetic of the Thakia family. Those who refused to believe in Budha and his doctrines, those who held tenets disagreeing with his own, and pro- fessed what, in the opinion of their adversaries, was termed an hereti- cal creed, invariably called Budha by his family name, placing him on the same level with so many of his contemporaries who led the same mode of life. The Siamese give the apellation of Sammana Khodom, to their Budha, that is to say, Thramana Gaudama, or Gautama. The Sanscrit world Thramana means an ascetic, who has conquered his passions and lives on alms. Gaudama belonged to the Kchatria caste. The kings and all ro\ al families in those days, came out of the same caste. Hence his father Thoodaudana was king of the country of Kapilawot, anciently a small state, north of Goi uckpore. The young Pounha, not unlike the young man mentioned in the Gospelj had, by the preachings of Gaudama, become acquainted with all the laws and practices relating to the general duties and obligations, incumbent on all men in general. He might have perhaps added, that he had observed all those precepts from his youth, or at least, that he was sure now, with the additional' light he had received from his emi- nent teacher, to observe faithfully all the injunctions mentioned in the course of the lecture : but he was not satisfied with an ordinary pro- ficiency in virtue and observances ; he aimed at superior attainments : he wished to obtain the greatest perfection, that is to say, that of Brahmas. In what does consist such a perfection ? The book of me- taphysics informs us that the five states of Dzane, or contemplation, are enjoyed by the beings located in the sixteen seats of Brahmas, in the following order. The first state, or that of consideration, is shared by all the beings inhabiting the three first seats of Brahmas. Their occupation is to consider the various subjects the mind has to dwell on. The sec- ond Dzane, or reflection, is reserved for the beings occupying the next three seats. Those beings have no more to look out for subjects of meditation. Their sole occupation is to dive into truth and fathom its depth and various bearings. The third state of Dzane procures the pleasure which is derived from the contemplation of truth, and be- longs to the beings of the three seats superior to those just alluded to ; in the fourth Dzane is enjoyed a placid happiness which is the result of the possession of truth ; it is reserved for the beings of the three next LEGEM) OF T11K IiURMF.SE BUDHAi (!9 practices one has to observe that lie might attain fco the perfection of Brahma 1 Budha who knew all that relates to the laws of Brah- mas, answered : A Rah an who dors no wrong outwardly, who does not get angry, who is free from concupiscence, who is atten- tive to the prescribed duties and follows the four ways of perfect- ion, is sure to reach the state of Niban. When the instruc- tion or the lecture was over, the Pounha departed. Bndha continued the subline work of contemplating pure truth through the means of intense reflection. Having remained seven days in that position, and arising from ecstasy. Budha went to the south eastern direction of the Baiidi tree. On that spot there was a tank called Hidza-lee-dana. On the bank of that tank he sat under the shade of the Kiin tree, in a cross-legged position, during seven days, enjoying the delight of meditation. During those seven days, rain fell in abundance, ami it was very cold. A Naga, chief of this tank, could have made a building to protect Budlia against the inclemency of the weather, but he pre- ferred, for gaining greater merits, to coil himself up in seven folds round his person, and above him to place his head with his two large wings extended. When the seven days were over and the rain had ceased, the Naga quitted his position ; then assuming the appearance of a young man, he prostrated before Budha and worshipped him. Budha said : he who aims at obtaining the state of Niban, ought to possess the knowledge of the four roads leading thereto, as well as that of the four great truths, and of all laws. He ought, to bear no anger towards other men, nor harm them in any way soever. Happy he who receives such instruct- ions. After these seven days, Budha went to the west of the Baudi tree and sat in a crossed legged position at the foot of the tree Ling-loon, engaged during seven days in the sweet exercise of contemplation. At the end of those seven days, at day-break, Budha felt the want of taking soma food. This having been re- marked by a Thagia, he presented him some she-ska fruit, which he ate, and brought him some water to wash his face and hands. At that time two brothers named Tapoosa and Palekat, mer- chants by profession, were going with their carts from the village seats. The fifth Dzane, or perfect stability, is the happy lot of the be- ings living in the five last seats. Those fortunate inmates are so entirely rooted in truth, and so perfectly exempt from all that causes of mutabi- lity, that they arrive to a state of complete fixity ; the whole of their soul being ri vetted on truth. Apology is certainly due to the reader who is but slightly initiated to such abstruse subjects, for laying before him such particulars he is so unfamiliar with ; but this trouble must be borne up by him who de- sires to obtain access into the gloomy sanctuary of Budhism. 10 LEGEND OF TnE BURMESE BUDHA.. of Ookalato the country of Mitzima, where Phra was then resid- ing. A Nat win. had been formerly their relative, stopped, by his po'ver, the wheels of the carriages. Surprised at such a wonder, the merchants prayed to the Nat, guardian of that place. The Nat assuming a visible shape, appeared before them and said to them : Tee illustrious Budha who, by the knowledge of the four great truths, has arrived to the nature of Phara, is now sitting at the foot of the Lin-loon tree; go now to that place, and offer him some .vweet bread and honey ; you shall derive therefrom great merits for many days and nights to come. The two brothers joyfully complying with the Nat's request, prepared the sweet bread and honey, and hastenfd in the direction that had been indicated to them. Having placed themselves in a suitable position and prostrated before Budha, they said : most glorious Phra, please to accept these offerings ; great merits, doubtless, will be our reward for many days to come. Budha had no patta to put those offer- ings in, for the one he had received from the Brahma Gatigara had disappeared, when Thcodzata made him her great offerings. Whilst he was thinking on what he had to do, four Nats came and presented him, each with one patta, made of nila stone. Phra accepted the four pattas, not from motives of covetous- ness, but to let each Nat have an equal share in such meritorious work. He put the four pattas one in the other, and by the power of his will, they, on a sudden, became but one patta, so that each Nut lost nothing of the merit of his offerings. Budha received the offerings of the two merchants in that patta and satisfied his appetite. The two brothers said to Budha ; we have on this day approached you, worshipped you, and respectfully listened to your instructions — please to consider us as your de- voted followers for the remainder of our life. 59 They obtained the position of Upathaka. They continued addressing Budha and 59. — Upasaka is a Pali word which is designed to mean those persons who having heard the instructions of Hudha, and professed a faith or be- lief in him and his doctrines, did not enter the profesion of Rahans. Hence they are quite distinct from the Bickus or mendicants, wko formed the first class of the hearers of Budha, and renounced the world in imitation of their great master. The Upasakas were there- fore people adhering to the doctrines of Budha, but as yet remaining in the ordinary pursuits of life. The two brothers became disciples of Budha, but not of the first class, since they did not embrace the more perfect mode of life of the ascetic. This is the first instance in this legend, of an allusion being made to relics, that is to say, to some objects supposed to be surrounded with a cei-tain amount of sacredness, and esteemed, on that account, to be worthy of recei viiig from devotees, respect and veneration. The two young converts not as yet confirmed in the new faith they had embraced, thought, they wanted some exterior object to which they might hereafter direct their homage, and ofiar their respects. They were as yet far from being acquainted with the subline science of their LEGEND OF- THE BURMESE BUDHA. '* Paid : what shall we henceforth worship ? Budha. rubbing his hand over his head, gave them a few of lis hairs that had adhered to his fingers, bidding them to keep carefully those relics. The' two brothers, overjoyed at such a valuable present, most respect- fully received it, prostrated before Budha and departed. Chapter VI. Budha hesitates to undertake the task of preaching the law — The great Brahma entreats him to preach the law to all beings — His assent to the entreaties — His first preachings — Conversion oj a young nobleman, named Hatha, followed by that of his father and other relatives — Conversion of several other noblemen — Instructions to the Rahaus — Mantis temptation — New instruc- lio?is to the Rahaus — Conversion of the three Katlnbas. Having come to the end of his great meditations, 60 Budha left this spot and returned to the place called Adzapala, where he revolved the following subjects in his mind. The knowledge, said he, of the law and of the four great truths which 1 I alone possess, is very hard to be had. The law is deep, difficult to know and understand, very sublime, and to be comprehended but by the means of earnest meditation. It is sweet, filling the soul with joy, and accessible but to the wise. Now all beings are sunk under the influence of the five great passions, they cannot free themselves from their actions which are the source of all mutability. But the eminent teacher who disregarding matter and all its modifications, could not but feel quite indiffent, respecting the pretended value of relics of even the most sacred character. How is it that the stern moralist, the contemner of this illusory world, could think of giving a few hairs of his head to two new young converts, that they might use them as objects of worship ? Budha, doubtless, knew exact- ly and appreciated admirably the wants and necessities of human na- ture as it is, and will very likely ever be to the end of ages. Men are led, actuated, impressiom d and influenced by the senses. In fact, it is through their senses, that the knowledge of things is conveyed to their mind. He gave to his imperfectly instructed disciples a thing that would serve to vivify and reanimate in their memory the remem- brance of Budha and of the instructions they had heard from him. Those grosly minded hearers asked for an object they might carry about with them and worship. Budha out of deference for their weak intellect, gave them a few hairs of his head, the sight of which was designed to entertain in their souls a tender affection for the person of him these things had belonged to. This subject will receive here- after the developements it deserves, when we come to examine the nature of the worship paid by Budhists to the images of Gaudama and to the relics and Dzedis. 60. — I have, except on one occasion, always made use of the terms- meditation, and contemplation, to express the inward working of Budha's mind, during the forty-nine days he spent at the foot of the banyan tree. But the Burmese translator most commonly employs a 72 LEGEND OF THE 8VRMESE BL'DHA. law of mutability is the opposite of the law of Niban or rest. Th|s law is hard to be understood. If I over preach that law, beings will nut be able to understand me, and from my preaching there will result, but a useless fatigue and unprofitable weariness. Budha thus remained almost disinclined to undertake the great duty of preach- ing the law. The great Brahma observing what was taking place in Budha'ssoul, cried out : alaa ! all mankind are doomed to be lost. He who deserves to be worshipped by all beings, now feels no dis- position to announce the law to then.. lie instantly left his seat, and having repaired to the presence of libra, his cloak over his shoulders with one extremity hanging backward, he bent his knee. lifted up his joined hands to the forehead, before the sage, and said to him: most illustrious Budha, who is adorned with the six glories, do condescend to preach the most excellent law ; the number of those buried under the weight and filth of passions, is compara- tively small ; if they do not listen to the law. there will be no great loss. But there is an immense number of beings, who will under- stand the law. In this world there are beings who are moderately given up to the gratification of sensual appetites; and there are also a great many who are following heretical opinions, to whom the knowledge of truth is necessary, and who will easily come to it. Lay now open the way that leads to the perfection of Ariahs; those perfections are the gates to Niban. Thus he entreated Budha. This Brahma had been in the time of the Budha Kathaba, a Rahan, under the name of Thabaka, and was transferred to the first scat of Brahma for the duration of a world. On hearing the supplications of that Brahma, Budha began to much stronger expression, conveying the idea of trance and ecstasy. Hence after having remained seven days on the same spot, deep- ly engaged in considering some parts of the law, he was soon to preach, it is said of him that he comes ont from a state of perfect ecstasy. This expression implies a state of complete mental abstrac- tion, when the soul, disentangled from the trammels of senses, raises itself above this material world, contemplates pure truth and delights in it. All her faculties are taken up with the beauty and perfection of truth ; she clings to it with all her might, regardless of all the il- lusions this world is filled with. This situation of the soul is much esteemed by all fervent Budhists. It is the lot of but a few privileged Rahans,who have made great progress in perfection, and obtained an almost entire mastery over their passions and senses. This great gift is. as one may well imagine, ardently coveted by many, who though not possessing it, lay claim to it on false pretence. This being a sin, de- votees who relish a contemplative life, are very liable to, the framer of the regulations of the Bud hist monks, has pronounced excluded de facto from the society, all those who would falsely claim the possession of uncommon spiritual attainments, which they have not In the book of ordination, used for the admission of candidates to the order of Rahans or Talapoins, this sin is the last of the four offences which de- prive of his dignity a member of the order, and causes his expulsion from the society. LEGEND 0E THE BURMESE BUDHA. ^3 feel anew a tender compassion for all beings. With the keen eyes of a Budha, he glanced over the whole world. He disco- vered distinctly those beings who were a- yet completely sunk into the filth of passions ; those who were but partly under tbe l-ontrol of passions, and those whose dispositions seemed to be move promising. He then made to the chief of Brahmas the solemn promise that he would preach his law to all beings. Satisfied with the answer he had received, the chief rose up, withdrew respectfully at a proper distance, and turning on the right, left the presence of Budha and returned to his own seat. Another thought preoccupied the mind of Budha. To whom said he, shall I announce the law ? Having pondered awhile over this subject, he added: the Rathee Alara of the Kalama race is gifted with wisdom and art uncommonly penetrating mind ; pas- sions have scarcely any influence over him. I will first preach to him the most excellent law. A Nat said then to Phra that Alara had died seven days ago. Budha, to whom the past is known, had already seen that Alara was dead. He said : great, indeed is the loss Alara has met with ; he would have doubtless been able to understand rightly well the law 1 intended to preach to him. To whom shall I go now ? Having paused awhile, he added, the Rathee Oodaka, son of Prince Rama, has a quick perception, he will easily understand my doctrine ; to him 1 will announce the law. But the same Nat told him that Oodaka had died the night before last, at midnight. Oh ! great is the loss that has tome Upon Oodaka ; he would have easily acquired the know- ledge of the perfect law. Budha considered a third time, and Said to himself, to whom shall I go to preach the law? After a moment's delay, ho added : many are the services 1 received in the wilderness from the five Rahans who lived with me. 61 I 61. — The five Rahans alluded to, are the very same individuals wdio met Phralaong in the solitude at the time he was undergoing a great fast, and performing all sorts of works of self-denial, and corporal austerities in the most rigorous manner. During all the time he spent hi those hard exercises of strict mortification, to conquer his passions and secure the complete triumph of the mind over senses, he was as- sisted in all his wants by those five Rahans, who rendered to him the' usual services disciples are wont to perform to their teacher. When they saw Phralaong, at the end of his mighty efforts in that great struggle, resuming the habits of a mendicant, they left him at once, unwilling to believe that he would ever become a Budha. Our Phra, not unmindful of the good services he bad received from them, resolved to impart first to them the blessings of his preachings. Alara and Oodaka. bis two first teachers in the science of Dzane, were destined to be the first who would have heard the good news, had they not been dead. Gratitude seems to have been the first and main motive that induced him to select as the first objects of his mission, the veiy same persons who had been instrumental in furthering his efforts to acquire th» Budhaship. fg SEGEXD OF 1HK OUIJMT.SE tiV&KX. Will repay their goad offices to me, by preaching to them the law; but where are they now? His penetrating regards soon discover- ed them in the solitude of Mi-adaw on. Having enjoyed htmseii m the place of Ad/aoah., Budha went on towards the country of Baranatbee. Midway between the tree Baudi ami the place of Yauthithn. he was seen by a certain heretic named Upaka Front the Baudi tree to Yautlutha, the distance is three gawds- (nine- nnlcs) ana' from, the same tree to the country of Baranatbee the distance h t8 youdkauaa All the former Budhas travelled that distance through the air, hut our Budha, who* bad merciful designs over Upaka, went on foot. Upaka became- afterwards a Rahan, and obtamed the state of Anagam Upaka said to him K- O Rahan, all your exterior bespeaks the most amiable quali- ties ; your" countenance- is at once modest and beautiful. Undeir what teacher have you become a Rahan ?' To what law or doctrine have you given preference in your ardnous studies? Budha answered : Upaka, 1 have triumphed over all the laws, of mutability ; lam acquainted with all the laws that rule this* universe, and the beings existing therein; from concupiscence and : unpleasant epithet of heretic, is given to those- five- Rahans, as a to another, named Upaka, as designed to mean that they were The well as to another, named Upaka, as designed to mean tliat tiiey were holding tenets at variance with those of Budha, and refused to ac- knowledge him as possessed with the perfect intelligence.- Budbists in- their writings, invariably call their opp men's by the name of holders of. false doctrines. The Brahmins or Pounhas, who refused to seek refuge ins .Budha, his law, and the assembly of his disciples, are styled as pr«*- fessors of heterodoxieal doctrines. From tho narrative of this legend, we may conclude, with a probabi- lity, amounting almost to certitude, that Budha in his preachings ad- dressed himself first to the Brahmins as being by their caste the most- influential portion of the Hindu community. Those that are called by the name of Pounhas, are the Brahmins living in the world and- following the ordinary pursuits of life. Those that are mentioned by the name of Kalians ami Rathees, are probably Brahmins, or at least belong to some other distinguished caste like that of the Kchatrjas, but are members of some religious order, or ascetics. They were in those days, men, whom, in imitation of the ancient Greeks we may call philosophers) and belonged to some fractions or branches into which the great, Indian school was divided.. We may conjecture that at the time, India exhibited a scene much resembling that which Greece subsequently offered to the eyes of the observer, in the days of Socrates and Plato, when schools of philosophy were to be met with- in every direction. The Hindu philosophers, favored by climate and their ardent imagination, carried much farther than the Greek wise men, both in theory and practice, the discussion of dogmas and the fervor of religious practices. If credit, in am historical point of view, is to be given to our Legend, we may safely conclude that such was the state of India, when Budha began his preachings ; his first hearers were Rahans, Rathees and Pounhas, that is to say, the most learn- ed andwisj.it men in those days. The latter in particular seemed at first disinclined to offer opposition to Budha ; they listened to K'.\T> 01' TITE KtTRME.SE TiXTBTI •> *'S ■other passions. I am wholly disengaged. I have no teacher, and among Nats and men, there is none equal to me. Because of my syictory on the laws of demerits, I have been named Zeena. Now Jam proceeding to the country u£ Baranathee, for the sake of (preaching the law. Upaka replied : You are certainly the Illustrious "dandaxna. He shook then his head, turned away from She road, and "went -to the village of Wingaha. Eu«".ha continued ■'his v,' ay towards B srasaathee, and soon reached the solitude of Mi- gadawon, little distant from Baranathee, and went to the place -where lived the five unbelieving Rahans. When they saw him -coming at a- distance, they said to each other : the liahan Gau- .dama is in search after disciples ; he lias just performed psuiten- 4ial deeds and he -is looking -out for getting alms and clothes. •Let us pay no respect to him, in the way of going oat -to meet dtim, of receiving the Tsiwaraa from his hands, of presenting him water to wash his feet and preparing a place to sit on : Let him sit wherever he .pleases. Such was the plan they were concert- ing among themselves. But when Budha drew near, they could adhere tie longer to their resolution. They rose up, went out io welcome his arrival. One took the Tsiwaran from his hands, ■another the Patta., a third one brought, water for the washing of *he feet, and a fourth one prepared a becoming place to rest. Budha sat in the place that had been prepared for him. The him as to a distinguished philosopher ; his arguments were examined, •discussed and answered by them in the best way they could. In ihat polemical warfare, arguments were at first the only offensive And defensive weapons used and handled by -the combatants on both skies Budba's two favorite doctrines of atheism and Niban, which -establish the two broad lines of separation between the two sys- tems, begat much discussion and created some animosity between him and his adversaries. But what widened the gap between the two parties and placed them in an hostile array against each other, was the 'broad principle of equality amongst men, latent in the bosom of Bu- ddha's doctrines, and levelled at the distinction of castes. Budha .preached to men of all conditions without exception ; he opened bsfora ■all the ways that lead to Niban ; made no distinction between men and men, except that which is drawn by virtue and vice, merits and de- merits. He allowed every one to approach him and take rank among 3his disciples ; faith in his doctrine entitled any man to become num- bered amidst his followers ; the entrance into the order of Rahans or .perfect, was open to all those who by their meritorious actions, and ■renouncing the world, qualified themselves for this dignity. This prin- ciple which put on a footing of equality men of all castes and nations *md recognise') no real superiority but that which is conferred hj vir- tue and merit, could not prove agreeable to the proud Brahmins. It .provoked by its gradual development, the animosity of the opponents i>( Budhas doctrines. The battle of arguments, after having raged with various success, was afterwards converted into one of a bloody charac- ter, which ended in the total extermination or expulsion of the Budhists £roin the Indian Peninsula. J* ^Q l.EGKNP OF THE BUKMESE BUDHA. five unbelieving Rahans gave him the title of venerable Budha. Do not call me, stud Budha sneeringly, by the name of ve- nerable Budha. Though I know the four great laws, and am coming like all other Budhaa from the days of Weepathi, down to tins time, with all the characteristiets of genuine Bu- dhaship, do not give me such a title. Then continuing to to address them, he said ; O Rahans, listen to me, I will preach to you the most perfect law. Whoever listens to my in- structions, will soon reach the acme of perfection. He will leave the society of men, to embrace the profession of Rahans, an I hav- ino- walked through the path of perfection, lie will arrive to the state ofNiban. The five Rahans then believed firmly he was really a Budha. From that moment they entered in the four ways leading to the four great perfection*. The Nats, guardians of the country of Baranathee 62 and Miga- dawon hearing the sublime instructions delivered by Budha on this occasion, cried aloud : The law which the most excellent Budha preaches, is such as no man, Pounha or Brahma, can teach. Their united voices were heard in the lowest seat of Nats : the inhabitants of that seat catching their words, repeated them and they were heard by those of the next seat, and so on, until they reached the seats of Brahmas, and were reechoed through 10,000 worlds. A mighty commotion was felt all over those worlds. The five, at first unbelieving, but now believing Rahans, obtain- 62. The mission of Budha is not, as previously observed, confined tq men living on earth, but it extends its beneficial action oyer all the beings inhabiting the six seats of Nats, and sixteen of Brahmas. Those beings, the latter in particular, are much advanced in perfection, but they are not yet ripe for the sublime state of Niban. Though freed, at least the Brahmas, from the influence of passions, they retain as yet Borne inclination for matter ; they want the help of a Budha to break at pnee the few slender ties that retain them in the state of existence. The first preaching of Budha was rewarded with the conversion of five Rahans and of a countless number of Nats and Brahmas. tuch a plentiful harvest he could scarcely anticipate to reap ; and the begin- ning of his career, attended with such wonderful success, amply repaid him for the extraordinary exertions he made in order to qualify hina- Belf for the Budhaship. The author of the Legend remarks with an un- feigned pleasure, that owing to the conversion of the five Rahans, the world witnessed the beautiful sight of six Rahandas, congregrated on the same spot. Tho Rahanda has attained the summit of perfection ; ha has arrived at the last existence; his death will relieve him from the burthen of existence and open to him the way leading to perfect rest, complete abstraction, in a word, to Niban. The Rahandas rank first among the disciples and heai'ers of Budha; they constitute the elite of his followers, and form the most distinguished portion of the as- sembly or congregation of the perfect. We have already stated that the members composing the assembly of the hearers were divided jnto distinct fractions, and formed different degrees, according to tho difference of their respective progress in the way of perfection. LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. <7 ed the perfection of Tlautapati. Budha often repeated to those that approached him ; come to me — I preaeh a doctrine which leads to the deliverance from ail the miseries attending existence. On that day, being the full moon of W'atso, eighteen Koodea V 18,000. 000,000) of Nats and Brahmas who had heard his preach- ings, obtained thedeliverance. The conversion of those live Ka- hans, exhibited to the world the splendid and wonderful sight of six Uahandas assembled in the same place. At that time there was in the country of Baraivrth.ee, the son of a rich man, named Hatha. He was of very gentle and amia- ble dispositions. His father had built for him three palaces for each season of the year. A crowd of young damsels, skilful in the art of playing on all sorts of musical instruments, attended him in each of those palaces. Hatha spent his time in the midst of pleasure and amusements. On a certa'n day, while surround- ed with female dancers and singers, he fell into a deep sleep. The musicians following his example, laid aside their instruments and fell asleep too. The lamps, tilled with oil, continued to pour a flood of light throughout the apartments. Awaking sooner than usual, Hatha saw the musicians all asleep round him in various and unseemly situations. Some slept with a wide opened mouth; some had disheveled hair ; some were snoring aloud ; some had their instruments laying on themselves, and others, by their side. The wdiole exhibited a vast scene of the greatest confusion and disorder. Sitting on his couch in a crossdegged position, the young man silently gazed with amazement and disgust, over the unseemly spectacle displayed before him ; then he said to him- self : the nature and condition of the body constitute indeed a truly heavy burden ; it is something that affords a great deal of trouble and affliction. Whereupon he instantly arose from his couch, put on his gilt slippers and came down to the door of his apartment. The Nats who kept a vigilant watch, lest any one should oppose him in the execution of his holy purpose, kept open the door of the house, as well as the gate of the city. Ratha directed his steps towards the solitude of Migadawon. At that time Budha, who had left at a very early hour, his sleeping place, was walking in front of the house. He saw at a distance a young man coming in the direction he was in. He stopped instantly his pacing, and going into his own apartment, sat as usual on his seat, awaiting the arrival of the young stranger, who soon made his appearance and stated modestly the object of his visit. Budha said to him, O Ratha! the law of Niban is the only true one : alone it is never attended with misery and afflic- tion. O Ratha ! come nearer to me; remain in this place; to you I will make known the most perfect and valuable law. On hearing these kind and inviting expressions, Ratha felt his heart overflowed with the pur< st joy. He instantly put off his slip- *g T.F.f.KNli oF THE BU-lMKlsSE BUT>IIA.. per* dfcw nearer to Budha, bowed down throe times before Kim, withdrew then to a becoming distance and remained in a respect- ful attitude. Budha began to preach the law,, unfolding suc- cessively the various merits obtained by almsgiving, a strict per- formance of all duties and practices of the law, and above nil by renouncing the pleasures of this world. During all the while, the heart of the voang visitor expanded in a wonderful manner : he felt the ties that hitherto had bound him, as it were, to the world, gradually relaxingand giving way before the unresisting influence of Budha's words. The good dispositions of the young hearer were soon remarked by Budha, who went on explaining all that related to the miseries attending existence, the passions tyram- sing the boul, the means wherewith to become exempt from those passions, and the great ways leading to perfection. After hav- ing listened to that series of instructions, Hatha, like a white cloth that easily retains the impressions of various colors printed upon it, felt, himself freed from all passions, and readied at once the state of Thautapati. Rutha's mother, not meeting with her son early, as usual, went up to his apartment, and to her great surprise found him not ; moreover she observed unmistakeable marks of his sudden and unexpected departure. She ran forthwith to her husband, and announced to him the sad tidings. On hearing of such an un- booked for event, the father sent messengers in the direction of the four points of the compass, with positive orders to search in- cessantly after his son, and leave no means of inquiry untried. As regarded himself he resolved to go to the solitude of Migada- won in the hope of finding out some track of his .son's escape. He bad scarce travelled over a certain distance, when he remark- ed on the ground the marks of his son's footsteps. He followed them up and soon came in sight of Budha' s resting place. Hatha was at that time listening with the deepest attention to all the words of his great teacher. By the power of Budha, he remain- ed hidden from the eyes of his father, who came up and having paid his respects to Gaudama, eagerly asked him if he had not seeu bis son. Gaudama bade him to sit down and rest from the fatigue of his journey. Meanwhile he assured him that soon he wouU see his son. Rejoiced at such an assurance, Ratha's father complied with the invitation he had received. Budha an- nounced his law to this distinguished hearer, and soon led him to the perfection of Thautapati. Filled with joy and gratitude, the new convert exclaimed : illustrious Phra, your doctrine is a most excellent one ; when you preach it, you do like him who replaces on its basis an upset cup ; like him too who brings to light precious things which had hitherto remained in darkness ; like him who points out the right way to those that had lost it, who kindles a brilliant light in the middle of utter darkness; who opens the mind'* -^ I : ,EGCN-f> Of fHK BV'tfM'ilS'E iVrDHA. ?f) eyes that they might see the pure truth. Henceforth I adhere to you and to your holy law; please to reckon me as one of your disciples and supporters. This was the first layman that became it dfe^iple of Gaudania, in the capacity of Cpaska ® C Ji « 5 63.- {bis.) it is not without interest to give an abridgment" of an in- struction or sermon delivered by Gaudaiiia to a ZS'at. It will be as a' fair specimen of other similar perfoi unices. The Nat made his appear- ance at nightfall, and respectfully entreated LJudha to deliver certain instructions which would enable men to come to 'the understanding of many points of the law, on which they had hitherto fruitlessly medi- tated. Budha -was then in the monastery of Dzetawon, in the country of Thawatte. This sermon is suposed to have been repeated by Ananda, who had heard it from the month of Budha himself. It is. according to Burmese, the most excellent sermon ; it contains thirty eight points. Young Nai, said Budha, here are the most excellent things men and Nats ought to attend to, in order to capacitate themselves for the state of Niban : to shun the company of the foolish ; to be always with the wise ; to proffer homage to those that are deserving of it ; to remain in a place becoming one's condition ; to have always with oneself the influence of former good works; steadily to maintain a perfect be- havior ; to be delighted to hear and see much, in order to increase knowledge ; to study all that is not sinful ; to apply oneslf to acquire the knowledge of Wini. Let every one's conversation be regulated by righteous principles ; let every one minister to the wants of his father and mother ; provide all the necessaries for his wife and children ; per- form no action under the evil ii ill uence of temptation; bestow alms; observe the precepts of the law, assist one's relatives and friends ; per- form no actions but such as are exempt from siu ; be ever diligent in such avoiding, and abstain from intoxicating drink Let no one be remiss in the practice of the law of merits. Let every one bear respect to all men ; be ever humble ; be easily satisfied and content ; gratefully ac- knowledge favors ; listen to the preaching of the law in its proper time ; be patient ; delight in good conversation ; visit the religious from time to time ; converse on religious subjects ; cultivate the virtue of mortifiation ; practice works of virtue ; pay attention always to the four great truths; keep the eyes fixed on Niban. Finally, let one be in the mid- dle of the eiglit afflictions of this world, like the Rahanda, firm, without disquietude, fearless, with a perfect, composure. young Nat, whoever observes these perfect laws, shall never be overcome by the enemies of the good : he shall enjoy the peace of Ariahs. Within a narrow compass, Budha has condensed an abridgement of almost all moral virtues. The first portion of these precepts, contains injunctions to shun all that may prove an impediment to the practice of < r ood works. The second part inculcates the necessity of regulating one's mind and intention for a regular discharge of the duties incum- bent to any man in his respective station. Then follows a recommenda- tion to bestow assistance on parents, relatives and all men in gen- eral. Next to that, we find recommended virtues of humility, resigna- tion, gratitude and patience. After this, the preacher insists on the necessity of studying the law, visiting religious, conversing on religious subjects. When" this is done, the hearer is commanded to study with great attention the four great truths, and keep his mind's eyes ever fixed on the happy state of Niban, which though as yet distant, ought ~i'i LEGEND Of THE BtJUSlKSK BVdUA. Whilst Budha was busily engaged in imparting instruction to Ratha's father, the young irian Lad entered on a deep and solemn meditation over some of the highest maxims he had heard from: his great teacher. He was calmly surveying, as it were, all the things of this world ) the move he progressed in that great work, the more he felt there was ia himself no affection whatever for any thing. He had not yet become a Rahan, nor put on the Kalian's dress-. Phra who watched over all the movements of his pupil's mind, concluded, from his present dispositions, that there could be no fear of his ever returning into the world of passions. He suddenly caused by his mighty power, the son to becowle visible to his father's eyes. The father perceiving on a sudden his son sitting close by him, said : beloved son, your mother is now bathed in tears, and almost sinking under the' weight of affliction caused by your sudden departure ; come now to her, and by your presence restore her to life, and infuse into her desolated soul some consolation. Ratha, calm and unmoved made no reply, but cast a! look at his master. Budha, address- ing Ratha's father said to him: What will you have to state in reply to what I am about to tell you ? Your son knows what you know, he sees what yon see ; his heart is entirely di?entangled from all attachment to worldly objects; passions are dead iri him'. Who will now ever presume to say that he ought to subject him- self again to them and bend his neck under their baneful influ- ence 1 1 have spoken rashly, replied the father : let my son continue to enjoy the favor of your society; let him remain with' you for ever and become your disciple. The only favor I request for myself, is to have the satisfaction of receiving you in my house with my son attending you, and there to enjoy the happi- ness of supplying you with your food. Budha by his silence assented to his lequest. No sooner had his father departed,- but Ratha applied for the dignity of Rahan, which was forthwith con- ferred upon him. At that time, there were in the world seven Rahan»las. On the following morning, Gaudama putting on his yellow tsiwaran and carrying the patta under his arm, attended by the Rahan Ratha sallied from his house, and went according to his promise, to the place of Ratha's father, to receive his food. He had scarce entered the house and occupied the seat prepared for him, when the mother of the new Rahan, and she who was never to be lost sight of. Thus prepared, the hearer must be bent upon acquiring the qualifications hetiting the true sage. Like the one mentioned by the Latin Poet, that would remain firm, fearless and un- moved even in the middle of the ruins of the crumbling universe, the Budhiat sage must ever remain calm, composed and unshaken among all the vicissitudes of life. Here is again clearly pointed out the final end to be arrived at, viz : that of perfect mental stability. This state is the foreshadowing of that of Niban. LEGEND OF IHE BURMESE BUDHA. 81 formerly his wife, came both to pay him their respects. Budha preached ^to them the law, explaining in particular the three 63 63. — From the perusal of this Legend, it can be remarked that Budha in the course of his preachings, withheld from no one the know- ledge of his doctrine, but on the contrary, aimed at popularizing it in every possible way. In this respect he widely differed from the Brah- mins who enveloped in a mysterious obscurity their tenets, and even in that state of semi-incomprehensibility, condescended to offer them to the consideration of but a few selected adepts. Our Budha follow- ed quite an opposite course. He preached to all without exception. On this occasion we see him engaged in explaining to the mother and wife of Ratha, duties truly becoming their sex and position. He warn- ed them against the danger of speaking too much, or speaking hastily and with a tone of dissatisfaction. He desired them to be always cool and moderate in their conversation, and to take a pleasure in conver- sing on religious topics, such as the practice of the ten great duties the merits of almsgiving and on the other precepts of the law. He showed to them the unbecomingness of inconsistency in speaking, and finally concluded by exhorting them to allow wisdom to guide them in the right use of the faculty of speech. Every one will agree in this, that the lecture was a very appropriate one, and would suit as well women of our clays as those of Budha's times. It is not easy to determine whether these two female converts be- came Rahanesses by forsaking the world and devoting all their time to religious observances, or simply believed in Budha's doctrines and continued to live in the world. The Burmese translator makes use of expressions liable to both interpretations. I feel rather inclined to give preference to the first supposition, since it is remarked that they were the two first female disciples of Budha. Such a remark would have hardly been made, if these two ladies had simply been hearers of Budha and continued to lead an ordinary life. The great framer of the Budhistic disciplinary regulations has also laid down rules for the institution and management of an order of fe- male devotees, to match, as it were, with that of Talapoins. Hence in almost all countries where lihudhism is nourishing, there are to be met houses and monasteries which are the abodes of those pious women, who emulate Rahans in the strict observance of practices of the high- est order. Their dress, except the color, which is white, is quite simi- lar to that of Talapoins ; their head is shaved ; they live in strict conti- nence as long as they continue to wear the dress of their profession. They have certain formulas of prayers to repeat every day several times. Their diet is the same as that of Talapoins ; they are forbidden to take any food after midday. I am not aware that they render any service to society in the way of keeping schools for the benefit of female chil- dren. They live on alms freely bestowed on them by their co-religion- ists. The Burmese honor them with the title of Mathi-la-shing, which means ladies of the religious duties The order of those female devo- tees is now much on the decline ; the inmates of houses are but few, enjoying a very small share of public esteem and respect. They are generally looked upon with feelings akin to those entertained towards beggars. In the Wini or book of discipline the relations that are allowed to K gn LEGEND OF 1HE BURMESE BUDHA principal observances becoming their sex. and condition The effect of the preaching was at once immediate and irresistible : they became exempt from all sins, aud attained the state of the perfect. They desired to be ranked among his disciples, and de- voted themselves to his service. They were the first persons of their sex, who took refuge in the three precious things, Budha, his law, and the assembly of the perfect. Gaudama and his faith- ful attendant having eaten the excellent and savoui-y food pre- pared for them, departed from the house and returned to the monaster) . Four young men M belonging to the most illustrious families of subsist between the two orders of male and female devotees, are minutely described and clearly laid down, so as to prevent the evils that might result from a familiar and unnecessary intercourse. Thoroughly acquainted with the weakest side of human nature, the author of the Wini lias legislated on that subject with the utmost cir- cumspection. He allows rather aged Rahans to be the spiritual ad- visers of the Rahanesses, but he denies them the leave of ever going to their houses under what pretext soever. When the latter want to' hear preaching or receive some advice from the Rahans, they resort in broad daylight to the monastery, are permitted to stay in a large hall, open to the public, at a considerable distance from him whom they de- sire to consult. Having briefly and with becoming reverence made known the object of their visit, and received some spiritual instruc- tions, they immediately return to their own place. The same reflexion may be applied to the conversion of R'atha's father. It is said that he was the first convert out the body of laymen. He doubtless forsook the world and became a first class convert, What leaves no doubt on the subject is the great stride he was enabled to make from the beginning, in the way of perfection. He had already become a Thautapan, and at once entered one of the four ways leading thereto. 64. — The conversion of Ratha and of his young friends shows to us dis- tinctly the tendency of Budha 1 s preachings and their effect over those who believed in him. Ratha is represented as a young worldly minded man, who in the midst of riches, has denied to himself no kind of plea- sure. He feels that the enjoyments he was so fond of, can in no man- ner satisfy the cravings of his heart ; he is disgusted at them, and resolves to withdraw into solitude with the intention of placing him- self under the direction of some eminent teacher, and learn from hitrn the way to happiness. He hopes that the study of philosophy will lead him to true wisdom, and the acquirement of the means that may render him happy. He luckily falls in with Budha, who explains to- him that senses are the instruments through which passions act upon,, and tyrannize over, the soul, by keeping it in a painful subjection to matter. He points out to him the necessity of freeing himself from their control. This principle of Budhism, which aims at disengaging the soul from matter, isolating it from all that proves a burden to it,' and delivering it from the tyrannical yoke of concupiscence, is in itself perfectly correct, but, carried beyond its legitimate consequences, it ■becomes false and absurd, According to Budhists, the soul disentan- LEGEND OE THE RTTRMESE BUDHA. 83 JBaranathee, and formerly connected with Ratha by the ties of intimate friendship, having heard that their friend had shaved his head and beard, put on a yellow dress and become a Rahan, said among themselves : Our friend has withdrawn from the society of men, given up all pleasures, and has entered into the society of Rahans. There can be no doubt but the law of Wini 6 s is most excellent and sublime, and the profession of Rahan most perfect. Whereupon they came to the place their friend resided in, prostrated before him, as usual in such circum- stances, and sat down at a respectful and becoming distance. Ratha took them before Budha, praying him to deliver to those,, gled from all that exists, finds itself alone without any object it can adhere to : folding itself up into its own being, it reiaama in a state of internal contemplation, destitute alike of all feelings of pleasure and satisfaction. This doctrine was known in the time of Budha, as far as the principle is concerned. The Rathees and other sages in those days, upheld it both in theory and practice ; but on the consequences, ths originator of Budhism came at issue with his contemporaries and struck a new path in the boundless field of speculative philosophy. 65. — The Wini is one of the great divisions of Budhistic sacred wri- tings. The Pitagat or collection of all the Scriptures, is divided into three parts, — the Thouts, containing the preachings of Budha, the Wini or book of the discipline, and the Abidama or the book of Meta- physics. That conpilation is supposed to embody the doctrines of Budha in a complete manner. These books have not been written by Budha himself, since it is said of him that he never wrote down any- thing. The first Budhistic compositions were certainly written by the disciples of Phra, or their immediate successors. But there arose some disputes among the followers of Budha, as to the genuineness of the doctrines contained in the various writings published by the chief dis- ciples. To settle the controversy, an assembly or council of the most influential members of the Budhistic creed, under the presidency of Kathaba, was held about three months after Gaudama's demise. The writings regarded as spurious were set aside, and those purporting to .contain the pure doctrines of Phra, were collected into one body and formed, as it were, the canon of sacred books. The matter so far was settled for the time being, but human mind, when unrestrained by authority, acted in those days with the same result as it does in our ■own times. Various and different were the constructions put on the same text, by the expounders of the Budhistic law. All parties admit- ted the same books, but they dissented from each other in the inter- pretation. Some of the books hitherto regarded as sacred, were alter- ed or rejected altogether, to make room for the works of uew doctors. A great confusion prevailed to such an extent, that an hundred years later, a second council was assembled for determining the authenticity of the real and genuine writings. A new compilation was made and approved of by the assembly. The evil was remedied ; but the same causes that had exercised so baneful an influence previously to the time of the second council, soon worked again and produced a similar result. Two hundred and thirty five years after Gaudama's death, a ithird council was assembled. The books compiled by the second council K* 84 LEGEND OF THE BTTRME.sE BUDHA. who had been his friends in the world, the same instructions he had received from him. Gaudama willingly assented to his request and forthwith began to explain to them the nature and abundance of merits, derived from almsgiving. He initiated them into the knowledge of the chief precepts and observances of the law. These young hearers received with a cheerful heart, his instruc- tions and felt within themselves an unknown power, dissolving gradually all the ties that had hitherto retained them in the world of passions. Delighted at remarking so good dispositions in those young men, Gaudama explained to them the higher doctrine of the four great and fundamental truths which lead to perfection. (65 Ms.) When the preaching was over, they applied for and obtained the dignity of Rahans. There were at that time eleven Rahandas in the whole world. were revised and apparently much abridged and with the sanction of the assembled fathers, a new canon of scriptures was issued. The Pitagat in its present shape is regarded as the work of this last assem- bly. All the books are written in the Pali or Magatha language. In the beginning of the fifth century of our era according to our author's computation, a learned man named Boudagautha, went to Ceylon and brought back to Burmah a copy of the collection of the Pitagat. Then he introduced into this country the alphabet now in use, and translate ,ed in the vernacular a portion of the scriptures. 65 (bis.) The four principles or truths so often alluded to, in the course of this work, ought to be well understood, in order to get a clear insight into the system under consideration. These four truths are as follows. 1. There are afflictions and miseries attending the existence of all beings, 2. There are passions and, in particular, concupiscence, which are the causes of all miseries. 3. There is Niban which is the exemption of all passions, and consequently the deliverance of all miseries. 4. There are the four ways or high roads leading to Niban. Here is the summary of the sublime knowledge and transcendent science possessed by a Budha : these four fundamental truths, form the four features or characteristics of his law : they safely guide man in the way to deliverance. The Budhist sage, who longs to become perfect, must study with attention the position of all beings in this world, survey with a patient attention their diversified condition, and fathom the depth of the abyss of miseries in which they are miserably sunk. A vague, general and superficial knowledge of those miseries, is insufficient to create that perfect acquaintance with human wretchedness. He ought to examine one after the other, those series of afflictions, until he feels, as it were, their unbearable weight pressing over his soul. This first step having been made by the means of reflection, meditation and experience, the sage standing by the side of all miseries that press down all beings, as a physician, by the bed of a patient, enquires into the cause of such an awful moral disorder. He soon discovers the generating causes of that universal distemper : they are the passions in general, or rather to speak more in accordance with Budhistic expressions, concur piscence, anger and ignorance being the springs all demerits flow from, are the impure sources wherefrom originate all the miseries and afflictions £his world is filled with, The destruction of those passions is the main LEGEND OF TH F. BURMESE BUDHA. 85 Fifty other young men of good descent, who had been the com- panions of Ratha, while in the world, having heard that their friend had left the world, put on the yellow garb and become Rahan, •said to each other : The law which our friend has listened to. may not be a bad one ; the profession he has entered into may not be as despicable as many people are wont to assert. They resolv- ed to judge for themselves and to be eye witnesses to all that had been said on the subject. They set out for the monastery Ratha was living in, came into his presence, paid their inspects to him, and stopped at a proper distance in a respectful posture. Ratha led them to his great teacher, humbly craving for his former friends, the same favor he had done to him. Budha graciouly assented to the request, and imparted instruction to his young hearers with such a happy result, that they instantly applied for admittance to the dignity of Rahans. This favor was granted to them. The total number of Rahandas was thereby raised to sixty one. On a certain day Gaudama called his disciples into his presence 66 and said to them : Beloved Rahans, I am exempt from the five great passions which like an immense net, encompass men and Nats. You, too, owing to the instructions you have received from me, enjoy the same glorious privilege. There is now incumbent on us, a great duty, that of labouring effectually in behalf of men and gi'eat object he has iu view. He therefore leaves the world and renounces all pleasures and worldly possessions, in order to ex- tinguish concupiscence : he practices patience under the most trying circumstances, that anger may no longer have any power over him ; he studies the law and meditates ou all its points, in order to dispel the dark atmosphere of ignorance by the bright light of knowledge. Having advanced so far, the sage has not yet reached the final .object of his desires, he has not yet attained to the end he anxiously wishes to come to. He is just prepared and qualified for going in search of it. Nibau, or the absolute exemption aud permaTierit deliver- ance from the four causes productive of existence, or of a state of being, is the only thing he deems worthy to be desired and earnestly longed for. The sage perceiving such a desirable state, sighed after it with all the powers of his soul. Niban is to him what the harbor is to the storm beaten mariner, or deliverance to the worn out inmate of a dark dungeon. But such a happy state is, as yet, at a great distance : where •is the road leading thereto 1 This is the last truth the sage has to investigate. The four roads to perfection are opened before him. These he must follow with perseverance : they will conduct him to Niban. They are a perfect belief, a perfect reflection, a perfect use of speech, and a perfect conduct. 66. — Budha having trained up his disciples to the knowledge of his doctrines as well as to the practice of his ordinances, elevates them to the dignity of preachers, or to be more correct, makes them fellow la- bourers in the arduous task of imparting to mankind the wholesome knowledge of saving truths. An unbounded field is opened before him; the number of beings who are designed to partake of the blessings of his doctrines, is incalculably great. His own efforts will not prove adequate £<$ LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA.. and Nats, and procuring to them the invaluable blessing of the deliverance. To the end of securing more effectually the success of such an undertaking, let us part with each other and proceed in various and opposite directions, so that not two of us should follow up the same way. Go ye now, and preach the most excellent law, expounding every point thereof and unfolding it with care and attention, in all its bearings and particulars. Explain the be- ginning, middle and end of the law, to all men, without excep- tion ; let every thing respecting it, be made publicly known and brought to the broad daylight. Show now to men and Nats the way leading to the practice of the pure and meritorious works. You will meet, doubtless, with a great number of mortals, not as yet hopelessly given up to their passions, and who will avail them- selves of your preaching for reconquering their hitherto forfeited liberty, and freeing themselves from the thraldom of passions. For my own part, I will direct my coui'se towards the village of Thena, situated in the vicinity of the solitude of Ooroowela- At that time the wicked Nat Manh came into the presence of Budhaand tempted him in the following manner. Men and Nats, said he, have the five senses; through those five senses, passions act upon them and encompassing their whole being, and finally keep them bound up with the chains of an unresistible slavery. As to to the difficulties such mighty undertaking is encompassed with : he adjoins to himself fervent disciples, that have reached all but the far- thest limit of perfection, by the thorough control they have obtained over their passions : he considers them as instruments well fitted for carrying into execution his benevolent designs, and entrusts them with the mission he has entered upon. By adopting such a step, the wise founder of Budhism establishes a regular order of men whom he commissions to go and preach to all living creatures, the doctrines they have learnt from him. The commission he imparted to them, was evidently to be handed down to their successors in the same office. He may now die, but he is sure that the work he has begun, shall be carried on with zeal and devotedness, by men who have renounced the world and given up all sorts of enjoyments that they might engage in the great undertaking with a heart perfectly disentangled from all ties and impediments of any description. In entrusting his disciples with the important dutv of teaching mankind, Budha, obeying the impulse of his universal charity, desires them to go all over the world and preach the truth to all mortals. He distinctly charges them to announce openly and unreservedly all that they have heard from him. In these instructions the plan of Budha is clearly laid down, and the features of the mission he assumes, distinctly delineated. His object is to spread his doctrines all over the world and to bring all beings under his moral sway. He makes no distinction between man and man. nation and nation. Though by birth, belonging to a high caste, he disregards at once those worldly barriers wh ereby men are separated from each other, and acknowledges no dignity but that which is conferred by virtue. Bold indeed was the step that he took in a country where the distinction of caste is so LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUPHA. 8? you, Rahan, you are not an' exception to that universal condition, and you have not yet outstepped the boundaries of my empire. Phra replied : O vile and wretched Nat ! I am well acquainted with the passions men and Nats are subjected to. But I have freed myself from them all, and have thereby placed myself with- out the pale of jour empire : you are at last vanquished and con- quered. Manh yet undismayed replied : () Rahan, you may be possessed with the power of flying through the air, but even in that condition, those passions which are inherent to the nature of mortal beings will accompany you, so that you cannot flatter yourself of living without the boundaries of my empire. Phra retorted : O wicked Nat, concupiscence and all other passions I have stifled to death in me, so that you are at last conquered. Manh, the most wretched among the wretched, was compelled to confess with a broken heart, that Phra had conquered him and he instantly vanished away. Full of fervour in preaching the law, the Rahans saw them- selve surrounded with crowds of converts, who asked for the dig- nity of Rahan. They poured in daily from all parts, into the presence of Budha, to receive at his hands, the much longed for high dignity.. 67 Budha said to them : Beloved Rahans, it is deeply rooted in the habits of the people, that all human efforts havo hitherto proved abortive in destroying it. It has already been hinted in a foregoing note, that ( Jaudama placed himself on a new ground, in opposition to the Brahminical doctrines. He doubtless, cautiously* avoided to wound directly the feelings of his antagonists, but at the same time, he adroitly sowed the seed of a mighty revolution that was to change, if left to grow freely, the face of the Indian Peninsula His doctrine wore two characteristics that were to distinguish it essentially from that of his adversaries, it was popular and universal, whereaa that of his opponents was wrapped up in a mysterious obscurity, and unfolded completely but to a privileged caste. Another great 'differ- ence between the two systems is this : Budha paid little attention to the dogmatical portion of religion, but laid the greatest stress on morals. The dogmas are few and little insisted on. He aimed at cor- recting the vices of the heart, but little attended to redress the errors of the mind. 67. — In these new instructions delivered to the Rahans, Budha gives them the power of receiving into the ranks of the assembly, those of their converts who would prove foremost in understanding the law and observing its highest practices. He empowers them to confer on others the dignity of Rahans, and admit them to the various steps that lead to that uppermost one. To obsei-ve uniformity in the reception of candidates to the various orders, Budha laid down a number of re- gulations embodied in the Kambawa. or book used as a sort of ritual on the days of admission of candidates to the dignity of Patzins and Rahans. The contents of this small but interesting work may be seen in the notice on the order of Talapoins or Budhist Monks, inserted at the end of this volume. That the reader may have now an idea of the general purpose and object of these regulations, I will draw a slight outline of 88 LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. painful and troublesome both to you and to those who desire to" be admitted into our holy brotherhood, to come from such a great distance to me. I now give to you the power of conferring the dignity of Patziu and Rahan on those whom you may deem wor- thy to receive it. This is the summary way you will have tw follow on such occasions. Every candidate shall have his hair and beard shaved, and shall be provided with the Tsiwaran of them. The candidate who seeks for admission among the members of the order, has to appear before an assembly of Rahaus presided over by a dignitary. He must be provided with the dress of the Order, and a patta or the pot of a mendicant, lie is presented to the assembly by a Rahan, upon whom devolves the important duty of instructing him on all that regards the profession he is about to embrace, and lead him throughout the ordeal of the ceremony. He is solemnly interrogated before the assembly on the several defects and impediments incapaci- tating an individual for admission into the order. On his declaring that he is free from such impediments, he is with the consent of the assembled fathers, promoted to the rank of Patzin. But, ere he be al- lowed to take his place among his brethren, he is instructed on the four principal duties he will have to observe, and warned against the four capital sins, the commission of which would deprive him de facto of his high and holy character, and cause his expulsion from the socie- It is supposed that the candidate previous to his making application for obtaining the dignity of Rahan, has qualified himself by study and a good life, for admittance among the perfect. By surrounding with a display of ceremonies the admission of candidates into the ranks of the order, the shrewd framer of those regulations intended to encircle the whole body with a halo of dignity ami sacfedness, and at the same time to provide, as far as human wisdoni allows, against the reception of unworthy postulants. Hitherto Budha had reserved to himself alone the power of elevating hearers or converts to the dignity of Rahans ; now he hands down to his disciples that power and bids them to use it, as they had seen him do, in behalf of those whom they deem worthy applicants. He has es- tablished a Society and striven to infuse into it ail the elements neces- sary for keeping it up hereafter, and securing its existence and perma- nency. He sets up a kind of ecclesiastical hierarchy, which is to be perpetuated during the ages to come, by the same means and power that brought it into existence. Having put such a power into the hands of his disciples, Budha very properly exhorts them to emulate him in his efforts for becoming per- fect. He sets himself as a pattern of perfection, and bids them all to imitate the examples he places before them. He shows briefly to them by wbat means he has attained the state of Arahatapho, and stimulates them to the adopting of similar means. The word Arahatapho is com- posed of two words — Arahat, which means perfect, and pho or phola, as the orthography indicates, which means reward, merit. The state of Arahatapho is that in which a man enjoys the merits or reward of perfection, which he has reached by the practice of virtue, and par- ticularly the acquirement of wisdom or knowledge of the highest points of the law. It is used often in opposition to the word Arahata- inegata. which signifies the ways or roads leading to perfection. LEGEND OF IHE BURMESE BUDKA. 80 fellow color. These preliminaries being arranged, On a certain day, Budha wished to wash his dress. A Thalia knowing the thought that occupied his mind, dug a small square tank, and approaching him, respectfully invited him to wash herein his tsiwaran. Budha then thought: where shall I find a stone to rub it upon ? The Thagia having brought a stone said to him : illustrious Phra, here is a stone to rub your tsiwaran on. He thought again : where is a proper place to dry it upon i The Nat that watched the tree Yekada, caused it to bend its branches, and said : My lord, here is a fit place to hang up your tsiwaran. He thought again : where is a fit spot to extend my clothes upon ? The chief of Thagias brought a huge and well polished stone and said : O illustrious Phra, here is a fit place to lay your tsiwaran upon. On the morning Kathaba repaired as usual to his guest's place to invite him to take his meal. Surprised at what he perceived, he said to Budha : O Ilahan, formerly there were here neither tank, nor stone ; how is it that they are here now ? Have you dug that tank, and carried hither such a large stone 1 How is it, again, that the tree Yekadat is now bending down its branches 1 Phra related then to the Rathee all that had happened, informing him, that the chief of Thagias and one Nat had done all those works for him, and ministered to all his wants. Kathaba more than before wondered at the great vir- tue and surpassing excellency of the great Rahan, but he persisted in his former opinion that the great Rahan was not a Rahanda that could equal him. Budha having taken his meal, returned to his grove. On another occasion, the Rathee went to Burma's place, to invite him to come and partake of his meal. Very well, said Budha, I have a small business to do now, go before hand, and I will fol- low you a few moments hence. Whereupon Kathaba went back to his cell. As to Phra he went to pluck a fruit from the jambu tree, and arrived at the eating place, before Kathaba could reach it. The Rathee on arriving thither, was quite surprised to find Phra already waiting for him. How is this, said he with an un- feigned feeling of surprise, and by what way did you come and contrive to arrive here before me ? Phra said to him : After your departure, I plucked one fruit from the jambu tree, and yet I have reached this spot sooner than you. Here is the fruit I have brought. It is as full of flavor as it is beautiful ; allow me to present you with it, that } r ou may eat it. Oh ! no, great Rahan, replied the Rathee, it is not becoming that I should eat it, but rather keep it for yourself. He thought within himself : wonder- ful is indeed the power and eminent excellency of that great Ra- han ; but he is not as yet a Rahan that can be assimilated to me. Phra ate his rice and returned to his grove. On another day, Phra gave a fresh proof of his miraculous power by bringing to Kathaba one mango fruit, plucked from a mango »M> LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUD HA. tree growing near the jambu tree, and so went on for several days, bringing fruits that grew at the extremity of the southern island. On another day, Phra ascended to the seat of Tawacleintha, and brought therefrom a beautiful water lily, and yet arrived to t lie place where his meal was ready, before Kathaba himself. The latter, quite amaze') at seeing a flower from the Nat country, thought within himself : wonderful indeed is the power of that great Rahan who has brought here, from the seat of Nats, a beauti- ful lily, in such a short space of time; but he is not yet equal to me. On a certain day, the llathees were busy in splitting fire-wood. They got a large log of wood upon which there united efforts could make no impression. Kathaba thought within himself : the great Kalian is gifted with mighty power ; let us try him on this occasion. He desired Gaudama to split the hard log. Gau- dama split it in a moment, in five hundred pieces. The llathees then tried to light up the fuel, but they could not succeed. Ka- thaba requested his guest to come to their assistance. In an in- stant, the five hundred pieces were set in a blaze, and presented the terrifying sight of five hundred large fires. The Rathees beg- ged the great Rahan to extinguish those fires which threatened a general conflagration. Their request was instantaneously granted ; the five hundred fires were extinguished. During the cold season in the month of January and Febuary, when there falls a heavy cold dew, the Rathees amused themselves in plunging and swimming in the river Neritzara. Phra caused five hundred fires to blaze out, on the banks of the river. The Rathees coming out of the stream, warmed themselves by the side of those fires. They all wondered at the astonishing power of the great Rahan. But. Kathaba persisted in saying that he was not a Rahanda like him. On a certain day, a great rain poured in as a torrent, so that the water overflowed all the country, but it did r.ot reach the spot Gaudama stood upon. He thought within himself: It is good that I should create a beautiful dry road in the midst of the water. He did so, and walked oh the dry road, and clouds of dust rose in the air. Kathaba. much concerned regarding the fate of his guest, took a boat and with the assistance of his disciples, pulled in the direction of Budha's grove ; but what was their surprise, when reaching the spot, they found instead of water, a firm dry road, and Budha calmly walking to and fro. Is it you great Rahan, cried Ka- thaba, whom we see here ? Yes, replied Gaudama, it is I indeed. He had scarcely returned this answer, when he rose in the air and stood for a while above the boat. Kathaba thought again within himself that great indeed must be the perfections and at- tainments of the great Rahan, since water even cannot harm him, Imt he is not yet a Rahanda like him. Phra who knew what wa» taking place in Kathaba s mind, said to himself : There is a long LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. 97 time that this Rathee is thinking within himself : This Rahan is great, but I am .still greater than he; it is time now that I should inspire him with fear and surprise. Addressing Kathaba, he said : Rathee, you are not a Rahanda, that has arrived to the perfection of Arahat ; I can do things that you cannot do; you are not, therefore, a Rahanda. Astonished at such an unexpected declaration, Kathaba humbled himself, fell on his knees and pros- trated at the foot of Budha, saying : Illustrious Phra, I wish to become Italian under your direction. Phra replied : Kathaba, you have under you five hundred Rathees, go and inform them of all that has happened. Whereupon Kathaba went to the place where the Rathees had assembled, and said to them : I wish to place myself under the direction of the great Rahan. The five hundred Rathees told him that they were willing to follow his example, since he had been hitherto to them such an excellent teacher. They rose up and collecting their utensils, such as the hairy girdle, the honey filtre, &c., they flung them into the river, came, and prostrating at the feet of Budha, they craved admit- tance to the dignity of Rahans. Nadi Kathaba, seeing the utensils floating on the water, and carried down by the stream, called his followers and said to them : Some misfortune may have befallen my elder brother ; let us go and see what has happened. They were no sooner ar- rived, than Kathaba related to them all thathadjust taken place. Nadi Kathaba went forthwith to Budha's cell, attended by all his disciples. Falling all at the feet of Phra, they declared their read- iness to become his disciples, and applied for the dignity of Rahan. Gaya Kathaba, who lived a little below the place of Nadi Kathaba, seeing on the surface of the water, the utensils of both his brothers' followers, floating in the direction of the stream, hastened with his two hundred disciples to the place of Ooroowola Kathaba. On his being informed of all that had occurred, he and his followei-s threw themselves at Gaudama's feet, praying for admittance into the order of Rahans. They were all admitted. The conversion of Ooroowela Kathaba was brought about by the display, on the part of Budha, of no less than three thousand five hundred and sixty wonders. 70 70. It has been asserted in a former note that the preachings of Budha were accompanied with miracles for conferring an additional strength and an irresistable evidence to his doctrines. This assertion is fully corroborated by all the particulars attending the conversion of the three Kathabas and their disciples. On this occasion Budha met with the greatest amount of stubborn resistance from the part of Ooroowela Kathaba. There is no doubt but our great preacher re- sorted to every means of persuasion, to carry conviction to the mind of his distinguished hearer. He had, however, to deal with a man full of his own merits and excellence, who thought himself far superior to every one else : his best arguments proved powerless before a self con- Si tfo LEGENlJ OF THE BURMESE BUJ>M, CliAPTER VII. Budha s sermon on the mountain — Interview of Budha and king Pimpathara in the vicinity of the city of Radzagio— Answer of Kathaba to Budhas interrogation — Instructions delivered to the king and his attendants — Solemn entry of Budha in Radzagio— Donation of the Welowon Monastery to Budha— Conversion of Thariputra and Mauhralan — The Rahctns are keenly taunted by the people of Radzagio. Accompanied by his thousand followers, Phra went to the village d£ Gayathetha. This village stands on the bank of the river Gaia. Close to it, there is a mountain resembling in appearance an ele- eeited individual, whc^was used to give and not to receive instruction, who was enjoying a far famed celebrity, Budha wa» compelled to re- sort to his unbounded power of working miracles, and with it, over- came, at last, the obstinate and blind resistance of the proud Rathee. No conquest had ever been so dearly bought ; but it proved well worth the extraordinary efforts made to obtain it Kathaba became one of fhe most staunch adherents of Budha, and one of the most fervent disciples who labored hard for the propagation of Budhism. He is the most celebrated in all Budhistic works, and to his name is ever prefixed the distingnshed epithet of Maha, which means great. After Gaudama's demise he became the patriarch of the Budbists. By hi» care and exertions, a council of five hundred Rahans was assembled at Radzagio, under the reign of King Adzatatha, to condemn the un- becoming language used by some false, or imperfectly taught converts, who wished to shake off, on many points, the authority of Budha. In the episode of the three Kathabas' conversion, the attentive f eader cannot fail to have &bserved one particular that throws some light on the position several heads of the schools of philosophy, occupied in tlie days that saw the origin of Budhism. Those sages lived in retired places, far from the bustle and tumult of the world. It is probable that at first they were alone, or with but a few other individuals, who delighted in the same mode of life. Their time was entirely taken up with study and meditation. The object of their studies and reflections was the boundless field of metaphysics and morals. Their diet was plain and their abstemiousness carried to a degree Hindu devotees and fanatics are alone capable of reaching. The fame of the proficiency of some of these individuals, in science and virtue, soon attracted in their solitude, numbers of pupils, eager to place themselves under the tuition and discipline of masters so eminent in every respect. The three K athabas must have been celebrated throughout the country, since we find them at the head of so many disciples. Humility has never been the forte of the heathenish sages, either in, or out of, India, Conceit and self esteem were fostered in their souls by the conscious- ness of their own superiority and excellence, by the praises lavished on them by their disciples, and not a little by the seclusion from society to which they voluntarily resigned themselves. Spiritual pride, like a cunning foe, occupied in the heart, the place vacated by passions of a coarser nature and less delicate tinge. The conduct of the elder Kathaba Sully bears out the truth and correctness of the above assertion. LEGEND OP THE BURMESE BTTDHA. $9 pliant" s lieacl. On the top of the mountain, stands a large rock, wide enough to accommodate Kudha and all his attendants. He ascended the mountain with his disciples, and having reached its summit, he eat down. Summoning all his diseiples, he said to them: Beloved Bickus, all that is to be met with, in the three abodes of men, Nats and Brahmas, is like a burning- flame. But why is it so? Because the eyes are a burning flame ; the objects perceived by the eyes, the view of those objects, the feeling created by that view, are all like a burning flame. The sensations produc- ed by the eyes., cause a succession of pleasure and pain, but that pleasure and pain are, likewise, a burning flame. What are the causes productive of such a burning'? It is the fire of concupiscence, of anger, of ignorance, of birth, of death, of old age and of anxiety. Again, the ear is a burning flame ; the sounds, the perception ■of the sounds, the sensations caused by the sounds, are all a burn- ing flame ; the pleasure or pain produced by the sounds are too a burning flame • which is fed by the fire of concupiscence, anger, ignorance, birth, old age, death, anxiety, tears, affliction and trouble. Again, the sense of smelling is a burning lame ; the odours, the perception of odours, the sensations produced by odours, are all a burning flame ; the pleasure and pain resulting therefrom are but a burning flame, fed by concupiscence, anger, ignorance, birth, old age, death, disquietude, tears, affliction and sorrow. Again, the taste is a burning flame ; the objects tasted, the perception of those objects, the sensations produced by them, are all a burning flame, kept up by the fire of concupiscence, anger, ignorance, birth, old age, death, anxiety, tears, affliction and sorrow. Again., the sense of feeling, the objects felt, the perception of those ob- jects, sensations produced by them, are a burning flame ; the plea- sure and pain resulting therefrom, are but a burning flame, fester- ed by concupiscence, anger, ignorance, birth, old age, death, anxiety, tears, affliction and sorrow. Again, the heart is a burning flame, as well as all the objects perceived by it, and the sensations produced in it ; the pleasure and pain caused by the heart are too a burning flame, kept up by the fire of concupiscence, anger, igno- rance, birth, old age, death, disquietude, tears, affliction and sor- row. Beloved Bickus, they who understand the doctrine I have preached, and see through it, are full of wisdom and deserve to be •called my disciples. They are displeased with the senses, the ob- jects of senses, matter, pleasure and pain, as well as with all the •affections of the heart. They become free from concupiscence and therefore exempt from passions. They have acquired the true wisdom that leads to perfection ; they are delivered at once from the miseries of another birth. Having practised the most excellent works, nothing more remains to be performed by them. M* 100 LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. They want no more the guidance of the sixteen la w s, for they have reached far beyond them. 70 (**»•) 70 (bis.) The philosophical discourse of Budha on the mountain may be considered as the summary of his theory of morals. It is confessed- ly very obscure and much above the ordinary level of human under- standing. The hearers whom he addressed, were persons already train- ed up to his teaching, and therefore prepared for understanding such doctrines. Had he spoken in that abstruse style, to common people, it is certain he would have missed his aim and exposed himself to the chance of not being understood. But he addressed a select audience whose minds were fully capable of comprehending his most elevated doctrines. He calls his disciples Bickus, or mendicants, to remind them of the state of voluntary poverty they had embraced when they became his followers, and to impress their minds with contempt for the riches and pleasures of this world. He lays down as a great and general principle that all that exists resembles a flame that dazzles the eyes by its brilliancy, and torments by its burning effects. Here appears the favorite notion of Budhism, that there is nothing substantial and real in this world, and that the continual changes and vicissitudes we are exposed to, are the cause of painful sensations. Budha reviews the six senses (the heart according to his theory, is the seat of a sixth sense) in succession, and as they are the channels through which affections are produced on the soul, he compares to a burning flame, the organs of senses, the various objects of the action of senses, the results painful or agreeable produced by them. Hence he fulminates a general and sweeping condemnation against all that exists, without man. The senses being the means through which matter influences the soul, share in the universal doom. Budha sets forth the causes productive of that burning flame. They are, first the three great and general principles of demerits, viz : — concupiscence, an- ger and ignorance. In the book of Ethics, these three principles are explained at great length : they are represented as the springs from which flow all other passions. In a lengthened digression, the author aims at simplifying the question, and endeavours to show by a logical process that ignorance is the head source from which concupiscence and passion take their rise. It is, therefore, according to Budhists, in the dark recess of ignorance that metaphysicians must penetrate, in order to discover the first cause of all moral disorders. Every being has his mind more or less encompassed with a thick mist that pre- vents him from seeing truth. He mistakes good for evil, right for wrong ; he erroneously clings to material objects that have no reality, no substance, no consistence : his passions are kept alive by his love or hatred of vain illusions. The flame is, moreover, fed by birth, old age, death, afflictions, &c. &c. which are as many foci wherefrom re- diate out, on all surrounding objects, fires which keep up the general con- flagration. But they play only a secondary action, dependent from the three great causes of all evils, just alluded to. What causes birth, old age and death, inqtiires the Budhist ? The law of merits and de- merits, is the immediate answer to the question ; it might be added thereto, the necessity of acquiring merits and gravitating towards per- fection. A man is born to innumerable succeeding existences, by vir- tue of his imperfections, and that he might acquire fresh merits by the practice of virtue. By birth a being is ushered into a new exist- LEGEND Of THE BURMESE BUDI1A. 101 Having thus spoken, Budha remained silent. His hearer* felt themselves wholly disentangled from the trammels of passions, and disengaged from all affections to material objects, and they who had been but Kalians, became Rahandas. Whilst the most excellent Phra was enjoying himself in the place of Gayathetha, he recollected that at the time he was but a Phralaong, being near the mountain Pantawa, he had received from king Pimpathara an invitation to come to his own country and preach the law. Accompanied with his thousand Rahandas, he set out for the country of Radzagio. Having arrived at a small distance from the royal city, he went to a place planted with palm trees The king having heard of his arrival, said to his people : 'Ihe descendant of along succession of illustrious princes, the great Kalian Gaudama, has entered into our country, and is now in the grove of palm trees, in the garden of Tandiwana. The happy news was soon reechoed throughout the country. The people said among themselves : The great Gaudama is come indeed. He is perfoctl) acquainted with all that relates to the three states cf men, Nats and Brahmas ; he preaches a sublime and lovely law ; the morals that he announces, are pure like a shell newly cleansed. Pimpathara placing himself at the head of 120,000 warriors, sur- rounded by crowds of nobles and Pounhas, went to the garden of Tandiwana. where Phra was seated in the middle of his disci- ples. He paid his respects by pr-ostrating before him, and then withdrew to a becoming distance. The countless crowd followed the example of their monarch, and seated at a becoming distance. Some of them remained conversing with Budha, and heard from him words worthy to be ever remembered ; some others having their hands joined to the forehead, remained in a respectful atti- tude ; some were praising his illustrious ancestors ; some others remained modestly silent. All of them perceiving the three Ka- thabas close to the person of Phara, doubted whether Gaudama was their disciple, or they his disciples. Budha seeing at once what thought occupied the mind of the warriors, noblemen and Pounhas, addressed the elder Kathaba, called Ooroowela Katha- ba, and said to him : Kathaba, you who lived formerly in the ence or into a new state, where the burning flame which is supposed to spread over all that exists, exercises its teasing and tormenting in- fluences over him. Old age and death are two periods where a radical change operates over a being, and places him in a different situation where he experiences the baneful effects of the conflagration. Blessed are they, says Budha, who understand this; they are full of wisdom ; they become displeased with all passions and with all the things they act upon. The causes of existences being done away with, they have reached the terminus of all possible existences ; one step more and they find themselves placed beyond the influence of the power of attraction that retains forcibly all beings in the vortex of existences, and brings them towards the centre of perfection ; they are de facto entering into the state of Niban. {02 LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA.. solitude of Ooroowela, answer the question, I am now putting to you. You were formerly a teacher of Rathees, who practised works of great mortification; what has induced you to give up the sacrifices you were wont to make ? Blessed. Budha, answered Kathaba," I have observed that exterior objects, the sounds, the taste, the gratification of senses, are but miserable filth, and, there- fore, I take no more delight in the offering of small and great sa- crifices, Budha replied : Kathaba, if you be no longer pleased with what is beautiful to the eyes, pleasant to the ear, palatable to the taste, and agreeable to the gratification of the senses, in what do you presently find pleasure and delight? Kathaba answered: Blessed Budha, the state of Niban is a state of rest, but that rest cannot be found as long as we live under the empire of senses and passions. That rest excludes existence, birth, old age and death ; the great mental attainments alone lead thereto. I know and see that happy state. I long for it. I am therefore displeas- ed with the making of great and small sacrifices. Having thus spoken, Kathaba rose up, worshipped Budha, by prostrating be- fore him and touching with his forehead the extremities of his feet, and said : O most excellent Budha, you are my teacher, and I am your disciple. All the people seeing what Kathaba had done, knew that he was practising virtue under the direction of Gaudama. 71 I'hra, who was acquainted with their innermost 71. From the purport of Kathaba's reply to Budha's question, it may be inferred with certainty that the Rathees were in the habit of making sacrifices or burnt offerings. These sacrifices, again, w^ere dis- tinguished into two classes ; the one including the small or daily ones, and the other, the great burnt offerings, made on solemn occasions. That these sacrifices were not performed by the killing and immolating of animals, there can be no doubt, as such an act would have been con- trary to the tender regard they always had for the life of animals. The institutes of Menu come to our help to elucidate this point. The Bramin is enjoined, according to that compilation of laws, to make burnt offerings of clarified butter and other articles, to the manes of his ancestors. Agreeably to this regulation, Kathaba performed those rites which in the opinion of Budha were perfectly useless, sinca they could not be the means of elevating the performer to the knowledge and perfection requisite for obtaining what he always ealls per excel- lence, the deliverance. Kathaba is rather obscure in his answer. It seems that he intended to acknowledge that notwithstanding the sacrifices and burnt offerings he had made, and upon the value of which he had laid much stress, con- cupiscence and other vicious propensities were still deeply rooted in him ; that, through the channel of his senses, exterior objects continued to make impression on his soul. He had. therefore, become disgusted •with practices which could not free him from the action and influence of passions and matter. In the opinion of Budha, the observance of exterior religious rites, can never elevate man to the sublime knowledge of pure truth, which LEGEND OF TIIE BURMESE BUDHA. 103 thoughts, knew that they \> ere longing to hear the preaching of the law. As he had always done, he began to preach to them the virtue of liberality in alms giving, and then unfolded before them, with matchless eloquence, the advantages of leaving the world, &c. The hearers felt an inward (Ldigl t at all that was said to them. Observing the favorable impression made upon them, Gaudama continued to instruct them on the four laws, re- garding the miseries of this world, the passions, the practice of excellent works, and the ways to perfection. At the conclusion of these instructions, the king and 100.000 of the assembly, like a piece of white cloth, which, when plunged into die, retains the color it receives, obtained instantly the state of Thautapan. ?2 As to the ten thousand remaining hearers, they belived in the three precious things, in the capacity of Upathakas. alone can confer the real perfection to him who has become a true sage, and is deemed worthy of obtaining the deliverance. A serious ap- plication of the mind to the meditation of the law, of the nature of beings, is the only way leading to the acquirement of true wisdom. As long as Kathaba was contented with material acts of worship, and his mind's attention was engrossed with these vain ceremonials, he had not as yet entered in the way of perfection. He had hitherto missed the true path; he had wandered in the broad road of error, encompassed by mental darkness, and deceived by perpetual illusions. His extensive knowledge had served but to mislead him in the wrong direction. He wanted the guidance of Budha to enable him to retrace back his steps and find the right way. He had to become sensible of the truth of the great fundamental maxims of all real wisdom, viz : that in this world, all is subjected to change, and to pain ; and that all beings are mere illusions, destitute of all reality. 72. To complete what has already been stated respecting the Ari- ahs or venerables, in a foregoing note, the following is added. The reader must bear in mind that these Ariahs are divided into four classes, named — Thautapan, Thakadagam, Anagam and Arahats, and according to the particular position - occupied by the beings of these states, each class is subdivided into two ; Thus for instance, Thauta- patti Mcgata means, he who has entered, and is walking, as it were, in the way of the perfection of Thautapan, and Thautapatti-pho indi- cates those who enjoy the merits and blessings of the state of Thauta- pan, and so with the three superior stages of perfection. To obtain the state of Thautapan, a man must have left the direction followed up by all creatures and entered into the direction or way that leads to deli- verauce. He will have yet to go through 80,000 kaps or durations of worlds, and must be born seven times more in the state of man and Nat, before he be a perfected being, ripe for the state of Niban. Those who have reached the state of Thakadagam shall have to pass through 60,000 kaps, and be born but once in the state of Nat and once in the state of man before they be perfected. Those who have obtained the third step of Anagam have to travel through 40,000 kaps, and are no more to undergo the process of birth ; at the end of that period, they are perfected. The fourth stage of perfection, that of Arahat, is the highest a being can ever retain. The fortunate Arahat is gifted with supernatural powers. At the end of 20,000 kaps, he is perfected, and 104 LF.i.K.Vb OF THE DTfHMESl! BCDHA. The ruler of the country of Magaritz, king Pimpathara, having obtained the state of Thautapanj said to Gaudama : illustrious Budha, some years ago. when I was but the crown prince of this country, I entertained live desires, which are all happily accom- plished. Here are the five desires — I wished to become king;. [desired that the Phra, worthy of receiving the homage of all men. should come into my kingdom; that I might have the privi- iedge of approaching him ; that he might preach his doctrine to me ; and finally that I might thoroughly understand all his preaching. These five wishes have been fully realized. lour law, O most excellent Budha, is a most perfect law. "What shall I assimilate it to, as regards the happy results it produces ? It is like replacing on its proper basis a vase that was bottom upwards ; or setting to light objects hitherto buried in deep dark- ness ; it is an excellent guide that shows oat the right way • it is like a brilliant light shining forth and dispelling darkness. Now I take refuge in you, your law and the assembly of the per- feet. Henceforth I will be your supporter, and to-morrow 1 will supply you and your disciples with all that is necessary for the support of nature. Budha, by his silence, testified his acceptance of the offered favor. Whereupon the king rose up, prostrated before him, and turning on the right, left the place and returned to his palace. Early in the morning Pimpathara ordered all sorts of eatables to be ready ; meanwhile he sent messengers to Budha to inform him that his meal was ready. Budha rising up, put on his dress and carrying his Patta, set out for Radzagio, followed by bis 1,000 disciples. At that time a prince of Thagias assuming the appearance of a handsome young man, walked a little distance in front of Budha, singing to his praise several stanzas. " Behold the most excellent is advancing towards Radzagio, with his ] ,000 disciples. In his soul, he is full of meekness and amiability : he is exempt from all passions : his face is beautiful and shines forth reaches the state of cleliverauce. Those four states are often called the four great roads leading to deliverance or to Niban. It may be asked whether the state of Thautapan be the first step reached by every one that adheres to Budha's doctrines, or whether it be one that requires a certain progress in the way of believing and practising 1 It seems from the narrative of king Pimpathara and his followers' conversion, that the state of Thautapan is the reward of those who have showed a more than common proficiency and fervour, in adhering to Budha and Ins doctrines, but not the first step to enter into the assembly of the faithful and become a member thereof. One may be a simple hearer, or Gopathaka, believing in the three precious things, without attaining the state of Thoutapan. On this occasion, the king and 100,000 of his warriors and noblemen became Thautapans, whereas the remaining 10,000 became believers and members of the assembly without reach- nig any further. LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHi. 105 like the star Xhigi : he has escaped out of the whirlpool of exist- ences, and delivered himself from the miseries of transmigration. He is on his way to the city of Radzagio, attended by a thousand liahandas. (The same stanza is thrice repeated). He who has •obtained !he perfection of Ariahs, who has practised the ten great virtues, who has a universal knowledge, who knows and preaches the law of merits ; who discovers at once the sublime attainments, the most perfect being, the most excellent, is entering into the city of Kadzagso accompanied with a thousand Rahaudas. The inhabitants of the city seeing the beautiful appearance of that young man and hearing ali that he was singing aloud, said to each other : who is that young man wh ;se countenance is so lovely, and whose mouth proclaims so wonderful things? The Thagia hearing what was said of him, replied; O children of men! the most excellent Phra whom ye see, is gifted with an incom- parable wisdom ; all perfections are in him ; he is free of all pas- sions ; no being can ever be compared to him ; he is deserving of receiving the homage and respect of men and Nats : his unwa- vering mind is ever fixed in truth ; he announces a law extending to all things. As to me, I am but his humble servant. 73 73. Is not that youn g man doing the duty of forerunner of Budha, two friends and their followers were drawing near to the place of Weloowon, Phra assembled all his disci >des and said to them : behold those two friends coming up to me; they will become my two beloved disciples — their minds are acute and penetrating — they actually take delight in the law of Niban; their thoughts are converging towards that great centre of truth ; they come to me and they will become my two most excellent disci- ples. Whilst he was speaking, the two friends crossed the thres- hold of the monastery, prostrated themselves at the feet of Bu- dha, humbly craving the favor of being admitted among his dis- tiplesand to practice virtue under his immediate direction. On this occasion, Phra uttered the following words : O Bickus, come to "me ; I preach the most excellent law ; apply yourselves to the practice of the most perfect works which will put an end to all miseries. A suit of dress and a patta were handed over to each of the two friends that were henceforth to be called Thariputra and Maukalan, and they became members of the assembly. Having LEGEND OF Tilft BURMESE BUDKA. Ill put on the new dross, they appeared to the eves of all, with th« decent and dignified deportment of rtahans that had sii'fey Veira of profession. Their followers became Bickus of tlie second or- der. Seven days after, Maukalan became a Bahanda : but. it took fifteen days for Thariputra, to obtain the same favor. All that regards the promise that these two illustrious friends reeeiv ed in the time of Budha Anaumadathe. may be read with cir- cumstantial details, in the book called . A padantera. The inhabitants of the Magatha country, seeing that so many persons chiefly belonging t > the first families, were embracing the profession of Kalians, said amongst themselves : behold the Kahau Gaudama by his preachings causes the depopulation of the coun- try, and forces countless wives to the unwished for state of widow- hood. A thousand Katheeshavc embraced the profession of Kalians ; all the disciples of Thinze have followed their example ; many others will soon tread on their footsteps ; what will become of our country 'I With these and other expressions, they gave vent to their hatred of the Italians, and endeavoured to pour over them all kinds of ridicule and abuse : they concluded by saying, the great Kalian has come to the city of Kadzagio, which is, like a cowpen, surrounded by five hills ; he has now with him the dis- ciples of Thinze ; who will be the next to go to him ? The llahans hearing all that was said against them, went to Budha and related to him all that they had heard. To console them Budha said : belowed Bickus, the abuses, saracams and ridicule, levelled at you, shall not last long : seven days hence, all shall bo over. Here is the reply you will make to the revilers ; like all his predecessors, Budha is striving to preach a most perfect law : with it he brings men over to himself. What shall avail any man to feel envious at the success he obtains by so legitimate a means. The same torrent of ridicule having been poured on the llahans, when they went out, they followed the advice of their great teach- er, replied in the manner they had been taught to do, and the storm was soon over. The people understood that the great llahan was preaching a perfect law. and that he never resorted but to fan- means to attract disciples round his person. Here ends the narra- tive of the conversion and vocation of Thariputra and Maukalan. 112 LEGEND OF THE BURMESE Dl'DHA. CHA.PTF.E VI 11. Thoodaudana desirous to see his son Budha, sends messengers to him. — Th*y become converts and n.ver return to the king — Kaludari, a last, messenger, prevails upon Budha to go to Kapilawot — Budha arrives to his native city. — His reception — conversion of the King, and. of Yathuudara. — Ananda and Raitula put on the religious habit. Whilst the most excellent Phra was remaining; in the Weloo- won monastery, enjoying himself in the midst of his disciples and the crowds of hearers that daily resorted thither to listen to his preachings, his father Thoodaudana 74 who had ever been anx- 74. In glancing over the episode of Thoodaudana's deputation to his son, to invite him to come and visit his native country, the reader is almost compelled to confess that the motive that influenced the King was but inspired by the natural feeling of beholding once more before he died, him whose fame, spread far and wide rendered him au object of universal admiration. Was the monarch ever induced by considerations of a higher order, to send for Budha ? There is no dis- tinct proof in support of this supposition. He was a father, and he but obeyed and followed the impulse of his paternal heart. He enter- tained a high sense of his son's distinguished qualifications. He had faith in the wonderful signs foretelling his future matchless greatness. He desired, therefore, to honor him in an extraordinary way, on the very spot where he had been born. But he appeared to concern himself very little about the doctrines he was preaching with a never equalled success. The King exhibited a great amount of wordly mindeduess, until his mind had been enlightened by the oral instructions of the great reformer. It is difficult, if not impossible, to form an accurate idea of the effect caused on the mass of the people, by Budha's preachings. We see that eminent and zealous reformer surrounded with thousands of dis- tinguished disciples, in the country of Radzagio. These converts belonged chiefly to the class of anchorites and philosophers already alluded to in some foregoing notes, as existing at the time Budha began to enter the career of preaching. But the great bulk of the populations of the various places he visited, seemed to have received for a long time, little or no impressions from his discourses. The opponents of Budha, the Brahmins in particular, exercised a powerful influence over the public mind. They used it most effectually for retaining the ancient hold over the masses. It required the extraordinary display of the greatest wonders to break through the almost insuperable bar- riers raised by his enemies. From that period we see the people fol- lowing Budha, crowding round him, and showing unmistakeable signs of belief in him. The only ground to account for this undeniable result, is the philo- sophical method adopted by Budha, in expounding the principles of his system. His mode of proceeding in the gradual development of his ideas, retained the abstruseness peculiar to subjects discussed in schools of philosophy. The technical terms so familar to scholars, prove enig- matical to the uninitiated vulgus. It takes a long time before maxims LEGEND 6V THE BURMESE BUDlt.V. 113 xiously and sedulously gathering every possible information respecting his sou, from the time he withdrew into solitude, and performed during; six years* the hardest works of bodily mor- tification, was then informed that his son had already begun to preach the most perfect law, and was actually staying in the city of Radzagio. He felt then an irresistable desire to see him once more before his death. He therefore ordered a nobleman of his court to his presence and said to him : " nobleman, take with you a retinue of a thousand followers and go forthwith to the city of Radzagio : tell my son that I am now very advanced in years, that I long to see him once more before I die ; desire him, therefore, to come over with you to the country of Ivapi- elaborated by scholars be so far popularized, &;i to be understood by the unlearned, which in every age and country have always constituted the great mass of the people. If the mind of the generality of men is un- able to comprehend at first a system of doctrines, based 011 metaphysics, we cannot wonder at the slow progress made by the preachings of the great philosopher : but the working of wonders is a tangible fact, operat- ing upon the senses of the multitude, eliciting their ajiplauses and dis- posing them to yield an implicit faith, to all the instructions imparted by the wonderful being that is gifted with supernatural powers. Feel- ings and not reason, become the foundation of a belief which grows stronger in proportion to the mysterious obscurity that encompasses the proposed dogmas, when supported by wonderful deeds. At the time Thoodaudana sent messengers to his son, the great work of conversion was carried on with a most complete and, hitherto, unheard of success. The hall of the Weloowon monastery was too small for the thousands that flocked thither to hear (Jaudatna. With- out its precincts, crowds stood motionless, listening with unabated attention to the discourses that fell from his lips. So crowded was the audience, that the messengers had no chance to make their way to the presence of the preacher. Struck at the intense attention paid to what was said by their master's son, they too wished to make them- selves acquainted with the subjects of the instruction. What was list- ened to, from motives of mere curiosity, soon made a deep impression upon their mind. The magic power of the irresistable eloquence of Bu- dha, worked almcst instantaneously a thorough change in their disposi- tions, and they became converts. So perfect was their conversion, that they forgot for the sake of truth, the very object of their mission. They became at once members of the Assembly, and took rank among tho Rahans. They attained the state of Ariahs, and were foremost among the perfect. The great attainments arrived at, by the Ariahs, communicated to the material portion of their being, such an extraordinary amount of amazing virtues or properties, that it became so refined as to partake, to a certain degree, of the nature of spirit. Hence we see the Rahandas going over immense distances, through the air, and performing deeds of a supernatural order. The power of working miracles is, therefore, inherent to perfection; and it is greater or smaller in proportion to the degree of perfection possessed by individuals. We find that power expanded in Budha to an unlimited extent, because his mental attain- ments were boundless. ]J^ LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDH'AS lawot. The nobleman having received the royal message, took- his leave from the King, and attended with a thousand followers,, set out for Radzagio. When he drew near to the Weloowoi* monastery, he found it crowded with an innumerable multitude of people listening with respectful attention to Budha's instruc- tions. Unwilling to disturb the audience, the nobleman delayed for awhile the delivering of his royal master's message. Re- maining at the extremity of the crowd, he, with his followers, eagerly lent the utmost attention to all that Budha was saying. They at once obtained the state of Arahat, and applied for ad- mission into the order of llahans. The favor was granted. As to the pattas and tsiwarans required for such a great number of applicants, Budha stretched his right arm, when there appeared at once the pattas and dresses required. The new converts put on the dress of their order, when they all appeared with the dignified countenance and meek deportment of Kalians, who had sixty years of profession. Having arrived at the exalted state of Ariahs, they became indifferent and unconcerned about all the things of this material world, and the Kings mandate was entirely lost sight of. The sovereign of Kapilawot, seeing that his noblemen did not return from the country of Magatha, 757 and that no news were 75. Magatha is a country in the north of India. It occupied nearly the same extent of territory now called North Beha*, in Bengal. The Pali or sacred language of the southern Budhists, is often called the language of Magatha. Hence we may infer that it was the common language of that country. It is probable that the Pali language was extensively spoken in the days of Gaudaina, and it was the channel through which he and his disciples, long after him, conveyed their religious instruc- tions to the multitude of converts. The Pitagat, or the last amended collection of sacred writings, is written in Pali, which is looked upon- in Ceylon, Nepaul, Burmah, and Siam as the language of sacred litera- ture. Except in some old manuscripts, wdiere the old square Pali retters are used, the Burmese employ their common alphabetic charac- ters for writing Pali words. The words having to pass, first through a Burmese ear, and next, being expressed by Burmese letters, undergo great changes. To- such an extent does the metamorphosis reach, that very often they are scarcely recognizable. The Burmese, however, deserve great credit for having, in very many instances, retained in their orthography of Pali words, letters which, though not at all sounded, indicate to the eye the nature of the word, its origin, and its primitive form. In the southern parts of Burmah, the Pah language is learned, but not studied, used but not understood by the inmates of monasteries. They are all obliged to learn certain formulas of prayers to be daily Tecited in private ; and on great and solemn occasions, to be chanted aloud in the presence of a crowd of pious hearers. The writer, anxious to acquire some knowledge of the sacred language, visited often those monks, who among their brethren enjoyed a certain fame for learning, LEGEND OF THE BURMESE JBTU>HA. 115 Iieard of him, dispatched a second messenger with an equal number of followers on the same errand. They all were taken mp with Budha's preachings and became Rahandas. The same thing happened to seven messengers, successively sent to Rad- siagio, for the same purpose. They, with their respective re- tinues, became converts of the first class. Disappointed at seeing that none of the messengers had re- turned to bring him some news, regarding his son, king Thoodau- ecu.use of the abundant merits he hopes to derive from it. Thin notion agrees very well with the leading tenets of Budhism. LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. 121 pose us to such a shame ? Is it thus necessary to go from door to door to beg your food ? Could nol a better and more decent mode be resorted to, for supplying your wants 1 My noble father, said Budha, it is meet and convenient that all Kahaus should go vtut and beg their food. But, replied the monarch, are we not the descendants of the illustrious Princes Thamadat ? There is not a single person in our illustrious race, that has ever acted in such an indecorous manner. Budha retorted : my noble father, 79 the descent from the glorious princes Thamadat, is something that belongs both to you and your royal family : the lineage of a Budha is quite different from that of kings and princes ; it beara no resemblance to it. Their ways and manners must essenti- ally differ from those of prince*. All former Budhas have always been in the habit of thus going out in search of their food. Then stopping his course and standing in the street, he uttered the following stanzas : my noble father, it is not proper that I should ever neglect the duty of receiving: alms ; 79. The answer of Budha to his royal father, is a most remarkable one and deserves the attentiou of the observer. The great moralist does away with all the prerogatives man may derive from birth, rank and riches. Law alone can confer titles of true greatness and genuine nobility. The fervent and zealous observers of the law, are alone enti- tled to the respect of their fellow men. The begging of alms may be in the eyes of worldings, a low and mean action, but it becomes a most dignified one because it is enforced by the law. This lofty principle boldly establishes the superiority of virtue uj3on the strongest basis, and sanctions the moral code he was destined to publish to men and saddle on their conscience. The criterion of all that is good, excellent, praiseworthy and meritorious, is no more to depend on the arbitrary and very often erroneous views of men, but must rest upon the immu- table tenets of the eternal law, discovered, revived and published by the omniscient Budha. This truth, like a flash of light, illuminated the king's mind, and, at this first preaching of his son, he attained the first of the four states of perfection. The princes Thamadat, Thoudadana boasted to descend from, are, according to Budhistic sacred books, the princes who were elected to hold supreme power at the very moment the words mine and thine began to be heard amongst men, after they had eaten the rice called Tsale, and become subject to passions. The princess Yathaudara, mentioned in this narrative, had been the wife of Budha, ere he had withdrawn into solitude and renounced the world. A son had just been born to him, when he left his father's palace. His name was Raoula. The doctrine of the influence of merits gathered during former existences, is forcibly illustrated iu the case of Yathaudara, who, unmindful of the position she occupied iu former years, did not hesitate to prostrate herself at Budha's feet, acknow- ledging him to be worthy of all honor and veneration. Her former merits disposed her to view in him, who had been her husband, the ex- traordinary personage who was to lead men in the path of virtue and happiness. p J22 EflGEN* OF THE BURMESE B"Ujfrtf-4. it is an action good in itself, tallying with truth, deserving of i^reat merits, and productive of happiness in this and future exis<- tences. When he had spoken, his father obtained the state of Thautapan. He went to the palace with bis father, saying i those who go to beg food according to law, are doing well, and prepare themselves for a state of happiness both for the present and future : those who do go begging, but not according to the law, ought to refrain from doing so. He was speaking in that way when he entered the palace. His aunt Gaudamee became a Thau- tapan, and his father, after his second preaching, reached the state Thagadagan. Thoodaudana invited Phra and his followers to ascend to the upper part of the palace and partake of the meal prepared for them. When the me-A was over, all the ladies o-f the palace came to pay their respects to Budha, Some of them urged the Princess Yathaudara to do the same. But she refused comply- ing with their request, in the hope that a greater deference would be shown to her, when Budha would come and visit her in her apartments. Perceiving her studied inattendance, Phra said to his father : my noble father, I will go and visit the princess, and will, without saying a single word, make her pay obedience to, and prostrate before, me. King Thoodaudana took up the patta and accompanied his son to the princess's apartments. Budha had scarcely been seated on the place destined to him, but Yathaudara threw herself at Budha'a feet, and placing her two hands on both ankles, touched repeatedly the upper part with her forehead. Meanwhile Thoodaudana mentioned to his son the respectful and affectionate regard she had ever entertained for his person. Since she heard, added the king, that you had put on the yellow robe, she would wear but clothes of that color ; when she knew that you took but one meal a day, that you slept on a small and low- couch and gave up without regret the use of perfumes, she instantly followed your example, ate but one meal a day, slept on a low couch and gave up without without regret the use of essences-. Illustri- ous monarch, replied Budha, I do not wonder at the practices of late observed by the princess Yathaudara ; in former times, when her merits were but as yet few and imperfect, she was living at the foot of a certain mountain, and knew even then how to behave with becominguess and a strict regard to all religious duties. On this very day, was fixed the time for the taking place of five grand ceremonies. Ananda, 80 the younger brother of Budha, was 80. Ananda was Budha's younger brother, the presumptive heir to the crown of Kapilawot. His conversion grieved much the kin<*, who to prevent the recurrence of such an event, exacted from the »reat reformer that in after times, no one could be admitted into the society of the perfect, without having previously obtained the consent of hi'* LEGEND OP THE BURMESE BTTPHA. 123 to have his head washed, to put on the Thingkiit, to be raised to *he dignity of crown prince, to be put in possession of his own parents ; failingsuch a condition, the act of admission should be consid- ered as null and void. Hence, we read in the book of ordination or ad- mittance to the dignity of Rahan, that the person directed by the Presi- dent of the Assembly to examine the candidate, never omits to enquire from him, whether he has obtained the consent of his £>arent3. From the moment of his conversion, Ananda devoted himself to the service of Budha, He never parted from him, but remained to the last his faitliful attendant, ever conspicuous for his readiness in ministering to the wants and necessities -of Budha. At all times when the latter had to communicate some orders or give directions to the Rahans, or when some visitor desired to wait on him, Ananda was the person who transmitted all orders, or ushered visitors into the presence of the prea- cher. He was the medium of intercourse between Budha and all those that surrounded him. The conversion of Raoula followed that of Anan- da. Of tliis new and distinguished convert, no mention is made after- wards in the course of this work. He must, in all likelihood, have be- come a celebrated member of the Assembly, as he was trained up to the functions and duties of his profession by the greatest and most renown- ed disciples, such as Maukalan, Thariputra, and Kathaba. In the history of Budhism, the Dzetawon mouastery is not inferior in celebrity to that of Weloowon. Therein Gaudama announced, du- ring a certain night, the 36 beatitudes of the law to a Nat that had come and requested him to make him acquainted with the most per- fect points of his law. In the division of the scriptures caded Thpots or sermons, we see that the most important have been delivered in the hall of that monastery. Here is another instance of a donation of landed property to a reli- gious corporation. In the first case, the gift had been made to him and to his actual followers. But in this circumstance, Phra desires the ri»h and pious benefactor to make the donation, not only in behalf of self and the present assembly, but also in that of all future members, who might resort to this place. In a Budhistic point of view, we may conclude that the advice given to the donor, was intended as a mean.- of mull ing the sum of tlie merits of his liberality, which must be con surate with the number of the individuals to whom it is ied to be extended. According to the principle respecting property, which from immemo- rial time, has prevailed under almost all despotic governments in _ J xs:a, which recognises the head of the state as the sole, real and absolute owner of the soil, it is evident that the act of donation was, le< speaking, a declaration or a statement of the disposal an individual made of the rights such as ke had them, viz : those of use, in favor of a religious body. The landed property thus conferred, acquire I a ■ : i 1 of sacredness which preserved it from the grasp of even the most ra- pacious ruler. On another hand, the religious body had no right or power whatsoever to sell or dispose of that property. In a corpora- tion constituted as the assembly of the disciples of Budha was, and is in our own days, the society alone could have the possession and management of immovable properties given to monasteries. Dona- tions of this kind must have stood good as long as there were mam- ]Q4 LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. palace and to be married. When Phra was leaving the palace, he bade the young prince to take his patta and follow him. A- nanda instantly complied with the request, and departed. He was just leaving the palace, where the young lady he was to marry, eagerly recommended him, soon to return. Meanwhile, lean- ing against a window's side, she followed him with the eyes, as far as he could be seen. Ananda would have gladly given back the patta to his owner, but as he felt backward to hand it over to him : he followed Budha as far as the monastery. Though he had no intention of becoming Rah an, on his way to that place, yet despite of his former disposition, he entered into the society of the perfect. So that on the second day after Phra's arrival at Kapilawot, Ananda became a Rahan. Some other writings men- tion that this happened but on the third day. On the seventh day after Phra had entered into the city of Kapilawot, the mother of Raoula, princess Yathaudara, put on her son the choicest ornaments, and sent him to Phra, saying previously to him : " Dearest son, he, whom you see surrounded by twenty thousand Rahandas, whose face resembles gold, and whose body is similar to that of the chief of Brahmas, is indeed your father. He was formerly the owner of four gold vases, which have disappeared on the very day he withdrew into solitude ; go to him now. and say respectfully, that being at present crown prince of this kingdom, destined to succeed your grandfather on the throne, you wish to become possessed of the property that will befall you, in right of inheritance. The young prince departed. Having come into the presence of Budha, he endeavored, with the simplicity and amiability becoming a young lad, to ingratiate himself in his father's favor, and said how happy he was to be with him, adding many other particulars befiting his age and position. Budha having eaten his meal and performed his usual devotions, rose up and departed. Raoula followed behind, saying : Father, give me my inheritance. Budha appearing neither displeased nor vexed at such a demand, none of his followers durst tell the young prince to desist from his apparently rude behaviour, and bers of the Budhistic religious family, willing and ready to maintain their rights. Nothing short of a complete revolution in the political state of the country, or the prolonged absence of individuals vested with the right of occupation, could put an end to the effect of those deeds of donation. In Burmah, the Budhist monks possess nothing, bevond the ground whereupon stands the monastery. So far as I have been able to make enquiries, I am not aware that the order has ever become possessor of lands. In Ceylon such is not, at least was not, the the case, when the Fnglish occupied the island. Extensive tracts of valuable lands were in the hands of the Talapoins, who thereby ob- tained over the people the two fold influence conferred by wealth and religion. LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. 1 25 go back to the palace. They all soon reached the monastery. Phra thus thought within himself : Raoula is asking from me but perishable things, but I will give him something more excellent and lasting. I will make him partaker of those goods I have gather- ed at the foot of the Baudi tree, and thereby will provide for him a better inheritance for the future Whereupon he called Thari- putra and said to him : Beloved disciple, the young prince Raoula is asking from me a worldly inheritance, which would avail him nothing, but I wish to present him with something more excellent, an imperishable inheritance ; let him become a Rahan. Maukalan shaved the head of Raoula and aitired him with the Tsiwaran. Thariputra gave him the first instructions. When he became Patzing, Kathaba trained him up to the duties of his new profession. King Thoodaudana had seen his first son prince Theidat leav- ing the palace, all the attracting allurements of a brilliant court, and despite of all his precautions, going into a solitude and becoming a Rahan. Next to him, his younger son Ananda, though assured by the promises of soothsayei*s, to become a great and mighty ruler, had joined the society of Rahans. These two events had deeply afflicted him. But on hearing that his grandson had also become a Rahan, he could not longer keep his affliction within himself. I had, said he, hoped that my giand- 8on would succeed me on the throne ; this thought consoled me for the loss of my two sons. What will become of my throne 1 Now the royal succession is at an end, and the line of direct descen - dants is for ever cut and irrevocably broken up. Thoodaudana obtained the state of Anagam. He said to him- self : it is enough that I should have had so much to suffer and endure on the occaion of my two sons and my grandson becom- ing Rahans; I will spare to other parents a similar affliction. He went to Budha's place, and having paid him his respects in a be- coming manner, he asked him to establish a regulation forbidding any son to become Rahan, unless he had the consent of his parents. Budha assented to his father's wish and preached to him the law. When the instruction was finished, the king bowed to him, rose up, turned on the right and departed. Bud- ha calling immediately the Rahans said to them : beloved Bickus, no one is to be admitted to the profession of Rahan, ere he has obtained the consent of his parents : any one that shall trespass this regulation, shall be guilty of a sin. On a certain day, Phra having eaten his meal at his father's palace, the king related to him the circumstance of a Nat who, whilst he was undergoing great austerities in the solitude, had come and conveyed the report of his son having succumbed under the hardships of mortification ; but he would never give credit 120 LEGEND OF THE BTTRMESE BUDHA. to such a rumour as he was certain that his son could not die, ere he had become a Budha. My illustrious lather, replied Budha. you are much advanced in merits ; there is no wonder at your not believing a false report; but even in former ages, when your merits were as yet very imperfect, you refused to believe your son was dead, though in proof of this assertion, bones were ex- hibited before you in confirmation thereof. And he went on re- lating many particulars that are to be found in the history of Maha Damma Pala. It was at the conclusion of this discourse that the hing became Anagara. Having thus firmly established his father in the three degrees of perfection, Budha returned to the country of Radzagio, and lived in the same place as before, together with all his followers. Chapter IX. A rich merchant of the country of Thawatee, named Anatapein, becomes a convert. — He, o/f-rs to Budha the celebrated Dzetawoon Monastery — Anecdote of the physician Dzewaka — He cures Budha of a painful disiemp>>r — Budha allows the religious to receive offerings oj -pieces of cloth for their dress — He con- founds heretics, in the Tlutwnteee country, by working many miracles — He goes to the seat of Thawadeiutha, to preach the. law to his mother — Affliction of the multitudes of people caused by his departure. When Budha was in the country of Radzagio, a certain rich merchant, named Anatapein, came to Radzagio, with five hun- dred carts loaded with the most precious goods, and took his lodging in the house of an intimate friend. Whilst livino- with his friead, he heard that Gaudama had be- come a Budha. He suddenly was seized with an earnest desire of seeing him and hearing his doctrine. On a cer- tain day, he rose at an early hour, and perceived, reflected thouoh the window, some rays of an uncommon brightness. He went in the direction of the light to the place where Budha was preaching the law. He listened to it with great attention and at the end of the discourse, he obtained the state of Thautapan. Two davs after, he made a great offering to Budha and the assem- bly, and requested him to come to the country of Thawati. The request was granted. The distance to Thawati is forty-five youdzanas. Anatapein spent enormous sums that one monastery should be erected at each youdzana distance. When Budha was approaching, the pious merchant arranged as follows for the recep- tion of the distinguished visitor and presenting to him a splendid monastery called Dzetawon, which he had made ready for him. He sent first his son richly attired with five hundred followers, belong- LEGEND OF THE UtTRMESE BUDHA, 127 ing to the richest families ; then followed his two daughters with five hundred girls, all decked with the most costly ornaments. Every one carried dags of five different colours. These were follow- ed by five hundred dames, having the rich man's wife at their head, each carrying a pitcher of water. Last of all, came Anatapein, ■with five hundred followers, all weaving new dresses. Gaudann let the crowd walk in front and he followed, attended with all the Italians. When he entered the grove, he appeared as beautiful as the peacock's tail when completely expanded Anatapein asked Gaudama h .w he wished the donation should be uvula and effected. Let the monastery he offered, said Budha, to till the Kalians that may come in future to this place, frorri what quarter soever. Thereupon the rich man, holding a gold vessel of water, poured its contents on the hands of Budha, saving: 1 present this monastery to Budha and to all the Kalians" that may come hereafter to reside therein. Budha said prayers ami thanks in token of his accepting the offering. Seven days were devoted to making this great offering, and during four months, uninterrupted rejoicings went on, in commemoration of this great and solemn donation. For the purchase of the place, and the expense for the ceremony, enormous sums were expended. Dur- ing the era of former Budhas, this very place had always been purchased and offered to them and their disciples. [N. B. Here is found narrate*! in full, the history of a celebrat- ed physician named Dzewaka. As such story has no reference whatever to Budha's career, I will give but a very succinct ac- count of it.] At a certain time, 81 Avhen Budha lived in the city of Radzagio, 81. It is impossible to> assign the motive that may have induced the compiler of Budha's life,' to insert in his work a long episode on the ce- lebrated physician Dzewaka. The story is in itself uninteresting, and throws no light whatever on the history of the supposed originator or reformer of Budhism. For this reason it has been thought quite un- necessary to give a complete translation of the whole passage. The name of Dzewaka is quite familiar Avith the adepts of the medical art in Burmah. Many times the Avriter has made inquiries respecting the Avorks of the Hijipocrates of India, but he has never been able to meet with a mention of, or allusion to, such compositions. Hence he has been led to suppose that the father of medicine in these countries, has left after him no writings to embody the results of his theoretical and practical favorite pursuits. Surgery appears to have been uo novelty to our great Doctor, since Ave see him, on an occasion, extracting from the body of a prince, by means of an incision, a snake that put his life in peril. The numerous quacks Avho in Burmah assume the name of physicians and are ever ready to give medicine in all eases, even the most difficult and complicated, are ignorant of the Aery elements of the surgical art. They possess a certain number of remedies made up with plants, which, 128 LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. the country of Wathalee wax made rich, gay and attractive by the presence oi' a famous courtezan. A nobleman of Radzagio, who had ju depend entirely on public charity for the obtaining of the required food and raiment. The old clothes brought at the time of their enter- ing the society, were worn out and unfit to be put on. Others were to be provided for by some means, that would not wound the delicate feeling of absolute poverty. The only ono that occurred,, was the willing and liberal dispositions of the lay members of the Budhist community. This new source of abundant alms, was opened by our Budha himself, en the occasion of the offering made by Dzewaka. Desiring likewise to do away with the scruples many religious might entertain respecting the licity or illicity of receiving articles of dress, Gaudama laid it down as a regulation, that all the religious could lawfully accept all that might be willingly offered them by the faithful. In the foregoing pages we have seen the founder of Budhism granting to his followers permission to receive houses and landed properties, presented to com- munities. Now the same legislator, adhering to the same priuciple, gives a fuller development thereto, and extends to articles necessary for dress, the leave to receive offerings of this description, proffered by the faithful to the Religious. In the book of Budhist ordinations, or promotion to the degree of Patzen, mention is made of these two sorts- of permissions given to the Rahans. LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. 131 the fifth in the country of Wathalee, in a place called Kutagara, the sixth on the mountain Makula. On a certain day a rich man of the country of Radzagio, went to enjoy himself on the banks of the river Ganges. He saw a log of sandal wood floating on the stream, took it up and had a beautiful patta made of it. When finished, he wrote upon it these words : He who can fly in the air, let him take it The patta was raised on the top of a succession of hampers tied toge- ther, sixty cubits high. Some heretics living in the neighbour- hood asked, on several occasions, from the rieh man, to get the patta ; but he answered them that he would give it but to him who, by flight, could reach it. The head man of those heretics feigned to prepare himself to fly, but when he was extending his arms, and raising one of his feet, his disciples, according to a pre- concerted plan, seized him, saying: It is not becoming that you should exert yourself for such a trifle. But the wily rich man would not be thus deceived ; be persisted in his former reso- lution, and during six days resisted all their entreaties. On the seventh day, Maukalan happened to go to that place, in search of his food. He was informed of all that had just happened. He was told that the rich man and all his family would become disciples to him, who could, by flight, make himself possessed of the sandal wood patta. Maukalan was ready for the glory of lhidha, to raise himself in the air, but his companion refused to to allow him to do it, saying that such an easy work could easily be accomplished by one less advanced in merits. Maukalan agreed to his proposal. Whereupon entering into the fourth state of Dzan, his companion rose in the air, carrying with the toes of one of his feet, an enormous rock, three quarters of a yud- zana wide. The whole space between him and the bystanders appeared darkened. Every one was half dead with fear, lest perhaps it should fall over his head. Maukalan's companion had the rock split into two parts, and his person then appeared to the view of the assembly. After having, during a whole day, exhibited such a mighty power, he caused the rock to fall on the place he had taken it from. The rich man bade him to come down, fully satisfied with the display of such power. The sandal wood patta was taken down, filled with the best rice, and pre- sented to him. The Rahan received it and went back to his monastery. Many persons, living at a distance from the place, where the wonder had been exhibited, followed him to the monas- tery, begging him to show them some other signs. As they approached the monastery, Budha hearing the noise, enquired what it was. He was informed of all the particulars of the event that had just taken place. He called the Rahan into his presence, took the patta, had it broken into pieces and reduced Q* 132 LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. to dust, 83 and forbade the Rahan ever to make such a display of his power. 82. The rebuke given by Budha to the disciple who had made, with- out a permission, such a display of miraculous power, though intended for the promotion of his glory, was designed to operate as a salutary check to the pride that might find its way into the heart of even the most privileged beings. Such a lesson was deemed of the greatest im- portance, since we find in the book of Budhistic ordinations, the sin of boasting of, or pretending to, the power of working wonders, &c. ranked among the four capital sins, excluding a Rahan forever from the society of the perfect, and depriving him of his rank and dignity. Budha, it seems, wished to reserve to himself alone, the honor of working mira- cles, or to give the permission, when circumstances should require it, to some of his disciples, to do the same in his name and for the exalta- tion of his religion. The following story of Purana and his five associates, holds a pro- minent rank among the events that have rendered Budha so celebrat- ed. Gaudama, as it has been already mentioned in some foregoing notes, was an ascetic who had studied philosophy under eminent masters, who belonged to the Brahminical school. In many of his opinions, as well as in his mode of life, there was no perceptible differ- ence between him and the followers of the Brahmins. The writings of the latter, as well as those of the earliest Buclhists, exhibit to us the sight of a great number of schools, where opinions on ontology, morals and dogmas, tOc. at once various, multifarious and opposite, were pub- licly taught. Then human mind, left to its own resources, launching forth into the boundless field of speculative philosophy, ran in every di- rection, searching after truth. The mania for arguing, defining, draw- ing conclusions, &c. in those days, prevailed to an extent scai-cely to be credited. Many centm-ies before Aristotle wrote the rules of dialec- tics,, the Indian philosophers had carried the art of reasoning, to a great degree of nicety and shrewdness. Witness the disputes and discussions between the Brahmins, and the immediate disciples of Budha. When our Phra began to attract about his person crowds of hearers and disci- ples ; when his opinions on the end of man were understood and appre- ciated ; when the system of castes received the first shocks from the new, but rapidly progressing doctrine ; when the eyes and hearts of the people were slowly at first, and rapidly afterwards, centered on the new preacher and his disciples ; when at last, alms, that had hitherto flow- ed in the abodes of the Brahmins, began to enter into new channels and carry their substantial produce to the door of the followers of the new sect ; then jealousy and other passions began to agitate the hearts of those who had hitherto retained an undisputed sway over the cre- dulity of the people. Thev tried, if credit be given to the works of Budhists, every effort, devised every means, in order to oppose the pro- gress of the new doctrine. In this instance, Purana and his friends, assisted as the Budhists pretend, by the agency of the evil one, wished to enter into discus- sion with Budha and to surpass him in the display of miraculous power. The contest was to take place in the country of Thawatee, in the presence of the King and a countless multitude, assembled for the purpose. Purana, as usual with Budhists in regard to those who held LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. 133 The hei'etics soon heard of the prohibition issued by Qaudama to his disciples. They thought that no one would dare to match them in the display of wonders, and that they could easily ascer- tain their superiority over him. The ruler of Radzagio hearing of this news, went to Budha and enquired as to the motive of such prohibition. Budha told him that the prohibition regarded his disciples only, but not himself. The heretics, informed of this, said : What will become of us 1 Gaudama himself will show signs. They held a council among themselves as to what was to be done. Gaudama told the king that in four months, he would make a grand display of his miraculous power in the country of Thawatee, as it was in that place that all former Budhas had in former ages, showed signs. The heretics, from that day, never lost sight of Budha for a moment ; they followed him day and night. opinions different from their own, is styled an heretic. Of the opinions of these enemies of Budha, nothing is said in the present work, but the writer has had the opportunity of perusing another work where a slight allusion is made to these six holders of heterodox doctrines. Their opinions were at variance upon the beginning of this world, the eternity of matter, the existence of the soul, a first principle, creator of all that exists. We may infer therefrom, that they were heads or chiefs of various schools, who, though not agreeing among themselves upon purely speculative doctrines, united and combined against the common enemy. A detailed account of the doctrines held by these six heretics would prove highly interesting, as it would throw some light on the very obscure and imperfectly known history of Indian philosophy, in the days when Budhism assumed the shape of a religious system. To those who are unacquainted with Indian litera- ture, the great progress made by Hindoos in philosophical sciences at such an early period, may appear somewhat doubtful : but, modern dis- coveries made all over the Indian Peninsula, leave not the least doubt respecting this startling assertion. At a period when Greece and the other regions of Europe were sunk into a state of complete ignorance, most of the branches of literature were successfully cultivated on the banks of the Ganges. The study of philosophy always supposes a great intellectual advancement. There would, therefore, be no rashness whatever, in asserting that the present state and condition of India, as regards literary progress, are much below the mark that was attain- e:l at such a remote period. The epoch of literary decadence, began with the devastating expeditious of the fanatical Moslems, in the tenth century. It is probable, too, that the religious and sanguinary con- flicts between the Budhists and Brahminists, has had its share in bring- ing about a similar result. The latter having obtained the ascendancy over their adversaries, became more bigoted. They would no longer tolerate, to the same extent as before, the liberty of elaborating new systems, lest some successful philosoper, might hereafter propagate opinions at variance with their own, undermine the mighty fabric of their creed, and endanger the holding of that absolute sway and para- mount influence, they had recovered, after centuries of a/leadly contest .with the disciples of the philosopher of Kapilawot. j 34 LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. They gave orders that a large and extensive covered place should be prepared for them, where they might show their power and outshine that of the Rahan Gaudama. Budha having said that he would select the spot where stood a white mango tree, for the scene of his miracles, the heretics caused the total destruction of all mango trees in that direction. It was on the full moon of July, that Budha entered in the country of Thawatee. A gardener gave him, in present, a large mango fruit. Ananda prepared the fruit and Budha ate it._ AVhen this was done, the stone was handed to Ananda with an injunction to plant it, in a place prepared to receive it. When planted, Bud- ha washed his hands over it, and on a sudden, there sprung up a 'beautiful white mango tree, fifty cubits high, with large branches loaded with blossoms and fruits. To prevent its being destroyed, a guard was set near it, by the King's order. Dismayed at such a wonderful sign, the heretics fled in every direction, to conceal their shame and confusion. - Their headman, named Pourana, look from a husbandman a large jar, with a rope, tied up the vessel with one extremity of the rope, passed the other round his neck and flinging first the jar, and next himself, into the river, where the water was very deep, he was drowned and went to the lowest hell, called Awidzee. Budha created in the air an immense road reaching east and west to the extremities of the world. When the sun began to verge towards the west, he thought the time had come to ascend into that road, in the presence of an immense crowd, that covered an area of thirty-six youdzanas, and there to make a display of his wonderful powers. He was on the point of crossing the threshold of the bungalow that had been erected for him, by the care of Nats, when a female convert, named Garamie, who had become an Anagam, came into his presence, and after the usual prostrations said to him : Glorious Budha, it is not necessary that you should take the trouble of working wonders ; I, your servant, will do it. What wonder shall you work, my daughter, Garamie, replied Budha. I will, said Garamie, fill up the space with water, and plunging in the water, in an eastern direction, I will come back and° reappear in the west, like a water fowl. On my ap- pearance before the crowd, they will ask, what is this water- fowl 'I And I will answer to them, that this water fowl is Garamie, the daughter of the most excellent Budha. This is the wonder I will accomplish. The heretics on seeing it, will say to themselves : if such be the power of Garamie, how much greater and more wonderful must be that of Budha himself 1 I know, said Budha, that you have such a power,but, it was not for your sake, that these crowds have been gathered together ; and he refused the solicited permission. Garamie said to herself : Budha would not allow LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDIIA. 135 me to work this great wonder, but there is some one else that can do greater things than 1 ; perhaps Budha will not be with them, so inflexible as he is with me. She then withdrew to a becoming place. Budha thought within himself : there are many among my disciples, who can make a display of great wonders : it is meet that the crowds should be aware of it, and see how, with hearts stout like that of the lion, they are ready to perform the most wonderful feats. He said aloud : Who are they, those who can work wonders 1 — let them come forward. Many came in his presence, with a lion like boldness and a thundering voice, crav- ing for the honor of displaying supernatural powers. Among them was a rich man named Anatapein, a female child, called Tsera, a grown np woman, and Maukalan. They volunteered their services to perform the most extraordinary wonders, in order to frighten at once the heretics, and make them to understand that if such a power belongs to the disciples, what must be that of Budha himself. But Budha would not accept their proffered geiwices, and said to them, that the people had not been assem- bled there for their sake, but for his ; and that to him alone was reserved the task of enrapturing the crowds, by the great wonders he was preparing to show. Addressing Maukalan, he said to him that being a Budha, he could not leave to others the trouble of performing his own duty. In former existences, when he was a bullock, he drew from a muddy place, a heavily laden cart, to save a Brahmin's property, and rejoice his heart. Budha ascended into the immense road he had created in the air, in the presence of the crowd that filled a place of eighteen youdzanas in breadth, aud twenty-four in length. These wonders which he was about to display, were the result of his own wisdom, and could not be imitated by any one. He caused a stream of water to issue from the upper part of his body, and flames ot fire from the lower part ; and on a sudden, the contrary took place; again fire issued from his right eye and streams of water from his left eye, and so on from his nostrils, ears, right and left, in front and behind ; the same wonder too happened in such a way, that the streams of fire succeeded the streams of water, but without mingling with each other. Each stream, in an upward direction, reached the seats of Brahmas ; each stream, in a downward direc- tion, penetrated as far as hell. In an horizontal direction, they reached the extremities of the world. From each of his hairs, the same wonderful display feasted the astonished eyes of the assem- bled people. The six glories gushed, as it were, from every part of his body, and made it appear resplendent beyond description. Having no one to converse with, he created a personage, who ap- peared to walk with him. Sometimes he sat down while his com- 13(3 LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. paniorj was pacing along ; and at other times, he himself walked, whilst his interlocutor was either standing, or sitting. During all the while, Budha put to him questions which he readily answered, and in his turn replied to the interrogations he made to him. At intervals, Phra preached to the crowd, who were exceedingly re- joiced and sung praises to him. According to their good disposi- tions, he expounded the various points of the law. The people who heard him, and saw the wonderful works he performed, ob- tained the understanding of the four great principles. Budha having completed the two-fold work of preaching to the crowds, and exciting their respect and admiration, by the exhibition of the most extraordinary miracles, came to think with himself, to what place had all former Budhas resorted, after the display of signs, and spend the season. He saw by a stretch of his incom- parable foresight, that all of them had gone to the seat of Thawa- deintha, in the Nats' country, to anounce the perfect law to their mothers. He resolved to go thither too. With one step he reach- ed the summit of the mountain Ugando, at a distance of 160,000 youdzanas, and another step carried him] to the top of the Mien- mo mountain. This w r as done without any effort on the part of Budha. These mountains lowered their summits to the very spot where he was standing, and rose up again to resume their lofty position. Budha found himself brought almost instantane- ously to the seat of Thawadeintha. 83 He took his position on 83. The preachings of Budha were not to be confined to the narrow limits of man's abode ; they were designed to reach much further. All beings living in the six seats of Nats, were to share with men, the bless- ings of the publication of the perfect law. It has been already stated at length, in a foregoing note, that the condition of Nats is merely a state of pleasures and enjoyments, allotted to those who, in former existences, had done some meritorious work. The fortunate inhabitants of these celestial regions remain in those seats until the sum of their respective merits being, as it were, exhausted, they return to the abode of man, the true place of probation for all beings living therein. The condition of Nat, therefore, is not a permanent one ; the Nat after his time of re- ward is over, has to migrate to our terrestrial abode, begin a new exist- ence and endeavour to advance himself in the way of perfection, by the practice of virtue. He is, as yet, very far from the state of Niban. Like man, he has to learn the sublime law, and to become acquainted with the roads leading to the four high perfections. Budha who came to announce the law of salvation to all beings, coidd not but go to the seats of Nats and teach them the way to free themselves from the tur- moil of never ending existences. The preachings of Budha, during three consecutive months, were attended with a success that must have ex- ceeded his most sanguine expectations. Millions of Nats were convert- ed and forthwith obtained the deliverance. Others, less advanced in merits, obtained the first, or second, or third state of perfection. During his stay in the other seats of Nats, Budha gave a decision on the merits of alms-giving, which is certainly to the advantage of the LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA.. 137 ffche immense rock Pantukambala. When Le had extended there upon his Tsiwaran, the huge mass on a sudden contracted itself to the very narrow dimensions of his dress. yellow dressed Bickus, but appears somewhat opposed to all principles ■of justice and reason. In his opinion, the inward dispositions of him who gives alms, has nothing to do with the merits, resulting from such a good work. These merits are strictly proportionate to the degree of sanctity or perfection of him who receives alms. Such doctrine — destructive of the purest and noblest motives that can actuate man to do good, is openly upheld now, both in theory and practice, by the Budhist monks. When they receive alms from the admirers of their saintly mode of life, they never think of returning thanks to those who so liberally administer to all their material wants — they content them- selves with saying: Thaloo, thadoo ; that is to say — well, well ; and the the pious offerer withdraws perfectly satisfied and happy, relying on the merits he has gained on this occasion, and longing for another op- portunity of doing the like. The liberality of the laity towards the religious, is carried to an excess scarcely to be credited. Government do not interfere in the maintenance of the perfect ; and yet they are abundantly supplied with all the necessaries, nay, the luxuries of life. •They live on the fat of the land. That the crowds of people might be better prepared for hearing the sacred law and obtaining a correct understanding of it, Budha charges Maukalan to enjoin a regular fast, or at least abstinence, carried to a ■considerable degree. A free and copious use of nourishing substances, unfits man for mental exertions, occasions a heaviness and supineness in him, enervates and weakens the vigor of the intellect, and gives to matter a preponderating influence over the soul. The advice will hold good every where, but it becomes particularly pressing and stringent when addressed to an audience of Budhists, who require the full force of their mind, to be able to understand the various bearings of a doc- trine, resting on the most abstruse principles, the end of which too, is to disentangle the soul from the influence of materiality. Up to this day in Burmah, there are some remnants of the observance of fast, during the three months of lent, when the law is oftener expounded to, and better observed by, religious people. The obligation of fast, during the days of the quarters of the moon, is generally admitted, and some few observe it, if not always, at least from time to time. The general- ity of the Burmese people entirely disregard fasting. Curious but interesting is the reply Budha gave to Thariputra, who re- joiced exceedingly, because men and Nats vied with each other in paying great honors to him. He unhesitatingly states : blessed are all those who rejoice on his account : by this joy, we ought not to understand the transient and momentary affection of the heart, elicited by some pleasing and agreeable occurrence ; but the kind of joy alluded to, is a rational, philosophical, and religious one, having its origin, 1st, in a full and perfect knowledge of Budha's transcendant excellence, rendering his person an object of the highest admiration ; and 2nd, in a lively confidence in his benevolence and goodness, towards all beings, which • urge him to labor for their deliverance from all miseries and their guidance to a state of peace and rest. Such a joy diffused over the heart, creates an ardent love for Budha and his doctrine ; that affection rests, not ou JR, jgg LEGEND Of TliE BURMESE BtJbH/5. The people who had seen Budha, and who could now not des* ery him, found themselves in a state of bereavement, as if the sun and the moon Had disappeared from the sky. They gave full vent to their cries and lamentations, saying : we are now deprived of the blessed presence of him who- is the most excellent among the three sorts of beings, Men, Nats and Brahma*. Some said he went to this place ;■ some, to another. Many of the people who had just arrived from different parts of the country, were exceed- ingly grieved, because they could not see him. They all repaired before Maukaian, to ascertain from him what place Budha had pone to. Maufcalan knew it, but he wished to leave to Anoroo- da, the honor of satisfying their curiosity. The latter said to- them that Budha had gone to the seat of Thawadeintha, to preach the law to his mother, and spend there one season, on the rock Pantukambala. He added that he would- be back in three months hence, on the day of the full m®on of October. They came to- the spontaneous resolution, to remain on that very spot, and not to return to their homes, until they bad seen Budha a second time. They erected temporary sheds ; and though the place was- emall for such a countless multitude, they managed to accommo- date themselves in the best way they could. Previous to his de- parture, Budha had enjoined to Maukaian, to remain with the people and preach to them the lav/. Maukaian faithfully compli- ed with the request, and during three consecutive months, in- structed the people and answered all their questions. The rich man Anatapein fed abundantly the Kalians and the assembly, du- ring the whole time. Chapter X. Budha s p/oceedings in the seat of Thawadeintha — He leaves thct( place — His triumphant return to the seat of men — Being 80 years old, he delivers important instructions to the Kalians — Preaching in thi, village of Patalee — Miraculous crossing of the Ganges — Conversion of a courtezan — Sickness of Budha — • His instructions to Ananda. — Last moments and death of Tha- riputra — His eulogium by Budha. Whilst Budha was in the seat of Thawadeintha, all the Nats- came from more than 10,000 worlds to his presence ; but the glory that always encompasses their bodies, disappeared or was completely outshone by that of Budha's person. His mother, a Budha, as a mere individual, but on him who is- the personification of a saviour of all beings. It implies faith in him and his preachings, as well as a strong confidence in his power and willingness to confer the greatest possible benefits. Hence there is no wonder to hear Budha declaring blessed all those, who, on that solemn occasion, rejoiced in him, T/F.GEm> OF THE BURMESE BtTDHA. 13S daughter of Nats, came from the seat of Toothita, to see her son and hear his instructions. She sat on his right. Two sons of Nats stood by the right and left of his mother. The crowd was *o great that it covered a superficies of eighteen youdzanas. Budha asked one of these Nats, what he had done to deserve the place he occupied. He answered that during former existences, he had indeed made abundant alms, but his merits had been compara- tively small, because be had not done these good works to persous ■emiment for their sanctity. The same question was put to the other Nat, who said that lie was. in former existences, living in very nar- row circumstances, but that he bad had the good fortune of giving alms, according to his limited means, to persons who were much advanced in merits. With a voice that was heard by the crowds on the seat of men, Budha proclaimed ttie immense advantage of giving alms to, and supporting, the Ifcahans and those ad- vanced in perfection. They were, said he, like good seed sown on a good Held, that yields an abundance of good fruits. But alms given to those who are as yet under the tyrannical yoke of passions, are like a seed deposited on a bad soil ; the passions of the receiver of alms^choke, as it were, the growth of merits. At the conclusion, the two Nats obtained the reward of Thautapan. The crowds on earth had also the benefit of hearing his instruc- tions. Whilst Budha was in the middle of the Nats, he announced the law of Abidama to his mother. Having to go about to get his food, Budha created a likeness of another Budha, whom he commis- sioned to continue the preaching of the Abidama. As to himself, he went to the mountain of Himawonta, ate the tender branches of A certain tree, washed his face in the lake Anawadat, and ate the food he received from the Northern Island. Thariputra went thither to render him all necessary services. When he had eaten his meal, he called Thariputra and desired him to go and preach the law of Abidama to five hundred Rahans, who were present when the display of wonders took place, and were much pleased with it. In the time of Budha Kathaba, those five hundred Rahans were bats, living in a cave much resorted to by Rahans, who were wont to repeat the Abidama. These bats contrived to retain a certain number of words, the meaning whereof they could not understand. When they died, they were transferred into one of the seats of Nats ; and when they became men anew, they had the good fortune to be born from illustrious parents, in the country of Thawatee, and when Phra showed his powers, they were much pleased. They became Rahans under Thariputra, and were the first to understand perfectly the sublime law of Abidama. As to Budha, he returned to the seat of Thawadeintha and con- E* |4'0 LEGEND OF THE BUBMESE BUDHA. timied the instructions, where the Budha of his creation' had left them. At the end of three months preaching, an innumerable number of Nats knew and understood the four great principles. As to his mother, she obtained the perfection of Thautapan. The time Budha was to return to the seat of men was near at hand. The crowds, eager to know the precise time when Budha was to come back among them, went to Mankalan to ascertain from him. the precise day they would be blessed with his pre- sence. Well, said Mankalan to the people, in a very short time I will give you an answer on the subject of your enquiry. On that very instant, he plunged into the bottom of the earth and: reappeared, but when he was at the foot of the Mienmo mountain. He ascended, in the presence of the crowd whom he had left, and soon arrived at the presence of Budha, to whom he explained the object of his errand. My son, answered Budha, in what country does your brother Thariputra spend his season 1 In the country of Thing-ka-thanago, replied Mankalan. Well, said Budha, seven days hence, at the full moon of Thading-kioot (October,) I will- descend in the country of Thing-ka tha-nago ; go and tell the people that those who desire to see me, ought to go to that country, distant 30 youdzanas, from Thawatee. Let no one take any provision ; but by a rigorous abstinence, let them dispose themselves to hear the law that I will preach. Mankalan having paid his respects to Budha, returned to the place where the assem- bled multidude anxiously waited for him. He related to then* all the particulars regarding his interview with Budha, and con- veyed to them the much wished for intelligence ot his speedy return on earth. On the day of the full moon of October, Budha disposed him- self to go down to the seat of men. He called a Prince of Tha- gias and directed him to prepare every thing for his descent. Complying with this request, the Thagra prepared three ladders- or stair?, one made of precious stones, occupying the middle ; one on the right, made of gold, and a third one made of silver, on the left. The foot of each ladder rested on earth, near to the gate of Thing-ka-tha-nago city, and their summits leaned on the top of the Mienmo mountain. The middle ladder was for Budha, the golden one for the Nats, and that of silver, for the Brahmas. Hav- ing reached the summit of the steps, Budha stopped awhile, and resolved to make a fresh display of his power. He looked up- wards, and all the superior seats of Brahmas were distinctly descried; on his looking downwards, the eyes could see and plunge into the bottom of the earth, to the lowest hell. The Nats of more than a thousand systems could see each other. Men could perceive Nats in their fortunate seats, and Nats saw men in their terrestrial abode. The six glories shot forth with an LEGEND OF THE BTTRMTESE BUDHA. 141 incomparable splendor from B'udha's person, winch became visi- ble to all the crowds. There was not one who did not praise Bunha. Having the Nats on his right, and the Brahmaa on his left, the most glorious Phra began his triumphant coming down. He was preceded by a Nat, holding a harp in his hands, and playing the most melodious tunes ;. another Nat fanned him ; a chief of Brahmas held over him a golden umbrella. Surrounded with that brilliant cortege, Budha descended near the gate of Thing- ka-tha-nago and stopped there for a while. Tb.aripu.tra came forthwith into the presence- of Budha, paid him his respects at a becoming distauce, and said, with a heart overflowing with joy : On this day, O most glorious Budha, all the Nats and men are showing their love to you. Budha replied : blessed is Tharipu- tra, and blessed are all those who rejoice on my account. Men and Nats love him who is acquainted with the sublime law, who has put an end to his passions, and who has attained to the high- est state of contemplation. At the end of his discourse, innume- rable beings understood the four great principles, and the five hundred Rahans whom Thariputra was commissioned to instruct, reached the state of Arahat. On the spot where all Budhas set their feet, when coming from the se.it of Thawadeintha. a Dzedi 83 (bis) h as always been erected. 83 (bis.) The religious edifices that are to be met with in all parts of Burmah, deserve a particular notice. They are called Dzedis in all the Budhist writings of the Burmese, but the people generally men- tion them by the appellation of Payas or Phras, which, in this instance, is merely an honorific title of a religious character. Dzedis, in the earliest clays of Budhism, were sacred tumuli raised upon a shrine, wherein relics of Budha had been deposited. These structures were as so many lofty witnesses, bearing evidence to the presence of sacred and precious objects, intended to revive in the me- mory of the faithful, the remembrance of Budha, and foster in their hearts, tender feelings of devotion and a glowing fervor for his religion. From the perusal of this Legend, it seems that Dzedis were likewise erected on the tombs of individuals, who dming their life time, had obtained great distinction by their virtues aud spiritual attainments, among the members of the assembly. Budha himself ordered that a monument should be built over the shrine containing the relics of the two great disciples, Thariputra and Maukalan. In Burmah no Dzedis of great dimensions and proportions, have ever been erected on the ashes of distinguished Phongies. In some parts, however, particularly in the upper country, there may be seen here and there, some small Dzedis a few feet high, erected on the spot where have been deposited the remains of some saintly personages. These monuments are little noticed by the people, though on certain occasions, a few oftenngs of flowers, tapers, etc. are made around, and in front of them. The same kind of religious edifices have been built some times also. to become a receptacle of the Pitagat, or collection of the holy scrip- tures. One o' the finest temples of Ceylon was devoted to that purpose. 1 43 LEGEND OK THE BURMESE BUDHA. Budha thus had spent his seventh season in the Nats seats. He passed the eighth in the Phinga-thara-nago country. There lie There was also one in the ancient city of Ava, but I am not aware that there is anv of this kind at Aniarapoora. Finally, Dzedis have been erected for the sole purpose of harbouring statues of Gaudama ; but there is every reason to believe that this practice has gained ground in subsequent ages. When a fervent Bud- hist, impelled by the desire of satisfying the cravings of his piety and devotion, wished to build a religious monument, and could not procure relics, he then remained contented with supplying the deficiency, with images of Budha, representing that eminent personage, in some attitudes of bodv, that were to remind Budhists of some of the most striking ac- tions of his life. In many instances, Dzedis have been built up, not even for the sake of sheltering statues, but for the pious purpose of remind- ing the people of the holy relics of Budha, and as they use to say, for kindling into the soul, a tender feeling of affectionate reverence for the person of Budha and his religion. If, what is put forward as a plea for building pagodas, be founded on conviction and truth, we must con- clude that "the inhabitants of the valley of the Irrawady are most devot- edly religious, as the mania for building Dzedis, has been, and even now, is carried to such a pitch as to render fabulously exagerated the number of religious buildings, to be seen, on an extent of above 700 miles, as far as Bhamo. As Budhism was imported from India into Eastern Asia, there is no doubt but the style of arhitecture followed in the erection of religious edifices, came from the same quarter. To the native genius of the Burmese, we may allow the merit of ornamental architecture, for the great monasteries, and a few details of the exterior decorations of the religious monuments ; but no one will take offence at refusing to the tribes that occupy the basin of the Irrawady, the merit of originating the plan of such monuments as those to be seen in some parts of the country. It is much to their credit, that they have been able to raise such mighty fabrics, with the imperfect knowledge they possess and the very limited means at their disposal. The resemblance that exists between the much defaced Budhist monuments, yet to be met with in some parts of India, and at Java, and those now studding the banks of the Irrawa dy, leaves no doubt respecting the origin of the shape and form of such monuments. At first sight, the traveller in Burin ah, believes that there is a great variety in the shape and architecture of pagodas. He is easily led astray by many fantastical ornaments, added by unexperienced natives, to religious monuments. After however a close examination of those edifices, it seems that they can be arranged into three distinct classes, to which, those presenting minor differences, may be referred. The first class comprises those which have a cone-like appearance, though much enlarged in the direction of the base. These are without niches, or rather ought to be without niches, as the small ones to be seen added to those monuments, iudicate that they are no essential appendage of the building, but rather the fanciful and tasteless work of some devotees. The pagodas of Rangoon, Pegu and Prome, offer the finest specimen of this order of edifices. The second class includes those of a dome-like shape. They are not common in Burmah, The finest and grandest LEGEND OF THE CFKMKSK B'JDriA. 143 proposed several questions which could not he answered even by the penetrating Thariputra, because they were to be answered by specimen is that of the Kaong-hmoo-dau, or great meritorious work, •situated west of the ancient city of Tsagain. In the third class, we may place all the pagodas that approximate to the form of temple; that is to say, all those that offer the shape of a more or less considerable rectangle, with a large hail in the centre, and several galleries running throughout. Upon this rectangle, a conical structure is raised, ending as usual with the tee, or umbrella. The most remarkable and perfect specimens of this kind, are to be seen at Pagan, which may be aptly styled the City of Pagodas. The cone-shaped pagoda invariably rests on a quadrangular basis of a few feet high. The body of the cone in its lower part is an hexagon or octagon, broad at first, then gradually and regularly decreasing to the two thirds of its height. Upon it, rises the regular cone, which ends in a point covered with the gilt umbrella. The architectural ornaments of such structures, are circular, bold and round lines or mouldings; above this, to the place where the cone begins, are sculptures, representing leaves shooting from the middle part, one half upwards, and the other half downwards. That part is often divested of such ornaments, as is the case with the Shoaydagon. On the sides of the cone, are horizontal lines grouped together : each groupe is separated by a considerable distance ; then comes a sculptured foliage. different from the one already mentioned, butMisposed in a like manner. In the middle of the four sides of the base, particularly in the one facing the East, the Burmese have introduced the practice of making small niches for receiving the statues representing Pudha in across legged position. A portico leads to them. On the four angles of the base they likewise place griffins or sometimes fantastic figures of monsters. Small 1 >zedis are often disposed on the lower parts of the hexagon or octagon. This kind of pagoda being naturally destitute of all ornaments, and standing over a tomb or a shrine, as a pillar that has gradually assumed the shape above described, is a very ancient one, and probably coeval with the earliest Budhlst religious monuments. The second class of religious edifices, is that of those that exhibit a dome-like appearance. They are rather uncommon in Burmah. They rest on a square basis. The lower part is adorned with a few mouldings, but the gieatest part offers a perfectly even superficies. The unbrella that is placed on them, partakes somewhat of the appearance of the mo- nument, it is destined to crown. It considerably expands in the horizontal direction and has a very ungraceful appearance. The Kaonghmoodau, in the neighbourhood of Tsagain, rests on a basis about 18 or 20 feet high ; the dome according toan inscription, is 153 feet high, the diameter, at the lowest part, is nearly 200 feet. The whole was formerly gilt. The four sides of the square are lined with small niches, each tenanted by a small statue of Gaudania. Separated, from the square, by an open and well paved gallery that runs all round the edifice, are disposed in a row 802 small pillars of sandstone, about six feet high, with their upper part perforated, so as to afford a room sufficient to receive a lamp on festival days. Splendid must be the effect produced during a dark night, by so many lamps, pouring a flood of light that illuminates on all sides the massive edifice. Whether the monument was built about 300 hundred 144 LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. Budha himself. The great disciple had such an extraordinary power of mind, that he could count all the drops of water that are in the Ganges, and all those that had fallen on tue earth during the duration of a thousand worlds, but he could not solve The doubts proposed by Budha. He preached the law to all the beings that merited the deliverance. The ninth season was spent in the Thambi country, in the monastery of Gauthitaron. He spent, the tenth in the solitude of Palale, where he announced the law to the Elephant Palale which had formerly rendered him all sorts of good offices. Budha passed the I lth season in a Brah- min village named Nala. He went into the country of Werasora, years ago, as stated to the writer by one of the guardians, or, as it is most probable, only repaired and adorned at that time, certain it is that this kind of religious edifices, is very ancient, and very likely not inferior in antiquity to those above referred to. Another of a similar form but of much smaller dimensions, is to be seen at Bhamo, not far from the eastern gate. The third class of Pagodas comprises all those that are generally of a square form, not made of a solid masonry, but with openings or doors, a room, galleries etc. for receiving statues of (Jaudama. They are all surmounted with the usual conical structure, which is, it seems, the essential appendage to all Dzedis. These edifices, in my opinion, are not to be considered as tumuli or topes, but rather- as places of worship, and sanctuaries for the reception of statues of Gain lama. These rno- numeuts, are, I suspect, of a comparative modern origin ; they have not the plainness and simplicity of the tumuli which agree so well with the simplicity of the religious form of worship of primitive Bhudism. They are not made to answer the purpose for which Dzedis were pri- mitively raised. They must have been erected at times, when Budhist worship, emerging from its primeval sternness of forms, assumed pro- portions and developments, congenial to the taste and wants of large religious communities. This class of temples otters a great variety of forms as to the size, dimensions and details of architecture. But they may be all brought to this general outline. From the square body of the temple, diverge in the direction of the four points of the compass, porticoes ; the one facing the east, is always the largest and best adorn- ed ; sometimes there is but one portico, that of the east, and there are only doors in the middle of the three other sides. From these porti- coes, the galleries converge towards the centre of the temple, where are statues. In the large and magnificent Pagodas of Pagam, galleries with vaults in the pointed style, run all round the building. Some of these stupendous structures have two stories, and it is but on the second •that rests the conical part which is the essential complement of every religious building. On one of the middle size Pagodas, rises, instead of a cone, an obelisk, with ornaments that appear to resemble hieroglyphic figures. Some of those obelisks are considerably swelling towards the ..middle of their height. Great also has been the surprise and astonish- ment of the writer, when he observed in the same place, among the prodigious number of Pagodas, in a more <>r less advanced state of decay, >ne, not considerable by its dimensions, nor in a much ruined condition. that exhibited the solitary instance of a regular pyramid. LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. 145 there ho passed the 12th season; the 13th, on the mount Dzalia ; the 14th, in the monastery of Dzetawon, and the 15th, in the coun- try of Kapilawot, and the 16th, in the country of Alawee, and the 1 7th, in Kadzagio, and the 18th and I9th, in the city of Isalia, and the 20th in Radzagio. Nineteen seasons were passed in the country of Thawatee, and six in the monastery of Dzetawon. The book called History of Budhas, and other writings, do not agree as to the places where he spent the 2-3 remaining seasons. The amount of seasons 84 spent by our Phra, since he obtained the Budhaship, is forty five. — ■ ■ ■ ' - - -—■■ ■ ■ ' -■ -■ ■ ■— --■ ■ ■-■■,, ■-..-. ■^ 84. This short summary of Budha's life, indicating the places where he had spent 20 seasons, but leaving us in the dark as to all the particu- lars regarding the 25 other seasons, is another illustration of the assertion made in some foregoing passages, that the present compilation is very concise and imperfect, supplying us with but an outline of Budha's pro- ceedings, during the course of his preachings. He reached the age of eighty. According to the authority of this legend, Budha lived forty- five years, after he had obtained the Budhaship. He was therefore aged thirty-five years, when he began his public life, and entered the career of preaching the law. It is not in my power to say any thing positive, respecting the antiquity of the compilation of this work, but the statement of the main facts, is borne out by the united testimony of the Budhistic works existing in various parts, and in different lan- guages of Eastern Asia. If it be true that our Budha lived so long, we must believe that his time, during the last twenty-five years, was em- ployed in the same benevolent undertaking, viz : to preach the sacred law and point out to beings the way, that may lead them to the deliver- ance. Many volumes are full of the disputes on religious subjects be- tween Budha and the heretics, that is to say, his opponents. We may conclude that those controversies took jjlace during the latter part of Budha's life, as it cannot be doubted, that they increased in proportion to the progress the new doctrines made among the people. If, how- ever, we are in great part kept in the dark respecting the doings of the great reformer, during the longest period of his public life, we are am- ply compensated by the account of many interesting circumstances that occurred during the last year of his earthly career. The first particular related at length by the compiler of this work, is one of peculiar interest. Budha summons the Rahans to his presence, through the ever faithful and dutiful Ananda, and addresses to them instructions which form the basis of the duties and obligations of all true disciples. He styles them Bickus, that is to say, mendicants, to remind them of the spirit of poverty and of the contempt of worldly things which must ever be dear to them. The epithet beloved, is- always prefixed to the word Bickus, as conveying an idea of the true and pure affection the master bore to his disciples, or rather, his spirit- ual children. Budha charges them, at first, to be always diligent in holding assemblies where religious subjects should be discussed, con- troversies settled and unity of faith secured. This obligation has long been held as a binding one by the primitive Budhists, as mention is always made in their books of the three great assemblies held, during the three first centuries of the Budhistic era, when the sacred writings fitf LEGEND OP THE BURMESE BUDffA, During all the time, he was travelling about the country, preach in 0, the law to those that were worthy to obtain the deliverance. He had reached his 80th year, when he summoned to his presence Ananda, who had been constituted his chief agent in all that rela- ted to his own person, and through whom, all messages were conveyed to the Rahans, and said to him : Ananda, invite all the Rahans to come and meet me; I have special instructions to deli- ver to them. According to the order he had received, Ananda assembled all the Rahans and led them to the place that had were carefully revised, amended and, as it were, purged of all spurious doctrines. It was during the last council that the canon of scriptures was adopted, and has ever since been maintained, by orthodox Budhists.^ Nothing can be more wise than the desire he so- strongly expresses, that so one should ever presume to- alter the true and genuine nature of the precepts, by making, according to his whim, light what is heavy ; or obligatory, what is but a matter of counsel. lie expresses the strongest wish to see them always united among themselves, and fervent in the observance of all the precepts of the law. He establishes as a funda- mental principle, the obedience to superiors. There is no- society of a religious character among heathens, where the various steps of the hierarchy are so well marked and defined, as in the Budhistic institu- tion. The whole. body of Religious has a general superior in each pro- vince, exercising a thorough control over all the houses within the limits of the province : he may be looked upon as a^ regular diocesan. In each house of the order, there is a, superior, having power and jurisdic- tion over all the inmates of the pla(?e. Under him, we find the pro- fessed members of the society, then those who may. be called novices ; and. last of all, the postulants and- disciples allowed to wear the clerical dress, or yellow garb, without any power or authority, and being looked ftpon merely as student?, in the way of probation. In his charge to his disciples, Budha lays much stress upon the necessity of destroy- ing ia themselves the principles of passions, and, in particular, concu- piscence. The general tendency of all his preachings, is to teach men the means .of freeing themselves from the tyrannical yoke of passions. No one, indeed, can obtain the state of perfect quiescence or Niban,- unless he has annihilated in himself, all passions, and thereby qualified himself -for the practice of all virtues. The character of the great body of religious Budhists, is clearly set forth in the exhortations their great master directs to them, to love retreat and solitude. The noise, tumult and bustle necessarily attending the position of a man living in the world, are entirely opposed to- the acquirement of self knowledge, self possession and self control, so much required in a Religious. As long, concludes Budha, as you will remain faithful to- your regulations, you will prosper, and secure to yourselves and your order, the respect and admiration of all. Ho wind? up his speech, by exhorting them to act in a manner ever becoming their sacred calling. The greatest moralist, possessing the most consummate and perfect knowledge of human na- ture, could not lay down wiser regulations for setting on a firm and lasting foundation, a great and mighty institution, destined to spread itself far and wide, amidst nations and tribes, and subsist during au un- limited period 'LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. H"? been designed for that purpose. Phra spoke to them as follows : Beloved Biekus, as long as you will remain united and continue to hold regular meetings, j^ou will certainly prosper and flourish : as long as you will agree togethei-, and come unitedly to a deci- sion on all principal affairs, so that you will impose no obligation where there is no precept, and that you will -fervently observe all the commands, strictly adhering to all the rules of your profes- sion, you will ever be in a prosperous condition. It is required that you should be respectful towards your superiors, yielding due obedience to their injunctions. Beware of passions and parti- cularly of concupiscence, lest you should ever be brought under their tyrannical yoke. Love retreat and solitude, endeavour to observe your regulations, as well as all the ordinances and cere- monies of the law. As long as you observe these important points and adhere to them, you will prosper and be ever respect- ed by all ; you will likewise carefully avoid all that which is base, and unbecominig your sacred calling. When the instruction was over, Budha called Ananda and bade him to inform the Kalians, to hold themselves ready for going to Ampaladaka. Whilst staying ia a dzeat or bungalow, Thariputra approach- ed Budha, and having paid him his respects, said to him : O most illustrious Budha, there is no one that surpasses, or even that is equal to, you in the knowledge of the law. There has never been, nor will ever be, a being that can be compared to you. This is what elicits my admiration towards, and love for, your person. Budha replied: you are not mistaken, Thariputra— •blessed are they, who like you, know to value the science of a Budha. Desiring to try the wisdom of his great disciple, he ad- ded : beloved son, how do you know that no one can be com- pared to me, and that my knowledge of the law is unrivalled ? Thariputra answered : I have not the knowledge cf the present, past and future, but I understand the law : through you, O most illustrious Budha, I have come to that understanding ; you have said that you have infinite wisdom, hence I conclude that you .know the present, past and future — you are to be ever praised; you are most excellent, ever glorious, and free from all passions, and, therefore, to you I attribute all the qualities inherent to him, who is invested with the Budhaship. Phra summoned again Ananda to his presence and directed hini to tell the Kabans to be ready for a voyage, as he desired to go to the village of Patalee. When he arrived at that place, the people prepared for him the dzeat 85 , that he might remain there with com- 85. A dzeat is a building erected by the piety of Budhists for th& -purpose of affording shelter and a place of rest to travellers and strangers These buildings are to be found at the entrance of towns. 148 LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. fort and preach the law. Every thing being ready, they invited Phra, who by his silence testified the acceptance of their invi- — - ■ ..— i ■■■ - — -■, — , ... .I, ■■ — ■ - ■■ ■ . i in villages, and often in the neighbourhood of PagoJas. Those of Bur- mali are ei-ected in the plainest manner. A verandah in front extends to the full length of the building, a spacious hallruuning paraded to the verandah occupies the remaining place. There is no partition between the hall and the verandah. It happens sometimes that a space, at one of the hall's corners, screened by mats or dry leaves, offers an assylum to him who does not like to mix with the vulgiis. The carelessness of government in all that relates to the comfort of the people, is amply supplied by the zeal of pious laymen, who readily undertake the erec- tion of those works of public utility, in the hope of securing to them- selves the attainment of merits to be enjoyed, perhaps in this, but cer- tainly in some future existences. In Burmah proper, some dzeats are, for the country, beautiful build- ings. The edge of the roof, the front part are covered with a profusion of sculptures and carvings, that vie with those that adorn the finest monasteries. This fact, among many, indicates the truly beneficent and philanthropic influence exercised by some tenets of Budhism, over the followers of that creed. Pride and vain glory may have their share in the erection of those monuments of benevolence ; but it is not the less certain that those, who build them, obey first and principally a strong influence of religious feeling. On this occasion Budha preached to the crowd. "We see a line of distinction, well drawn between the assembly of the disciples of Budha, and those we may merely style hearers. They are addressed by the name of darakas, meaning a layman that hears the preaching. A da- raka is not as yet a perfect convert, and therefore not a member of the assembly of the perfect. The daraka differs from the Upasaka. The latter is not only a mere hearer of the law ; he is a firm believer, and fervently practices the precepts : he is among laymen, a pious Budhist : the former is not so forward : he begins to hear and believe the doctrines preached to him. He has already some faith in Budha ; he is under instruction, but he cannot be called a professed disciple. The rewards of faith are both of a natural and supernatural order. Riches, happiness, an honorable reputation, are promised to the faith- ful observer of the law. He is to be ever free from doubts, since faith makes him adhere firmly to all the instructions of Budha ; and after his death, he shall migrate to some of the seats of Nats. The trespas- sing of the law is to be attended with poverty, shame and misery, doubts in an unsettled mind, and at last punishment in hell. This place of suffering is minutely described in Budhistic works. Such a description appears, in the opinion of the writer, of no importance to those who desire to understand not the superficial portion of the Budhism, but its fundamental and constitutive parts. Hell is a place of punishment and torment, as the Nats' seats are places of reward and happiness. There is no eternity of sufferings : the unfortunate inhabitant of those dark regions, is doomed to remain there until the sum of his offences has been fully atoned for, by sufferings. When the evil influence, created by sin, is exhausted, punishment ceases too, and the wretched sufferer is allowed to migrate to the seat LEOEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. 149 tation. Water to drink, to rinse the mouth, to wash his hands and feet, was ready. Budha sat leaning agsinst the central post of the dzeat, facing the East. His disciples remained behind in n humble posture, whereas the people sat opposite to him, having their faces turned towards the West. Phra began to explain to the numerous hearers, the demerits and punishments attending the trespassing of the precepts of the law, and the advantages re- served to those who religiously observe them. Darakas, said he, whoever trespasses the moral precepts, or is remiss in observing them, will see his happiness and fortune gradually decreasing, and his good character falling away. He will ever live in a sad state of doubt and uncertainty, and at last, when death shall have put an end to his present existence, he will fall into hell. But the lot of the faithful observer of the great precepts, shall be widely different. He will obtain riches and pleasures, and gain an honora- ble reputation. He will be welcome in the assemblies of Princes, Pounhas and Rahans ; doubt shall never enter his mind, and his death will open before him, the way to the pleasant seats of Nats. The people were so much taken up with the preaching, that they remained in the dzeat until a very late hour. At last they paid their homage to Budha, rose up, turned on the right and de- parted. On the morning, Budha went on the bank of the Ganges, preached the law to some Poiinhas, who, in return, made him offerings, and paid him much respect. He stood on that place as if waitin » fur some boat to cross the mighty stream. Some of the people were looking out for boats, others were busily engaged m preparing rafts. Whilst they were making all the necessary arrangements, Budha stretched both arms and foundhimself, with all his Rahans, on the opposite bank. Turning his face in the direction of those who were in search for boats and rafts, he said : he who has crossed the sea of passions, is an Ariah. The practice of the great duties are the boats and rafts whereupon they contrive to cross the sea of passions. He who desires to pass a river, wants the aid of rafts and boats which are made up of dif- ferent pieces of wood joined together ; but he who has become an Ariah, by the knowledge of the great roads that lead to perfection, weakens all passions and extricates himself from the whirlpool of man, in order to acquire merits and prepare himself for happier future existences. In recording the account of the conversion of a courtezan named Apapalika, her liberality and gifts to Budha and his disciples, and the preference designedly given to her over princes and nobles, who, human- ly speaking, seemed on every respect, better entitled to attentions, one is almost reminded of the conversion of a woman that was a sinner, mentioned in the Gospel. J5A T/KGiiND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. lof concupiscence : he can also, without the help of boats or rafts, ■cross rivers. Phra informed Ananda that he intended to go to the village pf Kantikama. Having reached that place, he explained to the Italians the glorious and sublime prerogatives of Ariahs. Thence he passed over to the village of Nadika. It was in that place, that Ananda asked him what had become of a certaiu Rahan named Thamula, and of a certain Rahaness named Anaunda, who had both just died. The Rahan, answered Budha, has conquered all his passions and obtained the state of Niban. As to the Rahaness, she has gone to one of the seats of Brahinas : thenec she will mi- grate to Nibau, without reappearing in the world of passions. Budha went to the country of Wethalee. There lived a famous courtezan named Apapalika. She had her dwelling in a beauti- ful place, near to an extensive and delightful grove, planted with mango trees. She went along with others to hear the preaching of Gaudama, which had the good effect to dispose her to make a great offering to the distinguished preacher and his followers. Budha was submissively requested to come, on the following day, with all the Rahans, to receive his food. The invitation was graciously accepted. The courtezan hastened to prepare the meal for Budha and his followers. On the same day, he preach- ed the law to a number of young princes, who had offex-ed to sup- ply him with his meal, on the following day. He refused to ac- cept the invitation, because he had already promised to Apapalika, to goto her place for the same purpose. The princes were greatly disappointed at the preference given to the courtezan. On the fol- lowing day, Gaudama went to the mango grove, attended by all hia Rahans. After the meal, Apapalika presented the gi-ove to Gaiif darna who readily accepted the pious gift. Having remained awhile on this spot, Budha went to the vil- lage of Weluwoot. There he assembled the Rahans and said to them : I intend to spend the season in this place, but you have my permission to go and remain in the neighbouring districts. The reason that induced him to part, for awhile, with his disciples, was the smallncss of the place and the difficulty of procuring rice : whilst in the contiguous districts, there were many monas- teries and an abundance of all the necessaries of life. He would not, however, allow them to withdraw to too great a distance, for two reasons ; the first, because he knew that in ten months hence, he would attain the state of Niban, and the second, because he desired to see them assembled in his place, several times, every month, that he might have an opportunity to preach the law, and deliver to them his final instructions. Whilst he was living in that place, Budha was visited with a most painful distemper, which threw him into a state of prolong- ed agony. But owing to the absence of his disciples, and know- LEGEND OF Tfl'E BUR.UESE BTJDIIA. lot mg besides that this was not the spot he was to select lor his last moments, he overcame, with his incomparable power, the evil influence of the illness, and entering soon into a state of absolute trance, he remained therein for a while. Awakening from that situation, he appeared anew with his strength and usual vio-or. When he came uiit from the monastery to take Lis wonted walk. Ananda went to his presence, and expressed to him, the profound grief felt by all those who had heard of his illness. When I saw you ill, illustrious Budha, said the faithful Ananda, I was so ■deeply affected that I could scarcely hold up my head or draw my breath. I always cherished the hope that you would not go to Nibaii, ere you had preached once more the law to us all. A- nanda, replied Budha, why are the Raha-us so much concerned about my person ? What I have preached has no reference to what is within me or without me. Besides me, there is no one else to preach the law. Were they not looking upon me as such, it would be perfectly useless to attempt to preach to them. I am now very old, my years number eighty. I am like au old cart, the irons, wheels and wood of which are kept together by constant repairing ; my earthly fiame is kept entire and whole by the force and power of the trance. O Ananda, I feel truly happy whenever I consider the state of Arahat, which is the deliverance from all the miseries of this Avorld, whilst at the same time it sets a bein» free and disentangled from all visible and material objects. As- to my disciples, as long as my religion shall last, they ought to rely on themselves, and take refuge in the law, for there is no other refuge. They will truly rely on themselves, when bv a care- ful attention, a profound reflection and true wisdom, they will be bent upon the destruction of concupiscence and anger, and meditating upon the constituent elements of this body. Such were the instruc- tions he gave it to Ananda. Having spent the season hi the village of Welouwoot, the most excellent Budha desired to return by the same way he had pre- viously followed to the country of Thawati. Having arrived there, he took up his residence in the monastery of Dzetowon 86 . -v- 86. The duties performed by Thariputra on this occasion, exhibit more fully than language can express, the profound veneration he en- tertained for Budha. He was with Maukalan the most distinguished member of the assembly ; he occupied the first rank among the disci- ples ; in point of intellectual and spiritual attainments and transcend- ent qualifications, he stood second to none but to Budha. Notwith- standing his exalted position, he did not hesitate to render to his supe- rior, the lowest services. The high opinion he had of LJudha's super- eminent excellencies, prompted him to overlook his own merit, and to- admire, without reserve, that matchless pattern of wisdom and knowl- edge. Hence the inward satisfaction he sweetly enjoyed, in serving as an humble disciple, him whose unutterable perfections cast in the 52 LEGEND OE THE BURMESE BUDHA, The great disciple Tbariptitra having just returned from beg- ging his rice, hastened to render to Budha the usual services. shade, in his opinion, his far famed and much praised acquirements. The unaffected humility of the disciple does the greatest credit to the sterling worth of his inward dispositions, and conveys the highest idea of the respect and. veneration entertained for the master's person. In the houses where Budhist monks are living, it is a fixed rule that the superior and elders of the institution should be attended in the minutest services, hy the youngest members wearing the canonical dress. The frainer of the disciplinary regulations, intending, on the one hand, to confer dignity on the assembly, and, on the other, to oppose a strong barrier to eovetousness and to all inordinate worldly affections, wisely laid down a stringent order to all the members of the society, never to touch, or make use of, any article of food, dress, d c. unless it had previously been presented to them, by some attendant, layman or clerical. Hence when water is needed for washing the head, hands and feet, or for rinsing the mouth, when meals are served up, when offerings are made, a young postulant, holding a vessel of water, on the board whereupon are placed the dishes, or the' article intended to be offered, respectfully approaches the elder, kneels before him, squatting on his heels, lays before him the object to be presented, bows down with the joined hands raised to the forehead, resumes then the article with his two hands, presents it, the upper part of the body bent in token of respect. Before accepting it, the elder asks, is it lawful 1 The answer, it is lawful, having been duly returned, the article is either taken from the hands of the offerer, or he is directed to place it with- in the reach of the elder. Any infraction of this ceremonial is consi- dered as a sin. In the presence of the people, the monks never fail to submit to that somewhat annoying etiquette : their countenance on, such occasions, assumes a dignified and grave appearance, that has ah ways much amused the writer, whenever he had the opportunity of wit- nessing this ceremony, which is called Akat. There is no doubt but this custom is a very ancient one. We find it blended, to a certain extent, with the manners of the nations inhabiting Eastern Asia. It is minutely described in the Wini, and carefully observed by the in- mates of the Budhistic monasteries. It agrees remarkably well with the spirit that has originated, promulgated and sanctioned the disci- plinary regulations. He who, in this instance, would look at the mere skeleton of the rule, without any reference to the object aimed at by the legislator, would show himself in the light of a very superficial ob- server. This unfortunately is too often the case, when we scorn and laugh at customs, the demerit of which consists simply in not being similar to ours ; whereas the commonest sense tells us that we ought to judge them in connection with the institutions they have sprung from, and the end aimed at, by him who has established them. The narrative of Thariputra's departure for his birth place and his last moments suggests to the mind several reflections. He is certain of the last day of his existence ; he foresees with a prophetic glance, that his mother is well prepared for hearing profitably the preaching of the most perfect law : by the imcomparable powers of his memory he relates to Budha that a 100,000 revolutions of nature ago, he was> possessed with the strong desire of seeing him and hearing his instruc- i,EGEN T D OF THE BURMESE EUDIIA. 153 He swept the place, spread the mat ami washed his feet. These y. Thariputra rightly understood that the moment had come to preach the law to his mother. He said to her: Woman > at the time my great teacher was born, when he obtained the supreme intelligence, and preached the most excellent law, a great earth- quake was felt throughout ten thousand worlds. No one has ever equalled him in the practice of virtue, in understanding, wisdom and in the knowledge of, and the affection for, the* tran- scendent excellencies of trie state of Arahat. He then went on explaining to her the law and many particulars relating to the person of Bttdha. Beloved son, said his mot'ier, delighted with all that she heard, why have you been so late in acquainting me with such a perfect law ? At the conclusion of the instruction, sho attained the state of Thautapan. Thariputra replied : No\v r woman, I have repaid you for all the labors you have bestowed on me in bearing, nursing and educating me ; depart form mc and leave me alone";. 87. The conduct of Thariputra on this occasion wears an appear- ance of rudeness towards his aged mother, which at first hurts the feel- ings of human nature. But a close examination of all the circum- stances connected witli this last episode of the great disciple's life, shows that he was far from being divested of filial piety. lie leaves his be- loved master, undertakes a long and fatiguing journey, for the sole pur- pose of preaching the law to his mother, and conferring upon her a boon of a greater value than that he had received from her. In return for all favors bestowed upon him by his motlier, he initiates her in the knowledge of truth, and enables her to enter into the great ways that lead to the deliverance, that is to say, to the state of Niban. It cannot be denied that his language, on fchte occasion, partook of an austere tone, LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUJlHA. 157 Thariputra inquired from the devoted Tsanda wlicthcr the moment had come. Having been informed that it was day light, sounding harsh to the cars of worldly men, hut it must be borne in mind that Thariputra was an old ascetic, dead to all affections of nature, looking upon truth alone in an abstractively pure form, without any regard to material objects. He loved the law of truth which he had learned from Budha, and afterwards preached it tu others with an unparalleled zeal and fervor. The spirit of budha lived in him: he de- sired to see all beings availing themselves of the means of salvation, he had in his power to impart unto them; he loved them all with an equal affection : the state of ignorance they were sunk in, deeply affected his compassionate soul, and he had but one desire, that of dispelling the thick mist of ignorance, by the pure light of truth. When the instruction to his mother was over, Thariputra desired to he left alone with his disciples. His last words to them bespeak the humble sentiments of his mind. Though the first member of the as- sembly of the perfect, -', ' bogs pardon of his inferiors, for the causes of offence he may have mwillingly given them, during the period they have lived together : regardless of all the good he had done unto them, he feels that he could not well part with them, ere he had atoned to them, for any wrong, however involuntary, be might have done to ^>me of them. To thosp uninitiated in Budhistic metaphysics, it is not easy to un- derstand and distinctly to appreciate the situation of Thariputra at his last moments. It is stated that he fell into ecstacy or trance, though his soul remained as yet connected with this world by slender and almost invisible tics. This was the last and mighty struggle of a being, to disengage himself from the trammels of existence and become free from all exterior influence. Soaring above all that exists, Thari- putra's soul passed successively through the four stages he had so often visited, whilst engaged in the arduous efforts of investigating truth, preparing to enter the fifth and last one, where she was to stay finally and perpetually, without any further change, in a state of quies- cence. When the sage during his meditation has brought his ndnd to bear upon some object, he wishes to contemplate attentively, and tho- roughly to comprehend, he at first gets hold of that object by his thought, he then examines it by means of reflection : the knowledge he thus acquires, never fails to create a pleasureable sensation ; this plea- sure or satisfaction conveys to the soul enjoyment and happiness ; he loves the truth he has discovered and he rests fixedly in it. This is the last stage he ever can or wish to reach. What has human mind, indeed, to do, after having found truth, but to cling to it, and remain ever attached to it. During the last trance, Thariputra with his almost immensely developed mental faculties, knew comprehensively truth, reflected on it, felt a pleasure in considering it, enjoyed it, or rather fed upon it, and at last adhered so perfectly to it, that he became, as it were, merged into it. lie then had reached the state of Niban, where he was forever exempt from the influences created and put in motion and activity, by matter and passions, in every state of existence. Bud- hists, in Burmah at least, owing to their very limited and imperfect education, are unable to give any satisfactory or even intelligible account of the state of Niban or perfection, What is here but superfi- 158 l&G&lfD OF TlfE BURMESE BUdIIA. he requested to be set up: By his order, all the Rahans were called to his presence, and he said to them : during the last forty four years, you have ever been with me ; should I have offended any one, during all that time, I beg to be pardoned. The Kalians answered him : — great teacher, we have lived with' you during the last forty years, and have been your inseparable at- tendants, following you' everywhere, as the shadow follows the body. We have never experienced the least dissatisfaction, from your part, but we have to request your forbearance and pardon for ourselves. It was on the evening of the full moon Tatsaongmoi) (November) that Thariputra went to his mother's place, and laid in the room wherein he had been born. Daring the night he was attacked with the most distressing distemper. In the morning at daylight, he was habited with his tsiwaran and made to lay on his right side. He entered into a sort of ecstacy, passed successively from the first state of Dzan to the second, third and fourth, and thence dived into the bottomless state of Niban, which is the com- plete exemption from the influence of passions and matter. Noopathari, bathed in her tears, gave fall vent to her grief and desolation. Alas ! exclaimed she, looking on the lifeless body, is this my beloved son ? His mouth can no more utter a sound. Rising up, she flung herself at his feet, and with a voice ever interrupted by sobs and lamentations, she said : alas ! beloved son, it is too late that I have known the treasure of perfections and excellencies that was in you. Had I been aware of it, I would have invited to my house more than ten thousand Rahans, fed them and made a present of three suits of dress to each of them. I would have built a hundred monasteries to receive them. The day 88 having dawned, she sent for the most skilful gold cially stated, has been found in one of the last Uudhistic compositions on this and other metaphysical subjects. Fuller particulars shall, hereafter be given as to the state of Niban, when the death of one greater than Thariputra, shall be related. D 88. In Burinah, when a person has just given up the ghost, the in- mates of the house semi for musicians, who soon make their appearance with their respective instruments. They forthwith set to work, and keep up an incessant noise during the 24 'houis that elapse before the corpse be removed to the place where it is to be burnt. Relatives, friends and elders resort to the deceaseds house, for the ostensible purpose of condoling with those who have lost their kinsman, but in reality for sharing in the mirth and amusements going on, in such oc- casions. Strange to say, the thought of death strikes no one's mind , the fate of the deceased is scarcely pitied, nay remembered. Were it not for the presence of the corpse, and the perhaps conventional cries and lamentations of some old women at certain intervals, no one could scarcely imagine, and a fortiori, find out the motive thai had induced such a crowd to assemble on thai spot LEGEND OF THE BUKMESK BUD1IA. 159 smiths, opened her chests and gave them a great quantity of gold. By her command, five hundred piathats and as many dzedia If the departed belonged to a respectable family, in tolerably good circumstances, the funeral ceremony is arranged in the following manner. Presents intended as offerings for the Buhist monks, hav- ing been male ready, they are invited for the occasion, and then- presence is expected in numbers proportionate to the amount of offer- ings. The procession starts from the deceased's house, and directs its course towards the place of burning or the cemetery. It is headed by the yellow dressed monks, carrying their broad palm-leaf-made fans on the shoulder, and attended by their disciples. Next follow the bearers of the offerings in two lines : They are partly men and partly women, but walking separately ami apart from each other. The cotlin appears next, laid on thick poles, and carried by six or eight men. In front of the coffin, and sometimes at the sides, ai-e arrranged the musicians who perform all the way, without an instant's interruption. Behind the coffin, are grouped the male relatives, friends, &c., and lastly the procession is closed by crowds of women attired in their finest dress. The coffin is beautifully decorated, and carried on the should- ers of six or eight stout young men, by means of bamboos or poles. An unnatural merriment is allowed, and generally kept up all the way to the cemetery, and fantastic gestures and dances are perform- ed by the bearers and their friends, to the imminent danger of upsetting the coffin. The burning place is generally without the precincts of the town and in the vicinity of some large pagoda. The funeral pile is of a very simple structure ; its shape is that of an ol >long square of a moderate size. Two large pieces of wood are at first laid parallel, at a distance of eight feet; other logs of wood, disposed at about six or eight inches from each other, are laid across the two first mentioned, so that their ex- tremities are supported on these two pieces. A second set of logs is laid at right angles with the first ; a third one placed across the second, and so on until the pile is three, four or five feet high. The coffin is deposited upon it. Fire is set below the pile, by means of inflamma- ble materials, which soon communicate fire to the logs the pile is made of. The whole is soon in a blaze and rapidly consumed by the devour- ing flames. The by-standers talk, laugh, or busy themselves in stir- ring the fire. As to the Talapoins, they sometimes take position under a neighbouring shed, repeat a few passages of Budha's law, and when they are tired, they give orders to their disciples to take up the offer- ings and then go back to their peaceable abodes. Very often they do not take the trouble of muttering prayers; they depart forthwith fol- lowed by the offerings intended for them. The fire being extinguished, the ashes, charcoal, c&c. are carefully searched, and the particles of bones discovered, are piously collected by the nearest relatives, and then buried in a hole dug for that purpose, near some pagoda. Persons in good circumstances, keep up during seven days, in their houses, a sort of solemnization of the funerals. Every day, in the evening particularly, musicians are keeping up playing until a very late hour at night. The house is, during all the while, crowded with people, who come for the purpose of enjoyment. Some play at various games, others drink tea, all chew betel leaves and tobacco in profusion, ■D JtiO LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. were erected : the outward sides were all covered with go-Id leaves. The great Thagia sent down on the spot, a nuniher of Nats who erected also the same number of religious monuments. In the middle of the city, a high square tower was erected; from its centre a tall spire rose to an immense height. This principal one was surrounded by a great number of smaller ones. Men and Nats mingled together, uniting in their endeavours to do honor to the deceased. The whole place w r as lined with countless be- ings, vieing with each other in their efforts to show the utmost respect, joy and exaltation on this extraordinary occasion. The nurse of Thariputra, named ltewati, came and desposited, round the mortal remains, three golden flowers. At that very moment, the great Thagia made his appeai'ance, surrounded with myriads of Nats. As soon as the multitudes perceived him, they withdrew hastily to make room for him. In the midst of the confusion, llewati fell down, was trampled upon, and died. She migrated to the fortunate scat of Tawadeintha, became a daughter of Nats, and inhabited a place (niche) made with the most consummate skill, and adorned with the richest materials. Her body shone like a beautiful statue of gold, and was three gawoots tall. Her dress exceeded in richness, variety and beauty, all that had ever been hitherto seen. On the following day, Kcwati came from her glorious seat, to the spot where crowds of people surrounded the body of the de- ceased. She approached, with the dignified countenance and majes- tic bearing, of a Queen of Nats. No one recognised her, though the eyes of all were riveted on her person, encompassed with the splendor of Nats. Whilst all the spectators, overawed by the Sometimes, stories relating to Gaudama's former existences, are read and listened to by the elders of the party. This mode, intended either to do honor to the deceased's memory or to afford relief to the grief of relatives, is rather expensive, and might often prove a heavy drain on the limited means of most of the families. But the spirit of mutual assistance, on this occasion removes the diffi- culty. Every visitor, according to his means, makes a present of some money to the master of the house. Though the present of the greatest number of visitors, is comparatively small, yet when added together, there is a considerable sum, which is generally more than sufficient to defray all expence that maybe incurred. This custom or system oi voluntary contributions, burdens no one in particular, whilst it enables a family to make a show of liberality which, otherwise, would almost prove ruinous in many instances. The custom of burning the dead prevails amongst the Hindoos, the Singhalese, Nepaulese, Burmese, Siamese and Cambodians. Though holding the tenets of Budhism, the Chinese have never adopted this usage. The Mahomedans, living in Hindustan and the countries of eastern Asia, retain the custom of bury- ing the dead. Budhists have doubtless received that practice from the Hindoos LEGEND OF IltE BURMESE BUDHA. Ifil presence of that celestial being, remained motionless with" a sUen< admiration. Rcwati said to them: how is it that none of you re- cogtrsc me 1 I am Rcwati, the nurse of the great Thariputra. To the offering of the three golden flowers made by me and plac- ed at the feet of the mortal remains of the great Rahan, I am in- debted for the glory and splendor of my present position. She explained, at great length, the advantages procured by doing meritorious actions. Having stood for a while above the cenotaph, whereupon they had deposited the body of the deceased, she came down, turned three times round it, bowing down each time, and then returned to the blissful seat of Tawadeintha. During seven consecutive days, rejoicings, dancings aiid amuse- ments of every description, were uninterruptedly kept up, in honor of the illustrious deceased. The funeral pile was made of scented wood; upon it they scattered profusely perfumes the most rare and fragrant. The pile was ninety-nine cubits high. The corpse having been placed upon it, fire was set to it by means of strings made of flowers and combustibles. During the whole night that the ceremony lasted, there was a constant preaching of the law. Anoorooda extinguished the fire with perfumed water. Tsanda carefully and piously collected the remaining relics, which weic placed in a filter. Now, said he, I will go to Budha with these relics, and lay them in his presence. With his companion Anoorooda, he took, together, with the relics* the patta and tsiwa- vaa .of the deceased and returned to Budha, to relate to him all 'he particulars concerning the last moments of his great disciple. Tsanda was the younger brother of Thariputra. It was to him 'drat belonged the honor of bein j the person selected to convey, to Budha, the precious relics. When, however, he had come to the monastery, he was unwilling to go alone into Budha's presence. He went first to Ananda, his intimate friend, and said to him : My brother Thariputra has obtained the state of Niban. Here arc the patta, tsiwarau and relics ; exhibiting before him, one after the other, those precious articles. Both went together to Budha's place, and laid at his feet the patta, tsiwarau and relics of the great disciple. Budha, placing the relics on the palm of his right hand, called all the Italians and said to them : beloved ltahaus, this is all that remains of one, who, a few days ago, was performing wonders in your presence, and has now reached the state of Niban, something resembling a pure white shell. During an athingie and hundred thousands of worlds, he has perfected himself by the practice of virtue. Beloved children, he could preach the law like another Badha He knew how to gain friends : crowds of people followed him to near his instructions Excepting me, no one in 10,000 worlds was equal to him. His wisdorn was at once great and cheerful , his mind, quick and penetrating He knew how to restrain his desire ; . and to be easily u 1(V2 LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUPHA» satisfied with little. He loved retirement. He severely rebuked evil doers. Beloved children, Thariputra renounced all pleasures and gratifications to become a Italian ; he always shunned strifes and contentions, as well as long and idle conversations. His patient zeal for the diffusion of m) religion, equalled the thickness of the globe. He was like a bull, the horns of which' have been broken. My beloved Kalians, look once more at the relics of my wise son, Thariputra. Budha, in this manner, eulo- gized the virtues of the illustrious deceased, in five hundred stanzas. 89 On hearing all that Budha had said to honor the memory of Thariputra, Ananda was filled with sentiments, of the tenderest 89. The custom of making funeral orations for the purpose of eulogising distinguished individuals after their demise, is of the highest antiquity. The sacred records bear witness to its existence amongst the Jews. The present Legend otters repeated instances of Eulogia made to honor the memory of the dead. On this occasion Budha would not leave to another the honor of extolling the extraordinary merits and transcendent excellencies of the illustrious Thariputra. But he had a higher object in view, when lie exhibited to the eyes of the as- sembled Italians, the relics of the deceased, that were all that remained of so celebrated a disciple, who had lived with them for so many years and had just parted from them. It was impossible to give them a more forcible illustration of the truth he had so often announced to -them, that there is nothing permanently subsisting in this world, but that all things arc liable to a perpetual and never ending change. The stern Budha gently rebuked the amiable Ananda, for the marks of inordinate grief he gave on this occasion ; because, said he, the law of mutability acting upon all' that surrounds us, we must ever be prepared to be se- parated from what is dearest to our affections ; grief on such occasions, is useless and quite inconsistent with the principles of a wise man. To honor the memory of Thariputra, and perpetuate the remem- brance of his virtues, Budha directed that a dzedi should be erected, on- the very spot he had heard the news of his death. A dzedi is a reli- gious monument very common in Burmab, and- to be scenj oir all rising grounds, in the neighbourhood of towns. Within the enclosure of all- monasteries, a dzedi is invariably erected; it is the only purely religi- ous building to be found in Burmah. The traveler in that country is always delighted and experiences the most pleasurable sensations, on approaching sonic town or village, when he sees several dzedis of vaii- ous height, raising their white cones capped' with the gilt crown, from the bosom of beautiful groves of tall cocoanut trees, graceful areca- palms, and massive tamarind, mango and jack trees, all loaded with* green luxuriant foliage. When the monument is on a grand scale, niches are made in the middle of each side of the square, facing the four points of the compass. In those niches are placed statues of Budha, exhibiting him in the usual cross legged position. The size of those religious monuments much varies in dimensions. They range from the height of a few feet, to the colossal proportions of the tall Dagon Pagoda at Rangoon. LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. 163 emotion. He could not refrain from shedding abundant tears. Budha quickly remarked all that was taking place in his faithful and loving attendant, and said to him : Ananda, on former occasions, I have, in my preachings, endeavoured to shelter your soul from the impressions caused by such and like emotions. Two things can alone keep us separated from father, mother, brothers, sisters, &c, in a word from all that we most cherish viz: death and distance. I, though a Budha, have been exposed to all those changes, brought on by distance, when I practised the great virtues in the solitude, when I displayed wonders and «pent a season in the seat of Tawandeintha. 'In those circum- stances, distance kept me far from all that is dearest to me. Would it not have been considered as useless, if not unbecoming, on my part, to shed tears, or on that of others, to do it on my ac- count'? Can there ever be a time, when any, how painful soever, occurrence may warrant wailing and lamenting ? With these and other considerations, Budha soothed the affliction of Ananda, and filled him with consolations. Budha, to complete, as it were, the -work of praises in favor of his great disciple, caused a dzedi to be erected in his honor. Having satisfied the sacred duty of gratitude, towards the greatest of his disciples, Gaudama resolved to leave the monastery of Dzetawon for the country of Radzagio. Ananda was, as usual, directed to inform the Rahans to hold themselves ready for immediate departure. Whilst they were on their way, on the last day of the month of Tatsaongmou, another great disciple, Maukalan, entered the state of Niban. In that place too, where the news of Maukalan V death was heard, a dzedi was erected to his memory by Budha. All the particulars regarding the last moments of Maukalan may be read in the book of Damma Ataga. Chapter XL Voyage to Wethalee — Last temptation of Manh — Causes of earth- quake — New instructions to the Rahans — Last meal of Budha — His painful distemper — His conversation with one of the Malta Princes — Sign foreshowing Budha s coming death — Arrival in the Koothinaron forest — Budha lays on his conch — wonders at- tending that event — Instructions lo Ananda — Eulogium of Ananda by Budha — Conversion of Thoubat — Last words of Budha to the Rahans — His dea'h. From Radzagio, Budha went to We thalee with all his disciples. in following one bank of the Ganges, he reached the place called ■(Jokatsela. Early in the morning, rising up, he put on his dres^ 1()4 LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. and wi-ni uut tu beg his food. Having returned from his errand of Mendicant, he called Ananda and commanded him to bring some of his utensils, intimating to him that ho would go to spend a day in a place called Tsapala, Complying with the command. Ananda followed Budha and with him went to the beautiful site ot 'lsapala, to the place prepared for his master. Ananda approached Phra, and, respectfully prostrated, said to him : this is, indeed, a "very agreeable place. Whereupon Budha rejoicing, praised the different sites of that country which he had visited, as well as the dzcdis that adorned them, and added : Ananda, every wise per- son ought to be very earnest in perfecting himself in the four laws of Edeipat. Having advanced in the practices of these laws, he can, if he choose to do so. remain in a state of fixity, during a whole revolution of nature and even more. I, Budha, have become perfect in those laws, and I may remain as I am now, during an in- numerable numher of years. Three times, the same words were repeated. But Ananda, entangled as yet by some passion, re- inained prostrated before Budha. It never came to his mind, to entreat him to remain longer on earth, for the benefit of mortals, who would derive the greatest advantages from his presence. At that time Ananda was called by Budha and reminded that the moment for departure had come. He rose up, bowed before Budha and went to the foot of a tree at a small distance. He had scarcely left Budha alone, when the Nat Manh, perceiving that Budha remained alone for a while, approached near his per- son, and keeping at a respectful distance, said to him : Great, il- lustrious and glorious Phra, who preach an excellent law, it is now time for you to enter into the state of Niban. You said in former times, that as Jong as your disciples should not be much advanced in knowledge ■ as long as they would not have obtain- ed a thorough command over their heart, mouth and senses; that they would be as yet wanting in firmness and diligence for hearing and understanding the law, or that they would he un- equal to the task of preaching the law, you would not, as yet go to Niban. Now the Bahans, members of the assembly and your disciples, both males and females, are thoroughly instructed jn all the parts of the law ; they arc firm in Gontroling their pas- sions : they can preach the law to the other mortals : the Nats and Brahmas have heard your preachings and a countless number among them have obtained the deliverance ; the time, therefore, is come for you to enter into the state qf Niban. Budha know- jng the wicked one, with his evil dispositions, replied : Ha ! wretched Manh, do not concern yourself about me. Ere long I will go to Niban. Whilst he was near the dzedi of Tsapala, Budha in a moment of perfect calmness of mind, entered into a sort of ecstacy, A* - LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. \{\j that very instant, the earth trembled with such violence that it caused the hairs of one's head to stand on end. Then he said to all present : I am delivered from the influence of the world of matter, of the world of passions and every influence that causes the migration from one existence to another. I enjoy now a perfect cnlm of mind, — like a mighty warrior who, on the held of battle, has conquered all his enemies, I have triumphed over all passions. These words were uttered by Phra, lest perhaps some people might infer that he entered into ecstacy, from fear caused by the language of the tempter, inviting him to go forthwith to Niltan. Ananda having felt the earthquake, respectfully approached Rudha and prostrated before him ; withdrawing then to a becom- ing distance, he asked him the causes that produced the extraor- dinary and terrifying phenomenon of earthquakes. My son, an- swered Budha, eight causes make the earth tremble. 1st, the earth lays on a mass of water, which rests on the air, and the air on space ; when the air is set in motion, it shakes the water, which in its turn shakes the earth. 2nd, any being gifted with extraor- dinary powers • 3rd, the conception of Phralaong for his last existence ; 4th, his birth ; 5th, his becoming Budha ; 6th, his preaching the law ; 7th, his entering into ecstacy ; 8th, his ob- taining the state of Niban. These are the eight causes of earth- quakes. Ananda, a little while after having become a Budha, I was in the solitude of Ooroowela, on the banks of the river Ner- itzara, under the shade of a banyan tree, planted by some shep- herds. The wicked Nat came into my presence and requested me to go forthwith to Niban. I refused then to comply with his demand and said to him : wretched Manh, my disciples, members of the assembly, either males or female* ; the believers, either men or women, have not yet acquired sufficient knowledge, prudence and penetration, courage and resolution. The}'- have not been, as yet, properly instructed in the most essential and highest articles of the law ; they are unable to teach others : my religion is not yet resting on a strong foundation. The time therefore is not yet .come for me to enter into the state of Niban. Now in this very dzedi of Tsapala, he has come anew and told me the same thing. Do not trouble yourself, miserable wretch, have I said to him; three months hence. I will obtain the state of Niban. On this .occasion I have fallen into the state of ecstacy. 90 90. The particulars of the apparition of the evil one, or the tempter, related by Budha himself to the faithful and amiable Ananda, show the incessant efforts made by Manh for rendering abortive, to a certain ex- tent, the benevolent mission undertaken by Budha to procure deliver- ance to uumberless beings, and supply others with adequate means for entering into, and steadily following, the way that leads to it. lie had been defeated in his endeavors to prevent Phra from leaving the world and obtaining the Budhaship. He had been thwarted in his wicked ifiO LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHa. Ananda said to Phra : illustrious Budha, please to remain dui'ing a whole Kalpa iu this world, for the benefit of men, Nats and Brahmas. Ananda, replied Phra, your present request is too late and cannot be granted. Three times the faithful disciple begged his great teacher, this favor, and three times he received the same refusal. Do you believe, O Ananda, that I know the four ways that lead to science and wisdom, or that I am perfect in the four laws of Edeipat? I do believe it, answered Ananda. Do you recollect, O Ananda, that on a certain occasion I said to you three times, that he who was perfect in the laws of Edeipat, could remain, if he chose, during an entire Kalpa in this world ? designs to weaken the effects of Budha's preachings. Heretics of all sorts had been summoned to his standards, to carry on a most active- warfare against his opponents, but he had failed in all his attempts Budha had now almost completed the great and benehcial work he had undertaken : his religious institutions known over a vast extent of countries, and zealousy propagated by fervent and devoted disciples, seemed to be now firmly established. The edifice, indeed, was raised, but it recpiired the action of a finishing hand ; the key stone was yet wanting in the vault to render it complete and durable. Manh was aware of all that; hence his last and wily effort for impeding the finish- ing and perfecting of a work, he had vainly opposed in its beginning and during its progress. The line of distinction between the members of the assembly and the mass of those who merely believed in the doctrines of Budha, without leaving the world, is plainly drawn by Budha himself; therefore there can be no doubt that, from the origin of Budhism, there existed a marked difference between the body of laymen and that of lla- hans. Again, the body of the perfect, or those who formed, what may emphatically be termed the assembly, was composed of men and women, living as a matter of course, separately, in a state of continence, and subjected to the disciplinary regulations which we find embodied in the \Vini. In Burmah, vestiges of female devotees, living secluded from the world, are to be met with in many places, but as already noticed in a foregoing remark, the order of religious females has much fallen off. Its professed members are few iu number, and the exterior observance of the regulations is much neglected. The comprehensive- ness of Budhism, its tendency to bring all men, to the same level, and allow no difference between man and man, but that which is establish- ed by superiority in virtue, its expansive properties, all those striking characteristics have mightily worked in elevating the character of the woman and raising it on a level with that of a man. Who could think of looking upon the woman as a somewhat inferior being, when we see her ranking, according to the degrees of her spiritual attainments, among the perfect and foremost followers of Budha / Hence in those countries where Budhism has struck a deep root and exercised a great influence over the manners of nations, the condition of the woman has l>een much improved and placed on a footing far superior to that she occupies in those countries, where that religious system is not the preva- lent one, or where it has not formed or considerably influenced the customs and habits of the people. LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. • 67 i added that 1 was thoroughly acquainted with these four laws : but you remained silent, and made no demand to mc, to remain longer in this world. The lime for making this request is now irrevocably past. The term of my life is forever fixedly deter- mined Now Ananda let us go to Mahawon Kootagara. Having reached the place he desired his faithful attendant to go to We- thalee and assemble all the Italians in the dzeat. When they had all assembled in that place, Ananda informed Budha that his order had been duly executed. I 'lira went to the dzeat, and sat in the place prepared" for him ; he, then, addressing the assembly, said : my beloved children, the law which my supreme wisdom had discovered, I have announced for your benefit and advantage. You have attentively and persevcringly listened to it, firmly ad- hered to its tenets and zealousy propagated them. Now my reli- gion shall last for a long period, and prove the source of great bless- ings to all Nats. But to the end that my religion may last long, shine forth with splendor and be productive of incalculable bene- fits, it is necessary that great attention should be paid to the thirty seven laws from which all good words proceed.* These laws you * The Budhists of these parts, following the track of their ances- tors, or rathe? copying tlseir writings, arc fond of arbitrary divisions in all that concern the different parts of their methaphisics. Budha, on this occasion, alludes to thirty-seven articles, which may be considered as the foundation whereupon rests philosophical and moral wisdom. They are called Baudl-pck-kcra meaning, 1 believe, points or articles of wisdom. They arc sub-divided into seven classes. In the first, are enumerated the four subjects most deserving of attention, viz. the body, the heart, the sensations, and the law. In the second, are described four objects extremely worthy of our efforts, viz. preventing the law of demerits to come into existence; preventing its developments, when it exists ; causing the law of merits to come into existence, and further- ing its progress, when it is already existing. In the third, are found likewise four points meriting control, viz : one's will, one's heart, one's efforts, and one's exertions. In the fourth class, we find enumerated five pre-eminently necessary dispositions, or inclinations, that isto say, disposition to benevolence, diligence, attention, steady direction to- wards what is excellent, and considerate wisdom. The fifth class comprises tlic pola, or rewards or good effects result- ing from the above inclinations, viz : perfect benevolence, diligence, attention, steadiness in what is excellent, and considerate wisdom. The sixth class comprehends the conquering and triumphant results from the seven following virtues, attention, consideration of the law, diligence, equanimity of the soul, constancy in good, fixity and delight. The seventh class comprises the ways that lead to good and pcrfec^ tion ; they are eight in number : perfect doctrine, intention, language, actions, regular mode of life, diligence, attention, and fixity in good. A volume might be written upon these thirty-seven principles or points of moral philosophy, by way of comment and explanation. But we think it better to leave the reader to make his own reflections, and run at liberty over this broad field of mctaphisics. 108 LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. have been acquainted with by my preachings : it is to you to an- nounce them to all beings. Meditate with unremitting attention on the principles of changes and mutability. As to mc. ere long I will go to Niban ; three months more, and this hist drama shall be over. In the morning Budha puttins on his dress went out to beg his food, carrying the patta on his left arm. When he had eaten his meal, he looked with the steadiness of an elephant, over the •whole country. The reason why he east a look like an elephant over Wethalee is, as he explained it to Ananda, the following. The bones of all Budhas are kept together, like the links of a chain : hence when they wish to consider some object lying behind, they cannot turn their heads backwards, but the whole body, like that of the elephant, must follow the same motion. On this and other occasions of this kind, our Budha had not to make any effort, but the earth turning round like the wheel of the putter, brought the object to be looked at, before him. The country of Wethalee, within three years, was to be destroyed, but the in- habitants having built a fine d/.eat and made, before it, offerings of flowers and perfumes, the country was to be saved from the ap- proaching calamity. This is the motive that induced Budha to cast a look over it. Budha went to a place called Pantoogama, thence to Bangan- gara, where he preached the four laws of Padela. Summoning Ananda to his presence he desired him to inform the Italians to hold themselves ready to go to the Pawa country. Having reach- ed that country, he went with all his Kalians to live in a monas- tery built in a grove of mango trees, erected by Tsanda the son of a wealthy goldsmith. Tsanda had previously seen Rudha and obtained the state of Thaupatan. His gratitude induced him to build a monastery, which, together with the grove, he had given over to Budh. Informed that Phra had come to the monastery, Tsanda repair- ed hastily thither, prostrated before him and having taken a scat at a becoming distance, he requested Budha to accept the meal he would prepare for him and all the liahans. Budha by his silence acquiesced in the request and Tsanda rose up, bowed down and turning on the right, left the monastery. During the whole .night all sorts of the choicest dishes were prepared. He had a young pig, neither fat nor lean, killed, and the flesh dressed -with rice in the most exquisite manner. The Nats infused into it, the most delicious flavor. At daybreak, every thing being ready, Tsanda went to the monastery and invited Budha and all the Kalians to come and partake of the meal thai was ready for them. Budha rose up and carrying his patta, went to Tsanda's house Where he sat in the place prepared for his reception. He took for himself the pork and rice, but his attendants feasted upon the LBOEVD QV THB BUBMKSE BUDHA.. 169 1 other dishes. When he had eaten, he desired Tsanda to bury in the earth, the remains of the pork and rice, because no one, in the JNats' or Brahmas' seats but himself, could digest such food. A little while after, Budha was seized with a violent attack of dy- sentery, the pain whereof he bore with the greatest patience and composure. He suffered so much, not because of the food ho had taken, as he would otherwise have been exposed to the sama distemper. Tne pain was rather alleviated by the eating of tha pork and rice, as the Nats had infused therein the choicest flavor. Budha desired Ananda to be ready to go to the place of Koo- theinaron. While on the way, he felt very weak and retired under the shade of a tree, commanding Ananda to fold his dugout to sit upon. When he had rested a little, he called Ananda and said to him: Ananda, I am very thirsty; bring me some water. Ananda replied : The prince Malla, named Pookatha, has just passed through the river with five hundred carts, and the water is quite muddy. But notwithstanding this objection, Budha repeated thiee times the injunction. Ananda at last took up Phra'p patta and went to the stream to fetch water. How great was his surprise, when he found the water clear and limpid. Ha said to himself : great indeed is the power of Budha who has worked such a wonderful change in this stream. He fille I the patta with water and brought it to his great teacher, who drank of it. Prince Pookatha had been a disciple of the Rathee Alara. He came to Budha and said to him, whilst under the shade of the tree : great indeed is the peace and calm composure of mind of the Rahans. On some former occasions, added he, the Rathee Alara wa3 travelling and went to rest under the shade of a tree, at a small distance by the way side. A merchant, with five hundred carts, happened to pass by. A man that followed at a distance earn* to the place where Alara was resting, and inquired from him if he had seen the five hundred carts. Alax*a replied that he was not aware that any cart had come in sight. The man, at first, sus- pected that Alara was unsound in his mind, but he was soon con- vinced that what he was at first inclined to attribute to mental derangement, was caused by the sublime abstraction of the Ra- thee, from all that was taking place. Budha having heard this story rejoined: what is in your opinion, the more wonderful, either to see a man in his senses and awake, not to notice the passing of five hundred carts or even one thousand, or another man, equally awake, and in the enjoyment ot his mental faculties, not hearing tha violence of a storm, a heavy fall of rain, accompanied with loud peals of thunder and uninterrupted flashes of lightning ? In former times, I, Budha, was sitting under a small shed. A most violent storm came on ; peals of thunder resounded move awfully than th« |70 LEGEND OF THE BUKMESE BUDHA. roaring of the sea, and lightnings seemed to lend the atmosphere in everv direction. At that time, two brothers were ploughing a field with" four bullocks- They were all killed, men and bullocks, by lightning. A man came to me, whilst I was walking in front of the shed, and told me that he came to see the accident that had just happened, and asked me some particulars concerning it. I answered him that I was not aware that any storm had raged near this place, nor any accident attended it. The stranger in- quired from me whether I was asleep, or if not, whether 1 was in possession of my senses. I answered him that I was not asleep, and that I was in the perfect enjoyment of my mental and phy- sical faculties My answer made a powerful impression upon him : he thought within himself that great and wonderful is the power of Thamabat, which procures to the Kahans such an uu- disturbable calm of mind, which cannot be overturned by the mightiest convulsions of nature. Now, Prince Pookatha, in whom do you think that the greatest calm of mind has pre- vailed ? Most excellent Phra, replied the prince, the great respect I bore formerly unto the Uathee Alara, has disappeared like the chaff before the wind, and like the water of a rapid stream. I am now like a man to whom the true road has been pointed out, who has discovered hidden things, and who has a shining light before him. You have announced to me the true law which has dispelled the cloud of ignorance, and brought happiness and calm to my hitherto disturbed soul. From this moment I believe in Budha, the law and the assembly, and to the end of my life I will ever remain a believer. The prince called a young man, and di- rected him to go and bring two beautiful and rich pieces of cloth having the color of pure gold thread. When they had been brought over, the prince holding them in his hand said : O most glorious Budha, these pieces of cloth I have occasionally worn ; they are in color like gold, and the tissue is of the finest description ; please to accept them as an offering I make to you. Phra desired him to present one of these pieces to himself and ihe other to Ananda, that his merits might be greater, since the of- fering would be made to Budha aud to the assembly in the per- son of Ananda. This attention in favor of Ananda was also in- tended to reward him for his unremitting exertions during twenty five years he had served Budha with the utmost respect, care and affection, without having received any return for his ser- vices. Pudha preached afterwards the law to the prince. When the instruction was over, Pookatha rose up, prostrated before Budha, turned on the right and departed. Ananda, after the prince's departure, brought the two dresses to the great Phra, who put on one whilst the other was girded round his waist. His body appeared shining like a name. Ananda LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. 171 •was exceedingly surprised. Nothing of this kind had, as yet, hap- pened. Your exterior appearance, said he to Budha,. is at . once white and beautiful above all expression. What you say, Anan- da, is perfectly true. There are two occasions when my body be- comes extraordinarily beautiful and shining: The first was on the night I obtained the supreme intelligence ; and the second now, when I am about to enter into the state of Niban. Doubtless, O Ananda, on the morning after this very night in a corner of Kootheinaron country, that belongs to the Prince Malla, in the f nest of Engien trees, I will go to Niban. The shining light, emanating from my body, is the certain forerunner of this great event. Ananda, summoned by Budha to his. presence, received the order to be ready to depart for the river Kakookha Having reached the place, Budha descended into the stream, bathed and drank some water. Thence he directed his steps towards a grove of mango trees. Ananda had remained to dry the bathing robes of his master. Phra called the Rahan Tsanda and directed him to fold in four his dugout, because he wished to rest. The order having been complied with, Budha sat down, lying on his right side, with the solemn and fearless appearance of a lion. During his short sleep, Tsanda watched by his side. Ananda soon came up. Budha called him and said : The meal which the gold- smith's son prepared for me, which I have taken, is my last meal. He is, forsooth, much grieved because of the illness that has come upon me after having eaten at his place. 90 Go now to him and 90. The meal Budha partook of, in company with his disciples, at Tsanda's residence, is the last repast he ever made. The violent dis- temper which followed immediately, is not, says the author of the legend, to be attributed to the food he took on this occasion. On the contrary, that very food, owing to the virtue infused therein by tha agency of Nats and Brahmas, was rather an antidote against the illness that was to come inevitably upon Phra's person. Previous to the dis- solution of his bodily frame, it was decreed that Budha should suffer. No occurrence could ever cause or avert this tragical circumstance. He had foreseen it, and with perfect resignation, submitted to what was ab- solutely to happen. In the early days of Budhism, when a deadly anta- gonism with Brahminisrn, began to fill the peninsula of Hindustan with endless disputes between the supporters of the two rival systems, Brahmins, with a cutting sneer, insulted their opponents by reminding them that the founder of their creed, whom they so much revered and exalted, had died from the effects of his having indulged too much on pork. About eighteen years ago, when the writer was in Burmah, ho chanced to meet with a shrewd old Christian, who, be it said en passant was more fond of disputing on religion, than paying regard to the prao! tice thereof. He boasted of having at his command, deadly weapon 3 against Budhists, and unanswerable arguments, to bear with an irre s . istibie force on the vital parts of their creed. The chief one, which ^ 9 V* f?2 XEGEND OF THE BTTRME6E STJtmA. make him acquainted with the merits he has gained in making ail offering to me. Two meals that I have taken during this exis- always bi ought forward with aBrahminical acorn and laugh, was that Gaudama had died from his having eaten pork. He always did it with so- much mirth and wit, that his poor ignorant adversaries were complete- ly overawed and effectually silenced by his bold and positive as- sertion, leaving to him uncontested the held of battle, and allowing him to carry away, undisputed, the palm of victory. This way of arguing may prove a very amusing one, though it can never be- approved of, as error is never to be combated by another error or a f alse supposition. The Burmese translator was doubtless aware of the weak side Offered to the attacks of malignant opponents, by the unplea- sant distemper that followed the Last meal of Budha. He strenuously labors to defend the character of his hero, by proving in the best way he can, that such a bodily disorder was necessarily to take place, in order to set in relief, the patience, composure and other sterling virtue* of the founder of Budhism. The text of the legend has been read over several times with the greatest attention, for the purpose of ascertain- ing the reasons put forward to account for such an occurrence, but the jesult has proved unsatisfactory. A thick veil wraps in complete obscurity this curious episode of Budha's life. All that can be said i» this : it was preordained that Budha should be visited with a most painful distemper, ere he attained Niban ; and so it happened. To prove that the eating of pork had nothing to do with the distem- per that followed, we have the authority of Gaudama, himself who com- mended the delicacy and flavor of that dish, and placed it on the same footing with the delicious Nogana tie ate on the morning of the day, previous to his obtaining the Budhaship. He desired his ever faithful attendant, AnanJa, to repair to Tsanda's place, and explain to him the great rewards reserved to him, for having made the offering of such an excellent food. The practical working of the Budhistic system relative to alms^ giving, deserves some notice. A man bestows alms on the Rahans, or spends money towards furthering some religious purpose ; he does so with the belief that what he bestows now in the way of alms, shall secure to him countless advantages in future existences. Those favors, which he anticipates to enjoy hereafter, are all of a temporal nature, relating only to health, pleasures, riches, honors and a long life, either in the ee^i of man or in the seats of .Nats. Such is the opinion generally en- tertained by all Budhists in our days. Talapoins make the preaching of the law consist chiefly in enumerating the merits and rewards at- tending the bestowing of alms, on persons devoted to a religious mode of life. In this respect the practical result of their sermons, is certain- ly most beneficial to themselves. The spiritually minded Budha seems to have levelled a blow at concupiscence and covetousness, by openly stating that alms have the power to stem the current of demerits, to give rise and energy to the principle of merits, and to lead to wisdom, which enables man to weaken gradually concupiscence, anger and ignorance, open and prepare the path to Niban. Many excellent practices enforced by Budhism, have been, if the expression be correct, reduced to a mere lifeless skeleton, by ignorance and passions, but they would appear in a very different light, were they animated with ih» spirit that has brought them into existence. LEGEND OF THE OURMESE BUDHA. 173 tenee are equally deserving of the greatest rewards. The first was the Nogana served up to me a little while before I obtained the supreme intelligence ; the second is the one just offered to me by the goldsmith's son, when I ate rice and pork. That is the last food I will ever take until 1 attain the state of Niban. Both these meals were excellent and are deserving of an equal reward, viz : beauty, a long life, happiness, a large crowd of attendants, the happiness of the Nats' seats, and all sorts of honors and dis- tinctions ; such are the merits reserved to T sanda the son of the goldsmith ; go and mention them to him, that his sorrow may be assuaged. Gaudama uttered on this occasion the following stanzas: 91 Alms deeds can defend from, and protect against, the 91. The observance of the five precepts incumbent upon all Budhists is the foundation whereupon is to be erected the spiritual edifice : it is the first step towards the great ways leading to perfection : it is pre- paratory for the great exercise of meditation, by which true wisdom may be acquired. The faithful who "observe the five precepts and the three additional counsels, show that faith is living in their hearts and give unrnistakeable marks of their zeal in the practice of religion. They are real Upasakas, or laymen, fervently adhering to, and taking refuge in, Budha, the law and the assembly, but they cannot take rank among the members of the assembly, or Thanga. Practice of, and progress in meditation, can alone usher an Upasaka into the sanctuary of the perfect. The rewards destined to tke faithful after their death, are exactly proportionate to their merits and the real worth of their deeds. The seats of Nats, placed immediately above the seat of men, but under the sixteen seats reserved to the perfect, are opened to the pious Upasaka who migrates from the seat of probation and trial. The nature of the pleasures enjoyed in the Nats' seats, are all referable to the senses. All that can be imagined the best fitted for the delectation of the five senses, is accumulated in those blisful regions, and proffered, with an ever re- newed profusion, to their fortunate inhabitants. The vivid imagina- tion of Asiatics has, one would say, exhausted its stores in pic- turing, with an amazing variety, the riches to be possessed there. It would be of no utility to attempt to give even a compendious narrative of what is met with, in Budhistic compositions, respecting those re- gions. Suffice it for our purpose, to say, that the distinct, on of sexes lemains in the Nats' country. In the two lowest seats, connection takes place between the two sexes, but no procreation ever results from it. in the 3rd seat, the Nats of different sexes are fully delected by a sin- gle kiss. In the 4th, by a touch of the hand ; in the 5th, by merely looking at each other ; and in the (ith by the mere fact of their being in the same place. Hereupon we may make two observations. The first, pleasures therein enjoyed, lose their coarseness, and become more refined and more perfect, in proportion as the seats are more elevated. The greater are the merits of the Upasaka in this life, the higher is the seat he is destined to occupy, and the more refined are the pleasures and enjoyments allotted to him. Hence our Gaudama having, during the existence preceding this last one, practised moral virtues of the highest order, migrated to Toocita, the fourth seat of Nats. The 174 LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. influence of the sources of demerits which are man's true enemies. He, who is full of merits and wisdom, shuns evil doings, puts an end to concupiscence, anger and ignorance, and reaches Nihan. Budha calling Ananda said to him: — let us now go to the opposite bank of the river Hignarawati, in the forest of Ingien trees, be- longing to the Malla Princes. Attended by a crowd of Kalians he crossed the stream. The forest was on a tongue of land, en- circled on three sides by the river. Ananda, said Budha, you see those two lofty trees on the skirt of the wood ; go and prepare a resting place for me between these two trees, in such a way that when reclining thereupon, my head should be turned towards the north. The couch must be arranged in such a maimer, that one extremity would be near one tree, and the other extremity close to the opposite tree Ananda, I am much fatigued and de- sire to rest. Though Budha's strength was equal to that of a thousand koudis of black elephants, it forsook him almost entirely from the time he had eaten Tsanda's rice and pork. Though the distance from the place of Pawn to the forest of Ingien trees, in the district of Kootheinaron, is but three gawoots, he was compelled to rest, through that distance, twenty-five times, and it was by dint of great exertions that he reached the place after sunset. \_Remarks of the Burmese Translator. — It has been often asked why Phra allowed his body to experience fatigue. The reason of his conduct has been to convey instruction to men, and to make others fully prepared to bear pain and sickness. Should any one ask why Budha exerted himself so much to go to Niban in that place, he should be answered that Budha saw three reasons for acting in the manner he did. 1st, to preach the great Thoo- dathana (things to be seen and known;) 2nd to instruct Thoubat and lead him to perfection ; 3rd, that the disputes that were to second observation is, that the duration of the enjoyments in the Nats' seats increases in an arithmetical progression, that is to say, the plea- Mures of the second seat are lasting twice as much as those of the first or lowest seat. Those of the 3rd seat are lasting twice as much as those of the second, etc. In the sermons that the Talapoins address to the people for stirring up their zeal chiefly in making alms to them, they are most fluent and abundant in the promises of rewards in the Nats' country, as a powerful inducement held out to them for keeping up their zeal to be- stow alms. They admirably succeed in obtaining their object with roost of their hearers. It cannot be denied that those poor deluded followers of Budha, are fully convinced of all that is narrated to them by Talapoins respecting the iSats' seats. Such is the implicit faith of the mass of Budhists. One may occasionally meet with a few individuals who laugh at those fables, but they are looked upon, in no better light, than that of rationalists, or free thinkers, by the orthodox portion of the country. LEGEND OF THE BUKMESE BUDHA. 175 arise on account of the division and possession of his relics, should be quieted by the Pounha Dauna, who would fairly and peaceably effectuate the partition of those sacred remains.] Fhra having reached the couch, lay down on his right side, with the noble composure and undaunted fearlessness of a lion 92 . The left leg was lying directly on the right one, but in order to avoid paiu and the accompanying trouble, the situation of the two legs was such as to prevent the immediate contact of the two ankles and knees. The forest of Ingien trees lies at the south-west of the city of Kootheinaron. Should anyone wish to go to the city from the forest, he must at first go due east, and then turn to the north. The place therefore where Phra stood was a tongue of land, surrounded on three sides by the river. When Budha was lying on the couch, the two Ingien trees became su idenly loaded with fragrant blossoms, which gently dropped above and all round his person, so as almost to cover it. Not only these two trees, but all those of that forest, and also in ten thousand worlds, exhibited the same wonderful and graceful 92. The posture assumed by Budha on this last stage of his life has supplied the subject of an artistic composition to the Southern Budhist sculptors. A statue representing Phra in that reclining jDosi- tion, is to be seen in almost every pagoda. Some of the.^e statues are made on truly gigantic proportions. I have measured one that waa forty-five feet long. If we take such rough works as exhibiting the amount of skill possessed by natives in the art of carving, we must confess that art with them, is as yet in its infancy. The huge idols I have met with, are never made of wood or hewed stones, but they are built up with bricks. The artist having made in this way the princi- pal parts of the statue, covers the whoie with a thick coat of mortar, the softness of which enables him to put, without much labor, the fin- ishing hand to his work. These statues are invariably made after a certain pattern belonging to the highest antiquity, and to an epoch when the art was yet in its very infancy : they are, in an artistic point of view, the worst, rudest and coarsest attempts at statuary I have ever seen. Gold is however profusely lavished on these shapeless and formless works. The big idol above referred to, was covered with gold, that is to say, gilt from head to feet. Idols of smaller dimensions, — those in particular representing Budha sitting in a cross-legged position, in the atitude of meditation, — are likewise wretched specimens of art. A great many are made of a soft stone, almost white, in appearance resembling marble, and capable of receiving a most perfect polish. About three miles west of the old and ruined city of Tsagain, is a place where the manufacturing of marble idols, is carried on to a great extent. The stone used by the carvers, is brought from a place north of Amerapoora, where it is very abundant. It is soft, transparent, white, and sometimes, when polished exhibiting a slightly bluish appearance. The instruments used by the artists are simple and few. Were it not for the custom which obliges them to follow always the same patterns, the Burmese workmen would much improve in that branch of the fine arts. 176 LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. appearance. All the fruit trees yielded out of season, the best fruits they had ever produced ; their beauty and flavour exceeded all that had ever been seen. The five kinds of lilies shot forth from the bosom of the earth, and from every plant and tree ; they displayed, to the astonished eyes, the most ravishing sight. The mighty mountain of Hymawonta which has three thousand youdzanas in extent, shone with all the richness of colors of the peacock's tail. The Nats, who watched over the two lngieu trees, showered down without interruption the most fragrant flow- ers. From the seats of Nats, the flower Mandarawan, which grows on the banks of the lake Mandawan, glittering like the purest gold, with leaves expanding like an umbrella, was shower- ed down by the Nats, together with powder of sandal wood and other odoriferous plant- . The Nag-as and Galongs, joining the Nats, brought from their respective seats, all kinds of flow era and perfumes which they dropped like dew, over and about }>udha's sacred person. Phra seeing the wonderful prodigy per- formed by men, Nats, Nagas and (ialongs, to do him honor, and hearing the sweet accents of Nats' voices, singing his praises, called Auanda and said to him : you witness all that display 9 * 93. If Budha has ever deserved the surname of sage, it is assuredly on this occasion that he has entitled himself to such an honorable dis- tinction. All nature has reversed its course on his account : wonders of the most extraordinary character have loudly proclaimed his super- eminent excellencies : the most exalted beings have united their voices in extolling his transcendant merits, and showing their unbounded res- pect for his persons ; all that could dazzle the eye, please the ear and natter the heart, had been displayed on an unparalleled scale for doing honor to him who was about to leave this terrestrial abode. Budha, however, solemnly declares, and unhesitatingly says 'to Ananda, that such a display is infinitely below his merits and perfections, and can bear no comparison with his fathomless wisdom ami boundless knowl- edge of truth Suoh things, in his opinion, are mere externals, «.jUito destitute of substantial worth ; they confer no real honor to him. They, adds he, who truly do honor to me, are those who practice all that is enjoined by the most excellent law ; nothing short of the ob- servance of the law can please me ; the practice of the virtues leading to perfection, gives alone the right to be called my disciple. My reli- gion can rest firmly, but on such solid foundation. These expressions make every reader understand that, in Budha's opinion, religion is not a mere theory, teaching fine moral precepts, des- tined to excite a vain admiration in the mind, or elicit useless applauses, but it is a moral and practical system, making man accpiainted with the duties he has to perform in order to shun vice and practice virtue. Nothing can be more explicit and positive than the notions lie enter- tains of religion. They are worthy of the founder of a religious system, believed and admitted, with more or less considerable variety, by near- ly one fourth, or at least, one fifth of the great human family. It must be admitted that the high religious sense entertained by Budha, and LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. 177 intended to do me honor ; it is not as yet worthy of me who possess the knowledge of the most sublime law. No one can be my true follower, or accomplish the commands of the law, by such a vain and outward homage. Every Rahan or Rahaness, every believer, man or woman, who practises the excellent works leading to perfect happiness ; these are the persons that render me a true homage, and present to me a most agreeable offering. The observance of the law alone entitles to the right of belong- ing to my religion. Ever remember this, O Ananda, and let every believer in my religion act up to it. Why did Budha. on this last occasion, lay little stress on the offerings that were made, whilst on former occasions he had much extolled the innumerable merits to be derived from the makin» of offerings ? The reason of his conduct was to give every one to understand that religion could not subsist unless by the prac- tice of all the duties it commands, and that it would soon dis- appear were it supported only by almscleeds, offerings and other outward ceremonies. Almsdeeds are productive of great rewards, but the practice of virtue alone secures to religion a prolonged -existence. At that time an illustrious Rahan, named Oopalawana, at a single word from Budha, lowered his fan and went to sit at a cer- tain distance. Ananda, who had seen this Rahan attending assi- duously on Budha's person, during more than twenty seasons, was surprised at seeing him, and desired on that occasion to withdraw to a distance. Phra, reading in the soul of Ananda his innermost communicated in all its purity to his immediate disciples, has almost vanished away, in all Budhist countries. With the people, religion consists in certain exterior observances, such as giving alms to the Talapoins, building pagodas, and making offerings during the three months especially consecrated to religious duties. The influence of re- ligious teachers, owing to ignorance and want of zeal, may be thought by many to be almost null, and scarcely felt by the masses of nomi- nal Budhists. Two causes, however, seem to be the generators and sup- poiters of the religious sentiment that influences the people, education, and the political institutions. The male portion of the community is brought up in the monasteries, by the Phongies. All the books that are put into their hands, and most of those that they subsequently read, are treatises on religious subjects. This system keeps up in a wonderful manner the knowledge of religion which exercises a great control over the actions of individuals, and regulates their conduct. But, besides, the religious element almost predominates in the body of the civil laws ; it acts indirectly upon the people and must be allowed a great share of influence in all that regards their morals. It is, therefore, to political institutions that Budhism owes much for the continuation of its existence in these regions. Were it deprived of such a poweiful support, there is every reason to believe that it could not perhaps re- tain long its hold over the masses, when regularly and extensively at- tacked by the followers of another system. W J78 LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. thoughts, said to him: Ananda, lam not displeased with Oopa- lawan?, but his body being of a very large size, he prevents the myriads of Nats, that have come from 10,000 worlds, to see and con- template me on this supreme moment. The Nats can see through the bodies of the generality of men, but this power fills short with men much advanced in merits. I therefore desired him to remove a little far, that the Nats might not be angry at not see- ing my person. Ananda put a great many questions to Budha. which are re- lated at full length in the Parinibana Thoots He asked him among other topics, how the Rah an s were to behave when w men should resort to their monasteries 91 Anan- 94. The founder of Budhism shows himself on this particular sub- ject a consummate moralist, hie who c?n have spoken as he did on thi3 truly delicate point, must have been deeply versed in the knowledge of human nature, and thoroughly acquainted with its frailties and weaknesses. Budha desired to maintain the members of the assembly in a state of spotless purity. To attain that desirable object, lie thinks of raising the strongest barrier against the wildest passion of the heart. No virtue, in his opinion, can withstand the incessant assaults directed against it, by a daily and familiar intercourse with persons of another sex. He would have, if possible, the inmate of a cell in a monastery out of the reach of temptation itself; he knows that the best tactics against such an onemy, do not consist in boldly meeting the adversary, but rather in carefully avoiding encounter with him, maneuvering in such a way as to keep far from it. Hence idle conversations with fe- male visitors, are not only forbidden in a most positive manner, but their very sight is to be, if possible, avoided. When duty shall oblige a Recluse to come face to face with the enemy, it is his bounden obli- gation to keep at as great a distance from female visitors as practica- ble. The subject of the conversation ought to be of a purely religious character ; some portions of the law may be expounded ; doubts of con- fidence may be proposed, and a solution given to them, &c. &c. On such occasions, the spiritual adviser is never to be left alone, but he must be surrounded by some of his brethren or disciples, at all times very numerous in the monasteries. It is not without interest to place oneself in the centre of the Budhis- tic system, and examine therefrom the motives that have induced 1 ludha to enjoin celibacy on all the members of the assembly, and enforce it with the utmost rigor, by all the means that the profoundest moralist could devise. The philosophy of Budhism has for its primary object to lead man into the way of freeing himself from the influence produced upon the soul by exterior objects, through the medium or channel of the senses. That influence sets in motion the various passions which darken the intellect and trouble the heart, opposing an insuperable barrier to the acquirement and intuition of truth, and to the progress towards the state of quiescence, so ardently coveted and longed for, by every true Budhist. No one is ripe for the state of Niban, as long as he retains affection for things'without self. The last and greatest effort of wisdom, is the emancipation of self, from every possible influence created and LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. 179 da, answered Budha, a R than desirous to free himself from the feting of concupiscence and keep his heart firm and steady, ought produced by objects or things distinct from self. Concupiscence, as the meaning of the word implies, is that disposition of the soul to search after, long for, and cleave to, things placed without self. Such a disposition is diametrically opposed to the perfect independence aim- ed at by a perfect Budhist, and leads to results the very reverse of those to be arrived at : it retains man in the vortex of never ending ex- istences, and precludes him from the possibility of ever reaching the state of Niban. Concupiscence, taken in a more restricted and limited meaning, signifying the propensity to the indulgence of sensual pleas- ures, by the union of sexes, must ever prove the greatest obstacle in the way leading to perfection, inasmuch as it fosters in men the strong- est affection to external objects. Budha is great, in his own opinion, because he has conquered all pas- sions, nut by curbing them under the yoke of reason, but by rooting them out of his very being. When he wished to become an ascetic, he practised at first self renouncing, not merely by giving up riches, palace, dignities and honors, but chiefly and principally by denying to himself and forever, the enjoyment of sensual pleasures. A farm and unshaken resolution of parting forever with his wife, concubines, and living in a perpetual celibacy, was considered as a preliminary and es- sential step for entering upon the course of life of a sincere searcher af- ter truth and perfection. During the six yeai-s he spent in solitude, he laboured with unremitting zeal for securing, to the spiritual principle* an undisputed control over the material one, by Stirling the vehemence and ardour of his passions. His austerities and mortifications during that long period had no other object but that of weakening at first, and finally destroying passions, and, in particular, concupiscence. When he is praised in the writings, he is much extolled for having come out from the net of passions. His victory over concupiscence is repeatedly air luded to as the greatest of all achievements. The master, therefore, having laid such stress on this favorite and important maxim, could not but preach and enjoin it, to all his future imitators and disciples. The eailiest records of Budhism bear testimony to the paramount im- portance attached to the practice of chastity. It has ever been con- sidered as an essential requirement in all those that have desired to follow the footsteps of Budha, and imitate his mode of life. No quali- fication, ever so great and shining, could be admitted as a substitute for chastity. Science, talents, zeal and fervor could never entitle an indi- vidual to the distinction of member of assembly of the perfect, without having previously given up the gratification of sensual pleasures. In- dependently of what is found written on this subjt ct in the Wini, or book of discipline, the opinion of the Budhist public, is, on this sub- ject, positive, universal and absolute. He who leaves the condition of layman to become a religious, must live in a state of perfect continence. An infraction of the regulations, on this point, is looked upon with horror and indignation by the people at large. The guilty individual is inexorably expelled from the religious house, after having been pre- viously stripped of his religious dress, and subjected to an humiliating degradation in the presence of the assembled members of the commu- nity. Nothing short of such a severe treatment could satisfy a public w* 180 EEOEXD Or THE BtTRMESE BTJDHA. to have his door shut, and never look at the women coming to the monastery or standing at the entrance ; because, through the eyes, concupiscence finds its way into the heart and shakes its- firmest purposes. But, replied Ananda, what is to be done when- they come over to bring food to the inmates of the monastery? Ananda, said Budha, in such a case, no conversation is to take place with them J Much safer and better it would be, to hold conversation with a man, who, sword in hand, would threaten to cut off our head, or with a female Biloo, ready to devour us, the moment we open the mouth to .ubat into the presence of Budha, of Budha and wished to see him, hoping that perhaps he might fall in with the truth he was so ardently panting after. With these disposi- tions he came to the spot where Budha was lying on his couch, in the hope of easing his mind from the state of doubt, and fixing it in truth. Like a man of consummate abilities in the way of argu- ing and at once convincing his adversary, Budha set aside all that was put forward by his antagonist, and coming at once to the point, preach- ed to him the true doctrine. As light dispels darkness, so truth dis- perses the tuist of errors. Thoubat seeing truth, at once embraced it, gladly ridding himself from the burthen of errors that had hitherto weighed down his soul. All his doubts vanished away, and he found himself on a sudden safely anchored in the calm and never agitated harbour of perfect truth. Next to the conversion of Thoubat, follows an interesting instruction delivered to Ananda and the assembled Bahans. Here Budha displays the superiority of his lofty mind. Clinging to the principles Of ab- stract truth, he has no regard for persons or things. This material world, man included, is, in his opinion, a mere illusion, exhibiting no- thing real, but only an uninterrupted succession of changes, which exclude the idea of immutable fixity. He apparently has no wish to infuse consolation into the afflicted souls of his disciples. He sup- poses that being all initiated in the knowledge of truth, and having entered in the ways of perfection, they must know that the person of a Budha is subjected to the law of mutability, and, therefore, to des- truction or to death. He says plainly to them that his absence from among them is a circumstance scarcely worth noticing : by his doc- trines contained in the Abidama, the Thoots and the Wini, he will ever be present among them. In these sacred writings, they will pos- sess something more valuable than his material being : they will have and enjoy the truth that was in him, and that he has communicated to them by his oral instructions. He earnestly invites them to lay stress only on that doctrine they have received from him. It is hardly necessary to notice a serious anachronism made by the unskilful compiler of this legend, on this occasion. We know that Budha wrote nothing, and that the compilation of his doctrines, and its division in three distinct portions, has been the work of the three great councils held after Gaudama's death or Niban. How could the dying originator of Budhism speak of compilations of his doctrines which were not as yet existing ? 190 LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. representing his extreme weakness and inability to speak much. Thoubat made several instances, but with no better success. An- anda persisted in bis refusal to introduce him. Budha hearing some noise, enquired from Ananda what was the cause of the noise he heard. Ananda related to him all that had taken place between him and Thoubat Allow him to come, said Budha, I ■wish to hear him. Soon he shall be enlightened and convinced- 1 have come to this spot, for the very purpose of preaching to him the most perfect law. Ananda returned to Thoubat and said to him: '1 he most excellent Budha desires to see you. Thoubat, full of joy, arrived in the presence of Budha, saluted him, and, sitting at a becomiug distance, said to him : Do the six celebrat- ed teachers, who are always attended by a great number of dis- ciples, who are famous amidst other doctors, know all laws ? Are there some laws they are unacquainted with ? or do they teach some doctrines which they but partially understand ? Budha, hav- ing gently reminded Thoubat that such questions were not suitable and to no purpose, said : O Thoubat, I will preach to you the law ; listen with attention to my words, and treasure them in your heart. No heretic has ever known the right ways that lead to perfection, and in their religion no one can obtain the state of Thautapan, and become a Rahanda. But in my religion there are found persons that have become Thautapan, Anagam, &c. and finally Ilahandas. Except in my religion, the twelve great disci- ples who practice the highest virtues, and stir up the world, to free it from its state of indifference, are not to be met with. They are not to be found among heretics. O Thoubat, from the age of twenty-nine years, up to this moment, I have striven to obtain the supreme and perfect science, and I have spent to that end fifty-one years, following the way of Ariahs, that leads to Niban. On hearing these words, Thoubat, overwhelmed with joy, endeavoured, by several similitudes, to express to his great instructor, the pleasure he had derived from his preaching. O most illustrious Budha, said he, now I believe in you, and adhere to all your doctrines ; I wish to become a Kahan. But it is a custom with you, not to admit to the dignity of Rahan, an heretic who is newly converted, but after a four month's probation. I wish to remain during that period as a probationer, and beg af- terwards to be admitted among the Italians. Budha, who knew the fervour of this new convert, desired to dispense in his case with the four month's probation. He called Ananda and com- manded him to admit Thoubat as Rahan. Ananda forthwith led Thoubat into a becoming place, poured water over his head whilst repeating certain formulas of prayers, shaved his head and beard, put on him the tsiwaran and taught him to repeat the formulas whereby he professed to take jefuge in Budha, the law and tho LEGEND OF THE BUBMESE BUDHA. I 01 assembly. When this was done, Thoubat was conducted into the presence of Phra, who desired ho should be promoted to the dig- nity of Patzing, and instructed in the knowledge of Kamatan. Thoubat went into the garden, walked for a while, and soon learnt the forty Kamatans. He was the last Convert Budha made be- fore he entered the state of Niban. Budha calling Ananda and all the Rahans, said to them : when I shall have disappeared, and be no longer with you, do not believe that Budha has left you and is no longer among you ; you have the Thoots and the Ahidama which I have preached to you : you have the discipline and regulations of the Wini. The law, contained in those sacred writings, shall be, after my demise, your teacher. Do not, therefore, think or believe that Budha disappears or is no more. A little while after, Budha, addressing the Rahans, gave them some instructions regarding the attention and respect the Ra- hans were to pay to each other. As long, said he, as I have been with you, you have called one another by the name of Awoothau, but alter my demise, you will no more make use of such a title. Let those who are more advanced in dignity and in years of pro- fession, call those that are their inferiors by their names, that of of their family, or some other snitable appellation .' let the infe- riors give to their superiors the title of Bante. Ananda, let a Rahan Hauna be visited with the punishment of Brahma. But what is this punishment ? replied Ananda. The Rahan Hauna is indiscreet in his speech ; he says indiscriminately all that comes to his head. Let the other Rahans avoid speaking with him or even rebuking him. This is the punishment of Brahma. Addiessing again all the the assembled Rahans, Budha said to them : 98 my beloved Bickus, if among you there be any one that 98. Budha's zeal is not chilled in the least by the cold of approach- ing death. His boundless knowledge enabled him at a glance to obtain the mobt intimate acquaintance of the inward dispositions of his disciples-' minds. If, therefore, he asked them three successive times, whether they entertained doubts on some doctrinal points, it was not to satisfy himself that their faith was firm and unshaken. He wished to make them conscious of a fact which was felt and clearly understood by every one in particular, but was not as yet fully appreciated by the universality of his disciples. Every individual in particular was well aware of the unwavering dispositions of his mind respecting Budha's teachings, but no one ever had the opportunity of ascertaining that all his bre- thren had the same firmness of belief. On this solemn occasion, they witnessed the most comforting sight of a perfect unity of faith, in all the members of the assembly. Budha revealed then one great truth which no one but himself could be acquainted with. A true Rahan, says he, has entered at least in the first way that leads to perfection — he is, therefore, no more exposed to the danger of wavering in his belief: he knows enough of truth to adhere firmly to it, and is enabled to prosecute- 192 LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. has any doubt respecting Budha, the law, the assembly, the ways of perfections and virtues, let him come forward and make known safely his researches after what is still unknown to him. Every member of the assembly is a true believer, more or less advanced in the know- ledge of the law, it is true, but at least, he is conscious of his being in the right way. On this subject, no doubt subsists iu his mind ; he adheres to Budha and his doctrines, as to the centre of truth, and never thinks for a moment to question the veracity of his doctor, or to call in doubt any portion of his instructions. The last words of Budha to the assembled Bickus, are designed to remind them of the great and vital principle he endeavoured to in- culcate in their minds during the forty-five years of his preaching, viz : that change and mutability are acting upon all that exists, ami are inherent to all parts of nature. This world, therefore, offering but an endless vicisisitude of forms, that appear and disappear, has no real existence. It is an illusion from beginning to end. As long as man remains tied up, if this expression may be made use of, to nature, he is carried away by the ever acting principle of change : no where can he find any lest or fixity ; he quits one existence to pass into another ; he leaves one form to assume a different one. What happens to man, befalls all other parts of nature. From this notion, Budha infers that there is nothing existing but name and form. There is no substance in nature, and therefore, no reality. So much stress was laid by Budha on this capital principle, that he bequeathed it, as his last Will, to his disciples ; he wished that they would ever bear in their minds, and re- member that he came among them for the purpose of making them thoroughly acquainted with it. From this cardinal pont, he inferred the chief conclusions that form his religious system, viz. : Metempsy- chosis, the contempt of the world and Niban. By the law of endless changes, man is hurried from one state into another, or from one form of being, into another form. Where is the wise man that could love a world, or an existence therein, when he finds no substance, no reality in it '? Is he not induced or rather compelled to search after a state in which he can find fixity, reality and truth, or at least an exemption from the harassing condition of perpetual migration from one state, into another ? The reader who has been almost born with, and educated in, Theis- tic notions, and who sees in the world nothing but what has been crea- ted by a supreme and all wise Being, is at a loss to understand how a grave philosopher, as undoubtedly Budha was, gifted with great pow- ers for observing, arguing, discussing and inferring conclusions, could have fallen into errors so glaring* and so contrary to his reason. That we might properly appreciate the effoits of such a genius, and have some correct ideas about his process of arguing, we must divest oursel- ves of the knowledge supplied to us by revelation, and descend to the level occupied by the founder of Budhism. Unacquainted with a first cause, or with the existence of a supreme Being, he studies nature as he finds it. What does he see in it 1 Perpetual changes, endless vicissi- tudes. The form that he perceives to-day has undergone some change ■on the following day. Every thing about him, grows, reaches a certain point and then falls into decay He finds nothing that stands always in the same condition. Hence he proclaims the great law of mutability pervading all nature, and concludes that all that we feel, see or bear, is LEGEND OP THE BURMESE BUDSA. 193 his doubts, that I may clear them up. The Rahans remained all silent. The same question was three times lepeated, and three times the Rahans remained silent. Then he added : my beloved Bickus, if you have any respect for my memory, com- municate your dispositions towards my person and doctrines, to the other Rahans whom you shall hereafter meet with. The Rahans still remained silent. Ananda then said to Budha : O mo- 1 exalted Budha, is it not truly surprising that among so many, not one could be found entertaining any doubt respecting your doctrine, but all should feel so strong an attachment to it? Ananda, replied Budha, I knew well that doubt and false doc- trine could never be harboured in the soul of a Rahan. Sup- posing a number of five hundred Rahans, and taking the one who is the last in merits ; he is at least a Thautapan, and as such there is no demerit in him that could lead him to one «f the four states of punishment ; his heart is fixed upon the first way that leads to perfection, and he constantly strives to advance into the three superior ways of perfection. No doubt, therefore, and no false doctrine can ever be found in a Rahan. After a short pause, Budha addressing the Rahans said : be- loved Bickus, the principle of existence and mutability carries along with it, the principle of destruction. Never forget this ; let your mind be filled with this truth : to make it known to you, I have assembled you. These are the last words Budha ever uttered. He entered into the first stare of dzan, then in the second, the third and fourth : he ascended therefrom successively to the first, second, third and fourth immaterial seats. When he had reached the fourth state, which is the farthest boundary of existence, Anan J a asked the Rahan Anourouda, if i bra had completed his Niban. Not yet, answered Anourouda, but he has reached the last rtage of existence. A little whi'e more Budha had entered into the perfect state of Niban." illusion and deception, &c. &c, deprived of all reality, fixity and sub- stance. His philosophical mind is not satisfied with such a discovery. He pants after truth and reality which are not to be found here. He feels that he must disentangle himself from the condition of illusion and deception. But where is to be found reality, and fixity ? Beyoud all that exists, in Niban. 99. The epoch of Gaudama's death is a point on which the various nations professing Budhism do not agree. The Cingalese, Burmese and Siamese annals place that event somewhat before the middle of the sixth century, before the Christian era. The difference of dates is but of a few years, and is so inconsiderable, as not to be worth notice. The Thibetans and as a consequence, the Mongolians with the Chinese place that event several hundred years previous to the epoch just mentioned. Notwithstanding this discrepancy, it seems difficult nob to adopt the chronology of the southern Budhists. The savans in 104 LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDIfA'. Thus in the first watch of the night, he had preached the law to the Malta princes ; at midnight, he had converted the heretic Thoubat; and in the morning watch, he instructed the Rahaus. It was full dawn of the day when he entered the state of Niban. 100 — ■ — — " ' ' 5~~ Europe, who have bestowed a considerable degree of attention on this interesting subject^ give a decided preference to the opinion of the former. We have not to depend solely on the tables of kings, supplied by the Hindus, for settling this point, but fortunately we are put indirectly by Greek writers, in possession of a fixed and well established epoch, from which we can take, with a sufficient degree of certainty, our de- parture for arriving at a satisfactory conclusion. After the death of Alexander the Great, Seleucus, one of his lieutenants, obtained for his share, all the provinces situated east of the river Euphrates, in which the Indian conquered territories were included. Seleucus at first in person, and next by an ambassador, came in contact with a powerful Indian king, named Ohandragupta who had the seat of his empire at Palibotra. This intercourse took place about 310 B. C. The Hindu chronological tables mention the name of this prince as well as that of his grandson, called Athauka,. who, according to the testimony of the Burmese authors, ascended the throne of Palibotra, 218 after Gauda- ma's death. We may suppose that Athauka reigned in, or about 270 r or 280 B. C. These two periods added together will give but a sum of five hundred years. There will remain a difference of only forty years, for which it is not easy to account with a sufficient precision, unless- we suppose that the reign of Athauka begun earlier than is generally admitted. Our Legend is positive in stating that Gaudama died under the reign of Adzatathat, as it will hereafter be seen. But the Hindu chronologists place the reign of that monarch, about 250 or 260 years, before that of Ohrandragupta, who, as stated, was a contemporary of Seleucus Nicator. We have therefore the combined authority of both foreigners and natives, for admitting the chronology of the southern Budhists, res- pecting the epoch of Gaudama's death, in preference to that of the northern Budhists, and for fixing that event,, during the first part of the sixth century, before the Christian era. 100. What is Niban, the end a true Budhist ever longs for, during his great struggles in the practice of virtue, and his constant efforts for attaining to the knowledge of truth, which he finally reaches, when he has become perfect 1 The writer confesses at once his inability to answer satisfactorily this question, because Budhists do not agree among themselves, in explaining the nature of the state of Niban. From the earliest period of their religion, we see the Bralmiins keenly taunting their opponents for the discordance of their opinions on a sub- ject of the utmost importance ; a subject which had ever been promi- nent in Budha's teachings, and held up as the only one worthy of the most earnest and ardent desires, the fittest reward of the gener- ous and extraordinary exertions of a perfected being, and the final state in which his soul, wearied after such a prolonged spiritual war- fare, longed to rest for ever. A certain school of Budhists has main- tained that Niban implied the destruction of the state of being, and consequently a complete annihilation. This opinion is at once practical- TF/GEND OF THE BURMESE BTJDHA. 195 A.t that very moment a tremendous earthquake was felt jy rejected by the portion of the southern Budhists, who are not so well .acquainted with the more philosophical part of their creed. They assert that a perfected being, after having reached Niban, or having arrived at •the end of his last existence, retains his individuality, but they utterly fail in their attempts at explaining the situation and condition of a be- ing in Niban. At a later period, the opinion about a supreme Budha, uncreated, eternal and infinite, began to gain ground and modified to a considerable extent, on many points, the views of the earlier Budhists. Niban, according to the comparatively modern school, is but an ab- sorption into the supreme and infinite Budha. This ©pinion so much approximates to that of the Brahmins, that we may say it is almost the same. The means to obtain perfection, are somewhat different in both systems, but the end to be obtained is precisely the same. Setting aside idle speculations, let lis try to form some idea of Niban .by explaining the meaning of the term, and the definition ouch as we ,find it in the Burmese writings. The word Niban, in Sanscrit Nirvana, according to its etymology, means what is no more agitated, what is in a state of perfect calm. It is composed of the negative prefix nir, and va, which means to be set in motion, as the wind. It implies the idea of rest, by opposition to that of motion or existence. To be in the state of Niban, it is therefore .to be carried beyond the range of existence, as understood by Budhists ; there can be no longer migration from one state of being to another. This point is admitted by all sects of Budhists. To the idea of Niban is often attached that of extinction, as a lamp which ceases to burn and its light becomes extinct, when the oil is exhausted. The sum of existence be- ing exhausted, a being ceases to be, or to move within the range of existence ; he becomes extinct relatively at least to all kind of exis- tences we have a notion of In conversing with the Budhists of Bur- mah, the writer observed th?,t the ideas of rest and extinction were in- variably coupled with the notion of Niban. In their rough attempt at explaining the inexplicable nature of that state, they had recourse to several comparisons, intended to convey to the mind that they believ- ed Niban to be a state of undisturbed calm, and a never ending cessa- tion of existence, at least such as we have an idea of it, in this world. When questioned on the situation of Budha in Niban, they answer that they believe him to be in a boundless space or vacuum, beyond the boundaries ever reached by other beings, alone with himself, enjoying, if the expression be correct, a perfect rest, unconcerned about this world, having no further relation with all existing beings. They assert that he, for ever, is to remain a stranger to all sensations of either pain or pleasure. But it must be borne in mind that this is the popular opinion, rather than the philosophical one. Talking one evening with a well informed Burmese on Niban, the light of a lamp that was burning on the writer's table, happened to die away for want of oil: the Budhist with an exulting tone of voice, ex- claimed : do not ask any more what Niban is ; what has happened to that lamp just now, tells you what Niban is : the lamp is extinct be- cause there is no more oil in the glass ; a man is in Niban, at the very moment that the principle or cause of existing, is at an end or entirely exhausted. How far such an answer can satisfy a superficial mind like Y* ]96 LEGKXP OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. throughout the whole worW and took place with such a violence, that of a half civilised Burmese, it is difficult to say, but it appears certain that he does not carry his researches, nor pursue his inquiries, beyond these narrow boundaries. Any further attempt to penetrate deeper into the darkness of Niban, is, in his opinion, presumptuous and rash. Budhist metaphysicians in India in their foolish efforts to survey that terra incognita, have originated several opinions that have had their supporters in the various schools of philo- sophy. The more ancient philosophers or heads of schools in attempt- ing to give an analysis of a thing they knew nothing about, approxim- ated to the opinion that Niban is nothing more or less than a complete or entire annihilation. Following the course of arguments, and admit- ting their premises, one is reluctantly compelled to come to the awful conclusion that the final end of a perfected Budha, is the destruction of his being or annihilation. This opinion is still further corroborated by the short exposition of Budhist metha physics at the end of this vo- lume. The crudest materialism is openly and distinctly professed. There is nothing in man distinct of the six senses. The faculty of perceiving the objects they come in contact with, is inherent to their nature. The sixth sense, that is to say the heart, has the power of perceiving ideas, that is to say, things that have no form, nor shape. But this power is not distinct from the living sense ; it disap- pears, when the life of that sense is extinct, or, in other terms, when the heart is destroyed. To the holders of such an opinion, the cessation of existence, the going out of the circle of existences, by the destruction of kan, or the influence of merits and demerits, must be, and cannot be, but complete annihilation. From a long period the plain sense of the masses of believers, unpre- judiced by sophistical bias, revolted against such a doctrine, and at once rejected the horrible conclusion arrived at, by former disputants. No one in practice, openly admits that Niban and annihilation are synonymous terms. If their views can be properly understood, we may infer from what they say that a being in Niban retains his individuality though isolated from all that is distinct from self : he sees the abstract truth, or truth as it is in itself, divested from the material forms under which we but imperfectly see it in our present state of existence. Passions and af- fections are not to be found in such a being ; his position in truth can scarcely be understood and still less expressed, by us, who can never come in communication with an object, but through our passions and affections. We know that there exists a spiritual substance, but we can have no distinct idea of it. We vouchsafe for its existence by what we observe of its operations, but we are in the impossibility of ex- plaining its nature. It is not therefore surprising that BudhistS should be at a loss to account for the state in which a perfected being is in Niban. The idea of a state of apathy or rest, must be understood as expressing simply a situation quite opposite to that of motion, in which all beings are, as long as they are within the pale of existences. If it be admitted that the perfected being retains in Niban his individuality, it must be inferred that he becomes, as it were, merged into the ab- stract truth, in which he lives and rests for ever. But we must dis- tinctly state anew, that this view is in opposition with the doctrines of the earliest Budhists, and the philosophical principles and inferences LEGEND OF THE UTJItMF.SE BUDHA. 197 that it filled every one with fear and trembling, and caused the hairs to stand on end. held up as genuine. This contradiction illustrates the truth of an above made remark, that error can never entirely obliterate from man's mind, the knowledge of certain fundamental truths, almost constitutive of his moral being. Let us come now to a definition of Niban, translated from Pali by the Burmese. Niban is the end of all existences, the exemption from the action of lean, (the good or bad influence produced by merits or de- merits) of Tsit, (the principle of all volitions, desires and passions) of the seasons, and of taste or sensations. What means this rather curi- ous, not to say, almost unintelligible definition 1 To understand it, the reader must be aware that kan is the principle which causes all beings to move incessantly from one existence into another, from a state of happiness to one of happiness, from a position where merits are ac- quired, into another where further merits are to be obtained and greater proficiency in perfection secured, from a state of punishment or demerits into a worse one, &c. Kan may be called the soul of trans- migration, the hidden spring of all the changes, experienced by an ex- isting being. In Niban the law of kan is destroyed, and therefore there are no more changes or transmigrations. By Tsit is understood the principle of all volitions and desires. Budhist metaphysicians, always fond of divisions and classifications, reckon 120 Tsits. Some are the root of all demerits, and their oppo- site are the principles of merits. Some have for object matter or this material world : others have for object the immaterial world, or as I believe, ideas and things that have no form. The last of tsits, and of course the most perfect, is entire fixity. This is the last stage ever to be reached by a perfected being in the world of existences : one step farther and he has reached the undisturbed shores of Niban. In that latter state, there is no more operation of the mind nor of the heart, or at least there is no intellectual working, such as we conceive it in our actual condition The word Udoo, or season, is evidently used for designating a revolu- tion of nature. The meaning is obv.ous and affords no difficulty. In Niban there is neither nature nor revolutions of nature. Niban, if a state it be, lies in vacuum or space, far beyond the extensive horizon that encircles the world or worlds, or systems of nature. The word Ahara, which literally means taste, is intended to desig- nate all sensations acquired through the senses. By means of senses, in- deed, we obtain perceptions and acquire knowledge ; but the perfected being having come to the possession of universal science, no further knowledge is needed ; senses are, therefore, useless. Senses moreover, are the appendage of our nature, as it is during its existences. Niban putting an end to further existences, it destroys too, the constituent parts or portions of our being. Admitting that the above definition of Niban is a correct one, and that it has been understood in a purely Budhistic sense, we may con- clude that in that state, there is no more influence, and consequently no transmigration, no volitions of the mind, no desires of the heart, no materiality, and no sensations. The difficulty as to whether Niban is annihilation seems all but entirely and completely solved. There is 198 LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. Chapter XII. Stanzas uttered after Budha's death — Ananda informs the Mai! a Princes of Budha's demise — preparation* for the funeral — » Arrival of Kathaba to the spot where the body was exposed t> public veneration — He worships 'h" body — Wonder on thai oc- casion — The burning of the corpse — Partition of the relies made by a Pounha called Dauna — Extraordinary honors paid to the relics by king Adzatalha. — D ath of that king and of Kathaba — King Athauka discovers the place where the relics had been dep&siti d. On the occasion of Budha's Niban, the chief of Brahmas utter- ed the following stanzas : O Rahans, the great Budha who has appeared in this world, who knew every thing, who was the teacher of Nats and men, who stood without an equal, who was mighty and knew all laws and the great principles, the most excellent and glorious Budha is gone to Niban. Where is the being who shall ever escape death ? All beings in this world shall be divest- ed of their terrestrial and mortal frame. another way of arriving to a similar conclusion. Let us ascer- tain what are the constituent parts of an intelligent being, and then enquire whether these parts are entirely destroyed and anni- hilated in Niban. In an intelligent being, according to all doctors, we find materiality, sensations, perceptions, consciousness and intel- lect. These five aggregates constitute a thinking being. These, assert the same doctors, do not exist in Niban : they are destroyed. One word more, and the question would be .settled : but that word has not been, at least to my knowledge, ever distinctly uttered. It is proba- ble that these five aggregates or component parts, are, in the opinion of many, the conditions of existence such as we now understand it. But it would be too hasty to conclude that a being under different conditions of being, could not retain his individuality, though deprived of these five component parts. Budhists, as already said, have very imperfect notions of a spiritual substance : it is not surprising that they cannot express themselves in a manner more distinct, precise and intelligible when they treat of subjects so abstruse and difficult. In practice they admit the existence of something distinct from matter and surviving in man, after the destruction of the material portion of his being, but their attempts at giving a satisfactory explanation of the nature of that surviving individuality, has always proved abortive. In their pro- cess of arguing, the learned reject such an admission. The question, as may be inferred from the foregoing lines, if consider ed in the light of purely theoretical notions, is philosophically little left open to discussion though it "will probably ever remain without a perfect solution. But the logical inferences to be deduced from the prin- ciples of genuine Budhism, inevitably lead to the dark, cold and hor- rifying abyss of annihilation. If examined from a practical point of view, that is to say, taking into account the opinions of the masses of Budhists, the difficulty may be considered as resolved too, but in an opposite sense. LEGEND OP THE BURMESE BTTDHA. |9 OP THE BURMESE BUDHA. 20i The funeral procession then set out 101 . The Nats in the air 101. The lengthened description of Budha's funerals has suggested the idea •of laying before the reader, a brief account of the ceremonies observed by Budhists in Barman, when funeral rites are performed on the mortal remains ■©f Talapoins, who have been eminent in the pro- fession and have spent their whole life in monasteries. By comparing the following account with the narrative of the Legend, we will see that the rubrics° of the funeral servioe in our days, are nearly the same a3 those existing at the origin of Budhism. When a Bndhist reclmse has given np the ghost, the cerpse is care- fully and diligently washed by laymen, or the younger inmates of the monastery. A large incision is made in the abdomen ; its contents are taken out and buried in the earth without any ceremony being ob- served on the occasion. The empty cavity is filled up with ashes, bran, .©r some ether clesicative substances for preventing putrefaction. The corpse is then tightly wrapt with bands or swathes of a white color from head to feet, and then covered with the yellow habit of the pro- fession. Sometimes a coat of black varnish is put ever and then leaves of gold, so that the whole body is gilt. It is afterwards bound up all over, with ropes tightened as much as possible, so as to brine it within the narrowest dimensions. When thus prepared the corpse is placed in an open coffin. The coffin is made of the trunk of a tree rudely hollowed, and often so imperfectly scooped out as not to afford sufficient room for the corpse. In the middle of the interior part of the coffin, an opening about two inches in diameter has been made, to afford issue to the humors that may ooze out through the swathes. The coffin is unceremoniously laid on the floor of the monastery. A bamboo, 7 or 8 feet long is procured : one of its ends is inserted into the hole made in the coffin, and the other is sunk into the ground below : it is the channel through which the humors flow into the earth After a lapse of ten or twelve days, the body is supposed to be quite dry : they set about putting a cover- ino- over the coffin and effectually shutting it. Whilst residing at Tavoy, I wished, en a certain day, to go and witness all the particulars observed on such occasions. A most favorable opportunity favored the prosecution of my wishes. A Talapoin of my acquaintance had died a fortnight before, after thirty years of profession. His body laid in the coffin was to be, for ever, concealed from human sight. I went into the monastery where I met a large party of the bre- thren of the deceased, who had assembled for the ceremony. Most of them were known to me : my reception was at once kind and cordial. Great was my surprise at seeing, instead of grief and mourning, which the circumstance seemed to command, laughing, talking and amuse- ment, going on at a rate which is to be called scandalous. No one appeared to take the least notice of the deceased whose corpse was lying at our feet, A momentary stop was put to the indecorous behaviour of the assistants, by the appearance of two stout carpenters bringing a board fou* 1 or five inches thick, designed for the ccwer. They vainly tried to fit is in its place : the hollow of the coffin was neither broad nor deep enough for holding the corpse, though reduced to the smallest proportions. The operation was not a very easy one to bring the board in contact with the sides of the z 202 LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. honored the corpse with their music, singing and showers of flow- coffin, despite the resistance that was to be offered by the corpse. The carpenters were determined not to be disappointed. At the two ends and in the mindle of the coffin, ropes were passed several times round the coffin with the utmost tension, in such a maaner as to have six or seven coils in the same place. Enormous wooden wedges were inserted right and left, in three places, between the sides and thw coils. On these wedges the workmen hammered with their whole strength, during about 20 minutes, to the great amusement of all the bystanders. Each blow of the hammer lessened the distance between the cover and the brim of the coffin. Every perceptible success, gained over the latent resisting power, elicited a burst of applause, and a cheer to the persevering workmen. At last all resistance being over- come, the cover rested fixedly in its place. It is needless to add that the corpse inside was but a hideous mass of mangled flesh and broken bones. According to the custom observed on such occasions, a rude building was erected for the purpose of piacing therein the mortal remains of the deceased, until preparations, on a grand scale, should have been made, for doing honor to the illustrious departed individual. That building as well as those made for similar purpose, are but temporary edifices raised for the occasion, and made of bamboos with an attap roof. In the centre of that large bungalow, was erected a kind of estrade, about ] 2 feet high, well decorated. The upper part is often gilt, but always plated with thin met il leaves and tinsels of various colors. From the sides hang rough drawings representing animals, monsters of various kinds, religious subjects, and others, but rarely, of great indecency. Around this estrade are disposed posts, from the top of which are sus- pended small flags and streamers of different forms and shapes. On the summit is arranged a place for the coffin, but the four sides at that place are about two or three feet higher than the level whereupon rests the coffin, so that it is concealed entirely from the sight of the visitors. Things remained in that state during four months, that is to say, un- til all the arrangements had been made for the grand ceremony, the expence of which is commonly defrayed by voluntary contributions. The arrangements being all complete, a day was appointed at the sound of gongs for burning the corpse of the pious recluse. At noon of that day, the whole population of the town flocked to a vast and extensive plain beyond the old wall and ditch, in the North. Men and women dressed in their finest attire swarmed in every direction, selecting the most suitable and convenient situations for enjoying a commanding view of the fete. The funeral pile occupied nearly the centre of the plain ; it was about fifteen feet high, of a scruare shape, encased in planks, which gave to it, a neat appearance. It was large at the base and went on diminishing in size in the upper part, terminating in a square platform where the coffin was to be deposited. A small roof, supported on four bamboo posts, elegantly covered or overshaded the platform. A huge four wheeled cart, decorated in the most fantas- tic manner, was descried at a distance : it was drawn by a great num- ber of men, and brought to the foot of the pile. Upon it was the coffin. Immense cheers, shouts of thousands, had announced the pro- gress of the cart with its precious relics, as it passed through the crowd. 1EGENTD OV THE BURMESE BTTDHA.. 203 ers and perfumes. Men did the same all round the corpse. The Way the procession slowly moved through, was strewed with th« finest and choicest flowers. When the cortege had reached the centre of the city, the widow of General Bandoola, named Mallika, hearing of the approach of the funeral procession, took a magnificent piece of cloth si.e ha I never worn since her hus- band's death, perfumed it with the choicest essences, and, holdiug it in her hands, un*dl the procession reached the front of her house, she desired the bearers to wait for a while that she might offer to the body her beautiful piece of cloth, and extend it over it. Her request wa granted. By a very happy chance, the cloth in breath and length had the desired dimensions. Nothing could equal the magnificent sight of the body, beautiful like a gold statue, when covered with that splendid cloth, finely worked and adorned with the richest embroidery. The cortege having reached the place Matulabandana, where the fuueral pile was erected, the corpse was lowtu-ed down. The Princes inquired from Anan la what was to be done for performing in a becoming manner the last rites over Budha's remains. Faithful to the last request of Budha, Ananda said to them that, on this occasion, they were to observe the same ceremonies as were prescribed for the funerals of a Tsekiawadai Prince. The body was forthwith wrapt up with a fine cloth, covered with a thick layer of cotton, a second cloth came, and another layer of cotton, and so oil until the same process was repeated five hundred successive timus. When this was done, the corpse was placed in a golden coffin, and another of the same form and size was turned over it, as a The coffin was forthwith hoisted on the platform. Mats were then spread round the pile, whereupon sat numbers of Talapoins, reciting aloud long formulas in Pali. These devotions being performed, they rose up and prepared to depart, attended with a retinue of their disciples, who loaded themselves with the offerings made on the occasion. These offei ings consisted of plantains, cocoauuts, sugar canes, rice, pillows, mats, mattrasses, &c. &c. Masters and disciples returned to the mo- nasteries with their valuable collections. The place being cleared, the eyes were all rivetted on two large rockets, placed horizontally, each betwen two ropes to which they were connected by two side rings. One of the ends of the ropes was strong- ly fixed at posts behind the rockets, and the other was made as tight as possible at the foot of the pile. At a given signal, the rockets emit- ting smoke, rushed forward with aloud, hissing and irregular noise, tre- mulously gliding along the ropes, and in an instant penetrating into the interior of the pile, and setting fire to a heap of inflammable materials amassed beforehand for that purpose. In a short whiie, the^ whole pile was in a blaze, and soon entirely consumed with the coffin and th« corpse. The bones or half burnt bits of bones that remained, were carefully collected, to be subsequently intsred iu a becoming place. A'O^ LEGEKD OP THE BtlK&ESE BTHjHX. covering. A funeral pile, made with fragrant wood and sprinkled- -with the choicest prefumes, was ready. Upon it the coffin was pompously deposited. At that time, the great Kathaba, attended with five hundred Rahans, was going from the country of i'awa to the city of Koch Shinaron. Un a certain- day, at noon, the heat was so excessive that the soil appeared burning like fire under their feet. The Rahans, extremely fatigued,, desired to rest during the remainder of the day, intending to enter the city of Koothinaron during the cool of the ni<>-ht. Kathaba withdrew to a small distance from the road, and bavin" extended his dougout under the shade of a large tree, rested upon it, refreshing himself by washing his hands an. I feet with water poured from a vessel. The Rahans followed the example of their chief, sat down under the trees of the forest, conversing among themselves upon the blessings and advantages of the three precious things. Whilst they were resting, a heretic appeared, com- ing from the eity of Koothinaron, on his way to the i'awa country, carrying in bis hand a stick, at the extremity of which ;hero wa» a large flower, round like abroad cupbroad, forming, as it were, an umbrella over his head. Kathaba perceiving the man at a distance, with that extraordinary flower, thought within- himself : it is very rare ever to see such a kind of flower ; it appears but through the miraculous power of some extraordinary personage, and on great and rare occasions. It shot forth when my illustrious teach- er entered his mother's Womb, when he was- born, when he be- came Budha, wrought miracles and came down from the seat of Tawadeintha. Now, my great master is very old, the appearance- of this flower indicates that he has gone to Nibau. Whereupon he rose from his place, wishing to question the traveller ; but he- desired to do it in such a way as to show his great respect for the person of Budha. He put on his tsiwaran and with his joined hands raised over his forehead, he went to the traveller aad ask- ed bim whether he knew his great teaehei> the most excellent Budha. The stranger answered that he had known him, but that since seven days he- had reached the state of Niban, and it was- from the place where this occurrence happened, that he had brought the Mandawra flower. He had scarcely said this word, when those among the Kalians who had but entered into the two first ways of perfection, began to wail and loudly lament over thi* nntimel) event, exhibiting every sign of the deepest grief and greatest desolation. The others that were more advanced in per- fection, remained calm and composed, remembering the great maxim of Budha, that every thing that come into existencc ( must also come to an end. A certain liahau named Thoubat, who had left the holy pro- fession, seeming the followers of Kathaba given up to tears and LEGEND OF XHB BURMESE BUDHA. 205 failings, said to them : why do you weep and cry; you have no reason tor doing so ; we are now freed from the control of the great Kahan ; he was always telling us, do this, or do not do that ; in every way he annoyed and vexed us : now every one can act as he pleases. This Italian named Thoubat bore envy to, and revenge towards Budha, tor the following reason. Formerly he was a barber in the village of Atooma, where he then became a Kahan. Budha was coming to that place, attended by twelve hundred Hahans. Thoubat wished to make an offering to Budha and his followers, and give them food. For this purpose he resorted to a very questionable expedient for obtaining from the villagers ric-j and other eatables, and preparing them. Budha acquainted with his conduct ou the occasion, refused to accept he offering and for- bade all his followers to eat of (he food prepared by the barber. From that time the latter ever entertained ill-feelings towards Budha, though he did not dare openly to give vent to his passion. Kathaba was thunderstruck at hearing such an unbecoming lamma^e 102 from the mouth of the Kahan Thoubat. He said to him- 102. The virtuous and zealous Kathaba was at once convinced of the absolute necessity of soon holding a meeting of the wisest members of the assembly, for the purpose of ascertaining and authoritatively de- termining the genuineness of Budha's doctrines. Human passions were already at work, deforming more or less in various ways, the in- structions of the great preacher. Many, laying more stress on their talents, than on the authority of their departed instructor, began to entertain on certain questions, views and opinions evidently at variance with those of Budha. The euemies of truth were numerous, even du- ring his life time, when as yet overawed by his presence and matchless wisdom. Kathaba sagaciously foresees their number and boldness would soon increase to a fearful extent and threaten the very existence of re- ligion. He was roused to exertions by such considerations, and on that very moment, he resolved to assemble the Elders of the as- sembly, as soon as convenient after Budha's funeral. He was, it appears, acknowledged by common consent as the first of the disciples. He was entitled to that distinction by the renown of his abilities, before his conversion, and by his great proficiency under Budha's teachings, sub- sequently to that event. But the circumstance related by Kathaba clearly indicates the intimate familiarity existing between the master and the disciple, and the unbounded eoiihdence the former placed in the latter. During a walk, the two friends, if such an expression be allowed, had entered into a more than usual intimate communion of thoughts and feelings : the soul of one had passed into the person of the other or rather both soids were blended together, and united so as to become one, in the bosom of a virtuous, high, refined, sublime and philosophic friendship. They made an exchange of their cloaks. Kathaba, by put- ting on Liudha's cloak, inherited, as it were, his spirit and his authori- ty. Hence his legitimate right to be appointed President or head of the first Council, assembled a little while, after Gaudama's Niban. 206 LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BtTftHA. self: if at this time, when there are but seven days since Budha Our author maintains that the first council was held three months after Gaudama's demise. This important step was taken at Radzagio the capital of the kingdom of king Adzatathat, who doubtless, made use of his royal power to secure tranquility during the deliberations of this assembly under the presidence of Kathaba. The number of religious that formed the council, is reckoned at five hundred. Its object was, as mentioned by Kathaba himself, to silence the voice of many who wished to innovate in religious matters, and follow their own views, instead of the doctrines of Budha. They wished to shake off the yoke of authority, and arrange all things in their own way. The second general assembly of the Budhist Religious, was held one hundred years later, at Wethali, in the tenth year of the reign of king Kalathauka, under the presidence of Ratha, who was assisted by seven hundred Religious. The object of this assembly was to regulate several matters of discipline. It is probable that a spirit of innovation had reappeared and begun to undermine the strictness of the disciplinary institutions, threatening to weaken the ties that kept together the members of the religious body, and deprive it of that halo of sacred- ness, that had hitherto rendered it an object of so profound and gen- eral esteem, respect and veneration. The council, moreover, revised the cannon of sacred books, and purified it from all the imperfections and spm'ious writings that had been embodied with it. Two hundred and eighteen years after Gaudama's death, king Da- mathauka, or Athauka, ascended the throne of Palibotra, who was the capital of a vast and powerful empire. It was in the seventeenth year of that monarch's reign, that the third and last general assembly was held at Palibotra, under the presidence of Hegalipata. The last and final re- vision of the sacred scriptures was made with the greatest care and labor. The pious Athauka lent, to the decisions of the assembly, the influence of the secular power. The Pittagat, or the collection of the religious books, such as it now exists, is the work of that council. The books that had pretence to genuineness were then exceedingly numerous. Many com- mentaries of distinguished doctors had been looked upon for a long time, and by many, as strictly orthodox. These writings contained nevertheless many opinions that appeared to be at variance with the doctrines of Gaudama. They were rejected and erased from the cannon of Scriptures. The collection of the Pittagat, though voluminous it may appear, is but an abridgement of those enormous and ponderous compilations, which previous to the day of the last assembly, were con- sidered as an integral portion of the holy scriptures. There is a most important fact to be noticed here wdiich must be considered as a most remarkable result of the third assembly. It forms the grandest era in the history of Budhism, and it is carefully noted down by our Burmese author. 1 mean the extraordinary zeal and fer- vor which seemed, at that time, to have simultaneously and powerfully acted for bringing about this mighty but peaceful religious commotion, that was to be felt, not only in the Indian Peninsula, but as far as the valley of Cashmere, the country of Guzerat in the west and northwest, beyond the snowy ranges of the Himalaya in the north, and the terri- tories .and kingdoms in an eastern direction. King Athauka was then at the height of his power. His religious zeal induced him to make LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. 207 ft entered Niban, there are to be found people holding such language, use of all the vast resources at his command, to favor the dcvelopement of the comparatively new religion. During the holding of the council, the Religious, tempered, as it were, their zeal, fervor, devotion and ardor for their religious creedjn the middle of their conferences. They resolved to propagate with unremitting zeal, the tenets of the holy religion and extend it all over the world. The spirit of Gaudama seemed to have been infused in the soul of every individual Religious. His ardent fer- vor glowed in the soul of all, who from that period, had but one desire, that of extending the boundaries of their spiritual empire. Immediate- ly after the third council, the five following Religious were sent as far as Ceylon, Maheina, Itia, Ulti, Thapala and Baudathala. The prince that was then reigning over that Island, is called Dewanapiatissa. In the year 362 under the reign of Tootakamani, the great pagoda was built, and in the year 450, under the reign of Watakamani, writing was intro- duced in Ceylon and the scriptures were written down. This startling assertion of ourautlior must be understood of a writing peculiar to Ceylon, very likely the same that prevails at present. This is the only rational construction to be put on his words, because it cannot be supposed for a moment that the first Religious came to Ceylon with- out being provided with at least a copy of a portion of t he scriptures, written in the Pali language. The contrary is expressly mentioned. From the council as from a great centre, preachers of Budhism radiated in every direction. Thauna and Oottara went to the great place of Thatong. Mitzautaka preached in the Gandara country ; Mahatamatzita in the Marata ; Maha Rekami, in the region of Gannaka ; and Mitxeina, in the Himalaya range. It is said that all these zealous propagators of religion, were gifted with supen latural powers for work- ing miracles, and conquering Nagas and other monsters which, as may be supposed, the evil one sent forth to oppose the progress of these zealots, and prevent the diffusion of the new doctrines. This is cer- tainly oue of those extraordinary epochs, when the indolent and apa- thetic mind of the Hindoos, after centuries of a profound slumbering, seems on a sudden, to awake and with an unexpected vigor and youth- ful energy, bursting forth as a terific hurricane, brings about the most astounding revolutions or commotions, that sweep with irresistable power the old political and religious forms to establish new ones ou the ruins of the former. The religious zeal that seized on the Budhists of those days, and impelled them with an unheard of resolution for disse- minating their doctrines, coupled with the astonishing success that attended their preachings, forms one of the most prominent periods in the religious history of the world. We must mention here, too, an important epoch in the history of Budhism in Burmah. We allude to the voyage of Budhagautha to Cey- lon. This personage was a native of Thatong. His parents belonged to the caste of Pounhas or Brahmins. According to the Burmese, he was so versed in the knowledge of Budhist Scriptures, that he knew the best part of them by heart. His native language appears to have been that of Magatha or Pali. Not satisfied with the learning he had acquir- ed, he wished, like many other sages, to travel for increasing his stock of knowledge. In the year 930, after the death of Gaudama, he sailed from Thatong, on board of a ship bound to Ceylon. Mahahnan ruled 208 LEGEND OP THE BURMESE BUDHA.. what will become hereafter. These persons will soon have fol- lowers who will embrace the profession of Italians, and then the true religion shall be totally subverted: the excellent law shall be in the hands of such persons, like a heap of unstrung flowers that are scattered by the wind The only lemedy to such an impending misfortune, is to assemble a council composed of all the true disciples, who by their decisions shall insure stability to religion, and fix the meaning of every portion of the law con- tained in the Wini, the Thoots and the Abidama. I am as it were, bound to watch over the religion of Budha because of the peculiar predilection he has ever shown to mo. On one occasion I walked with Budha the distance of three gawoots, during which time he preached to me, and at the end of the instruction, we made an exchange of our tsiwarans, and I put on his own. There- fore, I will hold an assembly of all the disciples, for the promo- tion and exaltation of the holy religion. This design Kathaba kept perfectly secret, and made known to no one. At that time four of the ablest Malla princes, having washed tLeir heads and put on eaeh a fine new dress, tried to set fire to the funeral pile made of sandal and odoriferous woods and one hun- dred and twenty cubits high, Their effortsproving useless, all the other princes joined them, with the hope that, by their united exer- tions, they would be able to set fire to the pile. Fans made of palm leaves weie vigorously agitated over the heap of coals, bellows made ofleather blew in the same direction; but all the efforts were of no avail. The princes, surprised and disheartened, consulted Anou- rouda as to the cause of such a disappointment. Anourouda said to them that the Nats did not approve of their proceedings, they wished that the great Kathaba should arrived and venerate the corpse, ere it be consumed by fire. No fire could be lighted, be- fore i he great Kahan had made his appearance. The people hearing the answer of Anourouda wondered at the great virtue of the great Kathaba, and anxiously waited for his arrival. They said to each other : who is indeed this distinguish- ed llahan ? Is he white or black, short or tall 1 They took per- at that time over that island. Budhagautha devoted three years to the translation of the whole Pittagat, from the Cingalese into Pali. Previ- ous to his return the people made him many valuable presents. With his manuscripts he came back to his country. Arimeddina reigned at that time at Punkarapa. It is to this religious pilgrim, that the Bur- mese are indebted for the possession of the whole Pittagat in Pah. There is no doubt but previous to his days, the inhabitants of the val- ley of the Iravvaddy, had at least a portion of the Scriptures ; but they, very likely, wished to have a regular and correct copy of the whole, from the country that, even in those ancient times, was already looked upon as tho holy hand of Budhism. LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. 203 fumes, flowers and flags and went out to meet him and honor him in a becoming manner. When the great Kathaba arrived in the city of Koothinaron, he, without delay, repaired to the place whore the funeral pile waa erected. He adjusted his clothes in the most becoming manner, and> with his hands joined to the forehead, three times turned round the pile, saying at each turn : this is the place of the head; that is the place of the feet. Standing then on the spot opposite to the feet, he entered into the fourth state of dzan for a while ; his mind having emerged therefrom, he made the following prayer : — •[ wish to see the feet of Budha, whereupon are imprinted the marks that formerly prognosticated his future glorious destiny. May the cloth and cotton they are wrapt with, be unloosened and the coffin, as well as the pile, be laid open and the sacred feet appear out and extend so far as to lie on my head. He had scarcely uttered his prayer, when the whole was suddenly opened, and there came' out the V beautiful feet, like the full moon emerging from the bos- om of a dark cloud. The whole assembty burst into loud applauses and continued cheers, on seeing this matchless prodigy. Katha- ba stretching his two hands, that resembled two lilies just bloom- ing, held both feet firmly by the heels, placed them on his head and worshipped. All his disciples followed his example and worshipped. Perfumes and flowers were profusely offered by the crowd. When this was done, the feet slowly withdrew into their place, the pile and coffin resumed their natural position. As the sun and the moon disappear below the horizon, so the feet of Budha disappeared, buried as it were, into the folds of cloth and cotton. The people, at this moment, wept and loudly wailed : their affection for Budha was evinced on this occasion more forci- bly than when he entered the state of Niban. The feet had hardly been concealed from the sight of the peo- ple, wdien, without the interference of any one, fire caught the pile and soon set it in a blaze of flames. The skin, reins, flesh and liver of the body were all consumed, without leaving any trace of ashes and charcoal, as butter or oil, poured on a great fire, burn and are consumed without any thing remaining. Of the body all had disappeared except the relics. All the pieces of cloth that served to wrap up the body, except the outermost and innermost, were also consumed. The relics of former Budhas whose lives were very lono-, resembled a lump of gold. Our Budha, whose life had been comparatively of short duration, had said whilst yet alive : during my lifetime, religion has not been sufficiently diffused; those, therefore, who after my Niban, shall obtain of my relics a small portion, be it but of the size of a mustard seed, and build a dzedi to place them in, and worship and make offerings to them, shall obtain a place of happiness in one of the seats of Nats. Among the relies, were the four canine teeth, the two bones that connect AA 21 ft LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDBTA-. the shoulders with the neckbone and the frontal bone. These are- the seven great relies. They were in a state of perfect preserva- tion, not at all damaged by fire, and are called Athambinat. Be- sides these relics there were some others of a smaller dimension, in sufficient quantity to fill up seven tsarouts. Here is the size and shape of those sacred remains ; the smallest were of the size of a mustard seed and resembled the bud of the Hingkow ; the middle ones equalled the size of a rice grain, divided into two parts, and looked like pearls ; the largest were of the size of a pea and appear- ed like gold. When the pile was consumed by fire, water came down from the sky, as thick as the arm, which soon extinguished the fire. The Malla princes poured also upon it an immense quantity of scented water. During all the while, the pile was burning, streams of flames issued from the leaves and branches of the trees,, shining forth with uncommon brightness, without burning the trees; insects of every description were seen flying in swarms on those trees, without receiving the least injury. In the place where the corpse had been exposed during seven days, the relics were deposited during the same length of time, and offerings of perfumes and flowers were incessantly made. Above them, a canopy bespangled with gold and silver stars was raised, and boquets of flowers and perfumes were banging therefrom. From that place, to the one where ornaments were deposited, the road was lined on both sides with fine cloth; the road itself was covered with the finest mats. Above the road was spread a splendid canopy bespangled with gold stars and flowers. The interior of the building was richly decorated ; perfumes and flowers were seen hanging from the canopy. Around the build- ing, masts were planted, and adorned with the five sorts of flags. Plantain tiees were planted on both sides of the road, and jara of cool water were laid down at a very short distance one from the other, as well as lamps to be lighted day and night. The box containing the l-elics, was placed on the back of a richly caparisoned elephant, and the precious remains were honored in every possible way, by offerings offloweis and perfumes, by dancing, singing, music, rejoicings and loud acclamations. The Malla princes, to insure the safety of the relics, had a line of elephants drawn round the place, then a second line of horses, then a third of chariots, then a fourth of warriors. Such pre- cautions were taken both for ensuring the safety of the relics, and allowing time to every body to come and do honor to them. At that time the courtiers of King Adzatathat, knowing well the tender affection their royal master bore unto Budha's person, were reluctant to convey to him the sad intelligence of his demise, for fear of causing to him, too gi-eat an affliction. They took MSGEND OP THE BURMESE BUDHA. 215. •every possible precaution, and devised various means for prepar- ing the king's mind to bear, with composure, the loss he had sus- tained. Three times the fatal message was adroitly delivered ; and three times the king f tinted. Steam baths and an abundant pouring of water over the head, restored him to his faculties. He wailed and lamented for a long time. Recovering from the shock of his deep affliction, he desired to assuage the grief caused by Budha's death, by procuring some of his relics. For that purpose, a messenger was despatched to the Malla princes with the following request : You are the descendants of the great Tha- madat, 1, too, who rule over the Magatta country, boast of the same noble origin. For this reason, I put forward my claim for obtaiuing the possession of some of Budha's relics, which are now as his representatives. I will give directions for the erection of a beautiful and tall dzedi, wherein they shall be deposited. [ and my people shall have thus an object of worship. The kings of Wethalee and Leitsawi sent a similar request. Those of Kapi- lawot and Alekappa followed their example. The kings of Rama- and Pawa, the Pounhas of Withadipa also sent in their reclama- tions, with a threat of having recourse to the force of arms, were their demands disregarded. They soon followed their messen- gers at the head of their troops. The Malla princes, on receiving those messages, consulted among themselves as to what was to be done. They agreed that, the relics of Budha being the most valuable thing in the world, they would not part with them. Many angry words were ex- changed among contending parties. They were almost ready to draw the sword, when a celebrated Pounha named Dauna, made his appearance. He stood on an elevated spot, and making a sign with his hand, he began to speak in a language calculated to smooth the irritation of the parties. Great was his influence over all, since there was scarcely a man in the island of Dzapou- diba who did not acknowledge Daur.a as his teacher. O kings and princes, said he, hear one word that 1 have to say. Our most excellent Budha always extolled the virtue of for- bearance. You are ready to fight for the possession of his relics ; this is not good. Let all of you be now of one mind, with cheer- ful dispositions. I will divide the relics into eight equal portions. Let every one be ever solicitous to multiply in all directions dzedis in honor of him, who was possessed with the five visions, that many may feel affection for the most excellent One. Dauna went on explaining more fully the two stanzas he had recited, saying : O kings and princes, our most excellent Budha previous to his obtaining the Budhaship, whilst he was even an animal, a man and a Nat, practised the virtue of patience ; he always re- commended it, in all his subsequent preachings. How could you have recourse to open violence, to warlike weapons, for his relics ? AA* 212 LEGEND OF THE BTJKMESE BUDHA. You are kings of eight countries ; come to a quiet and peaceable arrangement on this subject : speak to each other words of peace and rejoicing. I will have the relics divided into eight equal parts. You are all equally worthy to receive your share. The kings, on hearing the words of Dauna, came to the place where he stood, and entreated him to make eight equal portions of the relics. Dauna assented to their request. They went with him to the place of the relics. Thegolden coffin that contained them, was opened, and then appeared to their regards all the relics beautiful like gold. The princes seeing them said : we have seen the most excellent Budha gifted with the six glories, and all the bodily qualifications of the most accomplished person : who could believe that these are the only things that remain of him ? Thoy all wept and lamented. Whilst they were over- whelmed with grief, Dauna abstracted oue of the oanine teeth and concealed it in the folds of his turban. All the relics were duly apportioned to all the kings. A Thagia, who had seen the doing of Dauna, took adroitly the tooth without being perceived, carried it into the Nats' seats and placed it in the Dzoolamani dzedi. When the partition was over, Dauna was surprised not to find the tooth ho had stolen. He did not, however, dare to complain, as his pious fraud would have been discovered. To console himself for such a loss, he asked for the possession of the golden vessel wherein the relics had been kept. His demand was favorably received and the gulden vessel was given to him. The Kings of Mauria who ruled over the country of Pipilawana, hearing what had been done by Adzatathat and other kings, went also with a great retinue to the city of Koothinaron. The Malla princes informed them that the relics had already been divided, and that there remained nothing but the coals of the funeral pile. They took them away, built pagodas over them, and worshipped. King Adzatathat ordered a beautiful and well levelled road, eight oothabas broad, to be made from the city of Koothinaron to that of Radzagio. The distance is twenty-five youdzanas. He wished to adorn it, in all its length, in the same manner as the Malla princes had done for the road leading from the place that had been decorated with all sorts of ornaments, to that where the relics had been deposited. At fixed and proper distances, houses were built for resting and spending the night. The king, attended by a countless crowd of people, went to take the relics and carry them into his country. During the journey, singing, dancing and playing of musical instruments were uninterrupted. Offerings of perfumes and flowers were incessantly made by the people. At certain intervals, they stopped during seven days, when fresh honors were paid to the relics, in the midst of the greatest rejoicings. In this manner seven months and seven LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA.. 213 days were employed in going over the distance between the two countries. At Radzagio the relics were deposited in a place prepared for that purpose, and a dzedi was erected on them. The seven other kings built also dzedis over the relics they had obtained. Dauna built one, too^ over the golden vessel, and the Mauria kings erected likewise one religious monument over the coals. Thus there were at that time ten dzedis. When this was all over, the great Kathaba fearing yet for the safety of the precious relics, went to king Adzatathat and said to him, that precautions were to be taken for securing the preserva- tion of the relics. The king asked him by what means all the relics could be had ftom those who had obtained them. Kathaba replied that he would know how. to manage such a delicate affair. He went to the seven kings who gave to him all the principal relics, keeping by themselves only what was strictly necessary to be deemed an object of worship and good will towards Budha's person. One exception was made in favor of the relics deposited in the village of Kama, because they were, in future times, to be carried to Ceylon and placed in the great Wira or Pagoda. All the relics having been brought to Radzagio, Kathaba took with him the relics, and went out of the city. He directed his steps in a south-east direction, loaded with this precious burthen, which he carried all the way. Having reached a certain spot, he made the following prayer : may all the rocks and stones of this place disappear, and there be in place thereof a fine sandy soil ; may water never issue from this spot. Adzatathat ordered the goil to be dug very deep : with the earth, bricks were made, and eight dzedis were built. The depth of the hole was eighty cubits. Its bottom was lined with iron bars To that bottom was lowered a monastery made of brass, similar in shape and proportions to the great Wira of Ceylon. Six gold boxes con- taining the precious relics were placed in this monastery. Each box was enclosed in one of silver, the latter in one adorned with precious stones, and so on until eight boxes were placed one in the other. There also, were arranged 550 statues, representing Budha in 550 preceding existences, described in the sacred writings: the statues of the 80 great disciples, with those of Thoo- daudana and Maia. There also were arranged 500 lamps of gold and 500 lamps of silver, filled with the most fragrant oil, with wicks made of the richest cloth. The great Kathaba taking a leaf of gold, wrote upon it the following words : — In after times, a young man named Piadatha shall ascend the throne, and be- come a great and renowned monarch under the name of Athauka. Through him, the relics shall be spread all over the island of Uzapoudiba. King Adzatathat made new offerings of flowers and perfumes. All the doors of the monastery were shut and fastened with an iron bolt. Near the last door, he placed a large 214 LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA.. ruby, upon which the following words were written : — Let the poor king who shall find this ruby, present it to the relics. A Thagia ordered a Nat to watch over the precious deposit. The Nat disposed around it, figures the most hideous and terrifying, armed with swords. The whole was encompassed by six walls made of stones and bricks ; a large slab of stone, covered the up- per part, and upon it he built a small dzedi. A little while after Kathaba went to Niban,* King Adzatathat died as well as those who had been present on this occasion. A long period had elapsed, when a young man named Piadathat became king under the name of Athauka. He ardently wished to spread the relics over the whole island of Dzapoudiba. He had with him a celebrated Recluse named Nigrauda. Profound- ly pious and full of zeal for the propagation of religion, Athauka * In the previous note on Niban, the writer, having forgotten to mention the application the Burmese make of this term to three dis- tinct objects, supplies here the omission, in the hope that the following may enable the reader to come nearer to the true Budhistic meaning of Niban. There are, say the Budhist Doctors, three kinds of Niban, respecting the person of Gaudama, the Niban of Kiletha or passions; the Niban of Khatidas, or supports of the existence of a living being ; and the Niban of Baton, or of the relics. The first took place at the foot of the gniaong or baudi tree, when Gaudama became Budha. Then, to make use of the language of Bud- lusts, at that moment the fifteen hundred passions, that is to say, all passions were cpiieted, extinguished and for ever put an end to. The second kind of Niban, happened near the town of Koothinaron when the five Iyhandas, or the constitutive parts of Gaudama's being, were quieted, that is to say, ceased to act, and were absolutely destroy- ed. The third kind will take place, at the end of the period of five thousand years, reckoning from the death of Gaudama. This is the period which he assigned to the duration of his religion. Then all the relics of Budha that will be still existing, will be miraculously congregated on the spot where stood the tree Baudi. After having been the centre of the dis- play of several extraordinary wonders, they will be consumed by a fire that is to come out of them. They will disappear and vauish for ever, as the flame that has consumed them. The idea suggested to us by the application of the word Niban to these three objects, is that of a cessation of action, cessation of exis- tence, and cessation of being. t The Burmese always fond of narrating miraclous stories, maintain that Athauka, was during the existence previous to that one he became king, a seller of honey, and that owing to his liberality in offering a vessel full of honey to some Religious, he deserved to become a great king under the name of Athauka, whose sway extended all over the island of Dzapoudiba. I mention this particular fact, as an instance of the excessive liberty they allow to themselves, to deface many his- torical facts, and daub them over with fable, so as to render them not easy to be known such as they really are. tEGEXD OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. 215 built 8,400 monasteries, and inquired about Budha's relics in or- der to place them in those monasteries. But na one conld give him any information on the subject. By his order all the dzedis of Radzagio were demolished : the relics were searched for, but in rain ; they could not be found. The same work was carried on in Wethalee and other countries, but with no better success. He caused all the destroyed dzedis to be rebuilt, and returned to Radzagio, where he assembled all the Rahans and people anil inquired if there was no person who could lead him in the way to discover the relics. In the crowd there was a man, 120 year* old, who said that when he was a lad of about seven years, his father directed him to take some flowers and perfumes, and leading him to a retired place, said to him : you see that dark bush in the middle of which there is a small dzedi ; let us prostrate before it and make our offering ; observe well this spot and ever re- member it. He said nothing more, and we returned to our home. This is, doubtless, said the king, the very spot I am searching after, without having ever been able to discover it. The king and his people hastened to the indicated place. Great offerings were made to the guardian Nat, in order to propitiate him. This Nat assuming the shape of a young man, removed all the obsta- cles that obstructed the way to the place. When the king was near to the first door, he discovered the ruby whereupon was seen the above related inscription. On touching the bolt, the door was suddenly opened, when, to the great surprise of all pre- sent, the lamps that had been lighted 218 years ago, were found burning and full of oil ; the flowers, without the least sign of with- ering, were as fresh and beautiful as those in the gardens ; the smell of the perfumes seemed to be even more exquisite than that of new ones. The king taking the gold leaf, read the inscrip- tion concerning him. He took all the relics, except a few that he left therein, replaced and arranged every thing as he had found it. When this was over, he assembled the Rahans and asked them whether he could now hope to be considered as having done enough for the religion, and if he could look upon it as an inheri- tance, since he had labored so much for its promotion. Great king, said they, it is true you have done much for the benefit of religion, but these are offerings which entitle you only to the name of Daraka. He who wishes to obtain the divine inheri- tance, let him offer his sons to become Rahans, and his daughters to become Rahanesses. The king instantly presented his sons and daughters for the holy profession. Now O king, said the Rahans, you are fit to receive the holy inheritance. All that has been herein above related respecting the partition of the relics by Dauna, &c. has been extracted from the book, called Nibaua Thoot. But he who wishes to know all the particulars con- 216 tEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDHA. cerning the places where the relies have been deposited, &c. must have recourse to the books called Data Win, and Nalatadata Win. For the purpose of creating and increasing feelings of affection towards the most excellent Budha, 103 who is greater than the three rational beings, towards his glorious perfections, as well as the law and the assembly, I have, to the best of my abilities, endeavour- ed to translate from the Pali into Burmese, the sacred book called Mallalingara Wouttoo, or history of the most excellent flower. 103. Tire Burmese translator finishes his work, by candidly stating the motives that have induced him to undertake it. He desires to create, promote and propagate in the heart of future generations, religi- ous sentiments, and feelings of the tenderest affection for the person of Budha, his doctrine, that is to say, the law, and the assembly of the perfect : such are the lofty objects lie had in view when he began to write. He was encouraged in his difficult task by purely religious con- siderations, viz ; the promotion and triumph of Budhism. For securing the attainment of what he considered to be a most desirable end, he summoned all his abilities with a most praiseworthy energy and per- severance. With a somewhat different object in view, the Burmese work has been translated into an European language. The translation has been accompanied with notes intended to explain the text, which would otherwise prove, in many parts, almost unintelligible to the generality of readers. The principles of Budhism, such as they are held and pro- fessed by Budhists in general, but in particular by those inhabit- ing Burruah, have received a certain degree of attention, and have been examined as carefully as possible, from a Budhistic point of view. That great religious system has been considered, as it is in itself, with- out any regard to its intrinsic merits or demerits. The notes are not designed to be an apology or a confutation of Budhism, but an exposi- tion of its doctrines, such as they are found in the best writings and believed by its votaries. When certain tenets or practices were to be accounted for, recourse has always been had to the general principles of Budhism and to the notions certainly prevailing at various periods in Budhist countries. It is needless to add that these notes, having been hurriedly written in the midst of almost uninterrupted and time absorbing occupations, are destitute of pretentions either to deep research or scientific merit. In former years the writer has bestowed a certain amount of time and efforts on the study of Budhism, in Bunnah, where it has been for centuries the only religious creed. A por- tion of the knowledge thus acquired, has been embodied in the foregoing notes, with the intention of compressing within a narrow compass, the elementary principles and general notions of Budhism, affording thereby to the readers, who cannot have access to the voluminous writings of the French and German Orientalist savans, on the great religious sys- tem of Eastern Asia, comparatively easy means to obtain some informa- tion on a religion, which, false as it is, deserves to be known and un- derstood, since in point of antiquity it is second to none except to Krah- minism, and, extends its sway over probably one fifth of the human race. AN ABSTRACT OF A PEW SMALL DZATS, AND OF TWO PRINCIPAL ONES, CALLED NEMI AND DZAIVECKA. The writer has thought that it would not be without interest to the reader, to make a few remarks respecting the five hundred and ten Dzats, so famous amongst Burmese, and give, as a speci- men of these compositions, the abbreviated translation of some of those fabulous accounts. We will begin with a few of the small Dzats, and end with the compendious summaries of two of the great ones, known under the names of Nemi and Uzanecka. The Budhists of these parts maintain that these Dzats contain a short and concise narrative of some of the circumstances at- 1 ending certain existences of Gaudama, when he was born in a state of animal, men, prince, nobleman, poor, rich, Nat, etc. The narrator is no other than Gaudama himself, who is supposed to have condescended to make his disciples and the crowds of hearers, acquainted with certain particulars, relating to his person whilst he was passing through the slow process of metempsychosis, and gradually gravitating towards the perfection he had at last reached. In fact, each of these pieces is prefaced with these words : when the most excellent Budha was in such a monastery, surrounded with his disciples, he spoke as follows, etc. It is not improbable that some of these stories may have been told by Gaudama for the two following purposes : first, to impress his hearers with a profound respect for his incomparable wisdom, which enabled him to penetrate into the deep recesses of the past and bring to light some events hitherto buried into its dark bosom. The second and principal object he had in view, was to give some important lessons to his disciples, to correct some of their defects, and stir up others to the practice of the highest virtuous deeds, he had himself performed during former ex- istences. On his respect Gaudama followed the practice of all eastern sages, who had recourse to the use of parables, simili- tudes, apologues, etc. in order to convey under a gentle, amiable, graceful and interesting form, the most important instructions, designed to enlighten the mind, and correct the heart. BB 2TS AN ABSTRACT OF A FEW SMALL jDZATS. This collection or compilation comprises most of those fablers that are to be met with amongst most of the Asiatic nations, •whence they have found their way to Europe, first among the Gveeks, and next reached the western nations. The writer has- been not a little surprised to find in that collection, a number of fables, the very same as those that have been inimitably narrated by the great French fabulist, the good Lafontaine. This is an- other confirmation to the old adage : there is nothing new under the sun. These stories have certainly an Indian origin, at least the Bur- mese have received them, as almost every thing connected with their religion, from that quarter. The names of individuals and places are all Hindous. Under despotic governments, the plain and naked truth cannot show itself, nor make her voice to be heard, without exposing her friends to the most imminent dan- gers from the' part of those tyrants, who practically maintain that their will must ever stand above truth and reason. Stories nicely told, were the pleasing and innocent but necessary dress which that sacred Goddess was obliged to wear, in order to make her presence supportable to the despots, and help her to find favor before those whose absolute and uncontrolable sway made every body bow the head in their awful, though detested, presence. The first five hundred stories have, it seems, no historical value whatever. They are most of them short and concise. But the last ten may very likely contain many facts or allusions to individuals and places that might afford a clue to some parts of the history and geography of India, in days of a remote antiquity. A complete translation of these Dzats might not be without in- terest, provided such a work be accompanied with copious notes, made by a competent person well acquainted with the ancient his- tory of India. All the stories end with a most important disclosure made by Gaudama himself. The personage that has played the most im- portant and praiseworthy role, is, as a matter of course, our Bud- ha himself. Those who have befriended him, assisted him, and rendered him some services, are these who have subsequent- ly become his favorite and most distinguished disciples and hearers. Whilst those who have acted in some reprehensible manner, who have opposed him and done him harm, have since become the individuals who are, in his days, heretics, or holders of false doctrines, and in particular his arch enemy, the notorious- ly wicked Dewadat. The compilation of all these stories is prefaced as follows : In the country of Amarawadi, lived a Pounha named Thoumeda. After the death of his father, he became the owner of a consider- able < state. Having enjoyed it during many years, he began to reflect on the many and various accidents attending human AN ABSTRACT OP A FEW SMAXL DZATS. 21 9 life, and came to the resolution of leaving the world. He there- fore distributed in alms, all his riches, and withdrew into soli- tude, to lead an ascetic life. He soon reached a high degree of perfection. At that time Deipinkara, the first of the twenty -eight Budhas, came to that country, attended by 400,009 Italians, to beg his food. Our Rathee Thoumeda having nothing to offer to the great Budha and the Assembly, came, threw him- self at his feet, and delivered hhnsslf up soul and body to his ■service. It was at the sight ef such a perfect abnegation of self, that Budha gave to Thoumeda the assurance that one day, he would become a Budha. On that occasion, great wonders took place. From that time, he began to practice with fervent earnestness the great virtues and perfections prescribed by the law. The whole period of time that elapsed from the time Gaudama was the Pounka Thoumeda, to the time he became prince Wethandra, that is to say, reached that existence which immediately preceded the last one, when he became Budha, is of four Thingics and one hundred thousand worlds or revolutions of nature. A detailed account of the most meritorious and interesting actions perform- ed by him during several existences that illustrated that almost incalculable period, is to be found in the great Ozedi of Ceylon. The accounts must be short and concise, otherwise the dzedi above referred to, how large soever we may suppose it to have been, could never have held them, THE FOX AND THE LION. 1st. When the most excellent Buciha was in the Dzetawon monastery surrounded with his disciples, desiring to correct a religious who was in the habit of keeping bad company, he nar- rated the following story. At the f ime the Princes Braraauaa reigned at Baranathee, Phralaong was then a lion, father to two little ones, one male and the other female. The first was named Menandza. The lion's household, when Menandza was grown up and had married, was composed in all of five individuals. Menandza, strong and bold, went out, every day, in quest of prey, for the support of his four relations, that remained in th& de:i. One day, in the middle of one of his predatory excursions, he happened to meet with a fox which was lying on his belly, in a most respectful posture. On being asked, by the proud lion, with a terrific voice, heightened by a threatening glance, what he was doing, the fox respectfully answered : I am humbly prostrat- ed here, to do homage and pay my respects, to your majesty. Well, said Menandza ; and he took him alive to his den. As soon as the father saw the fox, he said to his son : my son, the fox is an animal full of cunning and deceit, faithless, without honor, 220 AN ABSTRACT OP A FEW SMALL DZATS. addicted to all wicked practices, and always engaged and em- broiled in some bad affairs ; be on your guard ; beware of such a companion and forthwith send him away. Unheeding his father's wise advice, Menandza persisted in his resolution, and kept his new friend with him. On a certain day, the fox intimated to Menandza that he longed to eat the flesh of a young colt. Where is the place these animals are wont to graze, asked Menandza 1 ? On the banks of the river of Baranathee, replied the fox. Both started immediate- ly for the indicated spot. They saw there a great number of horses bathing in the river. Menandza, in an instant, pounced upon a young one, and carried it to his den. It is not prudent, said the old father, to cat these animals which belong to the king. One day he will cause you to be shot from a distance with arrows, and kill you. No lion that eats horse flesh has ever lived long. From this day, cease to attack those animals. Deaf to these wholesome warnings, Menandza continued to carry destruction among the horses. News were soon conveyed to the king that a lion and a fox were making great havoc among his horses. He or- dered the animals to be kept within the town. Ihe lion, however, contrived to seize some and carry them away. Orders were given to keep them in an enclosure. Despite this precaution, some horses yet disappeared. Enraged at this, the king called a bowman and asked him, whether he could transfix a lion with his arrows. The bowman said that he could do it. Hereupon, leaving the king he went and hid himself behind a post, waiting for the offender. It was not long ere he made his appearance ; but the cautious fox had remained somewhat back behind, hidden in a drain. In one start, the lion with the quickness of lightning, was on the wall, and straight on, he went to the stable. The bowman said within himself : the lion's movements are very quick, I will wait until be comes back loaded with his prey. He had scarcely revolved this thought in his mind, when the lion was already on his way back carrying a horse. The bowman ready shot an arrow that transfixed through the fierce animal. The lion made a start ; crying with a terrific voice, I am wounded. The fox hearing his friend's accents, and the sharp whistling of the bow-string, knew at once what had happened. He said to himself shaking his head : there is no friendship, forsooth, with the dead ; my friend has fallen under the bowman's arrow ; my life is safe ; I will go back to my former place. The wounded lion, making a last effort, went back to his den, and dropped dead at its entrance. Menandza's relatives perceiving the wound and the blood gush- ing out cf it, understood at once that he had been shot through with an arrow, and that the fox was the cause of his miserable AN ABSTRACT OF A FEW SMALL DZAT3. 221 and untimely end. His mother gave vent to her grief as follows : "Whoever associates with the wicked, shall not live long; behold my M,enandza is no more, because he followed the fox's advice. The father, in his turn, bewailed the loss of his son : He who goes in company with the wicked, shall meet with some evil fate ; witness my son whom his desolate mother sees weltering in the very blood she gave him. His sister cried aloud : he who does not follow the advice of the good, shall repent for it : he is mad, and, like my brother, shall come to an untimely an 1 cruel end. Menandza's wife exclaimed : he who belongs to a superior rank ought to beware to associate with those of a rank inferior to his own ; otherwise he soon becomes despicable as those he associates with. He loses his position, and becomes the laughing stock of all. Budha concluded his discourse with this reflection, that no one ought to keep company with those of an inferior position. The Religious profited so well of the lecture, that he broke at once with his former friends, and soon reached the state of Thautapan. The fox has been since Dewadat ; Manandza, the Religious, the object of the lecture ; Manandza's sister, Oopalava ; his wife, Kema ; his mother, Yathaudara ; his father, Phralaong. THE JACKAL AND THE HUNTER. 2. When the most excellent Phra was in the Weloowon mon- nastery, alluding to Dewadat, who aimed at harming him, he spoke as follows At the time the Princes Bramanas reigned at Baranathee, Phralaong was then a jackal, presiding over 500 others jackals of his own tribe. His dwelling place was in a cemetery. One day, it happened that the inhabitants of Radza- gio made a great feast, where every one ate and drank as much as he liked. The repast was nearly over, when some one asked for a last piece of meat, to give the finishing stroke to his appe- tite. He was told that not the smallest morsel remained. On hearing this unwelcome news, he rose up, laying hold of a wooden club, and went straight to the cemetery. Then stretching himself on the ground, he laid down as if dead. Phralaong cauti- ously drawing near to the pretended dead body, smelt it from a becoming distance, and soon discovered the snare laid for him. Coming up unperceived close to him, he suddenly seized the club with his teeth, pulling it with all his might. The young man did not let go his hold. The animal withdrawing, said to the hunter : young man, I perceive now that you are not dead. The hunter, goaded with shame and anger, rose up, and, with more energy than dexterity, flung his club to the jackal; but he missed him. Go away, said he, wretched beast, you may boast that you have escaped this time. Yes, mildly replied the jackal ; I have been saved from your club ; but no one shall ever be able to preserve you from the punishments in the eight great hells. 222 AN ABSTRACT OF A FEW SMALL DZATS. Having thus spoken, he soon disappeared. The young man having washed away, in the ditch, the dust that covered him, walked back, quite disappointed, into the town. The hunter was the same, that subsequently has become Dewadat. As to the jackal, he is the same that has since become Budha. THE PIGEON' AND THE HUNTER. 3. When Phra was in the Dzetawon monastery, desiring to give instruction to the young son of a nobleman, named Ootara, he spoke as follows : at the time, the princes Brahmanas reigned at Baranathefi, Phralaong was a pigeon. There was then a man in that country who was wont to catch pigeons, bring them to his house, and carefully feed them, until they had become fat, when he then sold them at a high rate. Together with other pio'eons, Phralaong was caught and brought over to the house. But he would not peck the grain that was spread before him. Should I eat. said he to himself, T will soon get fat and then be sold like others. He soon became wretchedly thin. Surprised at this, the hunter took him out of the cage, placed it on the palm of his hand to examine him more closely, and find the cause of this great leanness. Phralaong watching the opportu- nity of a favorable moment, that the attention of his guardian was called to some other object, flew away to his own old place, leaving the hunter quite vexed at, and ashamed of, his confiding simplicity. The hunter is in these days Dewadat ; and the pigeon is now Budha himself. Here is the abridgement of two stories well known to the readers of fables. When Phralaong was a deer he became intimate friend with the bird khaoukshia and a turtle. On a certain night, it hap- pened that a hunter, having laid down his net, the deer was caught. A tortoise that was near to the place came and bit the net ; the deer then soon made his escape from the dangerous posi- tion he was in. Whilst this was going on, the friendly khaouk- shia perceiving the danger his friend was in, amused the hunter, by flying right and left close to him, to retard his progress towards the place where the net was laid. Mad at the escape of the deer, he seized the turtle and thrust her in his bag. But the wily bird contrived, by its peckings, to make a large hole in the bag. and the tortoise too made her escape. 5. One day Phralaong, being then a husbandman, observed once, to his great surprise, that a lion of an uncommon size, was paying frequent visits to his rice field, ate and destroyed much of "the young plants. On a certain occasion, he examined close- ly the intruder, an3 perceiving the extremities of his feet, he dis- covered that the pretended lion was but a colt, that had clothed himself in a lion's skin. AN ABSTRACT OF A FEW SMALL DZAT3. 223 HEMI. When the most excellent Budha was in the country of Mithila, he went, attended with a great many Rahans, to the monastery Meggadawa, situate in the middle of a beautiful strove of mango trees. He spoke as follows to the assembly. Beloved Bickus, in former times, I lived in this very place where we are now congregated and was the ruler of the country of Mithila. Ho then remained silent. Ananda respectfully entreated him to condescend to narrate to them some of the principal events that happened at that time. Budha assented to the request and said : Formerly there reigned at Mithila a prince named Minggadewa. During 82,000 years, he remained a prince, and spent all his time in the enjoyment of all sorts of pleasures : he was crown prince of that country during the same space of time, and reigned, as king, during a similar period. On a certain day the barber of the king having detected a grey hair on the royal head, exhibited it to Ins astonished regards. The king, struck at such a sight, soon understood that this object was the forerunner of death. He gave up the throne, and re- solved to become a Rah an. Having put into execution his resolve, he practised with the greatest zeal, the highest virtues, and after his death migrated to one of the fortunate seats of Brah- mas. 82,000 princes, who succeeded him, followed his footsteps, inherited his virtues, and, after their demise, obtained a place in the same seat. Prince Minggadewa who had opened the way to such a suc- cession of pious monarch*, perceiving that his race was near being extinct, left the seat of Brahmas and took flesh in the womb of the queen of the king, who then governed Mithila. On the tenth month, the queen was delivered of a son, who received the name of Nemi. The Pounhas who were invited to the palace to tell the horoscope of the royal child, assured the king, that this child would follow the example of all his predecessors, who had left the throne, and embraced the profession of Rahans. From his tender age, the young prince displayed the most li- beral and pious dispositions in making abundant alms and fer- vently observing all the religious practices. All the inhabitants of that kingdom followed his example, and when some one died, he migrated to one of the JSTat's seats. During those happy times, hell seemed to have become quite unnecessary. On a certain day Nemi appeared to be most anxious to know which was the most excellent practice, the bestowing of alms, or 004 AN ABSTRACT OF A PEW SMALL DZATS. the observance of the precepts. The great Thagia came down from his glorious seat, encompassed with an incomparably shining brightness, and went to the place where the prince was busy in 1 evolving this thought in his mind. The angelical visiter told him that the bestowing of alms could but procure an admittance into the seats of Nats, but that a perfect compliance with the ordi- nances of the law, opened the way to the seats of Brahmas. As soon as he had given this decision, he returned to his blissful seat. On his arrival, he found crowds of Nats given up to re- joicings. The Thagia gave them a detailed narrative of all that he had seen on earth during his errand, and in particular eulo- gized at great length the religious dispositions of 1'rince Nemi. Enraptured with the heart moving description they heard, all the Nats at once exclaimed that they wished to see in their seats so accomplished and virtuous a Prince. The Thagia commanded a young Nat, named Matali, to have his carriage ready, de- part for the country of Mitila and bring, in this fortuuate seat, the ruler of that country. Matali, bowing before the Thagia, left forthwith the seat of Nats, on a magnificent cha- riot. It was then the day of the full moon, when all the inhabitants of Mitila were busily engaged in discharging the prescribed religious duties. On a sudden there appeared coming from the east the magnificent and bright equipage of the Nat, splendidly emerging from the bosom of clouds at the same time as the moon in its full. Surprised at such an unexpected .sight, all wondered and believed that two moons were miraculously rising on that occasion. They were soon un- deceived by the nearer approach of Matali's carriage. The mes- senger went to the king and conveyed to him the intelligence that the Nats were exceedingly anxious to see him. Without a moment's hesitation, the king stepped into the carriage and aban- doned himself to the guidance of his heavenly guide. Two roads are now opened before us, said Matali, the one through the dismal dungeons where the wicked are consigned t© undergo punishment for their offences, and the other through the blissful seats where the good are enjoying the rewards allotted to them for their virtues. Which of the two do you wish to follow? The prince said that he wished to visit both places. Matali an- swered in a mild tone of voice, that his request should be com- plied with. The celestial guide directed his rapid course through the re- gions of desolation where dwels an eternal horror. The first ob- ject they met with was a broad and deep river, filled with fright- ful whiilpools, where the water seemed as if boiling. It was glowing like a flame, and the whole mass of water appeared like a lake of fire. The river is called Wattoorani. On the banks of AN ABSTRACT OF A FEW SMALL DZAT8. 225 that river stand the infernal ministers, armed with all sorts of sharp edged instruments, cutting, wottading, piercing through the unfortunate wretches, who try to go out of that horrible and burning water. They are forcibly pushed again in that same place of torments and tumble over pointed darts, whence they are taken up and roasted on living coals. Nothing is heard but the horrifying howlings and yells of those unfortunate beings, who are waiting with the greatest impatience the moment of their deliver- ance. What are the crimes, asked the terrified prir.ce, that have committed the unfortunate inhabitants of this place, for being sub- jected to such unheard-of sufferings 1 These are, replied Matali, the persecutors of the weak, the heai'tless oppressors of the poor, etc. who are doomed to undergo such punishments. Thence the guide drove rapidly to another place wheie dogs, each with five hideous heads, famished eagles, devouring crows, fed with a rave- nous hunger over the bodies of unfortunate victims, the flesh of which is incessantly reproduced, to afford a continual prey to those never satiated ferocious animMs. These, said Matali, suffer for having done no good to their fellow creatures, prevented others t® do some, and borne envy to their neighbour. Here follows along description of the other places of hell, given to Nemi by his celestial guide. We omit it, lest its tedious and revolting particulars tire and disgust the reader. Suffice it to mention that the torments of Tantalus are described here with an horrifying correctness, that almost casts in the shade th3 descrip- tion given to us by the Latin poet. Having ranged the various regions of hell, and heard all the particulars given to him by Matali, Nemi was suddenly brought over to the beautiful, smiling and blissful seats of the blessed. He soon descried, at a distance, the celebrated palace, made of diamonds, disposed in an immense square of twelve youdzanas, on each side, and five stories high ; then the garden, the tank and the padetha tree. In that palace, Biranee occupied a splendid appartment ; she was then lying on a soft sofa, surrounded by more than a thousand beauties. What good works, asked Nemi, has Biranee practised, for deserving such a magnificent reward % Matali replied : This daughter of Nats was formerly a slave in the house of a Pounha. She always was very attentive to all the duties of her position, and at the same time regularly observed the precepts of the law. On a certain day, her mistress, who was wont to feed daily eight Rahans, fell into a fit of anger, and said that she was unable to bear any longer the fatigue attending the maintenance of those Religious. But the young slave, full of religious zeal, took upon herself the labor of feeding the Rahans. For this good and meritorious work, she is enjoying the happiness of her present position, CO 225 AN ASSTItACT Of A FEW SMALL DZATS. Ketni was successive!)' led into the various seats of the inhabi- tants of those blissful regions, and his guide explained, at great length, the good works that had procured to each of them the respective happy situation they enjoyed, and occasionally men- tioned the period of time they were allowed to dwell in those abodes of unparalleled happiness. He was finally introduced to the presence of the great Thagia who is the chief of all Nats. Having finished the survey of all the seats of Nats, Nemi was brought back to the seat of men, in his own capital by the game celestial guide. On his return, Nemi saw himself surrounded by his pious sub- jects, who eagerly inquired from him all the particulars respecting his journey. He minutely explained to them, all that he had seen both in the regions of hell, and in those of Nats, and con- cluded by exhorting his people to be liberal in bestowing alms, that they might hereafter be admitted to share in the enjoyment of the Nats' happiness. Nemi perceiving that his hairs were turning grey, became ctill more zealous in the practice of alms deeds, and resolved to embrace the profession of Rahans. But previous to his taking such a step, he had his son Ralaradzana appointed to succeed him. In that prince, terminated the long succession of kings, who, in the decline of their lives, became Rahans. DZANECKA. This is one of the best written Dzats possessed by the Bur- mese. The writer has translated it from beginning to end ; but he will give here but an outline of its contents. The narrator, as usual, is our Budha himself, when he was in the Weloowon monastery, surrounded by the members of the assembly, and a crowd of hearers. In the country of Mitila, there reigned a king named Dzanecka who had two sons, called Arita Dzanecka and Paula Dzanecka. After a long and prosperous reign, he passed to another existence. Arita Dzanecka having celebrated his father's funerals, and made the usual purifications, ascended the throne. He confirmed his younger brother in the situation of Commander-in-Chief he had hitherto held. On a certain day, a vile courtier, by a false report, awakened in the king's breast, sentiments of jealousy and suspicion against his brother's fidelity. The innocent Prince was cast in a dungeon ; hut by the virtue 'of his innocence he found means to make his escape and went to a part of the country where he had powerful supporters, and soon found himself in a condition to bid defiance to his brother. The king assembled his troops ; a battle ensued, in which the king was slain, and Paula Dzanecka ascended the Ahrono. AN ABSTRACT OF A FEW SMALL DZATS. 227 The Queen who was with child, ou hearing the news of such a disaster, went to the treasury, took some ornaments of the purest gold, and the most valuable precious stones, aiid placed the whole- in a basket. She then spread rieo so as to cover the treasure, and extended an old and dirty cloth over the opening of the bas- ket. Putting on the dress of one of the meanest women, sha went out of the town, carrying the basket over her head. She left the city, through the southern gate and passed into the country, without being noticed by the guards. Having gone to a certain distance from the place, the Queen did not know what way to direct her steps. She sat in a dzeat daring the heat of the day. Whilst in the dzeat, she thought of the coun- try of Tsanpanago where lived some of her relatives, and resolved to go thither. She began to make enquiries from the people that were passing by, respecting: the route she would have to follow. During this time, the attention of a Nat was suddenly attract- ed by the virtue of Phralaong that was in the Queen's womb, on the sad position his mother was in. He, forthwith leaving hU blissful seat, assumed the appearance of an old man, who was guiding a carriage along the road. He came close to the dzeat and invited the Queen to ascend on his carriage, assuring her that he would safely convey her to Tsanpanago. The offer wag ac- cepted. As the Queen was far advanced with child, there was some difficulty for her to get in the conveyance, when that por- tion of the earth she was standing upon, suddenly swelled and rasa to the level of the carriage. The Queen walked into the chariot and they departed. During the night they arrived at a beauti- ful place, close to the neighbourhood of Tsanpanago. The Queen alighted in a daeat. Her celestial guide bade her to wait until day break, before she ventured into the city, and returned to the seat of Tawadeintha. During that very night, a famous Pounha, attended with fiva hundred of his disciples, had left the town at a late hour, to take a walk at moonlight, and to enjoy the cool of the night and a bath in the river. Pamaouka, for such is the name of the Pounha, camo by chance to the very place where was seated the Queen. His disciples continued their walk and went on the bank of the river. She appeared full of youth and beauty. But by the virtue of Phralaong, the Pounha knew that she w T as in family way, and that the child she bore was a Phralaong. Pamaouka alone approached close to the queen and entreated her to entertain no fear whatso- ever ; that he looked upon her as his sister. The queen related to him all the particulars of her misfortune. The great Pounha moved with compassion resolved to become her supporter and pro- tector. At the same time he recommended her to say that fhe is her brother, and when his disciples should come back, to shed tears in CO* 228 AX ABSTRACT OF A FKW SMALL DZATS. token of the tender emotion she felt at meeting with her brother. Every thing having being arranged, Pamaouka called his disciples, told them how happy he was at having found his sister, from whom he had parted many years ago. Meanwhile he directed them to take her to his house, and recommended her to the special care of his wife. As to him, he would be back soon after having performed the usual ablutions. The queen was welcome in the- Pounha's house, and treated with the greatest care and tenderest affection. A little while after, she was delivered of a beautiful child, resembling a statue of gold. They gave him the name of Dzanccka. Having reached the years of boyhood, he was one day playing with the boys of his age, when by way of teaziug, they called him the son of the widow. These keen tauntings made him urge his mother to indicate to him the name of his father. It was then that he knew the author of his birth. Pamaouka taught him all the sciences known in those days, such as medicine, mathematics, etc. At the age of 10 years, young Dzanecka had completed all his studies. Dzanecka resolved to devote himself to trade andacquire there- by ample means to reconquer one day the throne of his anoestors. "With a part of the treasure his mother ha 1 brought with her, he was in a position to fit out a ship in company with several other merchants. He resolved to sail for a place called Caumawat- oura. He had scarcely been at sea during two days, when a mighty storm came on. The vessel after having resisted soma time, against the roaring and raging billows, at last gave way and was broken into pieces. All the crew and passengers, amounting to 700, miserably perished in the sea, without making the least ef- fort to save themselves. OurPhralaong, on the contrary, seizing tha extremity of a log of wood, swam with all his strength, resolved to struggle to the last against adversity. Mighty were his ef- forts during several days. At last a daughter of Nats, whose duty was to watch over the sea, saw his generous and courageous behavior, took pity on him and came to his assistance. There fol- lowed a sort of dialogue between her and Dzanecka. The latter displayed his undaunted courage and firm purpose. The former admired the more his determined resolution. She resolved to leave him from the dangerous position. Taking him in her arms tehe carriedhim, according to his wishes, to the country of Mitila, in the garden of mango trees,and ph.ced him on the very table-stone where his ancestors were wont to enjoy themselves with a numer- ous retinue. Phralaong immediately fell asleep. The daughter of Nats, having enjoined to the Nat, guardian of the place, to watch ever the Prince, returned to her blissful seat. On the very day that the vessel was wrecked, the ruler of AN ABSTRACT OF A FEW SMALL DZ.YTS. 229 Mitila had died, leaving but one daughter named Tliiwalee. Pro" vious to his giving up the ghost, aud ascending to the seats of Nats, the king had ordered his ministers into his presence and enjoined on them to select for the husband of his daughter, a man remark- able by the beauty and strength of his body, as well as by the acuteness and penetration of his mind. He was to be able to bend aud unbend an enormous bow, a feat that the united efforts of a thousand soldiers could scarcely achieve, and find the place where he had concealed 16 golden cups. On the seventh day after his death, the ministers and Pounhas began to deliberate among themselves about the choice of a match worthy of the Princess. Several competitors offered themselves for the hand of Thiwalee, but they were all rejected At last, not knowing what 1o do, they resolved to leave to chance, the solution of the difficulty. They sent out a charmed chariot, convinced that by the virtue inherent to it, they would find out the fortunate man whose destinies were to be united to those of the Princess. The chariot was sent out, attended by soldiers, musicians, Pounhas and noblemen. It came straight forward to the mango trees gar- den, and stopped by the side of th^ table-stone Phralaong was sleeping upon. The Pounhas, on inspecting the hands and feet of the stranger, saw the unmistakeable signs foreshowing his elevation to the royal dignity. They awakened him at the sound of musical instruments, saluted him kino;, and begsred of him to put on the royal dress, mount on the chariot, and pro- ceed triumphantly to the royal city. He entered the palace through the eastern gate. Having been informed of the king's last intentions, he forthwith bent aud unbent the bow, found out the 16 golden cups, and was duly united to the beautiful and youthful Thiwalee. All the people showed signs of the greatest rejoicings; the rich made him all sorts of offerings ; the Poun- has in white costume, holding the sacred white shell, adorned "with flowers and filled with water, the body bent forward, poured respectfully the water, imploring blessings on the new monarch. When the rejoicings were over, the king rewarded the Pounha Pamaouka who had been as a father to him during his exile. He applied himself to do as muchgood as he could, in relieving the poor, and promoting the welfare of all. He delighted in men- tioning to his courtiers his misfortune, and the great efforts he had made to extricate himself from difficulties. He praised the re- ward attending generous efforts, ancrexhorted them never to flinch under difficulties, but always to exhibit a strong and unconquer- able resolution under all trials, because it must soon or late be crowned with success. During the 7000 years that he reigned over Mitila with the queen Thiwalee, he faithfully practised the observances of the law, 230 AN ABSTRACT OF A FEW SMALL DZATS. governed justly, fed the Rahans and Petzega-Budhas, and gave abundant alms to the poor. On the 10th month Thiwalce -was delivered of a son whom they called Digaout. On a certian day, the king having received from his gardener some mangoes full of flavor and beauty, wished to eo to the garden to see the tree that vielded such delicious fruits. When he arrived at the place, he saw two mango trees, one with a luxuriant foliage, but without fruits, the other loaded with fruits. The monarch approached the tree, riding his ele- phant, and plucked some mangoes which he ate and found delicious. Thence he proceeded further to inspect the other parts of the ex- tensive garden. The courtiers and the people that followed, plucked fruits from the same tree, and did it with such eagerness that they left neither fruits nor leaves on the tree. On his return, the king was surprised to see the fruitful tree des- titute of both leaves and fruits, whilst the barren one had a beauti- ful appearance. The monarch after a lengthened dialogue with his courtiers, concluded as follows : the riches of this world are never without enemies ; he who possesses them, resembles the fruitful mango tree. We must look out for goods that excite neither envy, jealousy nor other passions. The Uahans and Pitzegabudhas alone possess such riches. I will take a lesson from the barren mango tree That I may cut off and eradicate the troubles, vexa- tions, and anxieties of life, I will renounce every thing and embrace the profession of Italian. With this idea strongly impressed on his mind, Dzanecka, came back to his palace. He forthwith sent for the general of his troops and directed him to place a strong guard, in front of his appartment and allow no one to come to his presence, not even the queen, but only him who woidd bring his daily meal, during four consecutive months. He gave orders to his minis- ters to judge with impartiality, agreeably to the law. Having thus arranged every thing, he Avithdrew alone to the upper appartment of his palace. Here follows a stanza in praise of the Prince, who had separated from his queen, concubines and all the pleasures and honors attending royalty. Dzanecka alone began to meditate on the happiness of the life of Pounhas and Pitzegabudhas ; he admired their poor diet, their zeal in practising the observances of the law, their earnest long- ings after the happiness of Niban, their disengagement from the ties of passions, the state of Onward peace and fixity their souls enjoved. In his enthusiasm he venerated them with a holy fervor, called them his masters and preceptors, and exclaimed : who will teach me to imitate their lives, and help me to become similar to them. In ten stanzas, Dzanecka reviews successively all that had belonged to him, his capital with its stately edifices, fine AN ABSTRACT OF A FEW SHALL DZATS. 231 gates, the three walls and ditches, the beautiful and fertile country of Wintzearitz, the palace, with its lofty domes and massive towers, the beautifully ornamented throne, the rich and magnificent royal dresses, the royal garden and tank, the elephants, horses and cha- riots, the soldiers, the Pounhas, the princes, his queen and concu- bines. He then concludes each stanza with the following words : When shall I leave all these things, become poor, put on the hum- ble habit of Ralnins, and follow the same mode of a perfectly retired life. With these and similar reflections Dzanecka endeavored to cut one after the other the many threads of passions, to pull down suc- cessively the branches of the impure tree, until he could give a final stroke to the roots. At the conclusion of four month's retirement, Dzanecka sent for a faithful servant, and directed him to procure for him the various articles of the dress of a Rahan. He Lad his head and beard 6haved ; put on the cherished habit, and placing a staff in his hand, walked out of his appartments and directed his course towards the gate, with the dignified deportment of a Rahan of sixty years profession. Queen Thiwalee was tired of having been so long deprived of her husband's company. She summoned seven hundred of the handsomest damsels of the palace, to go with her to the king, and by the efforts of their united charms entrap him in the net of passion and prevail upon him to come back iu their society. When they ascended the stair-case, they met with Dzanecka, in his new attire. None recognized him ; but all paid him due re- verence as to some holy personage that had come to give instruc- tions to the king. Having rearhed the appartment and seen the royal dress set aside, and the beautiful and long black hairs laid on one of the sofas, the queen and her attendants soon under- stood the sad and heart-rending meaning these objects were de- signed to convey. She ran in all haste with all her retinue down the stairs and overtook the new Rahan, at the moment he was crossing the outer gate of the palace. Every means that could be devised to make impression on the king's heart were resorted to by the queen and the damsels, in order to prevail upon him to forego his resolution. Tears, cries, wailings, striking of the breast, display of the most graceful and seducing forms, suppli- cations, entreaties, were all used in vain ; the new Rahan. unmoved and firm, continued his course saying that passions and concupis- cence were dead in him, and that" what could oe said or done to engage him to change his resolution, was in vain. During his progress towards the solitude of Himawonta, he is comforted and encouraged by the advice and instruction of two Rathees, who from their solitude flew through the air to witness the beautiful struggle between passions and virtue, and help him jiot to flinch 332 AN ABSTRACT OF A FEW SMALL DZAT3. before the repeated obstacles the queen put in his way, to retar.l, impede and prevent the execution of his holy design. The names of these two instructor* are Narada and Migalzein ; they were clothed in the skin of Panthers. They instructed him on the duties of his new calling, and exhorted him to root from his heart, with perseverance, all passions, and in particular concupiscence and pride. Comforted with such timrly instructions, the new Rattan felt himself more than ever fixed in his resolution. On his way to the solitude, Dzanecka arrived one evening at the gates of a town called Daunu. He passed the night under a tree, at a distance from the queen and the crowd that followed her. On the morning, he entered the town and went as usual along the streets to beg his food. He happened to stop for a while in the shop of a man that was fabricating arrows. Dzanecka seeing the workman shutting one eye and looking with the other to see if the shaft of tho arrow was straight, asked him the reason of his doing so, as he would see better with both eyes than with one. The workman told him that it was not always good that each object in this world should have a match. Should [, said he, look on this shaft with both eyes, my sight, distracted by several objects, could not perceive the defects of the wood^ eta but by looking on it with but one eye the least irregularity is ea-ily detected. When we have a work to perform, if there be two opposite wills in us, it cannot be regularly made. You have put on the habit of Rahan ; you hive apparently renounced the world ; how is it that you are followed by such a large retinue of women and other attendants ? It is impossible to attend well to the duties of your profession, and at the same time keep such a company. This cutting remark made a deep impression on Dzanecka. He had gone over a little dis- tance, when he met a number of little girls playing together. One of them had one silver bangle at each hand, with one of gold at the right hand. When she agitated the right band, the two bangles hitting each other produced a sound. Dzanecka, willing to try the wit of the little creature, asked her the reason why the move- ment of one hand produced a sound, whilst that of the other did not. She replied : my left hand that has but one bangle, is the imago of the Kalians who ought to be alone. In this world, .when an object has its match, some collision and noise inevitably result. How is it that you, who have put on the habit of Rahan, you al- low yourself to be followed by that woman who is still full of freshness and beauty 1 Is she your wife or sister? Should she be but your sister, it is not good that she should be with you. It is dangerous for Rahans to keep the company of women. This sharp lecture, from the mouth of a little girl, produced a deep impression on our Rahan, He left the city, A large AN ABSTRACT OP A FEW SMALL DZATS. 233 forest was in the vicinity ; he resolved to part at once company with the queen. At the entrance, he broke a small branch from a tree, showed it to Thiwalee and said to her : as this branch can never be reunited with the tree, so I can never go back with you. On hearing these fatal words, the queen fainted. Dzane'cka avail- ing himself of this circumstance, disappeared in the forest. The queen was carried hack by her attendants, and with them re- turned to Mitila. Alone in the solitude, Phraiaong enjoyed the sweets of perfect contemplation during a period of 3/000' years. The queen followed the same example. She became a Rahahess in one of the royal gardens during the same pai-iod Of time, and migrated to the seat of Brah mas, called Brahma Parithitsa. Phraiaong likewise died and went to a superior seat t>f Biahmas, called Wehappo. At the conclusion of this narrative Budha added : the daugh- ter of Nats, Manimegala, Who then saved me from the sea, ia now one of my disciples of the left, Oopalawon. The little girl -foho gave me a wholesome instruction in the town of Dannou, is iiow a Rahanda of the right. Her name is Kema. The Rathe© Karada, is now my disciple Thariputra. The Rathee Migadzeia is my disciple Maukalan. The arrow maker has since becoma toy faithful attendant, Anauda. Thiwalee_has since been the princess Yathaudara. The Prince Dzanecka is now the Phra that addresses you, who is perfectly acquainted with all the laws and principles, and who is the teacher of men and Nats. BB KCTICS 03 TilE PIMGTESy OR BUDXXIST RELIGIOUS, SOMETIMES CALLED TALAPOINS.* Having in the foregoing pageSj given a sketch of the life of the founder of Bu&htera, and, in the accompanying notes, endea- vored to explain the most important particulars, respecting tho- extraordinary religious system he has established, it seems to he necessary to devote a particular notice to the religious order* ■which forms the most striking feature of that religion which has extended its sway over so many nations. This association of devotees hold's the first rank among the followers of Budha;* they are the elite of that immense body. The system of discipline the Budhist Religious are subjected to, is the highest practical illustration of the doctrines and practices of Budhism. We may see, reflected in that corporation,, the greatest results of the work- ing of these religious institutions All thaf Budha, in his efforts, has been able to devise as most fit to lead man to the perfection euch as he understood it, wall be found in the constitutions of that order. It is a mirror in which we may contemplate the master piec? of his creation. The Budhist Beligious constitute the Thanga, or assembly of the Perfect. They are the strict fol- lowers of Budha, who, like him, have renounced tfic world to devoto themseives to the two-fold object of mastering their passions and acquiring the true wisdom which alone can lead to the deliver- ance. The best method for obtaining a correct information respect- ing the Budhist Beligious, is not, it seems, to consider their order in an abstract point of view, but rather in connection with the religion it has sprung from, as affording a perfect exemplification; of its highest practices, maxims and tendencies, as well as of tho real nature and true spirit of that creed. * The word Takpoin, imported into Europe by the writings of early Portuguese authors in the East Indies, derives its origin probably from two Bali words Tala-pat, meaning the leaf of the palm tree. These- two words coupled together are used by the Siamese to designate tho large fan made ot palm leaves, set in a slender wooden frame, which Talapoins carry with them on certain occasions when they go abroad. In the course of this notice, we will indiscriminately make use of the words l'hongies, Talapoins and Rahans, to designate the Bud- hist Beligious. ^OTTCE ON THE BUDHIST RELIGIOUS. 2S> Budhism is evidently an off-shoot of Brahminisn. We find it replete with principle-, practices, observances and dogmas belong- ing to the great Hindoo system. Qaudama, being himself a Hin- doo, reared in a Hindoo society, (rained up in the Hindoo schools •of philosophy, could not but imbibe to a great extent the opinions find observances of his contemporaries. He dissented from thena it is true, in many important points, but in the generality of his teachings, he seems to have agreed with them. He found exist- ing, in his times, a body of Religious and Philosophers, whose mode of life was peculiar, and quite distinct from that of the peo- ple. When he laid the plan for the Religious institution ho con- templated to establish, he found, around him, most of the elements he required for that work. He had but to improve on what he saw existing ; and make his new order agree with the religious tenets he innovated. In the hope of tracing up the ties of relationship that must have existed between the Religious of the Brahminictvl order, and tn-sse of the Budhist one, the writer will bsgin this notice, with •establishing a short parallel between the former, such as they are ■described in the Institutes of Meuoo, and the institution of the latter. Afterwards the nature of the Budhist order and the ob- ject its members have in view in embracing it, shidl be examined; next to that, the constituent parts of that body and its hierarchy shall receive a due share of attention. We will describe at the same time, ihe ceremonies observed on the solemn occasion of ad- mitting individuals into the religious society, and expose briefly the rules that direet and regulate the whole life of a professed member, as long as he remains in the brotherhood. It will not be found amiss to inquire into the cause and nature of the great re- ligious influence undoubtedly possessed by the members of the order, and examine the motives that induce the votaries of Budhism to show the greatest respect, and give unfeigned marks of the deepest veneration to the Talapoins or Phongies. This will be concluded with a short account of the low and de- graded state in which the society has fallen in these parts, par- ticularly respecting knowledge and information. Article I. A short Parallel hetvjeen the Brahminical and the Budhistic religious Orders. It has been stated on apparently incontrovertible grounds in the foregoin ' pages, that Budhism lias originated to a considerable ■extent from Brahminism. The following remarks will corro- borate the statement and give an additional weight to the rea- sons already brought forward. In fact both systems have the samn of the former is hereditary and he ia. illustrious by his lineage and descent. That of the Sfcond is personal and ends with him ; it is the result of his own free choice ; he derives all the glory that shines round him, from his virtuous life and a strict adherence to the institutions of the Wini. The Brahmin owes every thing to religion and to birth, 'ihe Budhist Religious is indebted for all that he is, solely to religion ; the monk's title to distinction is the holy mode of the saintly life that he has embraced. Both are the greatest and most distinguished in their respective society, but merit and intrinsic worth alone elicit veneration, and respect in behalf of the hunv- hle religious, whilst the casual birth of the Brahmin from the NOTICE ON THE BUDHIST ET5LTGIOUS. 2j3jf highest caste, centres upon his person the reluctant homage of men belonging to inferior castes, who in virtue of the prejudice in which they are reared, consider themselves obliged to do hom- age to him. The person of both is sacred and looked upon with awe and veneration, but from somewhat opposite and different motives. Notwithstanding these and many other differences and discre- pancies, it is not the less striking to find in the Brahminical body, such as it is constituted by the regulations of the Vedas, the germ of all the principal observances enjoined to the Budhist that leaves the world, to follow the narrow path, leading to perfection. The life cf a Brahmin, not as it is now, but as it originally was, jacd now ought to be, if the regulations of the Vedas had not been partly set aside, is one of laborious study, austerity, self denial and retirement. The first quarter of his life is spent in the capacity of student. Hi* great and sole object is the study of the Vedas, and the mastering of their contents. Worldly studies are not to be thought of. He is entirely under the con- trol of his preceptor, to whom he has to yield obedience, respect and service in all that relates to his daily wants. He must more- over daily beg his food from door to door. The Budhist novice likewise withdraws from his family, enters the monastery, lives under the discipline of the Head of the house, whom he obeys, and serves in his daily necessities, and devotes all his undivided attention to the study of religious books. He pays no regard to worldly knowledge. He has likewise to go out every morning to beg the food that he will use during the day. The second quarter of the Brahmin's life is thus employed. Ho marries and lives with his family, but he must consider his chief employment to be the teaching of the Vedas and a zealous dis- charge of the religious observances and public worship. He must sedulously abstain from too sensual and worldly enjoyments, even from music, dancing and other amusements calculated to lead to dis- sipation. The Budhist monkish institution being not hereditary, and its continuance and development having not to depend from generation, its members are bound to a strict celibacy, and to an absolute and entire abstinence from all sensual and worldly enjoy- ments, inconsistent with gravity, self- recollection a.:d self denial. Their chief occupation is the teaching to children the rudiments of reading and writing, that they might read religious books, which are the only ones used in schools. He must pay a strict regard to devotional practices, and take care that the religious observances and ceremonies be regularly observed in his monas- tery. The third quarter of his life is spent by the Brahmin in solitude as an anchorite, in the forests, where he must procure what i* 238 NOTICE ON THE BUDHIST RELIGIOUS. necessary for food and raiment. The latter is looked after, when he thinks it to be a requisite, to cover his nakedness. The roots of plants, the fruits and leaves of wild trees will supply the need- ful foi the support of nature. That time too must be devoted to the infliction of the severest, penances and to the practice of the hardest deeds of mortification. To the Budhist monk so- litude and retirement must ever be dear. Ascetic life is much recommended and praised as most excellent It was formerly much in use among religious Budhists. In rJurmafa several places are with respect pointed out. as having been sanctified by the residence of holy anchorites. Now in our days, a few zealots, to bear, as it were witness to this ancient observance, retire into solitude, during a portion of the three months of lent. The spirit of mortification and self renouncing is eminently Budhist ; but from the very days of Gaudama, we remark a positive ten- dency from the part of his Religious to give up, and renounce those imuatural and ultra rigorous penances, regularly observed by their brethren of the opposite creed. The principle is cher- ished by them, but the mode of carryiug it into practice is more mild and more consonant with reason. The last portion of the Brahmin's life is devoted likewise to meditation and contemplation. He is no more subjected to the ordeal of rigorous penances ; nature has been subdued ; passions silenced and destroyed ; the soul has obtained the mastery ovsr her body and the material world. She is free from all the trammels and obstacle* that impeded her contemplation of truth. She is ready to quit this world as the bird leaves the branch of the tree when it pleases him. The Budhist Religious having likewise crushed his passions, and disentangled his soul from affection to matter, delights but in the contemplation of truth. As the mighty whale sports in the bosom of the boundless ocean, so the perfected Budhist launches forth into abstract and infinite truth, delights in it, completely estranged from this world which meditation has taught him to consider as a mere illusion, destitute of reality. He is then ripe for the so ardently coveted state of Niban. When Budha originated the plan of a society of Religious and framed the regulations whereby it was to be governed, he had but to look around him for patterns of a religious life. The country where he had been born, the society in which he had been brought up, swarmed with Religious following the different sys- tems of philosophy prevailing in those days. He saw them, con- versed with them, and, for some time, lived in their company, under the same disciplinary institutions. He was therefore thoroughly conversant with all that in his days constituted a religious life. But the same bold and enterprising spirit which made him dis- sent from his masters and contemporaries on many important NOTICE OH TIIE E'JDIIISY REI.IGIOt'ft. 235 questions of morals and metaphysics, and induced him, in his opinion, to improve and perfect theories in speculative and practical philosophy, impelled him also to do something similar respecting the disiplinary regulations to which his Ileligious were to he here- after subjected. We freely confess that on this latter point he was eminently successful. The body of Budhist Religious is infinitely superior, in most respects, to the other bodies of Indian religion*. The regulations of the fovmer breathe a spirit of modesty, mild- ness and unafhetation, which, in a striking manner, contrasts with those disgusting exhibitions of self inflicted penances where im- modesty seemed to dispute the palm with c-iuelty, which are so fondly courted by the Brahmins. Budha opened the door of his society to all men without any distinction or exception, impli- citly pulling down the barriers raised by the prejudices of castes. Every member put on the religious dress of his own free choice, and set it aside at his pleasure > no hereditary right therefore could he thought of; the dying Ileligious could bequeathe to his brethren hut the examples of his virtues. His complete separation from the world had broken all the ties of relationship. The vow of 6trict poverty and celibacy cutting the r»ot of cupidity and sen- sual enjoyments, precluded him from aiming at the influence and power, which is conferred by wealth and rank. With the Bramini- cal Religious the case is the very reverse. His sacerdotal caste. exclusive of his personal merits, confers on him an almost divine sacredness, which is to be propagated by generation. He may possess riches and have a numerous posterity. He is there- fore almost irrisistibly impelled to seize on a power, which is forced on him, by the treble influence of birth, religion, and wealth. This subject of the comparison between the two societies of Reli- gious, might receive further developments, but what has been briefly stated, appears sufficient to bear out the pcint it was in- tended to establish, viz: the close resemblance subsisting between the two religious Orders in both systems, and the necessary infer- ence that the Order of Budhist Religious is an improvement on the Orders of Religious subsisting in India, in the days of Gaudama. There is another characteristic of the Religious Order of Budhists which has favorably operated in its behalf, and powerfully contri- buted to maintain it for so many centuries, in so compact and solid a body that it seems to bid defiance to the destructive ac- tion of revolutions. We allude to its regularly constituted hier- archy, which is as perfect as it can be expected, particularly in Burmah and Siam. The power and influence of him whom we may call the General of the Order in Burmah, and who is known under the appellation of Thathanapaing, when, as was very often the case, backed by the temporal power, was felt throughout the whole country, and much contributed to maintain good order and discipline in the great body of Religious. The action of tho £iO notice on the budhist religious. provincials or superiors of the religious houses of a province, is* more directly and immediately felt by all the subordinates. It does not appear that the Religious of the Hindoo scluols, afc least in our days, possess such an advantage that they may well envy their brethren of the Budhist sect. The members of the Brahminical body are not kept together by the power and govern*' ment of superiors', but by regulations that are so deeply rootei and firmly seated in the mind of individuals, that they are faith- fully observed. The superiority of caste, connected, too, with a certain amount of spiritual pride, has been hitherto sufficient to maintain that body distinct and separate from all that is- without self. The religious spirit that pervades that body in our days, seems to hate abated from its original fervor and energy. The Brahmin has maintained with the utmost jealousy the su- periority that caste confers upon him, but appears not to have been so particular in keeping up the genuine spiritual supremacy which a strict adherence to the prescriptions of the Vedas, must have ever firmly secured to him. Article II Nature of 'he Religious Order of Phongies. He who has not studied the religious system of Budhlsm, noi* acquired accurate notions of its doctrinal principles, is scarcely capable of forming a correct opinion of the religious order of those austere Recluses, whom Europeans, with a mind biased by educational influence, denominate Priests of Budha. Were we to apply to the members of that order the notions generally enter- tained of a priesthood, we would form a very erroneous conception of the real character of their institution. For, in every religious system admitting of one or several beings superior to man, whose providential action influences his destinies, either in this or tha next world, persons invested with a sacerdotal character, have always been considered as mediators between men and the ac- knowledged Deity, offering to the supreme being, on all pub- lic occasions, the prayers and sacrifices of the people, and solicit- ing in return His gracious protection. When in the early ages of the world, the sacerdotal dignity was coupled with the patri- archal or regal ones ; when, in the succeeding ages, there existed a regular and distinct priesthood, such as subsisted under the Mosaic dispensation or among the Greeks, Romans, Gauls, y THE BUDHtST REI,I<3lOT73. <24t «b it is found existing in Ceylon, Burmah, Siam, and othsr places, is a purely atheistical religious system, and presents the solitary instance, at least as far as ray information goes, of a religiouj creed, admitted by various nations, the doctrines of which ara not based upon the notion of a -Supreme Being, controlling mora or less the affairs of this world. In support of an assertion that may appear to many somewhat hazardous, we will briefly lay down the leading teaets ot the Budhistic doctrine. According to that system, matter is eternal. The existence of a world, -its duration, destruction and reproduction, all the vari- ous combinations and modifications matter is liable t >, are th» immediate result of the action of eternal an I self existing laws. Through life, man is submitted to the continual but successive in- fluences of his good and bad deeds. This double influence always attends him through his numberless existences, and inevitably awards him hap iness or misfortune according a3 the respective s we venerate a l d admire what is morally good and beautiful, such as virtue considered abstracte lly, and the acts originating from it. The statues of the last Bud ha Graudama, arc honored by his followers, not with the idea that certain powers or virtues are in- herent in them, but solely because they are the visible represents* tions of Budha, who desired that the same honors should be paid to them, ps would be offered to his person, were he yet !i\ing among them. This faint outline of the Bndhistic creed is suffi- cient to bear out the above assertion, that it is in no wise b^sed on the belief in a Supreme Being, but is strictly atheistical, and therefore that no real priesthood can ever be found existing under such a system. It may prove, too, of some assistance, for better understanding what is to be said regarding f he subjects of this notice. The Talapoins are called by the Burmese rhonghies, which term means great glory, or Italians, which means perfect. They are known in Ceylon, Siam and Thibet, under different names conveying nearly the same meaning and expre.'sing either the nature or the object of their profession. What induce* a follower of Budha to embrace the Talapoinio state ? What is the object of his pursuit, in entering on Mich a peculiar and extraordinary course of life ? The answer to those questions will supply us with accurate notions of the real nature of this singular order of devotees. A Budhist on becoming a member of the holy society, proposes to keep the law of Budha in a more perfect manner than his other co-reli^ionists. He intends to observe not only its general ordinances obligatory on every individual, but also its pros ription« of a higher excellency, leading to an uncommon sanctity and perfection, which can be the lwt of but a comparatively small number of fervent and reso» lute persons. He aims at weakening within himself aril the evil propensities that give origin and strength to the principle of demerits. By the practice and observance of the highest and eublunest precepts and counsels of the law, he e tablishes, con- firms and consolidates in his own soul, the principle of merits, which is to work upon him during the various existences he baa as yet to go through, and gradually lead him to perfection which Will qualify him for, and entitle him to, the state of Niban, tha object of the ardent desires an 1 earnest pursuit of every tru* NOTICE ON THE BUDIIIST BELIGIOTTS. 543 and genuine discip'e of Budha. The life of the last Budha, Gau- datna, his doctrines as well as his example, he proposes to copy with scrupulous fidelity and to follow with unremitting ardour. Saeh is the great model that he proposes to himself for imitation. Caudama withdrew from the world, renounced its seducing plea- sures and daazling vanities, curbed his passions under the yoke of restraint, and strove to practice the highest virtues, particular- ly self-denial, in order to arrive at a stateof c anplete indifference for ail that is within or without self, which is, as it were, the threshold of Niban. The Tai.ipoin fixing his regards on that matchless pat- tern of perfection, would fain reproduce, as far as it lay in his power, all its features in his own person. Like Budha himself, he parts with his family, relatives and friends, and seeks for admission into the society of the perfect ; he aban- dons and leaves his home, to enter into the asylum of peace and retire ram t ; he forsakes the riches of this world, to practise the strictest poverty ■ he renounces the pleasures of this world, even the lawful ones, to live according to the rules of the severest abstinence and purest chastity ; he exchanges his secular dress, for that of the ii'/ w profession he enters on; he gives up his f>wn will, and fetters his own liberty to attend through every act end all particulars of life, to the regulations of the Brotherhood. He is a Talapoin, for himself, his own benefit, to acquire merit which he shares with nobody else. On the occasion of certain of- ferings or alms being presented to him by some benevolent admirers of his holy mode pi life, he will repay his benefactors by repeating to them certain precepts, commands and points of the law, but he is not bound by his professional character to expound the law to the people. Separated from the world by his dress and his pe- culiar way of living, he remains a stranger to all that takes place without the walls of his monastery. He is not charged with care of souls; and, therefore never j resumes to rebuke any one that trespasses the law, or to censure the conduc* of the profligate. The ceremonies of the Budhistic worship are simple and few. The Talapoin is not considered as a minister whose presence is an essential requisite when they are to be performed. Pagodas are eiected, statues of iiudha are inaugurated, offerings of flow- ers, tapers, ana small ornaments are made, particularly on the days of the new and full moon ; but. on all these soienm occasions the interference of the Talapoin is in no way considered as ne- cessary. So that the whole worship exists inrlepsndentiy of him. He is not to be seen on the particular occasions of births and damages. He is, it is true, occasionally asked to attend fune- rals, but he then acts not as a minister performing a ceremony, but as a private person He is present for the sake of receiving EK* 244 iroTrcE on the Bux>nrsr KELiGratr* alms that are profusely bestowed upon him by the relatives o* the defunct. The Budhists have three months of the rear, from the full moon of July to the full moon oi October, particularly devot- ed to a stricter observance of 'the practices and ceremonies of the law. Crowds of people of both sexes resort to the Pago- das, and often spend whole nights in the bungalows erected close- to those places : the most fervent among them, fast and abstain from profane amusements during that period ; they devote more time to the reading of thrir sacred books, and the repetition of certain formulas calculated to remind them of certain important truths or intended to praise the last Budba Gaudama, and tlhe law he has published ; alms more abundant are pouring into the peaceable dwellings of the pious Recluses. During all the time, the Takpoin quietly remains in his plaee, without altering h» mode of life, or deviating in the least from his never changing ■usages and ordinary habits. By the rules of his profession, be is directed to pay, during that time, a particular regard to religious observance, to join his brethren in the the in from time to time, in the recital of certain formulas and the reading of the book embodying the regulations of the profession. He en- joys as usual, the good thing which his liberal co-religionists take pleasure in proffering to him. On two oecas-ions, the writer 1ms seen and on many, has heard of some Tala- poins, withdrawing during the three months of lent, to some- lonelv place, living alone in small huts, shunning the company of men, and leading an eremifcal life, to remain at liberty to devote all their time to meditations on the most excel- lent points of the law of Budha, combating their pass-ions, and enjoying in that retired situation, a foretaste of the never troubled rest of Niban. In many respects tire Talapoiuic institutions may be assimilat- ed to those of some religious orders that appeared successively in almost every Christian country previous to the era of the He- formation, and that are, up to this day, to be met with amidst the churches of the Latin and Greek rites. Like the monk, the Tala- poin bids a farewell to the world, wears a particular dress, leads a life of community, abstracts himself from all that gives strength to his passions, by embracing a s-tate of voluntary poverty, and absolute renunciation of all sensual gratifications. He aims at obtaining by a stricter observance of the law's most sub- lime precepts, an uncommon degree of sanctity and perfec- tion. All his time is regulated by the rules of his profes- sion, and devoted to repeating certain formulas of prayer*, reading the sacred scriptures, begging alms for his support, lions of creeds «o opposite to each other, have induced several ■writers little favorable to Christianity, to pronounce without fur- ther inquiry that Catholicism has borrowed from Budhism many ceremonies, institutions and disciplinary regulations Some of them have gone so far as to preteud to find in it the very origin of Christianity. 1 hey have, however, been ably confuted by Abel liemusat, in his Memoir entitled ( hronological Researches into the Lamaic Hierachy of Thibet. Without entertaining in the least, the presumptuous idea of entering into a contro- versy entirely foreign to his purpose, the writer will confine him- self to making one or two remarks calculated to show thnt the first conclusion is. to say the least of it, a premature one. When in two religious creeds, entirely opposed to each other in their ultimate object, there are several minor oojects, equally set forth by both, it will necessarily happen that, in many instances, meaiw nearly similar shall be prescribed on both sides for effectually ob- taining them, independent of any previously concerted plan or imitation. The Christian system and the Budhistic one, though differing from each other in their respective objects and ends, as much as truth from error, have, it must be confessed, many strik- ing features of an astonishing resemblance. There are many nr ral precepts equally commanded a*id enforced in common by both creeds. It will not be deemed rash to assert that most of the moral Truths prescribed by the Gospel are to be met with in the Bud- histic scriptures. The essential, vital and capital discrepancy lies in the differ-ence of the ends the two creeds lead to, but not in the variance of the means they prescribe for the attainment of them. The Gospel tends to reunite man to his Maker, points out to him the way he must follow for arriving at the possession and enjoyment of Him who is the great principle and end of all things, and teaches him. as a paramount duty, to conform his will and inclinations to his commands. Budhism tends to abstract man from all that is without self, makes self his own and sole centre. It exhorts him to the practise of many eminent virtues, which are to help him to rise to an imaginary perfection, the acme of which is the incomprehensible state of Niban. If the end aimed at by the followers of Budha is widely differ- ent frcm that which the disciples of Christ strive to obtain, the means prescribed for the attainment ot these two ends are, in many respects, very much similar to each other. Both creeds teach man to combat, control and master the passions of his heart, to make reason predominate over sense, mind over matter ; to root up from his heart every affection for the things of this world, and to practise the virtues required for the attainment of these great objects. Is there any thing surprising that persons having in many respects views nearly similar, should resort to 246 NOTICE OX THE BUDHTST RELIGIOUS. means or expedients nearly alike for securing the object of their pursuit, without having even seen or consulted each other 1 He who intends to practise absolute poverty, must of course abandon all his earthly property. He who proposes renouncing the world, ought to withdraw from it. He who will lead a contemplative life, must look out for a retired place far from the gaze and agita- tion of the world To control passions, and particularly the fier- cest of all. the sensual appetite, it is required that one should keep himself separate from all that is calculated to kindle its fires and feed its violence. Every profession has its distinctive marks and peculiar characteristics. Hence peculiarity of dross, manners and habits, in those who have adopted a mode of lit'e differing from that of the rest of the community. He who has bound him- self to the daily recitation of certain prayers or devotional formu- las, a certain number of times, will have recourse to some instru- ment, or devise some means for ascertaining the number of times he has complied with his regulation in this respect. He too who is eager to acquire self-knowledge and to carry on a successful war with himself, will apply to a guide to whom he will lay opeu his whole soul, and ask spiritual advice that will enable him to overcome the obstacles he meets on his way to perfection. These and many other points are common to all those that in- tend observing not only the precepts but also the mere coun- sels of their respective creeds. Causes being the same, in many instances, in both systems, consequences almost analogous must inevitably result therefrom. Religious institutions always bear the stamp of the religious ideas that have given rise to them. They, together with their rules and regulations, are not the principle but the immediate consequence or offspring of reli- gion, such as it is understood by the people professing it. They exemplify and illustrate religious notions already entertained, but they never create such as are not yet in existence. When the learned shall have collected sufficient materials for giving an accurate history of the origin, progress, spread and dog- matical revolutions of Budhism, it will not be uninteresting to inquire into the causes that have operated in communica- ting to two religious systems, essentially differing in their re- spective tendencies, so many points of resemblance. In read- ing the particulars of the life of the last Budha Gaudama, it is impossible not to feel reminded of many circumstances relating to our Saviour's life as sketched out by Evangelists.* Having en- * The origin of the close affinity between many doctrinal points and maxims common both to Christianity and Budhism, having been as- certained, it will not be difficult to find out and explain how the vota- ries of both have come to adopt so many practices, ceremonies, obser- vances, and institutions nearly similar. NOTICE ON THE BUDHIST REUGIOTJS." 247 deavoured to explain the nature of the institution of tho Tala- poins, and the object aimed at, by its professed members, we will now proceed to examine its systematical organization, or sacred hierarchy. Article II I. Hierarchy of the Order. It is somewhat surprising to find in the middle of half civilized nation3, such as the liurniese, Siamese, Cingalese, and Thibetan-', a religious Order, with a distinct and well marked Hierarchy, con- stitutions and regulations, providing for the admission of members, their occupations, duties, obligations and their mode of life, form- ing as it were, a compact, solid and perfect body, that has subsis- ted, almost without change, during several centuries, and survived the destruction of kingdoms, the fall of royal dynasties, and all the confusion and pgitation produced by political commotions and revolutions. It is in Thibet, that the order is found existing in the greatest perfection, under the fostering care of the Great Lama, or High Priest, who combines in his own person the regal as well as the sacerdotal dignity and power. In the city of Lassa. a Pontifical Court, an elective sacerdotal chief, and a college of superior Lamas, impart to the Order dignity, decency, respectabil- ity and stability, which insure its continued existence, and more or less extend its influence over its members living in distant Countries. The period of the introduction of Budhism fiom India into Thibet, is very uncertain, if not quite unknown. but it appears certain, that the establishment of a Pontifi- cal chief or sovereign, with royal prerogatives, was set up by one of the grandsons of the gr<-at Tartar warrior Geugis. in or about the middle of the thirteenth century. In other countries, where the Order has no connection whatever with the civil power, we can scarcely expect to see it surrounded with an equal splendour, or subsisting in the same state of perfection, regularity and fervour. Extraordinary indeed would be its vital energies, were the remotest parte of this great and far spread body to receive the same impulse and exhibit the same symptoms of vitality, as those nearest to the heart or principle of life. Hav- ing never met with any detailed particulars regarding the Thibet- mi monks, we must remain satisfied with laying before the reader, an account of all that relates to the constituent parts of the order, such as they are found existing in Burmah, and developed in the sacred writings The whole fraternity is composed, 1st of young men who have put on the Telapoiuic dress, without being considered professed members thereof, or having hitherto passed through a certain ordeal somewhat resembling an ordination ; they are called $4S NOTICE OS THE BUDHIST RELIGIOUS. Shiings : 2nd, of those who having lived for a while in the com- munity, in a probationary state, are admitted professed members ■with the ceremonies usually observed on such occasions, whereby the title and character of Talapoins are solemnly conferred — they are denominated Patziiis : 3rd, of the Heads of each House or community, who have the power to control all the mantes of the house : 4th, of a Provincial, whose jurisdiction extends over all the communities spread over the towns and villages of one Pro- vince i r District: 5th, of a Superior General, residing in the capital or its suburbs, called Tsai i-dau., or great master, having the general management and direction of all the affairs of the order throughout the Empire, Let us say something upon each of these five degrees of the Budhistic Hierarchy. It is an almost universal custom among the Burmese and Sia- mese to cause boys who have attained the age of puberty, or even before that time, to enter for a year or two some of the many Talapoinic houses, to put on the \ellow dress, for the double pur- pose of learning to read and write, and of acquiring merits for future existences. On the occasion of the death of some persons, it happens sometimes that a member of the family will enter tho community for six months or a year. When a youug lad is to make his first entrance into a house of the Order, lie is led there- to, riding on a richly caparisoned pony, or sitting in a fine pa- lankeen carried on the shoulders of four or more men. During the triumphal march, he is preceded by a long line of men and women, attired in their richest dresses, carrying n. large quantity of presents destined for the use of the inmates of the Kiaong, (such is the general name given to all the houses of the frater- nity in Burmah) the young postulant is to reside in. The pro- cession in this stately order, attended with a band playing on various musical instruments, moves on slowly and circuitously through the principal streets of the town, towards the monastery that has been fixed upon. This display of an ostentatious pomp is, on the part of the parent and relatives, an honor paid to the postulant who generously consecrates himself to so exalted a calling, and on the part of the youth, a last farewell to wordly vanities. He has no sooner descended from his splendid convey- ance and crossed the threshold of the Kiaong, but he is delivered by his parents into the hands of the Superior, and placed under his care. His head is instantly shaved ; he is stripped of his fine secular dress, and habited in the plain and humble yellow garb ; he must lay aside every sort of ornament, and remain con- tented with the unassuming simplicity, becoming his new posi- tion. The Kiaong is to become his home, and its inmates are sub- stituted in the room of his father and mother, brothers and sis- ters. NOTICE ON THE DUDH1ST RELIGIOUS. 24il The fluty of the young S iing is to minister to the wants of the elders of the house, to hriug and lay before them, at fixed times, the usual supply of water, the hotel box, and the daily food ; to attend them ou some pious errand through the town, or the country. A portion of his time is devoted to acquiring the art of rending and writing, and occasionally the elements of arithmetic. There are five general precepts obligatory on all men, but the Shiing is bound to the observance of five additional ones, making ten altogether, by which he is forbidden — 1st, to kill animals, 2nd to steal, 3rd to give himself up to carnal plea- sures, 4th to tell lies, 5th to drink wine or other intoxicating liquors, 6th to eat after midday, 7th to dance, sing, or play on any musical instrument, 8th to color his face, 9th to stand on elevated places, not proper for him, 10th to touch or handle gold or silver. The trespassing of the five first precepts is visited with expulsion frona the Kiaong, but that of the five last, may be expiated by a proper penance. The young Shiings, as before observed, do not remain in the Kiaong bey >nd the period of one or two years; they gene- rally leave it and return to a secular life. There are, how- ever; some of them, who, fond of the easy and quiet life of Talapoins, or actuated by other motives, prefer remaining longar in those places of retirement. They betake themselves to the study of the duties, rules and obligaions of a professed member of the society ; they pay more attention to the reading of religi- ons books, and endeavour to obtain the required qualifications. Being sufficiently instructed on all these points, and haying attained the age cf twenty years, they are solemnly admitted among the professed members of the brotherhood, under the name of Patzin. The interesting ceremonies observed on the occasion •shall be hereafter fully described. The state of Patzin is there- fore, properly speaking, that of Fhongie. Every other step or promotion in the sacred hierarchy, is purely honorific, in so far that it does not impose upon him who is so promoted, any new duty or obligation, different from what is obligatory on every professed member ; but it confers a power or jurisdiction for commanding, controlling and governing all the brethren under his care. In virtue of such distinctions, a superior, how high soever his rank may be, is bound to the observance of the same rules, duties and obligations as the last Patzin ; his sacred char- acter is not enlarged or altered ; he is only entrusted with a cer- tain jurisdiction over some of his brethren. The Talapoiu is bound to his community, so that in every Kiaong or House of the Order, there are ordinarily to be met -several Patzins, and a good number of Shiings. Each Kiaong has & chief who presides over the community, under the appellation of FF 250 NOTICE OK THE CtJDTIlST KTAAGIOV3. Tsaia. He is the head of the house, has power over all the in* mate?. ami every one acknowl js him as his immediate si£ perior. He hast the m lentofall the little affairs of the community, enforces the regular observance of the rules and duties of the profj esion, corrects abu . r< bukes the trespassers, spurs the lazy, i s it< s the lukewarm, ke< . > peace and maintain* good unders inates. Ho receives, in bis official character, the pious visitors who resort to lua monas- tery, either for the sake of making voluntary offerings, presents ing him with some tokei )ect for, and admiration of bis eminent sanctity, or for convc him on .some religi- ous subjects, which, let it be said qui tly, out of deference, to human frailty, sometimes make room for those of a worldly c' ■ :■ acter. If the alms-givers or advice- s, be-long, as it often happens, to the fair and devout sex, they must remain at a dis- tance of six or twelve cubits, as th< - '. tee may allow, from their pious adviser. It is su] a nearer proximity might ens- danger the virtue of the holy Liecluse. In every town a considerable number of Kiaongs are found either in the suburbs or within the walls, in a quarter reserved for the purpose; in every village the Kiaong is to be met with, as the parson's house in our villages, of Europe. One or several dzedis, a sort of flag-si ff, p inted, with some of its parts gilt, bearing the emblem of the sacred bird Henza at three fourths of its height, from which hang d v/n gracefully several streamers, and a grove of fruit trees indicate to the traveller the habitation— <- sometimes humble, sometimes stately — with its superposed three reefs, whore dwell the Kalians. These various commu- nities are placed under the jurisdiction of a general superior or a provincial, named Tsaia-dau or great master; they form under his authority a province of the Order ; a division 'muck similar to that of several religious Orders in Europe. lie enjoys a large share of public respect and veneration. His Kiaong out- shines the others in splendour and decorations. The first and wealthiest inhabitants of the place are proud to call themselves his disciples and supporters, and to supply him liberally with all that he may require. His chief duty is to settle disputes that not unfrequently arise between rival communities. The demon of discord often haunts those anodes of peace and retirement The authoritvof the Provincial interferes to put down feuds and conten- tions which envy and jealousy, the two great enemies of devotees, not unfrequently excite. When a Talapoiu is accused of incon- tinence or other serious infringement of the vital rules of the profession, he is summoned to The tribunal of the Tsaia-dau, wdio, assisted and advised by some elders, examines the case and pro- nounces the sentence. Superior intellectual attainments do not NOTICE 0N T THE EITDHIST RELIGIOUS. 2-51 appear to be the essential quali ficationa for obtaining this high, dignity. The writer has met with two or tin . f these dignitariea who in his opinion, were vastly inferior to many of their subordi- nates in talents and capacity. They were old and go id natared men, who had spent almost all their lives within the precincts of the monastery. Tl . manners and habits, were entirely ■simdar to those of bhei n oi minor order. In the kingdom of Ava, the key- ■ of the Talapoinic fabris is the sup rlativcly great master ] in t] 3 capital or its suburbs. His jurisdiction extends' over all the fraternity withia the realm of his Burmese Majesty. His positi n near the seat of Government, and his capacity of king's master, or teacher, must have at all times conferred upon him a very great degree of influence ever all Lis subordinates. He is honored with the eminent title of Thatkaiia-daii-paing, meaning that ha has power and control over all that appertains to Religion. It dues not appear that peculiarly shining qualifications or high attainments are required in him who is honored with such dig- nity. The mere accidental circumstance of having been tha king's instructor when he was as yet a youth, is a sufficient, nay, the only necessary recommendation for the promotion to such high position. Hence it generally happens that each king, at his accession to the throne, confers the highest dignity of the order, to his favorite Phcngie. In that case, the actual incumbent has to leave the place to his more influential brother, and becomes an ordinary member of the fraternity, unless he prefers leaving the society altogether, and reentering into the lay condition. Great indeed is the respect paid by the king to the head Phongie. When on certain days of worship, he is invited to go to the palace, and deliver some instructions to his majesty, the proud monarch quits the somewhat elevated place ho occupies, and takes one almost on a level with that of the courtiers, whilst the venerable personage goes to sit on the very same carpet just vacated by the king. When he happens to go out to visit some. monas- teries, -or places of worship, he is generally carried on a gilt litter, in great state, attended by a largo number of his brethren, and a considerable retinue of laymen. During the passage, marks of the greatest respect are given by the people. The monastery he lives in. is on a scale of splendor truly surprising. Its form and appearance are similar to that of other religious houses, but in variety and richness of decorations it surpasses them all. It is entirely gilt both out and inside ; not only the posts are covered with gold leaves, but often they are inlaid with rubies, winch, I suppose, are of the commonest description and of little value. ^ To confer an additional sacredness to his person, and position, the 'Ihathana-dau-paing lives by himself, with but one or two IT* 252 NOTICE ON THE BUDUIST RELIGIOUS. Fhongies, whom we may consider as his secretaries or major- domos, who remain in an apartment, near to the entrance, to- receive visitors and usher them in the pi'esence of the great person- age. Besides, there are lav guardians who take a pood care that not the least noise should ever disturb the silence of the place. When the writer visited that dignitary, he was much amused on his approach to the place, to meet with those mute guardians who by all sorts of signs and jestures 'vere endeavoring to make him understand that he must walk slowly, noiselessly and be- ware to speak aloud. When admitted t<> the presence of the Tsaia-daxi, he was not a little surprised to find a man exccediugly self conceited, who thought that to him alone belonged the right of speaking ; his language was that of a master to whom no one is to presume to offer the least contradiction. He appeared quite ©ffer.ded, when his visitor was compelled to dissent from him on certain points brought f rward during the conversation. The writer left him with an impression very different from that a worthy English Envoy, in the end of the last century, entertained ©f a similar personage, whose mild, benign and pious exterior cap- tivated him to such an extent as to elicit from him, a request to be remembered in his prayers. In our days, the power of the Thathana-paing is merely nominal ; the effects of his jurisdiction are scarcely felt be- yond his own neighbourhood. Such, however, was not the case in former times. Spiritual commissioners were sent yearly by him to examine into, and report on, the state of the communities throughout the provinces. They had to inquire particularly •whether the rules were regularly observed or not. whether the professed members were really well qualified for their holy call- ing or not. They were empowered to repress abuses, and when- ever some unworthy brother, vx Hack sheep, was found within the enclosure of a monastery, he was forthwith degraded, etripped of the yellow garb, and compelled to resume a secular course of life. Unfortunately for the welfare of the Order, these salutary visits no more take place ; the wholesome check is done away with. Left without a superior control, the order has fallen in a low degree of abjectness and degradation. The situation of Talapoins, is often looked upon now as one fit for lazy, ignorant and idle people, who being anxious to live well and do nothing, put on the sacred dress for a certain time, until, tired of the du- ties and obligations of their new profession, they retire and be- take themselves anew to a secular life. This practice as far aa my observation goes, is pretty general, if not' almost universal. There are, however, a few exceptions. Though labouring under many serious disadvantages, the society continues to subsist with «,11 its exterior characteristics ; the various steps of its hierarchy NOTICE ON THE BUDHIST RELIGIOUS. 251 *re as well marked and defined now as they were before, un- der more favorable circumstances. Its framework remains en- tire, but the materials composing it are somewhat imperfect and unsound. There is, in that religious body a litent principle of vitality, that keeps it up and communicates to it an amount of strength and energy that have hitherto maintained it in the midst of wnr.% revolutions and political convulsions of all descriptions. Whether supported or not by the ruling power, it has remained always firm and unchanged. It is impossible to account satisfactorily for such a phenomenon, unless we find a clear and evident cause of such an extraordinary reality ; a cause independent of ordina- ry occurrences, time or circumstances ; a cause deeply rooted in the very soul of the populations, that exhibit before the observer this great and striking religious feature. That cause appears to be the strong religious sentiment, the firm faith that pervades the masses of Budhists. The laity admire and venerate tne Re- ligious, voluntarily and cheerfully contribute to their mainten- ance and welfare. From its ranks, the religious body is con- stantly recruited. There is scarcely a man that has not been a member of the fraternity for a certain period of time. Surely such a general and continued impulse could not last long, unless it were maintained by a powerful religious convic- tion. The members of the Order preserve, at least exteriorly, the decorum of their profession. The rules and regulations are tolera- bly well observed ; the grades of heirarchy are maintained with a scrupulous exactitude. The life of the Religious is one of res- traint and perpetual control. He is denied all sorts of pleasures and diveitisements. How could such a system of self denial be ever maintained, were it not for the belief that the Rahans have, in the merit that they amass, by following a course of life which after all, is repugnant to nature ? It cannot be denied that hu- man motives often influence both the laity and the Religious, but divested of faith and of the sentiments inspired by even a false belief, their action could not produce, in a lasting and persever- ing manner, the extraordinary and striking fact we witness in Budhistic countries. Article IV. Ordination or Ceremonies observed at the admission into the Society. We will now explain rather minutely, and describe, as accurately as possible, the various ceremonies performed on the occasion of the promotion of a Shiing to the rank ofTalapoin or professed 254 NOTICK ON THE BUDHIST RELIGIOUS. member. It must ba borne in mind that this ordeal through which he has to pass, or ordination, as we may aptly perhaps- term it, which he has to receive, does not confer any peculiar character or give any special spiritual power to the admitted can- didate, but it merely initiates him to a more perfect course of life, find makes him a member of a society composed of men aiming at a higher degree of sanctity or perfection. The incumbent must be provided for the ceremony with a dress such as is used in the community ; he ought to be found exempt from certain moral and physical defects that would render him unworthy of being admitted a member of the order; he ought to pledge himself to rigorous observance of certain regulations which form the constitu- tions of the society The place where the ceremony is to be performed is a hall, mea- suring at least twelve cubits in length, not including the space occu- pied by theTalapoins whose presence is required on the occasion. The assembly of Talapoins or l.'ahans must include 10 or 12 mem- bers at least, if the ceremony be performed in towns, and 4 or 0, if it is in the country. He who presides over the ceremony, ia called Upitze, meaning master or guide ; he has an assistant, named Camdawa Tsaia, whose office it. is to read the sacred Cambawa, or book of ordination ; to present the candidate to the Upitze and his assembled brethren, to put to him the requisite questions as prescribed by the ritual, and to give him instructions on certain points, the ignorance of which would prove highly pre- judicial to, and greatly offensive in, a professed member of the Order. All the regulations prescribed, and the ceremonies observ- ed on the occasion, are contained in a book written in Pali, the sacred language. This book may be aptly termed the Ritual of the Budhists. It is held in great respect, and some copies written on sheets of ivory, with gilt edges, are truly beautiful and bespeak the high value Budhists set on the work. The copyists have re- tained the use of the old square Pali letters, instead of employ- ing the circular Burmese characters. All the ordinances and pres- criptions in this book are supposed to have been promulgated and sanctioned by no less an authority than Gaudama himself, the last Budha and the acknowledged originator and founder of the Tala- poinic order. Hence the high respect and profound veneration all Budhists bear to its contents. The candidate, previously to the beginning of the ceremony, must be provided, as aforesaid, with his Patta and Tsiwaran. The Patta is an open mouthed pot of a truncated spheroidal form, wherein each member of the brother- hood must receive the alms which, every morning, he goes to collect in the streets. The Tsiwaran or yellow garment, the only dress becoming a Rahan, is composed first of a piece of cloth ; bound to the loins NOTICE ON THE BUDUIST RELIGIOUS. 235 with a leathern girdle and falling down to the feet; second of a cloak of rectangular form, covering the shoulders and breast and reaching somewhat below the knee : and third, of another piece of cloth of the same shape but which is folded many times and thrown over the left shoulder, the two ends hanging down before and behind. Another article always required for completing a full dress of the Pahan, is the A watta, a sort of fan, made or" palm leaves, set in a light oval shaped wooden frame with a serpentine handle somewhat resembling in appearance the letter S. The Purmese translator of the i'ali text has interpolated hia work with many remarks tending to elucidate the text and to shew the various motives and reasons that induced Gaudama to decree and publish as obligatory the regulations laid down in the sacred Cambawa. It must be borne in mind too, that the omis- sion of some essential parts of the ceremonies annuls de facto the ordination, whilst the non-compliance with others of minor importance, though not invalidating the act of admission into the 6acred family, entails sin upon all the members of the brother- hood, assembled ex-officio for the ceremony. The reader must be prepared to observe many points of close resemblance between the ceremonies observed at the reception of a monk, or the ordi- nation of a Priest, and those performed in these parts, on the solemn occasion of admitting a candidate to the dignity of Patziu. The preparations for the solemnity being completed, and the assembled fathers having occupied their respective seats under the Upitze\ the candidate is introduced into their presence atten- ded by the assistant or reader of the Cambawa. carrying his 1'atta and yellow garments He is enjoined to repeat distinctly thrice the following sentence to the Upitze, kneeling down, the body bent forward with his joined hand;5 raised to the forehead : " Ve- nerable President, I acknowledge you to be my Upitze." These words having been tbrpe times repeated, the assistant addressing himself to the candidate says : " .Dost thou acknowledge this to be thy Patta, and these, thy sacred vestments'?" 'lo which he audibly answers : yes." Thereupon the translator remarks that on a certain day, a Rahan that bad been ordained without being supplied with either Patta or Tshvaran, went out quite naked, and received into the palms of his joined hands the food offered to him. So extraor- dinary, one would have said so unedifying, a proceeding, having been mentioned to Gaudama, he ordered that thenceforward it> Pahan shoulu ever be ordained unless he had been previously in- terrogated regarding the patta and the vestments. Any disobe- dience to this injunction would entail sin on the assembled fathers. The assistant having desired the candidate to withdraw from the assembly to a distance of twelve cubits, and the latter having 2.">6 NOTICE OS THE BUDHIST RELIGIOUS complied with his request, he turns towards the assembled fathers find addresses them as follows : — Venerable Upitze and yon brethren herein congregafud, listen to my words : the candidate -who now stands in a humble posture before you. solicits from the Upitze the favor of being honored with the dignity of Patzin. If it appears to you that everything is properly arranged and dispos- ed for this purpose, I will duly admonish him. O candidate, be attentive unto my words and beware lest, on this solemn occasion, thou utterest an untruth or concealcst aught from our knowledge. Learn that there are certain incapacities and defects which render a person unfit for admittauce into our order. Moreover, when before this assembly thou shalt be interrogated respecting such defects, thou art to answer truly, and declare what incapacities thou may^st labor under. Now this is not the time to remain si- lent and decline thy head ; every member of the assembly has a right to interrogate thee, at his pleasure, and it is thy bounden duty to return an answer to all his interrogations. Candidate, art thou affected with any of the following com- plaints 1 the leprosy or any such odious maladies ? Hast thou the scrofula, or other similar complaints? Dost thou suffer from asthma, or coughs'? Art thou afflicted with those complaints that arise from a corrupted blood ; by madness or the other ills caused by giants, witches or evil spirits of the forest and mountains 1 To each separate interrogation he answers : " From such complaints and bodily disorders I am free." " Art thou a man ?" " I am," " Art thou a true and legitimate son ?" " 1 am." Art thou involved in debts, or the bounden man and underling of some great man? "No, I am net." " Have thy parents given consent to thy ordination ?" '' They have given it." " Hast thou reached the age of twenty years ? " "1 have attained it." " Are thy vestments and sacred Patta prepared V "They are." "Candidate, what is thy name ¥■' " My name is Wago, " meaning metaphorically a vile and un- worthy being " What is the name of thy Master ? " " His name is Upitze." The assistant having finished the examination turns his face towards the assembled fathers and thus proceeds ; " Venerable Upitze, and ye assembled brethren, be pleased to listen to my words. I have duly admonished this candidate who seeks from you to be admitted into our order. Does the present moment ap- pear to you a meet and proper time that he should come forward? If so, I shall order him to come nearer." Then turning to the can- didate, he bids him to come close to the assembly and to ask their consent to his ordination. The order is instantly complied with by the candidate who, having left, behind him the distance of 12 •cubits that separated him from the fathers, squats on his heels, the body bending forward and the hands raised to his forehead, and NOTICE ON THE BUDI1IST RELIGIOUS. 257 says : *• I beg, O fathers, of this assembly to be admitted to the profession of Kalian. Have pity on me, take me from the state of ia\ man, which is one of sin and imperfection, and advance mo to that of Kalian, a state of virtue and perfection." These words must be repeated three times. The assistant then resumes Ins discourse as follows : " ye fathers here assembled, hear my words. This candidate, humbly prostrated before you, begs of the Upitzc to be admitted into our noly profession ; it seems that be is free from all defects, corporeal infirmities as well as mental incapacities, that would otherwise debar him from entering our holy state ; he is likewise provided -with the Patta and sacred Vestments ; moreover, he lias asked, in the name of the lipitze, permission of the assembly to be admitted among the Italians. Now let the assembly complete his ordina- tion. To whomsoever this seems good, let him keep silence ; whosoever thinks otherwise, let him declare that this candidate is unworthy of being admitted." And these words he repeats three times. Afterwards he proceeds : -'Since, then, none of the fath- ers object, but all are silent, it is a sign that the assembly has consented, so therefore be it done. Let therefore this candidate pass out of the state of sin and imperfection, into the perfect state of Italian, and thus, by the consent of the Upitze and of all the fathers, let him be ordained." And he furher says : " the fathers must note down under what shade, on what day, at what hour, and in what season, the ordination has been performed." This being done, the reader of the sacred Cambawa adds : " Let the candidate attend to the following duties which it is incumbent on him to perform, and to the faults hereafter enu- merated which he must carefully avoid. •' 1 . It is the duty of our brotherhood each to beg for his food with labor, and with the exertion of the muscles of his feet, and through the whole course of his life, he must gain his subsistence by the labor of his feet. He is allowed to make use of all the things that are offered to him in particular, or to the so- ciety in general, that are usually presented in banquets, that are sent by letters, and that are given at the new and full moon, and on festivals. O candidate, all these things yon may use as your food." To this he replies : Sir, I understand what you tell me." The assistant resumes Ins instructions : — " 2nd. It is a part of the duty of a member of our society to wear, through humility, yellow ■clothe-, male Of rags thrown about in the streets, or among the tombs. If, however, by his talents and virtue, one procures 'for himself many benefactors, he may receive from them, for his habit, the following articles, cotton and silk, or cloth of red and yellow wool." The elect answers. " as I am instructed so GG NOTICE ON THE J'.UDHIST fiELIGIOtJy. I will do. The instructor goes on : 3rdly, Every member of the society must dwell in houses build under the shade of loft} 7 trees. But.il' owing to your proficiency and zeal in the discharge of your duties, you secure to yourself powerful supporters, who are willing to build for you a better habitation, you may dwell in it. These dwellings may be made of bamboo, wood, and bricks, with roofs adorned with turrets or spires o£ pyramidal or trian- gular from. After the usual answer, the instructor proceeds ; •ithly. It is incumbent upon an elect to use as medicine the urine of the cow, wherein lime and the juices. of lemon or other -our fruits have been poured. He may also avail himself as medicines, of articles thrown out of the bazars and in the corner n( streets. He may accept tor medicinal purposes nutmegs and cloves. The following articles may also be used medicinally,— butter, cream, and honey. Now the assistant, instructs the new Religious on the four capi- tal offences he must carefully avoid under penalty of forfeiting the dignity he has just attained to, and solemnly warns him against, committing one of them. These sins are, fornication, theft, rnurder and spiritual pride. The committing of one of these sins by Reli- gious after their ordination, in the days of Gaudama, induced him bo declare defiacto excluded from the society those who had been guilty of such offences, and he enjoined that the assistant should immediately after the ceremony, solemnly admonish the newly ordained carefully to shun such odious offences. The assistant proceeds as follows. O Elect, being now admitted into our so- ciety, it shall be no longer lawful for you to indulge .in carnal pleasures whether with yourself or animals. He who is guilty of such sin, can no longer be numbered among the perfcet. Sooner shall the severed head be joined again to the neck and life be restored to the breathless body, than a Patzin, who has committed fornication, recover his lost sanctity. Beware there- tore lest you pollute yourself with such a crime. "Again: it is unlawful and forbidden to an elect to take things that belong to another, or even to covet them, although "heir value should not exceed about ii annas ( \ of a tical ) Whoever sins even to that small amount, is hereby deprived of his -acred character and can no more be restored to his pristine state than the branch, cut from the tree, can retain its luxuriant fo- liage and shoot forth buds. Beware of theft during the whole of your mortal journey. "Again, an elect can never knowingly deprive any living be- ing of life, or wish the death of any one, how troublesome soever he may prove. Sooner shall the cleft rock reunite so as to make i whole, than he, who kills any lie ins, be rc-admitted into our ioci< tv Cautiously avoid so heinous a crime. NOTICE ON THE BUDIIiST RELIGIOUS. 258 Again, no member of our brotherhood can ever artogate to 'himself extraordinary gifts, or supernatural perfections, or, through vain glory, give himself out as a holy man, such for instance as to withdraw into solitary places, and on pretence of enjoying ecsta- sies like the Ariahs, and afterwards presume to teach others the way to uncommon spiritual attainments. Sooner will the lofty palm tree that has been cut down, become green again, thin an elect guilty of such pride, be restored to his holy station. Take care .for yourself, that you do not give way to such an excess. The elect replies as before : As I am instructed, so I will perform. Hen ends the ceremony. The elect joins the body of Kalians and with- draws in their company to his own Kiaong. It has already been mentioned that the ceremony or ordination does not impart any spiritual character inherent in the person of -the elect, but it is a mere formality, he has to go through, to cntei into the family of the perfect. The admitted member is not lmk- .ed indissoluhly to his new state ; he is at liberty to leave it when at pleases him, and re-enter into secular life. He may, moreover, if inclined, apply for re-admission into the order, but he must go through the same ceremonies that were observed on his first ordi- nation. It is not very common to meet among the Burmese lla- iians, men who from their youth have persevered to an old age in •their vocation. Those form the rare exceptions. They are very much respected and held in high consideration during their lib- time, and the greatest honors are lavished upon their mortal re mains after their demise. They are often designated by the hon- orable denomination of" pure from their infancy. " Article Y. Rules of the Order. The obligations inherent to the dignity of l'atzin, the rauitifa,< lious duties prescribed to the Budhist monks, are contained in a book called i'atimauk, which is, properly speaking, the manual oi the Order, and the Vade Mecum of every Talapoin, who is oh liged to study it with great care and attention It is even ordcre i. that on festival days, a certain number of Recluses shall meet in a particular place called Thein, to listen to the reading of that book, or at least, a part of it, that every mother should have always pie ent to his mind the rules and regulations of his profession, and be prompted to a strict observance of all the points the) enforce. Xh'u injunction is a very proper one, since it is a fact confirmed b$ GG* O(]0 NOTICE ON THE BUDHIST RELIGIOUS. the experience of ages, that relaxation and dissipation find their ■way into all eommuniue* at the very moment the rides are par- tially lost sight of. So attentive to this duty are some Talapoins, that they can repeat by heart all the contents of the Patimauk. We have read the hook with a good deal of attention. Many wise and well digested rules are to be met with, here and there, but they are merged in a heap of minute, not to say ridiculous and childish, de- tails not worth repeating. In order, however, to give a correct and distinct outline of the mode of life, manners, h ibits and occupa- tions of the Talapoins, we will extract from it all that has appeared to he interesting and calculated to attain the above purpose, leav- ing aside the incongruous mass of useless rubbish. Every member of the order, on his entering the profession, must renounce his own will and bend his neck under the yoke of the rule. So anxious indeed has been the framer of its statutes, to leave no room or field open to the independent exertions of the mind, that every action of the day, the manner of performing it, the time it ought to last, the circumstances that must attend it, ha-e all been minutely regulated. From the moment a Kalian rises in the mor- ning, to the moment he is to go to enjoy his natural rest in the eve- ning, his only duty is to obey and follow the ever subsisting will and commands of the founder of the society. He advances in per- fection proportionately to his fervent compliance with his injunc- tions and to his conscientously avoiding all that has been forbidden by the sagacious legislator. The trespassing of one article of the rule constitutes a sin. The various sins a Rahan is liable to commit, are comprised under seven principal heads. 1st, the Paradzekas ; 2d, the Thinga-de-cits ; 3d, the Patzei ; 4th, the Toollad/.i ; 5th, the Duka ; 6th, the Dupaci ; and 7th, the Pati-de-kani. These se- ven kinds of sins are subdivided and multiplied to the number of 2*27, which constitute the total amount of sins either of commis- sion or omission that a Talapoin may commit during his remain- ing a member of the pious Fraternity. The Paradzikas are four in number, — fornication, theft, killing, and vain-glory in attribut- ing to one's self high attainments in perfection. A Recluse on the day of his admission, is, as before related, warned never to commit those four sins, under the penalty of being excluded from the society. They are irremissible in their nature ; he, who is guilty of one of them, can no longer be a Rahan. All other of- fences are subjected to the law of confession, and can be expiated by virtue of the penances imposed upon the delinquent after he has made a public avowal of his sin. The reader will no doubt be startled by the unexpected infor- mation that the practice of confession has been established among the Talapoins, and is up to this day observed, though very imper- fectly, by every fervent Religious. Some zealous Patzins will re- NOTICE ON THE BUDHIST RELIGIOUS.' 264 sort to the practice once and, sometimes, twice a day. Here is what is prescribed on this subject in the Wini, or book of scrip- tures, containing all that relates to the Talapoins, the I'atimauk be- ing but a compendium of it. When a Kalian has been guilty of a violation of his rule, he ought imme .liately to go to his superior, and kneeling before him. confess his sin to him. Sometimes he will do this in the Them, the place where the brothers assemble occasionally to speak on religious subjects, or listen to the read- ins of the i'atimauk, in the presence of the assembly. He must confess all his sins, such as they are, without attempting to con- ceal those of a more revolting nature, or lessening aggrava- ting circumstances. A penance is then imposed, consisting of certain pious formulas to be repeated a certain number of times during the night. A promise must be made by the penitent to refrain in future from such trepasses. This extraordinary prac- tice is observed now, one would say, pro forma. The penitent approaches his superior, kneels down before him, and having his hands raised to his forehead, says : Venerable superior, I do ac- cuse here all the sins that 1 may be guilty ot, and beg pardon for the same. He enters upon no detailed enumeration of his tres- passes, nor does he specify any thing respecting their nature and the circumstances attending them. The superior remains satisfi- ed with telling him : Well, take care lest you break the regula- tions of your profession, and endeavor to observe them hereafter with fidelity. He dismisses him without inflicting any penance on him, so that an institution so well calculated to put a restraint and a check upon human passions, so well fitted to prevent man from occasionally breaking commands given to him, or at least, from slumbering into the dangerous habit of doing it, is now, by the want of fervor and energy, in the hands of that body, reduced to be no more than an useless and ridiculous ceremony, a mere sha- dow of what is actually prescribed by the Wini. The punishments indicted for the repeated transgressions of ©ne or several or points of the rule, are, generally speaking, of alight na- ture and seldom or never corporeal, as flaggeliations, i\ic. 6ic. The superior sometimes orders a delinquent to walk through the court yard during the heat of the day lor a certain time, to carry to a dis- tance a certain number of baskets full of sand, or a jug of water. Meekness being a virtue most becoming a Kecluse, forbids the re- sort to penances of a more severe nature. Humility, poverty, self-denial and chastity are to him who has received the order of fatzin, cardinal and most essential virtues which he ought to practise on all occasions. He must, in all his exterior deportment, give unequivocal marks of his being always influenced by the spirit they inspire. The framer of the rules and regulations of the Order seems to have had ne other object in 2G"2 -NOTICE ON THE BUDHIST RELIGIOUS. view, but that of leading his brethren by various ways and moans, to the practice of these virtues, and inculcating on their minds the necessity of attending to the observances prescribed for this purpose. It is from this point we must view the statutes of the fraternity, in order to understand them well and rightly, and appreciate them according to their worth and merit. We would indeed form a very erroneous opinion of institutions of past ages it we were to examine them, to praise or blame them, without a d ie regard being paid to the spirit that guided the legislator, and to the object he aimed at when he laid them down. Our own ideas, customs, manners and education will often dispose us to disapprove at first of institutions made in former ages, amongst nations differing from us in all respects, under the pretext that they are not such as we would have them to be now, making, un- awares, our own prejudices the standard whereby to measure the merit or demerit of all that has been established previously to our own times. The institutions of the middle ages, a celebrated modern historian has said, are intelligible to him that has entered into the spirit of those days, and who thinks, feels and believes as did the people of those by-gone centuries. This observation holds good to a certain extent and, ?tiuiatis mutandis, in respect to Budhistic institutions. The whole religious system must be un- derstood, the object the founder of the order had in view ought to be distinctly remarked and always borne in mind, ere we presume to pronounce upon the fitness or unfitness of the means he has employed for obtaining it. For humility's sake every Talapoin is bound to shave every part of his body, in complying with this regulation he must consider that the hairs that are shaved off, are useless things. serving merely for the purposes of'vanity, and he ought to be as unconcerned about them as a great mountain which has been clear- ed of the trees in its summit. Influenced by the same spirit, the Religious must always walk bare-footed, except in cuseofhis labour- ing under some infirmity, or tor some other good reason ; he is then allowed to use a certain kind of plain and unornamented slippers ; the shape, color and dimensions of which are carefully prescribed by the rule. When the Kalians travel from one place to another they are allowed to carry with them the broad fan made of palm-leaves, and a common paper umbrella to protect their bare head from the inclemency ot the weather, or the heat of the sun. Their dress, consisting as above mentioned of three parts, is as plain as possible. According to the t'atiraauk, each separate part must be made of rags picked up here and there, and sowed to- gether by themselves. This regulation, though disregarded by many, is to a certain extent observed by the greater number, but ia a maimer rather eontrary to the spirit, if not to the letter, of NOTICE Off THE B'Ul)rtl8T RELIGIOUS. %&$ the rale. On their receiving from benefactors a piece of silk or cotton, they cut it in several small square parts, which they afterwards contrive to have stitched in the best way they can, so as to make their vestments according to the prescription of the statutes. The vestment must be of one color, yellow in those* countries where Mahomedanism does not prevail. The yellow color is a mark of mourning, as the black is amongst most of the nations of Europe. Seven articles are considered as essential to every member of the holy family, viz : the kowot, thingbain, dugout (the three pieces constituting his vestment), a girdle, a patta, a small hat- chet, a needle, and a small apparatus for straining the water he drinks. The whole number of articles he is permitted to use and possess amount to sixty : they are all plain, common, almost valueless, offering no incentive to cupidity, and leaving him, who is only possessed of them, in the humble state of strict poverty. The possession of temporal goods is strictly forbidden to the Rahans, as calculated to hinder them from meditating upon the law, and attending to the various duties of the profession. No- thing indeed opposes a stronger barrier to the attainment of the. perfect abnegation of self and a thorough contempt for material things, than the | ossession of worldly property. Hence a true Ka- lian has no object which he can, properly speaking, call his own. The Kiaong, wherein he lives, has been built by benefactors and is supplied by them with all that is necessary or useful to him. Food and raiment are procured for him, without his hav- ing to feel concerned about them. The pious liberality of his supporters assiduously provides for his wants. But it is expect- ed that he shall never concern himself with worldly business or transactions of what nature soever they may be. He can neither labor, plant, traffic, nor do any thing with the intent of deriving profit therefrom. Agreeably to the maxim %> sufficient is to the day the evil thereof," the Kalians cannot make any provision, preserve any food, or lay up any stores for the time to come. He must trust in the never failing generosity, and ever watchful attention of his supporters for his daily wants, and it must be said to the praise of the Bitdhists, that he is seldom disappointed in the reliance he places on them. That he may be more effectually debarred from a too easy and frequent use of the things of first necessity, a Tahtpoin is bound to go through a tedious ceremony called Aka*, or presentation, before he can licitly touch any thing. When he has occasion for food, drink or any thing else, he turns to his disciples and tells them to do what is lawful ; whereupon they take the thing he may- want and present it to him with those words : this is lawful. Then the Kalian takes it into his own hands, and cits it or lays it by. ZGl NOTICE OX THE liUDHIST RELIGIOUS. as may suit his convenience. When a thiag is presented, the disciple must he at a distance of some dibits, otherwise the recluse is guilty of a sin, and it' what he receives is food, he commits as many sins as he eats mouthfuls. Gold and silver heing the two greatest feeders of covetousness, the rule forbids Talapoins to touch them, and a fortiori to have them. But on this point, however, human covetousness has broken through the strong barriers the framer of these statutes has wisely devised for effectually protect- ing Recluses from its dangerous allurements. Gold and silver are not indeed touched by the pious devotees, but the precious and dazzling metals are conventionally handed to the disciples, who put them into the box of the superior, who whilst bowing obsequiously to the letter of the rule, disregards its spirit. Sometimes an inno- cent ruse is resorted to by a greedy Religious for silencing the remorse of his conscience ; he covers his hands with a handker- chief and without scruple receives the sum that is offered to him. It would be unfair to pass a general and sweeping sentence of con- demnation for covetousness upon all the members of the fraternity. There are some whose hands have not been polluted by the hand- ling of money, and whose hearts have always been, we may say, strangers to the cravings of the auri sacra fames ; but it cannot be denied that many among them are insatiable in their lust for riches, and not unfiequcntly ask for them. No Rahan can ever ask for any thing ; he is allowed to receive what is spontaneously offered to him. In this point too, the spirit of the rule is frequently done away with ; the recluse will not ask an object he covets, (I beg his pardon for making use of such a term) in direct words, but by some indirect means or circuitous ways, he will give significantly to understand that the possession of such an object is much needed by him, and that the offering of it would be the source of great merits to the donor. In this manner he moves the heart of his visitor, and soon kindles in his breast a desire to present the thing, almost as eager as his own is to receive it. Celibacy is strictly enjoined on every professed member of the society. On the day of his reception, he is solemnly warned by the instructor never to do any thing contrary to that most essential virtue. The author of the Order and its statutes has entered on this subject into the most minute details and prescribed h multitude of regulations tending to fortify the Rahans in the accomplishment of the solemn vow they have made, and to remove from them all occasions of sin. even the most distant. Wc must give him credit for an uncommon acquaintance with the weakness of human nature, as well as with the violence of the fiercest passion of the heart, since he has labored so much t< strengthen and uphold the former, and bridle die latter by every NOTICE OX TIIK BUDUIST RELIGIOUS. 235 means liis anxious mind could devise. He was deeply read in the secrets of the human heart, and knew well that the surest tactics for carrying on successfully the warfare between the spirit and the flesh, consist in rather avoiding carefully the en- counter of the enemy, and skilfully manoeuvering afc a dis ancc from him, than in boldly encountering him in the open field. Hence the repeated injunctions to shun all the occasions of sin. The Talapoins are forbidden to slay under the same roof or to •travel in the same carriage and boat, with women : they cannot receive any thing from their hands, and to such a height are pre- cautions carried that they are not permitted to touch the clothes of a woman, or caress a female child, however young, or even diandle a female animal.'* 'When visited in their dwellings by women who resort thither :for the purpose of making offerings, or listening to the recital of a few passages of the sacred books, they must remain at a great distance of them and be surrounded by some of their disciples. The Talapoins are reminded to look upon the old ones, as mothers, and upon the young, as sisters. The conversation must be as short as decency allows, and no useless or light expressions be ever uttered. On the festival days when crowds of people, men and women, go to the Kiaongs to hear the tara, or some parts of the Jaw repeated, the Rahans, arrajed in front of the congregation, keep their fans before their faces all the while, lest their '£yes should meet with dangerous and tempting objects. Much greater precautions are still required in their intercourse with the Rahanesses, a sort of female recluses, whose institute is greatly on its decline in almost all parts of Jjurmah. For better secur- ing the observance of continence, a Talapoiu never walks out of his monastery,, or enters a private dwelling, without being at- tended by a few disciples. Popular opinion is inflexible and in- exorable on the point of celibacy, which is considered as essen- tial to every one that has a pretention to be called a Rabin. The people can never be brought to look upon any person as a priest or minister of religion unless he live in that state. Any infringement of this most essential regulation on the part of a Talapoin, is visited with an immediate punishment. The people of the place assemble at the Kiaong of the off en lei', sometimes driving him out with stones. He is stripped of his clothes, and often public punishment, even that of death, is inflicted upon hire * In treating of the pracspt of never touching women, it is added in the Wini that this prohibition extends to one's own mother ; and even should it happen th it she fall into a ditch, her son, if a Talapoin, must not pull her out. Bat in case no other aid is pear at, hand, lie in ay offer her his habit, or a stick to help her out, but at the sam i time h< is to imagine that he is only pulling out a log of wood, EH 0()(} NOTICE ON THE BUDIIIST RELIGIOUS. by order of government. The poor wretch is looked upon as an outcast, and the woman whom lie has seduced, shares in his shame, contusion and disgrace. Such an extraordinary opinion, so deep- ly rooted in the mind of a people rather noted for the licentious- ness of their manners, certainly, deserves the attention of every diligent observer of human nature Whence has originated among corrupted and half civilized men, such a high respect and profound esteem for so exalted a virtue? Why is its rigorous prac- tice deemed essential to those who professedly tend to an un- common degree of perfection ? Owing partly to the weight of public opinion, and partly to some ether reasons, the law of celi- bacy, externally at least, is observed with a great scrupulosity, and a breach of it is a rare occurrence. As the rule in this res- pect binds the Tajapoin only as long as he remains in the pro- fession, he who feels his moral strength unable to cope success- fully with, the sting of passion, prefers leaving the fraternity and returning to a secular life, when he can safely put an end, by a lawful alliance, to the internal strife, rather than exposing himself to a transgression which is to entail upon him. consequences so disgrace ful. The sagacious legislator of the Budhistic religious order, pre- occupied with the idea of elevating the spiritual principle above the material one, and securing to reason a thorough coutrul over bodily appetites, has prescribed temperance as a fundamental virtue, essential to every Italian. In common with all their fellow religionists, the Talapoins are commanded to abstain from the use of spirituous liquors or any intoxicating substance. '1 he time al^ lotted for taking their meals extends from day-break to the mo- ment the sun has reached the middle of its course : but as soon as the luminous globe has passed the meridian, the use of food is strictly interdicted. A stomach more or less loaded with nutri- tive substances taken in the evening, weighs down the body, enervates the energies of the soul, clouds the intellect and renders a man rather unfit to devote himself to the high exercises of study, meditation and contemplation which ought to be the prin- cipal occupations of a fervent Italian. He is allowed to make two meals in the forenoon, but it is expected that he will eat no more than is required to support nature. To stifle the craving of gluttony and eradicate immoderate desires, he ought to repeat fre- quently within himself the following sentence : •' 1 eat this rice not to please my appetite, but to satisfy the wants ot nature;" just as he says when he puts on the habit : ' k I dress myself not for the sake of vanity, but to cover my nakedness." Kice and vegetables are, according to the statutes, the staple food of the Talapoins ; the use of fish and meat is tolerated and now a daily prevailing custom has rendered the practice a lawful one. Strict- ly speaking, a TalauDin must remain satisfied with rice and va- NOTICE ON THE BUDII1ST RELIGIOUS. 2(1? ftous sorts of boiled vegetables be has received in his Patta du- ring his morning perambulations through the streets of the place. As it happened among the Romans that the law repressing convivial sumptuousriess and luxury, proved an ineffectual barrier against gluttony and other passions, so amidst Talapoins the strict regulations, prescribing a poor and unsavoury diet, have been obliged to yield before the tendencies to satisfy the ever increas- ing "demands of appetite. Most of the Talapoins give to dogs or to boys who live in the monastery, the vulgar food they haVe beg- ged in the Streets, and feed on aliments of better quality, supplied to them regularly by some persons in easy circumstances, who call themselves supporters of the Kiaongs and of its inmates. The ordi- nary fare consists of rice and several small dishes for seasoning the rice, in which arc some little pieces of flesh, dressed according to the culinary abilities of the cooks of the country, which are not cer- tainly of the highest order. To this are added some of the fruits of the season, accompanied by sweetmeats which female devotees are wont, everywhere, so carefully to prepare and so fondly to offer to those who are the subjects of their pious admiration and respect. The aliments supplied to the humble Recluses are of the best description for the country they live in ; one would say, that they live on the fat of the land. The most delicate rice, the finest fruits, invariably find their way to the monasteries. But, withal, they are not to be charged with the sin of intemperance or gluttony. The quantity of food they rriay take is also an object of regu- lation, as well as the very mode of taking and even of swallowing it. Each mouthful must be of a moderate size ; a second ought not to be carried to the mouth before the first has been com- pletely disposed of, by the masticatory process, and found its way down through the sesophagus passage. The contrary would bo considered as gluttony and an evident sign that the eater has something else in view besides appeasing the mere wants of na- ture. It is rather an amusing sight to gaze at the solemn indif- ference of a Talapoin taking his meal. One would be tempted to believe that he is reluctantly submitting to the dire necessity of ministering to the wants of a nature too low and material. The rule forbids Talapoins to eat human flesh, or that of the monkey, snake, elephant, tiger, lion or dog. Asa mitigation of the seve- rity of the disciplinary regulation prohibiting the Recluses from taking any food, from" 12 o'clock in the day, until the next morn- ing, the use of certain beverages is permitted during that time, such as cocoauut water, the juice of the sugar-cane, and other re- freshing draughts. The rule being silent regarding the consumption of the betel leaf, and other ingredients constituting the tt.licwns mouthful for masticatory purposes, the Talapoins " ail Uicmselvc^ largely "- NOTICE ON TIFE BTJDHIST RELIGIONS. of the liberty left to them on this subject. The quantity of betel' and other accompanying substances, which they consume, is truly enormous. These articles hold a pre-eminent place amongst the objects that are presented to the inmates of monasteries. The red black substance adhering to the teeth and occasionally ac- cumulating on the extremities of the mouth, the incessant motion* of the lower jaw, the stream of reddish spittle issuing frequently from the lips of the Talapoins, are unquestionable proofs of both 'heir ardent fondness and copious consumption of that harmless narcotic. Except during the shoit moments alloted for taking meals, a Kalian's mouth is always full of betel, and the masticating or chewing process is incessantly going on. A great modesty must distinguish a member of the family of the perfect, from a layman : that virtue must shine forth in his countenance, demeanor, gait, and conversation. Any sign on his face indicating the inward action of anger or any other passion, is found unbecoming in a person whose eomposedneSS and serenity of soul ought never to be disturbed by any inordinate affection. He never speaks precipitately or loudly, lest it might be inferred that passion rather than reason influences him. Worldly or a- musing topics of conversation are strictly interdicted, either with his brethren or laymen. The rule requires him to walk through the streets with affected simplicity, avoiding hurry as well as slowness, keeping his eyes iixed on the ground in front, looking not farther than 10 or 15 cubits. Curiosity tends to expand the soul on surrounding objects; but a Kalian's principal aim being to attend diligently to himself, to prefer the care of self, before all other cares, and to concern him- self very little about all that takes place without, he assiduously labors to keep his soul free from vain inquiry, from eager desire i'f hearing news, and from an idle or unnecessary interference iu things, or matters strange to him. it seems that he has the wise raying always present to his mind : " Where art thou when thou art not present to thyself ? And when thou hast run over all things, what profit will it be to thee if thou hast neglected thy- self?"' During his perambulations he never salutes or notices the- persons he meets on his way ; he is indifferent to the attentions and marks of the highest veneration paid to him by the people : tie never returns thanks for offerings made to him, nor does he repay with a single regard, the kindness proffered to him. Ob- jects most calculated to awuken curiosity by their novelty and interest, ought to find him cold, indifferent and unconcerned. His ^elf-collection accompanies him everywhere, and disposes his soul to an uninterupted meditation on some points of the law. It is a counsel of the Wini, to observe particularly the four cleannesses, viz : great modesty in the streets and public places, the confession of all failings, the avoiding all occasions of sins, and the keeping NOTICE OSJTliK BUDHIST RELIOIOU8. 209 free from the seven kin. Is of srnsi Such a wise injunction can only be attended to, and observed, but by keeping a vigilant watch over the senses which are the very gates leading into the sanctuary of the soul. We could enter into fuller and more particular details regarding the regulations of the Talapoiaie Order, but they would prove little interesting, and only corroborate what his been pre- viously stated, tha: every action of a brother, even the most com- mon, such as the manner of sitting, raising up, sleeping, eatiiv* &c, has become the object of the legislative attention of the founder of the Order. Nothing seems to have escaped: his clear foresight, and he has admirably succeeded in leaving no room for the exercise of individual liberty. The rule is as a great moral be- ing, whose absolute commands must be always obeyed. Every' individual is bound to lay aside his own will, private views, ideas and habits, surrender his own self, and unconditionally follow the impulse of his guiding inlluence. Article VI. Occupations oj (he Budkist Jitcluscs. The whole life of a Recluse being confined within a narrow Eompass, we will have very little to say regarding their daily occu- pations. As soon as a Talapoin has left, at an early hour, the sleeping horizontal position, he rinses his mouth, washes his face, and recites a few formulas of prayers which he lengthens or shortens according to his devotion. He attires himself in his professional costume, gets hold of his Patta and sallies forth in company with some brethren or disciples in quest of his food. He perambulates the streets in various directions, and without any solicitation on his part, receives the rice, curry, vegetables and fruits, which pious donors have been preparing from two to three o'clock in the morning, watching at the door of their houses the arrival of the yellow clad saints. Having received what is considered sufficient for the day, he returns to the monastery, and sets himself to eat either what he has brought, or something more delicate and better dressed, which his supporter, if he has any, has sent to him. On the principal festivals, or on extraordinary occurrences,., abundant alms are brought to his domicile. Sometimes he is called by a pious donor to come and receive in the Pagodas, or in bungalows erected for the purpose, offerings reserved for the occasion. They consist chiefly of' mattrascs, pillows, betel boxes, 21i) notice ofc tiie fetJD&fST kxttblOtis. mats, tea cups, find various articles he is allowed to make use of On these occasions he repays Ins benefactors by repeating to them, the five great precepts and some of the principal tenets of the Budhistic creed, and the chief points of law. He enumerates, at great length, the numerous merits reserved to alms-givers. On this point, it must be confessed, that he is truly eloquent, and his language flowing and abundant: his expressions are r<-ady at hand and most glowing, calculated to please the ears of his hear- ers and warm their souls to make fresh efforts in procuring him more copious alms. Occasionally he will recite long praises in honor of Gaudama, the' last Budha. for having, during his pre- vious existence practised eminent virtues, and thereby qualified himself for the high dignity of 1'hra. The sermon goes on, some- times in Pali or sacivd language, which neither he nor his ncarers can understand. The T'hongics are sometimes requested to visit the sick, not so much for the purpose of ministering to the spiritual wants of the sufferer, than for affording him some relief by his presence. It is believed that the appearance of a holy personage may hate some effect in freeing t he deceased from his distemper, a;nd frightening the evil spirits that may be the mischievous agents til harming patients. The visitor repeats oyer them some points of the law that are intended to act as antidotes against the agency of the wicked one. Phongies are very particular on the point of etiquette When he has to enter into upper storied houses, the yellow habited Religious, previous to his venturing into the lower story, will make it sure that there is no one, and particularly no female in the superior appartments, as it would be highly unbe- coming that any man, and a torliori, a woman, should have their feet above his head. To avoid such an indecorous contingency, i'n case the sick being laying in a room up stairs, the Phongie has recourse to an expedient, few, I presume, would have thought of. By his direction, a ladder is brought, the lower part rests on the street, and the upper leans on one of the upper windows ; up goes the pious visitor, who by such a contrivance reconciles the observance of etiquette with the compliance to bis duty. The writer confesses that he was much amused the first time that he witnessed such a feat performed at Pinafig, by a Siamese Phon- gie. The little crowd attracted by this novelty, exhibited a curious mixture of feelings: some laughed ; many remained silent, but their deportment was evidently indicative of the respect and ad- miration that inspired to them the scrupulously tender conscience of the Religious. We must allow that the Talapoins confer a truly invaluable benefit upon the people of these countries, by keeping up schools, where the boys resort for the purpose of learning to read and write NOTICE ON THE BUDI1IST RELIGIOUS. 27 1 and acquire the rudiments of arithmetic. In this respect they are eminently useful, .and the institution, though to a certain extent buithensoine to the people, deserves well of the country. The many abuses that at present attend it, are almost fully atoned by the great service its members gratuitously render to their coun- trymen. There are no other schools but those under their man- agement. The tyrannical governments of Siam and Burmah do not take any steps to propagate instruction among their subjects, whom they look upon as slaves, fit only for bodily labour. The houses of Talapoins are so many little scats of elementary learn- ing ; and as they are very numerous throughout the country, every facility is afforded to male children, to learn to read and write. The female children are excluded from partaking of this great boon by the strictness of the monastic regulations. It is a great misfortune much to be lamented, as one half ef the population are thus doomed to live in perpetual ignorance. Owing to the gratuitous education given by the Budhist monks, there are very few men, at least in those parts of Burmah I have visited, who are not able to read and write, too often, it is true, in a very un- satisfactory manner, whilst scarcely a woman among thousands, can be found capable of spelling one word. The Talapoins being much addicted to sloth and indolence, the schools are undoubtedly miserably managed — the boys are often left to themselves without regular control or dis- cipline. When a boy enters in the monastery as student, his teacher places into his hands a piece of blackened board, wher- upos are written the first letters of the alphabet. The poor lad has to repeat over and over the name of the letters, crying aloud with all the powers of his lungs. He is left during several weeks on the same subject, until his instructor is satisfied that he knows his letters. In the next step, the boy is directed to study the symbols of the vowels which are to be joined with con- sonants so as to form sylables and words. "When this is done, he is initiated to the art of uniting together and articulating properly the several consonants with the symbolic characters. He slowly shapes his course through the apparently much com- plicated system of all the combinations of letters, so as to be able to spell correctly all the words of the language. Owing to the Jack of order and method, on the part of the teachers, boys spend a long time, sometimes one or two years, in mastering those difficulties, which if properly explained, would much shor- ten the time usually devoted to such a study. The Burmese alphabet and the various combinations of letters and symbols, for making words, is based on a most perfect and scientific, methodical and simple process, borrowed from the Sanscrit. The method is plain and easy, as soon as it is under- stood. Any person that has received some education, and whose 272 NOTICE OX THE BUDIIIST RL.LIGIOUS. mind is somewhat developed, will be able with the occasional assistance of an intelligent muster, to go all over the various combinations in less than two months. The results derived from the method adopted by the Burmans, arc so great and complete, that after having gone over the general alphabet with attention, the beginner is able to read all the Burmese words he may meet with. We do not mean, of course, to say that he will b« able to pronounce correctly every word. This is another thing alto- gether. But it is no less evident that the system used by Bur- mese, in the combination* of letters, leads to results infinite- ly more satisfactory than those obtained through the systems of elementary reading and spelling used in Europe. Unacquainted with the rules ot Grammar, the teachers are incapable of impart- ing any sound knowledge of the vernacular language to their numerous pupils. Hence writing, as far as orthography goes, is extremely imperfect; the spelling of words having no fixed stand- ard, varies to an indefinite extent. As soon as the scholars have mastered the difficulties of the long and complicated alphabet, some portions of the sacred writings are put into their hands for reading. The result is that the Burmese in general acquire some more or less extensive knowledge of their religious creed. Though none among them can be found who understand comprehensively the Budhistic system, yet they are possessed of a certain amount of more or less limited information concerning Budha, and his law. In this respect, they are perhaps ahead of many nominal christians in several countries of Europe, who belong to the lower classes in large manufacturing towns and remote country districts, and live without even a slight accpiaintance with the essential tenets of the Christian creed. In addition to the eminently useful task of teaching youth, the Budhistic Recluse devotes occasionally some portion of his time to the useful labor of copying manuscripts on palm leaves, either for his personal use, or to increase the small library of his monastery. The work is considered as a very excellent one, deserving of great merits, and much commended by the rule of the society. It is a matter of regret that the native laziness of the Talapoins, as well as their total want of order in acquiring know ledge, thwart to a great extent the practical working of the wise provisions made by the f'ramer of the rules. Were it not for such causes, copies of all the best and most interesting works on the religious system of Budhism, would be greatly multiplied and could be easily procur- ed.; whilst now they are exceedingly scarce and hardly to be had at all. The Talapoins spend the best part of the day in sitting down in a cross legged position, chewing betel and conversing with the many idlers that are always to he found in great numbers about their dwellings. When tired of the vertical position, they adopt the NOTICE ON THE BUDHIST RELIGIOUS. 2T.'i horizontal one, reclining the head on pillows and gently submit- ting to the soporific influence of good Morpheus. They have al- ways in their hands a string of heads on which they arc used to re- peat certain devotional formulas. The most common is the fol- lowing one : " Aneitsa, dnka, ariatta," meaning that every tlyng in this world is subjected to the law of change and mutation, to that of pain and Buffering, and to that of entire and uninterrupted effusion. There is, indeed, an immense field opened to a reflec- ting mind by these three very significative expressions for medi- tation, hut none of the Talapoins, at least of those I have been ac- quainted with, are capable of understanding comprehensively their meaning. They often repeat the forty great subjects of meditation, and the rule enjoins them to be zealously addicted to contemplation, which is pronounced to be the chief exercise of a true follower of Budha- But how can there ever be ex- pected from weak and ignorant persons the habitual practice ot so high an exercise, requiring an intellectual vigor of the very first order 1 They must repeat on their beads, at least a hundred and twenty times a day, the four following considerations on the four things more immediately necessary to men, food, raiment, habitation and medicine. " 1 eat this rice not to please my appe- tite, but to satisfy the wants of nature. I put on this habit not for the sake of vanity, but to cover my nakedness. I live in this Iviaong not for vain glory, but to be protected from the incle- mency of the weather. I drink this medicine, merely to recover my health, that I may, with greater diligence, attend to the duties of my profession. '\ Article VII. Religions influence of the Phongies — Respect and feneration -paid to them by the laity. When we speak of the great influence that possess the religi- ous Order of Budhist Monks, we do not intend to speak of political influence. It docs not appear that in Burmah, they have ever aimed at any share in the management or direction of the affairs of the country. Since the accession of the house of Alomphra to the throne, that is to say, during a period of a hun- dred years, the history of Burmah has been tolerably well known. Wc do not recollect having ever met with one instance, Avhen the I'hongics, as a body, have interfered in the affairs of the state. They likewise seem to remain indifferent respecting family or domestic affairs. The regulations they arc subjected to, the ob- 11 ft I NOTICE 038 THE BUDHiST IVELrGIWft I they have in view in entering the profession, debar them from concerning themselves in affairs that are foreign to their sacred calling. But in a religious point of view- alone, their in- fluence is a might}' one. Upon that very Order, hinges the whole fabric of Budhism. From it as from a source, flow the life that maintain and invigorate religious belief in the masses that pro- cess this creed. We may view the members of the Order as Religious, and as instructors of the people at large, and princi- pally of youth : in that double capacity, they exercise a great control and retain a strong hold over the mind of the people. There is in man a natural disposition and inclination to admire individuals, who, actuated by religious feelings, are induced to leave the world and separate from society in order to devote themselves more freely to the practice of religious dirties. The more society is corrupted, the more its members value those persons who have the moral courage to estrange themselves from, the centre of vice, that they might preserve themselves from con- tamination. In fact Religious- are esteemed in proportion to the extent of the contempt tliey have for this world. The Phongies occupy precisely that positional the eyes of their co-religionists: Their order stands in a bold relief over the society they belong to. Their dress, their mode of life, their voluntary denial of all gratification of sensual appetites, center upon them the admirin «ycs of all. They are looked upon as the imitators and followers of Budha : they hold constantly, before ordinary believers, the pattern of that perfection they have been taught so fondly to revere. 'Ihe Phongies are as living mementos, reminding the people of all that is most sacred and perfect in practical religion. No one will deny that the view of a body of Religious existing in a community, keeping an intercourse with its members, must ever have a powerful tendency to foster religious feelings in the mind of a half civilized people as the Burmese are. It is in this man- ner that the Phongies command the respect and veneration of the people, and exercise a considerable amount of religious influence over the masses. But in the capacity of instructors of the people the members of the Order act, as yet, more directly and actively over the peo- ple. In Burmah there are no schools but those kept by the Reli- gious. The monasteries are as so many little seminaries where male children receive elementary instruction. The knowledge that is imparted to them by their masters, is not secular, but purely religious. As soon as boj's are able to read, religious books are put in their hands. During all the time they remain at school, they go over the books that have a direct reference to re- ligion. They, without even being aware of it, imbibe religi- ous notions, become acquainted with some parts of the reli— r> NOTICE 0?\ T THE BUDHIST RELIGIOUS. 275 Atolls creed, in particular with what relates to Gaudama'a pre- ceding and last existences. When they grow up to manhood, if they happen to read, they have, as a general practice, no other •books hut such as have a reference to religion. When people assemble together either in the dzeats on the occasion of festival days, or at home, on other publh occasions, particularly in the days .following the death of some relatives, one or several elders read some passages of their scriptures, and thereby supply topics for conversation of a religious turn. This state of things originates almost entirely from the early education received in the monas- teries, at the hands of their masters the Phongies. It power- fully contributes to popularize and foster religious notions, whilst it indirectly heightens and brightens in the eyes of the people, the position of the Religious. Moreover, the early intercourse between the youth and their masters tends to bring hereafter in closer contact and union both the Religious and the laity : it draws nearer the ties that bind together these two fractions of the Budhist society. The relations thus established between the teachers and the taught, is .further strengthened by the fact that the greatest number of the male portion of the community become affiliated during a longer or shorter period to the society, and subjected to its rules and .regulations ; they are cast into the mould of Religious, and retain, during the remainder of their life, some -of the features that have been, at an early period, stamped on their young mind. Their .memory remains loaded with all that they have learned by heart during the days they have spent in the monasteries, as students or members of the society. Though the Phongies or Talapoins are not remarkable fur their zeal in delivering instructions or sermons to the people, they dis- charge occasionally that duty on the eve of, and during, the festi- val days, and on all occasions when considerable offerings are brought to them, in their monasteries. Sometimes too, they are requested to go to certain places prepared for that purpose to de- liver instructions and receive offerings tendered to them by some; pious laymen. These and -similar circumstances much contribute to keep up the position of the Religious and aid them to retain a powerful religious hold over their respective communities. We repeat it, as our deliberate opinion, that upon the religious asso- ciation under consideration, principally rests, as on a strong basis, the great fabric of Budhism. Were such an institution to give way and crumble to the dust, the vital energies of that false creed would soon be weakened and completely paralyzed. Budhism would yield before the first attack that would be skilfully and vigorously directed against it. In Rurmah the Talapoins are highly respected by every mem- ber of the community. When they appear in public, walking in 11* 270 NOTICE OX THE BTTDHIST UELlCJIOtrs. the streets, they axe (he object of the greatest attention. The people withdraw before them to leave a free passage. Women are seen squatting on both bides of the way, through respect for the venerated personages. When visited in their dwellings, even by persons of the highest rank, the etiquette is, that every visitor should prostrate himself three times before the head of the mo. iiastery, uttering the following formula: "To the end of obtain- ing the remission of all the faults I have committed through my senses, my speech and my heart, I make a first, second and third prostration in honor of the three precious things — I'hra, his law and the assembly of the perfect. Meanwhile I earnestly wish to be preserved from the three calamities, the four states of punish- ment and the five enemies." To which the Recluse answers -. "For his merit and reward, may he who makes such prostrations be freed from the four states of punishment, the thiee calami- ties, the live sorts of enemies and from all evil whatsover. May he obtain the oject of all his wishes, walk steadily in the path of perfection, enjoy the advantages resulting therefrom, and finally obtain the state of Niban." On the visitor withdrawing from his presence, the three prostrations must be repeated ; he then stands up, falls back to a distance of ten foet, as it would be highly unbecoming to turn suddenly the back on the holy man, wheels round on the right and goes out. The best proof of the high veneration the people entertain for the Talapoins, is the truly surprizing liberality with which tho they gladly minister to all their wants. They impose upon them- selves great sacrifices, incur enormous expenccs, put themselves joyfully into narrow circumstances, that ihey might have the means to build monasteries with the best and most substantial materials, and adorn them with all the luxury the country can afford. Gol I is often profusely used for gilding the posts, ceiling and other parts of the interior, as well as several trunks or chests for storing up manuscripts. Two or three roofs superposed upon each other (a privilege exclusively reserved to royal palaces, pagodas and kiaongs) indicate to the stranger that the building is a monastery. The Recluse's house is well supplied with the various articles of furniture, becoming the pious inmates. The individual who builds at his expense such a house, assumes the much envied title of Kiaong-taga, or supporter of a monastery. This title is for ever coupled with his name : it is used as a mark of respect by all persons conversing with him, and it appears in all papers which he may have to sign. The best, finest and most substan- tial articles, if allowed by the regulations as tit for the use of the Talapoins, are generally and abundantly afforded by benevolent persons. When the king is religiously inclined, the best and most costly presents he receives, are deposited in the monasteries, to adorn the place or hall where is the principal idol. NOTICE ON THE BUDHIST RELIOtOUS. 271 Government does not interfere or give any assistance in build- ing pagodas, or kiaongs, nor {\i>o* it provide for the support of the pious Kalians, but the liberality of the people amply suffices fur all contingencies of the kind. When a man has made some profit by trading, or any other way, he will almost infallibly bestow the best portion uf his lucre, in building a kiaong, or feeding the inmates of a house for a few months, or giving general alms to all the Kecluscs of the town Such a by no means uncommon liberality has its root, we believe, in a strong religious sentiment, and also in the insecurity, nay the danger of holding to property a large amount. When a Talapoin is addressed by a layman, the latter assumes the title of disciple, and the former calls him simply Taga, or supporter. As there is in Imrmah a court language, so there is a language, or rather a certain number of expressions, reserved to designate things used by Talapoins, as well as most of the actions they perform in common with other men, such as eating, walking, sleeping, shaving, &c. The very turn of the most common sen- tence, is indicative of respect, when speaking to a Rah an. Me is called l'hra, the most honorific term the language can afford. His person is sacred, and no one would dare to offer him the least insult or violence. The influence of the Talapoin upon the people is considerable in proportion to the great respect borne to his sacred character. 80 extraordinary has it been on certain occasions, that Fhongeeshave been seen rescuing forcibly from the hands of the police, culprits on their way to the place of execu- tion. No resistance then could be made by the policemen, with- out exposing themselves to the danger of committing a sacrilege, by lifting their hands against them. The liberated wretches were forthwith led to the next monastery. Their heads having been shaved, they were attired in the yellow garb, and their per- sons bfcame at once sacred and inviolable. The veneration paid to Talapoins during their life time, accom- panies them after their death. Their state is considered as one of peculiar sanctity, it is supposed that their very bodies too partake of the holiness inherent to their sacred profession. Hence their mortal remains are honored to an extent scarcely to be imagined. As soon as a distinguished member of the Brotherhood has given up the ghost, his body is opened, the viscera extracted and buried in some decent place without any peculiar ceremony, and the corpse is embalmed in a very simple manner, by putting ashes, bran and other substances into the abdominal cavity It is then swathed with bands of linen, wrapped round it many times ; and a thick coat of varnish laid upon the whole. On this fresh varnish, gold leaves are sometimes placed, so that the whole body from head to feet is gilt. When the people are poor and cannot afford to buy gold for the above purpose, a piece of yellow cloth is considered 27S NOTICE ON THK BU MUST RELIGIOUS. us (he most suitable substitute.. The body thus attired is laid in a very massive coffin, made not with planks, but of a single piece of timber hollowed in the middle for receiving the earthly frame •of the deceased A splendid cenotaph, raised in the centre of a large bungalow erected for the purpose, is prepared to support a large chest wherein the coffin is deposited. This chest is often gilt inside and outside and decorated with flowers made of differ- ent polished substances of various colors, l'ictures such as native artists contrive to make, are disposed round the cenotaph. They represent ordinarily religious subjects. In this stately situation, the body remains exposed for several days, nay several months, until preparations are completed for the grand day of funeral. During this period, festivals are often celebrated about it, hands of music are playing and people resort in crowds to the spot for the pur- pose of making offerings to defray the expense to be incurred for the funeral. When the appointed day for burning the body is at last arrived, the whole population of the town will be seen flock- ing, in their finest dress, to witness the display of fire works which takes place on the occasion of burning the corpse. A funeral pile of a square form is erected on the most elevated spot. Its height is about fifteen feet, and ends with a small room made for receiving the coffin. The corpse having been hoisted up and laid in the place destined for its reception, fire is set to the pile in a rather uncommon way. An immense rocket, placed at a distance of about 40 yards is directed towards the pile by means of a fixed rope guiding it thereto. As soon as it comes in contact with the pile, the latter immediately takes fire by means of combustibles heaped for that purpose and the whole is soon consumed. A few remain- ing pieces of bones are religiously collected and buried in the vicinity of some Pagoda.. Here ends the profound veneration, amounting almost to worship, which lJudhists pay to their Re- cluses during their life and after their demise. Two chief motives induce the sectaries of Budha to be so liberal towards the Talapoins, and to pay them so high a respect, viz. the great merits and abundant rewards they expect to derive from the plentiful alms they bestow upon them, and the profound admira- tion they entertain for their sacred character, austere manners and purely religious mode of life. The first motive originates from interested views, the second has its root in that regard men naturally hody on earth oan ever be compared to them. To such a height j j •jyO NOTICE ON THE BUBIHST RELIGIOUS. has their pride reached, that the} - believe it would be derogatory fco their dignity, to return civility for civility, or thanks for the alms people bestow on them. The most striking feature in the Talapoins' character, is their incomparable idleness. Wo may say that in this respect they resemble their countrymen who are very prone to that vice. Two causes of a very different nature seem, in our opinion, to act to- gether on the people of these countries, to produce such a result. The first is a physical one The heat of the climate, coupled with a perpetual uniformity in the temperature, produces a general relaxation in the whole system, which is never combated or coun- teracted by any opposite action or influence. The second cause is a moral one ; the tyranny of the despotic Governments ruling over The populations of eastern Asia. Property is everywhere insecure ; lie who is suspected of being rich, is exposed to numberless vex- ations, from the part of the vile satellites of tyranny who soon find out some apparent pretext for confiscating a part or the whole of Ins property or depriving him of life, should he dare to offer resistance In such a state of things, every one is satisfied with the things of first necessity. Wants are the stron- gest ties that bind together individuals and races, and, at the same time hold out the most powerful incentives to exertions, The people of these parts have but few wants, and therefore no inducement to labor for acquiring any thing beyond what is strictly necessary. Emulation, ambition, the desire of growing rich, which are the mainsprings that move man to exertions, dis- appear, and leave him in an abject and servile indolence, which soon becomes his habitual state, and the grave wherein is en- tombed all his moral energy. Like their countrymen, Talapoins are exposed to the influence of the above causes, but their mode of life is a third additional cause, which makes them even more indolent than others. They have not to trouble or exert themselves for the articles requir- ed for their subsistence and maintenance ; they are supplied tp them by their co-religionists. They are bound, it is true, to read, study and meditate, but their ignorance and lax.mess incapacitate, them for such intellectual exercises. They remajn, during the best part of the day, sitting in a cvoss-legged position, or reclining or sleeping, or at least attempting to do so. They occasionally resume the vertical position to get riu of their ennui — one of their deadliest enemies, and by repeated stretchings of arms and legs, and successive yawnings, try to free themselves from that, do- mestic foe. The ieaphing of their scholars occupies a few of them for a short time, in the morning and the evening They are saved ft en from their mortal ennui by visitors as idle as themselves, vho result to their dwc'lings to kill their time in their company. xoncu un Tiia budhist aBLiGtioifs. iZ8'.iN T . wordSi the meaning of which is far from being accurately deter- mined. Our Budhist Doctor begins his work with enumerating the ad- vantages to be derived from a serious and constant, application to the earnest study of those seven ways. Such an exercise, says he, has the virtue to free us from all evils ; it expands the the intelligence in the highest degree, and leads straight fen ward to Niban. Man, through it, is delivered from all errors, is happy and becomes during his life an honor to the holy religion of Hudha. The various subjects', he intends to treat in this work, are ar- ranged under seven heads, Which are laid down in his own origi- nal way as follows : The observance of the precepts, and the practice of meditation are the twofold foundation of the spirit- ual edifice. The Consideration of the nature and form of mat- ter shall be the right foot of the sage : the investigation albou 6 the causes and principles of living beirigs, shall be as his left foot : the application of the mind to find out the four high roads to perfection, and the obtaining of the freedom of all passu lis, shall be as his right and left hands ; and the possession of the perfeot science or knowledge shall be as his head. The happy man who shall have reached so far, will be certain to obtain the deliv- erance. This summary is thus, by our guide, divided into seven distinct parts, which will be con lensed into six articles. Article t- Of the Precepts, Our author in a truly philosophical spirit, at first puts to himself the three following questions: What is the origin of the law ? What is man, the subject of the law ? What is the individual who is the promulgator of the law? The three questions he an- swers in the following manner : 1st. All that exists, is divid- ed into two distinct parts, the things which are liable to change, and obey the principle of mutability, such as matter, its modi- fications and all beings, which have a cause ; and those which are eternal and immutable, that is to say, the precepts of the law and Niban. These have neither author nor cause ; they are self-existing, eternal, and placed far beyond the reach of the influ- ence that causes mutability. 2nd. As to the publisher of the law, Budha, he is a mere man, who, during myriads of centuries 'THE SEVEN WAYS To NIBASf. 287 has accumulated merits on merits, until he lias obtained the Niban of Kiletha, or the deliverance of all passions. From that moment, till bis death, this eminent personage is constitu- ted the master of religion and the doctor of the law. Owing to his perfect science, he finds out and discovers all the precepts rbat constitute the body of the law. Impelled by his matchless benevolence towards all beings, he promulgates them for the salvation of all. He is not the inventor of those precepts ; he merely discovers them by the power of the supreme intelligence, in the same manner, as we perceive clearly during the night, by the belp of a light, objtfcts hitherto wrapped in utter dark- ness, ilrd. Man who is to be subjected to the observance of the law, is distinguished by the following characteristics. He possesses more knowledge than the animals and other beings, except the Nats and Brahmas ; his intelligence and thoughts reach farther than those of other beings ; he \s capable of re- flecting, comparing, drawing inferences, and observing freely the rules of life ; despite the allurement of his passions, he can free himself from the three great passions, concupiscence, an- ger and ignorance ; finally, he is a descendant from those Brah- mas, who in the beginning of this world, came from their seat, Jived on earth, and by their eating the rice Tsale. lost all their glorious privileges and became beings similar to those who are known to us under the denomination of men. The great end to be aimed at in the observance of the precepts of the law, and the exercise of meditation, is the obtaining of a state of complete indifference to all things. Hence our Budha. when he became a perfected being, looked on the wicked Dewadat, with the same feelings as he did on the great Maia, his mother. Num- berless Rathees or anchorites have ever been eulogized for having allowed themselves to be devoured by ferocious beasts, or bit by venomous snakes, rather than offering the least resistance that r-ould exhibit a sign of non-indifference. Entire was their un- concern towards their very body, which, they knew well, is, as every thing else, a compound of the four elements, a mere illu- sion, totally distinct from self. Five commandments constitute the very basis whereupon stand all morals, and are obligatory to all men without exception. They include five prohibitions, viz. not to destroy the life of any being ; not to steal ; not to commit adultery ; not to tell lies ; not. to drink any intoxicating liquors or beverages. Our author seems to'be a perfect master in casuistry, as he shows the greatest nicety and exactness in explaining all the re- quisite conditions that constitute a trespassing of those precepts. AVe will give here but a lew samples of bis uncommon proficien- cy in this science. As regards the first prohibition, says he, five •288 THE SEVEN. WATS TO NIBAN. things are necessary to constitute an offence against the first com- mandment, viz. a being that has life, the intention and will of killing that being, an act which is capable of inflicting death, and the loss of life of that being, consequent to the inflictibg of that action. Shonhl but one of these conditions be wanting, the sin could not be said to have taken place, and, therefore, no com- plete trespassing of the first prohibition. A fain, as regards the second precept, five circumstances or con- ditions are necessary to constitute a trespassing, viz. an object belonging to another person, who never by words or signs, show- ed any intention to part with it. Knowing that the owner in- tends to keep possession of it, having the actual intention to take away secretly or forcibly that object, an effort to become possessed of the thing by deceiving, injuring, or by mal-practices causing the owner or keeper of the thing to fall asleep and finally to remove the thing from its place, however short may be the distance, should it be but that of the length of a hair of the head. For the infraction of the third precept, the following conditions are required : the intention and will of sinning with any person of another sex, that comes within the denomination of Akamani- jathan, that is to say, persons it is forbidden to touch ; acting up to that intention, and the consummating of such an act. Women that fall under the above denomination, are divided into twenty classes. The eight first classes include those that are under the guardianship of their parents or relatives ; the ninth class com- prises those who are affianced before they be of age ; the tenth, those reserved for the king. Within the ten other classes come all those who, owing to their having been slaves, or for any other causes, have become the concubines to their masters, or married their seducers, etc. The fourth prohibition extends not only to lies, but likewise to slander, coarse and abusive expressions, and vain and useless words. The four following conditions constitute a lie, viz. saying a thing that is untrue, the intention of saying such a thing, making manifest such an intention by saying the thing, and some- body that hears and clearly understands the thing that is uttered. That the sin of medisance may be said to exist, it is required that the authev of it should speak with the intention of causing parties to hate each other, or quarrel with each other, and that the words spoken to that end, should be heard and understood by the parties alluded to. The fifth precept forbids the drinking of Sura and meria, that is to say, of distilled liquors, and of intoxicating juice extracted from fruits or flowers. The mere act of putting the liquor in the mouth does not constitute a sin ; the swallowing of it is required. THE SEVJfcN WATS TO N1BAX. B89 Besides those five general precepts, obligatory to all the faith- ful without exception, there arc three other precepts, or rather counsels that are strongly recommended to the upasakas or pious laity. They are designed as barriers against the great propen- sity inherent to nature, which causes men to exceed in all that is used through the senses of taste, hearing, seeing, smelling and feeling. They are so many means that help to obtain a sober moderation in the daily use of the things of the world. The first counsel regulates all that regards eating. It forbids using any comestible from noon, to day break of the following morning. The second interdicts the assisting to plays, comedies, and the use of flowers and essences with the intention of fondly handling and smelling them. The third prescribes the form and size of beds, which ought never to be more than one cubit high, plain without ornaments. The use of mattrasses and pillows, filled with cotton, or other soft substances, is positively prohibited. The very intention of laying upon these enervating superfluities, and a fortiori the reclining on them, constitutes the breaking of such a Command. These three tatter precepts are to be observed chiefly in the following days, on the 5th, 8th, 14th and 15th, of the waxing moon, and on the 5th, 8th and 1 4th, of the waning moon, as well as on the new moon. The pious upasakas sometimes observe them during the three consecutive months of the season of lent. In the opinion of our author, those are deserving the title of upasakas, males and females, who have the greatest respect for, and entertain a pious affection towards, the three precious things, Budha, the law, and the assembly of the perfect. They must ever view them as the land of salvation, and the securest asylum. They must be ready to sacrifice every thing, their very life, for the sake of these three perfect things. During their lifetime, un- der all circumstances they must aim at following scrupTilously tb.3 instructions of Budha, such as they are embodied in the law and preached by the Rahans. Five offences disqualify a man for the honorable title of upa- suka, viz : the want of belief and confidence in the three precious things, the non-observance of the eight precepts, the believing in lucky and unlucky days, or in good and bad fortune, the be- lief in omens and signs, and keeping company with the impious who have no faith in Budha. We now come to the rules which are prescribed to all the Rud- hist Religious. They are 227 in number, and are found in a book called Batimauk. This book is the Vadu Mecuni of all Religious. They study it, and often learn it by heart. On cer- tain days of each month, the Religious assemble in the Thein. The Patimauk is then read, explained and commented upon, by KK 290 riTE SEVEN WAYS TO NTBX-y. one of tile elders- of the fraternity. It is an abridgement of the Wini, the great book of discipline. It teaches the various rules respecting the four articles offered by the faithful to the Reli- gious, that is to say, vestments, food, mats and the ingredients for mastication. These rules likewise regulate all that relates to- the mode of making prayers, devotions, walking, sitting, reclin- ing, travelling, etc. etc. Every thing is described with a minute particularity. Here, if any interest could be awakened, w-ouki be the place to enter into the system of cas-uist/y, earned by. Budhist Reli- gious to a point of. nicety and refinement truly astonishing. Suffice it to state that they have gone over the boundless field of speculative conjectures respecting all the possible ways of fulfill- ing or trespassing the precepts and regulations tliat concern the body of Religious. Eveyy law and precept must have a sanction. This essentia! re- quisite is nog wanting in the Budhist system. Let us examine in what consists the reward attending a regular and correct observance of the precepts, and what is the punishment inflicted on the trans- gressors of those ordinances. As usual we will follow our author and allow him to make known his own opinions on this important subject. It is often inquired front us v says he, why some indivi- duals live here- during many years, whilst others appear, but for a short time, on the scene of this world* The reason of the differ- ence in the respective condition of these persons, is obvious and evi- dent. The first, during their former existence, have faithfully ob- served the first command and refrained from killing beings ; hence their long life ; the second on the contrary have been guilty of some trespassings of this precept, and therefore, the influence of their former crimes causes the shortness of their life. In a similar manner we account for all the differences that exist in the condi- tions of all beings. The observance or trespassing of one or se- veral precepts, creates the positions of happiness and unhappiness, of riches andpoverty, of beauty and ugliness, that chequer the lives- and positions of mortals in this world. In addition to the rewards bestowed immediately ro this world, there are the six seats of Nats, where all sorts of recompenses are allotted during immense periods, to thuse who have correct- ly attended to the ordinances of the law. There are likewise places of punishment in the several hells, reserved to- the trans- gressors of the precepts. The conditions of animal, Athoorike and Preittas, are other states of punishment. A lengthened account of all that relates to the blissful regions of Nats, and the gloomy abodes of hell, is found in one of the great Dzats, or accounts of the former existences of Gaudama, given by himself to his disciples, when he was a Prince under the THE SET EX WAYS TO ^ITBATf. 25 \ name of Nemi. The writer has read and partly translated this work, which delightfully reminded him of the fine episodes se regions, are allotted to those who have distinguished themselves by their trreat liber- alities. We think it idle and superfluous, uninteresting and fa- tiguing, to repeat those fabulous accounts of the seats of Nats nud -abodes of hell, as given at great length by Budhist authors. The only particulars deserving to be attended to are these : the re- ward is always proportionate to 'the sum of merits ; and punish- ment, to that of demerit. There is no eternity of reward nor of punishment. This first article shall be concluded by an important remark bearing upon the system under consideration. The seats of happiness, as already mentioned, are divided into two great clas- ses, the one including the superior, and the other, the inferior seats. The latter are the six seats of Nats, and are tenanted by beings as yet under the influence of concupiscence and other passions. Those who observe the five general precepts have placed, and, as it were, established themselves on the basis whereupon stands perfec- tion but not yet in perfection itself ; they have just crossed the threshold thereof. They are as yet imperfect ; but they have pre- pared themselves for entering the way that leads towards perfec- tion, that is to say, meditation, or the science of Dzan. The very reward enjoyed, in those seats is, therefore, as yet, an imperfec- tion. The superior seats can only be reached by those who apply themselves to mental exercises. These exercises are the real founda- tion of the lofty structure of perfection, and the high road to it. Article II. Of Meditation and its various Decrees. This and the following articles contain subjects of so abstruse ,and refined a nature, that it would require to be possessed of the gg-2 THE SEVEN WAYS TO NIBAN. science of a Budha in order to come to a right understanding of such obscure topics. The difficulties, arising from this study, are owing to the contused and very unsatisfactory ideas of the Bud- hist philosophers respecting the soul and its spirituality, and per- haps to the inability of "the writer to understand the vague and undefined terms employed for conveying their ideas on these mat- ters. The field of Budhist metaphysics is to a European, in a great measure, a new one ; the meaning of the terms is half un- derstood by Burmese translators ; definitions of terms do not con- vey explanations such as we anticipate, and ideas seem to run in a new channel; they assume, if we may say so, strange forms: divisions and subdivisions of the various topics have no resem- blance with what a European is used to in the study of philoso- phy. The student feels himself ushered in a new region ; he is doomed to find his way by groping. Finally the false position assum- ed by the Indian philosophers and the false conclusions they arrive at, contribute to render more complicated the task of elucidating this portion of the Budhist system. That the difficulties may be some- what lessened and the pathway rendered less rugged, and a little smooth, the writer proposes to avoid as much, as it is in his pow- er, overcharging with Pali terms, the explanations he is about to afford, under the guidance of the Budhb t author. In the preceding article, we have treated of meritorious ac- tions that are purely exterior, and briefly alluded to the nature of the rewards bestowed on earth and in the six seats of Nats, to those who have performed those good actions. Now we leave behind all these exterior good deeds, and turn the attention of our mind to something more excellent, to those acts that are purely interior, and performed solely by the soul and the right exercise of its faculties, that is to say, by meditation and contem- plation. The root of all human miseries, is ignorance. It is the gene- rating principle of concupiscence and other passions. It is the dark°but lofty barrier that encircles all beings and retains them within the vortex of endless existences ; it is the cause of all existences, and of all those illusions to which beings are miser- ably subjected; it causes those continual changes which take place in the production, existence and destruction of all beings. This great cause once found and proclaimed by Budha, it was ne- cessary to procure a remedy to counteract the action of igno • ranee, and successfully oppose its progress. Another antago- nistic and opposite principle was to be found, able to resist the baneful agency of ignorance and stem its sad and misfortune creat- ing influence. That principles science or knowledge. Ignorance is but a negative agent ; it is only the absence of science. Let knowledge be, and ignorance shall vanish away in the sam g, THE SEVEN WAYS TO NIBAX. 293 manner as darkness is noiselessly but irresistibly dissipated by the presence of light. All beings in this universe, says our author, are doomed to be born and die We quit this place to go and live in another ; we die here to be born elsewhere. We can never be freed from pain, old age and death. Whether we like it or not, we must suffer and always suffer. But why is it so 1 Because we do not possess the perfect science. Were we blessed with it, we would infallibly look towards Niban, and then escaping from the pursuit of pain and miseries, we would infallibly obtain the de- liverance fiom those evils, which now incessantly press upon us. It rests with us. but to perfect rur intelligence, so that'we might gradually attain to the perfect science, the source of all good. But by wbat means is so desirable an end to be obtained ? Hy the exercise of meditation, answers, with a decided tone, our phi- losopher. This word implies, besides, other intellectual opera- tions of a superior order, such as contemplation, visions, ecstacy, union, &c, which are the more or less complete results of that intellectual exercise. The act af meditating can take place but in the heart, where resides the mano, or the faculty of knowing. Its object can ne- ver be but the vam-damma, literally the name of the thing, or in other terms the things of a purely intellectual nature. But it can by no means happen in the seat of the other senses or organs, such as the eyes, the ears, &c. *c., which are only channels to communicate impressions to the faculty of mano. The constitutive parts of meditation are five in number. Wtt- teku, the action of raising the mind to an object ; Witzara, tho attentive consideration of that object ; Piti, the bringing of the soul and body to a state of satisfaction ; Suka, the pleasure en- joyed in the thing considered ; Ekatta, the perseverance or sta- bility of the mind in that object. There is also Vbeka, which im- plies a greater and more intense degree of fixity of the mind, ex- tending not only to one object in particular, but to all things. It may be called the absolute quietism of the soul, and the general result of a complete course of general meditation on the universality of things. It is the last and highest point that can ever be reached. To explain more fully the nature and definitions of the two first parts, our philosopher has recourse to the following compari- son. Let us suppose a man that has to cleanse a rusty copper vessel. With one hand he grasps the vessel, and with the other he rubs it up and down, right and left. This is exactly what is done by the means of Witteka and Witzara. The first gets hold of the object of meditation, and the second causes the mind to 294 THE SEVES WATS TO SIBAS. pass and repass over it until it lias perfectly seen it in all its particulars. The third stage in the exercise of meditation, is that of Piti, which consists in a sort of transitory delectation, experienced by bim who has reached that third step of mental labor. It pro- duces on the whole frame the following effects : It seems to him that is engaged in that exercise, that the hairs of his head stand nil on an end, so strong is the sensation he then feels; at other times, it produces in the soul sensations similar to that of the lightning that rends the atmosphere : sometimes it is a commo- tion resembling that of mighty waves breaking on the shore ; at other times, the subject is, as it were, carried through the air, or only raised above the ground ; and occasionally it causes a chill running throughout all the limbs. When these results have been, through persevering efforts, repeatedly experienced with au ever increasing degree of intensity, the following effects are attained ; the body and the soul are completely restrained ; they are almost beyond the influence of concupiscence ; both acquire a remarkable lightness, so that the exercise of meditation offers no further trouble nor labor ; the natural repugnance or oppo- sition to self recollection is done away with ; then the exercise of meditation becomes pleasing from the pleasurable state of the toul and body, and finally both parts are in a true and genuine condition : so that what there was previously in them, either vicious or opposed to truth, disappears at once and vanishes away. Such are the various effects experienced by the soul that has reached the degree of Piti, or mental delectation. When the soul and body have thus been perfectly subdued, and freed from all that could wrongly affect them^ the soul then reaches the state of Suka, that is to say, of perfect and perma- nent pleasure and inward delight. The effects or results thereof are called Samati, or peace or quiescence of the soul. As a mat- ter of course, that state of inward peace has several degrees both as regards the time it lasts and the intensity of the affection. It lasts sometimes for a moment, or for a period of uncertain duration, as it happens when we reflect on some subject, or we listen to a sermon. At other times, its duration is longer, when, for instance, we are about entering into contemplation or ecstasy, and it lasts as long as we are in one of these, states. From Piti oiiginate the Somati-tsit, the idea or conciousnesa of inward quiescence. It is the secondary cause of the real joy and delight, and is followed by an unshaken resolution of ad- hering to all the precepts of the law. It produces in the soul a -certain treshness, expansion, and ravishment in the pratice of virtue. Such a state is illustrated by the following comparison. A traveller has to go over a very difficult road ; he is exposed to THE SEVEN WAYS TO JTIRVN. 2D.> an inten-e heat, and tormented with a burning thirst. Let u* imagine the intensity of his delight, when lie Puds himself on the brink ot a rivulet of clear, and cool waster ; such is precisely the 6tate of the soul under the influence of Piti. The state of Suka follows it very soon. It. is exemplified by the condition of the traveller, who has been perfectly refreshed and relieved from thirst and fatigue, and enjoys the delightful an I pleasurable effects re- sulting therefrom. The last state or the crowning point to be arrived at, by the means of meditation, is that of Ubeka, or perfect fixity, whence originates an entire indifference to love, or hatred, pleasure or pain. Passions can no more affect the soul in that happy condi- tion. But in this as well as in the preceding states, there are: several degrees, according to the various objects it refers to. In the Ubeka relat'ng to the five senses, man is no more affected by beautiful or unseemly objects, by harsh or mcffodwwis sounds, etc \ in that referring to creatures, man has neither love nor dislike for them ; man obtains the state of Ubeka, relating to science or knowledge, by examining and considering all things through the medium of the three great, principles aueitsa, duka, anata, that is to say, change, pain and illusion. There is also the uirya, ubeka, as when a man. after great struggles and efforts to obtain a certain object, sees that he cannot reach it, he be- comes indifferent to it, and without trouble or the least disquiet, gives up the undertaking. There are many other effects of the Ubeka mentioned by our author, the enumeration of which would prove tedious. What, has been just seated is sufficient to afford a. correct idea of the nature of the highest state of meditation that human mind can ever reach. The last and most transcendant result of the condition of Ubeka, is this : when an individual, by success- ful exertions has ascended to the top of the spiritual ladder, there is a certain virtue that attracts every thing to him. He becomes as a centre to which all appear to converge. He is like the cen- tral point of our planet, that ever remains distinct from the bo- dies it incessantly draws to itself. Seated in the centre of the most complete quietism, the sage contemplates, without the least effort, the unclouded truth that indefinitely unfolds itself before him. Hence, as our author observes, the sage that has reached the state of Ubeka, has no more to pass successively through the four preceding stages, to be enabled to meditate ; that is to say, he does no more require the help of thought, reflection, satisfac- tion and pleasure. He is in the middle of the cloudless atmos- phere of truth which he enjoys, and therein remains as unmoved as truth itself. The observance of the precepts or the performance of exterior good actions, chaws abundant rewards over those who faithfully •290 THE SEVEN WAYS TO NIBANr comply with them. Those rewards are bestowed either in the' seat of man or in the six abodes of Nats, whieh we will agree to call the six inferior heavens, where concupiscence as yet holds its empire. The inward good deeds produced by the operation of the intellectual faculties of the soul, being of an incomparably greater value than the external ones, the recompense of the former is of a high< r order than that of the latter. Hence there are twenty superior heavens reserved to the sages that have made progress in meditation. The accounts of the Budhists res- pecting the extent of those seats, their respective distance, in fol- lowing the perpendicular, the myriads of centuries to stay in them, etc. are so many puerilities not worth attending to, and in noway belonging to the old an 1 genuine Budhism. They are the inventions in subsequent ages, of individuals, who wished to emulate their neighbours and rivals, the Hindoos, at a time when the latter substituted the gross and revolting idolatry of the Puranas, to the purer doctrines of the Vedas. But wha* comes directly to our purpose is the distinction of these twenty seats into two classes. The first comprises sixteen scats, under the designation of Rapa or matter ; the second includes four seats, called Arupa, or immaterial abodes or conditions. Here are located, as on grand and immense scale, according to their res- pective proficiency in science and meditation, the beings that have striven to advance in knowledge, by the exertions of the mental faculties. The general appellation given to each class, bears a great meaning, and therefore deserves explanation. In the If} seats of Rapa, are placed the contemplatives who have as yet a body, and have not been hitherto abie,to disengage themselves from Rome affection to matter. The subjects of their meditations, are still the beings inhabiting this material world, together with some of the Kathain, or coarser portion of their being. But in the four seats called Arupa, which terminates the series of Bud- hist heavens, the contemplatives are destitute of shape and body ; they are almost brought to the condition of pure spirits. In their sublime and lofty flight in the regions of spiritualism, they seem to have bid a last farewell to this world, and to be no longer concerned with material things. Let us glance rapidly over these various seats, and pay a visit to the beings that have be?n rewarded wit i a place in them, owing to their <>-reat proficiency in the mental exercise of meditation. We will begin with the lowest seat, and from it successively ascend to the loftiest. We must bear in remembrance that there are, as above stated, five degrees of meditation or five parts, viz. percep- tion, reflection, satisfaction, happiness, and fixity. He who has been much exercised in the first degree, shall inhabit one of the three first seats of Kupa. Those who, leaving aside the first THE SEVEN WAYS TO NI33ANT; 20? degree, shall delight in the second and third, shall inhabit, accord^ hig to their respective progress, one of the three following seats. Those who take delight hut in the fourth dogree, having nrt further aid of the three first parts, perception, consideration "and satisfaction, shall he locate I in the 7th, 8th and JJth seats. When the filth degree of Dzan. or m.nlitatioa, his been at- tained, that is to say, when a privileged contemplative is rtble to meditate and Contemplate, without hiving recourse to the representation and consideration of the object, without allowing one self to be influenced by pleasures or joy,- then he has attained to the state of fixity and indifference '• he «tccunies the 10th and 1 1th seats. The five remaining seats bear the collective name of Thd idav5ata, or abodes of the pure or perfect. They are inhabited by the Kaiiana Putadzan, and the four sorts of contcmplativcs called Thautapan, Thakadagan, Ana- gau and Rahandas. These latter have entered into the TAoda, or current of perfection. The Thautapans and Thakadigans are pure and exempt from all influence of demerits ; the Anasjana are delivered from the five concupiscences. The Ilahardas are enjoying a perfect indifference for all. They'are strangers to su^h a language as this : I am great, I am greater. I am greatest. Such terms of comparison are but mere illusions ; they are de- ceitful sounds that confuse, distract and bewilder the ignorant; Above the Thnodaioata scats, are the four, called Arupi, or im- material. The denizens of those places have, at first, recognized that the miseries attending man. in this world, have their origin in the body. They then conceive the utmost disgust and horror for it; they long for the dissolution of this agent to all wickedness. So great is their horror for bodies and matter, that they no longer erlect them for subjects of meditation; they endeavor to cross be- yond the limits of materiality, and launch forth in the boundless epacc, where this material world does not seem to reach. The inhabitants of the first seat have assumed for subject of their medi- tation the Akdsi, the air, the fluid of the atmosphere, or the space. Those of the second, meditate on the IViniana, or the spirit, on the life of beings, taken in an abstract sense; those of the third contemplate the Akinizi, or immensity ; those of the fourth Newaih- a'jnia, lose themselves in the infinity. By what mental process has the sage to pass in order to reach the first degree of sublime contemplation ? He shall have to begin with the consideration of the form of some material object, say one fcf the four elements. Let him afterwards set aside those Kathtin, Or material portions of the element brought under consideration, and occupy his mind on the ether, or fluid, or spac? ; the former, that is to say, the kathain, shall disappear to give place to something divested from ali tho^e coarser forms, ani LL 298 THE SEVEN WATS TO NrH£N«- the mind shall be fixed only on the akatha. The sage then shall repeat ten. hundred and thousand times these words : the space or air is infinite, until there will appear at last the first tsil, or idea ©f arupa. In a similar manner, the tsit ahan, or the idea of con- formity with purpose, disappears ; then begins the science ofvbeka, or indifference, with its four degrees ; the idea that then succeeds is precisely that of akasa ananda, or infinite ether, or space. Thk* unintelligible mental pvocess is explained by a comparison. If they shut with a white cloth, the opening of a window, the persons in- side the room, turning their eyes in the direction of the opening,. gee nothing but the white cloth. Should the cloth be suddenly removed, thsy perceive nothing but that portion of the space cor- responding with the extent of the window. The piece of clotb represents the material forms, that are the subjects of meditation, or contemplation of those living in the scats of 1 upa;. the free open- ing of the window exemplifies the subjects of contemplation re- served to the first class- of arupa. The contemplative having; reached so far, soon feels the utmost disgust for all material forms, and is entirely delivered from the three Thagnia or false persua- tions, supplied by matter, by the action of the senses, and by the result of merits and demerits. He is displeased with all the coarser forms of beings. The action of the contemplative has its sphere in the mano, or seat of knowledge. The ideas originating from the action of the senses have no share in that purely intellectual labor. In that state, the Sage has fallen in a condition of so per- fect an abstraction,, that all the accidents from the part of the ele- ments can produce no effect over him. The action of the senses is completely suspended during all the time that lasts the contem- plation. In fact this is nothing else but tliamabat, or ecstacy. The same couise of meditation must be followed by the Sages inhabiting the other three scats :. the object only, to be contem- plated, will be different. Having explained the important subject of meditation, endea- vored to show the different parts or degrees of that intellectual exercise, and given a faint outline of the recompenses bestowed on. those that have distinguished themselves by proficiency in that exercise, we now have to follow our author, and, with him maka ourselves acquainted with the principal subjects that attract th» attention of the contemplative. Article III. Of the Nature of Beings. The Budhist philosopher, in his earnest prosecution after the- tatidote of ignorance, that is, science, rightly states that all be- TEE SEVEN WATS TO SHUN. 295 iregs, and man in particular, must ever be the first and most in- teresting subject the Sage has to study. The knowledge of mau in particular constitutes a most important portion cf the science he must acquire, ere he may become a perfect being, and bo deem- ed worth)' to be admitted to the state of Niban. In the very li- mited sketch of this part of the work under consideration, the at- tention of the reader shall be directed on man, as the most inter- esting of all beings. With our Buihist author, therefore, he will take human beings as the subject of his investigations. Provided -with the philosophical dissecting knife, he will anatomise all the component pasts of that extraordinary being, whose nature has ever presented an insolvable problem to ancient sages. What •shall be said on this subject, will be sufficient to convey a correct idea of the mode of reasoning and arguing followed by Buihist philosophers, when they analyze other beings and select them as the subjects of their meditations. At the very beginning, our author proclaims this greai maxim — all beings living in the three worlds, heaven, eaita and hell, have in themselves but two thing*, or attributes : Rupa and J\'am, form and name. Accustomed as we are to a language that expresses clear and distinct notions, we would like to hear him say, in nature there are but two things, mat- ter and spirit. But such is not the language of Budhists, an I I apprehend that were we giving up their somewhat extraordinary, and to us, unusual way of expressing their ideas, we could not come to a correct kuowledge of the notions they entertain respect- ing the nature of man. Bet us allow our author to speak for himself, and as much as possible express himself in his own way. By rupa, we understand form and matter, that is to say, all that is liable pee se to be destroyed by the agency of secondary causes- JVctm, or nama is the thing, the nature of which is known to the mind, by the instrumentality of mano, or the knowing principle. In the five aggregates constituting man, viz : materiality or form, the organs of sensation, of perception, of consciousness, and those of intellect, there is nothing else to be found but form and name. We are at once brought to this materialist conclusion, that in man we can discover no other element but that of form and that of name. To convey a sort of explanation of this subject, our author gives here a few notions respecting the six senses. I say six senses, because with him, besides the five ordinary senses, he mentions the mano, or the knowing principle that resides in the heart, as one of the senses. The organs or faculties of seeing, hearing., feeling, tasting, smelling and knowing, he calls them the inward eenses. These same organs, as they come in contact with exterior objects, are called extei-ior senses. The faculty inherent to eaclj 300 THE SEVEN WAYS TO NIBAX. •of the senses whereby is operated the action be'ween the organ and its object, is designated by the appellation of the life of the senses. In this treble mode of -considering' the senses, what d<* we meet with, but form and name, ide s and matter ? Supposing ■the organ of-seeing to exist, and an object to be seen, there will necessarily result, as an essential consequence, the perception or idea of such a thing. Even as regards the ma?io, where there exists the heait, on one side, and truth on the other, there will follow immediately the idea or perception of truth. This materialist doctrine, if the meaning of our author be ac- cural civ understood, is farther confirmed by the method he pro- poses for carrying on the investigation respecting the nature of things. He who desires to penetrate deep in such a .sublime science, must have recourse to the help of meditation. Having selected an object, ho considers it by the means cf witekka. Ha passes successively through the ideas and the impressions he de* rives from the contemplation of such an object He then says to himself: the ideas Obtained by the means of witekka, or the fiiofc degree of dzan or meditation, are nothing but nam-dama, sines their nature is to offer themselves to the avow, as the thought ti> its object. But where is the scat of that, aront? it resides in the substance oi the heart, which in reality affords asylum both to it and to the nam-dama. It is no where else to bo- found. But what is the heart ? Whence does it come? By what is it form- ed ? To these three questions we answer that the heart is com- posed of the four elements. It is but one and the same thing with them. This startling doctrine is explicit and excludes, "at once, the idea of a spiritual substance. Our author has now reached the elements or the parts consti- tuting all that exists with a form, lie boldly asserts that all that has an existence, is but an aggregate of earth, water, fire and air ; all the forms rre but modifications and combinations of the four elements. The bare enumeration of this general principle is not sufficient to satisfy our philosopher. He wishes to know and ex. plain the reason of every thing. Mere begins an analysis entirely unknown to our chemists and phifosc phers of the west. The bo- dy is divided into thirty-two parts, which are often enumerated in formulas of prayer, by pious Burihists. Each of these thirty- two parts is subdivided into forty-four. The hair, bow slender soever it ay pea.js, is submitted to that minute analysis. The result of this subtile division is to show what is the proportion of each element that enters in the formation of these atumical parts. We have not the patience to write clown these uninteresting details, nor do we believe that the reader will be displeased if we spare him the tiouhk of going oyer such worddess nomenclature. There is another divi&iua of maUc-r, or body, into ibity-two parts, call- 4'HE SKVEN WAYS TO KIBAX. 3fil *3 niflrn. This is based upon the distinction of the four elements that enter unequally in the formation of the body: 20 parts be* long to the earth ; 1"$, to water ; <>, to fi-e ; and (>. to wind. Then again the bod_y is divided into Go 1 parts: this division is based upon the distinction of the ten constitutive parts belonging to each of the senses, as it will be hereafter explained. The object Tiudhist philosophers have in view in entering into so many divi- sions and subdivisions of the forms of the body, is to prove, in their opinion, to demonstration, that by the nicest analysis of every part of the body, we find, at the end, nothing but the prim- ary elements that are called the supports of all that exist. We have now to follow our author through a patli more diflv cult than the preceding one a:id hear him explain the theory of the ideas and their various modifications. These, says he, are known, not by their firms, since they have none, but only by their name. Through the practice of reflection and meditation, we become acquainted with them. We call them ampa dmnma, things without a form or shape. They are designed under the name of tsit and tsedathit, that is to say, ideas and the result of ideas. Where are to be met these ideas 'I Where have they their seat ? In the six senses, and no where else, is the answer. Having already become acquainted with the organs of senses, it will be easy to find out the ideas that are as the ".enuants of the senses. Ml the tsils inhabiting the organs of senses arc called lokitsil, that is to say, ideas of the world, because they are to be met with in all the beings as yet subjected to concupiscence. They are dis- tinct from lokmdara tsit , which belongs properly to the beings free from passions, and who have entered in the four megga or ways to perfection. The tsils of this world are eighty one in num- ber, classified as follows : the perception of each of the five or- gans, and the perception of the respective faculties of those or- gans This gives ten tsits. There are three for the sense of the heart, the perception of the substance of the heart, of its faculty of knowing, and of the object of its knowledge. Each of the six senses has ten constitutive forms or parts, viz: earth, water, fire, air, color, odor, taste, fluid, life, and tho body attached primitively thereto. Now there is an action from each of these forms upon the subject. Thence ten tsils to each of the six senses. There is no word so ill defined and so ill understood by our philosopher, as the two words Tsit and Tsedathit. Tho first in a moral sense means idea, thought, perception, etc. ; in a physical sense, it means that secondary cause created by kan producing the -living being, tli3 senses wherein reside the moral tsit. Tse- dathit being the. result of ideas, must, of course, have likewise 302 THE SEVEN WAYS TO NIBAN. two meanings. In the first place it will designate the impres- sions made upon us by ideas ; in the second, it will mean the se- condary cause or life in the body, or the modifications of those principles of the corporeal life. This being premised, we may a little understand our author when he says : There are seven tsedathits existing at the same time as the 81 above mentioned tsit, viz : pasa tsedathit. so called because it is the real effect of the tsedathit to attain its object, and, as it were, to touch it. We may call it the agreement between the idea and its object. Wtdana tsedathit, the feeling of the impression of an idea. 7 bagnio, tsedathit. the comprehension of the ohject. Dzetana tsedathit, the inclination for the object, Ekrfa tsedathit, the fixity on the object. Witziindre tsedathit, the observance of what relates to form and name ; and Mano siunrama tsedathit, consciousness. It is evident therefore that the tsedathit is neither the idea, nor the object of the idea, but it is the result from the idea that has come in contact with an object. These Seven results are, if we may say so, the third part of the idea. They do not give occasion to modifications of ideas. liut those who really give rise to the greatest variety of results are the akvso tsedathit, or the results of evil thoughts and ideas, and their opposite, or kuso tsedathit, or the consequence of good and virtuous thoughts. The mentioning here of all the kuso and akitso tsedathit, would be but a dry exposition of the nomen- clature of the vices, and virtues, such as it is met with, in the catalogue of Budhist moralists. AltTICLE IV. Of the cause of the Form and of the Name, or of Matter and Spirit. The duty of our intelligence is to investigate the cause of all the modifications of forms and names. This being effected, we are delivered from all doubts and disquietude. When we per- ceive such a form, such au idea, etc., we are able forthwith to account for their respective causes. In this study we must copy the conduct of the physician, who, when attending a patient, sits by his bedside, closely exarniues the nature of the distemper and the causes that have given rise to it, in order to find out counteracting agents or remedies to check its progress at first, and gradually to uproot it from the constitution. In the moral order the philosopher too has to examine the nature of all moral distempers, ascertain the principles or causea THE SfcVEN WATS TO NIBAN. 303 they spring from, and thereby become qualified to cure those disorders. The beings that inhabit the three worlds, says our author, must have a cause. To say that they exist of themselves and without a cause, is an absurdity The very dissimilarity we ob- serve among them, indicates that their mode of existence results from certain causes. We, however, cannot agree with our antag- onists, the Brahmins, who maintain that Maha Brahma is the Cause of all that exists. This being is not out of the circle of Rupa and Nam ; he is himself a compound of Nam and Rupa, that is to say, effect but not cause. In vain our opponents will add that all that is distinct of Maha Brahma is subjected to a Cause, but that the Rupa and Nam, constituting; his essence, are without a cause. This is removing the difficulty a little farther without advancing a step towards its solution ; our answer must ever be the same. Before exposing the opinions of our philosopher on this im- portant subject, it is necessary to state the views entertained by that class of philosophers, whose doctrines appear to have taken loot in these parts. It is easy to perceive that they are modifica- tions of the opinion of the Hindoos on the same subject, and akin to that respecting the Adi Budha, or supreme .Bud ha. Some doctors maintain that there is a first cause or being that has made matter and spirit. Others, admitting the eternal co-ex- istence of matter and of the supreme Being, say, that he is the remote cause of the organization of matter, as we at present sea it. But all agree in this, that no one can ever come to the knowl- edge of that first cause, and it is impossible ever to have an idea of it. Hence it is the height of folly and rash presumption, to ettempt to come to the knowledge of what is placed beyond the remotest range of investigation, human mind can ever survey. It behoves us to apply all the powers of the mind to discover the immediate cause that certainly produces existence. The sage, to be worthy of his sublime calling, must remain satisfied with striving to find out that immediate cause, which brings into action the form and name, and causes the appearance of all those modifications which we call beings or forms of exist- ence. He ought to strive to account for the organization of mat- ter and all its modifications, by discovering the hidden spring that effectually sets all in motion, in action, in combination of exist- ences. Now our author puts this important question : What thing is to be considered as the mover of the forms and ideas ? We know, says he, that the human body has its beginning in the womb of the mother ; we are acquainted with its position in that foetid and narrow prison ; its being surrounded with nerves, veins, H04 THE SEVEN WAYS TO NIBAS. etc , having above it the new e^ments, find under it the old oneftf The maimer the body originates in the womb much resembles the, process by which worms and insects are formed in rotten subbt-in- Ces, and in putrid and stagnant water. But this is not accounting for the real cause of living bodies. The real causes, according to some doctors, are five in number, viz : ignorance, concupbccncc'v desire, kan, (the influence of merits and demerits,) and alum, (the aliments.) They concur together in the formation of the living body in the following maimer. Ignorance, concupiscence ami- desire give asylum to the body, as *he mother supplies the infant, with a refuge in her womb. Kan, like the father, is the cause pro- duct^ e of ihe body. Ahan affords nourishment to the body. The ideas are but the result of the formation of the organs of senses. Let us suppose for instance the organ of seeing. Tho Tsdou Wignicm, that is to say, the life of the eyes, or the idea* connected with the use of that sense, presupposes two things, tho organ, and a form or an object, on which acts the organ. There existing, there necessarily result the idea of vision, the perception, etc, in a word all the ideas arising from the action of the e)es upon various objects. The same mode of arguing is eBailojovU relatively to the other five senses. Other philosophers argue in the following way. The primary causes of all ideas and thoughts are disposed under two heads, that of the ideas which have a fixed place, and that of those that have no fixed place. Under the first head, are comprised the six Ayalaita, or seats of senses, and the six Arom, or the ob- jects of senses. Thence flow all the ideas and consequences than relate to merit and demerit. Under the second head are placed the causes or agents that produce ideas and thoughts ; the exer- cise of the intellect holds the first rank. He who applies his mind to the meditation of what is good, such as the commands and other parts of the most excellent law, and labors to find out, that all that is in this world, is subjected to change, pain ai.d illusion, opens at once the door to the coming in of tho tsit or ideas connected with merit. On the other hand, the application of the mind to things bad, and erroneous, contrary to the pre- scriptions of the holy law. generates the ideas of demerit. Such is the causes of the ideas and thoughts. As to the cause of form, they assert that kan, tsit, fire and ahan, are the sole agents in the iromation of the living body. Kan, as the workman, makes the body and sets in it all that relates to its good and bad qualities. The tsit, 75 in number, are also principles of the existence of the body, of which 44 are called Kamawatzara tsit ; they relate to the do- merit and merit of those as yet under the influence of concupis- cence j 15 rupa watzara tsit, relating to beings in the seats of rupa ; 8 arupa watzara tsit, relating to those iu the seats oS THE SSVEN WAYS TO XI BAN. 305 arupa, 8 lokudara (sit, relating to the beings that have entered in the four ways of perfection. The Tedzo-dat, or the element of fire, contributes its share, by the heat and rays of light, and tho ahan, by supplying the required aliments. Some other philosophers account for the causes of form and ideas, in following this course of argument. The form and ideas that constitute all beings, are liable to miseries, old age and death, because there is generation and death ; generation exists, because there are worlds; worlds exist, because there is desire ; desire exists, because there are organs ; organs exist, because there are form and name ; form and name exist, because there are con- cepts ; concepts exist because there is merit and demerit ; merit and demerit exist because there is ignorance. The latter is indeed the real cause of all forms and ideas. Having thus accounted in the best way he could, for the exis- tence of all that relates to the beings in the three worlds, our author fondly dwells on the benefits that accrue from the know- ledge of causes. It dissipates all doubts, that had previously dark- ened the mind ; it quiets all the anxieties of the heart, and affords perfect peace. For want of it, the impious fall from error into error ; the disciples of Budha are chiefly perfected by its help. We read in the Budhist scriptures that a Brahmin went to con- sult Budha on some points that much perplexed his mind. He said to him : I am beset with doubts respecting the past, the pre- sent and the future. Respecting the past, I ask to myself : Have I passed through former generations or not % What was my condi- tion during those existences ? My answer is : I am ignorant on all those points. What was my position previous to those generations? I know it not. As to the present, is it true that I exist ? or is my existence but an illusion 1 Shall I have to be born again or not ? What are those living beings that surround me at present ] Are they but so many illusions, which decieve me by their appearance of reality ? On these points, I am sunk into complete ignorance. The futare is likewise full of doubts 'and most perplexing uncer- tainties. Shall I have other generations or not? What shall be my condition during those coming existences ? A thick veil hides from my eyes all that concerns my future destiny. What are the means to clear up all those doubts that encompass me on all sides ? Budha said to him : reflect at first on this main point, that what we are wont to call self moi, is nothing but name and form ; having acquired the conviction of the truth of this princi- ple, it remains with you to investigate carefully the causes of both- This simple examination will lead you, at once, to the perfect solu- tion of all your doubts. Behold the difference that exists between the holders of false doctrines and the true believers. The former, MM 306 TfiE SEVEN WAYS TO fflBAIf. whom we may almost call animals, never take the trouble to ex- amine the nature of beings nor the causes of their existence. They arc stubbornly attached to their fal?e theories, and persist in saying that what the ignorant, delivered up to illusion, are used to call an animal, a king, a subject, a foot and a hand, etc. are really animals, king, subject, foot and hand, etc. ; whilst all living beings and their component parts are nothing else but name and form, that is to say, a compound made up of the four elements. Those impious are delivered up to error ; hence it happens that they follow all different ways. We reckon among them more than sixty different sects, all at variance among" them- selves ; but all uniting in a common obstinacy to reject the true doctrine of Budha. They are doomed to move incessantly within the circle of endless and wretched existences. How different is the condition of the true believers, our follow- ers ! They know that the living beings, inhabiting the world r have a beginning. But they are sensible of the folly of attempting to reach this beginning or first cause. This is above the capacity of the loftiest intelligence. It is evident, for instance, that the seeds of plants and trees, which are continually in a state of repro- duction, have a beginning. But what that beginning is, no one presumes to determine it. So it is with man and all living beings, They know well, too, that what is vulgarly called man, woman, eyes, mouth, are all illusory distinctions, vanishing away in the presence of the Sage, who sees nothing in all that, but name and form, the production of Kan and Wibek, that is to say, of the first and second cause. These two things are not the man, or the woman, etc., but they are the efficient causes of both. What we say, respecting man and woman, may be applied to animals, and to> all other beings. They are all the productions or results of Kan and Wibek, quite a3 distinet from these two agents, as effect is distinct from its cause. To explain this doctrine, Budhists have recourse to the comparison of a burning glass. When there is such an instrument and the rays* of the sun to fall on it, fire then is produced ; but fire is quite distinct from the two causes that have concurred jointly in producing it. Our disciples, too, are aware that the five khandas, or agregates constituting a living being, suc- ceed each other at each generation, but in such a way, that the second generation partakes, or retains nothing of the khandas of the first. But the causes producing them, such as Kan and Wi- bek, never ehange ; they ever remain the same. Let us suppose lamps lighted up. If they burn always, it is owing to the action of individuals that supply them with oil, and light them as soon as they are extinguished. Such is the condition of the hhandas. Those which belong to one existence, have no more m common with those of the following one, than the fire of the THE Sfc-YEX WAYS XO KIBaX. 307 tamp just lighted anew, has with that of the fire of the lamp that has just died away. As to the way beings arc reproduced, we say that when a man is dying, the hist tsit hiving appeared, and soon disappeared, it is succeeded forthwith by the patti tsit or the tsit of the new existence ; the interval between both, is so short that it can scarcely be appreciated. This first tsit has nothing in common with the last one. It is, let it be well remembered, the production of kan, or of the influence of merits and demerits, as well as the khandas above alluded to. This article is by far the most important of all. The latter part, in particular, elucidates, in a distinct manner, the genuine .opinions of Budhism on points of the greatest concern. We may sum up the whole as follows : ! . There is a first cause that has acted in bringing into being all that exists; but that first cause is unknown, nor can we ever come to the knowledge of it. 2. The immediate causes of all the modifications of beings^ or states of being, are ignorance and kan. 'S. All beings are but a compound of the four elements. The intellectual operations are carried on, by the instrumentality of the heart, in the same manner as vision is obtained by the means of the eye and of an object to act upon. 4. Each succeeding existence is brought on and modified by the action of kan or the influence of merits and demerits. 5. The component parts of a new being, are in no way con- nected with those of the previous being. This is the key to the difficulty many persons find in accounting, in a Budhistie sense, for the process of metempsychosis. A new term ought to be coined to express that doctrine. 6. The question respecting Niban may be theoretically resolv- ed without difficulty, by application of the principles contained in this and the preceding article. Article Y. Of the trite Meggas or Ways to Perfection. The subject under consideration is a very important one. It comprehends and comprises a summary of many particulars alrea- dy alluded to, in the foregoing two articles. The reader will fiud less rugged the path he has to follow, and less dry the ground he will have to go over. Our author seems to lay great stress on this special point. The sage, says he, who is desirous to arrive to the supreme perfection, must apply all the powers of his mind to discern the true ways from the false ones. Many are deceived m MM* 308 THE SEVEN MAYS TO NIBABf. the midst of their researches after wisdom. The real cri terion between the true and false ways is this : when, in considering an object, and making a philosophical analysis of it, the Sage finds it somewhat connected with concupiscence and other passions, so far that he cannot, as it were, dissolve it by the application of the three principles of aneitsa, duka and anata, that is to say, change, pain and illusion, then he must conclude that he is out of the right ways ; the high road to per- fection is barred before him. But on the contrary, whenever by the appliance of the three great principles, he sees that all the objects brought under his consideration, are nothing more or less than the mere compound of the four elements, divested of those illusory appearances which deceive so many, then he may be certain that he is in the right position, and is sure of making progress in the way to perfection. To facilitate the study of the Meggas, Budhists have clas- sified all real and imaginary beings under a certain num- ber of heads. The Sage, to complete his laborious task, has to examine separately each of these subjects and sub- mit them to the following lengthened, difficult and compli- cated process. He takes up one subject, attentively considers its exterior and interior compound parts, its connection and relation with other things, its tendency to adhere to, or part with, surrounding objects. Pursuing his inquiries into the past, he endeavors to make himself acquainted with the state and condition of that object during several periods that have elapsed ; when his mind is satisfied on this point, he follows up in futurity the same object and calculates from the experienco of the past, what change it may hereafter become subjected to. This study enables him to perceive distinctly, that it is subjected to the three great laws of mutability, pain and illusion. This conviction once deeply seated in his soul, the Sage holds that object in supreme contempt ; far from having any affection for, or attachment to it, he feels an intense disgust for it, and longs for the possession of Niban, which is the exemption from the influence of mutability, pain and illusion. What we have now stated is tolerably clear and intelligible ; but what follows is less evident. It partakes of that obscurity and complication so peculiar to Budhist methaphysics. This state of things, is created and maintained chiefly by a mania for divisions and sub-divisions that would have puzzled even the schoolmen of the middle ages. We have to listen to what our author says res- pecting the method to be observed in carrying on the great exam- ination of all subject? of investigation. If that labor be patiently and perseveringly prosecuted, until all the objects of inquiry be ex- hausted, ample and magnificent shall be the reward for such labors. THE SEVEN WAYS TO NIBAW. Mi) The Sage shall he in possession of the perfect science ; Niban will appear to him ; he will long for it, and unremittinglj shape his course in its direction ; in a word he shall have reached the acmo of perfection. Seated on that lofty position, enjoying a perfect calm in the hosom of absolute quietism, the Sage is beyond the reach of passions ; there is no illusion for him : he has cut the last thread of future generations, by the destruction of the influence of merits and demerits ; he has obtained the deliverance from all miseries : he has reached the peaceful shores of Niban. But such a prize is not easily obtained ; it is to be purchased, but at the expense of an immense amount of lasting and strenuous mental exertions. The S.ige, agreeably to the old and always true saying, know thyself, very properly begins his mightily difficult task with the examination of the five aggregates, constituting a living being, the organs of the six senses, and all that relates to them. Then he applies himself to the study of the five Dzan, or the parts of me- ditation and contemplation, and to all that is connected with the seats of Rupa and Arupa. All the objects of examination ranged on that scale, are 600 in number. We will rapidly glance over this table, indicating but the heads of the principal divisions. We ought not to forget that the five aggregates, or khandas, con- stituting a living being are : form, sensation, perception, consci- ousness, and intellect. Supposing that we take the first of those attributes, as subject of examination. We must represent it to the mind, carefully examine it in all its bearings and properties, respecting the past, the present, and the future. We must pro- ceed on and bring it in contact with the three great principles of aneitsa, duka and anata, and inquire whether form be changea- ble or not, passive or impassive, transient or permanent. We thereby acquire the knowledge of the great truths, viz : form is essentially liable to change, to pain and illusion. The examina- tion of each of the four other attributes is proceeded on, in a like manner, and a similar result ensues. The six organs of the senses come next under consideration. These are the eyes, ears, nose, the tongue, the body, or rather the skin that envelops it, and the heart in a physical sense, and ma?io, in a moral one. Each of the six senses partakes of the eleven conditions or attributes we are about to describe ; and each of these eleven attributes being brought successively in relation with each of the six senses, must be considered, as above stated, under the treble relation to mutability, pain and illusion. This will supply the enquirer with a good amount of information. But to shorten this long enumeration, we will mention now successively those eleven attributes the senses may be affected by, and make the ap- plication of all, to one of the senses, the eye. The same process may be easily repeated for each of the other senses. Nothing 31() THE SEVEN WAYS TO NIBAN. is to be changed, but the name of the sense that has become the subject of examination. I. Yatana, the dowr, the opening of each of the senses. Appli- ed to the eye, it. is the opening through which exterior sensations are communicated to the heart by the organ of seeing. 2 Aram, the object of each of the senses. With regard tc the eve. it is the appearance or form perceived by the eye ; with res- pect to the ear, it is the sound. 3. Winicm, the action of perceiving and knowing. Applied to the eyes, it is the eye seeing and perceiving, or the sight. ^ 4. Phasa, literally the feeling, or coming in contact with ob- jects, applied to each of the senses. With the eye, it is the passive and active impression it derives from the objects it considers, and which it conveys to the heart. With the ear, t it is the impression it receives, and similarly communicates to the heart. 5. Wedana, the sensation of pain or pleasure obtained through the senses. With the eye, it is the sensation created by the sight of objects perceived by the eye, acd communicated to the heart. tb Thangia, the idea or persuasion resulting from the six senses, or according to some doctors, the idriitity of the appear- ance with reality. With the eye, it is the conviction we have that each an object, perceived by the eyes, is round or square, etc. according to the impressions received by that organ. 7. Uzetana, the inclination or rather adhesion to good or bad, consequently to the impressions received from each of the six senses. 8. Tahna, concupiscence originating from the impressions of agreeableness communicated by the six senses. 9. Witeka, the idea or representation of objects to the mind through the agency of the senses. 10. Witzara, the consideration of the objects, offered to the mind, by the instrumentality of the senses. II. Dat, the matter or elements of the six senses, or to speak the language of our author, that on which the organs rest, that which support them. After the examination of the senses and of the eleven subjects just related, we find tire almost boundless field of enquiry to expand in proportion as we appear to make rapid progress. Then come successively for examination : 1. The 10 Kasaings, or the ten parts or elements to be found in each part of a living being, viz : earth, water, fire, color, odor, flavor, and grease, to which we add the Dzlwa or life, and that of the organ to which be- long the part under consideration. 2. The thirty two Akan, or thirty two parts of the living body, of which the first are the hairs, the beard, the nails, the teeth, etc. 3. The twelve Yatana TriE SEVEN WAYS To N1BA.N". 'M\ or seats of the six senses. Each sense is double as far as it is considered in a double capacity, that of receiving, and tha*. of transmitting the impressions. 4. The 18 Dit or matter of the six senses; the organs afford six dot ; the objects that act upon the organs, supply six other Dat, ; and the last six, are afforded by the objects submitted to the action of the senses. 5. The twenty two indre, or faculties or capabilities of the organs. Each organ has three, viz : the eye, for instance, is capable of receiving an impres- sion, and of transmitting it ; the eye really receives and transmits im- pressions. The mano, or heart being a double organ, it has six fa- culties ; three, if it be considered physically, and three, if morally or intellectually, (i. The nine Bon. or seats occupied by the Brahmas, 7. The four Rupa Dzui, or degrees of contemplation proper to the Brahmas who have a form. S. The four Apa megga, or ways that lead near to Niban. They are followed by the Brahmas occupying the four superior seats of Rupa. 9 The Arupa Dzan, or contemplation proper to those who inhabit the four immate- rial seats. 10. The 19 Damna. This word means what we know as certain by the use of our mental faculties. When the mano, by a right use of its three faculties, has freed itself from the prin- ciple of illusion and error, then there will be the sixteen virtues or good qualities, known by the name of 1'hola and Megga. I I , Finally, the twelve Patau, or elements that are in the mano which constitute the memory and enable man to remember, and silently repeat the impressions transmitted by the senses. Such is the immense extent of observations the sage has to range for obtaining the perfect science. This task is truly an Herculean one; very few can perform it. Before coming to the last article, the writer will make a remark tending to show that there is more of the analytic spirit in all what is told us by Budhist philosophers respect- ing those abstruse subjects, than one may be tempted to give them credit for. We have seen that the number of precepts and counsels is almost countless ; yet, it is agreed by all doctors, that the five general precepts are the basis of all, and that he who observes them is perfect. Again, Budhists can never ex- haust the stores of all what they have to say about the mental operations and meditation. Yet all is summed up in the compa- ratively short doctrine of tsit and Isedathit. The living beings are by them infinitely modified ; yet after all, we find every thing condensed in two words, Nama and Rupa. The theory respect- ing the generation of beings, their mutual dependence from each other, is a boundless field. We find, however, that after all. lean, or the influence of merits and demerits, is the sole cause of, and agent in, the existence and modification of all beings. Mental operations are numbered by hundreds, but the six senses are, after 312 TIUC SEVEN WAYS TO XID.VX. all. the foundation on which is raised that enumeration. The gene- ral principles and primary ideas of all these metaphysical, theories, doubtless, belong to genuine and early Budhism. But these plain and elementary principles, having been got hold of, by heads of phi- losophical schools, and worked upon in their laboratory, there have come out therefrom, at various periods, those theories, which have given to the doctrines of Budhism so many different hues, and at the same time, so much contributed to puzzle and torment the European student. Article VI. Of the Progress in Perfect Science. In the preceding article, we have reviewed the whole scale of beings and analysed summarily some of them, merely to show the * ay to the general analysis of all others. The ultimate result of such an investigation, is to acquire the conviction that all beings are subjected to mutability, pain and illusion. This conviction, onco seated in the soul, generates a generous contempt for so miserable objects. In this article we must see by what means this philo- sophical sentiment may be firmly rooted in the soul, and man may finally entertain a thorough disgust for all creatures, even for his own body. This loathsomeness for all that exists, is immediately followed up by an ardent desire of becoming free and disentangled from all the ties and trammels that encompass other beings. We are all aware, says our author, that the principle of insta- bility pervades all that exist in hell, on earth, and in the superior seats. But this important science is, with many, too superficial and but imperfectly understood. Our great object is to root it deeply in our mind, so that we might ever be preserved from those false impressions which, too often, tempt us to believe that mutability and changes are not affecting all beings. What are the obstacles that oppose in us the progress into true science ? There are three. The first is Santi, or duration of life. Wo al- low ourselves to be lulled in the opinion that our life shall be much longer prolonged : that we have as yet many days, months and years, to spend iu this world. This groundless supposition pre- vents us from attending to the principle of mutability. To coun- teract this dangerous impression, let us examine how all things are born, but soon to die ; and therefore let us have always death present to our mind. Let us consider the short duration and vanity of our being; then we will soon be convinced that the form of the body, is like the waves of the sea, that swell for a moment and soon disappear ; that sensation is produced like froth from the dashing of the waves ; that the Thangia THE SEVEN WAYS TO NIBAN. 313 or persuasion we acquire, has uo more stability or ideality thau lightning ; that the Sangknra, or concept, or production is like the plaiutain tree without strength, and that the view of objects •through our senses deserves no more credit than the words of a quack. A second obstacle to our perceiving the great principle that pain is heavily weighing on all creatures, is the irinbot, or the four sit- uations or positions the body does assume, viz : sitting, standing, ■laying and walking. If a man enjoys good health, he owes it chiefly to the change of situation. Were he doomed to occupy always the same place, or remain in the same situation, he would feel quite miserable. He momentarily relieves himself from his temporary afflictions, by a change of situation. This relief makes him forget- ful of the great principle of duka. But in truth, our body is like a patient that requires the constant attendance of the physician. We must feed it, refresh it, wash it, clothe it, etc. to save it from ..hunger, thirst, dirt and cold ? What is all this, but a sad and constant proof that we are slaves to pain. Thore is nothing but pain and affliction in this wretched world. A third obstacle to our being convinced that all is illusion, in this world, is that false persuasion which makes us to say : this is a foot, a hand, a woman, etc. Whilst these things have no reality, no consistence, but are mere shades ready at any moment to vanish and disappear. Those and like expressions being always used, import, at last, a sort of conviction that they are true ; but after all what are all these things, but a compound of the four elements, or more simply, nama and rupa 1 In addition to this examination, the Sage considers also our ideas and the operations of our mental faculties. Here he sees those ideas appearing for a moment and then disappearing : he concludes that ideas are likewise subjected to the great law of mutability. He finds as much misery in his own mind as he met with in the exterior objects ; all around his mind is but illusion. When he has reached this point, he is delivered at once of the three Nimeit that make one believe that there is something real in birth, existence and action. The destruction of all beings, of all things, is ever present to his mind. In such a state, the Sage is free from all erroneous doctrines ; he is disgusted with life ; the exercise of meditation is easy to him, and almost .uninterrupted. He is free from all passions. Our author has another chapter devoted to the consideration ,of the miseries attending all living beings. To make us better informed on this subject, he desires the Sage to meditate upon the miseries attending birth. V istence > old a S e and deatb ; htf wishes him to examine attentively the condition of all creatures, tha-t he might never be seduced by the dazzling appearance th*t 314 THE SEVEN WAYS TO NIBAN. encompasses them. He, at greath length, insists upon the dan- gers surrounding the wise man, as yet compelled to remain in contact with this material world. To make us better understand this subject, he makes use of the following similitude. A man worn out with fatigue, enters a cave wherein he longs to enjoy a refreshing rest. He is just lying down in the hope of abandon- ing himself to the sweet delight of undisturbed repose, when, on a sudden, he perceives .close by him an infuriated tiger. At that moment all idea of rest, of sleep, of happiness, vanishes away ; he is taken up solely wiih the imminent danger of Ins position. Such is the position of the Sage who, living among creatures, may be tempted to allow himself to look on them with an idea of enjoyment. But when he has come to that state, to be disgusted with all the modifications matter is subjected to, he is likened to the pure white swan who never sets his feet in low and dirty places, but delights to rest on the bosom of a beauti- ful lake, of limpid and clear water. Our Sage who has in abhor- ence all the filth of this miserable world, is delighted only in the consideration of truth. He is displeased with the world and all the things that are therein. His mind is busily engaged in finding out the most effectual means to break with this world, and rend asunder the ties that retain him linked to it. He is like a fish caught in the net, or a frog seized by a snake, or a man shut up in a dungeon. All three strive, to their utmost, to escape the danger that threatens them and regain their liberty. Such is the condition of the perfect, who has attentively consider- ed the many snares that are around thim. He too has but one object in view, that of freeing himself from them and obtaining the deliverance. The best and surest means to save himself from the dangers attending existence, is a profound and unremitting meditation on the three great principles aneit>a, duka and anata. We will select among many reflections supplied by our author, a few on each of these principles, to convey to the reader some ideas re- specting the subjects that engross much the attention of the Budhist Sage. Most of these reflections are strikingly true, and could as well find place in the mind of a Christian, as in that of a Budhis 1 . Speaking of aneitsa. our author says: Let us reflect on this, that there is nothing permanent nor stable in this world. We hold all things, as a sort of borrowed property, or on tenure ; we are by no means proprietors of what we possess. We acquire goods, but to lose them very soon. All in nature is subjected to pain, old age, and death ; all come to an end, cither by virtue of its own condition, or by the agency of some external cause. Shall we ever be able to find in this world any thing stable? No; we leave THE SEVEN WAYS TO N1BAN. 315 one place, but to go and occupy another, which in its turn is soon vacated. No one is able to enumerate the countless changes that incessantly take place. What exists to-day, disappears to- morrow. In fact all nature is pervaded from beginning to end, by the principle of mutability, which incessantly works upon it. On the miseries of this world, our philosopher speaks as fol- lows. Pain is the essential "appendage of this world. Survey, if you can, the whole of this universe, and every where you will find a heavy load of pain, and afflictions, so harrassing and op-^ pressing, that we can scarcely bear them with a tolerable amount of patience. Look at birth, examine existence during its duration, consider senses, the organs of our life. In every direction, bur eyes will meet with an accumulation of pain, sufferings and miseries ; on every side we are beset with dangers, difficulties and calamities ; ho where joy or rest are to be found. In vain wc may go in quest of health and happiness ; both are chimerical objects, no where to be met with. Every where we meet with afflictions. In speaking of the dnata, or illusion in which we miserably re- main in this world, our philosopher is equally eloquent. If we consider with some attention this world, we will never be able to discover in it any thing else, but name and form, and all that exists is but illusion. Here is the manner we must carry on our reasoning. The things that I see and know, are not myself, nor from myself, nor to myself. What seems to be myself is in reality neither myself nor belougs to thy- self. What appear, to me to be another, is neither myself nor from myself. The organs of senses, such as the eyes, the ears, etc. are neither myself nor to myself. They are but illusions, or as nothing relatively to me. The form is not a form; the attributes of a living being, are not attributes ; beings are not beings. All that is an aggregate of the four elements, and these again are but form and name, and these two are but an illusion, destitute of reality* In a being, then, there are two attributes, form and sensation, that appear to have some mdre Consistency than other thirtgs. Yet they have no reality; their nature and condition is to be des- titute of all reality and stability. Penetrated with the truth of these and like considerations, the Sage declares at once that all things are neither himself, nor belong to himself. Nothing, therefore, appears worthy his notice. He at once divorces with the world and all the things that are therein. He would fain have nothing to do with it j he holds it in supreme contempt and utter disgust. He who has reached this lofty point of sublime science, is at once secure from the snares of seduction, and the path of error- He will escape from the wirlpool. of human miseries, and infallibly reach the state of Niban. The most perfect among the perfect are so much taken upon with, and deeply affected by, the view of Niban, 316 THE SEVEN WAYS TO NIBATT. that they tend in that direction without effort. Others, somewhat less advanced in the sublime science, discover it is true, the state of Kiban at a distance, but its sight is as yet dimned and somewhat obscured. They want as yet to train up their mind to, and perfect it in, the exercise of that meditation of which we have given an ab- breviated analysis. REMARKS ON THE SITES AND NAMES (IF THE PRINCIPAL PLACER MENTIONED IN THE LEGEND. When the printing of this work was nearly completed, wo have been requested to make an attempt to identify the names and sites of the many places mentioned in the Legend, with those of modern places. For a satisfactory performance of this truly inter- esting, though not easy task, we have been rather short of time ; and, what is still more to be regretted, we were deprived of the necessary means to enable us to carry out fully and satisfactorily the object of the request. To the kindness of our worthy and learned Commissioner, Major A. P. Phayre, the writer has been indebted for the loan of a work that has been of a great help to him for attaining the object he had in view. It is entitled " Fa Hian's Pilgrimage," and throws much light on this important subject. It is the translation of the voyage of a Chinese travel- ler, who, impelled by a purely religious zeal, came to India, for the sole purpose of visiting the places rendered famous and venerable, by the birth, life, doings and death of Foe, the same personage who is known in these parts, under the name Budha Gaudama. His object was also to make a complete collection of all the religious books acknowledged as genuine, in India, and carry them with him to China. Our worthy traveller, according to his account, passed through southern Thibet little Tartary and visited successively Cabul, Cashmere, Candahar and the Punjab. Following a nearly south- eastern direction, he reached Mathura on the upper Jumna, crossed the Ganges at Kanouj, at the confluence of the Kali with that river, travelled almost in an eastern direction, through Oude, and crossed the Gogra near Fizabad. Keeping close to the east- ern bank of that stream, he struck in a slightly northern direction, passing the Rapti south of Goruckpore, and followed the same course, nearly to the western bank of the Gunduck. From thence he shaped his course in a south-easterly direction, parallelly to- the course of that river, which he crossed a little higher up the place where it empties in the Ganges. Following then, a southern direction, he crossed the Ganges near the place where is now the city of Patna. From thence our pilgrim travelled in a south-east- erly direction, crossed successively the Morhar and the Fulgo, examined all the places in the neighborhood, south and south- 3ld REMA.KKS ON THE SITES AND NAltfES OF THE west of Behar, which are so celebrated in Budhistic annals. After having spent three years in India, busy in mastering tl,e Pali language and collecting copies of the best religious works t he then embarked on the Ganges. Near its rriouth he went on board of a ship bound to Ceylon. After having visited that cele- brated island, Fa Hian sailed in the direction of the Malayan Ar- chipelago, called at Java, and safely arrived to his country, after having performed one of the most extraordinary and difficult jour- nies any man could have undertaken in those ancient times. It was in the beginning of the fifth century, that this feat was per- formed in the space of more than seven years. He spent three years in India and two at Ceylon. The Chinese Original has been translated in French by A. Re- musat. The English version, from the French, is accompanied by the annotations of Kemusat, and those of other celebrated ori- entalists. From the notes we have extracted the above and fol- lowing particulars. 1. The name given by northern Budhists, to Budha, is Thakia- ttvuni, which means the Religious of the Thakia family. He be- longed to the Kshatria or the warriors' caste. The name Gauda- ma, according to the opinion of the late E. Burhouf, is the name of the religious instructor of his family, which members of families of that caste oftert adopted. This instructor might have been a descendant Of the celebrated philosopher Gotama, mentioned in Certain writings, but distinct from our Budha. 2. Kapila, or Kapilawot, the birth place of Budha, Was situat- ed on the right bank of the Gogra, direct north of Benares. It was a heap of ruins when Fa Hian visited it, and the country almost a desert. Some are of opinion that it was situated near the mountains that separate Nepal from Goruckpore, on the river Rohini, a mountain stream, feeder of the Kapti. But this asser- tion has very few supporters and appears improbable. 3. The river Anauma, cannot be the Amanat in Behar, south of Patna. It is probably one of the feeders of the Gogra, and to be met with half way between Kapila and Radzagio, the site of which city, as will be subsequently seen, lays close to modern Behar. The Legend bears out this supposition. Budha travelled 30 youd- zanas from Kapila to the river Anauma ; thence 30, to Radzagio. The youdzana of those times in Magatha, is supposed to have been equal probably to four miles. 4. Oorouwela was one of the mountains famous for the num- ber of the hermits that withdrew thither for the purpose of med- itation. It is not far from Gaya. 5. The river Neritzara, in Mongol-Nirandzara, is a considerable stream flowing from the south-west ; it unites with the Monah and forms the Fulgo. PRINCIPAL PLACES, MENTIONED IN THE LEGEND. 319 6. Baranathee is, beyond doubt, the famous city of Benares. The solitude of Migadawon, whither Budha went to preach the law to the rive Kahans that had served him during the six years of mortification which he spent in the forest of Oorouwela, lay in jts vicinity. The meaning of Migadawon is, the deer forest It . lays a few miles from Benares. It is said that after having travelled nine miles from the Bodi tree, Budha had to go over a distance of 18 youdzanas, ere he reached Benares, making a total of about 80 miles. 7. Kadzagio, or Radzagihra, was the capital of Magata, or South Behar. Its situation is well ascertained. Its ruins have been minutely described by several travellers. It was situated on the left bank of the same small river as Behar, but a few miles south of that place. The mountains or peaks surrounding that ancient city are full of caves tenanted, in former ages, by Budhist ascetics. The mountain Gaya-thitha, where Budha preached his famous sermon, lays in the neighborhood. It is perhaps the same as the Gridrakuta, or the Vulture's Peak. 8. The Hudhist annals often mention the country of the middle, or Mitzima-desa. It comprised th% countries of Mathura, Kosala, Kapila, Wethalee and Magatha, that is to say, the provinces of Agra, Delhi, Oude and South Behar. Magatha, south of the Ganges, had for capital, at first Kadzagio, until Athoka, a hundred years after the death of Gaudama, trans- ferred the seat of his empire to Paliputra, or Palibothra. The celebrated Weloowon monastery was situated in the neighbor- hood of Kadzagio, and was offered to Budha by King Pimpa- sara, the ruler of that country. 9. Kosala is the same as the kingdom that is now called Oude. Thawatie, or Crawastu, was the capital of a district of jthat country. It was situated nearly at the same place where at present stands the modern town of Fizabad. According to the Legend, the distance from Kadzagio to Thawattie is forty-five youdzanas of 4 miles. Twelve hundred paces from that city, was to be met the renowned monastery of Dzetawon, or the grove of the victorious. Many ruins that have been visited and examined, leave no doubt regarding the certain position of Thawattie. 10. Thing-ka-tha-na-go, or Tsam-pa-tha-na-go, lays in an east- ern direction between Mathura and Kanouj, near the site occupi- ed by the town of Ferruckabad. Captain A. Cunningham has met with the ruins of that place in the village of Samkassa, on the left bank of the Kalinadi, twelve cos from Ferrakabad. Accord- ing to a popular tradition, it was destroyed in 1183, by the king of Kanouj, at the instigation of the Brahmins, who endeavoured, by all means in their power, to make all the remnants of Bud- 320 REMARKS ON THE SIXES AND NAMES OF THE hism, disappear from those parts of the Peninsula. It was in that place that Budha anived on his return from the seats of Nats, whither he had gone to preach the law to his mother. According to the Legend, the distance from Thawattie to Tking-ka-tha-na- go is thirty youdzanas, in a westerly direction. Fa Hian saj T s that he saw in one of the temples of that place, the ladder Budha had used when he came down from the seats of Nats. 1 1 . The village of Patali is the very place where was subse- quently established the renowned city of Palibothra, capital of Magatha. The place had reached the height of its glory, when Me«-asthenes, the ambassador of Seleucus, visited it, in the reisrn of Chandragupta. In the time of Budha, it was but an insignificant place. There was however a sort of fort to arrest the inroads of some troublesome neighbours. Budha, when he passed through that place, predicted that it would become a flourishing town. The prediction begun to have its accomplishment, one hundred years after his death, when king Athoka left Radzagio and remov- ed the seat, of his empire to Palibothra, in the very place where stands the city of Patna. 12. The town of Wethalee is supposed to have stood north of Patna, on the Gunduk, not far from the place where that river joins the Ganges. In the seventh century, Budhism was there on its decline ; false doctrines, as says another Chinese pilgrim, were much prevailing. Nothing was to be seen, at that time, but a ruined town and many monasteries almost deserted and also falling into decay. Many signs of ancient ruins are to be met with between Sinhia and Bakra, supposed to be those of Wethalee. There is a curious episode in the Legend connected with the name of Wethalee. A courtezan, who despite her dis- honorable calling, occupied a brilliant position in the country, courted the favor of feeding Budha with all his followers. The latter accepted her invitation and received a beautiful grove she presented to him and to the assembly. It does not appear that her avocation was looked upon as a disgraceful one It is pro- bable that persons of this description, were as much for the intel- lectual as for the sensual enjoyments of their visitors. There existed in Greece and at Rome something similar to what is here alluded to. According to Plutarchus, Aspasia at Athens, was, courted by Pericles on account of her high literary attain- ments and political abilities. Socrates visited her sometimes, ■in company with his disciples. Visitors took occasionally then- wives to her place, for the purpose of enjoying the charms of her highly refined and instructive conversation. The same phi- losophical biographer does not scruple to quote sometimes the sayings of the celebrated Roman courtezan, named Flora. 13. Nala or Nalaka was a Brahmin village about four miles PRINCIPAL PLACES, MENTIONED IN THE LEGEND. 321 west of Radzagio. It was the birth place of the great disciple Thariputra. It seems that there was there a sort of Academia, •whither the learned of Radzagio resorted for discoursing on moral and philosophical subjects. 14. Koothinaron, the city of the grass Kushi, is the place in the neighborhood of which Budha entered in the state of Nibau, or died. Some antiquarians laying much stress on the name of a village, up to this day, called Kushia, have placed the position of of Koothinaron on the road between Betiah and Goruckpore. On that spot, is to be seen a pyramidical looking nnund of bricks over which spreads a large banyan tree. But, from the narrative of the Legend, we must look for the site of Koothinaron, nearer to the river Higniarati or Gunduck, since the spot where Gauda- ma died, was near to the city, and is described as surrounded on three sides by the river. Koothinaron was situated a little north or north-west of Betiah, on or near the banks of the Gunduck. There, too, ruins are to be seen, which, doubtless, will prove to be. those of Koothinaron. The name may have subsequently mi- grated to the locality above mentioned. 15. Papilawana, the capital of the Mauria Princes, was situat- ed between the Rapti and the Gunduck, nearly east of Goruck- pore. South of that place, Fa Hian visited the dzedi of the coals. The Mauria Princes, agreeably to the text of the Legend, having come too late for sharing in the partition of the relic?, took with them the coals that remained after the cremation of Budha's re- mains, carried them into their country, and built a dzedi over them. It was not far from that place, that the Brahmin Dauna built another dzedi over the vessel that had contained Budha's relics. 16. Anawadat is the name of a lake famous in Budhist sacred history. Its etymological meaning is, agreeably to some Savans, exempt of tumult, and according to others, not brightened. This last appellation is owing probably to the high peaks that surround it and prevent its being brightened by the rays of the suri. From that lake flows in an eastern direction one of those small streams that form the river Ganges ; whilst, in an opposite direction, the Oxus issuing from the same body of water, shapes its course nearly towards the west. 17. Udiana is a country the position of which is fixed on the banks of the Indus, between Cabul and Cashmere, west of the latter country. (Jandara is, it appears, the country called Candahar by the Mussulmans, lying between the Swat and the Indus. Yuanaka is, in all probability, the peninsula of Guze- rat. It is not without interest to hear our Chinese traveller sta- ting that religion was flourishing in the above mentioned coun- tries, whilst in the Punjab, he met with Religious with whom he declined holding intercourse, and of whom he speaks in rather 00 322 PRINCIPAL TLACJES, MENTIOND IN THE LEGEND. \infavorable terms. Hence we may conclude that heretical opiii' ions were then prevailing in that country, and then doctrines, at variance with those of Budha, had already cast a deep root, and in their growth, almost choked genuine Budhism, if it had ever been the prevailing creed in the land of five rivers. 18. On his way down the Ganges, our pilgrim does not appear to have left his boat for any considerable time ; he contents him- self with mentioning a fact that, to some, may appear somewhat doubtful, viz: the flourishing condition of the Budhist religion as far as the neighborhood of the present metropolis of India. He 6peaks of the kingdom of Champa. Champapuri, or Karnapura, was the capital of that state. It was situated on the site of the present Bhagulpore, or not far from it. Thence Fa Hian came to the state of Tamaralipti. The town, which bore that name, is the modern Tumlook, on the right bank of the Hoogly, not far from Calcutta. It was at that port that he embarked on board of a ship bound to Ceylon. m THE W0RD NAT. In one note on the Nats, the writer having expressed the ■opinion that the word Nat, used by Burmese, was derived from the Sanscrit term Natli, which means lord. Major Phayre ex- pressed his decided opinion that the expression was a purely Burmese one, not at all derived from the Sanscrit. Leaving: aside the etymological question, of which it may be said that adhvc sub judicp lis est, we are happy to communicate to the reader the following reflections that have come from the pen of that distinguished scholar, who is so intimately acquainted with all that relate to Budhism. The modern Burmese acknowledge the existence of certain beings which, for want of a better term, we will call '• almost spiritual beings.*' They apply to them the name Nat. Now ac- cording to Burmese notions, there are two distinct bodies or systems of these creatures. The one is a regular constituted company, if I may say so. of which Thagya Meng is the chief. Most undoubtedly that body of "Nats" was unknown to the Burmese until they became Budhists Those are the real Dewak or Dewata. But the other set of Nats are the creatures of the indigenous system, existing, not among Burmese only, but among all the wild tribes bordering Burmah. The acknowledgment of those beings constitutes their only worship. On these grounds I con- sider that the Burmese ackowledged and worshipped such beings, before they were converted to Budhisni. Now if they acknowledged such beings, they no doubt had a name for them, similar in general import to the word " fairy, elf," and so on, among the inhabitants of Britain, for beings of a quasi spiritual nature. 1 may observe that there is a complete analogy in the state of Burmese belief in the existence of such beings, and thnt which prevailed formerly in Europe, and some remnants of which may be found even now existing among the uneducated. £ mean that before the Angle-Saxon tribes were converted to Christianity, the belief in fairies and elfe was universal. • With Christianity came a belief in a different order of spiritual beings, and with that, a new name derived from the Latin, Angel. This is somewhat analogous to the state of things among the Burmese before and after their conversion to Budhism. oo* 324 ON THE "WORD NAT. But to return to the Burmese. They, when they received Budhism appear to have generally retained their vernacular name for the beings called in Pali Dnca. Why this should be done, is cer- tainly not apparent- Why have the English and all Tnetonic nationi retained the ancient name of Evil and spirits, though they adopted with Christianity a new term for good spirits generally ? I allude to the term De-vil, which, there is no doubt, is philologically con- nected with that P;di word Dew-a or Drv-&. Regarding the rneaning of the word Nat in Pali, I have no Pa- li dictionary, but I have the ordinary Oordoo Dictionary which includes all ordinary Sanscrit w r ords. I find there the San- scrit word " Nath," and the meaning rendered " master, hus- band, lord." There is nothing to show it refers to any su- pernatural being, but is only a term of respect. As such it might, in Pali, be made applicable to Nats. In Burmese, the peo- ple who believe in Nats, seldom use that word, but some honorif- ic phrase. Some fishermen, I knew, quarrelled about their shares in a pool of water. In the case, they constantly referred to the share of the " Ashing-gyee," who was no other than the presiding Nat of the said pool. CONTENTS. Legend or Life of the Burmese Budha called Gaudam*. Chapter I. — Invocation of the Burmese translator — rumor of the coming birth of a Budha — Phralaong in the seat of Nats — dream of Maia — conception of Phralaong — wonders attending that event. ... ... ... ... ... page 1 Chapter II. — Birth of Budha in a forest — rejoicings on that occasion — Kaladewila — prediction of the Pounhas — vain efforts of Thoudodana, to thwart the effect of the prediction. " 20 Chapter III. — A name is given to the child — prediction of the Pounhas respecting the child — death of Maia — miraculous occurrence at the child's cradle — adolescence of Phralaong — he sees the four Signs — return from the garden to the royal city. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... " 23 Chapter IV. — Phralaong leaves his palace, the royal city and retires into solitude, in the middle of the Plaudits of the Nats — he cuts his fine hairs with a stroke of his sword, and puts on the habit of Rahan — he begs his food at Ra- dzagio — his interview with the ruler of that place — his studies under two Rathees — his fast and penances in the solitude of Oorouwela, during six years. ... ... " 38 Chapter V. — Thoodzata's ottering to Phralaong — his five dreams — he shapes his course towards the Gniaong tree — miraculous appearance of a throne — victory of Phralaong over Manh Kat — his meditations during forty nine days near the Bodi tree — he, at last, obtains the perfect science — he overcomes the temptations directed against him, by the Daughters of Manh— Budha preaches the law to a Pounha and to two Merchants. ... ... ... ... " 51 Chapter VI. — Budha hesitates to undertake the task of preaching the law — the great Brahma entreats him to preach the law to all beings — his assent to the entreaties — his first preachings — conversion of a young nobleman, named Batha, followed by that of his father and other rela- tives — conversion of several other noblemen — instructions to the Rahans — Manh's temptation— new instructions to the Rabins — conversion of the three Kathabas, ... ... 71 Chapter VII. — Budha's sermon on the mountain— interview of Budha and king Pimpathara in the vicinity of Radzagio — answer of Kathaba to Budha's interrogation— instructions delivered to the king and his attendants— solemn entry of Budha in Radzagio— donation of the W'alowon monastery to 11. Budha — conversion of Thariputra and Maukaaln — the Ra- handas are keenly taunted by the people of Radzagio, ... page 98 Chapter VIII. — Tu'odaudana, desirous to see his son Budha, sends messengers to him — they become converts and never return to the king — Ivaludari, a last messenger, prevails up- on Budha to go to Kapilawot — Budha arrives to his native city — his reception — conversion of the king, and of Vathau- f l ara — Ananda and Raoula put on the religious habit, ... " 112 Chapter IX. — A. rich merchant of the country of Thawatee, named Anatapein, becomes a convert — he offers to Budha the celebrated Dzetawoon monastery — anecdote of the phy- sician Dzewaka — he cures Budha of a painful distemper— Budha allows the religions to receive offeriugs of pieces of cloth for their dress — he confounds heretics, in the Thawa- tee country, by working many miracles — he goes to the seat of Thawadeintha, to preach the law to his mother — afflic- tion of the multitudes of people caused by his departure, " 126 Chapter X — Budha's proceedings in the seat of Thawadein- tha — he leaves that place — his triumphant return to the seat of men — being 80 years old, he delivers important in- structions to the Rahans — preaching in the village of Pata- lee — miraculous crossing of the Ganges — conversion of a courtezan — sickness of Budha — his instructions to Ananda — last moments and death of Thariputra— his eulogium by Budha, ... ... ••• ••• 13 ^ Chapter XI. — Voyage to Wethalee — last temptation of Manh — causes of earth. |uakes — new instructions to the Rahans — last meal of Budha — his painful distemper — his conversation with one of the Malla princes — sign foreshowing Budha's co- ming death — arrival in the Koothinaron forest — Budha lays on his couch — wonders attending that event — instructions to Ananda — eulogium of Ananda by Budha — conversion of Thoubat — last words of Budha to the Rahans — his death, " 163 Chapter XII — Stanzas uttered after Budha's death — Ananda informs the Malla Princes of Budha's demise — preparations for the funeral— public veneration — he worships the body- wonder on that occasion — the burning of the corpse — parti- tion of the relies made by a Pounha called Dauna— extraor- dinary honors paid to the relics by king Adzatatha— death of that king and of Kathaba— king Athauka discovers the place where the relics had been deposited, ... ... " 198 An abstract of a few small Dzats, and of two principal ones, called Nemi and Dzauecka, ... ... ••• 217 Notice on the Phongies, or Budhist Religious sometimes called talapoins, ... ••• ••• ••■ 234 A r tide I.— A short parallel between the Brahminieal and the Budhistic religious Orders, ... ... ••• 235 Article II.— Nature of the religious Order of Phongies, ... " 240 Article III.— Hierarchy of the Order, ... - page 247 Article IV. — Ordination or ceremonies observed at the admis- sion into the Society, ... ... ••• ••• *p3 Article V.— Rules of the Order, ... ... ••• * 5J 111. Article VI. — Occupations of the Eudhist Recluses, ... " 2G9 Article VII. — Religious influence of the Fhongies — respect and veneration paid to them by the laity, ... ... " 273 The seven ways to Niban ... ... ... « 285 Article I. — Of the Precepts, ... ... ... " 286 Article II. — Of Meditation and its various degrees, ... " 291 Article III. — Of the Nature of Beings, ... ... " 298 Article IV. — Of the cause of the Form and of the Name, or of Matter and Spirit, ... ►.. ... ... " 302 Article V. — Of the true Meggas or ways to Perfection, ... " 307 Article VI. — Of the progress in perfect science, ... ... 312 Remarks on the sites and names of the principal places men- tioned in the Legend, ... ... ... ... 315 On the word Nat, ... ... ... ... ... 323 TheHfe°o'?le?end of Gaudama, the Budha Pnnceton Theological Seminary-Speer Library 1 1012 00009 7743 ,