,t,r,ue,b,n,e,r',s                      
,,oriental ,,series4                    
,,the ,,life ,,or ,,legend              
,,of                                    
,,gaudama                        ,,the  
,,buddha ,,of ,,the ,,burmes            
,with ,annotations4                     
,,the ,,ways ,,to ,,neibban1 ,,and      
,,notice ,,on ,,the                     
,,phongyies ,,or ,,burmese ,,monks4     
,,by ,,the                              
,,right ,,reverend ,p4 ,,bigandet1      
,,bishop ,,of ,,ramatha1                
,,vicar ,,apostolic ,,of ,,ava ,,and    
,,pegu                                  
,,in ,,two ,,volumes4                   
,,vol4 ,i4                              
,fourth ,edition4                       
,,london3                 ,,kegan       
,,paul1 ,,trench1 ,t,r,ue,b,n,e,r  ,,co4
 ,,ltd4                     ,,dryden    
,,house1 ,,gerrard ,,street1 ,w4        
#aiaa4          ,the rights of          
translation and of reproduction are     
reserved4                      ,printed 

by ,,ballantyne1 ,,hanson  ,,co4        
,at the ,ballantyne ,press1 ,edinburgh  
,,advertisement ,,to ,,third ,,edition4 
,the origin of the present work dates   
back to the years #aheb1 #ahec1 #ahed1  
and #ahee1 when portions of it appeared 
in the ,journal of the ,indian          
,archipelago and ,eastern ,asia1 edited 
by ,j4 ,r4 ,logan of ,penang 7vols4 vi41
 vii41 viii41 and ix474 ,the first      
complete edition was printed at ,rangoon
 in ,burmah in #aheh1 and a second1 much
 enlarged1 at the same place in #ahff4  
,very few copies of either of these     
editions reached ,europe1 and both are  
entirely out of print4 ,the present     
third edition--a faithful reprint of the
 second--issued1 with ,bishop           
,bigandet's sanction1 for the benefit of
 ,european and ,american scholars and   
readers1 will1 therefore1 it is hoped1  
be gladly received4  ,buddhism and      
,gautama1 the faith and its founder1    
whose followers are between four and    
five hundred millions of the human race1

 were comparatively unknown in ,europe  
but a generation ago1 and yet this great
 faith had continued for four and twenty
 centuries to spread over the vast lands
 of the ,east1 taking deep and enduring 
root in all1 from ,bhotan1 ,nepaul1 and 
,ceylon1 over ,further ,india to ,china 
,proper1 ,mongolia1 ,mantchooria1       
,tibet1 and ,japan4  ,buddhism1 as it is
 found in ,burmah1 has a particular     
claim to the attention of a diligent and
 attentive observer4 ,we there have that
 religious creed or system as pure from 
adulteration as it can be after a lapse 
of so many centuries4 ,philosophy never 
flourished in ,burmah1 and1 therefore1  
never modified the religious systems of 
the country4 ,hinduism never exercised  
any influence on the banks of the       
,irrawaddy4 ,chinese and ,burmese have  
often met on battlefields1 but the      
influence of the ,middle ,kingdom has   
never established itself in ,burmah4 ,in
 other words1 ,chinese ,buddhism has    
never been able to penetrate into the   

customs and manners of the people1 and  
has not attempted to communicate its own
 religion to its southern neighbours4   
,it would seem that the true form of    
,buddhism is to be found in ,burmah1 and
 that a knowledge of that system can    
only be arrived at by the study of the  
religious books of ,burmah1 and by      
attentively observing the religious     
practices and ceremonies of the people4 
,this is what ,bishop ,bigandet has     
endeavoured to do throughout his work4  
,mr4 ,alabaster1 the author of a very   
popular work on ,siamese ,buddhism1     
testifies to the great value of the     
,bishop's work1 which1 he remarks1 is in
 one sense complete1 for whereas the    
,siamese manuscript concludes with the  
attainment of omniscience1 the ,bishop  
had materials which enabled him to      
continue the story to the death of      
,nirwana 7,neibban in the ,burmese ,pali
 form74 ,he might have added that the   
work modestly entitled ,life of ,gaudama
 is a complete exposition of the great  

system of ,eastern ,asia4 ,the          
metaphysical part1 which is the very    
essence of the system1 has received a   
due consideration1 and the body of      
religious has been fully described4     
,moreover1 the foot-notes help the      
ordinary reader in understanding clearly
 the text of the ,legend4  ,professor   
,albrecht ,weber speaks also of the     
,bishop's work in terms of high         
commendation 7see ,literarisches        
,centralblatt1 #ahgj1 ,no4 #bi1         
reprinted in ,indische ,streifen1 vol4  
iii471 whilst a still further testimony 
is accorded to its importance in the    
recent appearance of a ,french          
translation by ,lieutenant ,victor      
,gauvain4    ,,london1 ,december #ahgi4 
,,preface ,,to ,,the ,,first ,,edition4 
,whether ,buddhism be viewed in its     
extent and diffusion1 or in the complex 
nature of its doctrines1 it claims the  
serious attention of every inquiring    
mind4  ,in our own days it is1 under    
different forms1 the creed prevailing in

 ,nepaul1 ,thibet1 ,mongolia1 ,corea1   
,china1 the ,japanese ,archipelago1     
,anam1 ,cambodia1 ,siam1 the ,shan      
,states1 ,burmah1 ,arracan1 and ,ceylon4
 ,its sway extends over nearly          
one-fourth of the human race4  ,though  
based upon capital and revolting errors1
 ,buddhism teaches a surprising number  
of the finest precepts and purest moral 
truths4 ,from the abyss of its almost   
unfathomable darkness it sends forth    
rays of the brightest hue4  ,to the     
reflecting mind1 the study of this      
religious system becomes the study of   
the history of one of the greatest      
religious enterprises that has ever been
 undertaken to elevate our nature above 
its low level1 by uprooting the passions
 of the heart and dispelling the errors 
of the mind4 ,a serious observer sees at
 a glance the dark and humiliating      
picture of the sad and barren results of
 the greatest and mightiest efforts of  
human wisdom1 in its endeavours to find 
out the real cause of all human         

miseries1 and to provide the remedies to
 cure the moral distempers to which our 
nature is subject4 ,the fact of man's   
wretched and fallen condition was       
clearly perceived by the ,buddhist      
philosopher1 but he failed in his       
attempts to help man out of the         
difficulties which encompass him in all 
directions1 and to bring him back to the
 path of truth and salvation4 ,the      
efforts begun on the banks of the       
,ganges at an early period1 and carried 
on with the greatest ardour and         
perseverance1 have proved as abortive as
 those made at a later period throughout
 ,greece and ,italy by the greatest and 
brightest geniuses of antiquity4 ,what a
 grand and irresistible demonstration   
both of the absolute inability of man to
 rescue from evil and attain good1 and  
of the indispensable necessity of divine
 interference to help him in            
accomplishing that twofold achievement6 
,it may be said in favour of ,buddhism1 
that no philosophico-religious system   

has ever upheld1 to an equal degree1 the
 notions of a saviour and deliverer1 and
 of the necessity of his mission for    
procuring the salvation1 in a ,buddhist 
sense1 of man4 ,the role of ,buddha1    
from beginning to end1 is that of a     
deliverer1 who preaches a law designed  
to secure to man deliverance from all   
the miseries under which he is          
labouring4 ,but by an inexplicable and  
deplorable eccentricity1 the pretended  
saviour1 after having taught man the way
 to deliver himself from the tyranny of 
his passions1 only leads him1 after all1
 into the bottomless gulf of total      
annihilation4  ,buddhism1 such as we    
find it in ,burmah1 appears to have     
retained1 to a great extent1 its        
original character and primitive        
genuineness1 exhibiting1 as it does1 the
 most correct forms and features of that
 ,protean creed4 ,at the epoch the      
,burmans left the northern valleys and  
settled in the country they now inhabit1
 they were a half-civilised ,mongolian  

tribe1 with no kind of worship1 except a
 sort of geniolatry1 much similar to    
what we see now existing among the      
various tribes bordering on ,burmah4    
,they were in the same condition when   
the first ,buddhist missionaries arrived
 among them4 ,deposited in this almost  
virginal soil1 the seed of ,buddhism    
grew up freely without encountering any 
obstacle to check its growth4           
,philosophy1 which1 in its too often    
erratic rambles in search of truth1     
changes1 corrects1 improves1 destroys1  
and1 in numberless ways1 modifies all   
that it meets1 never flourished in these
 parts2 and1 therefore1 did not work on 
the religious institutions1 which       
accordingly have remained up to this day
 nearly the same as they were when first
 imported into ,burmah4 ,the free       
discussion of religious and moral       
subjects1 which constituted the very    
life of the ,indian schools1 and begat  
so many various1 incoherent1 and        
contradictory opinions on the most      

essential points of religion and        
philosophy1 is the sign of an advanced  
state of civilisation1 such as does not 
appear to have ever existed on the banks
 of the ,irrawaddy4  ,owing to its      
geographical position1 and perhaps1     
also1 to political causes1 ,burmah has  
ever remained out of the reach of ,hindu
 influence1 which in ,nepaul has        
coloured ,buddhism with ,hindu myths1   
and habited it in gross forms of        
idolatry4 ,in ,china1 where there       
already subsisted at the time of the    
arrival of the preachers of the new     
doctrine the worship of heroes and      
ancestors1 ,buddhism1 like an immense   
parasitic plant1 extended itself all    
over the institutions which it covered  
rather than destroyed1 allowing the     
ancient forms to subsist under the      
disguise it afforded them4 ,but such was
 not the state of ,burmah when visited  
by the first heralds of ,buddhism4  ,the
 epoch of the introduction of ,buddhism 
in ,burmah has hitherto been a matter of

 conjecture4 ,according to ,burmese     
annals1 ,boudha-gautha1 at the end of   
the fourth century of our era1 brought  
from ,ceylon a copy of the scriptures1  
and did for ,burmah what ,fa-,hian1 the 
,chinese pilgrim1 accomplished a few    
years afterwards in ,india and ,ceylon  
for the benefit of his country4 ,but    
,burmans maintain that they were        
followers of ,buddha long before that   
epoch4 ,if an inference may be drawn    
from analogy1 it is probable that they  
are right in their assertion4 ,china is 
fully as far from the ancient seat of   
,buddhism as ,burmah4 ,yet it appears   
from the ,chinese annals that the       
doctrines of the ,indian philosopher    
were already propagated in some parts of
 that empire in the middle of the first 
century of our era1 and probably at an  
earlier date4 ,there is no improbability
 in concluding that1 at least at the    
same time1 ,buddhist missionaries had   
penetrated into this country to         
propagate their tenets4 ,according to   

,buddhistic annals1 it was after the    
holding of the #c;d ,council1 #bcf after
 ,gaudama's death1 #bjg ,b4,c41 that two
 missionaries carried religion to       
,thaton1 the ruins of which are still to
 be seen between the mouths of the      
,tsitang and ,salween rivers1 and       
established ,buddhism in ,pegu4 ,be that
 as it may1 we know1 from the           
magnificent ,buddhist monuments of      
,pagan1 that that religion had reached1 
in the eleventh and twelfth centuries1 a
 degree of splendour that has never     
since been equalled4  ,the ,buddhist    
scriptures are divided into three great 
parts1 the ,thoots or instructions1 the 
,wini or discipline1 and the ,abidama or
 metaphysics4 ,agreeably to this        
division1 the matter of the following   
pages is arranged under three heads4    
,the ,life of ,buddha1 with some        
portions of his preaching1 will convey  
notions of his principal teachings and  
doctrines4 ,it is accompanied with      
copious annotations intended to explain 

the text1 and to convey detailed notices
 of the system of ,buddhism in general1 
and particularly as it is found existing
 in ,burmah4 ,we have added a few small 
dzats1 or accounts of some of the former
 existences of ,gaudama1 and the summary
 of two large ones4  ,in the ,notice on 
the ,phongyies will be found the chief  
points of discipline fully explained and
 developed4 ,we have endeavoured to     
render as complete as possible the      
account of the ,buddhist ,religious1 or 
,phongyies4 ,it is an exposition and    
practical illustration of the highest   
results that can be obtained under the  
influence of the doctrines of the       
,indian philosopher4  ,in the ,ways to  
,neibban an attempt has been made to set
 forth and unfold the chief points of   
metaphysics upon which hinges the whole 
religious system4 ,we confess that the  
summary of metaphysics is rather        
concise4 ,we were reluctant to proceed  
too far in this subject1 which1 to the  
generality of readers1 is an uninviting 

one4  ,a suggestion from ,captain ,h4   
,hopkinson1 ,commissioner of the        
,martaban and ,tenasserim ,provinces1   
has induced us to add a few remarks on  
the names and situations of the         
principal towns and countries mentioned 
in the ,legend1 with the view of        
identifying them with modern sites and  
places4  ,it is hardly necessary to     
state here that the writer1 when he     
undertook this work1 had no other object
 in view than that of merely expounding 
the religious system of ,buddhism as it 
is1 explaining its doctrines and        
practices as correctly as it was in his 
power to do1 regardless of their merits 
and demerits4 ,his information has been 
derived from the perusal of the         
religious books of the ,burmans1 and    
from frequent conversations on religion1
 during several years1 with the best    
informed among the laity and the        
religious whom he has had the chance of 
meeting4  ,the surest way perhaps of    
coming to at least an exact and accurate

 knowledge of the history and doctrines 
of ,buddhism would be to give a         
translation of the ,legends of ,buddha1 
such as they are to be met with in all  
countries where ,buddhism has           
established its sway1 and to accompany  
these translations with an exposition of
 the various doctrinal points1 such as  
they are held1 understood1 and believed 
by these various nations4 ,this has     
already been done by eminent            
,orientalists1 on ,thibetan1 ,sanscrit1 
,cingalese1 and ,chinese originals4 ,a  
similar work1 executed by competent     
persons among the ,shans1 ,siamese1     
,cambodians1 and ,cochin ,chinese1 would
 considerably help the savants in       
,europe1 who have assumed the difficult 
task of expounding the ,buddhist system 
in its complex and multifarious forms1  
to give a full1 general1 and            
comprehensive view of that great        
religious creed with all its variations4
  ,the best way to undermine the        
foundations of a false creed and        

successfully attack it1 is to lay it    
open to the eyes of all and exhibit it  
as it really is4 ,error never retains   
its hold over the mind except under the 
mask of truth which it contrives to     
assume4 ,when deprived of the mask that 
has covered its emptiness and unreality1
 it vanishes away as a phantom and an   
illusion4  ,we are happy in having an   
opportunity of returning publicly our   
thanks to the worthy ,commissioner of   
,pegu1 ,major ,a4 ,p4 ,phayre1 for his  
kind exertions in furthering the        
publication of this work4 ,not only is  
he an eminent ,oriental scholar1 and    
profoundly versed in all that has       
reference to ,buddhism1 but his great   
delight is to encourage every effort    
that tends to unfold and explain a creed
 which1 despite all that has been       
written about it in the several         
countries where it flourishes1 still    
contains many mysteries in the parts    
relating to its history and doctrines   
that require clearing up4  ,we have1    

with a deeply-felt distrust of our poor 
abilities1 taken the best portion out of
 our limited stock of information       
concerning the ,buddhist system as it   
exists in these parts1 and1 with a      
willing heart1 presented it to the      
public4 ,we hope that our example may   
induce others1 whose stores of knowledge
 on this subject are fuller and richer  
than ours1 to act in a similar spirit in
 aid of the prosecution of a great      
object1 viz41 the acquisition of a      
correct knowledge of the religion of    
nearly #cjj1jjj1jjj of our fellow-men4  
,,rangoon1 ,october #aheh4     ,,preface
 ,,to ,,the ,,second ,,edition4   ,the  
,first ,edition of the ,life of ,gaudama
 being out of print for the last five or
 six years1 we have1 at the request of  
several highly esteemed persons1 come to
 the determination of publishing a      
second and much-enlarged edition of the 
same ,work4 ,in carrying on the plan of 
improvement which we had in             
contemplation1 we have been favoured by 

a happy circumstance4 ,we have1 after   
much labour1 found and procured1 in the 
,burmese capital1 a very rare palm-leaf 
manuscript1 the contents of which have  
supplied us with copies and interesting 
details respecting the sayings and      
doings of ,gaudama4  ,the book is known 
under the ,pali name of                 
,tatha-gatha-oudana1 the meaning of     
which is ,joyful ,utterance1 or         
,praises1 of the ,tatha-gatha4 ,the     
latter expression is one of the many    
titles given to ,gaudama3 it means1 he  
who has come like all his predecessors4 
,in the opinion of ,buddhists1 the      
,buddhas who appear throughout the      
duration of a world1 or in the various  
series of succeeding worlds1 have all   
the same mission to accomplish2 they are
 gifted with the same perfect science1  
and are filled with similar feelings of 
compassion for and benevolence towards  
all beings4 ,hence the denomination     
which is fitly given to ,gaudama1 the   
last of them4  ,in the course of the    

,work will be found some particulars    
concerning the author of the manuscript 
referred to1 and the place where it was 
composed4 ,we have only to state here   
that we have gathered therefrom much    
information on the condition of         
,gaudama1 previous to his last          
existence1 on the origin of the         
,kapilawot country1 where he was born1  
and on the kings he has descended from4 
,we have also met with many new details 
on the great intellectual working of    
,gaudama's mind1 during the forty-nine  
days he spent in meditation around the  
,bodi-tree1 particularly on the         
important theory of the twelve ,nidanas1
 or causes and effects1 which1 with the 
four sublime truths1 constitutes the    
very essence of the system4 ,we have    
also found many important particulars   
concerning the whereabouts of ,gaudama  
during the first twenty years of his    
public life1 and the conversions he     
effected whilst engaged in the work of  
an itinerant preacher4 ,here1 too1 we   

have gleaned and selected a few of the  
instructions he delivered to the people 
that crowded about him4 ,the story of   
,dewadat is narrated at great length4   
,we have carefully written down what is 
said of the three ,assemblies1 or       
,councils1 held at ,radzagio1 ,wethalie1
 and ,pataliputra1 and what is mentioned
 of the kings who reigned in ,magatha1  
from ,adzatathat to ,dammathoka4 ,we    
have mentioned the great fact of the    
spread of ,buddhism beyond the          
boundaries of ,magatha after the holding
 of the third ,council1 taking care to  
relate what we have found stated        
concerning its diffusion in ,pegu and   
,burmah4  ,numerous notes have been     
added to those of the ,first ,edition1  
for the purpose of elucidating and      
explaining1 as far as we are able1 the  
principles of ,buddhism and whatever is 
connected with that religious system4   
,,rangoon1 ,may #ahff4     ,,contents4  
,,legend ,,or ,,life ,,of ,,the         
,,burmese ,,buddha1 ,,called ,,gaudama4 

,,page ,,chapter ,i4      ,invocation of
 the ,burmese translator -- ,slow but   
steady progress     of ,phralaong       
towards the ,buddhaship -- ,promise made
 to him by     the ,buddha ,deipinkara  
-- ,origin and beginning of the         
,kapilawot     country and of its rulers
 -- ,birth of ,thoodaudana -- ,his      
marriage with the ,princess ,maia --    
,rumour of the coming birth of     a    
,buddha -- ,phralaong in the seats of   
,nats -- ,dream of ,maia --             
,conception of ,phralaong -- ,wonders   
attending that event4           #a      
,,chapter ,,ii4      ,birth of ,buddha  
in a forest -- ,rejoicings on that      
occasion --     ,kaladewila --          
,prediction of the ,pounhas -- ,vain    
efforts of     ,thoodaudana to thwart   
the effect of the ,prediction4          
#cd  ,,chapter ,,iii4      ,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 the ,phralaong -- ,he   
sees     the four signs -- ,return from 
the garden to the royal city4       #de 
,,chapter ,,iv4      ,phralaong leaves  
his palace1 the royal city1 and retires 
into     solitude amidst the plaudits of
 the ,nats -- ,he cuts his fine     hair
 with a stroke of his sword1 and puts on
 the habit of ,rahan     -- ,he begs his
 food at ,radzagio -- ,his interview    
with the ruler     of that place -- ,his
 studies under two ,rathees -- ,his fast
 and     penances in the solitude of    
,oorouwela during six years4            
#fj  ,,chapter ,v4      ,thoodzata's    
offering to ,phralaong -- ,his five     
dreams -- ,he     shapes his course     
towards the ,gniaong tree -- ,miraculous
     appearance of a throne -- ,victory 
of ,phralaong over ,manh ,nat --        
,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 --

     ,buddha preaches the law to a      
,pounha and to two merchants4           
#gg  ,,chapter ,,vi4      ,buddha       
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 -- ,journey towards          
,migadawon -- ,he     meets ,ouppaka -- 
,his first preachings -- ,conversion of 
a young     nobleman named ,ratha1      
followed by that of his father and other
     relatives -- ,conversion of several
 other noblemen --     ,instructions to 
the ,rahans -- ,conversion of the three 
,kathabas4  #aaa  ,,chapter ,,vii4      
,buddha's sermon on the mountain --     
,interview of ,buddha and ,king         
,pimpathara in the vicinity of the city 
of ,radzagio -- ,answer of     ,kathaba 
to ,buddha's interrogation --           
,instructions delivered to     the king 
and his attendants -- ,solemn entry of  
,buddha into     ,radzagio -- ,donation 
of the ,weloowon monastery to ,buddha --

     ,conversion of ,thariputra and     
,maukalan -- ,the ,rahans are keenly    
taunted by the people of ,radzagio4     
#adf  ,,chapter ,,viii4                 
,thoodaudana1 desirous to see his son1  
sends messengers to him --     ,they    
become converts -- ,kaludari1 a last    
messenger1 prevails on     ,buddha to go
 to ,kapilawot -- ,his reception --     
,conversion of the     king and of      
,yathaudara -- ,nanda and ,raoula put on
 the religious     habit -- ,conversion 
of ,ananda and of several of his        
relatives --     ,temptation of ,ananda 
-- ,conversion of ,eggidatta -- ,story  
of     ,tsampooka4                      
#afe  ,,chapter ,,ix4      ,a rich man  
of ,thawattie1 named ,anatapein1 becomes
 a convert --     ,story of ,dzewaka -- 
,he cures ,buddha of a painful distemper
 --     ,the people of ,wethalie send a 
deputation to ,buddha -- ,digression    
on the manner ,buddha daily spent his   
time -- ,settling of a     quarrel      
between the inhabitants of ,kaulia and  

those of ,kapilawot     -- ,new converts
 are strengthened in their faith --     
,thoodaudana's     death in the arms of 
his son -- ,queen ,patzapati and many   
noble     ladies are elevated to the    
rank of ,rahaness -- ,conversion of     
,kema1 the first queen of ,king         
,pimpathara -- ,heretics near           
,thawattie are confounded by the display
 of miraculous powers --     ,buddha    
goes to the seat of ,tawadeintha1 to    
preach the law to his     mother4       
#aid  ,,chapter ,x4      ,buddha's      
proceedings in the seat of ,tawadeintha 
-- ,his     triumphant return to the    
seat of men1 in the city of ,thin-ka-tha
     -- ,he is calumniated by the       
heretics of ,thawattie -- ,eighth       
season spent in the forest of ,tesakala 
-- ,subsequent preachings     -- ,he    
meets with a bad reception in the       
,kothambi country --     ,dissension    
among the disciples -- ,reconciliation  
-- ,travels of     ,buddha -- ,preaching
 to a ,pounha who tilled a field4       

#bbc  ,,chapter ,,xi4      ,voyage to   
,tsalia -- ,instructions to ,meggia --  
,raoula is made     a professed         
religious -- ,manahan's questions to    
,buddha --     ,misbehaviour of         
,thouppabuda -- ,questions proposed by  
,nats in     the ,dzetawon monastery -- 
,conversion of a ,biloo -- ,episode of  
,thirima at ,radzagio -- ,attention paid
 to a poor pounha and to a     weaver's 
daughter1 on account of their faith --  
,in the twentieth     season1           
appointment of ,ananda to the           
stewardship -- ,conversion     of a     
famous robber4                          
#bda  ,,chapter ,,xii4      ,buddha is  
slandered in ,thawattie -- ,questions   
put to him by     a pounha -- ,story of 
,anatapein's daughter -- ,conversion of 
a     pounha whose navel emitted rays of
 light -- ,blank in a great     part of 
,buddha's life -- ,story of ,dewadat -- 
,his jealousy     towards ,buddha --    
,his friendship with ,prince ,adzatathat
 -- ,his     ambition -- ,his attempt to

 kill ,buddha -- ,his miserable end4    
#bef     ,,legend ,,of ,,the ,,burmese  
,,buddha  ,,called  ,,gaudama4          
,,chapter ,i4      ,invocation of the   
,burmese translator -- ,slow but steady 
progress     of ,phralaong towards the  
,buddhaship -- ,promise made to him by  
the     ,buddha ,deipinkara -- ,origin  
and beginning of the ,kapilawot country 
and of its ,rulers -- ,birth of         
,thoodaudana -- ,his marriage with the  
,princess ,maia -- ,rumour of the coming
 birth of a ,buddha -- ,phralaong     in
 the seat of ,nats -- ,dream of ,maia --
 ,conception of     ,phralaong --       
,wonders attending that event4   ,i     
adore#a ,buddha who has gloriously      
emerged from the bottomless whirlpool of
 endless existences1 who has            
extinguished the burning fire of anger  
and other passions1 who has opened and  
illuminated the fathomless abyss of dark
 ignorance1 and who is the greatest and 
most excellent of all beings4  ,i adore 
the ,law which the most excellent       

,buddha has published1 which is         
infinitely high and incomparably        
profound1 exceedingly acceptable1 and   
most earnestly wished-for by ,nats and  
men1 capable to wipe off the stains of  
concupiscence1 and is immutable4  ,i    
adore the ,assembly of the ,perfect1 of 
the pure and illustrious ,ariahs in     
their eight sublime states1 who have    
overcome all the passions that torment  
other mortals1 by eradicating the very  
root of concupiscence1 and who are      
famous above all other beings4  ,i      
undertake to translate from the ,pali#b 
text the history of our most excellent  
,phra1 from the period he left          
,toocita1#c the fourth abode of ,nats1  
to the time he entered into the state of
 ,neibban4  ,previous1 however1 to      
commencing the work1 ,i will relate     
succinctly what is found in our books   
respecting the great ,being who1 by a   
slow but sure process1 was qualifying   
himself for his great and high destiny4 
,it is stated that all the following    

particulars were narrated by ,gaudama   
himself to the great disciple           
,thariputra4  ,for seven thingies of    
worlds1 he who was to become a ,buddha  
felt1 during that immense number of     
revolutions of nature1 a thought for the
 ,buddhaship awakening in his soul4     
,this thought was succeeded by a wish1 a
 desire1 and a longing for that         
extraordinary calling4 ,he began to     
understand that the practice of the     
virtues of the highest order was        
requisite to enable him to attain the   
glorious object of his ardent wishes1   
and no less than #abe1jjj ,buddhas      
appeared during that space of time4     
,when the above period had at last come 
to an end1 the inward workings of his   
soul prompted him to ask openly for the 
,buddhaship4 ,the period of asking      
lasted nine thingies of worlds4 ,it was 
brightened and illustrated by the       
successive manifestation of #ihg1jjj    
,buddhas4 ,in the beginning of this     
latter period1 the future ,gaudama was a

 prince of the name of ,laukatara1 ruler
 of the ,nanda country4 ,at that time   
there appeared in the country of        
,kapilawot a ,buddha called ,thakiamuni 
,paurana ,gaudama4 ,as he happened to   
travel through the ,nanda country1 with 
the twofold object of preaching the law 
and begging for his food1 the ruler     
,laukatara made great offerings to him4 
,meanwhile1 with a marked earnestness1  
he solicited at the feet of ,thakiamuni 
the favour of becoming1 at some future  
time1 a ,buddha like himself4 ,he       
expressed the wish to be born in the    
same country1 from the same father and  
mother1 to have for his wife the very   
same queen1 to ride the same horse1 to  
be attended by the same companions and  
the same two great disciples on the     
right and on the left4 ,to this request 
,thakiamuni replied in the affirmative1 
but he added that an immense length of  
time had still to elapse ere the objects
 of his petition could be fully granted4
 ,a similar application was repeatedly  

made to all the other succeeding        
,buddhas1 and a like promise was held   
out to him4  ,the third period of four  
thingies of worlds was remarkable for   
the complete absence of all that could  
enlighten or illustrate the various     
states of existence4 ,a complete moral  
and intellectual darkness was spread    
over all beings1 and kept them wrapped  
up in utter darkness4 ,no ,buddhas1 no  
,pitzekabuddhas appeared to illuminate  
by their doctrine and science the minds 
of men4 ,no ,tsekiawade1 or king of the 
world1 made his appearance to infuse    
life and energy in the midst of the     
universal slumbering4  ,but the hundred 
thousand revolutions of nature that     
followed were more fortunate4 ,there    
flourished no less than twenty-seven    
,buddhas1 from ,tahingara1 the first in 
the series1 to ,kathaba1 the last one   
immediately preceding ,gaudama4  ,during
 the period when the ,buddha named      
,deipinkara was the teacher of all      
beings1 our future ,gaudama was born in 

the country of ,amarawatti1 from        
illustrious and rich parents belonging  
to the caste of ,pounhas4  ,while still 
a youth1 he lost both his parents and   
inherited their property4  ,in the midst
 of pleasure and plenty he one day made 
this reflection3--,the riches that ,i   
now possess were my parents' property1  
but they have not been able to save them
 from the miseries attending death4     
,they will not1 alas6 afford to me a    
better and more secure fate4 ,when ,i go
 into the grave1 they will not come     
along with me4 ,this bodily frame ,i am 
clad in is not worthy to be pitied4 ,why
 should ,i bestow signs of compassion   
upon it8 ,filled with impurities1       
burdened by rottenness1 it has all the  
elements of destruction in the          
compounded parts of its existence4      
,towards ,neibban ,i will turn my       
regards2 upon it my eyes shall be       
riveted4 ,there is the tank in which all
 the impurities of passion may be washed
 away4 ,now ,i will forsake everything1 

and go forthwith in search of a teacher 
that will point out to me the way that  
leads to the state ,neibban4  ,full of  
these thoughts1 the young man gave away 
to the needy all that he possessed1     
reserving nothing to himself4 ,freed    
from the trammels of riches1 he withdrew
 into a lonely place1 where the ,nats   
had prepared beforehand all that was    
necessary to minister to his wants4 ,he 
embraced the profession or mode of life 
of a ,rahan1 or perfect4 ,attired in the
 dress of his new profession1 he lived  
for some time on this spot under the    
name of ,thoomeda4 ,displeased1 however1
 with the too easy mode of life he was  
leading1 he left that spot1 and         
contented himself with dwelling under   
the shade of trees4 ,he1 however1 went  
forth from time to time in quest of his 
food4  ,a few years previous to the     
retirement of ,thoomeda into solitude1  
he who was to be the ,buddha ,deipinkara
 migrated from one of the ,nats' seats1 
and was incarnated in the womb of the   

,princess ,thoomeda1 wife of ,thoodewa1 
king of the ,ramawatti country4         
,subsequently he was married to the     
,princess ,padouma1 who bore unto him a 
son1 named ,oothabakanda4 ,on the same  
year in which the child was born1 the   
king left his palace on an elephant's   
back1 withdrew into some lonely place1  
practised during ten months all sorts of
 self-inflicted penances1 and1 under the
 shade of the tree ,gniaong ,kiat1      
became a ,buddha4 ,on that occasion the 
earth quivered with great violence1 but 
the hermit ,thoomeda1 being in ecstasy  
at that moment1 knew nothing of the     
extraordinary occurrence4  ,on a certain
 day1 ,deipinkara was travelling through
 the country for the twofold purpose of 
preaching the law and collecting his    
food4 ,arrived near a place where the   
road was very bad1 he stopped for a     
while until the road should be made     
passable4 ,the people hastened from all 
parts to come and prepare the road for  
,deipinkara and his followers4          

,thoomeda1 gifted with the privilege of 
travelling through the air1 happened to 
pass over the spot where crowds of      
people were busily engaged in preparing 
and levelling a road4 ,the hermit       
alighted on that spot1 and inquired of  
the people what was the reason of their 
busy exertions4 ,they told him that the 
most excellent ,deipinkara was expected 
with a large retinue of disciples1 and  
that they strained every nerve to have  
the road ready for them4 ,thoomeda      
begged to be permitted to bear a part in
 the good work1 and asked that a certain
 extent of the road be assigned to him  
as his task4 ,his request was granted1  
and he forthwith set to work with the   
greatest diligence4 ,it was all but     
finished when ,buddha ,deipinkara1      
followed by forty thousand disciples1   
made his appearance4 ,thoomeda1 actuated
 by an ardent desire of testifying his  
respect to the holy personage1 without a
 moment's hesitation flung himself into 
the hollow that was as yet not filled1  

and lying on his belly1 with his back   
upwards1 bridged the place1 and         
entreated the ,buddha and his followers 
to cross the hollow by trampling over   
his body4 ,great and abundant shall be  
the merits that ,i1 said he within      
himself1 shall gain by this good work4  
,no doubt ,i will receive from the mouth
 of ,deipinkara the assurance that ,i   
shall1 hereafter1 obtain the            
,buddhaship4 ,the ,buddha1 standing over
 him1 admired the humble and fervent    
devotedness of ,thoomeda4 ,with one     
glance he perceived all that was going  
on in the hermit's mind1 and with a loud
 voice1 that could be heard by all his  
disciples1 he assured him that four     
thingies and one hundred thousand worlds
 hence he would become a ,buddha1 the   
fourth that would appear during the     
world1 called ,badda4 ,he went on to    
describe minutely the principal events  
that were to illustrate his future      
career4 ,no sooner was this revelation  
made to him than ,thoomeda hastened back

 to his forest4 ,sitting at the foot of 
a tree1 he encouraged himself by fine   
comparisons to the practice of those    
virtues that were best suited to weaken 
in him the influence of the passions4   
,in the different existences that       
followed1 ,thoomeda1 at all the periods 
of the appearance of some ,buddhas1     
received a confirmation of the promise  
he had had from the lips of ,deipinkara4
  ,this present world we live in has    
been favoured above all others4 ,already
 three ,buddhas have appeared1 viz41    
,kaukkasan1 ,gaunagong1 and ,kathaba4   
,these all belonged to the caste of     
,pounhas1 and he who was to be hereafter
 our ,gaudama1 during the many          
existences he passed through1 at the    
time of the manifestations of those     
three ,buddhas1 was always born of the  
same caste4 ,kathaba is said to have    
lived and preached during the ninth     
andrakap4 ,it was he who1 for the last  
time1 assured the future ,gaudama that  
he would obtain the ,buddhaship during  

the tenth andrakap4  ,we will only      
mention his last existence in the seat  
of man1 previous to the one in which he 
was to obtain the great prize he had    
laboured for with so much earnestness   
during innumerable existences4 ,he      
became prince under the name of         
,wethandra1 and practised to an eminent1
 nay heroic1 degree the virtues of      
liberality and charity4 ,to such an     
extent did he obey the dictates of his  
liberal heart1 that1 after having given 
away all the royal treasures1 his white 
elephant1 c41 he did not shrink from    
parting with his own wife1 the ,princess
 ,madi1 and his two children1 ,dzali and
 ,gahna4 ,he then died and migrated to  
the ,toocita seat1 and enjoyed the      
blissfulness and felicity of ,nats1     
under the name of ,saytakaytoo1 during  
fifty-seven koudes of years4  ,the      
origin and beginning of the ,kapilawot  
country1 as well as of its rulers1 are  
to be alluded to as briefly as possible4
 ,in the country of the middle1         

,mitzimadesa1 the kings that ruled from 
the time of ,mahathamadat to that of    
,ookakaritz1 king of ,benares1 were     
#beb1eef in number4 ,the last-named     
monarch was married to five wives1 and  
had children by them all4 ,the first    
queen happening to die1 the king became 
passionately enamoured of a young woman1
 whom he married4 ,she soon presented   
him with a son1 whom the king1 pressed  
by his young wife's solicitations1      
declared heir-apparent1 to the prejudice
 of his elder sons4 ,as might have been 
expected1 the four elder sons loudly    
complained of the preference given to   
their younger brother4 ,to put an end to
 these domestic disputes1 the king      
called his four sons and their five     
sisters1 gave them a large retinue1 and 
bade them go in a northerly direction1  
in search of a spot favourable for      
building a new city4 ,they followed     
their father's advice4 ,after long      
wandering through the forests1 they came
 to a place where lived the ,rathee     

,kapila1 who1 becoming acquainted with  
the object of their errand1 desired them
 to stay with him and found a city4 ,he 
also wished that on the very spot where 
his hut stood the king's palace should  
be erected4 ,he predicted that this city
 would become great1 powerful1 and      
illustrious2 that it would be a city of 
peace1 since the animals in the forests 
lived peaceably1 without ever attempting
 to inflict harm on each other4 ,the    
proposal was cheerfully accepted4 ,all  
the people set to work with great       
earnestness4 ,when the work was         
completed1 they offered the new city to 
,kapila1 who was made their teacher4    
,hence the name of ,kapilawottoo1 or    
,kapilawot4  ,the four princes1 finding 
that among their followers there were no
 daughters of the royal race whom they  
could marry1 resolved1 in order to keep 
pure the blood-royal1 to marry their    
four youngest sisters4 ,the eldest one  
was raised to the dignity of            
queen-mother4 ,ookamukka1 the eldest of 

the brothers1 was the first king of     
,kapilawot4 ,whilst these things were   
taking place1 the king of ,benares1     
having been attacked with leprosy1 had  
left his throne and retired to a forest 
north of his capital4 ,there he found   
his cure under the shade of the kalau   
tree4 ,at the same time the eldest      
sister1 named ,peya1 who had become     
queen-mother1 was seized with the same  
distemper1 and went into the same       
forest4 ,she met with the king1 whom she
 knew not4 ,by his advice she sat under 
the kalau tree1 and the beneficent smell
 of the leaves soon worked a perfect    
cure4 ,they were subsequently married1  
and had a numerous progeny4 ,they       
settled on this spot1 and built the city
 of ,kaulya4 ,the small river ,rohani   
flowed between ,kaulya and ,kapilawot4,a
      ,a ,when laying before the reader 
a short and concise account     of the  
being who was to become the ,buddha     
called ,gaudama1 the     writer deems it
 necessary to make a general            

observation1 which1     he hopes1 will  
greatly help the reader to understand   
correctly     several passages of the   
following pages4 ,gaudama was a ,hindu1 
brought up by ,hindu masters1 and       
initiated in all the knowledge          
possessed by the society he lived in4   
,he accepted the fabulous               
genealogies of kings such as they were  
found in the writings     of his days4  
,the same may be said of the erroneous  
notions     respecting our globe1 the   
size and motions of the sun and the     
moon and other heavenly bodies1 the     
explanations of many natural            
phenomena1 the description of hell1 of  
the seats of reward1 c4     ,teacher as 
he was of moral precepts1 based upon    
metaphysical     principles1 ,gaudama   
concerned himself very little about     
these     things1 which1 in his eyes1   
were not worth the consideration     of 
a sage4 ,but he1 or more probably his   
disciples1 availed     themselves of    
these notions for resting upon them some

 portions     of their system1 and      
giving them such developments as best   
suited their views4 ,these notions1     
though wedded to the     religious      
system originated by ,gaudama1 do not1  
strictly     speaking1 belong to it4    
,they existed before his appearance in  
the schools of philosophy2 they formed a
 part of the stock of     knowledge     
possessed by the society in which he was
 reared4 ,to     account properly for   
these particulars and many others       
belonging     to the disciplinary       
regulations1 recourse must be had to the
     study of the ancient religion of   
the ,hindus1 ,brahminism4      ,in the  
account of the foundation of the        
,kapilawot city1 we find     that the   
practice of leaving the eldest sister   
unmarried1 and     of the princes       
marrying their own sisters1 is up to    
this day     observed by the royal      
family of ,burmah4 ,the eldest daughter 
of     the reigning monarch is to remain
 unmarried during her parents'     life1

 and the first queen is often1 if not   
always1 the sister or     half-sister of
 the king4 ,the same unnatural practice 
prevailed     in the royal family of the
 ancient ,persians4  ,from ,ookamukka1  
the first king of ,kapilawot1 to ,prince
 ,wethandra1 there are but seven        
successive kings4 ,from ,dzali1 the son 
of ,wethandra1 to ,dzeyathana1 the      
great-grandfather of ,gaudama1 there    
were #hb1jjb kings4 ,let it be borne in 
mind1 that1 during that period of time1 
our ,phralaong1 or future of ,gaudama1  
was in one of the ,nats' seats4 ,the    
princes of ,kapilawot were wont to go   
and sport on the water of a lake        
somewhat distant from the city4 ,they at
 first erected a temporary place of     
residence in the vicinity of that sheet 
of water1 and finally built a city which
 received the name of ,dewaha4 ,it had  
likewise its kings of the same ,thagiwi 
race4 ,dzeyathana1 the king of          
,kapilawot1 had a son named ,thiahanoo1 
and a daughter named ,yathaudara4       

,aukaka1 king of ,dewaha1 his           
contemporary1 had also a son and a      
daughter1 ,eetzana and ,kitzana4        
,thiahanoo was married to ,kitzana1 who 
bore unto him five sons1 ,thoodaudana1  
,kanwaudana1 ,thoukkaudana1             
,thekkaudana1 and ,amittaudana2 and two 
daughters1 ,amita and ,pilita4 ,eetzana1
 the son of the king of ,dewa1 married  
,yathaudara1 daughter of ,dzeyathana1   
king of ,kapilawot4 ,from this marriage 
were born two sons1 ,thoopabuddha and   
,dantapani1 and two daughters1 ,maia and
 ,patzapati4  ,when ,eetzana became king
 of ,dewaha1 a considerable error had   
crept into the calendar4 ,a correction  
was deemed necessary4 ,there lived a    
celebrated hermit1 or ,rathee1 named    
,deweela1 well versed in the science of 
calculation4 ,after several             
consultations held on this important    
subject in the presence of the king1 it 
was agreed that the ,kaudza era of #hfdj
 years should be done away with on a    
,saturday1 the first of the moon of     

,tabaong1 and that the new era should be
 made to begin on a ,sunday1 on the     
first day of the waxing moon of the     
month ,tagoo4 ,this was called the      
,eetzana era4  ,on the #ajth of the new 
era1 ,thoodaudana was born in the city  
of ,kapilawot2 and on the twelfth year1 
,maia was born at ,dewaha4 ,in the days 
of the ,buddha ,wipathi1 the future     
,maia was then the daughter of a        
,pounha4 ,her father1 who tenderly loved
 her1 gave her one day a fine nosegay   
with a great quantity of the choicest   
perfumes and essences4 ,the young girl1 
delighted with these articles1 hastened 
to the place where lived ,wipathi1 and  
with pious and fervent earnestness laid 
at his feet all that she had received   
from her father4 ,wipathi1 admiring the 
fervent liberality of the damsel1       
assured her that she would hereafter    
become the mother of a ,buddha1 who was 
to be called ,gaudama4  ,when           
,thoodaudana was eighteen years of age1 
his father1 ,king ,thiahanoo1 called    

eight ,pounhas skilled in the science of
 astrology1 and directed them to go with
 a large retinue and splendid presents  
in search of a royal princess to be     
married to his son4 ,the eight ,pounhas 
departed4 ,they visited several         
countries1 but all in vain2 they could  
not find one princess worthy of their   
master's son4 ,at last they came to the 
city of ,dewaha4 ,they had no sooner    
arrived in sight of it than they saw    
many signs which prognosticated that in 
the city would be found an accomplished 
princess1 in every respect qualified to 
become the wife of the heir to the      
throne of ,kapilawot4 ,at that time the 
young ,maia had gone to enjoy herself in
 a garden outside the city4 ,it was     
situated on a gently sloping ground1    
covered with all sorts of the finest and
 rarest trees4 ,a small brook1 winding  
its course in various directions1 shed  
on every hand1 from its gently murmuring
 waters1 a delicious freshness4 ,thither
 the royal messengers resorted4 ,they   

found the princess in the midst of her  
companions1 outshining them all in      
beauty1 like the moon among the stars4  
,admitted into her presence1 the head of
 the deputation attempted to speak and  
explain the object of his visit2 but he 
was so much overwhelmed by the beauty   
and the graceful and dignified          
appearance of the princess1 that his    
voice failed him1 and he fainted three  
times in succession4 ,as each fit came  
on him several damsels ran to his       
assistance with pitchers of fresh water1
 and brought him back to his senses4    
,having recovered his spirits1 the chief
 ,pounha felt encouraged by some        
graceful and kind words from the lips of
 the princess4 ,he explained to her1 in 
the choicest expressions1 the object of 
his mission2 and with a faltering and   
timid tone of voice stated to her that  
he had come to entreat her to accept    
presents from1 and the hand of1 ,prince 
,thoodaudana4 ,meanwhile he poured at   
her feet the brightest jewels and rarest

 articles4 ,the princess1 with a sweet  
voice1 modestly replied that she was    
under the protection and care of her    
beloved parents1 whose will she never   
resisted2 that it was to them that this 
affair should be referred4 ,for her own 
part1 she had but one thing to do--to   
abide by her parents' wishes4           
,satisfied with the answer1 the ,pounhas
 retired1 and hastened to the palace of 
,king ,eetzana1 to whom they related all
 that had just happened4 ,the king      
graciously agreed to the proposal1 and1 
in proof of his perfect satisfaction1   
sent in return a deputation with many   
presents to ,prince ,thoodaudana and his
 father4 ,as might be expected1 the     
royal messengers were well received at  
,kapilawot4 ,thiahanoo and his son set  
out with a countless retinue for the    
city of ,dewaha4 ,in a grove of         
mango-trees an immense building was     
erected1 out of the city1 for their     
reception and accommodation2 and in the 
middle of that building a spacious hall 

was arranged with infinite art for the  
marriage ceremony4 ,when all the        
preparations were completed1 the        
bridegroom1 attended by his father1     
,king ,thiahanoo and the chief of       
,brahmas1 went out to meet the bride1   
who was coming from the garden1         
accompanied by her mother and the wife  
of the great ,thagia4 ,both advanced    
towards the centre of the hall1 near a  
stand raised for the occasion4          
,thoodaudana first stretched forth his  
hand and laid it over that place4 ,maia 
gracefully did the same4 ,they then took
 each other's hands1 in token of the    
mutual consent4 ,at that auspicious     
moment all the musical instruments      
resounded1 and proclaimed in gladdening 
airs the happy event4 ,the ,pounhas1    
holding the sacred shell in their hands1
 poured the blessed water over their    
heads1 uttering all sorts of blessings4 
,the parents and relatives joined in    
invoking upon the young couple the      
choicest benedictions4 ,the king1       

princes1 ,pounhas1 and nobles vied with 
each other in making presents1 and      
wishing them all sorts of happiness4    
,when the festival was over1 ,thiahanoo 
desired to go back to his country with  
his son and daughter-in-law4 ,this was  
done with the utmost pomp and solemnity4
 ,on his return1 he continued to govern 
his people with great prudence and      
wisdom1 and at last died and migrated to
 one of the ,nats' seats4 ,he was       
succeeded by his son ,thoodaudana1 who1 
with his amiable wife1 religiously      
observed the five precepts and the ten  
rules of kings4 ,by his beneficence and 
liberality to all1 he won the sincere   
affection of his people4 ,it was on the 
twenty-eighth year of the new era that  
he was married4 ,soon after1 he took for
 his second wife1 ,patzapati1 the       
youngest sister of ,maia4 ,thoodaudana's
 sister1 ,amitau1 was married to        
,thouppabuddha1 the son of king         
,eetzana4  ,about four thingies1#d an   
hundred thousand worlds ago1#e the most 

excellent ,buddha1 who is infinitely    
wise and far superior to the three      
orders of beings1 the ,brahmas1 the     
,nats1#f and men1 received at the feet  
of the ,phra ,deipinkara the assurance  
that he would afterwards become himself 
a ,buddha4 ,at this time he was a       
,rathee1#g under the name of ,thoomeda4 
,during that immense space of time1 he  
practised in the highest degree the ten 
great virtues1 the five renouncings1 and
 the three mighty works of perfection4#h
 ,having become a great prince#i under  
the name of ,wethandra1 he reached the  
acme of self-abnegation and renouncement
 to all the things of this world4 ,after
 his death1 he migrated to ,toocita1 the
 fourth abode of ,nats4 ,during his     
sojourn in that happy place1 enjoying   
the fulness of pleasure allotted to the 
fortunate inhabitants of those blissful 
regions1 a sudden and uncommon rumour1  
accompanied with an extraordinary       
commotion proclaimed the gladdening     
tidings that a ,phra was soon to make   

his appearance in this world4,b      ,b 
,remark of the ,burmese                 
translator4--,there are three solemn    
occasions on which this great rumour is 
noised abroad4 ,the     first1 when the 
,nats1 guardians of this world1 knowing 
that     #ajj1jjj years hence the end of
 this world is to come1 show            
themselves amongst men with their heads 
hanging down1 a     sorrowful           
countenance1 and tears streaming down   
their faces4     ,they are clad in a red
 dress1 and proclaim aloud to all       
mortals     the destruction of this     
planet #ajj1jjj years hence4 ,they      
earnestly call upon men to devote       
themselves to the observance     of the 
law1 to the practice of virtue1 the     
support of parents1     and the respect 
due to virtuous personages4 ,the second 
occasion     is1 when the same ,nats    
proclaim to men that a thousand years   
hence a ,buddha or ,phra will appear    
amongst them2 and the third     is1 when
 they come and announce to men that     

within a hundred     years there will be
 in this world a mighty prince1 whose   
unlimited sway shall extend over the    
four great islands4  ,on hearing that a 
,phra was soon to make his appearance   
amongst men1 all the ,nats1 the peaceful
 inhabitants of the fortunate abode of  
,toocita1 assembled in all haste and    
crowded around ,phralaong1#aj eagerly   
inquiring of him1 who was the fortunate 
,nat to whom was reserved the signal    
honour of attaining the incomparable    
dignity of ,buddha4 ,the reason which   
directed their steps towards ,phralaong1
 and suggested their inquiry1 was1 that 
in him were already to be observed      
unmistakable signs1 foreshadowing his   
future greatness4  ,no sooner did it    
become known that this incomparable     
destination was to be his happy lot1    
than ,nats from all parts of the world  
resorted to the abode of ,toocita1 to   
meet ,phralaong and to congratulate him 
upon this happy occasion4 ,most glorious
 ,nat1 did they say to him1 you have    

practised most perfectly the ten great  
virtues2#aa the time is now come for you
 to obtain the sublime nature of        
,buddha4 ,during former existences1 you 
most rigidly attended to the observance 
of the greatest precepts1 and walked    
steadily in the path of the highest     
virtues2 you then sighed after and      
longed for the happiness of ,nats and   
,brahmas2 but now you have most         
gloriously achieved the mightiest work1 
and reached the acme of perfection4 ,it 
remains with you only to aspire at the  
full possession of the supreme          
intelligence1 which will enable you to  
open to all ,brahmas1 ,nats1 and men the
 way to the deliverance from those      
endless series of countless             
existences#ab through which they are    
doomed to pass4 ,now the light of the   
law is extinguished1 a universal        
darkness has overspread all minds4 ,men 
are more than ever slaves to their      
passions2 there is a total lack of love 
among them2 they hate each other1 keep  

up quarrels1 strifes and contentions1   
and mercilessly destroy each other4 ,you
 alone can free them from the           
vicissitudes and miseries essentially   
connected with the present state of all 
beings4 ,the time is at last come1 when 
you are to become a ,buddha4  ,unwilling
 to return at once a positive answer1   
,phralaong modestly replied that he     
wanted some time to inquire particularly
 into the great circumstances always    
attending the coming of a ,buddha in    
this world1 viz41 the epoch or time when
 a ,buddha appears1 the place which he  
chooses for his apparition or           
manifestation1 the race or caste he is  
to be born from1 and the age and quality
 of her who is to be his mother4 ,as    
regards the first circumstance1         
,phralaong observed that the apparition 
of a ,buddha could not have taken place 
during the previous period#ac of        
#ajj1jjj years and more that had just   
elapsed1 because during that period the 
life of men was on the increase4 ,the   

instructions on birth and death1 as well
 as on the miseries of life1 which form 
the true characteristics of ,buddha's   
law1 would not then be received with    
sufficient interest and attention4 ,had 
any attempt been made at that time to   
preach on these three great topics1 the 
men of those days1 to whom those great  
events would have appeared so distant1  
could not have been induced to look upon
 them with sufficient attention2 the    
four great truths would have made no    
impression on their minds2 vain and     
fruitless would have been the efforts to
 disentangle them from the ties of      
passions1 then encompassing all beings1 
and to make them sigh after the         
deliverance from the miseries entailed  
upon mankind by birth1 life1 and death4 
,the period when human life is under a  
hundred years' duration cannot at all be
 the proper period for such an important
 event1 as the passions of men are then 
so many and so deeply rooted that       
,buddha would in vain attempt to preach 

his law4 ,as the characters which a man 
traces over the smooth surface of       
unruffled water instantly disappear     
without leaving any mark behind1 so the 
law and instructions that one should    
attempt to spread on the hardened hearts
 of men would make no lasting impression
 upon them4 ,hence he concluded that the
 present period1 when the life of men   
was of about a hundred years' duration1 
was the proper one for the apparition of
 a ,buddha4 ,this first point having    
been disposed of1 ,phralaong examined in
 what part of the globe a ,buddha was to
 appear4  ,his regards glanced over the 
four great islands#ad and the #bjjj     
small ones4 ,he saw that the island of  
,dzapoudiba1 the southern one1 had      
always been the favourite place selected
 by all former ,buddhas2 he fixed upon  
it1 too1 for himself4 ,that island1     
however1 is a most extensive one1       
measuring in length #cjj youdzanas1 in  
breadth #beb1 and in circumference #ijj4
 ,he knew that on that island former    

,buddhas and semi-,buddhas1 the two     
great ,rahandas1#ae or disciples of the 
right and left1 the prince whose sway is
 universal1 c41 had all of them         
invariably fixed upon and selected that 
island1 and1 amidst the various         
countries on the island1 that of        
,mitzima1 the central one1 where is to  
be found the district of ,kapilawot4    
,thither1 said he1 shall ,i resort1 and 
become a ,buddha4  ,having determined   
the place which he was to select for his
 terrestrial seat1 ,phralaong examined  
the race or caste from which he was to  
be born4 ,the caste of the people and   
that of merchants appeared too low1 and 
much wanting in respectability1 and1    
moreover1 no ,buddha had ever come out  
therefrom4 ,that of the ,pounhas was in 
former times the most illustrious and   
respected1 but that of princes1 in those
 days1 far surpassed it in power and    
consideration4 ,he therefore fixed his  
choice upon the caste of princes1 as    
most becoming his future high calling4  

,i choose1 said he1 prince ,thoodaudana 
for my father4 ,as to the princess who  
is to become my mother1 she must be     
distinguished by a modest deportment and
 chaste manners1 and must never have    
tasted any intoxicating drink4 ,during  
the duration of #ajj1jjj worlds she must
 have lived in the practice of virtue1  
performing with a scrupulous exactitude 
all the rules and observances prescribed
 by the law4 ,the great and glorious    
,princess ,maia is the only person in   
whom all these conditions are to be     
found4 ,moreover1 the period of her life
 shall be at an end ten months and seven
 days hence2#af she shall be my mother4 
,having thus maturely pondered over     
these four circumstances1 ,phralaong1   
turning to the ,nats that surrounded    
him1 anxiously expecting his answer1    
plainly and unreservedly told them that 
the time for his becoming ,buddha had   
arrived1 and bade them forthwith        
communicate this great news to all the  
,brahmas and ,nats4 ,he rose up1 and1   

accompanied by all the ,nats of         
,toocita1 withdrew into the delightful  
garden of ,nandawon4 ,after a short     
sojourn in that place1 he left the abode
 of ,nats1 descended into the seat of   
men1 and incarnated in the womb of the  
glorious ,maia1 who at once understood  
that she was pregnant with a boy who    
would obtain the ,buddhaship4 ,at the   
same moment also the ,princess          
,yathaudara1 who was to be the wife of  
the son of ,maia1 descended from the    
seats of ,nats1 and was conceived in the
 womb of ,amitau1 the wife of ,prince   
,thouppabuddha4  ,at that time the      
inhabitants of ,kapilawot were busily   
engaged in celebrating1 in the midst of 
extraordinary rejoicings1 the festival  
of the constellation of ,outarathan     
7,july-,august74 ,but the virtuous      
,maia1 without mixing amidst the crowds 
of those devoted to amusements1 during  
the seven days that preceded the full   
moon of ,july1 spent her time among her 
attendants1 making offerings of flowers 

and perfumes4 ,the day before the full  
moon she rose up at an early hour1      
bathed in perfumed water1 and           
distributed to the needy four hundred   
thousand pieces of silver4 ,attired in  
her richest dress1 she took her meal1   
and religiously performed all the pious 
observances usual on such occasions4    
,this being done1 she entered into her  
private apartment1 and1 lying on her    
couch1 fell asleep and had the following
 dream3--         99       99       99  
99       99  ,four princes of ,nats1 of 
the abode of ,tsadoomarit1 took the     
princess with her couch1 carried it to  
the ,mount ,himawonta1#ag and deposited 
it on an immense and magnificent rock1  
sixty youdzanas long1 adorned with      
various colours1 at the spot where a    
splendid tree1 seven youdzanas high1    
extends its green and rich foliage4 ,the
 four queens1 wives of the four princes 
of ,tsadoomarit1 approaching the couch  
where ,maia was reclining1 took her to  
the banks of the lake ,anawadat1 washed 

her with the water of the lake1 and     
spread over the couch flowers brought   
from the abode of ,nats4 ,near the lake 
is a beautiful mountain of a silvery    
appearance1 the summit whereof is       
crowned with a magnificent and lofty    
palace4 ,on the east of the palace1 in  
the side of the mount1 is a splendid    
cave4 ,within the cave1 a bed similar to
 that of the ,nats was prepared4 ,the   
princess was led to that place and sat  
on the bed1 enjoying a delicious and    
refreshing rest4 ,opposite this mount1  
and facing the cave where ,maia sat     
surrounded by her attendants1 rose      
another mount1 where ,phralaong1 under  
the shape of a young white elephant1 was
 roaming over its sides in various      
directions4 ,he was soon seen coming    
down that hill1 and1 ascending the one  
where the princess lay on her bed1      
directed his course towards the cave4   
,on the extremity of his trunk1 lifted  
up like a beautiful string of flowers1  
he carried a white lily4 ,his voice1    

occasionally resounding through the air1
 could be heard distinctly by the       
inmates of the grotto1 and indicated his
 approach4 ,he soon entered the cave1   
turned three times round the couch      
whereupon sat the princess1 then1       
standing for a while1 he came nearer1   
opened her right side1 and appeared to  
conceal himself in her womb4  ,in the   
morning1 having awoke from her sleep1   
the queen related her dream to her      
husband4 ,king ,thoodaudana sent without
 delay for sixty-four ,pounhas4#ah ,on a
 ground lined with cow-dung1 where      
parched rice1 flowers1 and other        
offerings were carefully deposited and  
profusely spread1 an appropriate place  
was reserved for the ,pounhas4 ,butter1 
milk1 and honey were served out to them 
in vases of gold and silver2 moreover1  
several suits of apparel and five cows  
were offered to each of them as         
presents1 as well as many other         
articles4 ,these preliminaries being    
arranged1 the prince narrated to them   

the dream1 with a request for its       
explanation4  ,prince1 answered the     
,pounhas1 banish from your mind all     
anxious thoughts1 and be of a cheerful  
heart2 the child whom the princess bears
 in her womb is not a girl but a boy4   
,he will1 after growing up1 either live 
amongst men1 and then become a mighty   
ruler1 whose sway all the human race    
will acknowledge2 or1 withdrawing from  
the tumult of society1 he will resort to
 some solitary place1 and there embrace 
the profession of ,rahan4 ,in that      
condition he will disentangle himself   
from the miseries attending existence1  
and at last attain the high dignity of  
,buddha4 ,such was the explanation of   
the dream4 ,at the moment ,phralaong    
entered into ,maia's womb1 a great      
commotion was felt throughout the four  
elements1 and thirty-two wonders        
simultaneously appeared4 ,a light of an 
incomparable brightness illuminated     
suddenly ten thousand worlds4 ,the      
blind1 desirous1 as it were1 to         

contemplate the glorious dignity of     
,phralaong1 recovered their sight2 the  
deaf heard distinctly every sound2 the  
dumb spoke with fluency2 those whose    
bodies were bent stood up in an erect   
position2 the lame walked with ease and 
swiftness2 prisoners saw their fetters  
unloosed1 and found themselves restored 
to liberty2 the fires of hell were      
extinguished2 the ravenous cravings of  
the ,preithas#ai were satiated2 animals 
were exempt from all infirmities2 all   
rational beings uttered but words of    
peace and mutual benevolence2 horses    
exhibited signs of excessive joy2       
elephants1 with a solemn and deep voice1
 expressed their contentment2 musical   
instruments resounded of themselves with
 the most melodious harmony2 gold and   
silver ornaments1 worn at the arms and  
feet1 without coming in contact1 emitted
 pleasing sounds2 all places became     
suddenly filled with a resplendent      
light2 refreshing breezes blew gently   
all over the earth2 abundant rain poured

 from the skies during the hot season1  
and springs of cool water burst out in  
every place1 carrying through prepared  
beds their gently murmuring streams2    
birds of the air stood still1 forgetting
 their usual flight2 rivers suspended   
their course1 seized with a mighty      
astonishment2 sea water became fresh2   
the five sorts of lilies were to be seen
 in every direction2 every description  
of flowers burst open1 displaying the   
richness of their brilliant colours2    
from the branches of all trees and the  
bosom of the hardest rocks1 flowers shot
 forth1 exhibiting all around the most  
glowing1 dazzling1 and varied hues2     
lilies1 seemingly rooted in the canopy  
of the skies1 hung down1 scattering     
their embalmed fragrance2 showers of    
flowers poured from the firmament on the
 surface of the earth2 the musical tunes
 of the ,nats were heard by the rejoiced
 inhabitants of our globe2 hundreds of  
thousands of worlds#bj suddenly         
approached each other1 sometimes in the 

shape of an elegant nosegay1 sometimes  
in that of a ball of flowers or of a    
spheroid2 the choicest essences embalmed
 the whole atmosphere that encompasses  
this world4 ,such are the wonders that  
took place at the time ,phralaong       
entered his mother's womb4  ,when this  
great event happened1 four chiefs of    
,nats1 from the seat of ,tsadoomarit1#ba
 armed with swords1 kept an             
uninterrupted watch round the palace1 to
 avert any accident that might prove    
hurtful to the mother or her blessed    
fruit4 ,from #aj1jjj worlds1 four ,nats 
from the same seat were actively engaged
 in driving away all ,bilous#bb and     
other monsters1 and forcing them to flee
 and hide themselves at the extremity of
 the earth4 ,maia1 free from every      
disordered propensity1 spent her time   
with her handmaids in the interior of   
her apartments4 ,her soul enjoyed1 in a 
perfect calm1 the sweetest happiness2   
fatigue and weariness never affected her
 unimpaired health4 ,in his mother's    

womb1 ,phralaong appeared like the white
 thread passed through the purest and   
finest pearls2 the womb itself resembled
 an elegant ,dzedi4#bc;,c      ,c       
,remark of the ,burmese                 
,translator4--,it is to be borne in     
mind that mothers of ,buddhas having had
 the singular privilege     of giving   
birth to a child of so exalted a        
dignity1 it would not     be convenient 
or becoming that other mortals should   
receive life     in the same womb2 they 
therefore always die seven days after   
their delivery and migrate to the abode 
of ,nats1 called ,toocita4     ,it is   
usual with other mothers to be          
delivered1 lying in an     horizontal   
position1 and sometimes before or after 
the tenth     month4 ,but with the      
mother of a ,buddha the case is not the 
same2     the time of her confinement   
invariably happens at the beginning     
of the tenth month1 and she is always   
delivered in an erect and     vertical  
position4  ,with the solicitous care and

 vigilant attention with which one      
carries about a thabeit#bd full of oil1 
the great ,maia watched all her         
movements1 and during ten months        
unremittingly laboured for the safe     
preservation of the precious fruit of   
her womb4   ,,footnotes      #a ,all    
,buddhistic compositions are invariably 
prefaced with one     of the following  
formulas of worship1 always used by     
writers on     religious subjects4 ,the 
one relates to ,buddha alone1 and the   
other to the three most excellent       
things1 ever deserving the     highest  
veneration4 ,the first1 always written  
in ,pali1 beginning     with the words  
,namau tassa1 may be translated as      
follows3 ,i     adore thee1 or rather   
adoration to1 the blessed1 perfect1 and 
most intelligent4 ,here are proposed to 
the faith1 admiration1     and          
veneration of a true ,buddhist1 the     
three great     characteristics of the  
founder of his religion1 his goodness   
and     benevolence1 his supreme        

perfection1 and his boundless           
knowledge4 ,they form the essential     
qualifications of a being who     has   
assumed to himself the task of bringing 
men out of the abyss     of darkness and
 ignorance1 and leading them to         
deliverance4     ,benevolence prompts   
him to undertake that great work1       
perfection     fits him for such a high 
calling1 and supreme science enables    
him to follow it up with a complete     
success4 ,they are always     held out  
to ,buddhists as the three bright       
attributes and     transcendent         
qualities inherent in that exalted      
personage1 which     are ever to attract
 and concentrate upon him the respect1  
love1     and admiration of all his     
sincere followers4      ,the second     
formula may be considered as a short act
 of faith     often repeated by         
,buddhists4 ,it consists in saying--,i  
take     refuge in ,buddha1 the ,law1   
and the ,assembly4 ,this short          
profession of faith is often much       

enlarged by the religious zeal     of   
writers and the fervent piety of        
devotees4 ,from the instance     of this
 legend we may remark how the compiler1 
with a soul     warmed by fervour is    
passing high encomiums upon each of the 
three sacred objects of veneration1 or  
the sacred asylums     wherein a        
,buddhist delights to dwell4 ,there is  
no doubt that     this formula is a very
 ancient one1 probably coeval with the  
first age of ,buddhism4 ,the text of    
this legend bears out the               
correctness of this assertion4 ,it      
appears that the repetition of     this 
short sentence was the mark that        
distinguished converts4     ,ordinary   
hearers of the preachings of ,buddha and
 his disciples     evinced their        
adhesion to all that was delivered to   
them by     repeating the sacred        
formula4 ,it was then1 and even now it  
is to     ,buddhists1 what the          
celebrated ,mahomedan declaration of    
faith--there is but one ,god1 and       

,mahomed is his prophet--is to     the  
followers of the ,arabian ,prophet4 ,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 errors1 
doubts1 and fears1 and a resting-place  
where his soul may     securely enjoy   
the undisturbed possession of truth4    
,they     constitute what is            
emphatically called the three precious  
things4      ,phra and ,buddha are two  
expressions which1 though not having the
     same meaning1 are used             
indiscriminately to designate the almost
     divine being1 who after having     
gone1 during myriads of     successive  
existences1 through the practice of all 
sorts of     virtues1 particularly      
self-denial and complete abnegation of  
all     things1 at last reaches to such 
a height of intellectual     attainment 
that his mind becomes gifted with a     
perfect and     universal intelligence  
or knowledge of all things4 ,he is thus 

enabled to see and fathom the misery and
 wants of all mortal     beings1 and to 
devise means for relieving and filling  
them up4     ,the law that he preaches  
is the wholesome balm designed to cure  
all moral distempers4 ,he preaches it   
with unremitting zeal     during a      
certain number of years1 and commissions
 his chosen     disciples to carry on   
the same benevolent and useful          
undertaking4 ,having laid on a firm     
basis his religious     institution1 he 
arrives at the state of ,neibban4       
,buddha means     wise1 intelligent4    
,phra is an expression conveying the    
highest     sense of respect1 which was 
applied originally only to the          
author of ,buddhism1 but now1 through a 
servile adulation1 it is     applied to 
the king1 his ministers1 all great      
personages1 and     often by inferiors  
to the lowest menials of ,government4   
,the word     ,phra1 coupled with that  
of ,thaking1 which means ,lord1 is used 
by     ,christians in ,burmah to express

 the idea of ,god1 the supreme          
being4      ,from the foregoing lines   
the reader may easily infer that the    
author of ,buddhism is a mere man1      
superior to all other beings1     not in
 nature1 but in science and perfection4 
,he lays no claim     whatever to any   
kind of superiority in nature2 he       
exhibits     himself to the eyes of his 
disciples as one of the children of     
men1 who has been born and is doomed to 
die4 ,he carries his     pretensions no 
farther4 ,the idea of a supreme being is
 nowhere     mentioned by him4 ,in the  
course of his religious disputations    
with the ,brahmins1 he combats the      
notion of a god1 coolly     establishing
 the most crude atheism4 ,no one1 it is 
true1 can     deny that in certain      
,buddhistic countries the notion of an  
,adibudha1 or supreme being1 is to be   
found in writings as well     as popular
 opinions1 but we know that these       
writings are of a     comparatively     
recent date1 and contain many doctrines 

foreign to     genuine ,buddhism4 ,this 
subject will1 however1 receive hereafter
     further developments4      ,the    
,law1 the second object of veneration1  
is the body of     doctrines delivered  
by ,buddha to his disciples during the  
forty-five years of his public career4  
,he came to the perfect     knowledge of
 that law when he attained the          
,buddhaship under the     shade of the  
,bodi tree4 ,at that time his mind      
became     indefinitely expanded2 his   
science embraced all that exists2 his   
penetrating and searching eye reached   
the farthest limits of the     past1 saw
 at a glance the present1 and fathomed  
the secrets of     the future4 ,in that 
position1 unclouded truth shone with    
radiant     effulgence before him1 and  
he knew the nature of all beings        
individually1 their condition and       
situation1 as well as all the           
relations subsisting between them4 ,he  
understood at once the     miseries and 
errors attending all rational beings1   

the hidden     causes that generated    
them1 and the springs they issued from4 
,at     the same time he perceived      
distinctly the means to be employed     
for putting an end to so many           
misfortunes1 and the remedies to     be 
used for the cure of those numberless   
and sad moral     distempers4 ,his      
omniscience pointed out to him the      
course those     beings had to follow in
 order to retrace their steps back from 
the way of error1 and enter the road    
that would lead to the     coming out   
from the whirlpool of moral miseries in 
which they     had hitherto wretchedly  
moved during countless existences4 ,all 
that ,gaudama said to the foregoing     
effect constitutes the law     upon     
which so many high praises are lavished 
with such warm and     fervent          
earnestness4 ,a full and complete       
knowledge of that law1     in the       
opinion of ,buddhists1 dispels at once  
the clouds of     ignorance1 which1 like
 a thick mist1 encompass all beings1 and

     sheds bright rays of pure light    
which enlighten the     understanding4  
,man is thus enabled to perceive        
distinctly the     wretchedness of his  
position1 and to discover the means     
wherewith he may extricate himself from 
the trammels of the     passions and    
finally arrive at the state of ,neibban1
 which is1     as it shall be hereafter 
fully explained1 exemption from all the 
miseries attending existence4 ,the whole
 law is divided into     three parts2   
the ,abidama or metaphysics1 ,thouts or 
moral     instructions1 and the ,wini or
 discipline4 ,according to the          
opinion of the best informed among      
,buddhists1 the law is     eternal1     
without a beginning or an author that   
might have framed     its precepts4 ,no 
,buddha ever considered himself1 or has 
ever     been looked upon by others1 as 
the inventor and originator of     the  
law4 ,he who becomes a ,buddha is gifted
 with a boundless     science that      
enables him to come to a perfect        

knowledge of all     that constitutes   
the law3 he is the fortunate discoverer 
of     things already existing1 but     
placed far beyond the reach of the      
human mind4 ,in fact1 the law is        
eternal1 but has become1 since     the  
days of a former ,buddha1 obliterated   
from the minds of men1     until a new  
one1 by his omniscience1 is enabled to  
win it back     and preach it to all    
beings4      ,the third object of       
veneration is the ,thanga1 or ,assembly4
 ,the     meaning of the ,pali word     
,thanga is nearly equivalent to that of 
church or congregation4 ,in the time    
,gaudama lived the ,assembly     was    
composed of all individuals who1        
becoming converts1 embraced     the mode
 of living of their preacher1 and       
remained with him1 or     if they       
occasionally parted from him for a      
while1 always kept a     close          
intercourse with him1 and spent a       
portion of their time in     his        
company4 ,having left the world1 they   

subjected themselves to     certain     
disciplinary regulations1 afterwards    
embodied in the     great compilation   
called ,wini4 ,the members of the       
,assembly were     divided into two     
classes2 the ,ariahs or venerables1 who 
by their     age1 great proficiency in  
the knowledge of the law1 and           
remarkable fervour in the assiduous     
practice of all its     ordinances1     
occupied deservedly the first rank      
amongst the     disciples of ,buddha1   
and ranked foremost in the ,assembly4   
,the     second class was composed of   
the ,bickus1 or simple mendicant        
,religious4 ,it is difficult to assert  
with any degree of     probability      
whether the ,upasakas1 or ordinary      
hearers1 have ever     been regarded as 
members of the ,thanga1 and forming a   
portion     thereof4 ,the ,upasakas were
 believers1 but continued to live in    
the world1 and formed1 as it were1 the  
laity of the ,buddhistic     church4    
,according to the opinion of ,buddhists 

in these parts1     the laity is not    
considered as forming or constituting a 
part of     the ,thanga2 those only who 
abandon a secular life1 put on the      
yellow canonical dress1 and endeavour to
 tread in the footsteps     of their    
great teacher1 are entitled to the      
dignity of members     of the ,assembly1
 to which a veneration is paid similar  
to that     offered to ,buddha and the  
law4 ,the ,ariahs1 or venerables1 are   
divided into four classes1 according to 
their greater or less     proficiency in
 knowledge and moral worth4 ,they are   
called     ,thotapan1 ,thakadagan1      
,anagam1 and ,arahat4 ,in the class of  
,thotapan are included the individuals  
who have entered into the     current1  
or stream1 leading to deliverance1 or1  
in other terms1     who have stepped    
into the way of perfection4 ,the        
,thotapan is as     yet to be born four 
times ere he can obtain the deliverance4
     ,those who belong to the second    
class glide rapidly down the     stream1

 following steadily the way leading to  
perfection1 and     are to be born once 
more in the condition of ,nat1 and once 
in     that of man4 ,those of the third 
class are to be born once in the        
condition of ,nats4 ,finally1 those of  
the fourth class have gone     over the 
fourth and last way to perfection1      
reached the summit     of science and   
spiritual attainments1 and are ripe for 
the state     of ,neibban1 which they   
infallibly obtain after their death4    
,the     ,ariahs are again subdivided   
into eight classes1 four of which       
include those who are following the four
 ways of perfection2 the     four others
 comprehend those who enjoy the reward  
of the duties     practised in following
 the ways of perfection4      #b ,the   
,burmese translator of the ,pali text   
gives us to     understand that his     
intention is not to give the history of 
our     ,buddha during the countless    
existences that have preceded the       
last one1 when he obtained the supreme  

intelligence4 ,buddhists     keep five  
hundred and ten histories or legends of 
,buddha     purporting to give an       
account of as many of his former        
existences2 and to enhance the value of 
such records1 the     contents are      
supposed to have been narrated by       
,buddha himself to     his disciples and
 hearers4 ,i have read most of them4    
,two hundred     of these fabulous      
narrations are very short1 and give few 
particulars regarding our ,phra when he 
was as yet in the state     of animal1  
man1 and ,nat4 ,they are1 except the    
heading and the     conclusion1 the very
 same fables and contes to be met with  
amongst all ,asiatic nations1 which have
 supplied with     inexhaustible stores 
all ancient and modern fabulists4 ,the  
last     ten narratives are really very 
complete and interesting stories     of 
ten existences of ,buddha preceding the 
one we are about to     describe1 during
 which he is supposed to have practised 
the ten     great virtues1 the          

acquisition of which is an indispensable
     qualification for obtaining the    
exalted dignity of ,phra4 ,some of      
these legends are really beautiful1     
interesting1 and     well-composed      
pieces of literature4      #c ,toocita1 
or the joyful abode1 is one of the seats
 of the     ,nats4 ,but in order to     
render more intelligible several        
passages     of this work1 it is almost 
indispensable to have an idea of the    
system adopted by ,buddhists in         
assigning to rational beings     their  
respective seats or abodes4 ,there are  
thirty-one seats     assigned to all    
beings1 which we may suppose to be      
disposed on     an immense scale1       
extending from the bottom of the earth  
to an     incommensurable height above  
it4 ,at the foot we find the four       
states of punishment1 viz41 hell1 the   
states of ,athourikes1     ,preithas1   
and animals4 ,next comes the abode of   
man4 ,above it are     the six seats of 
,nats4 ,these eleven seats are called   

the seats     of passion1 or            
concupiscence1 because the beings       
residing     therein are still subject  
to the influence of that passion1       
though not to an equal degree4 ,above   
the abodes of ,nats we meet     with the
 sixteen seats1 called ,rupa1 disposed  
perpendicularly     one above the other 
to an incalculable height4 ,the         
inhabitants     of those fanciful       
regions are called ,brahmas1 or perfect4
 ,they     have freed themselves from   
concupiscence and almost all other      
passions1 but still retain some         
affection for matter and     material   
things4 ,hence the denomination of      
,rupa1 or matter1     given to the      
seats4 ,the remaining portion of the    
scale is     occupied by the four seats 
called ,arupa or immaterials1 for the   
beings inhabiting them are entirely     
delivered from all passions4     ,they  
have1 as it were1 broken asunder even   
the smallest ties     that would attach 
them to this material world4 ,they have 

reached     the summit of perfection2   
one step farther1 and they enter into   
the state ,neibban1 the consummation1   
according to ,buddhists1 of     all     
perfection4 ,to sum up all the above in 
a few words3 there     are four states  
of punishment4 ,the seat of man is a    
place of     probation and trial4 ,the  
six abodes of ,nats are places of       
sensual pleasure and enjoyments4 ,in the
 sixteen seats of ,rupa     are to be   
met those beings whose delights are of a
 more refined     and almost purely     
spiritual nature1 though retaining as   
yet some     slight affections for      
matter4 ,in the four seats of ,arupa are
     located those beings who are wholly
 disentangled from material             
affections1 who delight only in the     
sublimest contemplation1     soaring1 as
 it were1 in the boundless regions of   
pure     spiritualism4      #d ,thingie 
is a number represented by a unit1      
followed by     sixty-four ciphers2     
others say1 one hundred and forty4      

#e ,buddhists have different ways of    
classifying the series of     worlds1   
which they suppose to succeed to each   
other1 after the     completion of a    
revolution of nature4 ,as regards       
,buddhas1 who     appear at unequal     
intervals for illuminating and opening  
the way     to deliverance to the then  
existing beings1 worlds are divided     
into those which are favoured with the  
presence of one or     several ,buddhas1
 and those to which so eminent a benefit
 is     denied4 ,the present revolution 
of nature1 which includes the     period
 in which we live1 has been privileged  
above all others4     ,no less than five
 ,buddhas1 like five shining suns1 are  
to shoot     forth rays of incomparable 
brilliancy1 and dispel the mist of      
thick darkness that encompasses all     
beings1 according to their              
respective laws of demerits4 ,of these  
five1 four1 namely1     ,kaukassan1     
,gaunagong1 ,kathaba1 ,gaudama1 have    
already performed     their great task4 

,the fifth1 named ,aremideia1 is as yet 
to come4     ,the religion of ,gaudama  
is to last five thousand years1 of which
     two thousand four hundred and eight
 are elapsed4 ,the names of     the     
twenty-eight last ,buddhas are          
religiously preserved by     ,buddhists1
 together with their age1 their stature1
 the names     of the trees under which 
they have obtained the universal        
intelligence1 their country1 the names  
of their father and     mother1 and     
those of their two chief disciples4     
,deinpakara     occupies the fourth     
place in the series4 ,he is supposed to 
have     been eighty cubits high1 and to
 have lived one hundred thousand        
years4      ,it is not without interest 
to examine whether there have existed   
,buddhas previous to the time of        
,gaudama1 and whether the               
twenty-eight ,buddhas above alluded to  
are to be considered as     mythological
 beings who have never existed4 ,it     
cannot be denied     that mention of    

former ,buddhas is made in the earliest 
sacred     records1 but it seems        
difficult to infer therefrom that they  
are real beings4 #ast4 ,the             
circumstances respecting their          
extraordinary longevity1 their immense  
stature1 and the myriads     of         
centuries that are supposed to have     
elapsed from the times of     the first 
to those of ,gaudama1 are apparently    
conclusive proofs     against the       
reality of their existence4 #b;d4 ,the  
names of those     personages are found 
mentioned in the preachings of ,gaudama1
     together with those individuals    
with whom he is supposed to have        
lived and conversed during former       
existences4 ,who has ever     thought of
 giving any credence to those fables8   
,they were used     by ,gaudama as so   
many means to give extension and        
solidity to     the basis whereupon he  
intended to found his system4 #c;d4     
,there     are no historical records or 
monuments that can give countenance     

to the opposite opinion4 ,the historical
 times begin with     ,gaudama1 whilst  
there exist historical proofs of the    
existence     of the rival creed of     
,brahminism anterior to the days of the 
acknowledged author of ,buddhism4       
,it cannot be doubted that there existed
 in the days of ,buddha1     in the     
valley of the ,ganges and in the        
,punjaub1 a great number     of         
philosophers1 who led a retired life1   
devoting their time to     study and the
 practice of virtue4 ,some of them      
occasionally     sallied out of their   
retreats to go and deliver moral        
instructions to the people4 ,the fame   
that attended those     philosophers    
attracted round their lonely abodes     
crowds of     hearers1 eager to listen  
to their lectures and anxious to place  
themselves under their direction for    
learning the practice of     virtue4 ,in
 the pages of this legend will be found 
passages     corroborating this         
assertion4 ,thence arose those          

multifarious     schools1 where were    
elaborated the many systems1 opinions1  
c41     for which ,india has been       
celebrated from the remotest antiquity4 
,the writer has had the patience to read
 two works full of     disputations     
between ,brahmins and ,buddhists1 as    
well as some     books of the ethics of 
the latter4 ,he has been astonished to  
find that in those days the art of      
arguing1 disputing1 defining1     c41   
had been carried to such a point of     
nicety as almost to     leave the       
disciples of ,aristotle far behind4 ,it 
has been said     that the gymnosophists
 whom ,alexander the ,great met in      
,india     were ,buddhist philosophers4 
,but the particulars mentioned by       
,greek writers respecting their manners 
and doctrines contradict     such a     
supposition4 ,they are described as     
living in a state of     complete       
nakedness1 and as refusing to deliver   
instructions to     the messenger of    
,alexander1 unless he consented to strip

 himself     of his clothes4 ,on the    
other hand1 we know that ,buddha        
enjoined     a strict modesty on his    
religious1 and in the book of           
ordinations the candidate is first asked
 whether he comes     provided with his 
canonical dress4 ,the gymnosophists are 
represented as practising extraordinary 
austerities1 and holding                
self-destruction in great esteem4 ,these
 and other practices are     quite at   
variance with all the prescriptions of  
the ,wini1 or     book of discipline4   
,it is further mentioned that the       
,macedonian     hero met with other     
philosophers living in community2 but   
whether these were ,buddhists or not1 it
 is impossible to decide4     ,it can   
scarcely be believed that ,buddhism in  
the days of     ,alexander could have   
already invaded the countries which the 
,grecian army conquered4      #f ,nat in
 ,pali means ,lord4 ,its signification  
is exactly     equivalent to that of    
,dewa1 ,dewata4 ,the ,nats are an order 

of     beings in the ,buddhistic system1
 occupying six seats or abodes     of   
happiness1 placed in rising succession  
above the abode of     man4 ,they are   
spirits endowed with a body of so subtle
 and     ethereal nature as to be able  
to move with the utmost rapidity        
from their seat to that of man1 and vice
 versa4 ,they play a     conspicuous    
part in the affairs of this world1 and  
are supposed     to exercise a          
considerable degree of influence over   
man and     other creatures4 ,fear1     
superstition1 and ignorance have peopled
     all places with ,nats4 ,every tree1
 forest1 fountain1 village1 and     town
 has its protecting ,nat4 ,some among   
the ,nats having lost     their high    
station through misconduct1 have been   
banished from     their seats and doomed
 to drag a wretched existence in some   
gloomy recess4 ,their power for doing   
evil is supposed to be very     great4  
,hence the excessive dread of those evil
 genii entertained     by all           

,buddhists4 ,a good deal of their       
commonest superstitious     rites have  
been devised for propitiating those     
enemies to all     happiness1 and       
averting the calamitous disasters which 
they seem     to keep hanging over our  
heads4      ,though the ,nats' worship  
is universal among the ,buddhists of all
     nations1 it is but fair to state   
that it is contrary to the              
principles of genuine ,buddhism and     
repugnant to its tenets4 ,it     is     
probable that it already existed among  
all the nations of     ,eastern ,asia at
 the time they were converted to        
,buddhism4      ,the tribes that have   
not as yet been converted to ,buddhism  
have     no other worship but that of   
the ,nats4 ,to mention only the         
principal ones1 such as the ,karens1 the
 ,khyins1 and the     ,singphos1 they   
may differ in the mode of performing    
their     religious rites and           
superstitious ceremonies1 but the object
 is     the same1 honouring and         

propitiating the ,nats4 ,this worship is
     so deeply rooted in the minds of   
the wild and half-civilised     tribes  
of ,eastern ,asia1 that it has been1 to 
a great extent1     retained by the     
nations that have adopted ,buddhism as  
their     religious creed4 ,the         
,burmans1 for instance1 from the king   
down     to the lowest subject1         
privately and publicly indulge in the   
,nats' worship4 ,as to the tribes that  
have remained outside the     pale of   
,buddhism1 they may be styled ,nats'    
worshippers4 ,hence it     may be       
inferred that previous to the           
introduction or the     preaching of the
 tenets of the comparatively new        
religion in     these parts1 the worship
 of ,nats was universal and             
predominating4      #g ,raci or ,rathee 
means an hermit1 a personage living by  
himself in some lonely and solitary     
recess1 far from the     contagious     
atmosphere of impure society1 devoting  
his time to     meditation and          

contemplation4 ,his diet is of the      
coarsest kind1     supplied to him by   
the forests he lives in2 the skins of   
some     wild animals afford him a      
sufficient dress4 ,most of those        
,rathees having reached an uncommon     
degree of extraordinary     attainment1 
their bodies become spiritualised to a  
degree which     enables them to travel 
from place to place by following an     
aerial course4 ,in all ,buddhistic      
legends1 comedies1 c41 they     are     
often found interfering in the narrated 
stories and     episodes4      ,there is
 no doubt but those devotees who1 in the
 days of ,buddha1     spent their time  
in retreat1 devoted to study and        
meditation1     were ,brahmins4 ,in     
support of this assertion we have the   
highest     possible native authority1  
the ,institutes of ,menoo1 compiled     
probably during the eighth or ninth     
century before ,christ4 ,we     find in 
that work1 minutely described1 the mode 
of life becoming     a true ,brahmin4   

,during the third part of his life1 a   
,brahmin     must live as an anchorite  
in the woods4 ,clad in the bark of      
trees or the skins of animals1 with his 
hair and nails uncut1     having no     
shelter whatever but that which is      
afforded him by the     trees of the    
forest1 keeping sometimes a strict      
silence1 living     on herbs and roots1 
he must train himself up to bearing with
     entire unconcern the cold of winter
 and the heat of summer4 ,such     is   
the course of life1 according to the    
,vedas1 which the true     ,brahmin is  
bound to follow during the third portion
 of his     existence4 ,some ,buddhistic
 zealots have sometimes endeavoured to  
emulate the ancient ,rathees in their   
singular mode of life4 ,it     is not   
quite unfrequent in our days to hear of 
some fervent     ,phongies who1 during  
the three months of ,lent1 withdraw into
     solitude1 to be more at liberty to 
devote their time to study     and      
meditation4 ,this observance1 however1  

is practised by but     very few        
individuals1 and that1 too1 with a      
degree of laxity     that indicates a   
marked decline of the pristine fervour  
that     glowed in the soul of primitive
 ,buddhists4      #h ,the three great   
works are2 the assistance afforded to   
his     parents and relatives1 the great
 offerings he had made1 coupled     with
 a strict observance of the most        
difficult points of the     law1 and    
benevolent dispositions towards all     
beings     indiscriminately4      #i    
,this extraordinary monarch1 called     
,tsekiawade1 never makes     his        
appearance during the period of time    
allotted to the     publication and     
duration of the religious institutions  
of a     ,buddha4      #aj ,here ,i make
 use of the expression ,phralaong1 or   
more     correctly ,phraalaong1 to      
designate ,buddha before he obtained the
     supreme knowledge1 when he was1 as 
it were1 slowly and gradually           
gravitating towards the centre of       

matchless perfection4 ,in that     state
 it is said of him that he is not yet   
ripe4      ,this word involves a meaning
 which ought to be well understood4     
,no single expression in our language   
can convey a correct idea     of its    
import1 and for this reason it has been 
retained through     these pages4       
,alaong is a derivative from the verb   
laong1     which means to be in an      
incipient way1 in a way of progression  
towards something more perfect4 ,a      
,buddha is at first a being in     a    
very imperfect state2 but passing       
through countless     existences1 he    
frees himself1 by a slow process1 from  
some of     his imperfections2 he       
acquires merits which enable him to rise
     in the scale of progress1 science1 
and perfection4 ,in perusing     the    
narrative of the five hundred and ten   
former existences of     ,gaudama which 
have come down to us1 we find that1 when
 he was     yet in the state of animal1 
he styled himself ,phralaong4 ,the      

,burmese have another expression of     
similar import to express the     same  
meaning4 ,they say of a being as yet in 
an imperfect     condition that he is   
soft1 tender as an unripe thing2 and    
when     he passes to the state of      
perfection1 they say that he is ripe1   
that he has blossomed and expanded4     
,they give to understand that     he who
 is progressing towards the ,buddhaship 
has in himself all     the elements     
constitutive of a ,buddha lying as yet  
concealed in     himself2 but when he   
reaches that state1 then all that had   
hitherto remained in a state of         
unripeness bursts suddenly out     of   
the bud and comes to full maturity4     
,similar expressions are     often      
better calculated to give a clear       
insight into the true     and real      
opinions of ,buddhists than a lengthened
 and elaborate     dissertation could   
do4      #aa ,the ten great virtues or  
duties are1 liberality1 observance      
of the precepts of the law1 retreat into

 lonely places1 wisdom1     diligence1  
benevolence1 patience1 veracity1        
fortitude1 and     indifference4 ,the   
five renouncements are1 renouncing      
children1     wife1 goods1 life1 and    
one's self4      #ab ,metempsychosis is 
one of the fundamental dogmas of        
,buddhism4 ,that continual transition   
from one existence to     another1 from 
a state of happiness to one of          
unhappiness1 and     vice versa1 forms a
 circle encompassing the ,buddhist in   
every     direction4 ,he is doomed to   
fluctuate incessantly on the            
never-settled waters of existence4      
,hence his ardent wishes to be          
delivered from that most pitiable       
position1 and his earnest     longings  
for the ever-tranquil state of ,neibban1
 the way to     which ,buddha alone can 
teach him by his precepts and his       
examples4      ,this dogma is common    
both to ,brahmins and ,buddhists4 ,the  
originator and propagator of the creed  
of the latter found it     already      

established2 he had but to embody it    
among his own     conceptions1 and make 
it agree with his new ideas4 ,his first 
teachers were ,brahmins1 and under their
 tuition he learned that     dogma which
 may be considered as the basis on which
 hinge both     systems4 ,in fact1 the  
two rival creeds have a common object in
     view1 the elevating of the soul    
from those imperfections forced     upon
 her by her connection with matter1 and 
the setting of her     free from the    
sway of passions1 which keep her always 
linked to     this world4 ,according to 
the votaries of both creeds1            
transmigration has for its object the   
effecting of those several     purposes4
 ,there is a curious opinion among      
,buddhists respecting     the mode of   
transmigrations1 and there is no doubt  
it is a very     ancient one1 belonging 
to the genuine productions of the       
earliest ,buddhism4 ,transmigration1    
they say1 is caused and     entirely    
controlled by the influence of merits   

and demerits1 but     in such a way that
 a being who has come to his end        
transmits     nothing of his entity to  
the being to be immediately reproduced4 
,the latter is a being apart1           
independent of the former1 created1     
it is true1 by the influence of the late
 being's good or bad     deeds1 but     
having nothing in common with him4 ,they
 explain this     startling doctrine by 
the comparison of a tree successively   
producing and bearing fruits1 of which  
some are good and some     bad4 ,the    
fruits1 though coming from the same     
tree1 have nothing     in common1 either
 with each other or with those that were
     previously grown1 or may afterwards
 grow out of the same plant2     they   
are distinct and separate4 ,so they say1
 kan1 or the     influence of merits and
 demerits1 produces successively beings 
totally distinct one from the other4    
,this atheistic or     materialistic    
doctrine is not generally known by the  
common     people1 who practically hold 

that transmigration is effected in      
the manner professed and taught by      
,pythagoras and his school4      ,if    
between the adherents of the two creeds 
there is a perfect     agreement        
respecting the means to be resorted to  
for reaching     the point when man     
becomes free from miseries1 ignorance1  
and     imperfections1 they are at      
variance as to the end to be arrived    
to4 ,the ,brahmin leads the perfected   
being to the supreme     essence1 in    
which he is merged as a drop of water in
 the ocean1     losing his personality1 
to form a whole with the ,divine        
substance4 ,this is ,pantheism4 ,the    
,buddhist1 ignoring a supreme     being1
 conducts the individual that has become
 emancipated from     the thraldom of   
passions to a state of complete         
isolation1     called ,neibban4 ,this   
is1 strictly speaking1 ,annihilation4   
#ac ,the duration of a revolution of    
nature1 or the time     required for the
 formation of a world1 its existence and

     destruction1 is divided into four  
periods4 ,the fourth period1 or     that
 which begins with the apparition of man
 on the earth until     its destruction1
 is divided into sixty-four parts1      
called     andrakaps4 ,during one       
andrakap1 the life of man increases     
gradually from ten years to an almost   
innumerable number of     years2 and    
having reached its maximum of duration1 
it decreases     slowly to its former   
short duration of ten years4 ,we live at
     present in that second part of an  
andrakap when the life of man     is on 
the decline and decrease4 ,if my memory 
serve me right1 we     have reached at  
present the ninth or tenth andrakap of  
the     fourth period4 ,should the      
calculations of ,buddhists ever prove   
correct1 the deluded visionaries who    
look forward to an     approaching      
,millennium1 have still to wait long ere
 their     darling wishes be realised4  
,though it be somewhat tiresome and     
unpleasant to have to write     down the

 absurd and ridiculous notions ,burmans 
entertain     respecting the            
organisation of matter1 the origin1     
production1     existence1 duration1 and
 end of the world1 it appears quite     
necessary to give a brief account1 and  
sketch an outline of     their ideas on 
these subjects4 ,the reader will then   
have the     means of tracing up to     
their ,hindu origin several of the many 
threads that link ,buddhism to          
,brahminism1 and better understand      
the various details hereafter to be     
given1 and intended for     establishing
 a great fact1 viz41 the ,brahminical   
origin of the     greater part of the   
,buddhistic institutions4 ,he will1     
moreover1     have the satisfaction of  
clearly discovering1 buried in the      
rubbish of fabulous recitals1 several   
important facts recorded     in the     
,holy ,scriptures4      ,matter is      
eternal1 but its organisation and all   
the changes     attending it are caused 
and regulated by certain laws co-eternal

     with it4 ,both matter and the laws 
that act upon it are     self-existing1 
independent of the action and control of
 any     being1 c4 ,as soon as a system 
of worlds is constituted1     ,buddhists
 boldly assert and perseveringly        
maintain that the law     of merit and  
demerit is the sole principle that      
regulates and     controls both the     
physical and moral world4      ,but how 
is a world brought into existence8      
,water1 or rather     rain1 is the chief
 agent1 operating in the reproduction of
 a     system of nature4 ,during an     
immense period of time rain pours       
down with an unabating violence in the  
space left by the last     world that   
has been destroyed4 ,meanwhile strong   
winds1 blowing     from opposite        
directions1 accumulate the water within 
definite     and certain limits until it
 has filled the whole space4 ,at last   
appears on the surface of water1        
floating like a greasy     substance1   
the sediment deposited by water4 ,in    

proportion as the     water dries up    
under the unremitting action of the     
wind1 that     crust increases in size1 
until1 by a slow1 gradual1 but sure     
process1 it invariably assumes the shape
 and proportion of our     planet1 in   
the manner we are to describe4 ,the     
centre of the     earth1 indeed of a    
world or system of nature1 is occupied  
by a     mountain of enormous size and  
elevation1 called ,mienmo4 ,this is     
surrounded by seven ranges of mountains1
 separated from each     other by       
streams1 equalling1 in breadth and      
depth1 the height of     the mountain   
forming its boundaries in the direction 
of the     central elevation4 ,the range
 nearest to the ,mienmo rises to half   
its height4 ,each successive range is   
half the height of the     range        
preceding it4 ,beyond the last stream   
are disposed four     great islands1 in 
the direction of the four points of the 
compass4 ,each of those four islands is 
surrounded by five     hundred smaller  

ones4 ,beyond those there is water1     
reaching to     the farthest limits of  
the world4 ,the great island we inhabit 
is     the southern one1 called         
,dzampoudipa1 from the ,jambu1 or       
,eugenia     tree1 growing upon it4     
,our planet rests on a basis of water   
double the thickness of the     earth2  
the water itself is lying on a mass of  
air that has a     thickness double that
 of water4 ,below this aerial stratum is
     laha1 or vacuum4      ,let us see  
now in what manner our planet is        
peopled1 and whence     came its first  
inhabitants4 ,from the seats of ,brahmas
 which were     beyond the range of     
destruction when the former world       
perished1     three celestial beings1   
or1 according to another version1 six1  
came on the earth1 remaining on it in a 
state of perfect     happiness1         
occasionally revisiting1 when it pleased
 them1 their     former seats of glory4 
,this state of things lasts during a    
long     period4 ,at that time the two  

great luminaries of the day and the     
stars of night have not as yet made     
their appearance1 but rays     of       
incomparable brightness1 emanating from 
the pure bodies of     those new        
inhabitants1 illuminate the globe4 ,they
 feed at long     intervals upon a      
certain gelatinous substance1 of such a 
nutritious power that the smallest      
quantity is sufficient to     support   
them for a long period4 ,this delicious 
food is of the     most perfect flavour4
 ,but it happens that at last it        
disappears1     and is successively     
replaced by two other substances1 one of
     which resembles the tender sprout  
of a tree4 ,they are so     nutritious  
and purified that in our present        
condition we can     have no adequate   
idea of their properties4 ,they too     
disappear1     and are succeeded by a   
sort of rice called ,tha-le4 ,the       
inhabitants of the earth eat also of    
that rice4 ,but alas6 the               
consequences prove as fatal to them as  

the eating of the     forbidden fruit   
proved to the happy denizens of ,eden4  
,the     brightness that had hitherto   
encircled their bodies and              
illuminated the world vanishes away1    
and1 to their utmost     dismay1 they   
find themselves1 for the first time1    
sunk into an     abyss of unknown       
darkness4 ,the eating of that coarse    
food     creates faeces and evacuations 
which1 forcing their way out of     the 
body1 cause the appearance of what marks
 the distinction of     the sexes4      
,passions1 for the first time1 burn and 
rage in the     bosom of those hitherto 
passionless beings4 ,they are deprived  
of     the power to return to their     
celestial seats4 ,very soon             
jealousy1 contentions1 c41 follow in the
 train of the     egotistical           
distinction of mine and thine4 ,finding 
themselves in the gloom of darkness1 the
 unhappy beings sigh for     and long   
after light1 when1 on a sudden1 the sun1
 breaking down     the barrier of       

darkness1 bursts out1 rolling1 as it    
were1 in a     flood of light1 which    
illuminates the whole world2 but soon   
disappearing in the west below the      
horizon1 darkness seems to     resume   
its hold4 ,new lamentations and         
bewailings arise on the     part of men1
 when in a short time appears           
majestically the moon1     spreading its
 silvery and trembling rays of light4   
,at the same     time the planets and   
stars take their respective stations in 
the     sky1 and begin their regular    
revolutions4 ,the need of settling      
disputes that arise is soon felt by the 
new inhabitants2 they     agree to elect
 a chief1 whom they invest with a       
sufficient     authority for framing    
regulations which are to be obligatory  
on     every member of society1 and     
power for enforcing obedience to        
those regulations4 ,hence the origin of 
society4      ,men1 at first practising 
virtue1 enjoyed a long life1 the        
duration of which reached to the almost 

incredible length of a     thingie4 ,but
 they having much relaxed in the        
practice of virtue1     it lessened     
proportionably to their want of fervour 
in the     observance of the law1 until1
 by their extreme wickedness1 it        
dwindled to the short period of ten     
years4 ,the same ascending     and      
descending scale of human life1         
successively brought in by     the law  
of merit and demerit1 takes place       
sixty-four times1 and     constitutes an
 andrakap1 or the duration of a world4  
,it remains only to mention rapidly some
 particulars regarding     the end of a 
revolution of nature4 ,the cause of such
 an event is     the influence of the   
demerits1 prevailing to such an extent  
as     to be all-powerful in working out
 destruction4 ,two solemn     warnings  
of the approaching dissolution of our   
planet are given     by ,nats1 one      
nearly #ajj1jjj and the other #ajj years
 before that     event4 ,the bearers of 
such sad news make their appearance on  

earth with marks of deep mourning1 as   
best suited to afford     additional    
weight to their exhortations4 ,they     
earnestly call on     men to repent of  
their sins and amend their lives4 ,these
 last     summonses are generally heeded
 by all mankind1 so that men1 when      
the world is destroyed1 generally       
migrate1 together with the     victims  
of hell who have atoned for their past  
iniquities1 to     those seats of       
,brahmas that escape destruction4 ,there
 are three     great principles of      
demerit1 concupiscence1 anger1 and      
ignorance4 ,the world also is destroyed 
by the action of three     different    
agents1 fire1 water1 and wind4          
,concupiscence is the     most common1  
though the less heinous of the three4   
,next comes     anger1 less prevailing1 
though it is more heinous2 but ignorance
     is by far the most fatal of all    
moral distempers4 ,the moral            
disorder then prevailing causes         
destruction by the agency that     it   

sets in action4 ,concupiscence has for  
its agency fire2 anger1     water2      
ignorance1 wind2 but in the following   
proportion4 ,of     sixty-four          
destructions of this world1 fifty-six   
are caused by     conflagration1 seven  
by water1 and one by wind4 ,their       
respective     limits of duration stand 
as follows3 conflagration reaches to    
the five lowest seats of ,brahmas2 water
 extends to the eighth     seat1 and the
 destructive violence of the wind is    
felt as far as     the ninth seat4      
#ad ,our planet or globe is composed1   
according to ,buddhists1     of the     
mountain ,mienmo1 being in height       
#hb1jjj youdzanas 7#a     youdzana is1  
according to some authorities1 equal to 
little less     than #ab ,english miles7
 above the surface of the earth1 and in 
depth equal to its height4 ,around this 
huge and tall elevation     are disposed
 the four great islands1 according to   
the four     points of the compass2 and 
each of these again is surrounded by    

#ejj small islands4 ,the countries south
 of the great chain of the     ,himalaya
 are supposed to form the great island  
lying at the     south4      ,it would  
be easy to give1 at full length1 the    
ridiculous notions     entertained by   
,buddhists of these parts on geography  
and     cosmography1 c41 c42 but the    
knowledge of such puerilities is        
scarcely worth the attention of a       
serious reader1 who is anxious     to   
acquire accurate information respecting 
a religious system1     which was       
designed by its inventor to be the      
vehicle of moral     doctrines1 with but
 very few dogmas4 ,those speculations   
upon     this material world have       
gradually found their place in the      
collection of sacred writings1 but they 
are no part of the     religious creed4 
,they are of a ,hindu origin1 and convey
 ,indian     notions upon those various 
topics4 ,these notions even do not      
belong to the system as expounded in the
 ,vedas1 but have been     set forth at 

a comparatively modern epoch4      #ae  
,a ,rahanda is a being very far advanced
 in perfection1 and     gifted with high
 spiritual attainments1 which impart to 
his     mortal frame certain            
distinguished prerogatives1 becoming    
almost     spirits4 ,concupiscence is   
totally extinguished in a ,rahanda2 he  
may be said to be fit for the state     
,neibban4 ,several classes are          
assigned to ,rahandas alone1 according  
to their various degrees     of         
advancement in the way of perfection4   
#af ,it is an immutable decree that she 
on whom has been     conferred the      
singular honour of giving birth to a    
mortal who1     during the course of his
 existence1 is to become a ,buddha1 dies
     invariably seven days after her    
delivery1 migrating to one of     the   
delightful seats of ,nats4 ,the ,burmese
 translator observes     that a womb    
that has been1 as it were1 consecrated  
and     sanctified by the presence of a 
child of so exalted a dignity1     can  

never become afterwards the hidden abode
 of less dignified     beings4 ,it must 
be confessed that the conception of     
,phralaong in     his mother's womb is  
wrapped up in a mysterious obscurity1   
appearing as it does to exclude the idea
 of conjugal     intercourse4 ,the      
,cochin-,chinese in their religious     
legends     pretend that ,buddha was    
conceived and born from ,maia in a      
wonderful manner1 not resembling at all 
what takes place     according to the   
order of nature4      #ag ,the ,mount   
,himawonta is famous in all ,buddhistic 
compositions1 as the scene where great  
and important events have     happened4 
,it is in all probability the ,himalaya1
 as being the     highest range of      
mountains ever known to ,indian         
,buddhists4      #ah ,pounhas are the   
,brahmins who1 even in those days of    
remote     antiquity1 were considered as
 the wisest in their generation4        
,they had already monopolised the       
lucrative trade of     fortune-tellers1 

astrologers1 c41 and it appears that    
they have     contrived to retain it up 
to our own days4 ,during my first stay  
in ,burmah ,i became acquainted with a  
young ,pounha1 wearing the     white    
dress1 and getting his livelihood by    
telling the     horoscopes of newly-born
 infants1 and even grown-up people4 ,i  
learned from him the mode of finding out
 by calculation the     state of the    
heavens at any given hour whatever4     
,this mode of     calculation is        
entirely based on the ,hindu system1 and
 has     evidently been borrowed from   
that people4      ,though ,brahmins in  
those days1 as in our own1 worked on    
popular     ignorance and credulity in  
the manner abovementioned1 we ought     
not to lose sight of the great fact1    
borne out by this legend in     a most  
distinct and explicit way1 that many    
among them devoted     all their time1  
energies1 and abilities to the          
acquirement of     wisdom1 and the      
observance of the most arduous          

practices4 ,their     austere mode of   
life was to a great extent copied and   
imitated     by the first religious of  
the ,buddhist persuasion4 ,many         
ordinances and prescriptions of the     
,wini agree1 in a remarkable     degree1
 with those enforced by the ,vedas4 ,in 
the beginning1 the     resemblance must 
have been so great as to render the     
discrepancies scarcely perceptible1     
since we read in this very     work of  
an injunction made to the early         
converts1 to bestow alms     on the     
,pounhas as well as on the ,bickus or   
mendicant religious1     placing them   
both on a footing of perfect equality4  
#ai ,preitha is a being in a state of   
punishment and sufferings     on account
 of sins committed in a former          
existence4 ,he is doomed     to live in 
the solitary recesses of uninhabited    
mountains1     smarting under the pangs 
of never-satiated hunger4 ,his body1 and
     particularly his stomach1 are of   
gigantic dimensions1 whilst his         

mouth is so small that a needle could   
scarcely be shoved into     it4      #bj
 ,in the ,buddhistic system of          
cosmogony1 #ajj1jjj worlds     form one 
system1 subject to the same immutable   
changes and     revolutions as affect   
this one which we inhabit4 ,they admit1 
indeed1 that the number of worlds is    
unlimited1 but they assert     that     
those forming one system are            
simultaneously destroyed1     reproduced
 and perfected1 by virtue of certain    
eternal laws     inherent in matter     
itself4      #ba ,tsadoomarit is the    
first of the six abodes of ,nats4 ,the  
description of the pleasures enjoyed by 
the inhabitants of that     seat is     
replete with accounts of the grossest   
licentiousness4      #bb ,a ,palou1 or  
rather ,bilou1 is a monster with a human
 face1     supposed to feed on human    
flesh4 ,his eyes are of a deep red hue1 
and his body of so subtle a nature as   
never to project any     shadow4        
,wonderful tales are told of this       

monster1 which plays     a considerable 
part in most of the ,buddhistic         
writings4      #bc ,a ,dzedi is a       
religious edifice of a conical form1    
supported     on a square basis1 and    
having its top covered with what the    
,burmese call an umbrella1 resembling in
 its shape the musical     instrument   
vulgarly called chapeau chinois by the  
,french4 ,on     each side of the       
quadrangular basis are opened four      
niches1 in     the direction of the four
 cardinal points1 destined to receive   
statues of ,buddha4 ,this monument is of
 every dimension in size1     from the  
smallest1 a few feet high1 to the       
tallest1 of one or     two hundred feet 
high4 ,it is to be seen in every        
direction1 and     in the neighbourhood 
of towns every elevation is crowned with
     one or several ,dzedis4      ,the  
word ,dzedi means a sacred depository1  
that is to say1 a     place where relics
 of ,buddha were enshrined4 ,the word   
has been     extended since to places   

which have become receptacles of the    
scriptures1 or of the relics of         
distinguished religious1 who had        
acquired eminence by their scientific   
and moral attainments4 ,in     the      
beginning1 those ,dzedis were a kind of 
tumuli1 or mounds     of earth or       
bricks1 erected upon the shrine wherein 
relics were     enclosed4 ,in proportion
 as the followers of the ,buddhistic    
faith     increased in number1 wealth1  
and influence1 they erected ,dzedis     
on a grander scale1 bearing always a    
great resemblance in shape     and form 
to the primitive ones4 ,the stupas or   
topes discovered     in the ,punjaub1   
and in other parts of the ,indian       
,peninsula1 were     real ,buddhistic   
tumuli or ,dzedis4      ,during         
succeeding ages1 when relics could not  
be procured1 the     faithful continued 
to erect ,dzedis1 the sight of which was
     intended to remind them of the     
sacred relics1 and they paid to         
those relics and monuments the same     

veneration as they would     have       
offered to those enriched with those    
priceless objects4     ,in ,burmah1 in  
particular1 the zeal1 or rather the     
rage1 for     building ,dzedis has been 
carried to a degree scarcely to be      
credited by those who have not visited  
that country4 ,in the     following     
pages there will be found an attempt to 
describe the     various forms given to 
those monuments4      #bd ,the thabeit  
is an open-mouthed pot1 of a truncated  
spheroidical form1 made of earth1 iron1 
or brass1 without     ornaments1 used by
 the ,buddhist monks when going abroad1 
in     their morning excursions1 to     
receive the alms bestowed on them     by
 the admirers of their holy mode of     
life4     ,,chapter ,,ii4      ,birth of
 ,buddha in a forest -- ,rejoicings on  
that occasion --     ,kaladewila --     
,prediction of the ,pounhas -- ,vain    
efforts of     ,thoodaudana to thwart   
the effect of the ,prediction4   ,the   
time of her approaching confinement     

being close at hand1 the princess       
solicited from her husband1 ,king       
,thoodaudana1 leave to go to the country
 of ,dewah1#a amongst her friends and   
relatives4 ,as soon as her request was  
made known1 the king ordered that the   
whole extent of the road between        
,kapilawot and ,dewah should be         
perfectly levelled1 and lined on both   
sides with plantain trees1 and adorned  
with the finest ornaments4 ,jars1 full  
of the purest water1 were to be         
deposited all along the road at short   
intervals4 ,a chair of gold was made    
ready for conveying the queen2 and a    
thousand noblemen1 attended by an       
innumerable retinue1 were directed to   
accompany her during the journey4       
,between the two countries an immense   
forest of lofty ,engyin trees extends to
 a great distance4 ,as soon as the      
cortege reached it1 five water-lilies   
shot forth spontaneously from the stem  
and the main branches of each tree1 and 
innumerable birds of all kinds1 by their

 melodious tunes1 filled the air with   
the most ravishing music4 ,trees1       
similar in beauty to those growing in   
the seats of ,nats1 apparently sensible 
of the presence of the incarnated       
,buddha1 seemed to share in the         
universal joy4  ,on beholding this      
wonderful appearance of all the lofty   
trees of the forest1 the queen felt a   
desire to approach nearer and enjoy the 
marvellous sight offered to her         
astonished regards4 ,her noble          
attendants led her forthwith a short    
distance into the forest4 ,maia1 seated 
on her couch1 along with her sister     
,patzapati1 desired her attendants to   
have it moved closer to an ,engyin tree 
7shorea robusta71 which she pointed out4
 ,her wishes were immediately complied  
with4 ,she then rose gently on her      
couch2 her left hand1 clasped round the 
neck of her sister1 supported her in a  
standing position4 ,with the right hand 
she tried to reach and break a small    
branch1 which she wanted to carry away4 

,on that very instant1 as the slender   
rattan1 heated by fire1 bends down its  
tender head1 all the branches lowered   
their extremities1 offering themselves1 
as it were1 to the hand of the queen1   
who unhesitatingly seized and broke the 
extremity of one of the young boughs4   
,by virtue of a certain power inherent  
in her dignity1 on a sudden all the     
winds blew gently throughout the forest4
 ,the attendants1 having desired all the
 people to withdraw to a distance1      
disposed curtains all round the place   
the queen was standing on4 ,whilst she  
was in that position1 admiring the      
slender bough she held in her hands1 the
 moment of her confinement happened1 and
 she was delivered of a son4,d      ,d  
,on the same day a son was born to      
,amitaudana1 called ,ananda4     ,the   
wife of ,thouppaboudha of ,dewah was    
delivered of a daughter1     called     
,yathaudara1 who became afterwards the  
wife of ,phralaong4     ,anouroudha1 the
 son of ,thookaudana1 was ushered into  

existence     on the same solemn        
occasion4 ,the above-named ,ananda was  
first     cousin to the ,buddha1 and    
subsequently became the amiable1        
faithful1 and devoted disciple who1     
during twenty-five years1     attended  
on the person of ,buddha1 and           
affectionately ministered     to all his
 wants4 ,after the death of his mother  
,maia1 ,phralaong     was nursed and    
brought up with the greatest care by his
 aunt     ,patzapati1 sometimes called  
,gautamee4  ,four chief ,brahmas#b      
received the new-born infant on a golden
 net-work1 and placed him in the        
presence of the happy mother1 saying1   
,give yourself up1 ,o ,queen1 to joy and
 rejoicing2 here is the precious and    
wonderful fruit of your womb4,e      ,e 
,remarks of the ,burmese                
,translator4--,when children are born   
they appear in this world covered all   
over their bodies with     impure and   
disgusting substances4 ,but an exception
 was made in     favour of our infant   

,phralaong4 ,he was born without the    
least     stain of offending impurity2  
he was ushered into this world1     pure
 and resplendent1 like a fine ruby      
placed on a piece of the     richest    
cloth of ,kathika4 ,he left his mother's
 womb with his     feet and hands       
stretched out1 exhibiting the dignified 
countenance of a ,pundit descending from
 the place where he has     expounded   
the law4 ,though both mother and child  
were exempt from     the humiliating    
miseries common to all other human      
beings1 there     came down from the    
skies upon both1 by way of a respectful 
offering1 gentle showers of cold and    
warm water1 succeeding each     other   
alternately in a regular order4  ,from  
the hands of the four chiefs of         
,brahmas1 four chiefs of ,nats received 
the blessed child1 whom they handed over
 to men1 who placed him on a beautiful  
white cloth4 ,but to the astonishment of
 all1 he freed himself from the hands of
 those attending upon him1 and stood in 

a firm and erect position on the ground1
 when casting a glance towards the east1
 more than one thousand worlds appeared 
like a perfectly levelled plain4 ,all   
the ,nats inhabiting those worlds made  
offerings of flowers and perfumes1      
exclaiming with exultation1 ,an exalted 
personage has made his appearance2--who 
can ever be compared to him8 who has    
ever equalled him8 ,he is indeed the    
most excellent of all beings4 ,phralaong
 looked again towards the three other   
directions4 ,raising his eyes upwards1  
and then lowering them down1 he saw that
 there was no being equal to him4       
,conscious of his superiority1 he jumped
 over a distance of seven lengths of a  
foot1 in a northern direction1          
exclaiming1--,this is my last birth2    
there shall be to me no other state of  
existence2 ,i am the greatest of all    
beings4#c ,he then began to walk        
steadily in the same direction4 ,a chief
 of ,brahmas held over his head the     
white umbrella4#d ,a ,nat carried the   

golden fan4 ,other ,nats held in their  
hands the golden sword1 the golden      
slippers1 the cope set with the rarest  
precious stones1 and other royal        
insignia4,f      ,f ,remarks of the     
,burmese ,translator4--,in former       
existences1     our ,phralaong is said  
to have spoken a few words immediately  
after his birth1 viz41 when he was      
,mahauthata and ,wethandra4 ,in     the 
first1 he came into this world holding  
in his hands a small     plant1 which a 
,nat had brought and placed in his      
tender hands at     that very moment4   
,he showed it to his mother1 who asked  
him     what it was4 ,this is a         
medicinal plant1 replied he1 to his     
astonished mother4 ,the plant was cast  
into a large jar full of     water1 and 
the virtualised liquid ever retained the
 power of     curing every kind of      
bodily distemper4 ,when he was born1 or 
rather began the existence in which he  
was called ,wethandra1 he     stretched 
out his hands asking something from his 

mother which     he might bestow on the 
needy4 ,the mother put at his disposal  
one     thousand pieces of silver4      
,thirty-two mighty wonders had          
proclaimed the incarnation of ,phralaong
 in his mother's womb1 and the same     
number of wonders announced his birth to
 the earth4 ,moreover1 in that same     
moment were born the beautiful          
,yathaudara1 ,ananda1 the son of        
,amitaudana1 the noblemen ,tsanda and   
,kaludari1 and the horse ,kantika4 ,the 
great tree ,bodi also sprung from the   
ground1 in the forest of ,oorouwela1    
about two youdzanas distant from the    
city of ,radzagio1 and in a             
north-easterly direction from that      
place1 and the four golden vases        
suddenly reappeared4  ,the inhabitants  
of ,dewah1 joining those of ,kapilawot1 
set out for the latter country with the 
newly-born infant1 to whom they rendered
 the greatest honours4 ,the ,nats of the
 seat of ,tawadeintha1 on hearing that a
 son was born to ,king ,thoodaudana1 and

 that under the shade of the tree       
,bodi#e he would become a true ,buddha  
with a perfect knowledge of the four    
great truths1 gave full vent to their   
boundless joy1 hoisting unfurled flags  
and banners in every direction1 in token
 of their indescribable rejoicings4     
,there was a celebrated ,rathee1 named  
,kaladewila1 who had passed through the 
eight degrees of contemplation1 and who 
was in the habit of resorting daily to  
the prince's palace for his food4 ,on   
that very day1 having taken his meal as 
usual1 he ascended to the seat of       
,tawadeintha1#f and found the fortunate 
inhabitants of that seat giving         
themselves up to uncommon rejoicings4   
,he asked them the reason of such an    
unusual display of enrapturing          
transports of exultation4 ,it is1       
replied they to the inquiring ,rathee1  
because a son is born to ,king          
,thoodaudana1 who will soon become a    
true ,buddha4 ,like all former ,buddhas1
 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 virtues4 ,we    
will hear the law from his very mouth4  
,on hearing the answer of the ,nats1    
,kaladewila immediately left the seat of
 ,tawadeintha1 and directed his aerial  
course towards the palace of            
,thoodaudana4 ,having entered into the  
palace and occupied the place prepared  
for him1 he conveyed to the king the    
good tidings of a son having been born  
unto him4  ,a few days after this       
message1 the royal child was brought    
into the presence of his rejoicing      
father4 ,kaladewila was present on the  
occasion4 ,thoodaudana ordered that the 
child should be attired with the finest 
dress1 and placed in the presence of the
 ,rathee1 in order to pay him his       
respects4 ,but the child rose up and set
 his two feet on the curled hair of the 
venerable personage4 ,the persons       
present on the occasion1 not knowing    
that a ,buddha in his last existence    

never bows down to any being1 thought   
that the head of the imprudent child    
would be split into seven parts as a    
punishment for his unbecoming behaviour4
 ,but ,kaladewila1 rising up from his   
seat1 and lifting up his hands to his   
forehead1 bowed respectfully to the     
infant ,phralaong4 ,the king1 astonished
 at such an unusual condescension from  
so eminent a personage1 followed his    
example1 and out of respect prostrated  
himself before his son4  ,by virtue of  
his great spiritual attainments1        
,kaladewila could recollect at once all 
that had taken place during the forty   
preceding worlds1 and foresee all that  
would happen during the same number of  
future revolutions of nature4 ,on seeing
 the high perfections shining forth in  
our ,phralaong1 he considered           
attentively whether he would become a   
,buddha or not4 ,having ascertained that
 such a dignity was reserved for him1 he
 wished to know if the remaining period 
of his own existence would permit him to

 witness the happy moment when he would 
be a ,buddha4 ,to his deep regret1 he   
foresaw that the end of his life would  
come before the occurrence of that great
 event1 and that he would have then     
migrated to one of the seats of ,arupa1 
and be1 therefore1 deprived of the      
favour of hearing the law from his      
mouth4 ,this foresight caused a profound
 sadness in his heart1 and abundant     
tears flowed from his eyes4 ,but when he
 reflected on the future destiny of the 
blessed child1 he could not contain     
within himself the pure joy that        
overflowed his soul4 ,the people present
 on the occasion soon observed the      
opposite emotions which alternately     
affected the soul of ,kaladewila4 ,they 
asked him the reason of such an unusual 
occurrence4 ,i rejoice1 said he1 at the 
glorious destiny of that child2 but ,i  
feel sad and disconsolate when ,i think 
that it will not be given to me to see  
and contemplate him clothed with the    
dignity of ,buddha4 ,i bewail with tears

 my great misfortune4  ,with a view of  
assuaging his sorrow1 ,kaladewila1      
casting another glance towards future   
events1 eagerly sought to discover if1  
among his relatives1 there would not be 
at least one who would be so fortunate  
as to see ,phralaong in the nature of   
,buddha4 ,he saw with inexpressible     
delight that his nephew ,nalaka would   
enjoy the blessing denied to himself4   
,thereupon he went in all haste to his  
sister's house1 inquiring about her son4
 ,at his request the lad was brought    
into his presence4 ,beloved nephew1 said
 the venerable ,rathee1 thirty-five     
years hence1#g the son of ,king         
,thoodaudana will become a ,buddha2 you 
will contemplate him in that sublime and
 exalted nature4 ,from this day1        
therefore1 you shall embrace the        
profession of ,rahan4 ,the young man1   
who descended from a long succession of 
wealthy noblemen1 said within himself1  
,my uncle1 indeed1 never says anything  
but under the impulse of irresistible   

and cogent motives4 ,i will follow his  
advice and will become a recluse4 ,he   
immediately ordered the purchase of the 
insignia of his new profession1 a patta1
 a thingan1#h and other articles4 ,his  
head was shaved1 and he put on the      
yellow garb4 ,attired in his new dress1 
he looked all round1 and saw that1      
amongst all beings1 the ,rahans are by  
far the most excellent4 ,then turning   
towards the place which ,phralaong      
occupied1 he prostrated himself five    
successive times in that direction1 rose
 up1 placed the patta in its bag1 threw 
it over his shoulder1 and directed his  
steps towards the solitude of           
,himawonta1 where he devoted himself to 
all the exercises of his profession4 ,at
 the time ,phralaong became a ,buddha1  
our hermit went to that great master1   
learnt from him the works that lead to  
the state of perfect stability of mind1 
returned back to his solitude1 and      
attained to the perfection of ,rahanda  
by the practice of the eminent works4   

,seven months after his return1 the end 
of his existence arrived1 when1         
disentangled from all the ties that had 
hitherto kept him in the world of       
passions1 he reached the happy state of 
,neibban4   ,,footnotes      #a ,this   
country of ,dewah is one of the sixteen 
countries1 so     much celebrated in the
 ,buddhistic annals1 where the greatest 
religious events have taken place4 ,they
 are placed in the     centre1 north1   
and north-west portions of ,hindustan4  
,in this     place was born the         
celebrated ,dewadat1 who became         
brother-in-law     to ,buddha himself4  
,but notwithstanding the close ties of  
relationship that united him to so      
saintly a personage1 ,dewadat     is    
represented as the incarnation of evil1 
ever opposed to     ,buddha in his      
benevolent designs in favour of human   
kind4 ,at     last1 in an attempt       
against his brother-in-law's life1 he   
met     with a condign punishment4 ,the 
earth burst open under his feet1        

and1 surrounded by devouring flames1 he 
rolled down to the     bottom of the    
lowest hell1 acknowledging1 however1 in 
the     accents of a true but tardy     
repentance1 his errors and the          
unconquerable power of ,buddha4 ,three  
red-hot iron bars transfix     him      
perpendicularly1 hanging him in an erect
 position1 whilst     three other bars  
pierce him through the shoulders and the
 side4     ,for his repentance he is to 
be delivered hereafter from those       
torments1 and restored to earth1 in     
order to acquire merits that     may    
entitle him to a better place in future 
existences4 ,some     accounts mention  
that he is to become a ,pietzega        
,buddha4 ,this     story respecting     
,dewadat has given rise in ,burmah to a 
very     strange misconception4 ,the    
,burmese1 with their usual              
thoughtlessness1 on hearing of the      
particulars respecting the              
sufferings and mode of death of our     
,saviour1 concluded that he     must    

have been no other but ,dewadat himself1
 and that1 for     holding opinions     
opposite to those of ,buddha1 he        
suffered such a     punishment4 ,the    
writer was not a little surprised to    
find in the     writings of the old     
,barnabite missionaries a lengthened    
confutation of this erroneous           
supposition4      #b ,according to      
,buddhistic notions1 ,buddha labours    
during his     mortal career for the    
benefit of all living beings4 ,his      
benevolent and compassionate heart1 free
 from all partiality1     feels an      
ardent desire of opening before them the
 way that leads     to deliverance from 
the miseries of every succeeding        
existence1     and of bringing them     
finally to the never troubled state of  
,neibban4 ,such a generous and          
benevolent disposition constitutes      
the genuine characteristic of ,buddha4  
,the ,brahmas1 inhabiting     the       
sixteen seats of ,rupa1 are all but ripe
 for obtaining the     crowning point of

 ,buddhistic perfection4 ,they only wait
 for the     presence of a ,buddha to   
unloose1 by his preachings1 the slender 
ties that keep them still connected with
 this material world4     ,the ,nats1   
though far less advanced in merits and  
perfection1     eagerly look forward for
 the apparition of that great personage1
     who is to point out to them the    
means of freeing themselves from     the
 influence of passions1 and thereby     
destroying in them the     principle of 
demerits4 ,men1 also1 in their state of 
probation     and trial1 want the mighty
 aid of a ,buddha1 who will enable them 
by his transcendent doctrine to advance 
in merits1 so as either     to arrive at
 once at the ever-quiescent state of    
,neibban1 or     progress gradually on  
the way4 ,hence1 on his birth1 ,buddha  
is     ministered to by those three     
sorts of intelligent beings1 who     are
 particularly destined to share in the  
blessings his coming     is designed to 
shower on them4      ,the mission of a  

,buddha is that of a saviour4 ,his great
 object1     to make use of a           
,buddhistic expression1 is1 during his  
existence1 to procure the deliverance of
 all the beings that     will listen to 
his instructions and observe the        
precepts of the     law4 ,he is         
distinguished by feelings of compassion 
and an ardent     love for all beings1  
as well as by an earnest desire of      
labouring for their welfare4 ,these are 
the true characteristics     of his     
heart4 ,in this religious system mention
 is often made of     ,pitzegabuddhas1  
who have all the science and merits of a
 ,buddha1     but they are deficient in 
the above-mentioned qualities1 which    
form1 as it were1 the essence of a true 
and genuine ,buddha4 ,they     are never
 therefore honoured with the noble      
appellation of     ,buddha4      #c ,the
 ,chinese1 ,cochin-,chinese1 ,cingalese1
 and ,nepaulese     ,legends all agree  
in attributing to ,phralaong the use of 
reason     from the moment he was born1 

as well as the power of uttering        
with a proud accent the following words3
 ,i am the greatest of     all beings2  
this is my last existence4 ,to his own  
eyes he must     have appeared in this  
world without any competitor1 since he  
knew already that he was destined to    
release countless beings     from the   
trammels of existence1 and lead them to 
a state of     perfect rest1 screened   
for ever from the incessant action of   
merits and demerits4 ,he alone whose    
mind is deeply imbued with              
,buddhistic notions can boast exultingly
 that he has at length     arrived at   
his last existence1 and that1 within a  
few years1 he     will escape out of the
 whirlpool of endless existences1       
wherein     he has been turning and     
fluctuating from a state of happiness to
     one of wretchedness4 ,this         
perpetual vicissitude is to him the     
greatest evil1 the opposite of which is1
 therefore1 the greatest     good4 ,no  
wonder1 then1 to hear our ,phralaong1   

who was better     acquainted with the  
miseries attending existence than any   
one     else1 exclaiming with the       
accents of a complete joy--,this is my  
last existence4      ,the ,burmese      
translator seems delighted to remark    
that on two     former occasions        
,phralaong1 then an infant1 had spoken  
distinct     words1 which he addressed  
to his mother4 ,this happened in the    
beginning of the two existences during  
which he practised two of     the ten   
great virtues4 ,it took place first on  
the day he was     born to that         
existence1 when1 under the name of      
,mahauthata1 he     displayed consummate
 skill and wisdom4 ,the legend of       
,mahauthata     is a very amusing       
performance1 written in a very pure     
language1     and relating stories about
 as credible as those we read in the    
,arabian ,tales of a ,thousand and ,one 
,nights4 ,what surprised the     writer 
not a little1 was to find1 in perusing  
that composition1     a decision given  

by our ,mahauthata1 in a case perfectly 
similar     to that which showed forth1 
in the presence of all ,israel1 the     
incomparable wisdom of ,solomon4 ,when  
,phralaong practised the     last and   
most perfect of virtues1 liberality1    
carried to its     farthest limits1     
ending in perfect abnegation of self1   
and     renouncing all that he          
possessed1 he entered1 too1 into this   
world with the faculty of speech1 and   
became a prince under the     name of   
,wethandra4 ,the legend of ,wethandra is
 by far the best of     all4 ,taking it 
as a mere romance1 it is replete with   
circumstantial details well calculated  
to excite the finest     emotions of the
 heart4 ,the latter part1 in particular1
 can     scarcely be read without       
heart-moving feelings of pity and       
commiseration1 on beholding our         
,phralaong parting willingly with       
all his property1 with his wife and his 
lovely children1 and     finally        
offering his own person1 to satisfy the 

ever-renewed     calls on his unbounded 
generosity4      #d ,in ,burmah the use 
of the white umbrella is limited to the 
king and idols4 ,the former can never   
move without having some     one to hold
 over his head this distinguishing mark 
of royalty4     ,any one who has been   
introduced into the palace of           
,amerapoora     will not have forgotten 
how great was his satisfaction on       
beholding the white umbrella towering   
above the sides of     passages1 and    
moving in the direction he was sitting  
in4 ,he knew     that the time of his   
expectation was at an end1 and that in a
     moment he would behold the golden  
face4      #e ,in glancing over the     
genealogy of the twenty-eight last      
,buddhas1 the writer has observed that  
every ,buddha has always     obtained   
the supreme intelligence under the      
shadow of some     trees4 ,our          
,phralaong1 as will be seen hereafter1  
attained to the     exalted dignity of  
,buddha under the tree ,baudhi 7ficus   

religiosa71 which grew up spontaneously 
at the very moment he     was born4 ,the
 writer has never been able to discover 
any     well-grounded reason to account 
for this remarkable     circumstance1 so
 carefully noted down1 relating the     
particulars     attending the elevation 
of a being to this high station4 ,for   
want of a better one1 he will be        
permitted to hazard the     following   
conjecture4 ,our ,phralaong1 previous to
 his becoming a     ,buddha1 withdrew   
into solitude for the purpose of fitting
     himself for his future calling1 in 
imitation of all his     predecessors1  
leading an ascetic life1 and devoting   
all his     undivided attention and     
mental energies to meditation and       
contemplation1 coupled with works of the
 most rigorous     mortification4 ,the  
senses1 he knew well1 were to be        
submitted to     the uncontrolled sway  
of reason1 by allowing to himself only  
what was barely requisite for supporting
 nature4 ,regardless of     every       

comfort1 his mind was bent upon         
acquiring the sublime     knowledge of  
the principle and origin of all things1 
on     fathoming the miseries of all    
beings1 and on endeavouring to          
discover the most efficacious means of  
affording them a thorough     relief1 by
 pointing out to them the road they had 
to follow in     order to disentangle   
themselves from the trammels of         
existence1     and arrive at a state of 
perfect rest4 ,in common with all other 
ascetics1 our ,phralaong had no other   
shelter against the     inclemency of   
the seasons but the protecting shadow of
 trees4 ,it     was under the cooling   
and refreshing foliage of the trees of  
the     forests1 that he spent his time 
in the placid and undisturbed     work  
of meditation1 acquiring gradually that 
matchless knowledge     and consummate  
wisdom which he needed for carrying on  
to     perfection the benevolent        
undertaking he had in contemplation4    
#f ,it is a maxim generally received    

amongst ,buddhists1 that     he who has 
far advanced in the way of perfection   
acquires     extraordinary privileges   
both in his soul and his body4 ,the     
latter obtains a sort of spiritualised  
nature1 or rather matter     becomes so 
refined and purified that he is enabled 
to travel     over distances with almost
 the rapidity of the thought of the     
mind4 ,the former1 by the help of       
continual meditation on the     causes  
and nature of all things1 enlarges      
incessantly its sphere     of knowledge4
 ,the remembrance of the past revives in
 the mind4     ,from the lofty position 
such a being is placed in1 he calmly    
considers and watches the movement of   
events that will take     place in      
future times4 ,the more his mind        
expands1 and the sphere     of his      
knowledge extends1 the greater are the  
perfections and     refinements         
attending the coarser part of his being4
      #g ,according to the prophecy of  
,kaladewila1 ,phralaong is to     become

 ,buddha when thirty-five years old4    
,the total duration of     his life     
being eighty years1 it follows that he  
has lived as     ,buddha forty-five     
years4 ,the advice of the old ,rathee to
 his     nephew ,nalaka1 to become a    
,rahan in order to better dispose       
himself to welcome the coming of        
,buddha1 and listen with greater        
benefit to his preachings1 leads me to  
make a remark and write     down an     
observation that has been already       
alluded to4 ,from this     passage and  
many others which the reader will easily
 notice     hereafter1 as well as from  
the example of ,buddha himself1 one     
must suppose that at the time ,phralaong
 was born1 some     institutions1 the   
most important one at least1 viz41 that 
of the     ,rahans1 recluses1 or monks1 
already existed in a more or less       
perfect state4 ,relying solely on the   
authority of this ,legend1     no       
attempt at denying this supposition can 
ever be made4     ,kaladewila speaks of 

the order of ,rahans as of a thing well 
known4 ,nalaka sends to the bazaar for  
the purchase of the dress     and other 
articles he wanted for his new mode of  
life4     ,phralaong1 on his way to his 
garden1 sees a ,rahan1 whose habits     
and manners are described to him by his 
coachman4 ,having become     ,buddha1 he
 meets with ascetics and recluses living
 in community1     leading a life much  
resembling that which he is supposed to 
have     hereafter instituted1 holding  
but few opinions1 which1 according      
to his own standard1 were heretical4    
,from these facts flows the     natural 
conclusion that ,gaudama is not the     
inventor or     originator of all the   
,buddhistic disciplinary institutions4  
,he     found among the multifarious    
sects of ,brahminism many practices     
and ordinances which he approved of and 
incorporated or embodied     in his new 
system4 ,this is another proof1         
amounting to a     demonstration1 that  
,buddhism is an offshoot of the great   

,hindu     system4 ,in this respect1    
,gaudama borrowed largely from what he  
found existing in his own days1 in the  
schools he resorted to1     and         
re-echoed many tenets upheld by the     
masters under whom he     studied the   
sciences and the training to morals and 
virtue4 ,he     enlarged and developed  
certain favourite theories and          
principles     which had found favour   
with him2 at the same time1 for the     
purpose of leading his disciples to     
perfection1 he enforced many            
disciplinary regulations1 almost similar
 to those he had been     subjected to  
during the years of his probation4 ,he  
was certainly     an ardent promoter of 
the perfected and improved system he    
endeavoured to introduce4      #h ,the  
,thingan or ,tsiwaran is composed of    
three parts--the     thinbaing1         
resembling an ample petticoat1 bound up 
to the waist1     with a leathern       
girdle1 and falling down to the heels2  
the     kowot1 which consists of a sort 

of cloak of a rectangular shape1        
covering the shoulders and breast1 and  
reaching somewhat below     the knee2   
and the dougout1 which is a piece of    
cloth of the same     shape1 folded many
 times1 thrown over the left shoulder   
when     going abroad1 and used to sit  
on when no proper seat has been         
prepared4 ,the colour of these three    
pieces1 constituting the     dress of a 
recluse1 is invariably yellow4 ,the     
jack-tree supplies     the material for 
dyeing the cloth yellow4 ,in order to   
maintain a     spirit of perfect poverty
 among the members of the order of the  
recluse1 the ,wini prescribes that the  
tsiwaran ought to be made     up with   
rags picked up here and there1 and sewed
 together4 ,the     rule1 in this       
respect1 at least as far as its spirit  
goes1 is     thoroughly disregarded1 and
 has become almost a dead letter4       
,the hairs of the head and the beard1   
being too often objects     which vanity
 turns to its own purposes1 are1 to say 

the least1     mere superfluities4 ,a   
stern contemner of worldly things must1 
of     course1 do away with things which
 may prove temptations to him1     or at
 least afford him unnecessary trouble4  
,hence no layman can     ever aspire to 
become a ,rahan unless he has previously
 submitted     to the operation of a    
complete shaving of the head1 including 
even the eye-brows4     ,,chapter ,,iii4
      ,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 the   
,phralaong -- ,he sees     the four     
signs -- ,return from the garden to the 
royal city4   ,five days after the birth
 of ,phralaong1 took place the ceremony 
of washing the head and giving him a    
name4 ,in the apartment of the palace   
several kinds of perfumed wood and      
essences1 such as sandal-wood1 lignum1  
aloes1 camphor1 c41 were strewed        
profusely1 as well as the most          

exquisitely scented flowers and parched 
rice4 ,the nogana 7a sort of beverage   
made of milk1 sugar1 and honey7 was     
prepared in great abundance4 ,one       
hundred and eighty ,pounhas1#a the most 
versed in the science of astrology1 were
 invited to partake of a splendid       
entertainment in the palace4 ,the king  
made to every one of them costly        
presents1 and desired them to examine   
carefully all the signs1 prognosticating
 the future destiny of his son4 ,amidst 
that crowd of soothsayers1 eight        
,pounhas were present1 who explained the
 dream that ,maia had in the beginning  
of her pregnancy4 ,seven of them1       
lifting up the index#b of each hand of  
the child1 were amazed at the wonderful 
signs their eyes met4 ,if this child1   
said they1 remain in the society of men1
 he will become a mighty ruler that will
 bring all nations under his sway2 but  
if he embrace the profession of recluse1
 he will certainly become a ,buddha4    
,they began to foretell the incomparable

 glory and high honours that would      
attend his universal reign4 ,the eighth 
,pounha1 named ,kauntagnia1 the         
descendant of the celebrated son of     
,thoodata1 and the youngest of all1     
raised up the index of one hand of the  
child4 ,struck with the wonderful and   
unmistakable signs that forced          
themselves on his view1 he exclaimed1   
,no6 this child will not remain long in 
the society of men2 he will free himself
 from the vicissitudes#c and miseries   
attending the existence of all beings1  
and will finally become a ,buddha4 ,as  
the child was to be the instrument for  
promoting the welfare and merits of all 
mortals1 they gave him the name of      
,theiddat4  ,seven days after her       
confinement ,maia died1 and by the      
virtue of her merits migrated to the    
seat of ,toocita1 and became the        
daughter of a ,nat4,g ,her death was not
 the result of her delivery1 but she    
departed this world because the term of 
her life had come4 ,on their return to  

their home1 the ,pounhas assembled their
 children and said to them1 ,we are     
already advanced in years4 ,we dare not 
promise to ourselves that we will ever  
see the son of ,king ,thoodaudana become
 a ,buddha2 but to you such a favour is 
reserved4 ,listen respectfully to all   
his instructions1 and endeavour to enter
 the profession of ,rahan without delay1
 and withdraw into solitude4 ,let us    
also all join you in that holy vocation4
 ,three ,pounhas refused the invitation1
 and would not enter the profession4    
,the five others cheerfully gave up     
everything1 and became distinguished    
members of the ascetic body4      ,g    
,maia was confined in the beginning of  
the third age4 ,this     expression is  
rather a very loose and general one1 and
 is far     from indicating1 with any   
approach to accuracy1 the period of     
,maia's age when she was delivered of   
her son4 ,the age of man is     divided 
into three parts4 ,the first extends    
from birth to the     sixteenth or      

eighteenth year2 the second goes to the 
forty-fifth     year or thereabout2 and 
the third1 from the forty-fifth year to 
the end of life4 ,phralaong was born on 
the #fhth year of the     ,eatzana era1 
on the #fth after the full moon of the  
month     ,katsong4 ,maia was therefore 
fifty-six years old4 ,the author of     
this work strives hard to prove this the
 age1 apparently     advanced of ,maia1 
was the best fitted for securing the    
safety     and perfection of the fruit  
of her womb4  ,king ,thoodaudana1       
hearing of the explanation given by the 
,pounhas1 inquired whether his son was  
really to become a ,rahan4 ,having been 
assured that all the signs predicted the
 future destiny of his son to such a    
calling1 he desired to know what those  
signs were4 ,he was told that the four  
following things were the very signs    
foreshowing the future career of his    
son1 viz41 an old man1 a sick man1 a    
dead man1 and a recluse4#d ,as soon as  
his son should successively remark those

 four signs1 he would immediately come  
to the conclusion that the state of     
,rahan alone is worthy of the warm      
admiration and eager wishes of a wise   
man4  ,king ,thoodaudana1 who ardently  
wished to see his son become a great    
monarch1 whose sway would extend over   
the four great islands and the two      
thousand smaller ones1 gave the         
strictest orders that none of the four  
omens should ever meet his eyes4 ,guards
 were placed in every direction at      
distances of a mile1 charged with but   
one care1 that of keeping out of his    
son's sight the appearance of these     
fatal omens4  ,on that day eighty       
thousand noblemen1 who were present at  
the great rejoicings1 pledged themselves
 each one to give one of his male       
children to attend on the royal infant4 
,if he become1 said they1 a mighty      
monarch1 let our sons be ever with him1 
as a guard of honour to confer          
additional lustre on his wonderful      
reign4 ,if he be ever elevated to the   

sublime dignity of ,buddha1 let our     
children enter the holy profession of   
recluse1 and follow him whithersoever he
 may direct his steps4  ,thoodaudana1   
with the tender solicitude of a vigilant
 father1 procured for his beloved       
offspring nurses exempt from all        
corporeal defects1 and remarkable for   
their beautiful and graceful appearance4
  ,the child grew up1 surrounded with a 
brilliant retinue of numerous           
attendants4  ,on a certain day happened 
the joyful feast of the ploughing       
season4 ,the whole country1 by the      
magnificence of the ornaments that      
decorated it1 resembled one of the seats
 of ,nats4 ,the country people without  
exception1 wearing new dresses1 went to 
the palace4 ,one thousand ploughs and   
the same number of pairs of bullocks    
were prepared for the occasion4 ,eight  
hundred ploughs1 less one1 were to be   
handled and guided by noblemen4 ,the    
ploughs1 as well as the yokes and the   
horns of the bullocks1 were covered with

 silver leaves4 ,but the one reserved   
for the monarch was covered with leaves 
of gold4 ,accompanied by a countless    
crowd of his people1 ,king ,thoodaudana 
left the royal city and went into the   
middle of extensive fields4 ,the royal  
infant was brought out by his nurses on 
this joyful occasion4 ,a splendid jambu 
tree 7,eugenia71 loaded with thick and  
luxuriant green foliage1 offered on that
 spot a refreshing place under the shade
 of its far-spreading branches4 ,here   
the bed of the child was deposited4 ,a  
gilt canopy was immediately raised above
 it1 and curtains1 embroidered with     
gold1 were disposed round it4 ,guardians
 having been appointed to watch over the
 infant1 the king1 attended by all his  
courtiers1 directed his steps towards   
the place where all the ploughs were    
held in readiness4 ,he instantly put his
 hands to his own plough2 eight hundred 
noblemen1 less one1 and the country     
people followed his example4 ,pressing  
forward his bullocks1 the king ploughed 

to and fro through the extent of the    
fields4 ,all the ploughmen1 emulating   
their royal lord1 drove their ploughs in
 a uniform direction4 ,the scene        
presented a most animated and stirring  
spectacle on an immense scale4 ,the     
applauding multitude filled the air with
 cries of joy and exultation4 ,the      
nurses1 who kept watch by the side of   
the infant's cradle1 excited by the     
animated scene1 forgot the prince's     
orders1 and ran near to the spot to     
enjoy the soul-stirring sight displayed 
before their admiring eyes4 ,phralaong1 
casting a glance all round1 and seeing  
no one close by him1 rose up instantly1 
and1 sitting in a cross-legged position1
 remained absorbed as it were in a      
profound meditation4 ,the other nurses1 
busy in preparing the prince's meal1 had
 spent more time than was at first      
contemplated4 ,the shadow of the trees  
had1 by the movement of the sun1 turned 
in an opposite direction4 ,the nurses1  
reminded by this sight that the infant  

had been left alone1 and that his couch 
was exposed to the rays of the sun1     
hastened back to the spot they had so   
imprudently left4 ,but great was their  
surprise when they saw that the shadow  
of the jambu tree had not changed its   
position1 and that the child was quietly
 sitting on his bed4 ,the news of that  
wonder was immediately conveyed to ,king
 ,thoodaudana1 who came in all haste to 
witness it4 ,he forthwith prostrated    
himself before his son1 saying1 ,this   
is1 beloved child1 the second time that 
,i bow to you4  ,phralaong#e having     
reached his sixteenth year1 his father  
ordered three palaces to be built for   
each season of the year4 ,each palace   
had nine stories2 and forty thousand    
maidens1 skilful in playing all sorts of
 musical instruments1 were in continual 
attendance upon him1 and charmed all his
 moments by uninterrupted dances and    
music4 ,phralaong appeared among them   
with the beauty and dignity of a ,nat1  
surrounded with an immense retinue of   

daughters of ,nats4 ,according to the   
change of seasons he passed from one    
palace into another1 moving as it were  
in a circle of ever-renewed pleasures   
and amusements4 ,it was then that       
,phralaong was married to the beautiful 
,yathaudara1 his first cousin1 and the  
daughter of ,thouppabudha and of        
,amitau4 ,it was in the eighty-sixth    
year of his grandfather's era that he   
was married1 and also consecrated       
,prince royal by the pouring of the     
blessed water over his head4  ,whilst   
,phralaong was spending his time in the 
midst of pleasures1 his relatives       
complained to the king of the conduct of
 his son4 ,they strongly remonstrated   
against his mode of living1 which       
precluded him from applying himself to  
the acquisition of those attainments    
befitting his exalted station4 ,sensible
 of these reproaches1 ,thoodaudana sent 
for his son1 to whom he made known the  
complaints directed against him by his  
relatives4 ,without showing any emotion1

 the young prince replied1 ,let it be   
announced at the sound of the drum      
throughout the country1 that this day   
week ,i will show to my relatives in the
 presence of the best masters that ,i am
 fully conversant with the eighteen     
sorts of arts and sciences4 ,on the     
appointed day he displayed before them  
the extent of his knowledge2 they were  
satisfied1 and their doubts and         
anxieties on his account were entirely  
removed4  ,on a certain day ,phralaong1 
desiring to go and enjoy some sports in 
his garden1 ordered his coachman to have
 his conveyance ready for that purpose4 
,four horses1 richly caparisoned1 were  
put to a beautiful carriage1 that       
resembled the dwelling-place of a ,nat4 
,phralaong having occupied his seat1 the
 coachman drove rapidly towards the     
garden4 ,the ,nats1 who knew that the   
time was near at hand when ,phralaong   
would become a ,buddha1 resolved to     
place successively before his eyes the  
four signs foreshowing his future high  

dignity4 ,one of them assumed the form  
of an old man1 the body bending forward1
 with grey hairs1 a shrivelled skin1 and
 leaning languidly on a heavy staff4 ,in
 that attire1 he advanced slowly1 with  
trembling steps1 towards the prince's   
conveyance4 ,he was seen and remarked   
only by ,phralaong and his coachman4    
,who is that man8 said the prince to his
 driver2 the hairs of his head1 indeed1 
do not resemble those of other men4     
,prince1 answered the coachman1 he is an
 old man4 ,every born being is doomed to
 become like him2 his appearance must   
undergo the greatest changes1 the skin  
by the action of time will shrivel1 the 
hairs turn grey1 the veins and arteries1
 losing their suppleness and elasticity1
 will become stiff and hardened1 the    
flesh will gradually sink and almost    
disappear1 leaving the bare bones       
covered with dry skin4 ,what8 said to   
himself the terrified prince2 birth is  
indeed a great evil1 ushering all beings
 into a wretched condition1 which must  

be inevitably attended with the         
disgusting infirmities of old age6 ,his 
mind being taken up entirely with such  
considerations1 he ordered his coachman 
to drive back to the palace4            
,thoodaudana1 having inquired from his  
courtiers what motive had induced his   
son to return so soon from the place of 
amusement1 was told that he had seen an 
old man1 and that he entertained the    
thought of becoming a ,rahan4,h ,alas6  
said he1 they will succeed in thwarting 
the high destiny of my son4 ,but let us 
try now every means to afford him some  
distraction1 so that he may forget the  
evil idea that has just started up in   
his mind4 ,he gave orders to bring to   
his son's palace the prettiest and most 
accomplished dancing-girls1 that1 in the
 midst of ever renewed pleasure1 he     
might lose sight of the thought of ever 
entering the profession of ,rahan4 ,the 
guard surrounding his palace was        
doubled1 so as to preclude the          
possibility of his ever seeing the other

 signs4      ,h ,in the course of this  
work the word ,rahan is often used4 ,it 
is of the greatest importance that the  
reader should firmly     seize the      
meaning that it is designed to convey4  
,we find it     employed to designate1  
in general1 the religious belonging     
either to the ,buddhistic or            
,brahminical sects4 ,when ,buddhists    
happen to mention their brethren of the 
opposite creed1 who have     renounced  
the world and devoted themselves to the 
practice of     religious duties1 they  
invariably call them ,rahans4 ,when they
     speak of ,pounhas or ,brahmins1 who
 are living in the world1     leading an
 ordinary secular mode of life1 they    
never style them     ,rahans4 ,thence we
 may safely infer that the individuals  
to whom     this denomination was       
applied formed a class of devotees quite
     distinct from the laymen4          
,that class1 it appears1 comprised all  
the individuals who lived     either in 
community under the superintendence and 

guidance of a     spiritual superior1 or
 privately in forests under the         
protecting     shade of trees1 and in   
lonely and solitary places4 ,the latter 
religious are1 however1 generally       
designated by the appellation     of    
,ascetics and ,rathees4 ,they were the  
forefathers of those     fanatics who up
 to our days have appeared through the  
breadth     and length of the ,indian   
,peninsula1 practising penitential deeds
     of the most cruel and revolting    
description4 ,they are described     by 
,buddhists as wearing curled and twisted
 hair1 clad in the     skins of wild    
beasts1 and not unfrequently quite      
destitute of     any sort of clothing1  
and in a state of complete nakedness4   
,the former1 who lived in community1 did
 not lead the same course     of life4  
,we find some communities1 the three1   
for instance1     under the guidance of 
the three ,kathabas1 in the ,ouroowela  
forest1 not far from ,radzagio1 whose   
inmates are called either     ,rahans or

 ,rathees4 ,this indicates that their   
mode of life     partook both of the    
common and hermitical life1 resembling1 
to a     certain extent1 that which was 
observed by the ,christian              
communities of cenobites established in 
the desert of ,upper     ,egypt during  
the first ages of our era4      ,those  
communities appear to have been the     
centres in which     principles were    
established1 opinions discussed1 and    
theories     elaborated4 ,the chiefs    
enjoyed high reputation for learning4   
,persons desirous to acquire proficiency
 in science resorted to     their abode1
 and1 under their tuition1 strove to    
acquire wisdom4     ,the following pages
 of this work will afford several       
striking     illustrations of the view  
just sketched out4  ,on another day1    
,phralaong1 on his way to his garden1   
met with the same ,nat under the form of
 a sick man1 who appeared quite sinking 
under the weight of the most loathsome  
disease4 ,frightened at such a sight1   

,phralaong1 hearing from the mouth of   
his faithful driver what this disgusting
 object was1 returned in all haste to   
his palace4 ,his father1 more and more  
disturbed at the news conveyed to him1  
multiplied the pleasures and enjoyments 
destined for his son1 and doubled the   
number of guards that had to watch over 
him4 ,on a third occasion1 whilst the   
prince was taking a walk1 the same ,nat1
 assuming the shape of a dead man1      
offered to the astonished regards of the
 prince the shocking sight of a corpse4 
,trembling with fear1 the young prince  
came back forthwith to his residence4   
,thoodaudana1 being soon informed of    
what had taken place1 resorted to fresh 
precautions1 and extended to the        
distance of one youdzana the immense    
line of countless guards set all round  
the palace4  ,on a fourth occasion1 the 
prince1 driving rapidly towards his     
garden1 was met on his way by the same  
,nat under the meek form of a ,rahan4   
,the curiosity of the prince was        

awakened by the extraordinary sight of  
that new personage3 he asked his        
coachman what he was4 ,prince1 answered 
the coachman1 he is a ,rahan4 ,at the   
same time1 though little acquainted with
 the high dignity and sublime           
qualifications of a recluse1 he was     
enabled1 by the power of the ,nats1 to  
praise and extol in dignified language  
the profession and merits of ,rahans4   
,the prince felt instantaneously an     
almost irresistible inclination to      
embrace that attractive mode of life4   
,he quietly went as far as his garden4  
,the whole day was spent in all sorts of
 rural diversions4 ,having bathed in a  
magnificent tank1 he went a little      
before sunset to rest awhile on a large 
well-polished stone table1 overshaded by
 the far-spread branches of beautiful   
trees hanging above it1 waiting for the 
time to put on his richest dress4 ,all  
his attendants were busily engaged in   
preparing the finest clothes and most   
elegant ornaments4 ,when all was ready1 

they stood silent round him1 waiting for
 his orders4 ,perfumes of every         
description were disposed in a circular 
row with the various ornaments on the   
table whereon the prince was sitting4   
,at that very moment a chief ,thagia was
 quietly enjoying a delicious and       
refreshing rest on the famous stone     
table called ,pantoo ,kambala4 ,on a    
sudden1 he felt his seat as it were     
getting hot4 ,lo6 what does this mean8  
said the astonished ,thagia2 am ,i      
doomed to lose my happy state8 ,having  
recollected himself1 and reflected a    
while on the cause of such a wonderful  
occurrence1 he soon knew that ,phralaong
 was preparing to put on for the last   
time his princely dress4 ,he called to  
him the son of a ,nat1 named            
,withakioon1 and said to him1 ,on this  
day1 at midnight1 ,prince ,theiddat is  
to leave his palace and withdraw into   
solitude4 ,now he is in his garden1     
preparing to put on his richest attire  
for the last time4 ,go1 therefore1      

without a moment's delay1 to the place  
where he is sitting1 surrounded by his  
attendants1 and perform to him all the  
required services4 ,bowing respectfully 
to the chief of ,thagias1 ,withakioon   
obeyed1 and by the power inherent in the
 nature of ,nats1 he was in an instant  
carried to the presence of ,phralaong4  
,he assumed the figure of his barber1   
and immediately set to work to arrange  
the turban with as much taste as art    
round his head4 ,phralaong soon found   
out that the skilful hand which disposed
 the folds of his head-dress was not    
that of a man1 but of a ,nat4 ,one fold 
of the turban appeared like one         
thousand1 and ten folds like ten        
thousand folds1 offering the magical    
coup-d'oeil of as many different pieces 
of cloth1 arranged with the most        
consummate skill4 ,the extremity of the 
turban1 which crossed vertically the    
whole breadth of the countless folds1   
appeared covered with a profusion of    
shining rubies4 ,the head of ,phralaong 

was small1 but the folds of the turban  
seemed numberless4 ,how could that be   
so8 ,it is a wonder surpassing our      
understanding2 it would be rashness and 
temerity to allow our minds to dwell too
 much upon it4  ,having completely      
dressed1 ,phralaong#f found himself     
surrounded by all sorts of musicians1   
singers1 and dancers1 vying with each   
other in their endeavours to increase   
the rejoicing4 ,the ,pounhas sang aloud 
his praise4 ,may he conquer and triumph6
 ,may his wishes and desires be ever    
fulfilled6 ,the multitude repeated      
incessantly in his honour stanzas of    
praises and blessings4 ,in the midst of 
universal rejoicings1 ,phralaong        
ascended his carriage4 ,he had scarcely 
seated himself on it1 when a message1   
sent by his father1 conveyed to him the 
gladdening tidings that ,yathaudara had 
been delivered of a son4 ,that child1   
replied he with great coolness1 is a new
 and strong tie that ,i will have to    
break4 ,the answer having been brought  

to his father1 ,thoodaudana could not   
understand its meaning4 ,he1 however1   
caused his grandson to be named ,raoula4
 ,phralaong1 sitting in his carriage1   
surrounded by crowds of people1 who rent
 the air with cries of joy and          
jubilation1 entered into the city of    
,kapilawot4 ,at that moment a princess1 
named ,keissa ,gautami1 was             
contemplating from her apartments the   
triumphant entrance of ,phralaong into  
the city4 ,she admired the noble and    
graceful deportment of ,prince          
,theiddat1 and exclaimed with feelings  
of inexpressible delight1 ,happy the    
father and mother who have such an      
incomparable son6 happy the wife who is 
blest with such an accomplished husband6
 ,on hearing those words1 ,phralaong    
desired to understand their meaning and 
know their bearing4 ,by what means1 said
 he to himself1 can a heart find peace  
and happiness8 ,as his heart was already
 disentangled from the thraldom of      
passions1 he readily perceived that real

 happiness could be found but in the    
extinction of concupiscence1 pride1     
ignorance1 and other passions4 ,he      
resolved henceforth to search ardently  
for the happy state of ,neibban1 by     
quitting the world that very night1     
leaving the society of men1 and         
withdrawing into solitude4 ,detaching   
from his neck a collar of pearls of     
immense value1 he sent it to ,keissa    
,gautami1 as a token of gratitude for   
the excellent lesson she had given him  
by the words which she had uttered in   
his praise4 ,the young princess received
 it as a mark of favour which she       
imagined ,prince ,theiddat intended to  
pay her4 ,without further notice of her1
 he retired into his own apartment to   
enjoy some rest4   ,,footnotes      #a  
,which of the two systems1 ,buddhism or 
,brahminism1 is the     most ancient8   
,this is a question which learned       
,orientalists have     in former days   
variously answered4 ,if1 however1 some  
credit is     to be given to this       

,legend1 and the hero thereof is to be  
regarded as the author of ,buddhism1 the
 solution of that     much-controverted 
question is comparatively easy1 and     
seems to     admit of no doubt4         
,priority of antiquity is decidedly in  
favour     of ,brahminism4 ,at the time 
,buddha was born1 and in his own        
country1 we find already subsisting the 
great politico-religious     fabric of  
,hinduism4 ,the distinction of caste is 
already     mentioned in several        
passages4 ,we find the ,pounhas or      
,brahmins     already monopolising the  
lucrative trade of soothsaying1 and     
regarded as the best informed among     
their countrymen4 ,they are     treated 
with great respect and consideration    
even by proud     monarchs1 who testify 
their regard for them by costly presents
     and every possible mark of         
distinction4 ,it is true that their     
caste is not always spoken of with great
 regard by ,buddhist     authors2 but   
this is to be attributed to the deadly  

enmity that     prevailed at a later    
period between those two great rival    
sects1     which have so long struggled 
for supremacy over the ,indian          
,peninsula4 ,the ,brahminical creed is  
spoken of in very     disparaging terms 
by ,buddhists2 and1 as a matter of      
course1 they     have been reciprocally 
handled severely by their opponents4 ,to
     those who feel inclined to regard  
,buddha as but a great reformer     of a
 religious system already existing1 the 
question will not     appear cleared of 
all difficulty4 ,but upon them rests the
 task     of establishing on            
uncontrovertible grounds their          
hypothesis1     ere any serious         
attention can be paid to the conclusion 
they     would fain infer in favour of  
the superior antiquity of     ,buddhism4
 ,as for us1 we believe ,buddha to be   
the real author of     the great        
religious system under examination4     
,but1 at the same     time1 we readily  
concede that many elements found        

existing in     those days were seized  
upon by ,buddha1 and skilfully arranged 
so     as to harmonise well with his    
plans4      #b ,superstition and        
ignorance seem to have been in all ages 
and     under every climate the prolific
 source of human follies and     mental 
delusions4 ,man has always been and will
 ever be the same     ridiculously      
superstitious being1 as long as his mind
 is left to     itself1 unenlightened by
 revelation4 ,with few exceptions1 the  
greatest men of ,italy and ,greece were 
as superstitious as the     vulgus1 to  
whom1 in every other respect1 they were 
so     superior4 ,the resemblance error 
bears to truth1 when human     passions 
have some interest at stake1 deceives   
many2 under     deceitful appearances it
 finds its way to the mind1 and then    
clings to the heart4 ,there is in man an
 innate desire of tearing     asunder   
the thick veil that hides from him the  
knowledge of     future events4 ,unable 
to comprehend the perfect economy of an 

all-wise ,providence in the disposition 
and management of the     affairs of    
this world1 he has recourse to the most 
absurd means     for satiating the      
cravings of his inordinate curiosity4   
,hence     the prevailing superstition  
of those days1 which induced men to     
believe that ,brahmins1 on inspecting   
the inner part of the hand1     could   
discover certain signs1 foreshowing the 
good or bad     destiny of every        
individual4      #c ,metempsychosis1 or 
the transmigration of the soul from one 
state of existence into another in the  
same world1 is one of the     leading   
dogmas of ,buddhism4 ,many passages of  
the present work1     or rather the     
,buddhistic system as a whole1 can never
 be     understood unless this tenet be 
always borne in mind4 ,it is by         
passing through countless existences    
that a being is slowly     purified of  
his imperfections1 and gradually        
advances in the way     of merits and   
perfection4 ,the sacred writings of     

,buddhists     mention that our         
,phralaong had to range1 during         
innumerable     existences1 the whole   
series of the animal kingdom1 from the  
dove to the elephant1 ere he could be   
born in the state of man1     when1 in  
this condition1 he1 as stated by        
himself1 went often     into hell to    
atone for certain trespassings4         
,pythagoras had     likely borrowed1 and
 received directly or indirectly from   
the     ,east1 this doctrine1 which his 
school re-echoed throughout     ,greece 
and ,italy4 ,the end of metempsychosis  
is1 according to     ,buddhists1 the    
state of ,neibban4 ,on this point the   
author of     ,buddhism has been at     
variance with other religious schools1  
which in his own days held and professed
 the dogma of     transmigration4       
#d ,the three first allegorical omens or
 signs which1 according     to the      
foretelling of the ,pounhas1 were to be 
seen and observed     hereafter by      
,phralaong1 are designed to mean and    

express the     compound of all miseries
 attending human existence1 from the    
moment man crosses the threshold of life
 to that of death4 ,the     view of     
these objects was intended to make him  
disgusted with a     state necessarily  
accompanied with such an amount of      
wretchedness4 ,he was soon induced by   
reflection to hold in     contempt the  
things of this world1 and consequently  
to seek with     ardour some means of   
estranging himself from all visible and 
material objects4 ,the fourth sign1 that
 is to say1 the view of a     ,rahan1 or
 a contemner of this world1 aspiring to 
perfect     disengagement from the      
trammels of passion1 and shaping his    
course towards ,neibban1 was the very   
pattern he had to imitate     and follow
 for arriving to that state of          
perfection which he     felt a strong1  
though as yet somewhat confused1 desire 
of     possessing4      ,the ,nats or   
,dewatas are the ever-ready ministers   
for affording     to ,phralaong the     

assistance he requires to reach in      
safety the     ,buddhaship4 ,they       
rejoice at the news of his approaching  
conception in the womb of ,maia2 they   
watch over the mother who     is to give
 birth to so blessed a child2 they      
receive the     newly-born infant1 and  
hand him over to men2 they baffle1 by   
their almost supernatural power1 the    
obstacles which the     worldly-minded  
,thoodaudana tries to throw in the way  
of his     son's vocation2 in a word1   
their angelical ministrations are       
always at hand to help and protect our  
,phralaong1 and enable him     to reach 
that state wherein he shall be fully    
qualified for     announcing to men the 
law of deliverance4 ,the belief in the  
agency of angels between heaven and     
earth1 and their being the              
messengers of ,god for conveying1 on    
solemn occasions1 his     mandates to   
men1 is coeval1 according to sacred     
records1 with     the appearance of man 
in this world4 ,innumerable are the     

instances of angelical ministrations    
mentioned in the holy writ4     ,we look
 upon angels as mere spiritual          
substances1 assuming a     human form1  
when1 by the command of ,god1 they have 
to bring down     to men some divine    
message4 ,in the system of the          
,buddhists1 ,nats     are described as  
having bodies indeed1 but of such a pure
     nature1 particularly those         
inhabiting the superior seats1 that     
they are not only not subjected to the  
miseries inherent in our     nature1 but
 are moreover gifted with such superior 
attainments     as almost to enjoy the  
perfections and qualifications inherent 
in the nature of spirits4 ,on this      
occasion the ,nats are     endeavouring 
to make virtue triumph over vice2 but1  
in the     course of this legend1 we    
will have several opportunities of      
remarking a counteraction worked up by  
evil or wicked ,nats for     upholding  
the reign of passion or of sin4 ,in this
 system the two     contending elements 

of good and evil have each its own      
advocates     and supporters4 ,a ,hindu 
,milton might have found two thousand   
years ago a ready theme for writing1 in 
,sanscrit or ,pali1 a poem     similar  
to that more recently composed by the   
immortal ,english     bard4      #e     
,from what has been already mentioned of
 the life of our     ,phralaong1 we may 
see that many particulars regarding his 
birth     and his childhood have been   
described with sufficient accuracy2     
but little or nothing is said of his    
adolescence1 at least until     the age 
of sixteen1 when he gets united to the  
famous and     youthful ,yathaudara4 ,in
 common with many other great men1      
almost     all the years of the private 
life of this celebrated and             
extraordinary personage are wrapped up  
in a complete obscurity4     ,we may    
conclude from his great proficiency in  
the knowledge of     those sciences and 
attainments befitting his high          
situation1 he     was not remiss1 since 

he was enabled to set at defiance the   
greatest masters of those days4 ,in the 
midst of pleasures he     knew how to   
devote the best part of his time to     
study1 unless we     suppose that       
science was infused into his mind by no 
exertion of     his own4 ,the ,burmese  
have a regular mania for dividing with a
     mathematical precision what at     
first appears to admit of no such       
division4 ,virtues1 vices1 sciences1    
arts1 c41 all1 in a word1     are       
subjected to a rigorous division1 which1
 if arbitrary in     itself1 has the    
great advantage of conferring a         
substantial help     to the memory4     
#f ,the triumphant return of ,phralaong 
from his garden to the     city1 when he
 is attired with the richest dress1 is  
commemorated     by ,buddhists1 at least
 in ,burmah1 on the day a young boy is  
preparing to enter into a monastery of  
recluses for the purpose     of putting 
on the yellow robe1 and preparing       
himself to become     afterwards a      

member of the order1 if he feel an      
inclination to     enlist in its ranks4 
,phralaong was bidding a last farewell  
to     the world1 its pomps and         
vanities4 ,so the youthful candidate is 
doing who is led processionally through 
the streets1 riding a                   
richly-caparisoned horse1 or sitting on 
an elegant palanquin1     carried on the
 shoulders of men4 ,a description of    
this ceremony     will be found in the  
notice on the ,buddhistic monks or      
,talapoins4      ,i am obliged to       
confess that ,i have found it somewhat  
difficult     to discover any connection
 between the expressions made use of    
by ,keissa ,gautami and the inference   
drawn therefrom by     ,phralaong4 ,the 
explanation of the difficulty may be1   
however1     stated as                  
follows3--,gautami bestows the epithet  
happy or blessed     upon the father and
 mother as well as on the wife of       
,prince     ,theiddat1 because she      
remarked and observed in him those      

qualities and accomplishments befitting 
a worthy son and a good     husband4    
,the words blessed and happy struck the 
mind of the     future ,buddha1         
attracted his attention1 and drew forth 
his     exertions to find out their true
 import4 ,he asks himself1 ,in     what 
consists true and real happiness8 ,where
 is it to be found8     ,by what means  
can such an invaluable treasure be      
procured8 ,can     it be conferred upon 
man by the possession of some exterior  
object8 ,can his parents or wife be     
really happy by the mere     accidental 
ties that connect them with his person8 
,no1 answers     our young philosopher  
to himself3 ,happiness can be procured  
but     by waging war against passions1 
and carrying it on until their     total
 destruction4 ,then the victorious soul1
 sitting calmly on     the ruins of her 
deadly opponents1 enjoys in the         
undisturbed     contemplation of truth  
an indescribable happiness4 ,in this we 
clearly perceive the unmistakable       

bearing of ,buddhistic morals4     ,it  
is as it were the embryo of the whole   
system4      ,king ,thoodaudana1        
influenced by worldly considerations1   
eagerly     wished his son to become a  
great monarch instead of a poor and     
humble recluse1 even a ,buddha4 ,this   
alone suggests the idea that     in     
those days the role of a ,buddha was not
 held in so great an     esteem and     
veneration as it was afterwards4 ,had it
 been     otherwise1 the most ambitious 
father might have remained well         
satisfied with the certainty of seeing  
his own son becoming a     personage    
before whom the proudest monarch would  
one day lower     to the dust their     
crowned heads4      ,at that time a     
,buddha1 or the personage honoured with 
that     title1 was looked upon as a    
mere sage1 distinguished among his      
fellow-men by his great wisdom and      
eminent proficiency in the     study of 
philosophy4 ,it is highly probable that 
this name had     been bestowed upon a  

great many illustrious individuals who  
lived before the days of ,gaudama4      
,hence the fabricated genealogy     of  
twenty-eight former ,buddhas1 supposed  
to have lived myriads     of years and  
worlds previously1 including the three  
that have     preceded him during the   
continuance of this system of nature4   
,here a superstitious and ill-judged    
enthusiasm has raised up     heaps of   
extravagancies1 setting up a ridiculous 
theory1     designed to connect the role
 of the present ,buddha with those      
of a fabulous antiquity1 and give       
additional lustre to it4 ,there     is  
no doubt that the glowing halo of       
sacredness and glory1     encircling now
 the name of ,buddha1 has never adorned 
that of any     former one4 ,it has been
 created by the extraordinary progress  
his doctrines made at first in the      
,indian ,peninsula1 and next            
throughout eastern ,asia1 and kept up by
 the fervent admiration     of his      
enthusiastic followers4      ,the means 

resorted to by ,thoodaudana to retain   
his son in the     world of passions1   
and thereby thwart his vocation1 could  
not1     we hardly need mention1 be     
approved of by any moralist of even     
the greatest elasticity of conscience   
and principles2 but they     were       
eminently fitted to try the soundness of
 ,phralaong's     calling1 and the      
strong and tenacious dispositions of his
     energetic mind4 ,they set out in   
vivid colours the firmness of           
purpose and irresistible determination  
of his soul in following     up his     
vocation to a holier mode of life2 and  
what is yet more     wonderful1 the very
 objects that were designed to enslave  
him     became the instruments which    
helped him in gaining and               
ascertaining his liberty4 ,magnificent1 
indeed1 is the spectacle     offered by 
a young prince remaining unmoved in the 
midst of the     most captivating1      
soul-stirring1 and heart-melting        
attractions2     sitting coolly on his  

couch1 and looking with indifference1   
nay1     with disgust1 on the crowd of  
sleeping beauties4     ,,chapter ,,iv4  
,phralaong leaves his palace1 the royal 
city1 and retires into     solitude1    
amidst the plaudits of the ,nats -- ,he 
cuts his fine     hair with a stroke of 
his sword1 and puts on the habit of     
,rahan     -- ,he begs his food at      
,radzagio -- ,his interview with the    
ruler     of that place -- ,his studies 
under two ,rathees -- ,his fast and     
penances in the solitude of ,oorouwela  
during six years4   ,phralaong had      
scarcely begun to recline on his couch1 
when a crowd of young damsels1 whose    
beauty equalled that of the daughters of
 ,nats1 executed all sorts of dances to 
the sound of the most ravishing         
symphony1 and displayed in all their    
movements the graceful forms of their   
elegant and well-shaped persons1 in     
order to make some impression upon his  
heart4 ,but all was in vain2 they were  
foiled in their repeated attempts4      

,phralaong fell into a deep sleep4 ,the 
damsels1 in their disappointment1 ceased
 their dances1 laid aside their musical 
instruments1 and1 soon following the    
example of ,phralaong1 quietly yielded  
to the soporific influence caused by    
their useless and harassing exertions4  
,the lamps1 lighted with fragrant oil1  
continued to pour a flood of bright     
light throughout the apartments4        
,phralaong awoke a little before        
midnight1 and sat in a cross-legged     
position on his couch4 ,looking all     
around him1 he saw the varied attitudes 
and uninviting appearance of the        
sleeping damsels4 ,some were snoring1   
others gnashing their teeth1 others had 
their mouths wide open2 some tossed     
heavily from the right to the left side1
 others stretched one arm upwards and   
the other downwards2 some1 seized as it 
were with a frantic pang1 suddenly      
coiled up their legs for a while1 and   
with the same violent motion again      
pushed them down4 ,this unexpected      

exhibition made a strong impression on  
,phralaong2 his heart was set1 if       
possible1 freer from the ties of        
concupiscence1 or rather he was         
confirmed in his contempt for all       
worldly pleasures4 ,it appeared to him  
that his magnificent apartments were    
filled with the most loathsome and      
putrid carcasses4 ,the seats of         
passions1 those of ,rupa and those of   
,arupa1 that is to say1 the whole world1
 seemed1 to his eyes1 like a house that 
is a prey to the devouring flames4 ,all 
that1 said he to himself1 is most       
disgusting and despicable4 ,at the same 
time his ardent desires for the         
profession of ,rahan were increasing    
with an uncontrollable energy4 ,on this 
day1 at this very moment1 said he with  
an unshaken firmness1 ,i will retire    
into a solitary place4 ,he rose         
instantly and went to the arched door of
 his apartment4 ,who is here watching8  
said he to the first person he met4     
,your servant1 replied instantly the    

vigilant nobleman ,tsanda4 ,rise up     
quickly1 replied the prince2 now ,i am  
ready to retire from the world and      
resort to some lonely place4 ,go to the 
stable and prepare the fastest of my    
horses4 ,tsanda bowed respectfully to   
his master1 and executed his orders with
 the utmost celerity4 ,the horse        
,kantika1 knowing the intentions of the 
prince1 felt an inexpressible joy at    
being selected for such a good errand1  
and he testified his joy by loud neighs2
 but1 by the power of the ,nats1 the    
sound of his voice was silenced1 so that
 none heard it4  ,while ,tsanda1 in     
compliance with the orders he had       
received1 was making the necessary      
preparations1 ,phralaong desired to see 
his newly born son ,raoula4 ,he opened  
gently the door of the room where the   
princess was sleeping1 having one of her
 hands placed over the head of the      
infant4 ,phralaong1 stopping at the     
threshold1 said to himself3--,if ,i go  
farther to contemplate the child1 ,i    

will have to remove the hand of the     
mother2 she may be awakened by this     
movement1 and then she will prove a     
great obstacle to my departure4 ,i will 
see the child after ,i have become a    
,buddha4 ,he then instantly shut the    
door and left the palace4 ,his charger  
was waiting for him4 ,to your swiftness1
 said ,phralaong to ,kantika1 do ,i     
trust for executing my great design4 ,i 
must become a ,buddha1 and labour for   
the deliverance of men and ,nats from   
the miseries of existence1 and lead them
 safely to the peaceful shores of       
,neibban4 ,in a moment he was on the    
back of his favourite horse4 ,kantika   
was a magnificent animal2 his body      
measured eighteen cubits in length1 with
 which his height and circumference were
 in perfect proportion4 ,the hair was of
 a beautiful white1 resembling a newly  
cleaned shell2 his swiftness was        
unrivalled1 and his neighings could be  
heard at a very great distance2 but on  
this occasion the ,nats interfered1 no  

sound of his voice was heard1 and the   
noise of his steps was completely       
silenced4 ,having reached the gate of   
the city1 ,phralaong stopped for a      
while1 uncertain as regarded the course 
he was to follow4 ,to open the gate1    
which a thousand men could with         
difficulty cause to turn upon its       
hinges1 was deemed an impossibility4    
,whilst he was deliberating with his    
faithful attendant ,tsanda1 the huge    
gate was silently opened by the ,nats1  
and a free passage given to him through 
it4 ,it was in the year #ig when he left
 ,kapilawot4  ,phralaong had scarcely   
crossed the threshold of the gate when  
the tempter endeavoured to thwart his   
pious design4 ,manh#a ,nat resolved to  
prevent him from retiring into solitude 
and becoming a ,buddha4 ,standing in the
 air1 he cried aloud1 ,prince ,theiddat1
 do not attempt to lead the life of a   
recluse2 seven days hence you will      
become a ,tsekiawaday2 your sway shall  
extend over the four great islands2     

return forthwith to your palace4 ,who   
are you8 replied ,phralaong4 ,i am ,manh
 ,nat1 cried the voice4 ,i know1 said   
,phralaong1 that ,i can become a        
,tsekiawaday1 but ,i feel not the least 
inclination for earthly dignities2 my   
aim is to arrive at the nature of       
,buddha4 ,the tempter1 urged onward by  
his three wicked propensities1          
concupiscence1 ignorance1 and anger1 did
 not part for a moment from ,phralaong2 
but as the shadow always accompanies the
 body1 he too1 from that day1 always    
followed ,phralaong1 striving to throw  
every obstacle in his way towards the   
dignity of ,buddha4 ,trampling down     
every human and worldly consideration1  
and despising a power full of vanity and
 illusion1 ,phralaong left the city of  
,kapilawot1 at the full moon of ,july   
under the constellation ,oottarathan4 ,a
 little while after1 he felt a strong   
desire to turn round his head and cast a
 last glance at the magnificent city he 
was leaving behind him2 but he soon     

overcame that inordinate desire and     
denied himself this gratification4 ,it  
is said that on the very instant he was 
combating the rising sense of curiosity 
the mighty earth turned with great      
velocity1 like a potter's wheel1 so that
 the very object he denied himself the  
satisfaction of contemplating came of   
itself under his eyes4 ,phralaong       
hesitated a while as to the direction he
 was to follow1 but he resolved         
instantly to push on straight before    
him4  ,his progress through the country 
resembled a splendid triumphal ovation4 
,sixty thousand ,nats marched in front  
of him1 an equal number followed him1   
and as many surrounded him on his right 
and on his left4 ,all of them carried   
lighted torches1 pouring a flood of     
light in every direction2 others again  
spread perfumes and flowers brought from
 their own seats4 ,all joined in chorus1
 singing the praises of ,phralaong4 ,the
 sound of their united voices resembled 
loud peals of continued thunder1 and the

 resounding of the mighty waves at the  
foot of the ,mount ,oogando4 ,flowers1  
shedding the most fragrant odour1 were  
seen gracefully undulating in the air1  
like an immense canopy1 extending to the
 farthest limits of the horizon4 ,during
 that night1 ,phralaong1 attended with  
that brilliant retinue1 travelled a     
distance of thirty youdzanas1 and       
arrived on the banks of the river       
,anauma4 ,turning his face towards      
,tsanda1 he asked what was the river's  
name4 ,anauma is its name1 replied his  
faithful attendant4 ,i will not1 said   
,phralaong to himself1 show myself      
unworthy of the high dignity ,i aspire  
to4 ,spurring his horse1 the fierce     
animal leaped at once to the opposite   
bank4 ,phralaong alighted on the ground1
 which was covered with a fine sand     
resembling pearls1 when the rays of the 
sun fell upon it in the morning4 ,on    
that spot he divested himself of his    
dress1 and calling ,tsanda to him1 he   
directed him to take charge of his      

ornaments1 and carry them back with the 
horse ,kantika to his palace4 ,for      
himself1 he had made up his mind to     
become a ,rahan4 ,your servant too1     
replied ,tsanda1 will become also a     
recluse in your company4 ,no1 said the  
prince1 the profession of ,rahan does   
not at present befit you4 ,he reiterated
 this prohibition three times4 ,when he 
was handing over to ,tsanda his costly  
ornaments1 he said to himself1 ,these   
long hairs that cover my head1 and my   
beard too1 are superfluities unbecoming 
the profession of ,rahan4 ,whereupon    
with one hand unsheathing his sword1 and
 with the other seizing his comely      
hairs1 he cut them with a single stroke4
 ,what remained of his hairs on the head
 measured about one inch and a half in  
length4 ,in like manner he disposed of  
his beard4 ,from that time he never     
needed shaving2 the hairs of his beard  
and those of the head never grew longer 
during the remainder of his life4#b     
,holding his hairs and turban together1 

he cried aloud1 ,if ,i am destined to   
become a ,buddha1 let these hairs and   
turban remain suspended in the air2 if  
not1 let them drop down on the ground4  
,throwing up both to the height of one  
youdzana1 they remained suspended in the
 air1 until a ,nat came with a rich     
basket1 put them therein1 and carried   
them to the seat of ,tawadeintha4 ,he   
there erected the ,dzedi ,dzoulamani1   
wherein they were religiously deposited4
 ,casting his regards on his own person1
 ,phralaong saw that his rich and       
shining robe did not answer his purpose1
 nor appear befitting the poor and      
humble profession he was about to       
embrace4 ,while his attention was taken 
up with this consideration1 a great     
,brahma1 named ,gatigara1 who in the    
days of the ,buddha ,kathaba had been an
 intimate friend of our ,phralaong1 and 
who1 during the period that elapsed     
between the manifestation of that       
,buddha to the present time1 had not    
grown old1 discovered at once the       

perplexity of his friend's mind4 ,prince
 ,theiddat1 said he1 is preparing to    
become a ,rahan1 but he is not supplied 
with the dress and other implements     
essentially required for his future     
calling4 ,i will provide him now with   
the thinbaing1 the kowot1 the dugout1   
the patta1 the leathern girdle1 the     
hatchet1 the needle1 and filter4#c ,he  
took with him all these articles1 and in
 an instant arrived in the presence of  
,phralaong1 to whom he presented them4  
,though unacquainted with the details of
 that dress1 and untrained in the use of
 those new implements1 the prince1 like 
a man who had been a recluse during     
several existences1 put on with a       
graceful gravity his new dress4 ,he     
adjusted the thinbaing round his waist1 
covered his body with the kowot1 threw  
the dugout over his shoulders1 and      
suspended to his neck the bag containing
 the earthen patta4 ,assuming the grave1
 meek1 and dignified countenance of a   
,rahan1 he called ,tsanda and bade him  

go back to his father and relate to him 
all that he had seen4 ,tsanda1 complying
 with his master's request1 prostrated  
himself three times before him2 then1   
rising up1 he wheeled to the right and  
departed4 ,the spirited horse1 hearing  
the last words of ,phralaong1 could no  
more control his grief4#d  ,alas6 said  
he1 ,i will see no more my master in    
this world4 ,his sorrow grew so great   
that his heart split into two parts1 and
 he died on the spot4  ,after his death1
 he became a ,nat in the seat of        
,tawadeintha4 ,the affliction of ,tsanda
 at parting with his good master was    
increased by the death of ,kantika4 ,the
 tears that streamed down his cheeks    
resembled drops of liquid silver4       
,phralaong1 having thus begun the life  
of a recluse1 spent seven days alone in 
a forest of mango trees1 enjoying in    
that retirement the peace and happiness 
of soul which solitude alone can confer4
 ,the place1 in the neighbourhood of    
which he began his religious life1 is   

called ,anupyia1 in the country         
belonging to the ,malla princes4 ,he    
then started for the country of         
,radzagio1 travelling on foot a distance
 of thirty youdzanas4 ,arrived near the 
gate of the royal city1 ,phralaong      
stopped for a while1 saying within      
himself1 ,peimpathara1 the king of this 
country1 will no doubt hear of my       
arrival in this place4 ,knowing that the
 son of ,king ,thoodaudana is actually  
in his own royal city1 he will insist   
upon my accepting all sorts of presents4
 ,but now1 in my capacity of ,rahan1 ,i 
must decline accepting them1 and by the 
rules of my profession ,i am bound to go
 and beg along the streets1 from house  
to house1 the food necessary for my     
support4 ,he instantly resumed his      
journey1 entered the city through the   
eastern gate1 the patta hanging on his  
side1 and followed the first row of     
houses1 receiving the alms which pious  
hands offered him4 ,at the moment of his
 arrival the whole city was shaken by a 

mighty commotion1 like that which is    
felt in the seat of ,thoora when the    
,nat ,athoorein makes his apparition in 
it4 ,the inhabitants1 terrified at such 
an ominous sign1 ran in all haste to the
 palace4 ,admitted into the presence of 
the monarch1 they told him that they    
knew not what sort of being had just    
arrived in the city1 walking through the
 streets and begging alms4 ,they could  
not ascertain whether he was a ,nat1 a  
man1 or a ,galong4 ,the king1 looking   
from his apartments over the city1 saw  
,phralaong1 whose meek deportment       
removed all anxiety from his mind4 ,he1 
however1 directed a few of his noblemen 
to go and watch attentively all the     
movements of the stranger4 ,if he be1   
said he1 a ,bilou1 he will soon leave   
the city and vanish away2 if a ,nat1 he 
will raise himself in the air2 if a     
,naga1 he will plunge to the bottom of  
the earth4 ,phralaong1 having obtained  
the quantity of rice1 vegetables1 c41 he
 thought sufficient for his meal1 left  

the city through the same gate by which 
he had entered it1 sat down at the foot 
of a small hill1 his face turned towards
 the east1 and tried to make his meal   
with the things he had received4 ,he    
could not swallow the first mouthful1   
which he threw out of his mouth in utter
 disgust4 ,accustomed to live           
sumptuously and feed on the most        
delicate things1 his eyes could not bear
 even the sight of that loathsome       
mixture of the coarsest articles of food
 collected at the bottom of his patta4  
,he soon1 however1 recovered from that  
shock2 and gathered fresh strength to   
subdue the opposition of nature1        
overcome its repugnance1 and conquer its
 resistance4 ,reproaching himself for   
such an unbecoming weakness3--,was ,i   
not aware1 said he1 with a feeling of   
indignation against himself1 that when  
,i took up the dress of a mendicant such
 would be my food8 ,the moment is come  
to trample upon nature's appetites4     
,whereupon he took up his patta1 ate    

cheerfully his meal1 and never          
afterwards did he ever feel any         
repugnance at what things soever he had 
to eat4  ,the king's messengers1 having 
closely watched and attentively observed
 all that had happened1 returned to     
their master1 to whom they related all  
the particulars that they had witnessed4
 ,let my carriage be ready1 said the    
king1 and you1 follow me to the place   
where this stranger is resting4 ,he soon
 perceived ,phralaong at a distance1    
sitting quietly after his refection4    
,peimpathara alighted from his          
conveyance1 respectfully drew near to   
,phralaong1 and1 having occupied a seat 
in a becoming place1 was overwhelmed    
with contentment and inexpressible joy  
to such an extent1 indeed1 that he could
 scarcely find words to give utterance  
to his feelings4 ,having at last        
recovered from the first impression1 he 
addressed ,phralaong in the following   
manner3--,venerable ,rahan1 you seem to 
be young still1 and in the prime of your

 life2 in your person you are gifted    
with the most attractive and noble      
qualities1 indicating surely your       
illustrious and royal extraction4 ,i    
have under my control and in my         
possession a countless crowd of         
officers1 elephants1 horses and         
chariots1 affording every desirable     
convenience for pleasure and amusement  
of every description4 ,please to accept 
of a numerous retinue of attendants1    
with whom you may enjoy yourself whilst 
remaining within my dominions4 ,may ,i  
be allowed to ask what country you      
belong to1 who you are1 and from what   
illustrious lineage and descent you are 
come8 ,phralaong said to himself3--,it  
is evident that the king is unacquainted
 with both my name and origin2 ,i will1 
however1 satisfy him on the subject of  
his inquiry4 ,pointing out with his hand
 in the direction of the place he had   
come from1 he said3--,i arrive from the 
country which has been governed by a    
long succession of the descendants of   

,prince ,kothala4 ,i have1 indeed1 been 
born from royal progenitors1 but ,i have
 abandoned all the prerogatives attached
 to my position1 and embraced the       
profession of ,rahan4 ,from my heart ,i 
have rooted up concupiscence1           
covetousness1 and all affections to the 
things of this world4 ,to this the king 
replied3--,i have heard that ,prince    
,theiddat1 son of ,king ,thoodaudana1   
had seen four great signs1 portending   
his future destiny for the profession of
 ,rahan1 which would be but a step to   
lead him to the exalted dignity of a    
,buddha4 ,the first part of the         
prediction has been already fulfilled4  
,when the second shall have received its
 accomplishment1 ,i beg you will show   
your benevolence to me and my people4 ,i
 hope my kingdom will be the first      
country you will direct your steps to1  
after having acquired the supreme       
science4 ,to this ,phralaong graciously 
assented4  ,phralaong1 having left the  
king1 resumed his journey1 and fell in  

with a ,rathee1#e or hermit1 named      
,alara1 and inquired about the several  
,dzans4 ,alara satisfied him on four    
kinds of ,dzans1 but as regards the     
fifth1 he was obliged to refer him to   
another ,rathee1 named ,oudaka1 who gave
 him the necessary explanations4 ,having
 nothing more to learn from these       
masters1 ,phralaong said to himself1    
,the knowledge ,i have thus acquired is 
not sufficient to enable me to obtain   
the dignity of ,buddha4 ,whereupon he   
resolved to devote himself to the       
,kamatan#f or meditation on the         
instability and nothingness of all that 
exists4 ,to effectuate thoroughly his   
purpose1 he repaired to the solitude of 
,oorouwela1 where he devoted all his    
time to the deepest meditation4 ,on a   
certain day it happened that five       
,rahans1 on their way to a certain place
 to get their food1 arrived at the spot 
where ,phralaong lived and had already  
entered on the course of his penitential
 deeds4 ,they soon became impressed with

 the idea that our hermit was to become 
a ,buddha4 ,they resolved to stay with  
him and render him all the needful      
services1 such as sweeping the place1   
cooking rice1 c4  ,the time for the six 
years of meditation was nearly over1    
when ,phralaong undertook a great       
fast1#g which was carried to such a     
degree of abstemiousness that he        
scarcely allowed to himself the use of a
 grain of rice or sesame a day1 and     
finally denied himself even that feeble 
pittance4 ,but the ,nats1 who observed  
his excessive mortification1 inserted   
,nat food through the pores of his skin4
 ,whilst ,phralaong was thus undergoing 
such a severe fasting1 his face1 which  
was of a beautiful gold colour1 became  
black2 the thirty-two marks indicative  
of his future dignity disappeared4 ,on a
 certain day1 when he was walking in a  
much enfeebled state1 on a sudden he    
felt an extreme weakness1 similar to    
that caused by a dire starvation4       
,unable to stand up any longer1 he      

fainted and fell on the ground4 ,among  
the ,nats that were present1 some said1 
,the ,rahan ,gaudama is dead indeed2    
some others replied1 ,he is not dead1   
but has fainted from want of food4      
,those who believed he was dead hastened
 to his father's palace to convey to him
 the sad message of his son's death4    
,thoodaudana inquired if his son died   
previous to his becoming a ,buddha4     
,having been answered in the            
affirmative1 he refused to give credit  
to the words of the ,nats4 ,the reason  
of his doubting the accuracy of the     
report was1 that he had witnessed the   
great wonders prognosticating his son's 
future dignity that had taken place1    
first when ,phralaong1 then an infant1  
was placed in the presence of a famous  
,rathee1 and secondly1 when he slept    
under the shade of the tree             
,tsampoo-thabia4 ,the fainting being    
over1 and ,phralaong having recovered   
his senses1 the same ,nats went in all  
haste to ,thoodaudana1 to inform him of 

his son's happy recovery4 ,i knew well1 
said the king1 that my son could not die
 ere he had become a ,buddha4 ,the fame 
of ,phralaong's having spent six years  
in solitude1 addicted to meditation and 
mortification1 spread abroad like the   
sound of a great bell1#h hung in the    
canopy of the skies4  ,phralaong soon   
remarked that fasting and mortification 
were not works of sufficient value for  
obtaining the dignity of ,buddha2 he    
took up his patta and went to the       
neighbouring village to get his food4   
,having eaten it1 he grew stronger2 his 
beautiful face shone again like gold1   
and the thirty-two signs reappeared4#i  
,the five ,rahans that had lived with   
him said to each other--,it is in vain  
that the ,rahan ,gaudama has1 during six
 years of mortification and sufferings1 
sought the dignity of ,buddha2 he is now
 compelled to go out in search of food2 
assuredly1 if he be obliged to live on  
such food1 when shall he ever become a  
,buddha8 ,he goes out in quest of food2 

verily1 he aims at enriching himself4   
,as the man that wants drops of dew or  
water to refresh and wash his forehead1 
has to look for them1 so we have to go  
somewhere else to learn the way to1 and 
the merit of1 ,dzan1 which we have not  
been able to obtain from him4 ,whereupon
 they left ,phralaong1 took up their    
pattas and tsiwarans1 went to a distance
 of eighteen youdzanas1 and withdrew    
into the forest of ,migadawon1 near     
,baranathee4   ,,footnotes      #a      
,phralaong having overcome with uncommon
 fortitude the     numberless obstacles 
which he had encountered on the part of 
men1 will have now to meet another foe1 
perhaps more formidable1     a wicked   
,nat1 or demon4 ,his name1 according to 
its orthography1     is ,mar or ,mara1  
but the ,burmese call him ,manh1 which  
means     pride4 ,manh is1 therefore1   
the evil spirit of pride1 or rather     
personified pride1 and the enemy of     
mankind1 ever ready to     oppose the   
benevolent designs and generous efforts 

of ,buddha in     carrying on his great 
undertaking1 conceived to benefit       
humanity1 by teaching men the way that  
leads to deliverance from     all       
miseries4 ,the first plan concocted by  
,manh for stopping1 at     the very     
outset1 the progress of ,phralaong1 was 
to flatter his     ambition by promising
 him all the kingdoms of this world and 
their glory4 ,from that day the tempter 
never lost sight of the     benevolent  
,buddha1 but followed him everywhere1   
endeavouring to     prevent the immense 
success that was to attend his future   
mission4 ,the evil propensities which   
constitute1 as it were1 the     very    
essence of ,manh's nature1 are          
concupiscence1 envy1 and an             
irresistible proneness to do harm4 ,the 
devil indeed could hardly     be made up
 of worse materials4      ,it is really 
interesting through the course of this  
,legend to     read of the uninterrupted
 efforts made by the personification of 
evil to thwart ,buddha in all his       

benevolent designs4 ,the     antagonism 
begins now1 but it will be maintained   
with an     obstinate and prolonged     
activity during the whole life of       
,buddha4      #b ,this circumstance     
explains one peculiarity observable in  
all     the statues representing        
,buddha4 ,the head is invariably covered
     with sharp points1 resembling those
 thorns with which the thick            
envelope of the durian fruit is armed4  
,often ,i had inquired as     to the    
motive that induced native sculptors to 
leave on the head     of all statues    
that sort of inverted nails1 without    
ever being     able to obtain any       
satisfactory answer4 ,it was only after 
having     read this passage of the life
 of ,buddha that ,i was enabled to      
account for this apparently singular    
custom1 which is designed     to remind 
all ,buddhists of the ever-continued    
wonder whereby the     hairs which      
remained on ,buddha's head never grew   
longer from the     day he cut them with

 his sword4      #c ,every talapoin or  
recluse must be provided with one       
needle1     wherewith he is to sew his  
dress1 one hatchet to cut the wood he   
may be in need of1 either for erecting a
 shelter for himself or     for other   
purposes1 and one filter to strain the  
water he     intends to drink1 that it  
might be cleared from all impurities1   
but chiefly of insects or any living    
body that might be in it1     which     
would expose the drinker thereof to the 
enormous sin of     causing the death of
 some animal4      #d ,the various      
accounts that are given of the horse    
,kantika1     and the grief he feels at 
parting with his master1 grief which    
reaches so far as to cause his death1   
may appear somewhat     extraordinary1  
puerile1 and ridiculous to every one    
except to     ,buddhists4 ,one great    
principle of that religious system is   
that     man does not differ from       
animals in nature1 but only in relative 
perfection4 ,in animals there are souls 

as well as in men1 but     these souls1 
on account of the paucity of their      
merits and the     multiplicity of their
 demerits1 are yet in a very imperfect  
state4 ,when the law of demerits grows  
weak1 and that of merits     gathers    
strength1 the soul1 though continuing to
 inhabit the     body of animals1 has   
the knowledge of good and evil1 and can 
attain to a certain degree of           
perfection4 ,buddhistic writings        
supply many instances of this belief4   
,whilst ,buddha was in the     desert1  
an elephant ministered to all his wants4
 ,as a reward for     such a series of  
services1 ,buddha preached to him the   
law1 and     led him at once to the     
deliverance1 that is to say1 to the     
state     of ,neibban4 ,when one animal 
has progressed so far in the way of     
merits as to be able to discern between 
good and bad1 it is said     that he is 
ripe1 or fit to become man4 ,the horse  
,kantika seems     to have reached that 
state of full ripeness1 since1 after his

     death1 he passed to the state of   
,nat4 ,this peculiar tenet of           
,buddhistic faith accounts for the first
 of the five great     commands1 which  
extends the formal injunction of thou   
shalt not     kill to animals4 ,when a  
candidate is admitted1 according to the 
prescriptions contained in the sacred   
,kambawa1 into the order of     ,rahans1
 he is expressly and solemnly commanded 
to refrain from     committing four     
sins1 which would deprive him de facto  
of the     dignity he has been elevated 
to4 ,the taking away willingly of       
the life of anything animated1 is one of
 these four     trespassings4      #e   
,the fact of ,buddha placing himself    
under the tuition of two     masters or 
teachers1 leading an ascetic life1 to   
learn from them     notions of the most 
abstruse nature1 establishes1 beyond all
     doubt1 the high antiquity of the   
existence in ,india of a large          
number of individuals1 who1 living in   
some retired spot1 far     from the     

tumult of society1 endeavoured1 by      
constant     application1 to dive into  
the deepest recesses of morals and      
metaphysics4 ,the fame of the learning  
of many among them     attracted to     
their solitude crowds of disciples1     
anxious to     study under such eminent 
masters4 ,hence we see some of these    
,rathees at the head of four or five    
hundred disciples4 ,there is     no     
doubt that the most distinguished       
,rathees became the founders     of many
 of those philosophico-religious schools
 for which ,india     was renowned from 
the remotest antiquity4 ,like many      
others who     thirsted for knowledge1  
,phralaong resorted to the schools of   
the     ,rathees1 as to the then most   
celebrated seats of learning4      ,from
 this fact we may be allowed to draw    
another inference1     which may be     
considered as a consequence of what has 
been stated     in a foregoing note1    
regarding the superior antiquity of     
,brahminism over ,buddhism4 ,phralaong  

was brought up in the bosom     of a    
society regulated and governed by       
,brahminical institutions4     ,he must 
have been imbued from the earliest days 
of his     elementary education with the
 notions generally taught1 viz43     the
 ,brahminical ones4 ,when he grew up and
 began to think for     himself1 he was 
displeased with certain doctrines which 
did not     tally with his own ideas4   
,following the example of many that had 
preceded him in the way of innovation1  
he boldly shaped his     course in a new
 direction1 and soon arrived at a final 
issue on     many points1 both with his 
teachers and some of the doctrines      
generally received in the society in    
which he had been brought     up4 ,we   
may1 therefore1 safely conclude that the
 doctrines     supposed to have been    
preached by the latest ,buddha are but  
an     off-shoot of ,brahminism4 ,this  
may serve to account for the great      
resemblance subsisting between many     
doctrines of both creeds4     ,the      

cardinal points on which these two      
systems essentially     differ are the  
beginning and the end of living beings4 
,between     these two extremes there is
 a multitude of points on which both    
systems so perfectly agree that they    
appear blended together4      ,the      
,rathees seem1 according to the         
institutes of ,menoo1 to have     been  
first in observing two practices1 much  
enforced by the ,wini     in subsequent 
times4 ,they were supported by the alms 
bestowed on     them by their disciples 
and the admirers of their singular mode 
of life4 ,they were courted and esteemed
 by the world1 in     proportion to the 
contempt they appeared to hold it in4   
,denying     to themselves the pleasures
 which were opposed to their austere    
life1 they observed1 as long as they    
remained ,rathees1 the rules     of the 
strictest celibacy4      ,phralaong1    
preparing himself for his future high   
calling1 began     to study the science 
of ,dzan under distinguished masters4   

,what     is meant by ,dzan8 ,this ,pali
 word means thought1 reflection1        
meditation4 ,it is often designed by the
 ,burmese to mean a     peculiar state  
of the soul that has already made great 
progress     in the way of perfection4  
,phralaong intended1 by placing himself 
under the direction of those eminent    
teachers1 to learn the     great art of 
training his mind for the obtaining1 by 
constant     and well-directed          
meditations1 of high mental attainments4
 ,in     the book of ,buddhistic        
metaphysics1 ,i have found the science  
of     ,dzan divided into five parts1 or
 rather five steps1 which the     mind  
has to ascend successively ere it can   
enjoy a state of     perfect quiescence1
 the highest point a perfected being can
     arrive at before reaching the state
 of ,neibban4 ,in the first     step the
 soul searches after what is good and   
perfect1 and     having discovered it1  
turns its attention and the energy of   
its     faculties towards it4 ,in the   

second1 the soul begins to              
contemplate steadily what it has first  
discovered1 and rivets     upon it its  
attention4 ,in the third stage1 the soul
 fondly     relishes1 and is1 as it     
were1 entirely taken with it4 ,in the   
fourth1 the soul calmly enjoys and      
quietly feasts on the pure     truths it
 has loved in the former state4 ,in the 
fifth1 the soul1     perfectly satiated 
with the knowledge of truth1 remains in 
a     state of complete quietude1       
perfect fixity1 unmoved stability1      
which nothing can any longer alter or   
disturb4 ,the ,burmese and     all      
,buddhists1 always fond of what is      
wonderful1 attribute     supernatural   
perfections to those who have so far    
advanced in     mental attainments4     
,their bodies become1 as it were1       
half-spiritualised1 so that they can1   
according to their wishes1     carry    
themselves through the air from one     
place to another1     without the least 
hindrance or difficulty4      #f        

,kamatan means the fixing of the        
attention on one object1 so     as to   
investigate thoroughly all its          
constituent parts1 its     principle and
 origin1 its existence and its final    
destruction4     ,it is that part of    
metaphysics which treats of the         
beginning1     nature1 and end of       
beings4 ,to become proficient in that   
science1     a man must be gifted with a
 most extensive knowledge and an        
analysing mind of no common cast4 ,the  
process of ,kamatan is as     follows4  
,let it be supposed that man intends to 
contemplate one     of the four         
elements1 fire1 for instance2 he        
abstracts himself     from every object 
which is not fire1 and devotes all his  
attention to the contemplation of that  
object alone2 he examines     the nature
 of fire1 and finding it a compound of  
several     distinct parts1 he          
investigates the cause or causes that   
keep     those parts together1 and soon 
discovers that they are but             

accidental ones1 the action whereof may 
be impeded or destroyed     by the      
occurrence of any sudden accident4 ,he  
concludes that fire     has but a       
fictitious ephemeral existence4 ,the    
same method is     followed in examining
 the other elements1 and gradually all  
other things he may come in contact     
with1 and his final     conclusion is1  
that all things placed without him are  
destitute     of real existence1 being  
mere illusions1 divested of all         
reality4 ,he infers1 again1 that all    
things are subjected to the     law of  
incessant change1 without fixity or     
stability4 ,the wise     man1 therefore1
 can feel no attachment to objects      
which1 in his     own opinion1 are but  
illusions and deception3 his mind can   
nowhere find rest in the midst of       
illusions always succeeding to     each 
other4 ,having surveyed all that is     
distinct of self1 he     applies himself
 to the work of investigating the origin
 and     nature of his body4 ,after a   

lengthened examination1 he arrives1     
as a matter of course1 at the same      
conclusion4 ,his body is a     mere     
illusion without reality1 subjected to  
changes and     destruction4 ,he feels  
that it is as yet distinct from self4   
,he     despises his body1 as he does   
everything else1 and has no     concern 
for it4 ,he longs for the state of      
,neibban1 as the only     one worthy of 
the wise man's earnest desire4 ,by such 
a     preliminary step1 the student1    
having estranged himself from     this  
world of illusions1 advances towards the
 study of the     excellent works which 
will pave the way to ,neibban4 ,the     
,burmese     reckon forty ,kamatans4    
,they are often repeated over by        
devotees1     whose weak intellect is   
utterly incapable of understanding the  
meaning they are designed to convey to  
the mind4      ,notwithstanding his     
singular aptitude in acquiring          
knowledge1     ,phralaong devoted six   
whole years1 in the solitude of         

,oorouwela1     busily engaged in       
mastering the profound science he aimed 
at     acquiring4 ,it was during that   
time that he received the visits     of 
five ,rahans1 whose chief was named     
,koondanha4 ,they were very             
probably1 like so many of their         
profession1 travelling about in         
search of knowledge4 ,they placed       
themselves under the direction     of   
,phralaong1 and in exchange for the     
lessons they received from     him1 they
 served him as humble and grateful      
disciples are wont     to attend on a   
highly esteemed teacher4 ,in this1 as   
well as many     other circumstances1 we
 see that1 previous to ,gaudama's       
preachings1 there already existed in    
,india an order of devotees     or      
enthusiasts1 who lived secluded from the
 world1 devoted to     the study of     
religious doctrines and the practice of 
virtues of     the highest order4 ,the  
order of ,buddhistic monks or talapoins1
     which was subsequently established 

by the author of ,buddhism1 is     but a
 modification of what actually subsisted
 in full vigour in     his own country  
and in his own time4      #g ,in a      
,buddhistic point of view the only      
reason that may be     assigned for the 
extraordinary fast of ,phralaong is the 
satisfaction of showing to the world the
 display of wonderful     action4       
,fasting and other works of             
mortification have always     been much 
practised by the ,indian philosophers of
 past ages1 who     thereby attracted   
the notice1 respect1 admiration1 and    
veneration of the world4 ,such rigorous 
exercises1 too1 were     deemed of great
 help for enabling the soul to have a   
more     perfect control over the       
senses1 and subjecting them to the      
empire of reason4 ,they are also        
conducive towards the calm and          
undisturbed state in which the soul is  
better fitted for the     arduous task  
of constant meditation4 ,the fast of    
,gaudama1     preparatory to his        

obtaining the ,buddhaship1 recalls to   
mind     that which our ,lord underwent 
ere ,he began ,his divine mission4      
,if the writer1 in the course of this   
work1 has made once or     twice a      
remark of similar import1 he has done   
so1 not with the     intention of       
drawing a parallel as between facts1 but
 to     communicate to the reader the   
feelings of surprise and                
astonishment he experienced when he     
thought he met with     circumstances   
respecting the founder of ,buddhism     
which     apparently bore great         
similarity to some connected with the   
mission of our ,saviour4      #h ,bells 
are common in ,burmah1 and the people of
 that country     are well acquainted   
with the art of casting them4 ,most of  
the     bells to be seen in the pagodas 
are of small dimensions1 and            
differing in shape somewhat from those  
used in ,europe4 ,the     inferior part 
is less widened1 and there is a large   
hole in the     centre of the upper     

part4 ,no tongue is hung in the         
interior1 but     the sound is produced 
by striking with a horn of deer or elk  
the     outward surface of the lower    
part4 ,no belfry is erected for the     
bells2 they are fixed on a piece of     
timber1 laid horizontally1     and      
supported at its two extremities by two 
posts1 at such a     height that the    
inferior part of the bell is raised     
about five     feet above the ground4   
,the largest specimens of ,burmese art  
in casting bells of great     weight are
 the two bells to be seen1 the one in   
the large pagoda     of ,rangoon1 called
 ,shway ,dagon1 and the other at        
,mingon1 about     twelve or fifteen    
miles north of ,amerapoura1 on the      
western bank     of the ,irrawaddy4 ,the
 first1 in the town of ,rangoon1 was    
cast in     #ahdb1 when ,king           
,tharawaddy visited the place1 with the 
intention     of founding a new city1   
more distant from the river1 and nearer 
to the mount upon which rises the       

splendid ,shway ,dagon4 ,in its         
shape and form it exactly resembles the 
kind of bells above     described4 ,here
 are some particulars respecting that   
large piece     of metal1 collected from
 the inscription to be seen upon it4 ,it
     was cast on the fifth day of the   
full moon of ,tabodwai     7,february71 
#abjc of the ,burmese era4 ,the weight  
of metal is     #id1fhb lbs42 its height
 #i-a_/b cubits2 its diameter #e cubits2
 its     thickness #bj fingers or #ae   
inches4 ,but during the process of      
melting1 the well-disposed came forward 
and threw in copper1     silver1 and    
gold in great quantities4 ,it is        
supposed1 says the     writer of the    
inscription1 that in this way the weight
 was     increased one-fourth4      ,the
 bell of ,mingon was cast in the        
beginning of this century4 ,in     shape
 and form it resembles our bells in     
,europe4 ,it is probable     that some  
foreigner residing at ,ava suggested the
 idea of giving     such an unusual form

 to that monumental bell4 ,its height is
 #ah     feet1 besides #g feet for      
hanging apparatus4 ,it has #ag feet in  
diameter1 and from #aj to #ab inches in 
thickness4 ,its weight is     supposed  
to exceed two hundred thousand ,english 
pounds4      ,in the interior large     
yellowish and greyish streaks indicate  
that considerable quantities of gold and
 silver had been thrown     in during   
the process of melting4 ,no idea can at 
present be had     of the power of the  
sound of that bell1 as its enormous     
weight     has caused the pillars that  
support it partially to give way4 ,to   
prevent a fatal disaster1 the orifice of
 the bell has been made     to rest on  
large short posts1 sunk in the ground   
and rising     about three feet above   
it4 ,in no respect can these bells bear 
any comparison with those of ,europe4   
,they are mightily rough and     rude   
attempts at doing works on a scale far  
surpassing the     abilities of native  
workmen1 who otherwise succeed tolerably

     well in casting the comparatively  
small bells commonly met with     in the
 courtyards of pagodas4      #i ,one of 
the genuine characters of ,buddhism is  
correctly     exhibited in this         
observation of ,phralaong's respecting  
fasts1     mortifications1 and other    
self-inflicted penances4 ,they are not  
looked upon as the immediate way leading
 to perfection1 nor as     a portion or 
a part of perfection itself4 ,such deeds
 are but     means resorted to for      
weakening passions and increasing the   
power of the spiritual principle over   
the natural one3 they are               
preparatory to the great work of        
meditation or the study of     truth1   
which is the only high-road to          
perfection4 ,to the sage     that has   
already begun the laborious task of     
investigating     truth1 such practices 
are of no use1 and are nowhere insisted 
on     as necessary1 or even useful4 ,in
 the book of discipline1 no     mention 
is made of them4 ,the life of the       

initiated is one of     self-denial2 all
 superfluities and luxuries are strictly
     interdicted2 all that is calculated
 to minister to passions and            
pleasure is carefully excluded4 ,but the
 great austerities and     macerations  
practised by the religious of the       
,brahminical sect     are at once       
rejected by the ,buddhist sages as      
unprofitable and     unnecessary to     
them4 ,the inmates of the ,buddhist     
monasteries in     our days are never   
seen indulging in those cruel1          
disgusting1     and unnatural practices 
performed from time immemorial by some  
of their brethren of the ,hindu         
persuasion4 ,this constitutes one     of
 the principal differences or           
discrepancies between the two           
systems4 ,with the founder of ,buddhism 
fasts and penitential     deeds are of  
great concern to him who is as yet in   
the world1     living under the         
tyrannical yoke of passions and the     
influence     of the senses4 ,by him    

they are viewed as powerful auxiliaries 
in     the spiritual warfare for        
obtaining the mastery over passions4    
,this point once gained1 the sage can at
 once dispense with their     aid as    
being no longer required4 ,the follower 
of the ,hindu creed     looks upon those
 practices as per se eminently          
meritorious and     capable of leading  
him to perfection2 hence the mania for  
carrying those observances to a degree  
revolting to reason1 and     even to the
 plain good sense of the people4        
,,chapter ,v4      ,thoodzata's offering
 to ,phralaong -- ,his five dreams --   
,he     shapes his course towards the   
gniaong tree -- ,miraculous             
appearance of a throne -- ,victory of   
,phralaong over ,manh ,nat --     ,his  
meditations during forty-nine days near 
the ,bodi tree --     ,he at last       
obtains the perfect science -- ,he      
overcomes the     temptation directed   
against him by the daughters of ,manh --
     ,buddha preaches the law to a      

,pounha and to two merchants4   ,at that
 time1 in the solitude of ,oorouwela1   
there lived in a village a rich man1    
named ,thena4 ,he had a daughter named  
,thoodzata4 ,having attained the years  
of puberty1 she repaired to a place     
where there was a gniaong tree1 and made
 the following prayer to the ,nat       
guardian of the place#a3--;,if ,i marry 
a husband that will prove a suitable    
match1 and the first fruit of our union 
be a male child1 ,i will spend annually 
in alms deeds #ajj1jjj pieces of silver1
 and make an offering at this spot4 ,her
 prayer was heard1 and its twofold      
object granted4 ,when ,phralaong had    
ended the six years of his fasting and  
mortification1 on the day of the full   
moon of the month ,katson1 ,thoodzata   
was preparing to make her grateful      
offering to the ,nat of the place4 ,she 
had been keeping one thousand cows in a 
place abounding with sweet vines2 the   
milk of those thousand was given to five
 hundred cows2 these again fed with     

their own milk two hundred and fifty    
others1 and so on1 in a diminishing     
proportion1 until it happened that      
sixteen cows fed eight others with their
 milk4 ,so these eight cows gave a milk1
 rich1 sweet1 and flavoured beyond all  
description4  ,on the day of the full   
moon of ,katson1#b ,thoodzata rose at an
 early hour to make ready her offering1 
and disposed everything that the cows   
should be simultaneously milked4 ,when  
they were to be milked1 the young calves
 of their own accord kept at a distance2
 and as soon as the vessels were brought
 near1 the milk began to flow in streams
 from the udders into the vessels4 ,she 
took the milk and poured it into a large
 caldron1 set on the fire which she had 
herself kindled4 ,the milk began to     
boil2 bubbles formed on the surface of  
the liquid1 turned on the right and sunk
 in1 not a single drop being spilt out2 
no smoke arose from the fireplace4 ,four
 kings of ,nats watched about while the 
caldron was boiling2 the great ,brahma  

kept open an umbrella over it2 a ,thagia
 brought fuel and fed the fire4 ,other  
,nats1 by their supernatural power1     
infused honey into the milk1 and        
communicated thereto a flavour1 such as 
the like is not to be found in the abode
 of men4 ,on this occasion alone1 and on
 the day ,phralaong entered the state of
 ,neibban1 the ,nats infused honey into 
his food4 ,wondering at the so many     
extraordinary signs which she saw1      
,thoodzata called her female slave1     
named ,sounama1 related to her all that 
she had observed1 and directed her to go
 to the gniaong tree1 and clear the     
place where she intended to make her    
offering4 ,the servant1 complying with  
her mistress' direction1 soon arrived at
 the foot of the tree4  ,on that very   
night ,phralaong had had five dreams4#c 
#ast1 ,it appeared to him that the earth
 was his sleeping place1 with the       
,himawonta for his pillow4 ,his right   
hand rested on the western ocean1 his   
left on the eastern ocean1 and his feet 

on the southern ocean4 #bnd1 ,a kind of 
grass1 named ,tyria1 appeared to grow   
out of his navel and reach to the skies4
 #crd1 ,ants of a white appearance      
ascended from his feet to the knee and  
covered his legs4 #dth1 ,birds of varied
 colour and size appeared to come from  
all directions and fall at his feet1    
when1 on a sudden1 they all appeared    
white4 #eth1 ,it seemed to him that he  
was walking on a mountain of filth1 and 
that he passed over it without being in 
the least contaminated4  ,phralaong1    
awaking from his sleep1 said to himself1
 after having reflected for a while on  
those five dreams1--,today ,i shall     
certainly become a ,buddha4 ,thereupon  
he rose instantly1 washed his hands and 
face1 put on his dress1 and quietly     
waited the break of day1 to go out in   
quest of his food4 ,the moment being    
arrived to go out1 he took up his patta1
 and walked in the direction of the     
gniaong tree4 ,the whole tree was made  
shining by the rays which issued from   

his person2 he rested there for a while4
 ,at that very moment arrived ,sounama1 
to clear1 according to her mistress'    
orders1 the place for her offering4 ,as 
she approached1 she saw ,phralaong at   
the foot of the tree4 ,the rays of light
 which beamed out of his person were    
reflected on the tree1 which exhibited a
 most splendid and dazzling appearance4 
,on observing this wonder1 ,sounama said
 to herself3 ,of course the ,nat has    
come down from the tree to receive the  
offering with his own hands4 ,overcome  
with an unutterable joy1 she immediately
 ran to her mistress and related her    
adventure4 ,thoodzata was delighted at  
this occurrence1 and wishing to give a  
substantial proof of her gratitude for  
such good news1 she said to ,sounama3   
,from this moment you are no more my    
servant2 ,i adopt you for my elder      
daughter4 ,she gave her instantly all   
the ornaments suitable to her new       
position4 ,it is customary for all the  
,phralaongs to be provided1 on the day  

they are to become ,buddha1 with a gold 
cup of an immense value4 ,thoodzata     
ordered a golden vessel to be brought1  
and poured therein the nogana or boiled 
milk4 ,as the water glides from the leaf
 of the water-lily without leaving      
thereon any trace1 so the nogana slided 
from the pot into the golden cup and    
filled it up4 ,she covered this cup with
 another of the same precious metal1 and
 wrapped up the whole with a white      
cloth4 ,she forthwith put on her finest 
dress1 and1 becomingly attired1 she     
carried the golden cup over her head2   
and with a decent gravity walked towards
 the gniaong tree4 ,overwhelmed with joy
 at seeing ,phralaong1 she reverentially
 advanced towards him1 whom she mistook 
for a ,nat4 ,when near him1 she placed  
gently the golden vessel on the ground1 
and offered him in a gold basin scented 
water to wash his hands4 ,at that       
moment1 the earthen patta offered to    
,phralaong by the ,brahma ,gatikara     
disappeared4 ,perceiving that his patta 

had disappeared1 he stretched forth his 
right hand1 and washed it in the scented
 water2 at the same time ,thoodzata     
presented to him the golden cup         
containing the nogana4 ,having observed 
that she had caught the eyes of         
,phralaong1 she said to him3 ,my ,lord  
,nat1 ,i beg to offer you this food1    
together with the vessel that contains  
it4 ,having respectfully bowed down to  
him1 she continued3 ,may your joy and   
happiness be as great as mine2 may you  
always delight in the happiest rest1    
ever surrounded by a great and brilliant
 retinue4 ,making then the offering of  
the gold cup1 worth #ajj1jjj pieces of  
silver1 with the same disinterestedness 
as if she had given over only the dry   
leaf of a tree1 she withdrew and        
returned to her home with a heart       
overflowing with joy4  ,phralaong rising
 up took with him the golden cup1 and   
having turned to the left of the gniaong
 tree1 went to the bank of the river    
,neritzara1 to a place where more than  

#ajj1jjj ,buddhas had bathed1 ere they  
obtained the supreme intelligence4 ,on  
the banks of that river is a            
bathing-place4 ,having left on that spot
 his golden cup1 he undressed himself1  
and descended into the river4 ,when he  
had bathed1 he came out and put on his  
yellow robe1 which in shape and form    
resembled that of his predecessors4 ,he 
sat down1 his face turned towards the   
east2 his face resembled in appearance a
 well-ripe palm-fruit4 ,he divided his  
exquisite fruit into forty-nine         
mouthfuls1 which he ate entire1 without 
mixing any water with it4 ,during       
forty-nine days he spent round the ,bodi
 tree1 ,buddha never bathed1 nor took   
any food1 nor experienced the least     
want4 ,his appearance and countenance   
remained unchanged2 he spent the whole  
time absorbed1 as it were1 in an        
uninterrupted meditation4 ,holding up in
 his hands the empty golden vessel1     
,phralaong made the following prayer3   
,if on this day ,i am to become a       

,buddha1 let this cup float on the water
 and ascend the stream4 ,whereupon he   
flung it into the stream1 when1 by the  
power and influence of ,phralaong's     
former good works1 the vessel1 gently   
gliding towards the middle of the river1
 and then beating up the stream1        
ascended it with the swiftness of a     
horse to the distance of eighty cubits1 
when it stopped1 sunk into a whirlpool1 
went down to the country of ,naga1 and  
made a noise1 on coming in contact with 
and striking against the three vessels  
of the three last ,buddhas1 viz43       
,kaukathan1 ,gaunagong1 and ,kathaba4   
,on hearing this unusual noise1 the     
chief of ,nagas awoke from his sleep1   
and said3 ,how is this8 yesterday1 a    
,buddha appeared in the world2 today1   
again1 there is another4 ,and in more   
than one hundred stanzas he sung praises
 to ,buddha4         99       99        
99       99       99  ,on the banks of  
the river ,neritzara there is a grove of
 ,sala trees1 whither ,phralaong        

repaired to spend the day under their   
cooling shade4 ,in the evening he rose  
up and walked with the dignified and    
noble bearing of a lion1 in a road eight
 oothabas wide1 made by the ,nats1 and  
strewed with flowers1 towards the       
gniaong tree4 ,the ,nats1 ,nagas1 and   
,galongs joined in singing praises to   
him1 playing instruments1 and making    
offerings of the finest flowers and most
 exquisite perfumes1 brought from their 
own seats4 ,the same rejoicings took    
place in ten thousand other worlds4     
,whilst on his way towards the tree1 he 
met with a young man1 just returning    
with a grass-load he had cut in the     
fields4 ,foreseeing that ,phralaong     
might require some portion of it for his
 use1 he presented him an offering of   
eight handfuls of grass1 which were     
willingly accepted4  ,arrived close to  
the gniaong tree1#d ,phralaong stopped  
at the south of the tree1 his face      
turned towards the north1 when1 on a    
sudden1 the southern point of the globe 

seemed to lower down to the hell        
,awidzi1 the lowest of all1 whilst the  
northern one appeared to reach the sky4 
,then he said1 ,verily this is not the  
place where ,i shall become a ,buddha4  
,thence ,phralaong went on his right    
side towards the east of the tree1 and  
standing up1 his face turned towards the
 west1 he said1 ,this is indeed the     
place where all the preceding ,buddhas  
have obtained the supreme intelligence4 
,here1 too1 is the very spot whereupon  
,i shall become a ,buddha1 and set up my
 throne4 ,he took1 by one of their      
extremities1 the eight handfuls of grass
 and scattered them on the ground1 when1
 on a sudden1 there appeared emerging1  
as it were1 from the bottom of the      
earth1 a throne fourteen cubits high1   
adorned with the choicest sculptures and
 paintings1 superior in perfection to   
all that art could produce4 ,phralaong1 
then facing the east1 uttered the       
following imprecation3 ,if ,i am not    
destined to become a ,buddha1 may my    

bones1 veins1 and skin remain on this   
throne1 and my blood and flesh be dried 
up4 ,he then ascended the throne1 with  
his back turned against the tree1 and   
his face towards the east4 ,he sat down 
in a cross-legged position1 firmly      
resolved never to vacate the throne1 ere
 he had become a ,buddha4 ,such firmness
 of purpose1 which the combined elements
 could not shake for a moment1 no one   
ought to think of ever becoming         
possessed of4  ,whilst ,phralaong was   
sitting on the throne in that           
cross-legged position1 ,manh ,nat said  
to himself1 ,i will not suffer ,prince  
,theiddat to overstep the boundaries of 
my empire4 ,he summoned all his warriors
 and shouted to them4 ,on hearing their 
chief's voice1 the warriors gathered    
thick round his person4 ,his countless  
followers in front1 on his right and on 
his left1 reached to the distance of    
eighteen youdzanas1 and above him to    
that of nine only4 ,behind him1 they    
extended to the very limits of the      

world4 ,the cries of that immense       
multitude were re-echoed at a distance  
of ten thousand youdzanas1 and resembled
 the roaring of the mighty sea4 ,manh   
,nat rode the elephant ,girimegala1     
measuring in length five youdzanas4     
,supplied with one thousand right arms1 
he wielded all sorts of the most deadly 
weapons4 ,his countless warriors1 to    
avoid confusion1 were all disposed in   
ranks1 bearing their respective armour4 
,they appeared like immense clouds1     
slowly rolling on and converging towards
 ,phralaong4  ,at that time1 ,nats      
surrounded ,phralaong1 singing praises  
to him2 the chief ,thagia was playing on
 his conch1 whereof a single blowing    
resounds for four entire months2 the    
chief ,naga was uttering stanzas in his 
honour2 a chief ,brahma held over him   
the white umbrella4 ,on the approach of 
,manh ,nat's army1 they were all seized 
with an uncontrollable fear1 and fled to
 their respective places4 ,the ,naga    
dived into the bottom of the earth1 to a

 depth of five hundred youdzanas1 and   
covering his face with his two wings1   
fell into a deep sleep4 ,the ,thagia1   
swinging his conch upon his shoulders1  
ran to the extremity of the world4 ,the 
,brahma1 holding still the umbrella by  
the extremity of the handle1 went up to 
his own country4 ,phralaong was1        
therefore1 left alone4 ,manh ,nat1      
turning to his followers1 cried to them1
 ,there is1 indeed1 no one equal to the 
,prince ,theiddat2 let us not attack him
 in front1 but let us assail him from   
the north side4  ,at that moment1       
,phralaong1 lifting his eyes1 looked on 
his right1 left1 and front1 for the     
crowd of ,nats1 ,brahmas1 and ,thagias  
that were paying him their respects4    
,but they had all disappeared4 ,he saw  
the army of ,manh ,nat coming thick upon
 him from the north1 like a mighty      
storm4 ,what6 said he1 is it against me 
alone that such a countless crowd of    
warriors has been assembled8 ,i have no 
one to help me1 no father1 no brothers1 

no sisters1 no friends1 and no          
relatives4 ,but ,i have with me the ten 
great virtues which ,i have practised2  
the merits ,i have acquired in the      
practice of these virtues will be my    
safeguard and protection2 these are my  
offensive and defensive weapons1 and    
with them ,i will crush down the great  
army of ,manh4 ,whereupon he quietly    
remained meditating upon the merits of  
the ten great virtues4  ,whilst         
,phralaong was thus absorbed in         
meditation1 ,manh ,nat began his attack 
upon him4 ,he caused a wind to blow with
 such an extraordinary violence that it 
brought down the tops of mountains1     
though they were one or two youdzanas   
thick4 ,the trees of the forests were   
shattered to atoms4 ,but the virtue of  
,phralaong's merits preserved him from  
the destructive storm4 ,his tsiwaran    
itself was not agitated4 ,perceiving    
that his first effort was useless1 ,manh
 caused a heavy rain to fall with such  
violence that it tore the earth1 and    

opened it to its very bottom4 ,but not  
even a single drop touched ,phralaong's 
person4 ,to this succeeded a shower of  
rocks1 accompanied with smoke and fire2 
but they were changed into immense      
masses of flowers1 which dropped at     
,buddha's feet4 ,there came afterwards  
another shower of swords1 knives1 and   
all kinds of cutting weapons1 emitting  
smoke and fire4 ,they all fell powerless
 at the feet of ,phralaong4 ,a storm of 
burning ashes and sand soon darkened the
 atmosphere1 but they fell in front of  
him like fragrant dust4 ,clouds of mud  
succeeded1 which fell like perfumes all 
round and over ,phralaong4 ,manh caused 
a thick darkness to fill the atmosphere1
 but to ,phralaong it emitted rays of   
the purest light4 ,the enraged ,manh    
cried to his followers1 ,why do you     
stand looking on8 ,rush at once upon him
 and compel him to flee before me4      
,sitting on his huge elephant1 and      
brandishing his formidable weapons1     
,manh approached close to ,phralaong and

 said to him1 ,theiddat1 this throne is 
not made for you2 vacate it forthwith2  
it is my property4 ,phralaong calmly    
answered1 ,you have not as yet practised
 the ten great virtues1 nor gone through
 the five acts of self-denial2 you have 
never devoted your life to help others  
to acquire merits2 in a word1 you have  
not yet done all the needful to enable  
you to attain the supreme dignity of    
,phra4 ,this throne1 therefore1 cannot  
be yours4 ,unable to control any longer 
his passion1 ,manh threw his formidable 
weapons at ,phralaong2 but they were    
converted into garlands of beautiful    
flowers1 that adapted themselves        
gracefully round his body4 ,his sword   
and other weapons1 that could cut at    
once through the hardest rocks1 were    
employed with no better success4 ,the   
soldiers of ,manh1 hoping that their    
united efforts would have a better      
result1 and that they could thrust      
,phralaong from his throne1 made a      
sudden and simultaneous rush at him1    

rolling against him1 with an            
irresistible force1 huge rocks1 as large
 as mountains2 but by the virtue of     
their opponent's merits1 they were      
converted into fine nosegays1 that      
gently dropped at his feet4  ,at that   
time the ,nats1 from their seats1 looked
 down on the scene of the combat1       
suspended between hope and fear4        
,phralaong at that moment said to ,manh3
 ,how do you dare to pretend to the     
possession of this throne8 ,could you   
ever prove1 by indisputable evidence1   
that you have ever made offerings enough
 to be deserving of this throne8 ,manh1 
turning to his followers1 answered3     
,here are my witnesses2 they will all   
bear evidence in my favour4 ,at the same
 moment they all shouted aloud1 to      
testify their approval of ,mania's      
words4 ,as to you1 ,prince ,theiddat1   
where are the witnesses that will bear  
evidence in your favour and prove the   
justness of your claim to the possession
 of this throne8 ,phralaong replied3 ,my

 witnesses are not like yours1 men or   
any living beings4#e ,the earth itself  
will give testimony to me4 ,for1 without
 alluding even to those offerings ,i    
have made during several previous       
existences1 ,i will but mention the     
forty-seven great ones ,i made whilst ,i
 lived as ,prince ,wethandra4           
,stretching out his right hand1 which he
 had kept hitherto under the folds of   
his garments1 and pointing to the earth1
 he said with a firm voice3 ,earth1 is  
it not true that at the time ,i was     
,prince ,wethandra ,i made forty great  
offerings8 ,the earth replied with a    
deep and loud roaring1 resounding in the
 midst of ,manh's legions1 like the     
sound of countless voices1 threatening  
to spread death and destruction in their
 ranks4 ,the famous charger of ,manh    
bent his knees1 and paid homage to      
,phralaong4 ,manh himself1 disheartened 
and discomfited1 fled to the country of 
,wathawatti4 ,his followers were so     
overpowered by fear that they flung away

 all that could impede their retreat1   
and ran away in every direction4 ,such  
was the confusion and disorder that     
prevailed that two warriors could not be
 seen following the same course in their
 flight4  ,looking from their seats on  
the defeat of ,manh and the glorious    
victory of ,phralaong1 the ,nats#f rent 
the air with shouts of exultation4 ,the 
,brahmas1 ,nagas1 and ,galongs joined   
the ,nats in celebrating his triumph    
over his enemies4 ,they all hastened    
from more than ten thousand worlds to   
pay their respects and offer their      
felicitations1 presenting him with      
flowers and perfumes1 saying3 ,victory  
and glory to ,phralaong6 ,shame and     
defeat to the infamous ,manh6  ,it was a
 little while before sunset when        
,phralaong had achieved his splendid    
victory over his proud foe4 ,at that    
time he was wrapped up1 as it were1 in  
the profoundest meditation4 ,the        
extremities of the branches of the ,bodi
 tree#g fell gently over him1 and1 by   

their undulations1 seemed caressing1 as 
it were1 his tsiwaran2 they resembled so
 many beautiful nosegays of red flowers 
that were offered to him4 ,at the first 
watch of the night ,phralaong applied   
all the energies of his powerful mind to
 ascertain the laws of the causes and   
effects1 in order to account for all    
that is in existence4 ,he argued in the 
following manner3 ,pain and all sorts of
 miseries do exist in this world4 ,why  
do they exist8 ,because there is birth4 
,why is there birth8 ,because there is  
conception4 ,now conception does take   
place1 because there is existence1 or   
that moral state produced by the action 
or influence of merits and demerits4    
,existence is brought in by ,upadan1 or 
the combining of affections calculated  
to cause the coming into existence4 ,the
 latter has for its cause the desire4   
,the desire is produced by sensation4   
,the latter is caused by the contact4   
,the contact takes place because there  
are the six senses4 ,the six senses do  

exist1 because there is name and form1  
that is to say1 the exterior sign of the
 ideal being and the type of the real   
being4 ,name and form owe their         
existence to erroneous knowledge2 the   
latter in its turn is produced by the   
imagination1 which has for its cause    
ignorance4#h  ,having followed in his   
mind the succession of the twelve causes
 and effect1 and reached the last link  
of that chain1 ,phralaong said to       
himself3 ,ignorance1 or no science1 is  
the first cause which gives rise to all 
the phenomena ,i have successively      
reviewed4 ,from it springs the world and
 all the beings it contains4 ,it is the 
cause of that universal illusion in     
which man and all beings are miserably  
lulled4 ,by what means can this         
ignorance be done away with8 ,doubtless 
by knowledge and true science4 ,by means
 of the light that science spreads ,i   
clearly see the unreality of all that   
exists1 and ,i am freed from that       
illusion which makes other beings to    

believe that such thing exists1 when1 in
 reality1 it does not exist4 ,the       
imagination1 or the faculty to imagine  
the existence of things which do not    
exist1 is done away with4 ,the same fate
 is reserved to the false knowledge     
resulting therefrom to the name and     
form1 to the six senses1 to contact1 to 
sensation1 to desire1 to conception1 to 
existence1 to birth1 and to pain or     
miseries4         99       99       99  
99       99  ,then ,phralaong says to   
himself3 ,the knowledge of the four     
great truths is the true light that can 
dispel ignorance and procure the real   
science1 whereby the coming out from the
 whirlpool of existences1 or from the   
state of illusion1 can be perfectly     
effected4 ,these four truths are3 #a1   
,the miseries of existence2 #b1 ,the    
cause productive of misery1 which is the
 desire1 ever-renewed1 of satisfying    
oneself without being able ever to      
secure that end2 #c1 ,the destruction of
 that desire1 or the estranging oneself 

from it1 is the important affair        
deserving the most serious attention2   
#d1 ,the means of obtaining the         
individual annihilation of that desire  
is supplied solely by the four ,meggas1 
or highways1 leading to perfection4 ,but
 these ,meggas can be followed only by  
those who have a right intention1 a     
right will1 and who1 throughout life1   
exert themselves to regulate their      
action1 conduct1 language1 thought1 and 
meditations4 ,it was then that the heart
 of ,phralaong acquired an unshakable   
firmness1 a perfect purity or exemption 
from all passions1 an unutterable       
meekness1 and a strong feeling of tender
 compassion towards all beings4  ,when  
these fundamental truths had been known1
 felt1 and relished1#i ,phralaong's     
mind1 casting a glance over the past1   
was able to discover at once all that   
had taken place during the countless    
states of his former existences4 ,he    
recollected the name he had borne1 those
 of his parents1 the places he had seen 

and visited1 the caste he had belonged  
to1 and all the chief events that had   
marked the course of his progress       
through the continual migrations4 ,he   
likewise saw reflected1 as in a mirror1 
the former conditions of existence of   
all other beings4 ,the immense          
development and expansion of his mind1  
which enabled him to fathom the depth of
 the past1 happened during the first    
watch of the night4  ,he applied now all
 the expanded powers of his incomparable
 mind to take a correct survey of all   
the beings now in existence4 ,he glanced
 over all those that were in hell1 and  
the other three states of punishment1   
those living on earth1 and those        
dwelling in the twenty-six superior     
seats4 ,he at once understood distinctly
 their state1 condition1 merits1        
demerits1 and all that appertained to   
their physical and moral constitutive   
parts4 ,this labour occupied his mind up
 to midnight4  ,urged by the merciful   
and compassionate dispositions of his   

soul1 ,phralaong often revolved within  
himself the following3 ,all is misery   
and affliction in this world2 all beings
 are miserably detained in the vortex of
 existences2 they float over the        
whirlpool of desire and concupiscence2  
they are carried to and fro by the      
fallacious cravings of a never-obtained 
satisfaction4 ,they must be taught to   
put an end to concupiscence by freeing  
themselves from its influence4 ,their   
minds must be imbued with the knowledge 
of the four great truths4 ,the four ways
 that ,i have discovered shall          
inevitably lead men and ,nats to that   
most desirable end4 ,these ways ought to
 be pointed out to them1 that1 by       
following them1 men and ,nats may obtain
 the deliverance4  ,whilst these        
thoughts thronged through his mind1 a   
little before break of day1 in the      
#ajcrd year of the ,eatzana era1 on the 
day of the full moon of ,katson1 the    
perfect science broke at once over him3 
he became the ,buddha4  ,when this great

 wonder took place1 ten thousand worlds 
were shaken twelve times with such a    
violence as to make hairs stand on one  
end4 ,these words1 ,most excellent      
being1 were heard throughout the same   
series of worlds4 ,magnificent ornaments
 decorated all places4 ,flagstaffs      
appeared in every direction1 adorned    
with splendid streamers4 ,of such       
dimensions were they that the           
extremities of those in the east reached
 the opposite side of the west2 and     
those in the north1 the southern        
boundary4 ,some flags1 hanging from the 
seats of ,brahmas1 reached the surface  
of the earth4 ,all the trees of ten     
thousand worlds shot out branches1      
loaded with fruits and flowers4 ,the    
five sorts of lilies bloomed            
spontaneously4 ,from the clefts of rocks
 beautiful flowers sprang out4 ,the     
whole universe appeared like an immense 
garden1 covered with flowers2 a vivid   
light illuminated those places1 the     
darkness of which could not be dispersed

 by the united rays of seven suns4 ,the 
water1 which fills the immensity of the 
deep1 at a depth of eighty-four thousand
 youdzanas1 became fresh and offered a  
most agreeable drink4 ,rivers suspended 
their course2 the blind recovered their 
sight1 the deaf could hear1 and the lame
 were able to walk freely4 ,the captives
 were freed from their chains and       
restored to their liberty4 ,innumerable 
other wonders took place at the moment  
,phralaong received the supreme         
intelligence4 ,he said then to himself1 
,previous to my obtaining the supreme   
knowledge1 ,i have1 during countless    
generations1 moved in the circle of     
ever-renewed existences1 and borne-up   
misery4 ,now ,i see this distinctly4    
,again1 ,i perceive how ,i can          
emancipate myself from the trammels of  
existence1 and extricate myself from all
 miseries and wretchedness attending    
generation2 my will is fixed on the most
 amiable state of ,neibban4 ,i have now 
arrived to that state of perfection that

 excludes all passions4  ,it was at the 
full moon of the month ,katson1 when    
these memorable occurrences took place1 
and it was daylight when ,phralaong at  
last obtained the fulness of the        
,buddhaship4 ,after this glorious and   
triumphant achievement1 ,phralaong1 whom
 from this moment we must call ,phra or 
,buddha1 continued to remain on the     
throne1 in a cross-legged position1 with
 a mind absorbed in contemplation during
 seven days4 ,mental exertion and labour
 were at an end4 ,truth in its effulgent
 beauty encompassed his mind and shed   
over it the purest rays4 ,placed in that
 luminous centre1 ,phra saw all beings  
entangled in the web of passions1 tossed
 over the raging billows of the sea of  
renewed existences1 whirling in the     
vortex of endless miseries1 tormented   
incessantly and wounded to the quick by 
the sting of concupiscence1 sunk into   
the dark abyss of ignorance1 the        
wretched victims of an illusory1        
unsubstantial1 and unreal world4 ,he    

said then to himself3 ,in all the worlds
 there is no one but me who knows how to
 break through the web of passions1 to  
still the waves that waft beings from   
one state into another1 to save them    
from the whirlpool of miseries1 to put  
an end to concupiscence and break its   
sting1 to dispel the mist of ignorance  
by the light of truth1 to teach all     
intelligent beings the unreality and    
nonexistence of this world1 and thereby 
lead them to the true state of ,neibban4
 ,having thus given vent to the feelings
 of compassion that pressed on his      
benevolent heart1 ,phra1 glancing over  
future events1 delighted in             
contemplating the great number of beings
 who would avail themselves of his      
preachings1 and labour to free          
themselves from the slavery of passions4
 ,he counted the multitudes who would   
enter the ways that lead to the         
deliverance1 and would obtain the       
rewards to be enjoyed by those who will 
follow one of those ways4 ,the          

,baranathee country would be favoured   
first of all with the preaching of the  
law of the wheel4 ,he reviewed the      
countries where his religion would be   
firmly established4 ,he saw that        
,maheinda1 the son of king ,asoka1 would
 carry his law to ,ceylon1 two hundred  
and thirty-six years after his ,neibban4
  ,when these and other subjects were   
fully exhausted1 the most excellent     
,phra came down from his throne and went
 to a distance of ten fathoms from the  
,bodi tree1 in a north-east direction4  
,there he stood1 his eyes fixedly       
riveted on the throne1 without a single 
wink1 during seven consecutive days1    
given up to the most intense and        
undisturbed meditation4 ,the ,nats1     
observing this extraordinary posture1   
imagined that he regretted the throne he
 had just vacated1 and that he wanted to
 repossess himself of it4 ,they         
concluded that1 such being the case1    
,prince ,theiddat had not as yet        
obtained the ,buddhaship4 ,when the     

period of seven days was over1 ,buddha1 
who knew the innermost thoughts of the  
,nats1 resolved to put an end to their  
incredulous thinking respecting his     
person4 ,for that purpose1 he had       
recourse to the display of miraculous   
powers4#aj ,he raised himself high up in
 the air1 and1 to their astonished      
regards1 he wrought at once more than a 
thousand wonders1 which had the         
immediate effect of silencing all their 
doubts1 and convincing them that he was 
indeed the ,buddha4  ,having come down  
to the place which he had started from1 
for the display of prodigies1 ,buddha   
went to the north of the tree ,bodi at a
 distance of only two fathoms from it4  
,he spent this time in walking to and   
fro from east to west1 during seven     
days1 over a road1 prepared for that    
purpose by the ,nats4 ,he was engaged   
all the while in the work of the        
sublimest contemplation4  ,he then      
shaped his course in a north-west       
direction1 at a distance of thirteen    

fathoms from the sacred tree4 ,there    
stood a beautiful house1 shining like   
gold1 resplendent with precious stones4 
,it was a temporary residence1 purposely
 prepared for him by the ,nats4 ,thither
 he repaired1 and sat down in a         
cross-legged position during seven days4
 ,he devoted all his time to meditating 
on the ,abidamma1 or the most excellent 
science4 ,this science is divided into  
seven books4 ,phra had already gone over
 the six first and fully mastered their 
contents1 but the six glories had not as
 yet shot forth from his person4  ,it   
was only after having mastered the      
contents of the last division1 named    
,pathan1 divided into twenty-four parts1
 that the six glories appeared4 ,like   
the great fishes that delight to sport  
only in the great ocean1 the mind of    
,buddha expanded itself with            
indescribable eagerness1 and delighted  
to run unrestrained through the         
unbounded field opened before him by the
 contents of that volume4 ,brown rays   

issued from his hairs1 beard1 and       
eyelids4 ,gold-like rays shot forth from
 his eyes and skin2 from his flesh and  
blood dashed out purple beams1 and from 
his teeth and bones escaped rays1 white 
like the leaves of the lily2 from his   
hands and feet emanated rays of a       
deep-red colour1 which1 falling on the  
surrounding objects1 made them appear   
like so many rubies of the purest water4
 ,his forehead sent forth undulating    
rays1 resembling those reflected by cut 
crystal4 ,the objects which received    
those rays appeared as mirrors1         
reflecting the rays of the sun4 ,those  
six rays of various hues caused the     
earth to resemble a globe of the finest 
gold4 ,those beams at first penetrated  
through our globe1 which is eighty-two  
thousand youdzanas thick1 and thence    
illuminated the mass of water which     
supports our planet4 ,it resembled a sea
 of gold4 ,that body of water1 though   
four hundred and eighty thousand        
youdzanas thick1 could not stop the     

elastic projection of those rays1 which 
went forth through a stratum of air nine
 hundred and sixty thousand youdzanas   
thick1 and were lost in the vacuum4     
,some beams1 following a vertical       
direction1 rushed through the six seats 
of ,nats1 the sixteen of ,brahmas1 and  
the four superior ones1 and thence were 
lost in vacuum4 ,other rays1 following a
 horizontal direction1 penetrated       
through an infinite series of worlds4   
,the sun1 the moon1 the stars appeared  
like opaque bodies1 deprived of light4  
,the famous garden of ,nats1 their      
splendid palace1 the ornaments hanging  
from the tree ,padetha were all cast    
into the shade and appeared obscure1 as 
if wrapped up in complete darkness4 ,the
 body of the chief ,brahma1 which sends 
forth light through one million of      
systems1 emitted then but the feeble and
 uncertain light of the glowworm at     
sunrise4 ,this marvellous light1        
emanating from the person of ,buddha1   
was not the result of vowing or praying2

 but all the constituent parts of his   
body became purified to such an extent  
by the sublime meditation of the most   
excellent law that they shone with a    
matchless brightness4  ,having thus     
spent seven days in that place1 close to
 the ,bodi tree1 he repaired to the foot
 of another gniaong tree1 called        
adzapala1 or the shepherds' tree1 so    
called because1 under its cooling shade1
 shepherds and their flocks of goats    
rested during the heat of the day4 ,it  
was situated at the east of the ,bodi1  
at a distance of thirty fathoms4 ,there 
he sat in a cross-legged position1      
during seven days1 enjoying the         
sweetness of self-recollection4 ,it was 
near to that place that the vile ,manh1 
who1 since his great attack on ,buddha1 
had never lost sight of him1 but had    
always secretly followed him with a     
wicked spirit1 was compelled to confess 
that he had not been able to discover in
 that ,rahan anything blamable1 and     
expressed the fear of seeing him at once

 pass over the boundaries of his empire4
 ,the tempter stooped in the middle of  
the highway1 and across it drew         
successively sixteen lines1 as he went  
on reflecting on sixteen different      
subjects4 ,when he had thought over each
 of the ten great virtues1 he drew1     
first1 ten lines1 saying3 ,the great    
,rahan has indeed practised to a high   
degree those ten virtues4 ,i cannot     
presume to compare myself to him4 ,in   
drawing the eleventh1 he confessed that 
he had not1 like that ,rahan1 the       
science that enabled to know the        
inclinations and dispositions of all    
beings4 ,in drawing the twelfth1 he said
 that he had not as yet acquired the    
knowledge of all that concerns the      
nature of the various beings4 ,drawing  
the four remaining lines1 he confessed  
successively that he did not feel1 like 
that ,rahan1 a tender compassion for the
 beings yet entangled in the miseries of
 existence1 nor could he perform        
miracles1 nor perceive everything1 nor  

attain to the perfect and supreme       
knowledge of the law4 ,on all these     
subjects he avowed his decided          
inferiority to the great ,rahan4        
,whilst ,manh was thus engaged with a   
sad heart in meditating over those      
rather humiliating points1 he was at    
last found out by his three daughters1  
,tahna1#aa ,aratee1 and ,raga1 who had  
for some time been looking after him4   
,when they saw their father with a      
downcast countenance1 they came to him1 
and inquired about the motive of his    
deep affliction4 ,beloved daughters1    
replied ,manh1 ,i see this ,rahan       
escaping from my dominion1 and          
notwithstanding my searching            
examination1 ,i have not been able to   
detect him in anything reprehensible4   
,this is the only cause of my           
inexpressible affliction4 ,dear father1 
replied they1 banish all sorrows from   
your mind1 and be of a good heart2 we   
will very soon find out the weak side of
 the great ,rahan1 and triumphantly     

bring him back within the hitherto      
unpassed limits of your empire4 ,beware 
of the man you will have to deal with1  
replied ,manh4 ,i believe that no       
effort1 however great1 directed against 
him1 will ever be rewarded with success4
 ,he is of a firm mind and unshaken     
purpose4 ,i fear you shall never succeed
 in bringing him back within my         
dominions4 ,dear father1 said they1 we  
women know how to manage such affairs2  
we will catch him like a bird in the net
 of concupiscence2 let fear and anxiety 
be for ever dispelled from your heart4  
,having given this assurance1 forthwith 
they went to ,buddha1 and said to him1  
,illustrious ,rahan1 we approach you    
respectfully and express the wish of    
staying with you1 that we may minister  
to all your wants4 ,without in the least
 heeding their words1 or even casting a 
glance at them1 the most excellent      
,buddha remained unmoved1 enjoying the  
happiness of meditation4 ,knowing that  
the same appearance1 face1 and bodily   

accomplishments might not be equally    
pleasing1 they assumed1 one the         
appearance of a heart-winning young     
girl1 another that of a blooming virgin1
 and the third that of a fine           
middle-aged beauty4 ,having thus made   
their arrangements1 they approached     
,buddha1 and several times expressed to 
him the desire of staying with him and  
ministering to his wants4 ,unmoved by   
all their allurements1 ,buddha said to  
them1 ,for what purpose do you come to  
me8 ,you might have some chance of      
success with those that have not as yet 
extinguished the fire of passion1 and   
rooted it from their heart2 but ,i1 like
 all the ,buddhas1 my predecessors1 have
 destroyed in me concupiscence1 passion1
 and ignorance4 ,no effort1 on your     
part1 will ever be able to bring me back
 into the world of passions4 ,i am free 
from all passions1 and have obtained    
supreme wisdom4 ,by what possible means 
could you ever succeed in bringing me   
back into the whirlpool of passions8    

,the three daughters of ,manh1 covered  
with confusion1 yet overawed with       
admiration and astonishment1 said to    
each other1 ,our father forsooth had    
given us a good and wise warning4 ,this 
great ,rahan deserves the praises of men
 and ,nats4 ,everything in him is       
perfect2 to him it belongs to instruct  
men in all things they want to know4    
,saying this1 they1 with a downcast     
countenance1 returned to their father4  
,it was in that very same place1 at the 
foot of the adzapala gniaong1 that a    
heretic ,pounha1 named ,mingalika1 proud
 of his caste1 came with hasty steps1   
speaking loudly1 and with little respect
 approached the spot where ,buddha was  
sitting4#ab ,having entered into        
conversation with him1 the ,pounha heard
 from his mouth instructions worthy of  
being ever remembered4 ,he said to      
,buddha1 ,lord ,gaudama1 ,i have two    
questions to put to you4 ,whence comes  
the name ,pounha8 ,what are the duties  
to be performed in order to become a    

real ,pounha8 ,buddha1 penetrating with 
the keen eye of wisdom into the         
innermost soul of his interlocutor1     
answered1 ,the real and genuine ,pounha 
is he who has renounced all passions1   
put an end to concupiscence1 and has    
entered the ways leading to perfection4 
,but there are others1 who are proud of 
their origin1 who walk hastily1 speak   
with a loud voice1 and who have not done
 what is needful to destroy the         
influence of passions4 ,these are called
 ,pounhas because of their caste and    
birth4 ,but the true sage avoids        
everything that is rash1 impetuous or   
noisy3 he has conquered all his         
passions1 and put an end to the         
principle of demerits4 ,his heart loves 
the repetition of formulas of prayers1  
and delights in the exercise of         
meditation4 ,he has reached the last way
 to perfection4 ,in him there is no     
longer wavering1 or doubt1 or pride4    
,this man really deserves the name of   
,pounha1 or pure3 he is indeed the true 

,pounha according to the law4 ,the      
instruction being finished1 the ,pounha 
rose respectfully from his place1       
wheeled to the right and departed4      
,buddha continued the sublime work of   
contemplating pure truth through the    
means of intense reflection4 ,having    
remained seven days in that position1   
,buddha arose in an ecstasy and went to 
the south-eastern side of the ,bodi     
tree1 to a distance of an oothaba 7#a   
oothabato #bj tas1 #a tato #g cubits71  
on the sixth day after the full moon of 
,nayon4 ,on that spot there was a tank  
called ,hidza-lee-dana4 ,on the bank of 
that tank1 he sat under the shade of the
 ,kiin tree1 in a cross-legged position 
during seven days1 enjoying the delight 
of meditation4 ,during those seven days 
rain fell in abundance1 and it was very 
cold4 ,a ,naga1 chief of that tank1     
would have made a building to protect   
,buddha against the inclemency of the   
weather1 but he preferred1 in order to  
gain greater merits1 to coil himself up 

sevenfold round his person1 and to place
 his head above him1 with his large hood
 extended4 ,when the seven days were    
over and the rain had ceased1 the ,naga 
quitted his position2 then assuming the 
appearance of a young man1 he prostrated
 himself before ,buddha and worshipped  
him4 ,buddha said3 ,he who aims at      
obtaining the state of ,neibban ought to
 possess the knowledge of the four roads
 leading thereto1 as well as that of the
 four great truths and of all laws4 ,he 
ought to bear no anger towards other    
men1 nor harm them in any way soever4   
,happy he who receives such             
instructions4  ,buddha moved from that  
place1 and went to the south of the     
,bodi tree1 to a distance of forty      
fathoms4 ,at the foot of the linloon    
tree he sat in a cross-legged position1 
having his mind deeply engaged in the   
exercise of the sublimest contemplation4
 ,in that position he spent seven entire
 days1 which completed the forty-nine   
days which were to be devoted to        

reflection and meditation around the    
,bodi tree4 ,when this period of days   
was over1 at daybreak1 on the fifth day 
after the full moon of ,watso1 he felt  
the want of food4 ,this was quickly     
perceived by a ,thagia1 who hastened    
from his seat to the spot where ,buddha 
was staying1 and offered him some ,thit 
khia fruits1 others say ,kia-dzoo       
fruits1 to prepare his system to receive
 more substantial food4 ,after he had   
eaten them1 the same celestial attendant
 brought him some water to rinse his    
mouth1 and to wash his face and hands4  
,buddha continued to remain in the same 
position under the cooling and          
protecting shade of the linloon tree4   
,to consecrate1 as it were1 and         
perpetuate the remembrance of the seven 
spots occupied by ,buddha during the    
forty-nine days that he spent round the 
tree ,bodi1 a ,dzedy was erected on each
 of those seven places4 ,king ,pathenadi
 ,kosala surrounded them with a double  
wall1 and subsequently ,king ,dammathoka

 added two others4 ,there were only     
three openings1 or gates1 to penetrate  
into the enclosed ground1 one on the    
north1 another on the east1 and the     
third on the south4 ,the river          
,neritzara rolls its deep blue waters in
 a south-eastern direction from the     
,bodi tree1 to a distance of eight      
oothabas from it4 ,on the eastern bank  
of that stream another ,dzedy has been  
erected on the spot where1 previous to  
his becoming a ,buddha1 he had eaten the
 forty-nine mouthfuls of the delicious  
,nogana offered to him by the pious     
,thoodzata4  ,whilst ,buddha was sitting
 in a cross-legged position under the   
linloon tree1 two brothers named        
,tapoosa and ,palekat1 merchants by     
profession1 arrived with five hundred   
carts in the ,oorouwela forest1 at the  
very place where ,buddha was staying4   
,they had sailed from their native town1
 called#ac ,oukkalaba1 which lies in a  
south-eastern direction from the        
,mitzima country1 bound for the port of 

,adzeitta4 ,after landing1 they hired   
five hundred carts to carry their goods 
to a place called ,soowama4 ,they were  
on their way to their destination when  
they arrived in the ,oorouwela forest4  
,great was their surprise when they saw 
on a sudden all their carts unable to   
move1 and arrested by some invisible    
power4  ,a ,nat who had been formerly   
their relative stopped by his power the 
wheels of the carriages4 ,surprised at  
such a wonder1 the merchants prayed to  
the ,nat who was guardian of that place4
 ,the ,nat1 assuming a visible shape1   
appeared before them and said to them3  
,the illustrious ,buddha who by the     
knowledge of the four great truths has  
arrived to the nature of ,phra1 is now  
sitting at the foot of the linloon tree4
 ,go now to that place1 and offer him   
some sweet bread and honey2 you shall   
derive therefrom great merits for many  
days and nights to come4 ,the two       
brothers1 joyfully complying with the   
,nat's request1 prepared the sweet bread

 and honey1 and hastened in the         
direction that had been indicated to    
them4 ,having placed themselves in a    
suitable position and prostrated        
themselves before ,buddha1 they said3   
,most glorious ,phra1 please to accept  
these offerings2 great merits doubtless 
will be our reward for many days to     
come4 ,buddha had no patta to put those 
offerings in1 for the one he had        
received from the ,brahma ,gatigara had 
disappeared when ,thoodzata made him her
 great offerings4 ,whilst he was        
thinking on what he had to do1 four     
,nats came and presented him each with  
one patta1 made of nila or sapphire     
stone4 ,phra accepted the four pattas1  
not from motives of covetousness1 but to
 let each ,nat have an equal share in   
such meritorious work4 ,he put the four 
pattas one in the other1 and by the     
power of his will they on a sudden      
became but one patta1 so that each ,nat 
lost nothing of the merit of his        
offerings4 ,buddha received the         

offerings of the two merchants in that  
patta1 and satisfied his appetite4 ,the 
two brothers said to ,buddha3 ,we have  
on this day approached you1 worshipped  
you1 and respectfully listened to your  
instructions2 please to consider us as  
your devoted followers for the remainder
 of our lives4#ad ,they obtained the    
position of ,upathaka4 ,they continued  
addressing ,buddha1 and said3 ,what     
shall we henceforth worship8 ,buddha1   
rubbing his hand over his head1 gave    
them a few of the hairs that had adhered
 to his fingers1 bidding them to keep   
carefully those relics4 ,the two        
brothers1 overjoyed at such a valuable  
present1 most respectfully received it1 
prostrated themselves before ,buddha1   
and departed4   ,,footnotes      #a ,the
 ,nats or ,dewatas play a conspicuous   
part in the affairs     of this world4  
,their seats are in the six lower       
heavens1     forming1 with the abode of 
man and the four states of              
punishment1 the eleven seats of         

passions4 ,but they often quit     their
 respective places1 and interfere with  
the chief events     that take place    
among men4 ,hence we see them ever      
attentive in     ministering to all the 
wants of the future ,buddha4 ,besides1  
they     are made to watch over trees1  
forests1 villages1 towns1 cities1       
fountains1 rivers1 c4 ,these are the    
good and benevolent ,nats4     ,this    
world is also supposed to be peopled    
with wicked ,nats1     whose nature is  
ever prone to the evil4 ,a good deal of 
the     worship of ,buddhists consists  
in superstitious ceremonies and         
offerings made for propitiating the     
wicked ,nats1 and obtaining     favours 
and temporal advantages from the good   
ones4 ,such a     worship is universal1 
and fully countenanced by the talapoins1
     though in opposition to the real   
doctrines of genuine ,buddhism4     ,all
 kinds of misfortunes are attributed to 
the malignant     interference of the   
evil ,nats4 ,in cases of severe illness 

that     have resisted the skill of     
native medical art1 the physician       
gravely tells the patient and his       
relatives that it is useless     to have
 recourse any longer to medicines1 but a
 conjuror must be     sent for to drive 
out the malignant spirit1 who is the    
author of     the complaint4 ,meanwhile 
directions are given for the erection   
of a shed1 where offerings intended for 
the inimical ,nat are     deposited4 ,a 
female relative of the patient begins   
dancing to     the sound of musical     
instruments4 ,the dance goes on1 at     
first in     rather a quiet manner1 but 
it gradually grows more animated        
until it reaches the acme of animal     
frenzy4 ,at that moment the     bodily  
strength of the dancing lady becomes    
exhausted2 she drops     on the ground  
in a state of apparent faintness4 ,she  
is then     approached by the conjuror1 
who asks her if the invisible foe       
has relinquished his hold over the      
diseased4 ,being answered in     the    

affirmative1 he bids the physician give 
medicines to the     patient1 assuring  
him that his remedies will now act      
beneficially for restoring the health of
 the sick1 since their     action will  
meet no further opposition from the     
wicked ,nat4      ,ignorance brings     
everywhere superstition in its train4   
,when man     is unacquainted with the  
natural cause that has produced a       
result1 or an effect1 which attracts    
powerfully his mind's     attention and 
affects him to a great degree1 he is    
induced by     his own weakness to      
believe in the agency of some unknown   
being1     to account for the effect    
that he perceives4 ,he devises the most 
ridiculous means for expressing his     
gratitude to his invisible              
benefactor1 if the result be a          
favourable one2 and has recourse     to 
the most extravagant measures to        
counteract the evil     influence of his
 supposed enemy1 if the result be fatal 
to him4     ,having once entered into   

the dark way of superstition1 man is    
hurried on in countless false directions
 by fear1 hope1 and     other passions1 
in the midst of the daily occurrence of 
multifarious and unforeseen events and  
circumstances4 ,hence the     expression
 or manifestation of his superstition   
assumes a     variety of forms1 and     
undergoes changes to an extent that     
baffles every attempt at either counting
 their numberless kinds     or following
 them up through their ever-changing    
course4 ,in     addition to the stores  
of superstitions bequeathed by the      
generation that has preceded him1 man   
has those of his own     creation2 and  
the latter1 if the thought of his mind  
and the     desires of his heart could  
be analysed1 would be found far         
exceeding the former in number4 ,having 
spent many years in a     country where 
,buddhism has prevailed from time       
immemorial1 and     observed the effects
 of superstition over the people in     
their     daily doings1 the writer has  

come to the conclusion that there     is
 scarcely an action done without the    
influence of some     superstitious     
motive or consideration4 ,but the most  
prolific     source of superstition is  
the belief in the existence of          
countless good and evil ,nats1 with whom
 the imagination of     ,buddhists has  
peopled this world4      ,it can        
scarcely be understood how the followers
 of an     atheistical creed can make1  
consistently with their opinions1 an    
attempt at prayer4 ,such an act of      
devotion implies the belief in     a    
being superior to men1 who has a        
controlling power over them1     and in 
whose hands their destinies are placed4 
,with a believer     in ,god1 prayer is 
a sacred1 nay1 a natural duty4 ,but such
 cannot     be the case with atheists4  
,despite the withering and despairing   
influence of atheism1 nothing can       
possibly obliterate from the            
conscience and heart of man that inward 
faith in a supreme     being4 ,the pious

 ,thoodzata has in view the attainment  
of two     objects3 she prays1 without  
knowing to whom1 that by the agency     
of some one she might obtain the objects
 of her petition2 she is     anxious to 
show her gratitude when she sees that   
her prayer has     been heard4 ,her     
faith in the quasi omnipotence of the   
genii     makes her address thanks to   
them4 ,the ,nat is not the person to    
whom her prayer appears directed1 but he
 is rather a witness of     her         
petition4 ,the ,burmese1 in general1    
under difficult     circumstances1      
unforeseen difficulties1 and sudden     
calamities1     use always the cry1     
,phra kaiba--,god assist me--to obtain  
from     above assistance and           
protection4 ,yet that ,phra cannot be   
their     ,buddha1 though he be in their
 opinion the ,phra par excellence1      
since they openly declare that he in no 
way interferes in the     management of 
this world's affairs4 ,whence that      
involuntary cry     for assistance1 but 

from the innate consciousness that above
 man     there is some one ruling over  
his destinies8 ,an atheistical          
system may be elaborated in a school of 
metaphysics1 and forced     upon        
ignorant and unreflecting masses1 but   
practice will ever     belie theory4    
,man1 in spite of his errors and        
follies1 is     naturally a believing   
being2 his own weakness and multiplied  
wants ever compel him to have recourse  
to some great being that     can help   
and assist him1 and supply1 to a certain
 extent1 the     deficiency which1 in   
spite of himself1 he is compelled to    
acknowledge existing in him as a stern  
and humiliating reality4      #b ,the   
,burmese1 like all trans-,gangetic      
nations1 divide the     year into twelve
 lunar months of twenty-nine and thirty 
days     alternately4 ,every third year 
they add one month1 or as they     say1 
double the month of ,watso 7,july74 ,the
 year begins on1 or     about1 the #abth
 of ,april4 ,the days of worship are the

 days of     the four quarters of the   
moon2 but the days of the new and full  
moon seem to have preference over those 
of the two other     quarters1 which    
latter are scarcely noticed or          
distinguished     from common days4 ,it 
was on the day of the full moon of      
,april     that ,thoodzata made her     
grand offering4      #c ,the ,burmese   
translator1 not having given in his     
remarks the     explanation or          
interpretation of ,phralaong's five     
dreams1 it     seems rather presumptuous
 to attempt doing a thing1 the neglect  
of which1 on the part of the author1 may
 be attributed either to     voluntary  
omission or to incapacity and inability4
 ,let us try to     make up1 in part1   
for the deficiency4 ,the first dream    
prognosticated the future greatness of  
,phralaong1 whose sway1 by     the      
diffusion of his doctrines throughout   
the world1 was to be     universal1     
extending from one sea to the other sea4
 ,the grass     growing out of his navel

 and reaching to the sky was indicative 
of the spreading of his law1 not only   
amongst the beings     inhabiting the   
seat of men1 but also amidst those      
dwelling in     the abodes of ,nats and 
,brahmas4 ,the ants covering his legs   
offer     an enigma1 the explanation of 
which is reserved to some future        
,oedipus4 ,as to the birds of various   
colours1 gathering round     him1 from  
the four points of the compass1 and on a
 sudden     becoming all white1 by their
 contact with him1 they represent       
the innumerable beings that will come to
 hear the preaching of     the future   
,buddha with divers dispositions1 and   
different     progress in the way of    
merits1 and will all be perfected by    
their following the true way to merit1  
that he will point out to     them4 ,the
 fifth dream in which ,phralaong thought
 he was walking     on a mountain of    
filth1 without being in the least       
contaminated     by it1 foreshowed the  
incomparable perfection and purity of   

,buddha1 who1 though remaining in the   
world of passions1 was no     more to be
 affected by their influence4      #d   
,we have now reached the most           
interesting episode of     ,phralaong's 
life4 ,he is to become a perfected      
,buddha under the     shade of the      
gniaong or banyan tree 7ficus indica1   
ficus     religiosa74 ,there are two    
circumstances attending that great      
event1 deserving peculiar notice4 ,the  
first is the preference     given to the
 east over the three other points of the
 compass1     and the second1 the mighty
 combat that takes place between        
,phralaong and the wicked ,nat ,manh1 or
 ,mar4 ,i notice the first              
circumstance because it agrees with the 
tradition prevailing     amongst most   
nations previous to or about the coming 
of our     ,lord1 that from the east    
there was to come an extraordinary      
personage1 who would confer on the human
 race the greatest     benefits1 and    
cause the return of happy times1 like   

the golden     age so much celebrated by
 poets4 ,the ,roman historian ,suetonius
     bears testimony to the existence of
 that tradition as being     universally
 known in his own days4 ,it is not      
impossible that the     same notion1 not
 unknown in the far east1 might have    
induced     ,phralaong to look towards  
the east at the supreme moment when     
perfect intelligence was to become his  
happy lot4 ,it may be said     in       
opposition to this supposition1 that the
 splendour and     magnificence of the  
sun1 emerging from the bosom of night1  
and     dispelling darkness by pouring a
 flood of light on the face of     the  
earth1 restoring nature to life and     
action1 was a sufficient     inducement 
to ,phralaong for giving preference to  
the east4 ,but     to an ascetic like   
him1 who is convinced that this world is
 a     mere illusion1 such a            
consideration would weigh very little on
     his mind1 and would not be a       
sufficient motive to induce him to      

give so marked a preference to the east4
      ,the second circumstance          
remarkable for the time it occurred1 is 
the great combat between ,phralaong and 
,manh4 ,the first is the                
personification of goodness and         
benevolence towards all beings2     the 
second is the personification of        
consummate wickedness4 ,the     contest 
is to take place between the good       
principle on the one     hand1 and the  
evil one on the other4 ,phralaong1 on   
his becoming     ,buddha1 will preach a 
law designed to dispel mental darkness1 
to     check vicious passions1 to show  
the right way to perfection1 to         
unloose the ties that keep beings in the
 wretched state of     existence1 and   
enable them to reach safely the peaceful
 shores     of ,neibban4 ,manh1 the     
devil himself1 the father of darkness1  
of     lies and deceit1 delights in     
seeing all beings plunged into the      
abyss of vices1 carried out of the right
 way by the impetuous     and           

irresistible torrent of their passions1 
and doomed to turn     for ever in the  
whirlpool of endless existences4 ,he    
looks upon     himself as the king of   
this world1 and proudly exults in       
contemplating all beings bending their  
neck under his tyrannical     yoke1 and 
acknowledging his undisputed power4 ,now
 the moment     approaches when a mighty
 antagonist will contend with him for   
the empire of the world4 ,his mission   
will be to labour     incessantly for   
the delivery of all beings from the     
grasp of     their mortal enemy1 and set
 them free from the tyranny of          
passions4 ,manh is enraged at the       
audacious pretensions of     ,phralaong4
 ,hence the gigantic efforts he makes to
 maintain his     rights1 and retain    
possession of his empire4 ,at the time  
,phralaong left the world to become a   
,rahan1 ,manh endeavoured to            
dissuade him from attempting such a     
design4 ,but on this     occasion1 the  
tempter summons all his forces to avert1

 by an     irresistible attack1 the     
deadly blow soon to be levelled at him4 
,it is needless to add that the reader1 
in perusing the detailed     account of 
the attack of ,manh against ,phralaong1 
ought to bear     in mind that it       
exhibits throughout but an allegory of  
the     opposition of evil to good4 ,the
 victory of ,phralaong over ,manh       
exemplifies the final triumph of truth  
over error4      ,when the contest was  
nearly over1 ,phralaong objected to the 
claims of ,manh to the possession of his
 throne1 on the ground     that he never
 had practised the ten great virtues1   
nor performed     works of kindness1    
charity1 and benevolence1 which alone   
can     entitle a being to obtain the   
,buddhaship4 ,it is to be borne in      
mind that these qualifications form the 
real characteristics of     a ,buddha1  
together with the possession of the     
supreme     intelligence4 ,in this      
system1 they admit that there exist     
certain beings called ,pitzega-,buddhas1

 who possess all the     knowledge and  
science of a genuine ,buddha1 but as    
they are     divested of those          
benevolent feelings which induce the    
former to     labour earnestly for the  
benefit and salvation of all beings1    
they cannot be assimilated to the real  
,buddhas4 ,the cross-legged     position
 which our ,buddha has always taken in  
preference to any     other1 whilst he  
spent forty-nine days at the foot of and
 in     various places round the ,bodi  
tree1 is1 as every one knows1           
peculiar to and a favourite with all    
,asiatics4 ,but with him1 it     is the 
fittest position for meditation and     
contemplation4 ,hence     most of the   
statues or images of ,gaudama exhibit or
 represent     him in the cross-legged  
position which he occupied when he      
attained the ,buddhaship4 ,as this event
 is by far the most     important of his
 life1 it is but natural that this great
     occurrence should ever be forced   
upon the attention and memory     of his

 followers1 by objects representing him 
on that most     important stage of his 
last existence4 ,it is not unusual to   
meet     with statues of ,gaudama1      
sometimes of colossal dimensions1       
representing him in a reclining         
position4 ,this is the peculiar         
situation he occupied when he died4     
,hence those two most common     images 
of ,gaudama are designed to remind his  
followers of the     two greatest       
circumstances of his life1 viz41 his    
becoming     ,buddha1 and his entering  
the state of ,neibban4      ,here again 
one is forcibly compelled to reflect on 
the singular     role attributed to     
those ,pitzega-,buddhas4 ,they possess  
all the     science of a ,buddha1 but   
are deficient in that kindness1         
benevolence1 and zeal which prompt the  
real ,buddhas to labour so              
strenuously for the deliverance of all  
beings4 ,they appear only     in those  
ages of darkness and ignorance which are
 not to be     brightened and           

enlightened by the presence of a        
,buddha4 ,they are     like smaller     
luminaries1 shedding a pale light among 
men to     prevent their sinking into an
 unfathomable abyss of ignorance2       
they maintain on earth some sparks of   
the knowledge of     fundamental truths1
 which otherwise would be completely    
obliterated from the memory of men4 ,not
 unlike the prophets of     old1 they   
prepare men in an indirect manner for   
the coming of     the future deliverer4 
,their mission being at an end1 when a  
,buddha is to come among men1 they      
disappear1 and none of them is     to be
 seen either in the days of ,buddha or  
during all the time     his religion is 
to last4      #e ,the witness whom      
,phralaong summoned in support of his   
claim     to the undisturbed possession 
of the throne was the earth     itself4 
,it maybe from the example that was set 
on this occasion     that ,buddhists    
have borrowed the habit of calling the  
earth as a     witness of the good works

 they have done or are doing4 ,i will   
briefly relate what is done and said on 
such occasions4 ,during     my former   
residence in ,burmah ,i observed on a   
certain occasion1     when taking my    
evening walk1 about ten or twelve       
persons of both     sexes assembled on a
 rather retired spot in the vicinity of 
a     pagoda4 ,as they appeared all     
quite attentive1 ,i came near to        
them to see what was the cause that had 
brought them thither1     and what      
occurrence seemed to rivet their        
attention4 ,as ,i was     known to some 
of them1 they were not frightened by my 
sudden     apparition4 ,on my asking    
them the motive of their assembling     
here at a late hour1 they said that1    
having buried yesterday a     child two 
years old1 they came to make some       
offerings of boiled     rice1 plantains1
 and other fruits1 to propitiate the    
,nat of the     place4 ,having asked    
them to repeat the formula they had     
uttered     on the occasion1 they kindly

 complied with my request4 ,here is     
the substance of that formula4          
,believing in the three precious        
things1 ,buddha1 the ,law1 and the      
,assembly of the perfect1 ,i make       
this offering1 that ,i may be delivered 
from all present and     future         
miseries4 ,may all beings existing in   
the four states of     punishment reach 
the fortunate seats of ,nats4 ,i wish   
all my     relatives and all men        
inhabiting this and other worlds to have
 a     share in this meritorious work4  
,o earth and you ,nats1 guardians     of
 this place1 be witness to the offering 
,i am making4 ,on     uttering these    
last words1 the offerer of the present1 
or a     talapoin1 sent for this        
purpose1 pours down some water on the   
ground4      #f ,as the ,nats and all   
other beings are to be benefited by the 
preachings of ,buddha1 it is but natural
 that they all join in     singing his  
praises and exalting his glorious       
achievements4 ,the     ,nagas and       

,galongs are fabulous animals1 which are
 often     mentioned in the course of   
this ,legend4 ,it has been observed in  
a former note that1 according to the    
,buddhistic notions1 animals     are    
beings in a state of punishment1        
differing from man1 not in     nature1  
but in merits4 ,some of them1 having    
nearly exhausted the     sum of their   
demerits1 begin to feel the influence of
 former     merits4 ,they are supposed  
to have1 to a certain extent1 the use   
of reason4 ,no wonder if they rejoice at
 seeing the triumph of     him who is to
 help them in advancing towards a       
condition better     than their present 
one4      #g ,the banyan tree1 at the   
foot of which ,phralaong obtains        
perfect intelligence1 is occasionally   
called throughout this     narrative the
 ,bodi tree4 ,the word ,bodi means      
wisdom1 science1 or     knowledge4 ,the 
,burmese1 in their sacred writings1     
always mention     the tree by that     
name1 because1 under its shade1 perfect 

science     was communicated to         
,phralaong4 ,it is supposed to occupy   
the very     centre of the island of    
,dzampudiba4 ,during all the while ,phra
 or     ,buddha 7let us call him now by 
that name7 remained under that     tree 
his mind was engaged in the most        
profound meditation1 which     the      
gigantic efforts of his enemy could     
scarcely interrupt4 ,it     is not to be
 inferred from the narrative in the text
 that     supreme intelligence was      
communicated suddenly or by miraculous  
process to our ,buddha4 ,he was already 
prepared1 by former mental     labours1 
for that grand result2 he had previously
 capacitated     himself1 by studies and
 reflection1 for the reception of that  
more than human science2 he required but
 a last and mighty     effort of his    
intelligence to arrive finally at the   
acme of     knowledge1 and thereby to   
become a perfect ,buddha4 ,that last    
effort was made on this occasion1 and   
crowned with the most     complete      

success4 ,he gained the science of the  
past1 present1     and future4      ,it 
would be somewhat curious to investigate
 the motives that     have determined   
,buddhists to give to that sacred tree  
the name     of ,bodi4 ,at first sight  
one will infer that such a name was     
given to the tree because1 under its    
refreshing and cooling     shade the    
,bodi1 or ,supreme intelligence1 was    
communicated to     ,phralaong4 ,the    
occurrence1 however extraordinary it be1
 is     scarcely sufficient to account  
for such an appellation4 ,bearing     in
 mind the numerous and striking         
instances of certain revealed     facts 
and truths1 offered to the attention of 
the reader of this     ,legend1 in a    
deformed but yet recognisable shape1 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 ,eden4      
#h ,the theory of the twelve causes and 

effects is1 in itself1     very         
abstruse1 and almost above the          
comprehension of those     uninitiated  
in the metaphysics of ,buddhists4 ,i    
will attempt to     analyse it in as    
simple and clear a way as possible4     
,this theory     is very ancient1       
probably coeval with the first ages of  
,buddhism4 ,it forms this basis of its  
ontology and metaphysics in     the same
 manner as the four great and           
transcendent truths are     the         
foundation whereupon rests the system of
 morals4 ,it is     probable that       
,gaudama1 in his preachings1 which were 
very     simple1 and within the reach of
 ordinary minds1 never formulated       
his doctrine on this essential point in 
such a dry and concise     manner4 ,but 
the seed was sown1 and the germ         
deposited here and     there in his     
instructions4 ,his immediate disciples1 
in     endeavouring to give a distant   
shape to their master's     doctrines1  
gradually framed the formula or theory  

just stated4     ,it1 in fact1 presents 
the very characteristics of a system    
elaborated in a philosophical school4   
,in taking our departure from the first 
cause1 which is ,awidza1     or         
ignorance1 or the wanting in science1 or
 no knowledge1 we     have to follow the
 different stages and conditions of a   
being     until it reaches decrepitude1 
old age1 and death4 ,when we speak      
of ignorance1 or no science1 we must not
 suppose the material     existence of a
 being that ignores4 ,but we must take  
ignorance in     an abstract sense1     
deprived of forms1 and subsisting in a  
manner     very different from what we  
are wont to consider ordinary           
beings4 ,a ,european has a great        
difficulty in finding his way           
through a process of reasoning so       
extraordinary1 and so     different from
 that positivism which he is used to4   
,but with the     ,buddhist the case is 
widely different4 ,he can pass from the 
abstract to the concrete1 from the ideal

 to the real1 with the     greatest     
ease4 ,but let us follow the scale of   
the causes and     effects1 upon which  
there are twelve steps4      ,from      
ignorance comes ,sangkara1 that is to   
say1 conception or     imagination1     
which mistakes for reality what is      
unreal1 which     looks on this world as
 something substantial1 whilst it is1   
indeed1 nothing but shadow and          
emptiness1 assuming forms which     pass
 away as quick as the representations of
 theatrical     exhibitions4 ,sangkara1 
in its turn1 begets ,wignian1 or        
knowledge1 attended with a notion of    
sentiment1 implying that of     soul and
 life1 in an abstract sense4 ,from      
,wignian proceeds     ,namrup1 the name 
and form1 because knowledge can have for
 its     object but name and form1 c41  
or1 to speak in the language of         
,buddhists1 things that are external and
 internal4 ,but let it be     borne in  
mind that what is herein meant is but   
the individuality     of an ideal being4

      ,the name and form give birth to  
the ,chayatana1 six senses1 or     seats
 of the sensible qualities4 ,to our     
division of the five     ordinary senses
 ,buddhists add the sixth sense of      
,mano1 or the     heart1 the internal   
sense4 ,through the senses we are put in
     communication or contact with all  
objects2 hence the six senses     give  
rise to the sixth cause ,pasa1 which    
means1 properly     speaking1 contact4  
,from this cause flows the seventh one1 
called     ,wedana1 or sensation1 or1   
more generally still1 sensibility4      
,in fact1 there can be no contact from  
which there will not     result some    
sensation1 either pleasant or           
unpleasant1 ,wedana     gives infallibly
 rise to ,tahna1 or passion1 or desire1 
or     inclination4 ,from this point the
 series of causes and effects is        
comparatively easy1 because it presents 
conditions essentially     connected    
with a material object4 ,by ,tahna we   
ought not to     understand only the    

mere inclination that the sexes have one
 for     the other1 but the general     
propensity created in a being by any    
contact whatever1 or perhaps1 as usual  
with ,buddhists1 the     desire taken in
 an abstract sense4      ,the immediate 
result from ,tahna is ,upadan1 the      
attachment1 or     the conception4 ,it  
is that state in which the desire       
adheres to     something1 assumes a     
shape4 ,it is1 in fact1 the being       
conceived4     ,from the state of       
conception the being passes into that of
     ,bawa1 or existence1 or that       
condition which is created and     made 
by the influence of former good or bad  
deeds preceding     birth1 which is but 
the apparition of the being into this   
world4     ,dzati1 or birth1 is the     
eleventh cause4 ,it is the ushering of  
a being into the world4 ,there are six  
ways by which a being     comes into    
this world1 viz41 those of ,nat1 ,man1  
,assura1 ,preitta1     animal1 and the  
inhabitant of hell4 ,birth is           

accomplished in     four different      
manners1 by humidity1 an egg1 a matrice1
 and     metamorphosis4      ,the       
twelfth and last step in the ladder of  
the causes and     effects is           
decrepitude and death4 ,in fact1 every  
being that is     born must grow old1   
decay1 and finally die4      ,such is   
the process followed by ,buddhists in   
attempting to     account for all that  
exists4 ,what effect could such a       
reasoning     have over the mind of the 
generality of hearers it is difficult   
to say4 ,but we may rest assured that1  
though these principles     existed1 as 
an embryo1 in the discourses of the     
author of     ,buddhism1 they were never
 laid before the generality of hearers  
in that crude scholastic form4 ,such    
abstruse ideas1 when     analysed and   
commented upon by ,buddhist doctors1    
gave rise to     the most opposite      
conclusions4 ,the materialist school    
based its     revolting doctrines upon  
that theory2 we may add that the        

opinions of that school are generally   
held in ,burmah1 and by the     great   
mass of ,buddhists4 ,some other doctors 
reasoned in the     following manner3   
,ignorance supposes two things1 a being 
ignoring and a thing ignored1 that is to
 say1 man and the world4     ,they      
admitted the eternity of a soul which   
had to pass through     the series above
 enumerated4 ,with them metempsychosis  
was a     process exactly similar to    
that imagined by the ,brahmins4 ,as to  
the world1 it was1 to them1 an          
unreality4 ,knowledge enabled them      
to come to the position of understanding
 and believing that     there is no such
 thing as what we by mistake call world4
 ,the     latter opinion1 which seems to
 admit of a principle existing          
distinct from matter1 is opposed to the 
former and general one1     which       
supposes that spirit is but a           
modification of matter4 ,we             
deliberately make use of the doubt1     
implying expression1 at the     head of 

the preceding sentence1 respecting the  
real opinions of     the latter school1 
because1 in their way of arguing1 it is 
impossible not to come to the painful   
conclusion that they     ignore1 or do  
not admit1 a distinction between spirit 
and     matter4      #i ,in a work      
different from that which has been      
translated is     found a more developed
 exposition of the four great and       
sublime     truths4 ,we think that the  
reader will like to see in what manner  
,buddhists themselves understand this   
important subject1 which     is1 with   
them1 the foundation of their doctrine  
on morals4      ,there are four great   
truths3 pain1 the production of pain1   
the     destruction of pain1 and the way
 leading to that destruction4     ,what 
is pain1 which is the first of the great
 truths8 ,it is     birth1 old age1     
sickness1 death1 the coming in contact  
with what     we dislike1 the separation
 from what we feel an attachment for1   
the illusion which begets false         

knowledge4 ,all that is pain4     ,what 
is the production of pain1 the second   
sublime truth8 ,it is     the desire    
which incessantly longs for an illusory 
satisfaction1     which can never be    
obtained4 ,that desire is a perpetually 
renewed craving1 coveting objects here  
and there1 and never     satiated4 ,such
 is the cause productive of pain2 such  
is the     prolific source of all       
miseries4 ,what is the destruction of   
pain1 which is the third great truth8   
,it is the doing away with     that     
desire which always shows itself1       
searches after this or     that object1 
is always attended with feelings of     
pleasure1 or     some other sensations4 
,it is the perfect and entire stifling  
of     that craving which always covets1
 and is never satiated4 ,the            
estranging oneself from that desire and 
that craving1 the     complete          
destruction of both1 constitutes the    
third great truth4     ,what is the way 
leading to the destruction of that      

desire1 which     is the fourth great   
truth8 ,the way which one has to follow1
 in     order to obtain that most       
desirable result1 is that which the     
wise man invariably follows1 when he is 
with an intention1 will1     diligence1 
action1 life1 language1 thought1 and    
meditation1     always pure and correct4
      ,the four truths are exceedingly  
praised by ,buddhists4 ,they            
constitute what is emphatically called  
the law of the wheel1     incessantly   
revolving upon itself1 and always       
presenting     successively those four  
points to the attentive consideration   
and affectionate piety of the faithful4 
,they are the offensive     weapons     
wherewith passions are attacked and     
destroyed3 they are     the sword that  
cuts asunder the link that retains a    
being in the     circle of existences4  
,the revelation1 or manifestation of    
those     truths1 is the great work that
 a ,buddha has to perform4 ,when it     
is made1 all beings in their respective 

seats rejoice in an     extraordinary   
manner4 ,inanimate nature even partakes 
in the     universal joy4 ,the earth    
shakes with a great violence1 and the   
greatest prodigies proclaim aloud the   
fortunate manifestation of     a law    
which opens to all beings the way       
leading to deliverance4     ,the        
preaching of that doctrine took place   
for the first time in     the forest of 
,migadawon1 not far from ,baranathee1 in
 the     presence and for the benefit of
 the five ,rahans1 who had     attended 
on ,buddha1 during the six years of     
mortification which     he spent to     
prepare and qualify himself for the     
,buddhaship4      #aj ,buddhists allow  
to their ,buddha the power of working   
wonders and miracles4 ,how is this power
 conferred upon him8 ,this     is a     
difficulty they cannot explain          
satisfactorily4 ,the science     of     
,buddha makes him acquainted with all   
the laws regulating     nature1 that is 
to say1 the ensemble of the animate and 

inanimate beings constituting a world2  
but one is at a loss to     find the    
origin of that power which enables him1 
as often as he     likes1 to suspend the
 course of those laws4 ,be that as it   
may1     certain it is that ,buddha     
resorted always1 during the course of   
his preachings1 to miracles1 in order to
 convince those who     seemed to listen
 with rather an incredulous ear to his  
doctrines4 ,miracles were used          
successfully1 as powerful and           
irresistible weapons1 against certain   
heretics1 the ,brahmins1 in             
particular1 who taught doctrines opposed
 to his own4 ,they often     accompanied
 his preachings1 for increasing faith in
 the heart of     his hearers4      #aa 
,the great tempter had been foiled in   
all his attempts to     conquer ,buddha4
 ,in the sadness of his heart he was    
compelled to     acknowledge the        
superiority of his opponent and confess 
his     defeat4 ,his three daughters    
came to console him1 promising that     

they would1 by their united efforts1    
overcome the firmness of     the great  
,rahan1 by awakening in his heart the   
fire of     concupiscence4 ,the names of
 those three daughters of ,manh denote  
concupiscence4 ,these new enemies of    
,buddha1 therefore1 are mere            
personifications of the passion of lust4
 ,pride1 personified in     ,manh1 had  
proved powerless against the virtue of  
,buddha2 he is     now assailed from a  
different quarter2 the attack is to be  
directed against the weakest side of    
human nature4 ,but it is as             
successless as the former one3 it       
affords to ,buddha another     occasion 
for a fresh triumph4      #ab ,in       
,burmah the originator of the great     
,buddhistic system is     called        
,gaudama1 and this appellation1         
according to many1 appears     to be his
 family name4 ,when he is called ,rahan 
,gaudama1 it means     the ascetic      
belonging to the family of ,gaudama4 ,in
 ,nepaul1 the     same personage is     

known under the name of ,thakiamuni1    
that is to     say1 the ascetic of the  
,thakia family4 ,those who refused to   
believe in ,buddha and his doctrines1   
those who held tenets     disagreeing   
with his own1 and professed what1 in the
 opinion of     their adversaries1 was  
termed a heretical creed1 invariably    
called ,buddha by his family name1      
placing him on the same level     with  
so many of his contemporaries who led   
the same mode of     life4 ,the ,siamese
 give the appellation of ,sammana       
,khodom to     their ,buddha1 that is to
 say1 ,thramana ,gaudama1 or ,gautama4  
,the     ,sanscrit word ,thramana means 
an ascetic who has conquered his        
passions and lives on alms4 ,gaudama    
belonged to the ,kchatria     caste4    
,kings and all royal families in those  
days came out of     the same caste4    
,hence his father ,thoodaudana was king 
of the     country of ,kapilawot1       
anciently a small state1 north of       
,goruckpore4      ,the young ,pounha1   

not unlike the young man mentioned in   
the     gospel1 had1 by the preachings  
of ,gaudama1 become acquainted     with 
all the laws and practices relating to  
the general duties     and obligations  
incumbent on men in general4 ,he might  
have     perhaps added that he had      
observed all those precepts from his    
youth1 or1 at least1 that he was sure   
now1 with the additional     light he   
had received from his eminent teacher1  
to observe     faithfully all the       
injunctions mentioned in the course of  
the     lecture3 but he was not         
satisfied with an ordinary proficiency  
in virtue and observances2 he aimed at  
superior attainments2 he     wished to  
obtain the greatest perfection1 that is 
to say1 that     of ,brahmas4 ,in what  
does such a perfection consist8 ,the    
book of     metaphysics informs us that 
the five states of ,dzan1 or            
contemplations1 are enjoyed by the      
beings located in the sixteen     seats 
of ,brahmas1 in the following order4    

,the first state1 or     that of        
consideration1 is shared by all the     
beings inhabiting     the three first   
seats of ,brahmas4 ,their occupation is 
to     consider the various subjects the
 mind has to dwell on4 ,the     second  
,dzan1 or reflection1 is reserved for   
the beings occupying     the next three 
seats4 ,those beings have no more to    
look out for     subjects of meditation4
 ,their sole occupation is to dive into 
truth and fathom its depth and various  
bearings4 ,the third state     of ,dzan 
procures the pleasure which is derived  
from the     contemplation of truth1 and
 belongs to the beings of the three     
seats1 superior to those just alluded   
to2 in the fourth ,dzan is     enjoyed a
 placid happiness1 which is the result  
of the     possession of truth2 it is   
reserved for the beings of the three    
next seats4 ,the fifth ,dzan1 or perfect
 stability1 is the happy     lot of the 
beings living in the five last seats4   
,those fortunate     inmates are so     

entirely rooted in truth1 and so        
perfectly exempt     from all that      
causes mutability1 that they arrive at a
 state of     complete fixity1 the whole
 of their soul being riveted on truth4  
,apology is certainly due to the reader1
 who is but slightly     initiated in   
such abstruse subjects1 for laying      
before him     particulars with which he
 is so unfamiliar2 but this trouble     
must be borne up by him who desires to  
obtain access into the     gloomy       
sanctuary of ,buddhism4      #ac ,the   
episode of these two merchants is well  
known to the     inhabitants of the     
,irrawaddy valley4 ,in three different  
manuscripts which the writer has had in 
his hands1 he has found     it related  
with almost the same particulars4       
,oukkalaba1 the     place the two young 
men started from1 was situated probably 
on     the spot now occupied by the     
village of ,twaintay1 or not far        
from it4 ,how far that place was from   
the sea in those remote     times it is 

not possible to ascertain with          
precision4 ,certain it     is1 that it  
was a port from which vessels sailed    
across the ,bay     of ,bengal4 ,the    
port of ,eedzeitha has not as yet been  
identified     with any known locality4 
,it was situated in all probability     
between the mouth of the ,krichna and   
that of the ,hoogly4 ,one of     the    
manuscripts mentions that when ,gaudama 
handed over to the     two merchants    
eight hairs of his head1 he bade them1  
on their     arrival in their country1  
deposit the hairs on a small hill       
called ,seingouttara1 where the relics  
of the three former     ,buddhas of our 
period had been enshrined4 ,they were   
twenty-seven     days in reaching       
,maudin or ,cape ,negrais1 rather a long
 voyage4     ,having come to their own  
place1 they related to the governor all 
the particulars of their interesting    
journey4 ,the latter1     without loss  
of time1 assembled the people and set   
out in search     of the ,seingouttara  

mount4 ,all the eminences were cleared  
of     their brushwood1 but the mount   
could not be discovered4 ,not           
knowing what to do1 they consulted the  
,nats on that affair4 ,at     last1     
through their assistance1 the mount was 
found out4 ,but     when they inquired  
about the place of the relics of the    
three     former ,buddhas1 the ,nats of 
,yesapan1 ,inandra1 and ,gauveinda      
confessed that they knew nothing on the 
subject1 but referred     the inquirers 
to other ,nats older than they1 viz43   
those of     ,deckina1 ,yauhani1        
,maubee1 ,ameisa1 and ,tsoolay1 who at  
once     pointed out the spot which they
 were so eagerly searching after4       
,this spot is no other than the one over
 which stands and towers     the lofty  
and massive ,shoay ,dagon4 ,they erected
 a ,dzedy1 in     which they enshrined  
the relics they had brought with them1  
the     eight hairs of ,buddha4 ,this   
story is doubtless the foundation on    
which rests the popular belief that     

those very hairs are to this     day in 
the interior of that monument1 and the  
true source from     which has          
originated the profound veneration      
which1 in our own     days1 ,buddhists1 
from all parts of ,burmah1 ,siam1 and   
the ,shan     states1 pay by their      
pilgrimages and offerings to the ,dagon 
,pagoda4      #ad ,upasaka is a ,pali   
word which is designed to mean those    
persons who1 having heard the           
instructions of ,buddha1 and            
professed a faith or belief in him and  
his doctrines1 did not     enter the    
profession of ,rahans4 ,hence they are  
quite distinct     from the ,bikus or   
mendicants1 who formed the first class  
of the     hearers of ,buddha1 and      
renounced the world in imitation of     
their     great master4 ,the ,upasakas  
were therefore people adhering to the   
doctrines of ,buddha1 but as yet        
remaining engaged in the     ordinary   
pursuits of life4 ,the two brothers     
became disciples of     ,buddha1 but not

 of the first class1 since they did not 
embrace     the more perfect mode of    
life of the ascetics4      ,this is the 
first instance in this legend of an     
allusion being     made to relics1 that 
is to say1 to objects supposed to be    
surrounded with a certain amount of     
sacredness1 and esteemed on     that    
account to be worthy of receiving from  
devotees respect and     veneration4    
,the two young converts1 not as yet     
confirmed in the     new faith they had 
embraced1 thought they wanted some      
exterior     object to which they might 
hereafter direct their homage and       
offer their respects4 ,they were as yet 
far from being acquainted     with the  
sublime science of their eminent        
teacher1 who1     disregarding matter   
and all its modifications1 could not but
     feel quite indifferent respecting  
the pretended value of relics     of    
even the most sacred character4 ,how is 
it that the stern     moralist1 the     
contemner of this illusory world1 could 

think of     giving a few hairs of his  
head to two new young converts1 that    
they might use them as objects of       
worship8 ,buddha doubtless knew         
exactly and appreciated admirably the   
wants and necessities of     human      
nature as it is1 and will very likely   
ever be to the end     of ages4 ,men are
 led1 actuated1 impressioned1 and       
influenced by     the senses2 in fact1  
it is through their senses that the     
knowledge of things is conveyed to their
 minds4 ,he gave to his     imperfectly 
instructed disciples a thing that would 
serve to     vivify and reanimate in    
their memory the remembrance of ,buddha1
     and of the instructions they had   
heard from him4 ,those                  
grossly-minded hearers asked for an     
object they might carry     about with  
them and worship4 ,buddha1 out of       
deference for their     weak intellect1 
gave them a few hairs of his head1 the  
sight of     which was designed to      
maintain in their souls a tender        

affection     for the person of him     
these things had belonged to4 ,this     
subject     will receive hereafter the  
further treatment it deserves when we   
come to examine the nature of the       
worship paid by ,buddhists to     the   
images of ,gaudama1 and to the relics   
and ,dzedis4     ,,chapter ,,vi4        
,buddha 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 -- ,journey towards          
,migadawon --     ,he meets ,ouppaka -- 
,his first preachings -- ,conversion of 
a     young nobleman named ,ratha1      
followed by that of his father and      
other relatives -- ,conversion of       
several other noblemen --               
,instructions to the ,rahans --         
,conversion of the three ,kathabas4     
,having come to the end of his great    
meditations1#a ,buddha left this spot   
and returned to the place called        
,adzapala1 where he revolved the        

following subject in his mind3--,the    
knowledge1 said he1 of the law and of   
the four great truths1 which ,i alone   
possess1 is very hard to be had4 ,the   
law is deep2 it is difficult to know and
 understand it2 it is very sublime1 and 
can be comprehended only by the means of
 earnest meditation4 ,it is sweet1      
filling the soul with joy1 and          
accessible only to the wise4 ,now all   
beings are sunk very low by the         
influence of the five great passions2   
they cannot free themselves from their  
baneful operation1 which is the source  
of all mutability4 ,but the law of      
mutability is the opposite of the law of
 ,neibban or rest4 ,this law is hard to 
be understood4 ,if ,i ever preach that  
law1 beings will not be able to         
understand me1 and from my preaching    
there will result but a useless fatigue 
and unprofitable weariness1 ,buddha thus
 remained almost disinclined to         
undertake the great duty of preaching   
the law4 ,the great ,brahma1 observing  

what was taking place in ,buddha's soul1
 cried out3 ,alas6 all mankind are      
doomed to be lost4 ,he who deserves to  
be worshipped by all beings now feels no
 disposition to announce the law to     
them4 ,he instantly left his seat1 and  
having repaired to the presence of      
,phra1 his cloak over his shoulders with
 one extremity hanging backward1 he bent
 his knee1 lifted up his joined hands to
 the forehead before the sage1 and said 
to him3 ,most illustrious ,buddha1 who  
art adorned with the six glories1 do    
condescend to preach the most excellent 
law2 the number of those buried under   
the weight and filth of passions is     
comparatively small2 if they do not     
listen to the law there will be no great
 loss4 ,but there is an immense number  
of beings who will understand the law4  
,in this world there are beings who are 
moderately given up to the gratification
 of sensual appetites2 and there are    
also a great many who are following     
heretical opinions to whom the knowledge

 of truth is necessary1 and who will    
easily come to it4 ,lay now open the way
 that leads to the perfection of        
,ariahs2 those perfections are the gates
 to ,neibban4 ,thus he entreated        
,buddha4 ,this ,brahma had been in the  
time of ,buddha ,kathaba a ,rahan1 under
 the name of ,thabaka1 and was          
transferred to the first seat of ,brahma
 for the duration of a world4  ,on      
hearing the supplications of that       
,brahma1 ,buddha began to feel a tender 
compassion for all beings4 ,with the    
keen eyes of a ,buddha he glanced over  
the whole world4 ,he discovered         
distinctly those beings who were as yet 
completely sunk in the filth of         
passions1 those who were but partly     
under the control of passions1 and those
 whose dispositions seemed to be more   
promising4 ,he then made to the chief of
 ,brahmas the solemn promise that he    
would preach his law to all beings4     
,satisfied with the answer he had       
received1 the chief rose up1 withdrew   

respectfully at a proper distance1 and  
turning on the right1 left the presence 
of ,buddha and returned to his own seat4
  ,another thought preoccupied the mind 
of ,buddha4 ,to whom1 said he1 shall ,i 
announce the law8 ,having pondered a    
while over this subject1 he added3 ,the 
,rathee ,alara of the ,kalama race is   
gifted with wisdom and an uncommonly    
penetrating mind2 passions have scarcely
 any influence over him4 ,i will first  
preach to him the most excellent law4 ,a
 ,nat then said to ,phra that ,alara had
 died seven days ago4 ,buddha1 to whom  
the past is known1 had already seen that
 ,alara was dead4 ,he said3 ,great      
indeed is the loss ,alara has met with2 
he would have doubtless been able to    
understand right well the law ,i        
intended to preach to him4 ,to whom     
shall ,i go now8 ,having paused a while1
 he added3 ,the ,rathee ,oodaka1 son of 
,prince ,rama1 has a quick perception2  
he will easily understand my doctrine2  
to him ,i will announce the law4 ,but   

the same ,nat told him that ,oodaka had 
died the night before last1 at midnight4
 ,o6 great is the loss that has come    
upon ,oodaka2 he would have easily      
acquired the knowledge of the perfect   
law4 ,buddha considered a third time1   
and said to himself3 ,to whom shall ,i  
go to preach the law8 ,after a moment's 
delay he added3 ,many are the services  
,i received in the wilderness from the  
five ,rahans who lived with me4#b ,i    
will repay their good offices to me1 by 
preaching to them the law1 but where are
 they now8 ,his penetrating regards soon
 discovered them in the solitude of     
,migadawon4 ,having enjoyed himself in  
the place ,adzapala1 ,buddha went on    
towards the country of ,baranathee4 ,all
 the former ,buddhas travelled through  
the air1 but our ,buddha1 who had       
merciful designs over ,upaka1 went on   
foot4 ,on his way to the village of     
,gaya1 at a distance of three gawots    
from the ,bodi tree1 ,buddha went to    
rest1 at midday1 for a while under the  

cooling shade of a tree4 ,there he was  
seen by the heretic ,rahan ,upaka1 who1 
approaching near him1 said1 ,o ,rahan1  
all your exterior bespeaks the most     
amiable qualities2 your countenance is  
at once modest and beautiful4 ,under    
what teacher have you become a ,rahan8  
,to what law or doctrine have you given 
preference in your arduous studies8     
,buddha answered3 ,upaka1 ,i have       
triumphed over all the laws of          
mutability2 ,i am acquainted with all   
the laws that rule this universe1 and   
the beings existing therein2 from       
concupiscence and other passions ,i am  
wholly disengaged4 ,i have come to      
preach the most excellent law to all    
beings1 and teach them the four great   
truths ,i alone am acquainted with4 ,i  
will beat the great drum of the law4 ,i 
have no teacher1 and among ,nats and men
 there is none equal to me4 ,because of 
my victory1 ,i have been named ,zeena4  
,now ,i am proceeding to the country of 
,baranathee1 for the sake of preaching  

the law4 ,upaka replied1 ,you are       
certainly the illustrious ,gaudama4 ,he 
then shook his head1 turned away from   
the road1 and went to the village of    
,wingaha4 ,the instructions1 however1   
germinated as good seed in the soul of  
,upaka1 and were the foundation of his  
subsequent conversion1 which happened as
 follows3--,after this interview with   
,gaudama1 ,upaka dwelt as a hermit in   
the village of ,wingaha1 where a shed   
was erected for his dwelling4 ,a hunter 
brought him support4 ,it happened that  
the hunter being engaged in a hunting   
excursion1 his daughter went to the     
hermit's cell1 to carry him his food4   
,upaka was smitten by the beauty of the 
damsel4 ,he stretched himself on his    
belly and said to himself1 ,i will take 
no food1 nor change this position1      
unless ,i obtain the object of my       
wishes4 ,he stayed for several days in  
that position without uttering a word1  
or making a single movement1 or taking  
any food4 ,at last the hunter returned1 

and went forthwith to the hermit's cell 
to inquire about the cause of his       
strange behaviour4 ,he pulled him by the
 feet1 calling him aloud by the name of 
hermit2 after a while a sepulchral groan
 was heard1 indicating that he was still
 alive4 ,the good hunter affectionately 
entreated him to mention to him what he 
wanted2 that he was ready to give him   
anything that he would ask4 ,the hermit 
a second time made a prolonged groan1 as
 a man endeavouring to gather strength4 
,he then mentioned to the hunter the    
passion he had for his daughter1 and    
swore that he would die on the spot if  
his demand were rejected4 ,the father   
having given his consent1 ,upaka rose   
up1 and was soon married to ,tsawama1   
who after due time presented him with a 
son4 ,it happened that ,tsawama soon    
began to dislike her husband1 and poured
 upon him on every occasion all sorts of
 abuse4 ,unable to bear any longer the  
unpleasant behaviour of his wife1 ,upaka
 said to himself1 ,i have here neither  

friend nor supporter3 ,i will go to my  
friend ,dzina2 he will receive me with  
kindness4 ,hereupon he departed1        
inquiring everywhere about his friend   
,dzina4 ,at last he arrived at the place
 where ,buddha was staying with his     
disciples4 ,some of them1 hearing ,upaka
 inquiring with a loud voice about his  
friend ,dzina1 took him into the        
presence of ,buddha1 who1 understanding 
at once the sad and painful state of the
 old man1 kindly asked what he wanted4  
,upaka replied that he desired to become
 a ,samanay under his direction4        
,buddha1 to try his disposition1 said to
 him1 ,you are too old1 ,upaka1 to enter
 upon the course of the severe life of a
 ,samanay1 and conform to the enjoined  
practices4 ,but the latter renewing his 
entreaties1 he was admitted among the   
members of the assembly4 ,he became an  
,anagam1 died and migrated to one of the
 seats of ,brahmas4 ,after a short stay 
up there1 he obtained the deliverance4  
,his son was ,thoobadda1 who became     

afterwards an illustrious convert4      
,buddha continued his way towards       
,baranathee1 and soon reached the       
solitude of ,migadawon1 a little distant
 from ,baranathee1 and went to the place
 where lived the five unbelieving       
,rahans4 ,when they saw him coming at a 
distance1 they said to each other1 ,the 
,rahan ,gaudama is in search after      
disciples2 he has just performed        
penitential deeds1 and he is looking out
 for alms and clothes4 ,let us pay no   
respect to him in the way of going out  
to meet him1 of receiving the tsiwaran  
from his hands1 of presenting him water 
to wash his feet and preparing a place  
to sit on2 let him sit wherever he      
pleases4 ,such was the plan they        
concerted among themselves4 ,but when   
,buddha drew near1 they could adhere no 
longer to their resolution4 ,they rose  
up and went out to welcome his arrival4 
,one took the tsiwaran from his hands1  
another the patta1 a third one brought  
water for the washing of the feet1 and a

 fourth one prepared a becoming place to
 rest4 ,buddha sat in the place that had
 been prepared for him4 ,they called him
 by the name of ,gaudama and other      
appellations1 usually bestowed on       
ordinary ,rahans4 ,buddha meekly replied
 to them1 ,do not call me any longer by 
the name of ,gaudama1 or any other title
 bestowed on an ascetic4 ,i have become 
a ,rahanda2 ,i alone am acquainted with 
the four fundamental truths4 ,now ,i am 
come to preach to you the true law4     
,listen1 ,o ,rahans1 to my words2 ,i    
will lead you to the true state of      
,neibban4 ,my law will make you         
acquainted not only with the truths to  
be known1 but at the same time point out
 to you the duties you have to perform1 
in order to obtain the state of ,arahat4
 ,there are four ways leading to        
perfection4 ,he who steadily follows    
them will enjoy the rewards and merits  
gained by his exertions4 ,in that       
position he will see distinctly his own 
self2 the light of ,neibban will break  

forth upon him4 ,but in order to obtain 
the great results ,i set forth before   
you1 he must forsake his house and the  
world1 and become a ,rahan4  ,the       
unbelieving ,rahans persisted in not    
acknowledging him as a ,buddha1 and     
reproached him with going about in      
search of disciples and in quest of     
alms4 ,the same preaching was repeated  
by ,buddha1 and the same answer was     
returned by his incredulous hearers4 ,at
 last ,buddha1 assuming a lofty and     
commanding tone1 said to them1 ,i       
declare unto you that ,i am a ,buddha1  
knowing the four great truths and       
showing the way to ,neibban4 ,the       
hitherto unbelieving ascetics humbled   
themselves1 and declared their belief in
 him and in all that he had taught4     
,from that moment they entered on the   
four ways of perfection4 ,the day was   
that of the full moon of ,watso4 ,the   
preaching began at the moment when half 
the disc of the sun was visible on the  
western horizon1 and half that of the   

moon was above the eastern horizon4     
,when completed1 the sun had just       
disappeared1 and the moon's entire globe
 was visible on the horizon4 ,the five  
first converts were named ,kautagnya1   
,baddiha1 ,wappa1 ,mahanan1 and ,asadzi4
  ,the ,nats1 guardians of the country  
of ,baranathee#c and ,migadawon1 hearing
 the sublime instructions delivered by  
,buddha on this occasion1 cried aloud1  
,the law which the most excellent       
,buddha preaches is such as no man1     
,pounha or ,brahma1 can teach4 ,their   
united voices were heard in the lowest  
seat of ,nats2 the inhabitants of that  
seat1 catching their words1 repeated    
them1 and they were heard by those of   
the next seat1 and so on1 until they    
reached the seats of ,brahmas1 and were 
re-echoed through #aj1jjj worlds4 ,a    
mighty commotion was felt all over these
 worlds4  ,the five at first            
unbelieving1 but now believing ,rahans  
obtained the perfection of ,thautapati4 
,buddha often repeated to those that    

approached him1 ,come to me2 ,i preach a
 doctrine which leads to the deliverance
 from all the miseries attending        
existence4 ,on that day1 being the full 
moon of ,watso1 eighteen koodes         
7#ah1jjj1jjj1jjj7 of ,nats and ,brahmas 
who had heard his preachings obtained   
the deliverance4 ,the conversation of   
those five ,rahans exhibited to the     
world the splendid and wonderful sight  
of six ,rahandas assembled in the same  
place4  ,at that time1 whilst ,buddha   
was in the ,migadawon grove1 the        
memorable conversion of a young layman  
took place4 ,there was in the country of
 ,baranathee the son of a rich man1     
named ,ratha4 ,he was of very gentle and
 amiable disposition4 ,his father had   
built for him three palaces for each    
season of the year4 ,a crowd of young   
damsels1 skilful in the art of playing  
on all sorts of musical instruments1    
attended him in each of those palaces4  
,ratha spent his time in the midst of   
pleasure and amusements4 ,on a certain  

day1 while surrounded with female       
dancers and singers1 he fell into a deep
 sleep4 ,the musicians1 following his   
example1 laid aside their instruments1  
and fell asleep too4 ,the lamps1 filled 
with oil1 continued to pour a flood of  
light throughout the apartments4        
,awaking sooner than usual1 ,ratha saw  
the musicians all asleep round him in   
various and unseemly situations4 ,some  
slept with wide-opened mouths1 some had 
dishevelled hair1 some were snoring     
aloud1 some had their instruments lying 
on themselves1 and others by their      
sides4 ,the whole exhibited a vast scene
 of the greatest confusion and disorder4
 ,sitting on his couch in a cross-legged
 position1 the young man silently gazed 
with amazement and disgust over the     
unseemly spectacle displayed before him2
 then he said to himself1 ,the nature   
and condition of the body constitute    
indeed a truly heavy burden2 that       
coarser part of our being affords a     
great deal of trouble and affliction4   

,whereupon he instantly arose from his  
couch1 put on his gilt slippers1 and    
came down to the door of his apartment4 
,the ,nats1 who kept a vigilant watch1  
lest any one should oppose him in the   
execution of his holy purpose1 kept open
 the door of the house1 as well as the  
gate of the city4 ,ratha1 free from all 
impediments1 directed his steps towards 
the solitude of ,migadawon4 ,at that    
time ,buddha1 who had left his sleeping 
place at a very early hour1 was walking 
in front of the house4 ,he saw at a     
distance a young man coming in the      
direction he was in4 ,he instantly      
stopped his pacing1 and going into his  
own apartment1 sat as usual on his seat1
 awaiting the arrival of the young      
stranger1 who soon made his appearance  
and stated modestly the object of his   
visit4 ,buddha said to him1 ,o ,ratha6  
the law of ,neibban is the only true    
one3 alone it is never attended with    
misery and affliction4 ,o ,ratha6 come  
nearer to me2 remain in this place2 to  

you ,i will make known the most perfect 
and valuable law4 ,on hearing these kind
 and inviting expressions1 ,ratha felt  
his heart overflow with the purest joy4 
,he instantly put off his slippers1 drew
 nearer to ,buddha1 bowed down three    
times before him1 withdrew then to a    
becoming distance1 and remained in a    
respectful attitude4 ,buddha began to   
preach the law1 unfolding successively  
the various merits obtained by          
alms-giving1 by a strict performance of 
all duties and practices of the law1    
and1 above all1 by renouncing the       
pleasures of this world4 ,during all the
 while the heart of the young visitor   
expanded in a wonderful manner3 he felt 
the ties that hitherto had bound him as 
it were to the world gradually relaxing 
and giving way before the unresisting   
influence of ,buddha's words4 ,the good 
dispositions of the young hearer were   
soon remarked by ,buddha1 who went on   
explaining all that related to the      
miseries attending existence1 the       

passions tyrannising over the soul1 the 
means wherewith to become exempt from   
those passions1 and the great ways      
leading to perfection4 ,after having    
listened to that series of instructions1
 ,ratha1 like a white cloth that easily 
retains the impressions of various      
colours printed upon it1 felt himself   
freed from all passions1 and reached at 
once the state of ,thautapati4  ,ratha's
 mother1 not meeting her son early1 went
 up as usual to his apartment1 and1 to  
her great surprise1 found him gone2     
moreover she observed unmistakable marks
 of his sudden and unexpected departure4
 ,she ran forthwith to her husband1 and 
announced to him the sad tidings4 ,on   
hearing of such an unlooked-for event1  
the father sent messengers in the       
direction of the four points of the     
compass1 with positive orders to search 
incessantly after his son1 and leave no 
means of inquiry untried4 ,as to himself
 he resolved to go to the solitude of   
,migadawon1 in the hope of finding out  

some track of his son's escape4 ,he had 
scarcely travelled a limited distance1  
when he observed on the ground the marks
 of his son's footsteps4 ,he followed   
them up1 and soon came in sight of      
,buddha's resting-place4 ,ratha was at  
the time listening with deepest         
attention to all the words of his great 
teacher4 ,by the power of ,buddha he    
remained hidden from the eyes of his    
father1 who came up1 and1 having paid   
his respects to ,gaudama1 eagerly asked 
him if he had not seen his son4 ,gaudama
 bade him sit down and rest after the   
fatigue of his journey4 ,meanwhile he   
assured him that he would soon see his  
son4 ,rejoiced at such an assurance1    
,ratha's father complied with the       
invitation he had received4 ,buddha     
announced his law to this distinguished 
hearer1 and soon led him to the         
perfection of ,thautapati4 ,filled with 
joy and gratitude1 the new convert      
exclaimed1 ,o illustrious ,phra1 your   
doctrine is a most excellent one2 when  

you preach it1 you do like him who      
replaces on its basis an upset cup2 like
 him1 too1 who brings to light precious 
things1 which had hitherto remained in  
darkness2 like him who points out the   
right way to those that have lost it2   
who kindles a brilliant light in the    
middle of darkness2 who opens the mind's
 eyes that they might see the pure      
truth4 ,henceforth ,i adhere to you and 
to your holy law2 please to reckon me as
 one of your disciples and supporters4  
,this was the first layman that became a
 disciple of ,gaudama1 in the capacity  
of ,upasaka4#d  ,whilst ,buddha was     
busily engaged in imparting instruction 
to ,ratha's father1 the young man had   
entered into a deep and solemn          
meditation over some of the highest     
maxims he had heard from his great      
teacher4 ,he was calmly surveying1 as it
 were1 all the things of this world2 the
 more he progressed in that great work1 
the more he felt there was in himself no
 affection whatever for anything4 ,he   

had not yet become a ,rahan1 nor put on 
the ,rahan's dress4 ,phra1 who          
attentively watched all the movements of
 his pupil's mind1 concluded from his   
present dispositions that there could be
 no fear of his ever returning into the 
world of passions4 ,he suddenly caused  
by his mighty power the son to become   
visible to his father's eyes4 ,the      
father1 perceiving on a sudden his son  
sitting close by him1 said1 ,beloved    
son1 your mother is now bathed in tears1
 and almost sinking under the weight of 
affliction caused by your sudden        
departure2 come now to her1 and by your 
presence restore her to life1 and infuse
 into her desolated soul some           
consolation4 ,ratha1 calm and unmoved1  
made no reply1 but cast a look at his   
master4 ,buddha1 addressing ,ratha's    
father1 said to him1 ,what will you have
 to state in reply to what ,i am about  
to tell you8 ,your son knows what you   
know2 he sees what you see2 his heart is
 entirely disentangled from all         

attachment to worldly objects2 passions 
are dead in him4 ,who will now ever     
presume to say that he ought to subject 
himself again to them and bend his neck 
under their baneful influence8 ,i have  
spoken rashly1 replied the father2 let  
my son continue to enjoy the favour of  
your society2 let him remain with you   
for ever and become your disciple4 ,the 
only favour ,i request for myself is to 
have the satisfaction of receiving you  
in my house with my son attending you1  
and there to enjoy the happiness of     
supplying you with your food4 ,buddha by
 his silence assented to his request4   
,no sooner had his father departed than 
,ratha applied for the dignity of       
,rahan1 which was forthwith conferred   
upon him4 ,at that time there were in   
the world seven ,rahandas4  ,on the     
following morning1 ,gaudama1 putting on 
his yellow tsiwaran1 and carrying the   
patta under his arm1 attended by the    
,rahan ,ratha1 sallied from his house1  
and went1 according to his promise1 to  

the place of ,ratha's father1 to receive
 his food4 ,he had scarce entered the   
house and occupied the seat prepared for
 him1 when the mother of the new ,rahan 
and she who was formerly his wife came  
both to pay him their respects4 ,buddha 
preached to them the law1 explaining in 
particular the three#e principal        
observances becoming their sex and      
condition4 ,the effect of the preaching 
was immediate and irresistible3 they    
became exempt from all sins1 and        
attained the state of the perfect1 of   
,thautapati1 and became1 among the      
persons of their sex1 the first         
,upasakas4 ,they desired to be ranked   
among his disciples1 and devoted        
themselves to his service4 ,they were   
the first persons of their sex who took 
refuge in the three precious things1    
,buddha1 his law1 and the assembly of   
the perfect4 ,gaudama and his faithful  
attendant1 having eaten the excellent   
and savoury food prepared for them1     
departed from the house and returned to 

the monastery4  ,four young men#f       
belonging to the most illustrious       
families of ,baranathee1 and formerly   
connected with ,ratha by the ties of    
intimate friendship1 having heard that  
their friend had shaved his head and    
beard1 had put on a yellow dress and    
become a ,rahan1 said among themselves3 
,our friend has withdrawn from the      
society of men1 given up all pleasures1 
and has entered into the society of     
,rahans4 ,there can be no doubt but the 
law of ,wini#g is most excellent and    
sublime1 and the profession of ,rahan   
most perfect4 ,whereupon they came to   
the place their friend resided in1      
prostrated themselves before him1 as    
usual in such circumstances1 and sat    
down at a respectful and becoming       
distance4 ,ratha took them before       
,buddha1 praying him to deliver to those
 who had been his friends in the world  
the same instructions he had received   
from him4 ,gaudama willingly assented to
 his request1 and forthwith began to    

explain to them the nature and abundance
 of merits derived from alms-giving4 ,he
 initiated them into the knowledge of   
the chief precepts and observances of   
the law4 ,these young hearers received  
with a cheerful heart his instructions1 
and felt within themselves an unknown   
power1 dissolving gradually all the ties
 that had hitherto retained them in the 
world of passions4 ,delighted at        
remarking so good dispositions in those 
young men1 ,gaudama explained to them   
the higher doctrine of the four great   
and fundamental truths which lead to    
perfection4#h ,when the preaching was   
over1 they applied for and obtained the 
dignity of ,rahans4 ,there were at that 
time eleven ,rahandas in the whole      
world4  ,fifty other young men of good  
descent1 who had been the companions of 
,ratha while in the world1 having heard 
that their friend had left the world1   
had put on the yellow garb and become   
,rahan1 said to each other3 ,the law    
which our friend listened to may not be 

a bad one2 the profession he has entered
 into may not be as despicable as many  
people are wont to assert4 ,they        
resolved to judge for themselves and to 
be eye-witnesses to all that had been   
said on the subject4 ,they set out for  
the monastery ,ratha was living in1 came
 into his presence1 paid their respects 
to him1 and stopped at a proper distance
 in a respectful posture4 ,hatha led    
them to his great teacher1 humbly       
craving for his former friends the same 
favour he had done to him4 ,buddha      
graciously assented to the request1 and 
imparted instruction to his young       
hearers1 with such a happy result that  
they instantly applied for admittance to
 the dignity of ,rahans4 ,this favour   
was granted to them4 ,the total number  
of ,rahandas was thereby raised to      
sixty-one4  ,on a certain day1 ,gaudama 
called his disciples into his           
presence1#i and said to them3 ,beloved  
,rahans1 ,i am exempt from the five     
great passions which1 like an immense   

net1 encompass men and ,nats4 ,you too1 
owing to the instructions you have      
received from me1 enjoy the same        
glorious privilege4 ,there is now       
incumbent on us a great duty1 that of   
labouring effectually in behalf of men  
and ,nats1 and procuring to them the    
invaluable blessing of the deliverance4 
,to the end of securing more effectually
 the success of such an undertaking1 let
 us part with each other and proceed in 
various and opposite directions1 so that
 not two of us should follow up the same
 way4 ,go ye now and preach the most    
excellent law1 expounding every point   
thereof1 and unfolding it with care and 
attention in all its bearings and       
particulars4 ,explain the beginning1 the
 middle1 and the end of the law to all  
men1 without exception2 let everything  
respecting it be made publicly known and
 brought to the broad daylight4 ,show   
now to men and ,nats the way leading to 
the practice of pure and meritorious    
works4 ,you will meet1 doubtless1 with a

 great number of mortals1 not as yet    
hopelessly given up to their passions1  
and who will avail themselves of your   
preaching for reconquering their        
hitherto forfeited liberty1 and freeing 
themselves from the thraldom of         
passions4 ,for my own part1 ,i will     
direct my course towards the village of 
,thena situated in the vicinity of the  
solitude of ,ooroowela4  ,at that time  
the wicked ,nat ,manh came into the     
presence of ,buddha1 and tempted him in 
the following manner3 ,men and ,nats1   
said he1 have the five senses2 through  
those five senses passions act upon     
them1 encompass their whole being1 and  
finally keep them bound up with the     
chains of an unresistible slavery4 ,as  
to you1 ,rahan1 you are not an exception
 to that universal condition1 and you   
have not yet outstepped the boundaries  
of my empire4 ,phra replied3 ,o vile and
 wretched ,nat6 ,i am well acquainted   
with the passions men and ,nats are     
subjected to4 ,but ,i have freed myself 

from them all1 and have thereby placed  
myself without the pale of your empire2 
you are at last vanquished and          
conquered4 ,manh1 yet undismayed1       
replied3 ,o ,rahan1 you may be possessed
 of the power of flying through the air2
 but even in that condition1 those      
passions which are inherent in the      
nature of mortal beings will accompany  
you1 so that you cannot flatter yourself
 of living without the boundaries of my 
empire4 ,phra retorted3 ,o wicked ,nat1 
concupiscence and all other passions ,i 
have stifled to death in me so that you 
are at last conquered4 ,manh1 the most  
wretched among the wretched1 was        
compelled to confess with a broken heart
 that ,phra had conquered him1 and he   
instantly vanished away4  ,full of      
fervour in preaching the law1 the       
,rahans saw themselves surrounded with  
crowds of converts1 who asked for the   
dignity of ,rahan4 ,they poured in daily
 from all parts1 into the presence of   
,buddha to receive at his hands the     

much-longed-for high dignity4#aj ,buddha
 said to them1 ,beloved ,rahans1 it is  
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 me4 ,i now give to   
you the power of conferring the dignity 
of ,patzin and ,rahan on those whom you 
may deem worthy to receive it4 ,this is 
the summary way you will have to follow 
on such occasions4 ,every candidate     
shall have his hair and beard shaved1   
and shall be provided with the tsiwaran 
of yellow colour4 ,these preliminaries  
being arranged1 the candidate1 with the 
extremities of the kowot thrown over his
 shoulders1 shall place himself in a    
squatting position1 his joined hands    
raised to the forehead1 repeating three 
times1 ',i adhere to ,buddha1 to the    
law1 and to the assembly of the         
perfect4'  ,gaudama1 assembling again   
round him the ,rahans1 said to them1    
,beloved ,rahans1 it is owing to my     
wisdom1 aided by constant reflection and

 meditation1 that ,i have at last       
reached the incomparable state of       
,arahatapho2 endeavour all of you to    
follow my example1 and arrive at last at
 the same state of excellence and       
perfection4  ,the vile and wretched ,nat
 ,manh appeared again before ,buddha1   
striving to tempt him in the same manner
 as before4 ,buddha1 discovering the    
snares laid down by the tempter1        
returned the same reply4 ,finding       
himself discovered1 ,manh vanished from 
his presence4  ,having spent his first  
lent#aa in the solitude of ,migadawon1  
,phra shaped his course in the direction
 of the forest of ,ooroowela4 ,on his   
way to that place he stopped for a while
 in a jungle1 and sat under a tree1 to  
enjoy some rest under its cool shade4   
,at that time thirty young noblemen had 
come to the jungle to indulge in sports 
and diversions4 ,each of them had       
brought his wife1 with the exception of 
one1 who1 having no wife1 was           
accompanied by a harlot4 ,during the    

night the harlot rose up unperceived1   
picked up the best articles belonging to
 the parties1 and carrying them with    
her1 took to her heels through the dense
 forest4 ,in the morning the thirty     
young noblemen1 rising up1 soon         
perceived the havoc made in the richest 
articles of their dress1 and set out in 
search of her who they suspected had    
done the mischief4 ,they came by chance 
to the spot where ,gaudama was sitting  
in a cross-legged position1 and inquired
 from him whether he had seen a woman   
passing by4 ,buddha said to them1       
,which1 in your opinion1 is the best and
 most advantageous thing1 either to go  
in search of yourselves or in search of 
a woman8 ,they replied1 ,of course it is
 preferable to look after ourselves4 ,if
 so1 replied ,buddha1 stay with me for a
 while2 ,i will preach my law to you1   
and1 with its help1 you will arrive at  
the knowledge of self1 and thence at    
perfection4 ,they cheerfully assented to
 his request1 listened attentively to   

his instructions1 and obtained the state
 of perfect believers1 but in various   
degrees1 according to their respective  
dispositions4 ,they gave up the habit of
 drunkenness they had hitherto indulged 
in1 and persevered in the observance of 
the five great precepts4  ,it is to be  
remarked1 adds the ,burmese translator1 
that this happy result was secured to   
the fortunate hearers by the influence  
of good works made during former        
existences4#ab  ,gaudama1 having so     
happily completed the conversion of     
those young noblemen1 rose up and       
continued his journey in the direction  
of the forest of ,ooroowela4 ,at that   
time there were three distinguished and 
far-famed teachers who presided over a  
vast number of ,rathees or disciples    
leading an ascetic life4 ,they were     
named ,ooroowela ,kathaba1 ,nadi        
,kathaba1 and ,gaya ,kathaba4 ,the first
 had under him five hundred disciples1  
the second three hundred1 and the third 
two hundred4 ,buddha went up to the     

monastery of ,ooroowela ,kathaba1 and   
said to him1 ,i carry but a few articles
 with me1 and need but a small place to 
rest in2 ,i beg of you to be allowed to 
spend the night only in your kitchen4   
,kathaba answered3 ,since you have so   
few things with you1 ,i willingly allow 
you to accommodate yourself in the best 
way you can in the cook-room2 but ,i    
must inform you that the ,naga guardian 
of the place is an animal of a very     
wicked temper1 powerfully strong1 and   
having a most deadly venom4 ,i fear not 
the ,naga1 replied ,buddha2 ,i am well  
satisfied with your allowing me a place 
in the cook-room4 ,whereupon he entered 
into the kitchen1 sat down in a         
cross-legged position1 and1 keeping his 
body in an erect posture1 remained      
absorbed1 as it were1 in the deepest    
contemplation4 ,the ,naga soon appeared1
 and irritated at seeing that a stranger
 presumed to remain in a place committed
 to his care1 resolved to drive out the 
intruder4 ,he began to vomit a cloud of 

smoke which he directed at the face of  
the stranger4 ,buddha said to himself1  
,i will do no harm to that ,naga2 ,i    
will leave intact his skin1 flesh1 and  
bones2 but ,i will conquer him with the 
very same weapons he uses against me4   
,whereupon he emitted by his own power  
such a volume of thick smoke as soon to 
silence his adversary1 and oblige him to
 have recourse to more effectual means  
of attack4 ,he vomited out burning      
flames4 ,phra opposed flames far more   
active and destructive than those of the
 ,naga4 ,they shone forth with such an  
uncommon brightness as to attract a     
number of ,rathees1 who stood           
motionless1 admiring the beautiful      
countenance of ,buddha1 and wondering at
 his matchless power4 ,the ,naga1       
vanquished1 gave up the contest1 and    
left to ,buddha the undisputed          
possession of the cook-room during the  
whole night4 ,in the morning opening his
 patta1 ,phra thrust in the terrified   
,naga1 and brought it to ,ooroowela     

,kathaba1 who1 surprised at the power of
 the stranger1 said1 ,this ,rahanda     
cannot as yet be compared to me4 ,he    
desired him to stay in his monastery1   
promising to supply him with food as    
long as he should be with him4 ,phra    
accepted the proffered invitation1 and  
fixed his residence in the midst of a   
grove little distant from the cell of   
,kathaba4 ,whilst he was there1 four    
chiefs of ,nats of the seat of          
,tsadoomarit came at midnight to the    
spot where rested ,phra4 ,they were very
 handsome1 and a bright hue1            
encompassing their bodies1 filled the   
grove with a resplendent light4         
,kathaba1 surprised1 came to ,buddha1   
and said to him1 ,great ,rahan1 the hour
 of taking your food is at hand2 your   
rice is ready1 come and eat it4 ,how is 
it that at midnight there was such an   
uncommon splendour8 ,one would have     
thought that the whole forest in the    
neighbourhood was lined with immense    
fires1 spreading a blaze of light4 ,phra

 answering said1 ,this wonder was caused
 by the presence of four chiefs of ,nats
 that came to visit me and hear my      
preachings4 ,kathaba said to himself1   
,great indeed must be the virtue of this
 ,rahan1 since ,nats come to see him and
 acknowledge him for their teacher4 ,he 
is not yet1 however1 my equal4 ,buddha  
ate his rice1 and went back to the same 
place4  ,on another occasion1 in the    
middle of the night1 the chief of       
,thagias came to the grove of ,buddha1  
and by his power caused a flood of light
 similar to that produced by a thousand 
lighted fires to pour its effulgent rays
 in every direction4 ,in the morning1   
,kathaba went to the great ,rahan       
inviting him to come and eat his rice4  
,meanwhile he asked him the reason of   
the wonderful light that had been kept  
up about from midnight until morning1   
which surpassed in brilliancy that which
 had been seen on a former occasion4    
,phra told him that he had been visited 
by the chief of ,thagias1 who came for  

the purpose of hearing his instructions4
 ,kathaba thought within himself3 ,great
 indeed is the glory and dignity of this
 ,rahan1 but he is not as yet a         
,rahanda4 ,phra ate his food1 and       
continued to stay in the same grove4    
,on another occasion1 at the same late  
hour1 ,phra received the visit of the   
chief of the ,brahmas4 ,the flood of    
light that was sent forth by his body   
surpassed in effulgent splendour all    
that had been seen4 ,kathaba came as    
usual1 in the morning1 to invite the    
great ,rahan to come and take his food1 
requesting him at the same time to      
inform him of the cause of the great    
wonder that had just taken place4 ,phra 
told him that the chief of ,brahmas had 
waited upon him to listen to his        
preachings4 ,kathaba wondered the more  
at the dignity of this great ,rahan1 who
 attracted round him so eminent a       
visitor4 ,but he said within himself3   
,this ,rahan is not yet a ,rahanda that 
can be compared to me4 ,phra partook of 

his food1 and continued his stay in the 
same grove4  ,on a certain day1 the     
people of the country had prepared      
offerings on a large scale to be        
presented to ,kathaba4 ,on hearing this 
welcome news1 the ,rathee thought within
 himself as follows3 ,the people are    
disposing everything to make large      
offerings to me4 ,it is as well this    
,rahan should not be present on the     
occasion4 ,he might make a display of   
his power in the presence of the        
multitude1 who1 taken up with admiration
 for his person1 would make great       
offerings to him1 whilst ,i should see  
my own decrease in a proportion4        
,to-morrow ,i will contrive in such a   
way as to prevent the great ,rahan from 
being present4 ,buddha discovered at a  
glance all that was going on in         
,kathaba's mind4 ,unwilling to offer any
 annoyance to his host1 he conveyed     
himself to the island of ,ootoogara1    
where he collected his meal1 which he   
came to eat on the banks of the lake    

,anawadat4 ,he spent the whole day      
there1 and by his miraculous power he   
was back to his grove at an early hour  
on the following day4 ,the ,rathee came 
as usual1 to invite him to partake of   
his meal that was ready1 and inquired   
from him why he had not made his        
appearance on the day previous4 ,buddha1
 without the least emotion that could   
betray an angry feeling1 related to     
,kathaba all that had passed in his     
mind1 and informed him of the place he  
had been to4 ,kathaba1 astonished at    
what he heard1 said to himself3 ,the    
knowledge of this ,rahan is transcendent
 indeed1 since he is even acquainted    
with the thoughts of my mind2 his power 
too is wonderfully great2 but withal1 he
 is not as yet a ,rahanda comparable to 
me4 ,buddha1 having eaten his meal1     
withdrew to his grove4  ,on a certain   
day ,buddha wished to wash his dress4 ,a
 ,thagia1 knowing the thought that      
occupied his mind1 dug a small square   
tank1 and approaching him respectfully1 

invited him to wash his tsiwaran        
therein4 ,buddha then thought3 ,where   
shall ,i find a stone to rub it upon8   
,the ,thagia1 having brought a stone1   
said to him3 ,illustrious ,phra1 here is
 a stone to rub your tsiwaran on4 ,he   
thought again3 ,where is a proper place 
to dry it upon8 ,the ,nat that watched  
the tree ,yekada caused it to bend its  
branches1 and said3 ,my lord1 here is a 
fit place to hang up your tsiwaran4 ,he 
thought again3 ,where is a fit spot to  
extend my clothes upon8 ,the chief of   
,thagias brought a large and            
well-polished stone1 and said3 ,o       
illustrious ,phra1 here is a fit place  
to lay your tsiwaran upon4 ,in the      
morning1 ,kathaba repaired as usual to  
his guest's place1 to invite him to take
 his meal4 ,surprised at what he        
perceived1 he said to ,buddha3 ,o       
,rahan1 formerly there were here neither
 tank nor stone2 how is it that they are
 here now8 ,how is it1 moreover1 that   
the tree ,yekadat is now bending down   

its branches8 ,phra related then to the 
,rathee all that had happened1 informing
 him that the chief of ,thagias and one 
,nat had done all those works for him1  
and ministered to all his wants4        
,kathaba wondered more than before at   
the great virtue and surpassing         
excellency of the great ,rahan2 but he  
persisted in his former opinion1 that   
the great ,rahan was not a ,rahanda that
 could equal him4 ,buddha1 having taken 
his meal1 returned to his grove4  ,on   
another occasion1 the ,rathee went to   
,buddha's place1 to invite him to come  
and partake of his meal4 ,very well1    
said ,buddha1 ,i have a small business  
to do now2 go beforehand1 and ,i will   
follow you a few moments hence4         
,whereupon ,kathaba went back to his    
cell4 ,as to ,phra1 he went to pluck a  
fruit from the jambu tree1 and arrived  
at the eating place before ,kathaba     
could reach it4 ,the ,rathee1 on        
arriving there1 was quite surprised to  
find ,phra already waiting for him4 ,how

 is this8 said he1 with an unfeigned    
feeling of surprise1 and by what way did
 you come and contrive to arrive here   
before me8 ,phra said to him3 ,after    
your departure1 ,i plucked one fruit    
from a jambu tree1 and yet ,i have      
reached this spot sooner than you4 ,here
 is the fruit ,i have brought4 ,it is as
 full of flavour as it is beautiful2    
allow me to present you with it1 that   
you may eat it4 ,o6 no1 great ,rahan1   
replied the ,rathee1 it is not becoming 
that ,i should eat it1 but rather keep  
it for yourself4 ,he thought within     
himself3 ,wonderful is indeed the power 
and eminent excellency of that great    
,rahan2 but he is not as yet a ,rahan   
that can be ranked to me4 ,phra ate his 
rice1 and returned to his grove4  ,on   
another day1 ,phra gave a fresh proof of
 his miraculous power1 by bringing to   
,kathaba a mango fruit1 plucked from a  
mango tree growing near the jambu tree1 
and so went on for several days1        
bringing fruits that grew at the        

extremity of the southern island4 ,on   
another day1 ,phra ascended to the seat 
of ,tawadeintha1 and brought therefrom a
 beautiful water-lily1 and yet arrived  
at the place where his meal was ready   
before ,kathaba himself4 ,the latter1   
quite amazed at seeing a flower from the
 ,nat country1 thought within himself3  
,wonderful1 indeed1 is the power of that
 great ,rahan1 who has brought here1    
from the seats of ,nats1 a beautiful    
lily in such a short space of time2 but 
he is not as yet equal to me4  ,on a    
certain day1 the ,rathees were busy     
splitting firewood4 ,they got a large   
log of wood upon which their united     
efforts could make no impression4       
,kathaba thought within himself3 ,the   
great ,rahan is gifted with mighty      
power2 let us try him on this occasion4 
,he desired ,gaudama to split the hard  
log4 ,gaudama split it in a moment in   
five hundred pieces4 ,the ,rathees then 
tried to light up the fuel1 but they    
could not succeed4 ,kathaba requested   

his guest to come to their assistance4  
,in an instant1 the five hundred pieces 
were set in a blaze1 and presented the  
terrifying sight of five hundred large  
fires4 ,the ,rathees begged the great   
,rahan to extinguish those fires which  
threatened a general conflagration4     
,their request was instantaneously      
granted2 the five hundred fires were    
extinguished4  ,during the cold season  
in the months of ,january and ,february1
 when a heavy cold dew falls1 the       
,rathees amused themselves with plunging
 and swimming in the river ,neritzara4  
,phra caused five hundred fires to blaze
 out on the banks of the river4 ,the    
,rathees1 coming out of the stream1     
warmed themselves by the side of those  
fires4 ,they all wondered at the        
astonishing power of the great ,rahan4  
,but ,kathaba persisted in saying that  
he was not a ,rahanda like him4  ,on a  
certain day1 a great rain poured in     
torrents1 so that the water overflowed  
all the country1 but it did not reach   

the spot ,gaudama stood upon4 ,he       
thought within himself3 ,it is good that
 ,i should create a beautiful dry road  
in the midst of the water4 ,he did so1  
and walked on the dry road1 and clouds  
of dust rose in the air4 ,kathaba1 much 
concerned regarding the fate of his     
guest1 took a boat1 and1 with the       
assistance of his disciples1 pulled in  
the direction of ,buddha's grove2 but   
what was their surprise1 when reaching  
the spot they found1 instead of water1 a
 firm dry road1 and ,buddha calmly      
walking to and fro4 ,is it you1 great   
,rahan1 cried ,kathaba1 whom we see     
here8 ,yes1 replied ,gaudama1 it is ,i  
indeed4 ,he had scarcely returned this  
answer1 when he rose in the air and     
stood for a while above the boat4       
,kathaba thought again within himself3  
,great indeed must be the perfections   
and attainments of the great ,rahan1    
since water even cannot harm him1 but he
 is not yet a ,rahanda like me4 ,phra1  
who knew what was taking place in       

,kathaba's mind1 said to himself3 ,long 
time has this ,rathee kept thinking     
within himself3 ,this ,rahan is great1  
but ,i am still greater than he2 it is  
time now that ,i should inspire him with
 fear and surprise4 ,addressing         
,kathaba1 he said3 ,rathee1 you are not 
a ,rahanda that has arrived to the      
perfection of ,arahat2 you have never   
performed the meritorious actions of the
 four ways to perfection2 you are not1  
therefore1 a ,rahanda4 ,but ,i have1    
during former existences1 carefully     
attended to those practices which have  
enabled me to reach perfection1 and     
finally obtain the ,buddhaship4         
,astonished at such an unexpected       
declaration1 ,kathaba humbled himself1  
fell on his knees1 and prostrated       
himself at the feet of ,buddha1 saying3 
,illustrious ,phra1 ,i wish to become   
,rahan under your direction4 ,phra      
replied3 ,kathaba1 you have under you   
five hundred ,rathees1 go and inform    
them of all that has happened4          

,whereupon ,kathaba went to the place   
where the ,rathees had assembled1 and   
said to them3 ,i wish to place myself   
under the direction of the great ,rahan4
 ,the five hundred ,rathees told him    
that they were willing to follow his    
example1 since he had been hitherto to  
them such an excellent teacher4 ,they   
rose up1 and1 collecting their utensils1
 such as the twisted hairs1 and forked  
staff1 the hairy girdle1 the honey      
filtre1 c41 flung them into the river2  
then they came1 and1 prostrating        
themselves at the feet of ,buddha1      
craved admittance to the dignity of     
,rahans4  ,nadi ,kathaba1 seeing the    
utensils floating on the water and      
carried down by the stream1 called his  
followers and said to them3 ,some       
misfortune must have befallen my elder  
brother2 let us go and see what has     
happened4 ,they were no sooner arrived1 
than ,kathaba related to them all that  
had just taken place4 ,nadi ,kathaba    
went forthwith to ,buddha's cell1       

attended all his disciples4 ,falling all
 at the feet of ,phra1 they declared    
their readiness to become his disciples1
 and applied for the dignity of ,rahan4 
,gaya ,kathaba1 who lived a little below
 the place of ,nadi ,kathaba1 seeing on 
the surface of the water the utensils of
 the followers of both his brothers     
floating in the direction of the stream1
 hastened1 with his two hundred         
disciples1 to the place of ,ooroowela   
,kathaba4 ,on his being informed of all 
that had occurred1 he and his followers 
threw themselves at ,gaudama's feet1    
praying for admittance into the order of
 ,rahans4 ,they were all admitted4 ,the 
conversion of ,ooroowela ,kathaba was   
brought about by the display1 on the    
part of ,buddha1 of no less than three  
thousand five hundred and sixty         
wonders4#ac   ,,footnotes      #a ,i    
have1 except on one occasion1 always    
made use of the terms     meditation and
 contemplation to express the inward    
working of     ,buddha's mind during the

 forty-nine days he spent at the foot of
     the banyan tree4 ,but the ,burmese 
translator most commonly     employs a  
much stronger expression1 conveying the 
idea of trance     and ecstasy4 ,hence  
after having remained seven days on the 
same     spot1 deeply engaged in        
considering some parts of the law he was
     soon to preach1 it is said of him  
that he comes out from a state     of   
perfect ecstasy4 ,this expression       
implies a state of complete     mental  
abstraction1 when the soul1 disentangled
 from the     trammels of sense1 raises 
itself above this material world1       
contemplates pure truth and delights in 
it4 ,all her faculties     are taken up 
with the beauty and perfection of truth2
 she clings     to it with all her      
might1 regardless of all the illusions  
this     world is filled with4 ,this    
situation of the soul is much           
esteemed by all fervent ,buddhists4 ,it 
is the lot of but a few     privileged  
,rahans1 who have made great progress in

 perfection1     and obtained an almost 
entire mastery over their passions and  
senses4 ,this great gift is1 as one may 
well imagine1 ardently     coveted by   
many1 who1 though not possessing it1 lay
 claim to it     on false pretences4    
,this being a sin devotees who relish a 
contemplative life are very liable to1  
which the framer of the     regulations 
of the ,buddhist monks has pronounced as
 ipso facto     excluding from the      
society all those who would falsely     
claim the     possession of uncommon    
spiritual attainments which they have   
not4 ,in the book of ordination used for
 the admission of     candidates to the 
order of ,rahans or talapoins1 this sin 
is the     last of the four offences    
which deprive a member of the order of  
his dignity1 and cause his expulsion    
from the society4      #b ,the five     
,rahans alluded to are the very same    
individuals who     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 manner4 ,during   
all the     time he spent in those hard 
exercises of strict mortification1      
to conquer his passions and secure the  
complete triumph of the     mind over   
the senses1 he was assisted in all his  
wants by those     five ,rahans1 who    
rendered to him the usual services      
disciples     are wont to perform to    
their teacher4 ,when they saw ,phralaong
 at     the end of his mighty efforts in
 that great struggle resuming     the   
habits of a mendicant1 they left him at 
once1 unwilling to     believe that he  
would ever become a ,buddha4 ,our ,phra1
 not     unmindful of the good services 
he had received from them1     resolved 
to impart first to them the blessings of
 his     preachings4 ,alara and ,oodaka1
 his two first teachers in the          
science of ,dzan1 were destined to be   
the first who would have     heard the  
good news had they not been dead4       

,gratitude seems to     have been the   
first and main motive that induced him  
to select     as the first objects of   
his mission the very same persons who   
had been instrumental in furthering his 
efforts to acquire the     ,buddhaship4 
,the unpleasant epithet of heretic is   
given to those five ,rahans1     as well
 as to another named ,upaka1 as designed
 to mean that they     held tenets at   
variance with those of ,buddha1 and     
refused to     acknowledge him as       
possessed of the perfect intelligence4  
,buddhists1 in their writings1          
invariably call their opponents by      
the name of holders of false doctrines4 
,the ,brahmins or ,pounhas     who      
refused to seek refuge in ,buddha1 his  
law1 and the assembly     of his        
disciples1 are spoken of as professors  
of heterodoxical     doctrines4         
,from the narrative of this ,legend we  
may conclude1 with a     probability    
amounting almost to certitude1 that     
,buddha in his     preachings addressed 

himself first to the ,brahmins1 as being
 by     their caste the most influential
 portion of the ,hindu community4       
,those that are called by the name of   
,pounhas are the ,brahmins     living in
 the world and following the ordinary   
pursuits of life4     ,those that are   
mentioned by the names of ,rahans and   
,rathees are     probably ,brahmins1 or 
at least belong to some other           
distinguished caste like that of the    
,kchatrias1 but are members     of some 
religious order or ascetics4 ,they were 
in those days men     whom1 in imitation
 of the ancient ,greeks1 we may call    
philosophers1 and who belonged to one or
 other of the branches     into which   
the great ,indian school was divided4   
,we may     conjecture that at that time
 ,india exhibited a scene much          
resembling that which ,greece           
subsequently offered to the eyes of     
the observer in the days of ,socrates   
and ,plato1 when schools of             
philosophy were to be met with in every 

direction4 ,the ,hindu     philosophers1
 favoured by climate and their ardent   
imagination1     carried much further   
than the ,greek wise men1 both in theory
 and     practice1 the discussion of    
dogmas and the fervour of religious     
practices4 ,if credit is to be given to 
our ,legend in a     historical point of
 view1 we may safely conclude that such 
was     the state of ,india when ,buddha
 began his preachings4 ,his first       
hearers were ,rahans1 ,rathees1 and     
,pounhas1 that is to say1 the     most  
learned and wisest men in those days4   
,the latter in     particular seemed at 
first disinclined to offer opposition to
     ,buddha2 they listened to him as to
 a distinguished philosopher2     his   
arguments were examined1 discussed1 and 
answered by them in     the best way    
they could4 ,in that polemical warfare1 
arguments     were at first the only    
offensive and defensive weapons used and
     handled by the combatants on both  
sides4 ,buddha's two favourite          

doctrines of ,atheism and ,neibban1     
which established the two     broad     
lines of separation between the two     
systems1 begat much     discussion and  
created some animosity between him and  
his     adversaries4 ,but what widened  
the gap between the two parties1     and
 placed them in a hostile array against 
each other1 was the     broad principle 
of equality amongst men1 latent in the  
bosom of     ,buddha's doctrines1 and   
levelled at the distinction of castes4  
,buddha preached to men of all          
conditions without exception2 he        
opened before all the ways that lead to 
,neibban2 made no     distinction       
between man and man1 except that which  
is drawn by     virtue and vice1 merits 
and demerits4 ,he allowed every one to  
approach him and take rank among his    
disciples2 faith in his     doctrine    
entitled any man to be numbered amidst  
his followers2     the entrance into the
 order of ,rahans or perfect was open to
 all     those who1 by their meritorious

 actions and renouncing the     world1  
qualified themselves for this dignity4  
,this principle1     which put on a     
footing of equality men of all castes   
and     nations1 and recognised no real 
superiority but that which is           
conferred by virtue and merit1 could not
 prove agreeable to the     proud       
,brahmins4 ,it provoked1 by its gradual 
development1 the     animosity of the   
opponents of ,buddha's doctrines4 ,the  
battle of     arguments1 after having   
raged with various success1 was         
afterwards converted into one of a      
bloody character1 which ended     in the
 total extermination or expulsion of the
 ,buddhists from     the ,indian        
peninsula4      #c ,the mission of      
,buddha is not1 as previously observed1 
confined to men living on earth1 but it 
extends its beneficial     action over  
all the beings inhabiting the six seats 
of ,nats and     sixteen of ,brahmas4   
,those beings1 the latter in particular1
 are     much advanced in perfection1   

but they are not yet ripe for the       
sublime state of ,neibban4 ,though      
freed1 at least the ,brahmas1     from  
the influence of passions1 they retain  
as yet some     inclination for matter2 
they want the help of a ,buddha to break
     at once the few slender ties that  
retain them in the state of             
existence4      ,the first preaching of 
,buddha was rewarded with the conversion
     of five ,rahans1 and of a countless
 number of ,nats and ,brahmas4     ,such
 a plentiful harvest he could scarcely  
anticipate to reap2     and the         
beginning of his career1 attended with  
such wonderful     success1 amply repaid
 him for the extraordinary exertions he 
made in order to qualify himself for the
 ,buddhaship4 ,the author     of the    
,legend remarks1 with an unfeigned      
pleasure1 that owing to     the         
conversion of the five ,rahans1 the     
worlds witnessed the     beautiful sight
 of six ,rahandas congregated on the    
same spot4     ,the ,rahanda has        

attained the summit of perfection2 he   
has     arrived at the last existence2  
his death will relieve him from     the 
burden of existence1 and open to him the
 way leading to     perfect rest1 to    
complete abstraction--in a word1 to     
,neibban4     ,the ,rahandas rank first 
among the disciples and hearers of      
,buddha2 they constitute the elite of   
his followers1 and form     the most    
distinguished portion of the assembly or
 congregation     of the perfect4 ,we   
have already stated that the members    
composing the assembly of the hearers   
were divided into distinct     sections1
 and formed different degrees1 according
 to the     difference of their         
respective progress on the way of       
perfection4      #d ,it may be          
interesting to give an abridgment of an 
instruction or sermon delivered by      
,gaudama to a ,nat4 ,it will be     as a
 fair specimen of other similar         
performances4 ,the ,nat made     his    
appearance at nightfall1 and            

respectfully entreated ,buddha     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 meditated4 ,buddha was then 
in the monastery     of ,dzetawon1 in   
the country of ,thawattie4 ,this sermon 
is     supposed to have been repeated by
 ,ananda1 who had heard it from     the 
mouth of ,buddha himself4 ,it is1       
according to the ,burmese1     the most 
excellent sermon2 it contains           
thirty-eight points4      ,young ,nat1  
said ,buddha1 here are the most         
excellent things     men and ,nats ought
 to attend to1 in order to capacitate   
themselves for the state of ,neibban3 to
 shun the company of the     foolish2 to
 be always with the wise2 to proffer    
homage to those     that are deserving  
of it2 to remain in a place becoming    
one's     condition2 to have always with
 one's self the influence of     former 
good works2 steadily to maintain a      

perfect behaviour2 to     be delighted  
to hear and see much1 in order to       
increase     knowledge2 to study all    
that is not sinful2 to apply one's self 
to acquire the knowledge of ,wini4 ,let 
every one's conversation     be         
regulated by righteous principles2 let  
every one minister to     the wants of  
his father and mother2 provide all the  
necessaries     for his wife and        
children2 perform no action under the   
evil     influence of temptation2 bestow
 alms2 observe the precepts of     the  
law2 assist one's relatives and friends2
 perform no actions     but such as are 
exempt from sin2 be ever diligent in    
such     avoiding1 and abstain from     
intoxicating drink4 ,let no one be      
remiss in the practice of the law of    
merits4 ,let every one bear     respect 
to all men2 be ever humble2 be easily   
satisfied and     content2 gratefully   
acknowledge favours2 listen to the      
preaching     of the law in its proper  
time2 be patient2 delight in good       

conversation2 visit the religious from  
time to time2 converse on     religious 
subjects2 cultivate the virtue of       
mortification2     practise works of    
virtue2 pay attention always to the four
 great     truths2 keep the eyes fixed  
on ,neibban4 ,finally1 let one in the   
middle of the eight afflictions of this 
world be1 like the     ,rahanda1 firm1  
without disquietude1 fearless1 with a   
perfect     composure4 ,o young ,nat1   
whoever observes these perfect laws     
shall never be overcome by the enemies  
of the good3 he shall     enjoy the     
peace of ,ariahs4      ,within a narrow 
compass1 ,buddha has condensed an       
abridgment of     almost all moral      
virtues4 ,the first portion of these    
precepts     contains injunctions to    
shun all that may prove an impediment to
     the practice of good works4 ,the   
second part inculcates the     necessity
 of regulating one's mind and intention 
for a regular     discharge of the      
duties incumbent on each man in his     

separate     station4 ,then follows a   
recommendation to bestow assistance on  
parents1 relatives1 and all men in      
general4 ,next to that1 we     find     
recommended the virtues of humility1    
resignation1     gratitude1 and         
patience4 ,after this1 the preacher     
insists on the     necessity of studying
 the law1 visiting religious1 conversing
 on     religious subjects4 ,when this  
is done1 the hearer is commanded     to 
study with great attention the four     
great truths1 and keep     his mind's   
eye ever fixed on the happy state of    
,neibban1 which1     though as yet      
distant1 ought never to be lost sight   
of4 ,thus     prepared1 the hearer must 
be bent upon acquiring the              
qualifications befitting the true sage4 
,like the one mentioned     by the      
,latin poet1 who would remain firm1     
fearless1 and unmoved1     even in the  
midst of the ruins of the crumbling     
universe1 the     ,buddhist sage must   
ever remain calm1 composed1 and unshaken

     among all the vicissitudes of life4
 ,here is again clearly     pointed out 
the final end to be arrived at1 viz41   
that of     perfect mental stability4   
,this state is the foreshadowing of     
that of ,neibban4      #e ,from the     
perusal of this ,legend1 it can be      
remarked that     ,buddha1 in the course
 of his preachings1 withheld from no one
     the knowledge of his doctrine1 but1
 on the contrary1 aimed at              
popularising it in every possible way4  
,in this respect he widely     differed 
from the ,brahmins1 who enveloped their 
tenets in a     mysterious obscurity1   
and even in that state of               
semi-incomprehensibility1 condescended  
to offer them to the     consideration  
of but a few selected adepts4 ,but      
,buddha followed     quite an opposite  
course4 ,he preached to all without     
exception4     ,on this occasion we see 
him engaged in explaining to the mother 
and wife of ,ratha duties truly becoming
 their sex and position4     ,he warned 

them against the danger of speaking too 
much1 or     speaking hastily and with a
 tone of dissatisfaction4 ,he desired   
them to be always cool and moderate in  
their conversation1 and     to take a   
pleasure in conversing on religious     
topics1 such as     the practice of the 
ten great duties1 the merits of         
almsgiving1     and on the other        
precepts of the law4 ,he showed to them 
the     unbecomingness of inconsistency 
in speaking1 and finally     concluded  
by exhorting them to allow wisdom to    
guide them in the     right use of the  
faculty of speech4 ,every one will agree
 in this     that the lecture was a very
 appropriate one1 and would suit        
women of our days as well as those of   
,buddha's times4      ,it is not easy to
 determine whether these two female     
converts     became ,rahanesses by      
forsaking the world and devoting all    
their     time to religious observances1
 or simply believed in ,buddha's        
doctrines and continued to live in the  

world4 ,the ,burmese     translator     
makes use of expressions liable to both 
interpretations4 ,i feel inclined to    
adopt the second     supposition4 ,they 
became female ,upasakas1 and continued  
to live     in the world4 ,we shall see1
 hereafter1 that ,gaudama's aunt1       
,patzapati1 was the first1 after much   
entreating1 who was allowed     to      
become a ,rahaness4      ,the great     
former of the ,buddhistic disciplinary  
regulations has     also laid down rules
 for the institution and management of  
an     order of female devotees1 to     
match1 as it were1 with that of         
talapoins4 ,hence in almost all         
countries where ,buddhism               
flourishes1 there are to be met houses  
and monasteries which are     the abodes
 of those pious women1 who emulate      
,rahans in the     strict observance of 
practices of the highest order4 ,their  
dress1 except the colour1 which is      
white1 is quite similar to     that of  
talapoins2 their head is shaved2 they   

live in strict     continence as long as
 they continue to wear the dress of     
their     profession4 ,they have certain
 formulas of prayer to repeat every     
day several times4 ,their diet is the   
same as that of talapoins2     they are 
forbidden to take any food after midday4
 ,i am not aware     that they render   
any service to society in the way of    
keeping     schools for the benefit of  
female children4 ,they live on alms     
freely bestowed on them by their        
co-religionists4 ,the ,burmese          
honour them with the title of           
,mathi-la-shing1 which means ladies     
of the religious duties4 ,the order of  
those female devotees is     now much on
 the decline2 the inmates of houses are 
but few1     enjoying a very small share
 of public esteem and respect4 ,they    
are generally looked upon with feelings 
akin to those     entertained towards   
beggars4      ,in the ,wini1 or book of 
discipline1 the relations that are      
allowed to subsist between the two      

orders of male and female     devotees  
are minutely described and clearly laid 
down1 so as to     prevent the evils    
that might result from a familiar and   
unnecessary intercourse4 ,thoroughly    
acquainted with the weakest     side of 
human nature1 the author of the ,wini   
has legislated on     that subject with 
the utmost circumspection4 ,he allowed  
rather     aged ,rahans to be the       
spiritual advisers of the ,rahanesses1  
but     he denies them the leave of ever
 going to their houses under any        
pretext whatever4 ,when the latter want 
to hear preaching or     receive some   
advice from the ,rahans1 they resort in 
broad     daylight to the monastery1 are
 permitted to stay in a large hall      
open to the public1 at a considerable   
distance from him whom     they desire  
to consult4 ,having briefly and with    
becoming     reverence made known the   
object of their visit1 and received     
some spiritual instructions1 they       
immediately return to their     own     

place4      ,the same reflection may be 
applied to the conversion of ,ratha's   
father4 ,it is said that he was the     
first convert out of the body     of    
laymen4 ,he does not appear to have     
forsaken the world and     become a     
first-class convert4 ,he became a       
,thautapati1 and at     once entered one
 of the four ways leading to perfection1
 but     remained in the world4      #f 
,the conversion of ,ratha and of his    
young friends shows to us     distinctly
 the tendency of ,buddha's preachings1  
and their effect     over those who     
believed in him4 ,ratha is represented  
as a young     worldly-minded man1 who1 
in the midst of riches1 has denied      
himself to no kind of pleasure4 ,he     
feels that the enjoyments he     was so 
fond of can in no manner satisfy the    
cravings of his     heart3 he is        
disgusted at them1 and resolves to      
withdraw into     solitude1 with the    
intention of placing himself under the  
direction of some eminent teacher1 and  

learn from him the way to     happiness4
 ,he hopes that the study of philosophy 
will lead him     to true wisdom and the
 acquirement of the means that may      
render     him happy4 ,he luckily falls 
in with ,buddha1 who explains to him    
that the senses are the instruments     
through which passions act     upon and 
tyrannise over the soul1 by keeping it  
in a painful     subjection to matter4  
,he points out to him the necessity of  
freeing himself from their control4     
,this principle of ,buddhism1     which 
aims at disengaging the soul from       
matter1 isolating it     from all that  
proves a burden to it1 and delivering it
 from the     tyrannical yoke of        
concupiscence1 is in itself perfectly   
correct1 but1 carried beyond its        
legitimate consequences1 it     becomes 
false and absurd4 ,according to         
,buddhists1 the soul1     disentangled  
from all that exists1 finds itself alone
 without     any object it can adhere   
to2 folding itself up into its own      

being1 it remains in a state of internal
 contemplation1     destitute alike of  
all active feelings of pleasure and     
pain4     ,this doctrine was known in   
the time of ,buddha1 as far as the      
principle is concerned4 ,the ,rathees   
and other sages in those     days upheld
 it both in theory and practice2 but1 on
 the     consequences1 the originator of
 ,buddhism was at issue with his        
contemporaries1 and struck out a new    
path in the boundless field     of      
speculative philosophy4      #g ,the    
,wini is one of the great divisions of  
,buddhistic sacred     writings4 ,the   
,pitagat1 or collection of all the      
,scriptures1 is     divided into three  
parts--the ,thouts1 containing the      
preachings     of ,buddha1 the ,wini1 or
 book of the discipline1 and the        
,abidama1     or the book of            
,metaphysics4 ,that compilation is      
supposed to     embody the doctrines of 
,buddha in a complete manner4 ,these    
books     have not been written by      

,buddha himself1 since it is said of him
     that he never wrote down anything4 
,the first ,buddhistic     compositions 
were certainly written by the disciples 
of ,phra1 or     their immediate        
successors4 ,but there arose some       
disputes among     the followers of     
,buddha1 as to the genuineness of the   
doctrines     contained in the various  
writings published by the chief         
disciples4 ,to settle the controversy1  
an assembly or council of     the most  
influential members of the ,buddhistic  
creed1 under the     presidency of      
,kathaba1 was held about three months   
after     ,gaudama's demise4 ,the       
writings regarded as spurious were set  
aside1 and those purporting to contain  
the pure doctrines of     ,phra were    
collected into one body1 and formed1 as 
it were1 the     canon of sacred books4 
,the matter so far was settled for the  
time being1 but the human mind1 when    
unrestrained by authority1     acted in 
those days with the same result as it   

does in our own     times4 ,various and 
different were the constructions put on 
the     same text by the expounders of  
the ,buddhistic law4 ,all parties       
admitted the same books1 but they       
dissented from each other in     the    
interpretation4 ,some of the books      
hitherto regarded as     sacred were    
altered or rejected altogether to make  
room for the     works of new doctors4  
,confusion prevailed to such an extent1 
that an hundred years later a second    
council was assembled for               
determining the authenticity of the real
 and genuine writings4 ,a     new       
compilation was made and approved of by 
the assembly4 ,the     evil was         
remedied2 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 result4 ,two     hundred and   
thirty-five years after ,gaudama's death
 a third     council was assembled4 ,the
 books compiled by the second council   

were revised and apparently much        
abridged1 and with the sanction     of  
the assembled fathers a new canon of    
scriptures was issued4     ,the ,pitagat
 in its present shape is regarded as the
 work of this     last assembly4 ,all   
the books are written in the ,pali or   
,magatha     language4 ,in the beginning
 of the fifth century of our era1       
according to our author's computation1 a
 learned man1 named     ,boudagautha1   
went to ,ceylon1 and brought back to    
,burmah a copy     of the collection of 
the ,pitagat4 ,then he introduced into  
this     country the alphabet now in    
use1 and translated into the            
vernacular a portion of the scriptures4 
,this important subject     shall       
receive hereafter fuller development4   
#h ,the four principles or truths so    
often alluded to in the     course of   
this work ought to be well understood1  
in order to get     a clear insight into
 the system under consideration4 ,these 
four     truths are as follows3--#a4    

,there are afflictions and miseries     
attending the existence of all beings4  
#b4 ,there are passions     and1 in     
particular1 concupiscence1 which are the
 causes of all     miseries4 #c4 ,there 
is ,neibban1 which is the exemption of  
all     passions1 and1 consequently1 the
 deliverance from all miseries4     #d4 
,there are the four ways or high roads  
leading to ,neibban4     ,here is the   
summary of the sublime knowledge and    
transcendent     science possessed by a 
,buddha3 these four fundamental truths  
form the four features or               
characteristics of his law2 they        
safely guide man in the way to          
deliverance4 ,the ,buddhist sage1       
who longs to become perfect1 must study 
with attention the     position of all  
beings in this world1 survey with a     
patient     regard their diversified    
conditions1 and fathom the depth of the 
abyss of miseries in which they are     
miserably sunk4 ,a vague1     general   
and superficial knowledge of these      

miseries is     insufficient to create  
that perfect acquaintance with human    
wretchedness4 ,he ought to examine one  
after the other those     series of     
afflictions1 until he feels1 as it were1
 their     unbearable weight pressing   
over his soul4 ,this first step having  
been made by the means of reflection1   
meditation1 and     experience1 the     
sage1 standing by the side of all       
miseries that     press upon all beings1
 as a physician1 by the bed of a        
patient1     inquires into the cause of 
such an awful moral disorder4 ,he soon  
discovers the generating causes of that 
universal distemper2     they are the   
passions in general2 or rather1 to speak
 more in     accordance with ,buddhistic
 expressions1 concupiscence1 anger1     
and ignorance are the springs all       
demerits flow from1 are the     impure  
sources wherefrom originate all the     
miseries and     afflictions this world 
is filled with4 ,the destruction of     
those     passions is the main and great

 object he has in view4 ,he1            
therefore1 leaves the world and         
renounces all pleasures and     worldly 
possessions1 in order to extinguish     
concupiscence2 he     practises patience
 under the most trying circumstances1   
that     anger may no longer have any   
power over him2 he studies the law1     
and meditates on all its points1 in     
order to dispel the dark     atmosphere 
of ignorance by the bright light of     
knowledge4      ,having advanced so far1
 the sage has not yet reached the final 
object of his desires2 he has not yet   
attained to the end he     anxiously    
wishes to come to4 ,he is just prepared 
and qualified     for going in search of
 it4 ,neibban1 or the absolute exemption
     and permanent deliverance from the 
four causes productive of     existence1
 or of a state of being1 is the only    
thing he deems     worthy to be desired 
and earnestly longed for4 ,the sage1    
perceiving such a desirable state1 sighs
 after it with all the     powers of his

 soul4 ,neibban is to him what the      
harbour is to the     storm-beaten      
mariner1 or deliverance to the worn-out 
inmate of a     dark dungeon4 ,but such 
a happy state is1 as yet1 at a great    
distance2 where is the road leading     
thereto8 ,this is the last     truth the
 sage has to investigate4 ,the four     
roads to perfection     are opened      
before him4 ,these he must follow with  
perseverance2     they will conduct him 
to ,neibban4 ,they are a perfect belief1
 a     perfect reflection1 a perfect use
 of speech1 and a perfect     conduct4  
#i ,buddha1 having trained up his       
disciples to the knowledge of     his   
doctrines as well as to the practice of 
his ordinances1     elevates them to the
 dignity of preachers1 or1 to be more   
correct1 makes them fellow-labourers in 
the arduous task of     imparting to    
mankind the wholesome knowledge of      
saving truths4     ,an unbounded field  
is opened before him2 the number of     
beings     who are designed to partake  

of the blessings of his doctrines is    
incalculably great4 ,his own efforts    
will not prove adequate to     the      
difficulties such a mighty undertaking  
is encompassed with2     he joins to    
himself fervent disciples that have     
reached all but     the farthest limit  
of perfection by the thorough control   
they     have obtained over their       
passions2 he considers them as          
instruments well fitted for carrying    
into execution his     benevolent       
designs1 and entrusts them with the     
mission he has     entered upon4 ,by    
adopting such a step1 the wise founder  
of     ,buddhism establishes a regular  
order of men1 whom he commissions     to
 go and preach to all living creatures  
the doctrines they have     learnt from 
him4 ,the commission he imparted to them
 was     evidently to be handed down to 
their successors in the same     office4
 ,he may now die1 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 enjoyments1      
that they might engage in the great     
undertaking with a heart     perfectly  
disentangled from all ties and          
impediments of every     description4   
,in entrusting his disciples with the   
important duty of teaching     mankind1 
,buddha1 obeying the impulse of his     
universal charity1     desires them to  
go all over the world and preach all the
 truth     to all mortals4 ,he          
distinctly charges them to announce     
openly     and unreservedly all that    
they have heard from him4 ,in these     
instructions the plan of ,buddha is     
clearly laid down1 and the     features 
of the mission he assumes distinctly    
delineated4 ,his     object is to spread
 his doctrines all over the world and to
     bring all beings under his moral   
sway4 ,he makes no distinction          
between man and man1 nation and nation4 
,though belonging by     birth to a high
 caste1 he disregards at once those     

worldly     barriers whereby men are    
separated from each other1 and          
acknowledges no dignity but that which  
is conferred by virtue4     ,bold1      
indeed1 was the step that he took in a  
country where the     distinction of    
caste is so deeply rooted in the habits 
of the     people1 that all human       
efforts have1 hitherto1 proved abortive 
in destroying it4 ,it has already been  
hinted in a foregoing note     that     
,gaudama placed himself on a new ground1
 in opposition to     the ,brahminical  
doctrines4 ,he1 doubtless1 cautiously   
avoided to     wound directly the       
feelings of his antagonists2 but1 at the
 same     time1 he adroitly sowed the   
seed of a mighty revolution1 that       
was to change1 if left to grow freely1  
the face of the ,indian     peninsula4  
,his doctrine bore two characteristics1 
that were to     distinguish it         
essentially from that of his            
adversaries2 it was     popular and     
universal1 whereas that of his opponents

 was wrapped     up in a mysterious     
obscurity1 and unfolded completely only 
to a     privileged caste4 ,another     
great difference between the two        
systems is this3 ,buddha paid little    
attention to the dogmatical     portion 
of religion1 but laid the greatest      
stress on morals4 ,the     dogmas are   
few and little insisted on4 ,he aimed at
 correcting     the vices of the heart1 
but exerted himself little to redress   
the errors of the mind4      #aj ,in    
these new instructions delivered to the 
,rahans1 ,buddha     gives them the     
power of receiving into the ranks of the
 assembly     those of their converts   
who should prove foremost in            
understanding the law and observing its 
highest practices4 ,he     empowers them
 to confer on others the dignity of     
,rahans1 and     admit them to the      
various steps that lead to that         
uppermost one4     ,to observe          
uniformity in the reception of          
candidates to the     various orders1   

,buddha laid down a number of           
regulations     embodied in the         
,kambawa1 or book used as a sort of     
ritual on the     days of admission of  
candidates to the dignity of ,patzins   
and     ,rahans4 ,the contents of this  
small but interesting work may be       
seen in the notice on the order of      
talapoins1 or ,buddhist monks1          
inserted at the end of this volume4     
,that the reader may have now     an    
idea of the general purpose and object  
of these regulations1     ,i will sketch
 a slight outline of them4 ,the         
candidate1 who seeks     for admission  
among the members of the order1 has to  
appear     before an assembly of        
,rahans1 presided over by a dignitary4  
,he     must be provided with the dress 
of the order1 and a patta or the     pot
 of a mendicant4 ,he is presented to the
 assembly by a ,rahan1     upon whom    
devolves the important duty of          
instructing him in all     that regards 
the profession he is about to embrace1  

and lead him     through the ordeal of  
the ceremony4 ,he is solemnly           
interrogated     before the assembly on 
the several defects and impediments     
which     incapacitate an individual for
 admission into the order4 ,on his      
declaring that he is free from such     
impediments1 he is1 with the     consent
 of the assembled fathers1 promoted to  
the rank of     ,patzin4 ,but before he 
is allowed to take his place among his  
brethren1 he is instructed in the four  
principal duties he will     have to    
observe1 and warned against the four    
capital sins1 the     commission of     
which would deprive him of his high and 
holy     character1 and cause his       
expulsion from the society4      ,it is 
supposed that the candidate1 previous to
 his making     application for         
obtaining the dignity of ,rahan1 has    
qualified     himself by study and a    
good life for admittance among the      
perfect4 ,by surrounding the admission  
of candidates into the     ranks of the 

order with a display of ceremonies1 the 
shrewd     framer of these regulations  
intended to encircle the whole body     
with a halo of dignity and sacredness1  
and at the same time to     provide1 as 
far as human wisdom allows1 against the 
reception of     unworthy postulants4   
,hitherto ,buddha had reserved to       
himself alone the power of     elevating
 hearers or converts to the dignity of  
,rahans2 now he     transfers to his    
disciples that power and bids them use  
it as     they had seen him do1 in      
behalf of those whom they deem worthy   
applicants4 ,he has established a       
society1 and striven to infuse     into 
it all the elements necessary for       
keeping it up hereafter1     and        
securing its existence and permanency4  
,he sets up a kind of     ecclesiastical
 hierarchy1 which is to be perpetuated  
during the     ages to come by the same 
means and power that brought it into    
existence4      ,having put such a power
 into the hands of his disciples1       

,buddha     very properly exhorts them  
to emulate him in his efforts to        
become perfect4 ,he sets himself as a   
pattern of perfection1 and     bids them
 all imitate the examples he places     
before them4 ,he     shows briefly to   
them by what means he has attained the  
state of     ,arahatapho1 and stimulates
 them to the adopting of similar        
means4 ,the word ,arahatapho is composed
 of two words--arahat1     which means  
perfect1 and pho or phola1 as the       
orthography     indicates1 which means  
reward1 merit4 ,the state of ,arahatapho
 is     that in which a man enjoys the  
merits or reward of perfection1         
which he has reached by the practice of 
virtue1 and particularly     the        
acquirement of wisdom or knowledge of   
the highest points of     the law4 ,it  
is used often in opposition to the word 
,arahatamegata1 which signifies the ways
 or roads leading to     perfection4    
#aa ,i have translated by lent the      
,burmese expression ,watso1     which is

 but the ,pali term ,wasa1 ,burmanised4 
,the word lent1     which has been      
adopted1 is designed to express not the 
real     meaning of ,wasa1 but to convey
 to the reader's mind the idea of     a 
time devoted to religious observances4  
,wasa means a season1     but it is     
intended to designate the rainy season1 
which in those     parts of the         
,peninsula where ,buddha was residing   
begins in ,july     and ends in         
,november4 ,during that period the      
communications     between villages and 
towns are difficult1 if not impossible4 
,the     religious mendicants were      
allowed in former times1 very likely    
from the very days of ,buddha1 to retire
 into the houses of     friends and     
supporters1 from which they went forth  
occasionally     begging their food4 ,in
 the beginning1 those who were admitted 
in     the society did not live in      
community1 as was afterwards done in    
those countries where ,buddhism has been
 of a long time in a     flourishing    

condition4 ,they were allowed to        
withdraw into     solitude1 and lead an 
ascetic life1 or to travel from one     
place     to another to preach the law  
and make converts4 ,this work could     
not be well done during the rainy       
season4 ,hence the disciples1     while 
as yet few in number1 gathered round    
their master during     that period to  
hear instructions from him1 and practise
 virtue     under his immediate         
superintendence4 ,they lived with him   
during     all the time the rainy season
 lasted4 ,this was called to spend      
the season4 ,in the course of this      
,legend1 the same expression is         
often met with4 ,it is said of ,buddha  
that he spent a season in     such a    
place1 another in another place1 to     
indicate that he     stayed in one place
 during the rainy season1 which         
precluded the     possibility of doing  
the duties of an itinerant preacher4    
,when the religious order became        
regularly constituted1 and the     basis

 it was to stand on was fairly laid     
down1 the     ever-increasing number of 
members made them feel the want of      
secluded places where they could live in
 community1 and at the     same time    
quite retired from the world4 ,houses or
 monasteries     were erected for       
receiving the pious ,rahans4 ,the       
inmates of     those dwellings lived    
under the direction of a superior1      
devoting their time to study1           
meditation1 and the observances of      
the law4 ,they were allowed to go out in
 the morning very early1     to beg and 
collect the food they wanted for the    
day4 ,such is the     state the         
religious are living in up to our own   
time in ,burmah1     ,ceylon1 ,thibet1  
,siam1 and in the other countries where 
,buddhism     has been firmly           
established4      ,the religious season1
 or lent1 lasts three months4 ,it begins
 in     the full moon of ,watso 7,july7 
and ends at the full moon of            
,thadinkiout 7,october74 ,the keeping of

 the season in ,burmah is as            
follows3--,on the days of the new and   
full moon crowds of people     resort to
 the pagodas1 carrying offerings of     
flowers1 small     candles1 oil1 c4 ,a  
great many are found to spend the night 
in     the bungalows erected1 chiefly   
for that purpose1 in their     immediate
 vicinity4 ,women occupy bungalows      
separated from those     of men4 ,it    
must be admitted that there1 as in      
churches1 they far     outnumber the    
men4 ,on such occasions1 religion       
appears to be     rather the pretext    
than the real object of such assemblies4
 ,with     the exception of old men and 
women1 who are heard to converse on     
religious topics1 and repeat some parts 
of the law1 or recite     some praises  
in honour of ,buddha1 the others seem to
 care very     little for religion4 ,the
 younger portion of the weaker sex      
freely indulge in the pleasure of       
conversation4 ,it is quite a     treat  
to them to have such a fine opportunity 

of giving full     scope to their       
talkative powers4 ,during that season   
the pious     faithful are charitably   
inclined to bestow alms on the ,rahans4 
,all the necessaries of life pour with  
abundance and profusion     into the    
monasteries4 ,besides alms-giving and   
resorting to the     pagodas1 some      
fervent laymen practise abstinence and  
fasting to     a certain extent2 these1 
however1 are but few4 ,during that      
period the ,buddhist recluses are often 
invited to go to certain     places1    
prepared for the purpose1 to preach the 
law to and     receive alms from crowds 
of hearers who are gathered thither on  
such occasions4 ,talapoins are generally
 seated on an elevated     platform1    
facing the congregation2 they keep their
 large fans     before the face through 
modesty1 to save themselves from the    
danger of looking on some tempting      
object4 ,they repeat in chorus          
certain passages of the life of ,buddha1
 enumerate the five great     precepts  

and other observances of the law4 ,the  
whole preaching     generally goes on in
 ,pali1 that is to say1 in a language   
unknown     to the congregation4 ,when  
they have done their duty they          
withdraw1 followed by a great number of 
their disciples1     carrying back to   
the monasteries all the offerings made  
by the     faithful4 ,it happens also1  
although but seldom in our days1 that   
some fervent recluses withdraw during   
the whole or a part of the     lent     
season into solitary places1 living by  
themselves1 and     devoting all their  
time to reading the books of the law1   
and     meditating on the most important
 points and maxims of religion4         
#ab ,the remarks of the ,burmese        
translator afford me an     opportunity 
of explaining one of the leading tenets 
of the     ,buddhistic creed4 ,all      
beings in this world are subjected to   
the     double influence of their merits
 and demerits4 ,the good     influence  
predominates when the sum of merits     

surpasses that of     demerits1 and it  
is superseded by the latter when the    
contrary     takes place4 ,this         
principle once admitted1 ,buddhists     
explain the     good or evil that       
befalls every individual in every       
conceivable     state of existence4 ,is 
a man dead1 he is attended on his way to
     another state of being both by his 
merits and demerits1 who1     like two  
inseparable companions1 follow him      
whithersoever he     goes4 ,should the  
sum of demerits prove greater1 he is    
forced     into hell1 or into some other
 state of punishment1 to bear           
sufferings proportionately to his       
offences1 until he has fully     paid   
off his debt1 or1 to speak the language 
of ,buddhists1 until     the sum of his 
demerits be quite exhausted4 ,if1 on the
 contrary1     at the moment of his     
death the influence of merits be the    
strongest1 he is directed into a state  
of happiness1 pleasure1     and         
enjoyment1 say in one of the seats of   

,nats or ,brahmas1 and     remains there
 as long as the action of the good      
influence lasts4     ,when it is over he
 comes again into the abode of man1 or  
in a     state of probation1 when he has
 to labour anew for amassing new     and
 greater merits1 that will hereafter    
entitle him to a higher     reward than 
the one he had previously enjoyed4 ,from
 the     foregoing observations it is   
evident that the idea of a ,supreme     
,being rewarding the good and punishing 
the wicked is carefully     excluded1   
and all foreign interference on this    
subject entirely     done away with4    
,another conclusion flowing from the    
same source     is1 that there is no    
eternity of reward or punishment1 but   
both     last for a longer or shorter   
period1 in proportion to the sum of     
merits and demerits1 and consequently to
 the power of each     influence        
respectively4      ,it may be asked what
 becomes of the sum of demerits and its 
consequent evil influence1 whilst the   

superior good influence     prevails8   
,the sum of demerits remains all the    
while entire and     undiminished2 the  
operation of the evil influence is      
suspended1     and has no power         
whatever1 its own being checked by a    
greater     one4 ,but the sum of merits 
being exhausted1 and its inherent       
action at an end1 the opposite one is   
set at liberty1 and acts     on the     
individual proportionately to its own   
strength1 and lasts     until it is all 
exhausted4 ,as man can never be without 
some     merits or demerits1 good or bad
 deeds1 he must be either in a     state
 of reward or punishment2 this is1 if ,i
 may say so1 the     mainspring that    
moves all beings into the whirlpool of  
countless     existences1 wherein they  
meet happiness or unhappiness according 
to their deserts4 ,the being that tends 
strongly and     perseveringly through  
his various existences towards          
perfection1     weakens gradually1 and  
finally destroys in himself the law of  

demerits2 he ascends steadily the steps 
of the ladder of     perfection by the  
practice of the highest virtues4 ,having
     reached its summit1 there is no    
more reason for his going     through   
other existences1 and he steps at once  
into the state of     ,neibban4      ,on
 the above principle ,buddhists account 
for all the various     phases of human 
existence4 ,is a child born from rich1  
great1 and     distinguished parents1   
does he become a wealthy and powerful   
man1 does he become a king or a         
nobleman1 c4--he is indebted     for all
 that to merits acquired during former  
existences4 ,is     another child born  
in a low1 poor1 and wretched condition1 
is he     born with bodily or           
intellectual defects and imperfections1 
c41     c4--his former demerits are the 
principle and cause of all his          
subsequent misfortunes4      ,the       
doctrine of merits and demerits1 and of 
their concomitant     influences1 has   
been fully illustrated in the person of 

,buddha     himself during his former   
existences4 ,he said of himself to his  
disciples that he had passed with       
various fortune through the     range of
 the animal kingdom1 from the dove to   
the elephant2 that     being man he had 
been often in hell1 and in various      
positions of     riches and poverty1    
greatness and meanness1 until by his    
mighty     efforts he at last freed     
himself from all evil influence1 and    
reached his present state of perfection4
 ,he is supposed to have     recounted  
to his disciples on different occasions 
five hundred     and ten of his former  
existences4      #ac ,it has been       
asserted in a former note that the      
preachings     of ,buddha were          
accompanied with miracles1 to impart an 
additional weight and an irresistible   
evidence to his doctrines4     ,this    
assertion is fully corroborated by all  
the particulars     attending the       
conversion of the three ,kathabas and   
their     disciples4 ,on this occasion  

,buddha met with the greatest amount    
of stubborn resistance on the part of   
,ooroowela ,kathaba4 ,there     is no   
doubt but our great preacher resorted to
 every means of     persuasion to carry 
conviction to the mind of his           
distinguished     hearer4 ,he had1      
however1 to deal with a man full of his 
own     merits and excellence1 who      
thought himself far superior to every   
one else4 ,his best arguments proved    
powerless before a     self-conceited   
individual1 who was used to give and not
 to     receive instruction1 and enjoyed
 a far-famed celebrity4 ,buddha     was 
compelled to resort to his unbounded    
power of working     miracles1 and with 
it overcame at last the obstinate and   
blind     resistance of the proud       
,rathee4 ,no conquest had ever been so  
dearly bought2 but it proved well worth 
the extraordinary     efforts made to   
obtain it4 ,kathaba became one of the   
most     staunch adherents of ,buddha1  
and one of the most fervent             

disciples1 who laboured hard for the    
propagation of ,buddhism4 ,he     is the
 most celebrated of all ,buddhistic     
monks1 and to his name     is ever      
prefixed the distinguished epithet of   
,maha1 which means     great4 ,after    
,gaudama's demise1 he became the        
patriarch of the     ,buddhists4 ,by his
 care and exertions1 a council of five  
hundred     ,rahans was assembled at    
,radzagio1 under the reign of ,king     
,adzatathat1 to condemn the unbecoming  
language used by some     false or      
imperfectly taught converts1 who wished 
to shake off1     on many points1 the   
authority of ,buddha4      ,in the      
episode of the conversion of the three  
,kathabas1 the     attentive reader     
cannot fail to have observed one        
particular     that throws some light on
 the position several heads of          
philosophical schools occupied in the   
days that saw the origin     of         
,buddhism4 ,those sages lived in retired
 places1 far from the     bustle and    

tumult of the world4 ,it is probable    
that at first     they were alone1 or   
with but a few other individuals who    
delighted in the same mode of life4     
,their time was entirely     taken up   
with study and meditation4 ,the object  
of their studies     and reflections was
 the boundless field of metaphysics and 
morals4 ,their diet was plain1 and their
 abstemiousness carried     to a degree 
,hindu devotees and fanatics are alone  
capable of     reaching4 ,the fame of   
the proficiency of some of those        
individuals in science and virtue soon  
attracted to their     solitude numbers 
of pupils1 eager to place themselves    
under the     tuition and discipline of 
masters so eminent in every respect4    
,the three ,kathabas must have been     
celebrated throughout the     country1  
since we find them at the head of so    
many disciples4     ,humility has never 
been the forte of the heathen sages1    
either     in or out of ,india4 ,conceit
 and self-esteem were fostered in       

their souls by the consciousness of     
their own superiority and               
excellence1 by the praises lavished on  
them by their disciples1     and not a  
little by the seclusion from society to 
which they     voluntarily resigned     
themselves4 ,spiritual pride1 like a    
cunning     foe1 occupied in the heart  
the place vacated by passions of a      
coarser nature and less delicate tinge4 
,the conduct of the elder     ,kathaba  
fully bears out the truth and           
correctness of the above     assertion4 
,,chapter ,,vii4      ,buddha's sermon  
on the mountain -- ,interview of ,buddha
 and ,king     ,pimpathara in the       
vicinity of the city of ,radzagio --    
,answer of     ,kathaba to ,buddha's    
interrogation -- ,instructions delivered
 to     the king and his attendants --  
,solemn entry of ,buddha into           
,radzagio -- ,donation of the ,weloowon 
monastery to ,buddha --     ,conversion 
of ,thariputra and ,maukalan -- ,the    
,rahans are keenly     taunted by the   

people of ,radzagio4   ,accompanied by  
his thousand followers1 ,phra went to   
the village of ,gayathitha4 ,this       
village stands on the bank of the river 
,gaia4 ,close to it1 there is a mountain
 resembling in appearance an elephant's 
head4 ,on the top of the mountain stands
 a large rock1 wide enough to           
accommodate ,buddha and all his         
attendants4 ,he ascended the mountain   
with his disciples1 and1 having reached 
its summit1 sat down4 ,summoning all his
 disciples1 he said to them3 ,beloved   
,bickus1 all that is to be met with in  
the three abodes of men1 ,nats1 and     
,brahmas1 is like a burning flame4 ,but 
why is it so8 ,because the eyes are a   
burning flame2 the objects perceived by 
the eyes1 the view of those objects1 the
 feeling created by that view1 are all  
like a burning flame4 ,the sensations   
produced by the eyes cause a succession 
of pleasant and painful feelings1 but   
these are likewise a burning flame4     
,what are the causes productive of such 

a burning8 ,it is the fire of           
concupiscence1 of anger1 of ignorance1  
of birth1 of death1 of old age1 and of  
anxiety4 ,again1 the ear is a burning   
flame2 the sounds1 the perception of the
 sounds1 the sensations caused by the   
sounds1 are all a burning flame2 the    
pleasure or pain produced by the sounds 
are also a burning flame1 which is fed  
by the fire of concupiscence1 anger1    
ignorance1 birth1 old age1 death1       
anxiety1 tears1 affliction1 and trouble4
 ,again1 the sense of smelling is a     
burning flame2 the odours1 the          
perception of odours1 the sensations    
produced by odours1 are all a burning   
flame2 the pleasure and pain resulting  
therefrom are but a burning flame1 fed  
by concupiscence1 anger1 ignorance1     
birth1 old age1 death1 disquietude1     
tears1 affliction1 and sorrow4 ,again1  
the taste is a burning flame2 the       
objects tasted1 the perception of those 
objects1 the sensations produced by     
them1 are all a burning flame1 kept up  

by the fire of concupiscence1 anger1    
ignorance1 birth1 old age1 death1       
anxiety1 tears1 affliction1 and sorrow4 
,again1 the sense of feeling1 the       
objects felt1 the perception of those   
objects1 the sensations produced by     
them1 are a burning flame2 the pleasure 
and pain resulting therefrom are but a  
burning flame1 fostered by              
concupiscence1 anger1 ignorance1 birth1 
old age1 death1 anxiety1 tears1         
affliction1 and sorrow4 ,again1 the     
heart is a burning flame1 as well as all
 the objects perceived by it1 and the   
sensations produced in it2 the pleasure 
and pain caused by the heart are too a  
burning flame1 kept up by the fire of   
concupiscence1 anger1 ignorance1 birth1 
old age1 death1 disquietude1 tears1     
affliction1 and sorrow4 ,beloved        
,bickus1 they who understand the        
doctrine ,i have preached1 and see      
through it1 are full of wisdom and      
deserve to be called my disciples4 ,they
 are displeased with the senses1 the    

objects of the senses1 matter1 pleasure 
and pain1 as well as with all the       
affections of the heart4 ,they become   
free from concupiscence1 and therefore  
exempt from passions4 ,they have        
acquired the true wisdom that leads to  
perfection2 they are delivered at once  
from the miseries of another birth4     
,having practised the most excellent    
works1 nothing more remains to be       
performed by them4 ,they want no more   
the guidance of the sixteen laws1 for   
they have reached far beyond them4#a    
,having thus spoken1 ,buddha remained   
silent4 ,his hearers felt themselves    
wholly disentangled from the trammels of
 passion1 and disengaged from all       
affections to material objects1 and they
 who had been but ,rahans became        
,rahandas4  ,whilst the most excellent  
,phra was enjoying himself in the place 
of ,gayathitha1 he recollected that1 at 
the time when he was but a ,phralaong1  
being near the mountain ,pantawa1 he had
 received from ,king ,pimpathara an     

invitation to come to his own country   
and preach the law4 ,accompanied with   
his thousand ,rahandas1 he set out for  
the country of ,radzagio4 ,having       
arrived at a small distance from the    
royal city he went to the ,latti grove1 
about three gawots from ,radzagio1 a    
place planted with palm trees4 ,the     
king1 having heard of his arrival1 said 
to his people3 ,the descendant of a long
 succession of illustrious princes1 the 
great ,rahan ,gaudama1 has entered into 
our country1 and is now in the grove of 
palm trees1 in the garden of ,tandiwana4
 ,the happy news was soon re-echoed     
throughout the country4 ,the people said
 among themselves3 ,the great ,gaudama  
is come indeed4 ,he is perfectly        
acquainted with all that relates to the 
three states of men1 ,nats1 and         
,brahmas2 he preaches a sublime and     
lovely law2 the morals that he announces
 are pure1 like a shell newly cleansed4 
,pimpathara1 placing himself at the head
 of #abj1jjj warriors1 surrounded by    

crowds of nobles and ,pounhas1 went to  
the garden of ,tandiwana1 where ,phra   
was seated in the middle of his         
disciples4 ,he paid his respects by     
prostrating himself before him1 and then
 withdrew to a becoming distance4 ,the  
countless crowd followed the example of 
their monarch1 and seated themselves at 
a becoming distance4 ,some of them      
remained conversing with ,buddha1 and   
heard from him words worthy to be ever  
remembered2 some others1 having their   
hands joined to the forehead1 remained  
in a respectful attitude2 some were     
praising his illustrious ancestors2     
others remained modestly silent4 ,all of
 them1 perceiving the three ,kathabas   
close to the person of ,phra1 doubted   
whether ,gaudama was their disciple1 or 
they1 his disciples4 ,buddha1 seeing at 
once what thought occupied the mind of  
the warriors1 noblemen1 and ,pounhas1   
addressed the elder ,kathaba1 called    
,ooroowela ,kathaba1 and said to him3   
,kathaba1 you who lived formerly in the 

solitude of of ,ooroowela1 answer the   
question ,i am now putting to you4 ,you 
were formerly a teacher of ,rathees1 who
 practised works of great mortification1
 to such an extent that their bodies    
were emaciated by self-inflicted        
penances3 what has induced you to give  
up the sacrifices you were wont to make8
 ,blessed ,buddha1 answered ,kathaba1 ,i
 have observed that exterior objects1   
the sounds1 the taste1 the gratification
 of the senses1 are but miserable filth2
 and1 therefore1 ,i take no more delight
 in the offering of small and great     
sacrifices4 ,buddha replied1 ,kathaba1  
if you be no longer pleased with what is
 beautiful to the eyes1 pleasant to the 
ear1 palatable to the taste1 and        
agreeable to the gratification of the   
senses1 in what do you presently find   
pleasure and delight8 ,kathaba answered1
 ,blessed ,buddha1 the state of ,neibban
 is a state of rest1 but that rest      
cannot be found as long as we live under
 the empire of senses and passions4     

,that rest excludes existence1 birth1   
old age1 and death2 the great mental    
attainments alone lead thereto4 ,i know 
and see that happy state4 ,i long for   
it4 ,i am1 therefore1 displeased with   
the making of great and small           
sacrifices4 ,having thus spoken1        
,kathaba rose up1 worshipped ,buddha by 
prostrating himself before him1 and     
touching with his forehead the          
extremities of his feet1 and said1 ,o   
most excellent ,buddha1 you are my      
teacher1 and ,i am your disciple4 ,all  
the people1 seeing what ,kathaba had    
done1 knew that he was practising virtue
 under the direction of ,gaudama4#b     
,phra1 who was acquainted with their    
innermost thoughts1 knew that they were 
longing to hear the preaching of the    
law4 ,as he had always done1 he began to
 preach to them the virtue of liberality
 in almsgiving1 and then unfolded before
 them1 with matchless eloquence1 the    
advantages of leaving the world1 c4 ,the
 hearers felt an inward delight in all  

that was said to them4 ,observing the   
favourable impression made upon them1   
,gaudama continued to instruct them on  
the four laws1 regarding the miseries of
 this world1 the passions1 the practice 
of excellent works1 and the ways to     
perfection4 ,at the conclusion of these 
instructions1 the king and #ajj1jjj of  
the assembly1 like a piece of white     
cloth which1 when plunged into dye1     
retains the colour it receives1 obtained
 instantly the state ,thautapan4#c ,as  
to the #aj1jjj remaining hearers1 they  
believed in the three precious things in
 the capacity of ,upathakas4  ,the ruler
 of the country of ,magataritz1 ,king   
,pimpathara1 having obtained the state  
of ,thautapan1 said to ,gaudama1        
,illustrious ,buddha1 some years ago1   
when ,i was but a crown prince of this  
country1 ,i entertained five desires1   
which were all happily accomplished4    
,here are the five desires--,i wished to
 become king2 ,i desired that the ,phra1
 worthy of receiving the homage of all  

men1 should come into my kingdom2 that  
,i might have the privilege of          
approaching him2 that he might preach   
his doctrine to me2 and1 finally1 that  
,i might thoroughly understand all his  
preaching4 ,these five wishes have been 
fully realised4 ,your law1 ,o most      
excellent ,buddha1 is a most perfect    
law4 ,to what shall ,i liken it as      
regards the happy results it produces8  
,it is like replacing on its proper     
basis a vase that was bottom upwards1 or
 setting to light objects hitherto      
buried in deep darkness2 it is an       
excellent guide that shows out the right
 way2 it is like a brilliant light1     
shining forth and dispelling darkness4  
,now ,i take refuge in you1 your law1   
and the assembly of the perfect4        
,henceforth ,i will be your supporter1  
and to-morrow ,i will supply you and    
your disciples with all that is         
necessary for the support of nature4    
,buddha1 by his silence1 testified his  
acceptance of the offered favour4       

,whereupon the king rose up1 prostrated 
himself before him1 and1 turning on the 
right1 left the place1 and returned to  
his palace4  ,early in the morning      
,pimpathara ordered all sorts of        
eatables to be prepared4 ,meanwhile he  
sent messengers to ,buddha to inform him
 that his meal was ready4 ,buddha1      
rising up1 put on his dress1 and1       
carrying his patta1 set out for         
,radzagio1 followed by his one thousand 
disciples4 ,at that time a prince of    
,thagias1 assuming the appearance of a  
handsome young man1 walked a little     
distance in front of ,buddha1 singing to
 his praise several stanzas4 ,behold the
 most excellent is advancing towards    
,radzagio with his one thousand         
disciples4 ,in his soul he is full of   
meekness and amiability2 he is exempt   
from all passions2 his face is          
beautiful1 and shines forth like the    
star ,thigi2 he has escaped out of the  
whirlpool of existences1 and delivered  
himself from the miseries of            

transmigration4 ,he is on his way to the
 city of ,radzagio attended by a        
thousand ,rahandas4 7,the same stanza is
 thrice repeated47 ,he who has obtained 
the perfection of ,ariahs1 who has      
practised the ten great virtues1 who has
 a universal knowledge1 who knows and   
preaches the law of merits1 who         
discovers at once the sublime           
attainments1 the most perfect being1 the
 most excellent1 is entering into the   
city of ,radzagio attended by a thousand
 ,rahandas4  ,the inhabitants of the    
city1 seeing the beautiful appearance of
 that young man1 and hearing all that he
 was singing aloud1 said to each other1 
,who is that young man whose countenance
 is so lovely1 and whose mouth proclaims
 such wonderful things8 ,the ,thagia1   
hearing what was said of him1 replied1  
,o children of men6 the most excellent  
,phra whom you see is gifted with an    
incomparable wisdom2 all perfections are
 in him2 he is free of all passions2 no 
being can ever be compared to him2 he is

 worthy to receive the homage and       
respect of men and ,nats2 his unwavering
 mind is ever fixed in truth2 he        
announces a law extending to all things4
 ,as for me1 ,i am but his humble       
servant4#d  ,having reached the king's  
palace1 ,buddha was received with every 
demonstration of respect1 and led to the
 place prepared for him4 ,pimpathara    
thought within himself of the thing     
which could prove acceptable to ,phra1  
in order to offer it to him4 ,he said   
within himself1 ,my garden1 which is    
situated near the city1 would doubtless 
be a very fit place for ,buddha and his 
followers to live in4 ,as it lies not   
far from the city1 it would be a place  
of easy resort to all those who should  
feel inclined to visit ,buddha and pay  
him their respects2 it is1 moreover1 far
 enough off1 so that the noise and cries
 of the people could not be heard       
therein4 ,the place is peculiarly fitted
 for retreat and contemplation2 it will 
assuredly prove agreeable to ,buddha4   

,whereupon he rose up1 and1 holding in  
his hand a golden shell like a cup1 he  
made to ,phra a solemn offering of that 
garden which was called ,weloowon4#e    
,gaudama remained silent1 in token of   
his acceptance of the gift4 ,he preached
 the law and left the palace4 ,at that  
time he called his disciples and said to
 them1 ,beloved ,rahans1 ,i give you    
permission to receive offerings4  ,in   
the country of ,radzagio there was a    
heterodox ,rahan named ,thindzi1 who had
 under him five hundred and fifty       
disciples4 ,thariputra and ,maukalan    
were at that time practising virtue     
under the guidance of that master4 ,here
 is the way they became ,rahans4 ,when  
they were but laymen1 under the names of
 ,oopathi and ,kaulita1 on a certain    
day1 surrounded by two hundred and      
twenty companions1 they went to the top 
of a lofty mountain to enjoy the sight  
of countless multitudes of people       
sporting and playing in the surrounding 
flat country4 ,while they were gazing   

over the crowds of human beings they    
said to each other1 ,in a hundred years 
hence all these living beings shall have
 fallen a prey to death4 ,whereupon they
 rose up and left the place1 but their  
minds were deeply preoccupied with the  
idea of death4 ,while the two friends   
were walking silently together1 they    
began at last to communicate to each    
other the result of their reflections4  
,if there be1 said they1 a principle of 
death1 a universal tendency towards     
destruction1 there must be1 too1 its    
opposite principle1 that of not dying   
and escaping destruction4 ,on that very 
instant they resolved to search ardently
 for the excellent law that teaches the 
way of not dying1 and obtain the state  
of perfect fixity and immutability4 ,in 
those parts there lived six heterodox   
teachers who were named ,mekkali1 ,gau1 
,sala1 ,thindzi1 ,jani1 and ,ganti2     
among them ,thindzi was the only one    
who1 with his disciples1 wore white     
clothes4 ,they went to the place where  

lived the ,rahan ,thindzi1 placed       
themselves under his direction1 and put 
on the dress of ,rahan4 ,within three   
days they acquired the science1 wisdom1 
and knowledge of their teacher without  
having as yet reached the object of     
their eager pursuit4 ,they said to      
,thindzi1 ,teacher1 is this all that you
 know8 ,and have you no other science to
 teach us8 ,i have indeed1 replied the  
teacher1 taught you all the knowledge ,i
 possess4 ,finding nothing satisfactory 
in the answer1 the two friends said1    
,let us continue seeking for the law    
that has reality in itself2 the first   
that shall have discovered it shall1    
without delay1 communicate it to the    
other4  ,on a certain morning one of    
,gaudama's disciples named ,athadzi1    
having put on his religious habit1 and  
carrying his patta on his left arm1 went
 out to receive his rice4 ,everything   
about his person was noble and graceful2
 his countenance and behaviour were at  
once gentle and dignified1 whether he   

walked or stopped1 looked forward to the
 right or the left1 or sat in a         
cross-legged position4 ,the false ,rahan
 ,oopathi1 who became afterwards        
,thariputra1 perceiving the ,rahan      
,athadzi with such a meek and dignified 
deportment1 said to himself1 ,such a    
,rahan is assuredly worthy to receive   
offerings3 he has doubtless attained    
perfection4 ,i will go to him and ask   
him1 in case he has had a teacher1 who  
is that distinguished instructor under  
whom he practises virtue2 and in case of
 his being himself a teacher1 what is   
the doctrine that he teaches4 ,but it is
 not becoming to put to him any question
 whilst he is on his way to beg alms4 ,i
 will follow at a distance4 ,athadzi1   
having collected alms1 left the city and
 went to a small dzeat1 where he sat    
down and ate his meal4 ,oopathi followed
 him thither4 ,having entered into the  
dzeat1 he rendered to him the services  
that a disciple usually pays to his     
teacher4 ,when the meal of ,athadzi was 

over1 he poured water over his hands1   
and with a heart overflowing with joy1  
he conversed with him for a while4 ,he  
withdrew then to a becoming distance1   
and addressed him as follows3 ,great    
,rahan1 your exterior is full of        
meekness and benevolence2 your          
countenance bespeaks the purity and     
innocence of your soul2 if you be a     
disciple1 pray under what teacher have  
you become a ,rahan8 ,who is your guide 
in the way to perfection8 and what is   
the doctrine he is preaching to you8    
,young ,rahan1 replied ,athadzi1 have   
you not heard of the illustrious        
,buddha1 the descendant of a long       
succession of great monarchs1 who has   
entered the profession of ,rahan8 ,i    
have become ,rahan under him2 he is my  
teacher2 to his doctrine ,i cling with  
all the energy of my soul4 ,what is the 
doctrine of that great master8 asked    
,oopathi4 ,i am but a novice in the     
profession1 replied modestly ,athadzi1  
and am as yet imperfectly acquainted    

with the doctrine of my teacher4 ,the   
little1 however1 ,i know1 ,i will freely
 communicate to you4 ,oopathi entreated 
him to do so4 ,athadzi replied1 ,the law
 which ,i have learned at the feet of   
,buddha explains all that relates to    
matter1 to the principles that act upon 
it1 to passions1 and to the mind2 it    
makes man despise all that is material1 
conquer his passions1 and regulate his  
mind4 ,on hearing this doctrine1        
,oopathi felt the ties of passions      
gradually relaxing and giving way2 his  
soul became1 as it were1 disentangled   
from the influence of the senses4 ,he   
became enamoured with such a pure and   
perfect law1 and obtained the condition 
of ,thautapan4 ,convinced that he had at
 last found what he had hitherto        
searched after in vain1 the law of      
,neibban1 he went without delay to his  
friend1 to make him share in the        
beneficial result of his fortunate      
discovery4 ,kaulita1 perceiving his     
friend coming up to him with a rejoicing

 countenance1 indicative of the         
happiness his soul was inwardly         
enjoying1 asked him if he had found what
 he had hitherto vainly looked for4     
,oopathi related to him all the         
particulars of his conversation with the
 ,rahan ,athadzi4 ,whereupon ,kaulita   
became instantly a ,thautapan4 ,both    
resolved to leave their teacher         
,thindzi1 and go immediately to place   
themselves under the guidance of        
,buddha4 ,three times they applied for  
permission to execute their design1 and 
three times it was denied them4 ,at last
 they departed1 each with his two       
hundred and twenty companions4 ,thindzi1
 enraged at being left alone1 died1     
vomiting blood from his mouth4  ,when   
the two friends and their followers were
 drawing near to the place of ,weloowon1
 ,phra assembled all his disciples and  
said to them1 ,behold these two friends 
coming up to me2 they will become my two
 beloved disciples2 their minds are     
acute and penetrating2 they actually    

take delight in the law of ,neibban2    
their thoughts are converging towards   
that great centre of truth2 they come to
 me1 and they will become my two most   
excellent disciples4 ,while he was      
speaking1 the two friends crossed the   
threshold of the monastery1 and         
prostrated themselves at the feet of    
,buddha1 humbly craving the favour of   
being admitted among his disciples to   
practise virtue under his immediate     
direction4 ,on this occasion ,phra      
uttered the following words3 ,o ,bickus1
 come to me2 ,i preach the most         
excellent law3 apply yourselves to the  
practice of the most perfect works1     
which will put an end to all miseries4  
,a suit of dress and a patta were handed
 to each of the two friends1 that were  
henceforth to be called ,thariputra and 
,maukalan1 and they became members of   
the assembly4 ,having put on the new    
dress1 they appeared to the eyes of all 
with the decent and dignified deportment
 of ,rahans that had sixty years of     

profession4 ,their followers became     
,bickus of the second order4 ,seven days
 after1 ,maukalan became a ,rahanda2 but
 it took fifteen days for ,thariputra to
 obtain the same favour4 ,the two new   
converts were elevated to the dignity of
 disciples of the right and of the left2
 that is to say1 they obtained          
precedence over all others4  ,the       
distinction thus granted to ,thariputra 
and ,maukalan excited a feeling of      
jealousy among the disciples of ,buddha4
 ,in their conversations they complained
 to each other of the preference given  
to those who had just been admitted     
among the members of assembly4 ,they    
went so far as to say that ,buddha had  
acted in this case under the influence  
of human considerations4 ,these remarks 
were brought to the notice of ,buddha1  
who assembled his disciples1 and said to
 them1 ,beloved ,bickus1 my conduct in  
this instance has not been guided by    
unworthy motives2 ,i have acted as ,i   
ought to have done4 ,in the days of the 

,phra ,anaumadathi1 the two friends were
 leading the life of ascetics4 ,they    
paid the greatest respect and veneration
 to the then existing ,buddha1 and      
entreated him1 by repeated              
supplications1 to hold out to them the  
solemn promise that they would become   
the disciples of the right and of the   
left of some future ,buddha4            
,anaumadathi replied to them that the   
object of their wishes should be granted
 unto them when the ,buddha ,gaudama    
would appear in the world4 ,this is1    
beloved ,bickus1 the reason that has    
influenced me in elevating to the first 
rank the two new converts4 ,the answer  
completely satisfied the disciples1 and 
effectually silenced all murmurs4       
,further particulars regarding the      
promise that these two illustrious      
friends received in the time of the     
,buddha ,anaumadathi may be read1 with  
circumstantial details1 in the book     
called ,apadan-tera4  ,the inhabitants  
of the ,magatha country1 seeing that so 

many persons1 chiefly belonging to the  
first families1 were embracing the      
profession of ,rahans1 said amongst     
themselves1 ,behold how the ,rahan      
,gaudama1 by his preachings1 causes the 
depopulation of the country1 and forces 
countless wives to the unwished-for     
state of widowhood4 ,a thousand ,rathees
 have embraced the profession of        
,rahans2 all the disciples of ,thindzi  
have followed their example2 many others
 will soon tread in their footsteps4    
,what will become of our country8 ,with 
these and other expressions1 they gave  
vent to their hatred of the ,rahans1 and
 endeavoured to pour over them all kinds
 of ridicule and abuse4 ,they concluded 
by saying1 ,the great ,rahan has come to
 the city of ,radzagio1 which is like a 
cow-pen1 surrounded by five hills2#f he 
has now with him the disciples of       
,thindzi2 who will be the next to go to 
him8 ,the ,rahans1 hearing all that was 
said against them1 went to ,buddha and  
related to him all that they had heard4 

,to console them1 ,buddha said1 ,beloved
 ,bickus1 the abuses1 sarcasms1 and     
ridicule levelled at you shall not last 
long2 seven days hence all shall be     
over4 ,here is the reply you will make  
to the revilers3 ,like all his          
predecessors1 ,buddha is striving to    
preach a most perfect law2 by the means 
of the truths which he proclaims for the
 benefit of all1 he brings men over to  
himself4 ,what shall it avail any man to
 feel envious at the success he obtains 
by so legitimate a means8 ,the same     
torrent of ridicule having been poured  
on the ,rahans1 when they went out1 they
 followed the advice of their great     
teacher1 replied in the manner they had 
been taught to do1 and the storm was    
soon over4 ,the people understood that  
the great ,rahan was preaching a perfect
 law1 and that he never resorted but to 
fair means to attract disciples round   
his person4 ,here ends the narrative of 
the conversion and vocation of          
,thariputra and ,maukalan4   ,,footnotes

      #a ,the philosophical discourse of
 ,buddha on the mountain may be         
considered as the summary of his theory 
of morals4 ,it is     confessedly very  
obscure and much above the ordinary     
level of     the human understanding4   
,the hearers whom he addressed were     
persons already trained up to his       
teaching1 and therefore     prepared for
 understanding such doctrines4 ,had he  
spoken in that     abstruse style to    
common people1 it is certain he would   
have     missed his aim and exposed     
himself to the chance of not being      
understood4 ,but he addressed a select  
audience1 whose minds were     fully    
capable of comprehending his most       
elevated doctrines4 ,he     calls his   
disciples ,bickus1 or mendicants1 to    
remind them of the     state of         
voluntary poverty they had embraced when
 they became     his followers1 and to  
impress their minds with contempt for   
the     riches and pleasures of this    
world4      ,he lays it 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 effects4 ,here  
appears the favourite     notion of     
,buddhism that there is nothing         
substantial and real in     this world1 
and that the continual changes and      
vicissitudes we     are exposed to are  
the cause of painful sensations4 ,buddha
     reviews the six senses 7the heart1 
according to his theory1 is     the seat
 of a sixth sense7 in succession1 and as
 they are the     channels through which
 affections are produced on the soul1 he
     compares to a burning flame the    
organs of the senses1 the     various   
objects of the action of the senses1 the
 results painful     or agreeable       
produced by them4 ,hence he fulminates a
 general and     sweeping condemnation  
against all that exists out of man4 ,the
     senses1 being the means through    
which matter influences the     soul1   
share in the universal doom4 ,buddha    

sets forth the causes     productive of 
that burning flame4 ,they are--first1   
the three     great and general         
principles of demerits1 viz41           
concupiscence1     anger1 and ignorance4
 ,in the book of ,ethics these three    
principles are explained at great       
length2 they are represented     as the 
springs from which flow all other       
passions4 ,in a     lengthened          
digression the author aims at           
simplifying the     question1 and       
endeavours to show1 by a logical        
process1 that     ignorance is the head 
source from which concupiscence and     
passion take their rise4 ,it is1        
therefore1 according to     ,buddhists1 
into the dark recess of ignorance that  
metaphysicians     must penetrate in    
order to discover the first cause of all
 moral     disorders4 ,every being has  
his mind more or less encompassed by    
a thick mist that prevents him from     
seeing truth4 ,he mistakes     good for 
evil1 right for wrong2 he erroneously   

clings to     material objects that have
 no reality1 no substance1 no           
consistence2 his passions are kept alive
 by his love or hatred     of vain      
illusions4 ,the flame is1 moreover1 fed 
by birth1 old     age1 death1           
afflictions1 c41 which are as many foci 
wherefrom     radiate out on all        
surrounding objects fires which keep up 
the     general conflagration4 ,but they
 play only a secondary action1          
dependent on the three great causes of  
all evils just alluded     to4 ,what    
causes birth1 old age1 and death8       
inquires the     ,buddhist4 ,the law of 
merits and demerits is the immediate    
answer     to the question2 it might be 
added thereto1 the necessity of         
acquiring merits and gravitating towards
 perfection4 ,a man is     born to      
innumerable succeeding existences by    
virtue of his     imperfections1 and    
that he might acquire fresh merits by   
the     practice of virtue4 ,by birth1 a
 being is ushered into a new            

existence or into a new state1 where the
 burning flame which is     supposed to 
spread over all that exists exercises   
its teasing     and tormenting influence
 over him4 ,old age and death are two   
periods when a radical change operates  
upon a being1 and places     him in a   
different situation where he experiences
 the baneful     effects of the         
conflagration4 ,blessed are they1 says  
,buddha1     who understand this2 they  
are full of wisdom2 they become         
displeased with all passions and with   
all the things they act     upon4 ,the  
causes of existences being done away    
with1 they have     reached the terminus
 of all possible existences2 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 existences1 
and brings them towards the centre of   
perfection2 they are in fact entering   
into the state of     ,neibban4      #b 
,from the purport of ,kathaba's reply to

 ,buddha's question1 it     may be      
inferred with certainty that the        
,rathees were in the     habit of making
 sacrifices or burnt-offerings4 ,these  
sacrifices     again were distinguished 
into two classes2 the one1 including    
the small or daily ones1 and the other1 
the great     burnt-offerings1 made on  
solemn occasions4 ,that these sacrifices
     were not performed by the killing  
and immolating of animals1     there can
 be no doubt1 as such an act would have 
been contrary     to the tender regard  
they always had for the life of animals4
     ,the institutes of ,menu come to   
our help to elucidate this point4       
,the ,brahmin is enjoined1 according to 
that compilation of laws1     to make   
burnt-offerings of clarified butter and 
other articles     to the manes of his  
ancestors4 ,agreeably to this           
regulation1     ,kathaba performed those
 rites1 which1 in the opinion of        
,buddha1     were perfectly useless1    
since they could not be the means of    

elevating the performer to the knowledge
 and perfection     requisite for       
obtaining what he always calls per      
excellence     the deliverance4         
,kathaba is rather obscure in his       
answer4 ,it seems that he     intended  
to acknowledge that1 notwithstanding the
 sacrifices and     burnt-offerings he  
had made1 and upon the value of which he
 had     laid much stress1 concupiscence
 and other vicious propensities     were
 still deeply rooted in him2 that1      
through the channel of     his senses1  
exterior objects continued to make      
impressions on     his soul4 ,he had1   
therefore1 become disgusted with        
practices     which could not free him  
from the action and influence of        
passions and matter4      ,in the       
opinion of ,buddha1 the observance of   
exterior religious     rites can never  
elevate man to the sublime knowledge of 
pure     truth1 which alone does confer 
real perfection to him who has          
become a true sage1 and is deemed worthy

 of obtaining the     deliverance4 ,a   
serious application of the mind to the  
meditation     of the law and the nature
 of beings1 is the only way leading to  
the acquirement of true wisdom4 ,as long
 as ,kathaba was contented     with     
material acts of worship1 and his mind's
 attention was     engrossed with those 
vain ceremonials1 he had not as yet     
entered     in the way of perfection4   
,he had hitherto missed the true path2  
he had wandered in the broad road of    
error1 encompassed by     mental        
darkness1 and deceived by perpetual     
illusions4 ,his     extensive knowledge 
had served but to lead him in the wrong 
direction4 ,he wanted the guidance of   
,buddha to enable him to     retrace his
 steps and find the right way4 ,he had  
to become     sensible of the truth of  
the great fundamental maxims of all     
real wisdom1 viz41 that in this world   
all is subjected to change     and to   
pain2 and that all beings are mere      
illusions1 destitute     of all reality4

      #c ,to complete what has already  
been stated respecting the     ,ariahs  
or venerables in a foregoing note1 the  
following is     added4 ,the reader must
 bear in mind that the ,ariahs are      
divided     into four classes1          
named--,thautapan1 ,thakadagam1 ,anagam1
 and     ,arahats1 and according to the 
particular position occupied by     the 
beings of those states1 each class is   
subdivided into two3     ,thus1 for     
instance1 ,thautapatti ,megata means he 
who has entered     and is walking1 as  
it were1 in the way of the perfection of
     ,thautapan2 and ,thautapatti-pho   
indicates those who enjoy the     merits
 and blessings of the state of          
,thautapan2 and so with the     three   
superior stages of perfection4 ,to      
obtain the state of     ,thautapan1 a   
man must have left the direction        
followed up by all     creatures and    
entered into the direction or way that  
leads to     deliverance4 ,he will have 
yet to go through #hj1jjj kaps or       

durations of worlds1 and must be born   
seven times more in the     state of man
 and ,nat before he be a perfected      
being1 ripe for     the state of        
,neibban4 ,those who have reached the   
state of     ,thakadagam shall have to  
pass through #fj1jjj kaps1 and be born  
once in the state of ,nat and once in   
the state of man1 before     they be    
perfected4 ,those who have obtained the 
third step of     ,anagam have to travel
 through #dj1jjj kaps1 and are no more  
to     undergo the process of birth at  
the end of that period they are         
perfected4 ,the fourth stage of         
perfection1 that of ,arahat1 is     the 
highest a being can ever obtain4 ,the   
fortunate ,arahat is     gifted with    
supernatural powers4 ,at the end of     
#bj1jjj kaps he is     perfected1 and   
reaches the state of deliverance4 ,those
 four     states are often called the   
four great roads leading to             
deliverance or to ,neibban4 ,it may be  
asked whether the state of              

,thautapan is the first step reached by 
every one that adheres to     ,buddha's 
doctrines or whether it is the one that 
requires a     certain progress in the  
way of believing and practising8 ,it    
seems1 from the narrative of the        
conversion of ,king ,pimpathara     and 
his followers1 that the state of        
,thautapan is the reward of     those   
who have shown a more than common       
proficiency and fervour     in adhering 
to ,buddha and his doctrines1 but not   
the first step     to enter into the    
assembly of the faithful and become a   
member     thereof4 ,one may be a simple
 hearer1 or ,upathaka1 believing in     
the three precious things1 without      
attaining that of ,thautapan4     ,on   
this occasion1 the king and #ajj1jjj of 
his warriors and     noblemen became    
,thautapans1 whereas the remaining      
#aj1jjj became     believers and members
 of the assembly without reaching any   
further4 ,the first entered into the    
stream or current leading to            

perfection4 ,the latter were fervent    
believers1 observed the five            
precepts1 but in no way aspired to the  
attainment of the     doctrines of a    
higher order4      #d ,is not that young
 man doing the duty of forerunner of    
,buddha     on the occasion of his      
solemn entry into the city of ,radzagio8
      ,the narrative of the donation of 
the grove or garden of ,weloowon     by 
,king ,pimpathara to ,buddha1 discloses 
the manner in which     ,buddhistic     
monks have become holders1 not as       
individuals1 but as     members of      
society1 of landed properties4 ,buddha  
and his     disciples at first had no   
place as a body or a society to live    
in2 hitherto he had taken up his        
quarters in any place where     people  
were willing to receive him4 ,he must   
have often been put     to great        
inconvenience1 particularly after the   
accession of new     disciples1 who     
daily crowded about him4 ,the pious king
 felt the     disadvantage the society  

was labouring under3 he resolved to     
give them a place where the assembly    
might live and remain4 ,the     donation
 was as solemn as possible4 ,it         
transferred to ,buddha the     property 
of the garden1 without any condition1   
for ever4 ,the     donation1 on the     
other hand1 was fully accepted4 ,this   
is1 ,i     believe1 the first instance  
of an act of this description4 ,the     
grove and monastery of ,weloowon is much
 celebrated in ,buddha's     life4      
,in ,burmese towns a particular spot is 
allowed for the building     of houses  
or monasteries for ,buddhistic recluses 
or monks4 ,it is     somewhat isolated  
from all other buildings1 and forms1 as 
it     were1 the quarter of the         
yellow-dressed personages4 ,here is a   
general description of one of these     
buildings4 ,they are of an              
oblong-square shape1 raised about eight 
or ten feet above the     ground1 and   
supported on wooden posts1 and          
sometimes1 though     seldom1 on brick  

pillars4 ,the frame of the edifice is of
 wood1     and planks form the wall4    
,above the first roof rises a second    
one of smaller dimensions1 and a third  
one1 yet smaller than the     second4   
,this style of roofing a building is    
allowed only for     pagodas1           
,talapoins' houses1 and royal palaces4  
,the place between     the soil and the 
floor is left open and never converted  
to any     use4 ,a flight of steps1 made
 of wood or bricks1 leads to the        
entrance of the edifice1 the interior   
whereof is generally     divided as     
follows3--,one vast hall designed for   
the reception of     visitors1 and used 
also as a schoolroom for the boys who go
 to     learn the rudiments of reading1 
writing1 and sometimes     ciphering4   
,except on grand occasions1 the         
,talapoins generally     stay in that   
hall1 doing away with their time in the 
best way     they can1 occasionally     
reading books1 counting their beads1    
chewing betel1 and very often sleeping4 

,at the extremity of the     hall there 
is a place raised one or two steps above
 the level4 ,a     portion of that place
 is left vacant1 and reserved for the   
sittings of the ,talapoins1 when they   
receive visitors2 the other     portion1
 which extends to the wall1 is occupied 
by idols or     representations of      
,buddha1 raised on pedestals1 and       
sometimes     placed on shelves1 with   
the few implements required for exterior
     worship4 ,there1 too1 are to be    
seen a few trunks ornamented with       
sculptures and gildings1 and containing 
books belonging to the     monastery4   
,the hall and the place as far as the   
walls occupy     just one-half of the   
oblong-square4 ,the other half1 parallel
 to     the first1 is occupied by rooms 
intended for the storing of     alms1   
and as dormitories for the inmates of   
the house4 ,in some1     monasteries the
 ceiling is painted and partly gilt4    
,the     cook-room1 when there is one1  
is connected with the extremity of      

the square opposite to the one occupied 
by the idols4 ,it is     generally on   
the same level with the floor of the    
building4     ,government has nothing to
 do with the erection1 repairs1 and     
maintenance of these edifices4 ,they are
 erected and kept up by     private     
individuals1 who deem it very           
meritorious to build such     places4   
,those whose piety actuates and prompts 
them to undertake     such an expensive 
work assume the title of ,kiaong ,taga1 
which     means supporter of a pagoda or
 ,talapoins' residence4 ,they are       
proud of such distinction1 cause        
themselves to be called by that         
title1 and always make it to follow     
their names in signing any     paper or 
document4      ,the above descriptive   
sketch of a monastery is rather         
incomplete1 if applied to those found in
 the large places of     ,burmah proper1
 and particularly in the capital4 ,some 
of them are     laid out on a scale of  
vastness and magnificence difficult to  

realise by those who have not examined  
them4 ,a large open     gallery runs all
 round the building2 a second one of a  
rectangular shape1 but protected by the 
roof1 forms1 as it were1     on the four
 sides the vestibulum to the central    
portion of the     edifice4 ,it is the  
place where the ,phongies spend the     
greater     part of their time1 either  
in talking with the numerous idlers     
that visit them1 or in teaching         
children4 ,large shutters     separate  
this from the open verandah2 they may be
 thrown all     open by pushing forward 
the lower part1 the upper one remaining 
fixed by hinges1 and so may be opened to
 the height required to     protect the 
inmates from the rain and the sun4 ,the 
central hall1     by far the finest and 
loftiest of the building1 is reserved   
for     the idols and all the implements
 of worship1 and the boxes              
containing the books of the monastery1  
commonly put together in     a very     
disordered way4 ,the ceiling is gilt and

 adorned1 often     with taste and      
elegance4 ,a partition divides the hall 
into two     equal parts4 ,the one      
towards the east is for some huge statue
 of     ,gaudama1 and smaller ones with 
many articles of worship4 ,the          
other1 facing the south1 is used for    
several purposes2 sometimes     as      
dormitories for the ,talapoins4 ,the    
posts supporting the     interior part  
are six or eight in number1 and offer   
the finest     specimens of teak timber 
,i have ever seen1 some being fully     
sixty and seventy feet high4 ,in some of
 these monasteries the     best parts of
 the interior are gilt1 and sometimes   
the exterior     sides2 the ornaments of
 the extremities of the roof and the    
space between the roofs are covered with
 gold leaves4 ,in those     two places  
too are displayed carvings1 which       
reflect great     credit on the skill of
 native workmen1 and elicit the         
admiration     of foreigners4 ,one of   
these monasteries called the            

kioung-dau-gye1 near the place where the
 ,arracan idol is1 and     another close
 to the place where the supreme head of 
,talapoins     is living1 are the finest
 and largest specimens of monasteries   
the writer has ever seen in ,burmah4    
#e ,on the occasion of the presentation 
to ,buddha of the     ,weloowon         
monastery1 and of the lands attached to 
it1 by ,king     ,pimpathara1 there was 
observed a curious ceremony1 often      
alluded     to in ,buddhist writings4   
,he held in his hands a golden pitcher  
full of water1 which he kept pouring    
down on the ground1 whilst     he       
pronounced the formula of donation4     
,this is a ceremony of     ,indian      
origin1 which1 with many others1 has    
been imported into     these parts along
 with the religious doctrines4 ,it is   
intended     to be an exterior sign of1 
or testimony to1 the offering that is   
made on the occasion4 ,when it is       
performed1 the parties     pronounce a  
certain formula1 calling the ,nats1     

guardians of the     place1 to witness  
the act of donation1 and1 in particular1
 the     ,nat that is supposed to rule  
over the earth2 and at the same     time
 the offerer1 not satisfied with        
receiving for his own     benefit the   
merits of his pious liberality1         
expresses the     earnest desire that   
all men1 or rather all beings1 should   
share     with him in the blessings he  
expects to reap from his good deed4     
,the generous and liberal disposition of
 the donor1 it may be     observed1     
exhibits the truly pleasing display of  
an amount of     charity and brotherly  
love scarcely to be expected from the   
followers of an erroneous creed4 ,the   
ceremony1 therefore1 has a     twofold  
object1 conferring unreserved and       
absolute efficiency on     the act of   
donation1 and dividing or apportioning  
the merits of     the good work among   
all beings4      ,in perusing           
attentively the contents of this legend1
 the reader     will easily follow the  

gradual development of the ,buddhist    
religious system1 and1 in particular1   
the establishment of most     of the    
disciplinary regulations in full force  
in our own days in     most of the      
countries where that form of religion   
has obtained a     long standing and a  
predominating footing4 ,at first the    
religious that constituted the body of  
the followers of ,buddha     were few1  
and could easily1 in the company of     
their eminent     teacher1 procure1 in  
accordance with the vow of strict       
poverty     they had made1 shelter1     
food1 and raiment4 ,there was no need   
for     them to accept1 in the shape of 
donation1 anything beyond what     was  
absolutely necessary for the wants of   
the day4 ,we may     conjecture that    
their leader watched with a jealous care
 over     his religious on this point1  
to establish them in the spirit of      
poverty and of a thorough contempt for  
the things of this world4     ,but the  
society or fraternity growing numerous1 

the dependence     on the daily         
offerings appeared not to meet in       
sufficient manner     the real          
necessities it felt1 particularly as    
regards shelter4     ,this want was     
quickly perceived and keenly felt by the
 pious     ,king ,pimpathara1 who came  
to the resolution of presenting ,buddha 
and his followers with a proper place to
 withdraw to at all     times1 but      
particularly during the wet season1 when
 the pouring     of the annual rains    
puts a check of four months to the      
religious     peregrinations of the     
preachers4 ,the same motives that       
induced     ,buddha to accept the       
proffered royal gift influenced him     
likewise to grant to his religious the  
dangerous1 it is true1     but the      
absolutely necessary permission of      
receiving offerings     of houses and   
lands4 ,from that time1 the religious   
communities     have made use of the    
privilege granted to them in all the    
places     where they have been         

established4 ,in ,burmah this favour has
 not     been abused1 and the religious 
body1 though never standing in     want 
of anything required for the daily use1 
cannot be said to     be wealthy4       
,having not to cast in the scales of the
 political     balance the weight of    
riches1 and the preponderance           
essentially     attending the possession
 of them1 their influence in the        
political affairs is not1 at least      
exteriorly1 felt4      #f ,in his       
,archaeological ,survey ,report1        
,general ,cunningham has     supplied us
 with an accurate description of the    
position and     ruins of the celebrated
 city of ,radzagio4 ,his own            
measurements     of the old ramparts1   
that are still visible1 agree to a      
surprising degree with those of the two 
,chinese pilgrims1     ,fa-,hian and    
,hwen-,tsan1 who visited the same spot  
in the fourth     and sixth century of  
our era4 ,the city was situated in a    
valley1     surrounded by five hills1   

which are named ,gigakuta1 ,isigli1     
,wibhara1 ,wipula1 and ,pandawa4 ,it was
 five miles in     circumference4 ,this 
is meant for the circuit of the inner   
wall4     ,the exterior one was nearly  
nine miles4 ,on the southern face of    
the ,wibhara mountain is the famous cave
 at the entrance of which     was held  
the first ,buddhist council1 not long   
after the     cremation of ,buddha's    
remains4 ,there is no doubt that the    
heights were1 in the palmy days of      
,buddhism1 covered with     ,buddhistic 
monuments4 ,as the place was            
subsequently occupied by     ,brahmins  
and ,mussulmans1 the ,dzedis and        
monasteries have been     mercilessly   
pulled down to furnish materials for    
musjids1 tombs1     and temples4 ,the   
eminences are now covered with          
,mussulman tombs1     which occupy the  
places formerly adorned with pagodas4   
,springs     of hot water were numerous 
in the vicinity of the city4 ,the       
writer has only met once in ,buddhistic 

compositions an allusion     to that    
natural phenomenon so beneficial to     
people living in hot     climates4 ,the 
modern ,rajghir1 both by name and       
situation1 brings     to our            
recollection the celebrated capital of  
,magatha1 so famous     in ,buddhistic  
annals4 ,as the extent of ,radzagio has 
been so     accurately determined by    
ancient and modern visitors1 one can    
well afford to laugh at the immensely   
exaggerated number of     houses that   
are supposed by certain ,burmese writers
 to have     composed the city4         
,,chapter ,,viii4      ,thoodaudana1    
desirous to see his son1 sends          
messengers to him     -- ,they become   
converts -- ,kaludari1 a last messenger1
 prevails     on ,buddha to go to       
,kapilawot -- ,his reception --         
,conversion of     the king and of      
,yathaudara -- ,nanda and ,raoula put on
 the     religious habit -- ,conversion 
of ,ananda and of several of his        
relatives -- ,temptation of ,ananda --  

,conversion of ,eggidatta --     ,story 
of ,tsampooka4   ,whilst the most       
excellent ,phra remained in the         
,weloowon monastery1 enjoying himself in
 the midst of his disciples and the     
crowds of hearers that daily resorted   
thither to listen to his preachings1 his
 father ,thoodaudana#a who had ever been
 anxiously and sedulously gathering     
every possible information respecting   
his son1 from the time he withdrew into 
solitude1 and performed during six years
 the hardest works of bodily            
mortification1 was then informed that   
his son had already begun to preach the 
most perfect law1 and was actually      
staying in the city of ,radzagio4 ,he   
felt then an irresistible desire to see 
him once more before his death4 ,he     
therefore ordered a nobleman of his     
court into his presence1 and said to    
him3 ,nobleman1 take with you a retinue 
of a thousand followers1 and go         
forthwith to the city of ,radzagio4     
,tell my son that ,i am now much        

advanced in years1 that ,i long to see  
him once more before ,i die2 desire him1
 therefore1 to come over with you to the
 country of ,kapilawot4 ,the nobleman1  
having received the royal message1 took 
leave from the king1 and attended by a  
thousand followers1 set out for         
,radzagio4 ,when he drew near to the    
,weloowon monastery1 he found it crowded
 with an innumerable multitude of       
people1 listening with a respectful     
attention to ,buddha's instructions4    
,unwilling to disturb the audience1 the 
nobleman delayed for a while the        
delivery of his royal master's message4 
,halting at the verge of the crowd1 he1 
with his followers1 eagerly lent the    
utmost attention to all that ,buddha was
 saying4 ,they at once obtained the     
state of ,arahat1 and applied for       
admission into the order of ,rahans4    
,the favour was granted4 ,to obtain     
pattas and tsiwarans for so great a     
number of applicants1 ,buddha stretched 
his right arm1 when there appeared at   

once the pattas and dresses required4   
,the new converts put on the dress of   
their order1 when they all appeared with
 the dignified countenance and meek     
deportment of ,rahans who had had sixty 
years of profession4 ,having arrived at 
the exalted state of ,ariahs1 they      
became indifferent and unconcerned about
 all the things of this material world1 
and the king's mandate was entirely lost
 sight of4  ,the sovereign of           
,kapilawot1 seeing that his nobleman did
 not return from the country of         
,magatha1#b and that no news was heard  
of him1 despatched a second messenger   
with an equal number of followers on the
 same errand4 ,they all were taken up   
with ,buddha's preachings and became    
,rahandas4 ,the same thing happened to  
seven messengers successively sent to   
,radzagio for the same purpose4 ,they1  
with their respective retinues1 became  
converts of the first class4            
,disappointed at seeing that none of the
 messengers had returned to bring him   

any news regarding his son1 ,king       
,thoodaudana exclaimed3 ,is there no one
 in my palace that bears any affection  
unto me8 ,shall ,i not be able to get a 
person who could procure for me some    
information respecting my son8 ,he      
looked among his courtiers and selected 
one1 named ,kaludari1 as the fittest    
person for such a difficult errand4     
,kaludari had been born on the same day 
as ,buddha3 with him he had spent the   
age of his infancy1 and lived on terms  
of the most sincere friendship4 ,the    
king said to him3 ,noble ,kaludari1 you 
know how earnestly ,i long to see my    
son4 ,nine messengers have already been 
sent to the city of ,radzagio to invite 
my son to come over to me1 and none of  
them has as yet come back to me1 to     
bring information respecting the object 
of my tenderest affections4 ,i am old   
now1 and the end of my existence is     
quite uncertain2 could you not undertake
 to bring my son over to me8 ,whether   
you become ,rahan or not1 let me have   

the happiness of contemplating once more
 my beloved son ere ,i leave this world4
 ,the nobleman promised to the king to  
comply with his royal order4 ,attended  
by a retinue of a thousand followers1 he
 set out for the city of ,radzagio4     
,having reached the ,weloowon monastery1
 he listened to ,buddha's preachings1   
and1 like the former messengers1 he     
became at once a ,rahanda with all his  
followers4  ,gaudama1 having obtained   
the ,buddhaship1 spent the first season 
7,lent7 in the solitude of ,migadawon4  
,thence he proceeded to the solitude of 
,ooroowela1 where he remained three     
months1 until he had completed the work 
of converting the three ,kathabas4 ,it  
was on the full moon of ,piatho         
7,january7 that he entered into the city
 of ,radzagio1 accompanied by his       
thousand disciples4 ,he had just stayed 
two months in that place1 so that there 
were five months since he had left the  
country of ,baranathee4  ,seven days    
after ,kaludari's arrival1 the cold     

season being nearly over1 the new       
convert addressed ,buddha as follows3   
,illustrious ,phra1 the cold season is  
over1 and the warm season has just      
begun2 this is now the proper time to   
travel through the country2 nature wears
 a green aspect2 the trees of the       
forests are in full blossom2 the roads  
are lined to right and left with trees  
loaded with fragrant blossoms and       
delicious fruits2 the peacock proudly   
expands its magnificent tail2 birds of  
every description fill the air with     
their ravishing and melodious singing4  
,at this season heat and cold are       
equally temperate1 and nature is        
scattering profusely its choicest gifts4
 ,by such and similar allurements       
,kaludari endeavoured to dispose ,buddha
 to undertake a journey to ,kapilawot4  
,gaudama hearing all these words said3  
,what means this8 ,to what purpose are  
uttered so many fine expressions8       
,kaludari replied3 ,your father1 ,o     
blessed ,buddha1 is advanced in years2  

he has sent me to invite you to come    
over to ,kapilawot1 that he might see   
you before his death4 ,he and your royal
 parents will be rejoiced at hearing    
your most excellent law4 ,well1 said    
,buddha1 go and tell the ,rahans to hold
 themselves ready for the journey4 ,it  
was arranged that ten thousand ,rahandas
 from ,magatha and ten thousand from    
,kapilawot would accompany the          
illustrious traveller4 ,the distance    
between the two countries is sixty      
youdzanas4#c ,sixty days were to be     
employed in going over that distance1 so
 they were to travel at the rate of but 
one youdzana a day4  ,kaludari was      
anxious to go and inform the king of the
 happy issue of his negotiation4 ,he    
flew through the air1 and in a short    
time reached the palace of the lord of  
,kapilawot4 ,the king1 seeing him1 was  
exceedingly glad2 he desired the        
illustrious ,rahan to sit in a becoming 
place1 and gave orders that his patta   
should be filled with the choicest      

dishes from the royal table4 ,meanwhile 
,kaludari related to the king all the   
circumstances attending his journey4    
,when he had spoken1 ,thoodaudana       
desired him to take his meal4 ,kaludari 
begged to be excused1 saying that he    
would go and take his meal in the       
presence of ,buddha4 ,where is he now8  
replied the king4 ,mighty lord1 answered
 ,kaludari1 ,buddha1 accompanied by     
twenty thousand ,rahandas1 is on his way
 to this country1 to pay a visit to his 
royal father2 on this very day he has   
left the city of ,radzagio4 ,thoodaudana
 was exceedingly pleased2 he said again 
to ,kaludari1 ,eat your meal here1 and  
please to take another meal to my son2  
,i wish to supply him daily with food   
during his journey4 ,kaludari acceded to
 the king's request4 ,when his meal was 
over1 they cleansed his patta with the  
most exquisite perfumes1 and afterwards 
filled it with the best and choicest    
eatables4 ,the patta was then           
respectfully handed to the aerial       

messenger1 who1 in the presence of a    
large crowd of people1 rose in the air  
with the patta under his arm1 and in an 
instant arrived in presence of ,gaudama1
 to whom he offered the vessel          
containing the delicious food from his  
father's table4 ,buddha received the    
food with pleasure1 and ate it4 ,the    
same thing was daily performed during   
all the time the journey lasted4        
,kaludari went every day to the palace  
through the air1 ate his meal there1 and
 brought that of his distinguished      
instructor1 who during all the way      
partook of no other food but that which 
was brought over to him from his        
father's palace4 ,every day ,kaludari   
carried news of the progress of         
,buddha's journey4 ,by this means he    
increased in the heart of all an ardent 
desire of seeing him1 and disposed every
 one to wait on the great ,gaudama with 
favourable and good dispositions4 ,the  
services rendered on this occasion by   
,kaludari were much valued by ,buddha   

himself1 who said3 ,kaludari is         
disposing the people to welcome our     
arrival2 he is therefore one of the most
 excellent among my disciples4  ,the    
princes and all the members of the royal
 family1 having heard of ,gaudama's     
arrival1 consulted among themselves as  
to the best means of paying due respect 
to the noble and illustrious visitor4   
,they selected the grove of             
,nigraudatha#d as the fittest place to  
receive him with his disciples4 ,the    
place was properly cleared and made     
ready for the long-expected company4    
,the inhabitants of the country1        
attended with their richest dress1      
carrying flowers and perfumes1 went out 
to meet ,buddha4#e ,children of both    
sexes opened the procession2 they were  
followed by the children of the noblest 
families2 next came all the persons     
belonging to the royal family4 ,all went
 to the grove of ,nigraudatha1 where    
,buddha had just arrived with the twenty
 thousand ,rahans that accompanied him4 

,the princes1 secretly influenced by    
pride1 thus thought within themselves3  
,this ,prince ,theiddat is younger than 
we all2 he is but our nephew1 let the   
young people prostrate themselves before
 him2 as to ourselves1 let us remain    
sitting down behind them4 ,this was     
quickly perceived by ,buddha1 who said  
to himself3 ,my relatives refuse to     
prostrate themselves before me2 ,i will 
now even compel them to do so4          
,whereupon he entered into ecstasy1 rose
 in the air1 and standing over the heads
 of his relatives1 as a person shaking  
dust over them1 he exhibited to their   
astonished regards1 on a white          
mango-tree1 wonders of fire and water4  
,thoodaudana1 surprised at such a       
wonderful display of supernatural power1
 exclaimed3 ,illustrious ,buddha1 on the
 day you were born they brought you to  
the presence of the ,rathee ,kaladewela1
 to do homage to him2 on that occasion1 
having seen you placing your two feet on
 the ,rathee's forehead1 ,i prostrated  

myself before you for the first time4   
,on the day of the ploughing solemn     
rejoicings1 you were placed under the   
shade of the tree ,tsampoothapye4 ,the  
sun by its daily motion had caused the  
shadows of all surrounding trees to     
change their direction2 that of the tree
 under which you were placed alone      
remaining unmoved4 ,i prostrated myself 
a second time before you2 and now1 at   
the sight of this new wonder1 ,i again  
bow down to you4 ,the example of the    
king was instantly imitated by all the  
princes1 who humbly bowed down to       
,buddha4 ,satisfied with having humbled 
his proud relatives1 ,buddha came down  
and sat in the place prepared for him4  
,he then caused a shower of red rain to 
pour down over the assembled multitudes4
 ,it had the virtue to wet those who    
liked it1 and not to wet those who      
disliked it4 ,this is not1 said ,buddha1
 the only time when such a wonder has   
happened2 the same thing took place once
 during one of my former existences1    

when ,i was ,prince ,wethandra4 ,he went
 on1 relating the most interesting      
circumstances of that former state of   
existence4 ,the whole assembly now      
delighted at hearing his preachings and 
witnessing the display of his power4    
,they all withdrew when the preaching   
was over1 and retired to their          
respective places1 without1 however1    
inviting ,buddha to come and take his   
meals in their houses4  ,on the         
following morning1 ,buddha set out with 
his twenty thousand followers to get his
 meal4 ,when he had arrived at the gate 
of the city1 he stood for a while1      
deliberating within himself whether he  
would go to the palace to receive his   
meal1 or go from street to street to beg
 for it4 ,he paused for a while1        
reflecting on the course of conduct that
 had been followed by all the former    
,buddhas4 ,having known that they all1  
without exception1 had been in the habit
 of going out from house to house in    
quest of their food1 he resolved at once

 to follow their example4 ,whereupon he 
entered the city and began to           
perambulate the streets in search of his
 food4 ,the citizens1 from the various  
stories of their houses1 were looking   
out with amazement at such an unusual   
sight4 ,how is this8 said they2 we see  
,prince ,raoula and his mother          
,yathaudara going out attired in the    
richest dresses1 sitting in the most    
elegant conveyance1 and now ,prince     
,theiddat#f is appearing in the streets 
with his hair and beard shaved1 and his 
body covered with a yellow dress        
befitting a mendicant4 ,such a thing is 
unbecoming indeed4 ,whilst they were    
holding this language1 on a sudden1 rays
 of the purest light shot forth from the
 body of ,buddha1 and illuminated all   
the objects around his person4 ,at this 
unexpected sight1 they all joined in    
praising and extolling the virtue and   
glory of ,buddha4  ,king ,thoodaudana   
was soon informed that his son was      
perambulating the streets of the city in

 the dress of a mendicant4 ,startled at 
such a news1 he rose1 and seizing the   
extremity of his outer garment1 ran to  
the encounter of his son4 ,as soon as he
 saw him he exclaimed3 ,illustrious     
,buddha1 why do you expose us to such a 
shame8 ,is it necessary to go from door 
to door to beg your food8 ,could not a  
better and more decent mode be resorted 
to for supplying your wants8 ,my noble  
father1 said ,buddha1 it is meet and    
convenient that all ,rahans should go   
out and beg their food4 ,but1 replied   
the monarch1 are we not the descendants 
of the illustrious ,prince ,thamadat8   
,there is not a single person in our    
illustrious race that has ever acted in 
such an indecorous manner4 ,buddha      
retorted1 ,my noble father1#g the       
descent from the glorious princes       
,thamadat is something that belongs both
 to you and your royal family3 the      
lineage of a ,buddha is quite different 
from that of kings and princes2 it bears
 no resemblance to it4 ,their ways and  

manners must essentially differ from    
those of princes4 ,all former ,buddhas  
have always been in the habit of thus   
going out in search of their food4 ,then
 stopping his course and standing in the
 street1 he uttered the following       
stanzas1 ,my noble father1 it is not    
proper that ,i should ever neglect the  
duty of receiving alms2 it is an action 
good in itself1 tallying with truth1    
deserving of great merits1 and          
productive of happiness in this and     
future existences4 ,when he had spoken1 
his father obtained the state of        
,thautapan4 ,he went to the palace with 
his father1 saying1 ,those who go to beg
 food according to the injunction and   
prescription of the law1 are doing well1
 and prepare themselves for a state of  
happiness both for the present and      
future3 those who do go begging1 but    
without any regard to the ordinances of 
the law1 ought to refrain from doing so4
 ,he was speaking in that way when he   
entered the palace4 ,his aunt ,gaudamee 

became a ,thautapan4 ,his father1 after 
this second preaching1 reached the state
 ,thagadagan4  ,thoodaudana invited     
,phra and his followers to ascend to the
 upper part of the palace and partake of
 the meal prepared for them4 ,when the  
meal was over1 all the ladies of the    
palace came to pay their respects to    
,buddha4 ,some of them urged the        
,princess ,yathaudara to do the same4   
,but she refused to comply with their   
request1 in the hope that a greater     
deference would be shown to her1 and    
,buddha would come and visit her in her 
apartments4 ,perceiving her studied     
inattendance1 ,phra said to his father1 
,my noble father1 ,i will go and visit  
the princess1 and will1 without saying a
 single word1 make her pay obedience to1
 and prostrate herself before me4 ,king 
,thoodaudana took up the patta1 and     
accompanied his son to the princess's   
apartments1 together with his two       
disciples1 ,thariputra and ,maukalan4   
,buddha had scarcely been seated on the 

place destined to him1 when ,yathaudara 
threw herself at ,buddha's feet1 and    
placing her two hands on both ankles1   
touched repeatedly the upper part with  
her forehead4 ,meanwhile ,thoodaudana   
mentioned to his son the respectful and 
affectionate regard she had ever        
entertained for his person4 ,since she  
heard1 added the king1 that you had put 
on the yellow robe1 she would wear only 
clothes of that colour2 when she knew   
that you took but one meal a day1 that  
you slept on a small and low couch1 and 
gave up1 without regret1 the use of     
perfumes1 she instantly followed your   
example1 ate but one meal a day1 slept  
on a low couch1 and gave up without     
grief the use of essences4 ,illustrious 
monarch1 replied ,buddha1 ,i do not     
wonder at the practices of late observed
 by the ,princess ,yathaudara2 in former
 times1 when her merits were as yet only
 few and imperfect1 she was living at   
the foot of a certain mountain1 and     
knew1 even then1 how to behave with     

becomingness1 and attend with a strict  
regard to all religious duties4  ,this  
very day1 that is to say1 the second day
 after the full moon of ,katson1 was    
fixed as the time for the taking place  
of five grand ceremonies4 ,nanda1#h the 
younger brother of ,buddha1 was to have 
his head washed1 to put on the          
thingkiit1 or royal head ornament1 to be
 raised to the dignity of crown prince1 
to be put in possession of his own      
palace1 and to be married4 ,when ,phra  
was leaving the palace1 he bade the     
young prince take his patta and follow  
him4 ,nanda instantly complied with the 
request1 and departed4 ,he was just     
leaving the palace1 when the young lady 
he was to marry heard the sound of the  
steps and of the voice of her lover4    
,she was then busily engaged in combing 
her beautiful and shining black hair4   
,with the left hand drawing aside her   
hair1 and with the right leaning on the 
window-frame1 she1 with a sweet yet     
tremulous voice1 eagerly recommended him

 soon to return4 ,she then continued to 
follow him with anxious eyes until he   
could be seen no longer4 ,meanwhile1    
resting against the window-side1 she had
 her heart full of ominous forebodings4 
,nanda would have gladly given back the 
patta to his owner2 but as he felt      
backward to hand it over to him1 he     
followed ,buddha as far as the          
monastery4 ,though he had no intention  
of becoming ,rahan on his way to that   
place1 yet1 despite of his former       
dispositions1 he entered into the       
society of the perfect4 ,so that on the 
second day after ,phra's arrival at     
,kapilawot1 ,nanda became a ,rahan4     
,some other writings mention that this  
happened only on the third day4  ,on the
 seventh day after ,phra had entered    
into the city of ,kapilawot1 the mother 
of ,raoula1 ,princess ,yathaudara1 put  
on her son the choicest ornaments1 and  
sent him to ,phra1 saying previously to 
him3 ,dearest son1 he whom you see      
surrounded by twenty thousand ,rahandas1

 whose face resembles gold1 and whose   
body is similar to that of the chief of 
,brahmas1 is indeed your father4 ,he was
 formerly the owner of the four gold    
vases which disappeared on the very day 
he withdrew into solitude2 go to him    
now1 and say respectfully1 that1 being  
at present crown prince of this kingdom1
 destined to succeed your grandfather on
 the throne1 you wish to become         
possessed of the property that will fall
 to you in right of inheritance4 ,the   
young prince departed4 ,having come into
 the presence of ,buddha1 he            
endeavoured1 with the simplicity and    
amiability becoming a young lad1 to     
ingratiate himself in his father's      
favour1 and said how happy he was to be 
with him1 adding many other particulars 
befitting his age and position4 ,buddha1
 having eaten his meal and performed his
 usual devotions1 rose up and departed4 
,raoula followed behind1 saying3        
,father1 give me my inheritance4 ,buddha
 appearing neither displeased nor vexed 

at such a demand1 none of his followers 
durst tell the young prince to desist   
from his apparently rude behaviour1 and 
go back to the palace4 ,they all soon   
reached the monastery4 ,phra thus       
thought within himself3 ,raoula is      
asking from me perishable things1 but ,i
 will give him something more excellent 
and lasting4 ,i will make him partaker  
of those goods ,i have gathered at the  
foot of the ,bodi tree1 and thereby will
 provide for him a better inheritance   
for the future4 ,whereupon he called    
,thariputra1 and said to him3 ,beloved  
disciple1 the young ,prince ,raoula asks
 from me a worldly inheritance1 which   
would avail him nothing1 but ,i wish to 
present him with something more         
excellent1 an imperishable inheritance2 
let him become a ,rahan4 ,maukalan      
shaved the head of ,raoula and attired  
him with the tsiwaran4 ,thariputra gave 
him the first instructions4 ,when       
hereafter he became ,patzing1 ,kathaba  
trained him up to the duties of his new 

profession4  ,king ,thoodaudana had seen
 his first son ,prince ,theiddat leave  
the palace and all the attracting       
allurements of a brilliant court2       
despite of all his precautions1 he      
subsequently witnessed his going into a 
solitude and becoming a ,rahan4 ,next to
 him1 his younger son ,nanda1 though    
assured by the promises of soothsayers  
of becoming a great and mighty ruler1   
had joined the society of ,rahans4      
,these two events had deeply afflicted  
him4 ,but1 on hearing that his grandson 
had also become a ,rahan1 he could no   
longer keep his affliction within       
himself4 ,i had1 said he1 hoped that my 
grandson would succeed me on the throne2
 this thought consoled me for the loss  
of my two sons4 ,what will become of my 
throne8 ,now the royal succession is at 
an end1 and the line of direct          
descendants is for ever cut and         
irrevocably broken asunder4             
,thoodaudana obtained the state of      
,anagam4 ,he said to himself3 ,it is    

enough that ,i should have had so much  
to suffer and endure on the occasion of 
my two sons and my grandson becoming    
,rahans2 ,i will spare to other parents 
a similar affliction4 ,he went to       
,buddha's place1 and having paid him his
 respects in a becoming manner1 asked   
him to establish a regulation forbidding
 any son to become ,rahan1 unless he had
 the consent of his parents4 ,buddha    
assented to his father's wish and       
preached to him the law4 ,when the      
instruction was finished1 the king bowed
 to him1 rose up1 turned on the right1  
and departed4 ,buddha1 calling          
immediately the ,rahans1 said to them3  
,beloved ,bickus1 no one is to be       
admitted to the profession of ,rahan1   
ere he has obtained the consent of his  
parents3 any one that shall trespass    
this regulation shall be guilty of a    
sin4  ,on a certain day1 ,phra having   
eaten his meal at his father's palace1  
the king related to him the circumstance
 of a ,nat1 who1 whilst he was          

undergoing great austerities in the     
solitude1 had come and conveyed the     
report of his son having succumbed under
 the hardships of mortification2 but he 
would never give credit to such a       
rumour1 as he was certain that his son  
could not die ere he had become a       
,buddha4 ,my illustrious father1 replied
 ,buddha1 you are much advanced in      
merits2 there is no wonder at your not  
believing a false report2 but even in   
former ages1 when your merits were as   
yet very imperfect1 you refused to      
believe your son was dead1 though in    
proof of this assertion bones were      
exhibited before you in confirmation of 
the report4 ,and he went on relating    
many particulars that are to be found in
 the history of ,maha ,damma ,pala4 ,it 
was at the conclusion of this discourse 
that the king became ,anagam4 ,having   
thus firmly established his father in   
the three degrees of perfection1 ,buddha
 returned to the country of ,radzagio4  
,during this voyage1 the most excellent 

,phra arrived at the village of ,anupya1
 in the country of the ,malla ,princes4 
,in the neighbourhood of the village    
there is a grove of mango-trees4 ,to    
that place he withdrew with his twenty  
thousand disciples1 and enjoyed himself 
in that secluded and delightful retreat4
  ,while he dwelt on that spot1 the seed
 of the law that he had planted in his  
native city was silently taking deep    
root in the hearts of many4 ,his uncle  
,thekkaudana had two sons1 named        
,mahanan and ,anooroudha4 ,on a certain 
day ,mahanan said to his younger        
brother3 ,from among the several        
families of the royal race1 many persons
 have left the world and embraced the   
religious profession under the guidance 
of ,buddha4 ,our family is the only one 
that has not as yet given any member to 
the assembly4 ,i will make you a        
proposal3 either you will become an     
ascetic1 and leave me your inheritance2 
or ,i will myself take that step1 and   
make over to you all that ,i possess4   

,anooroudha at once accepted the        
proposal4  ,when the intentions of the  
two brothers became known1 five young   
princes1 their playmates and relatives1 
named ,bagoo1 ,kimila1 ,baddya1         
,ananda1#i and ,dewadat1 desired to join
 them in their pious design4 ,having put
 on their finest dress1 they went into  
the country1 having no other attendant  
but ,oopali1 their barber4 ,they shaped 
their course in the direction of        
,anupya4 ,being at a small distance from
 the mango-trees' grove1 the young      
princes stripped themselves of their    
rich dresses1 and gave them all to the  
barber1 as an acknowledgment of his     
services4 ,the latter at first accepted 
them1 and was preparing to return1 when 
the following thought occurred to his   
mind3 ,if ,i go back to ,kapilawot with 
these fine and rich apparels1 the king  
and the people will believe that ,i have
 come by foul means in possession of so 
many valuables1 and ,i shall certainly  
be put to death4 ,i will follow my      

masters1 and never leave them4 ,hereupon
 he returned in all haste and joined    
them at the very moment they were       
disposing themselves to enter into the  
,anupya mango-trees' grove4 ,oopali was 
admitted into their company1 and ushered
 along with them into ,buddha's         
presence4 ,having paid their respects in
 the usual manner1 they applied for the 
dignity of members of the assembly4     
,their request was granted4 ,but        
previous to passing through the         
prescribed ceremonies1 the princes said 
one to another3 ,great indeed and deeply
 rooted is the pride of princes3 it is  
extremely difficult to shake it off1 and
 free oneself of its tyrannical         
exactions4 ,let ,oopali be first        
ordained2 we will have an opportunity of
 humbling ourselves by prostrating      
ourselves before him4 ,their request was
 granted4 ,after having paid their      
respects to the newly ordained convert1 
they were likewise admitted among the   
members of the assembly4 ,their         

proficiency in spiritual progress was   
not the same4 ,during the second ,lent1 
which they spent in the ,weloowon       
monastery1 ,baddya1 ,bagoo1 and ,kimila 
reached the culminating point of        
perfection by becoming ,rahandas4       
,ananda became ,thautapatti4 ,anooroudha
 greatly advanced in the higher path of 
metaphysics4 ,as to ,dewadat1 he never  
attained more than the ,laukithamabat4  
,a little while after the conversion of 
the royal princes1 ,buddha left ,anupya1
 continued his voyage to ,radzagio1 and 
forthwith retired into the ,weloowon    
monastery to spend his second ,lent4    
,the time was chiefly employed in       
training up the new converts in the     
knowledge of the great truths1 and in   
the practice of virtue4 ,his son        
,raoula1 about eight years old1 evinced 
the greatest dispositions4 ,his         
attainments were far above his age1 and 
often elicited the admiration of the    
,rahans4 ,on a certain occasion ,buddha 
overheard them expressing their         

astonishment at the surprising progress 
,raoula was making in his studies4      
,coming among them as if perchance1     
,phra asked them what was the subject of
 their conversation4 ,they answered that
 they were praising and extolling the   
wonderful abilities of ,raoula1 and his 
matchless good dispositions4 ,thereupon 
,buddha remarked that this was not to be
 wondered at4 ,then he related to them  
the dzat ,miga1 by which he showed to   
them that during former existences      
,raoula had distinguished himself in a  
conspicuous manner by his excellent and 
admirable dispositions4 ,as a reward for
 his good behaviour and high mental     
qualifications1 he was made ,patzin4    
,his mind continuing to expand in an    
almost miraculous manner1 he became a   
,rahanda with myriads of ,nats4  ,during
 the same season1 ,buddha often went to 
,radzagio to beg his food4 ,there was in
 that city a flower-seller1 who was wont
 to bring eight bouquets every day to   
the king1 and receive in return from the

 royal hands eight pieces of silver4 ,on
 a certain day1 as he was coming from   
the country into the town with his usual
 supply of flowers for the king1 he     
happened to see ,buddha in the streets  
at a moment when1 by a miraculous       
display of his power1 the six glories   
beamed out of his body4 ,he then said to
 himself3 ,i wish to go and offer these 
flowers to ,buddha4 ,but the king will  
doubtless be much angry with me4 ,he may
 have me arrested1 thrown into prison1  
and put to death for having failed in   
offering him the usual present4 ,despite
 the great danger that hangs over me1 ,i
 will go to ,buddha and offer him my    
flowers4 ,great1 indeed1 and lasting    
shall be the merits ,i will gain2 they  
will follow me during countless         
existences4  ,with a heart full of joy1 
,thoomana1 for such is his name1 went to
 the resting-place where ,buddha was    
seated1 surrounded by crowds of people1 
and laid the flowers at his feet4 ,with 
a marked satisfaction1 ,gaudama accepted

 the offer4 ,thoomana went home and     
related to his wife what had just       
happened4 ,the latter1 irritated partly 
by the fear of the king's wrath1 and    
partly by the loss of the money she     
daily received1 began to abuse her      
husband in the coarsest language4 ,she  
was so much maddened by passion that she
 in all haste went to the king1         
denounced her husband1 and instantly    
sued for a divorce4 ,pimpathara revolted
 at such an act of unparalleled         
audacity1 ordered her to withdraw from  
his presence and go back to her house4  
,meanwhile he commanded one of his      
courtiers to order the flower-seller to 
come to the palace on the following day4
 ,as a matter of course1 the royal      
request was punctually complied with4   
,in the presence of the assembled       
courtiers1 the king highly praised the  
conduct of ,thoomana1 and instantly     
rewarded him with great liberality4 ,as 
,thoomana had offered to ,buddha eight  
bunches of flowers1 the king1 to        

acknowledge in a distinct manner such an
 offering1 gave him eight elephants1    
eight horses1 eight slaves1 eight       
bullocks1 eight thousand pieces of      
silver1 and the revenue of eight        
villages4 ,buddha likewise exceedingly  
extolled the meritorious behaviour of   
,thoomana in the presence of the people1
 and said that during a whole world he  
would be exempt from the four states of 
punishment1 enjoy happiness in the seat 
of man and in those of ,nats1 and       
finally become a ,pitzega-buddha4 ,the  
value of the offering1 though little in 
itself1 became great by the imminent    
risks he voluntarily exposed himself to4
 ,he made his offering1 though he was   
certain of incurring on that account the
 ruler's displeasure4  ,when the season 
of retirement was over1 ,gaudama        
travelled through different places4 ,he 
went to ,patzanawonta in the ,dzetia    
country1 thence he passed into the      
,bisakila forest1 and returned to       
,radzagio1 in the grove of ,yin-daik    

trees1 near the burial-place4  ,whilst  
,buddha was in the splendid ,dzetawon   
monastery1 just presented to him1 a     
strong temptation came upon ,ananda to  
renounce his calling and return into the
 world4 ,he went so far as to tell some 
of his brethren that he recollected the 
promise of a prompt return which he made
 to his young bride ,dzanapada-kaliani1 
and that now he wished to fulfil it by  
immediately going back into his palace1 
and resuming his former mode of life4   
,this was soon reported to ,gaudama1 who
 resorted to the following expedient to 
crush in the bud the rising temptation4 
,he took ,ananda by the arm1 rose with  
him in the air1 and led him in the      
direction of the ,nats' seat of         
,tawadeintha4 ,on their way1 ,buddha1 by
 a miraculous process1 exhibited to the 
eyes of his companion the sight of an   
immense forest in conflagration4 ,on the
 burnt stump of a tree he showed him a  
female monkey horribly mutilated1 having
 her tail1 ears1 and nose cut off4 ,at  

such a sight the horrified ,ananda      
turned away his eyes in disgust4 ,a     
little while after this1 ,buddha        
exhibited before him the dazzling and   
heart-captivating sight of a long array 
of five hundred matchless beauties4     
,they were daughters of ,nats going to  
pay their respects to the great ,thagia4
 ,ananda was gazing at them with silent 
but enraptured feelings4 ,buddha said to
 him3 ,do you believe those beauties    
before you to be equal to ,dzanapada8   
,she is no more to these perfect forms1 
answered he1 than the bleeding female   
monkey we have left behind us is to her4
 ,all these celestial damsels1 said     
,buddha1 ,i shall give to you1 provided 
you agree to remain in the monastery for
 some years longer4 ,willingly do ,i    
accept the proposal1 replied ,ananda2 ,i
 will stay cheerfully in the monastery  
on such favourable terms4 ,whereupon    
both returned to the monastery4         
99       99       99       99       99  
,the members of the assembly soon became

 acquainted with what had passed between
 the master and the disciple1 and keenly
 taunted ,ananda with their sarcastic   
remarks upon the daughters of ,nats4    
,ashamed of himself1 ,ananda withdrew   
into solitude4 ,there he devoted himself
 to reflection and penitential deeds1   
and finally annihilated the evil desires
 of his unsubdued passion4 ,when the    
inward struggle was over and peace had  
been restored in him1 ,ananda went to   
,buddha's presence1 and stated his      
willingness to dwell for ever in a      
monastery and lead a religious life4    
,meantime he released him from the      
promise he had made to him respecting   
the celestial beauties4 ,buddha was much
 pleased at such a happy change4 ,he    
said to the assembled religious3        
,previous to this occurrence1 ,ananda   
resembled a badly-roofed house1 which   
lets in the rain of passions2 but now it
 is similar to a well-roofed building1  
which is so well protected that it is   
proof against the oozing of passions4   

,whereupon he related the following     
story concerning a former existence of  
,ananda4  ,a merchant named ,kappaka had
 a donkey which he used to carry goods  
from place to place4 ,having one day    
come near a place covered with trees1   
,kappaka unloaded his animal1 to allow  
him some time to rest and graze4        
,meanwhile1 a female donkey was likewise
 grazing in the neighbourhood4 ,its     
presence was quickly detected by        
,kappaka's animal4 ,when the moment of  
departure had come1 the latter1         
attracted by the female1 kicked         
furiously at his master1 and would not  
allow the load to be replaced on its    
back4 ,the merchant1 enraged at this    
unusual freak1 began to threaten the    
rebellious beast1 and then to hit it    
with the whip as hard as he could4 ,at  
last the poor animal1 unable to bear any
 longer the blows1 mentioned to his     
master the cause of his unusual         
behaviour4 ,kappaka told him that if he 
would but continue his voyage1 he would 

give him at the end of the journey      
several fine females1 much superior to  
the one he was now coveting4 ,the       
proposal was accepted4 ,at the end of   
the journey ,kappaka said to the beast3 
,i will keep my promise with you3 but ,i
 must inform you that your daily        
provender shall not be increased2 you   
will have to share it with your         
companion4 ,subsequently you will have  
little ones to provide for and maintain1
 but your daily ration shall not be     
increased in the least2 you shall have  
to work for me as much as you do at     
present1 and also to provide for the    
maintenance and support of your family4 
,the donkey1 after a few moments of     
reflection1 thought it was better to    
remain as he was2 and from that moment  
he was entirely cured of his inordinate 
inclination4 ,at the conclusion of the  
narration1 ,buddha said3 ,the male      
donkey was he who has now become        
,ananda2 the female donkey1             
,dzanapa-kaliani2 and ,kappaka is now   

the most excellent ,phra1 who is the    
teacher of men1 ,nats and ,brahmas4     
,buddha1 whilst at ,wethalie1 went out  
through the country1 and in all the     
places that he visited preached to the  
crowds of hearers4 ,it was during one of
 his benevolent errands that he met with
 a celebrated ,pounha1 named ,eggidatta1
 who with a great many disciples led an 
ascetic life1 after having been         
formerly1 first1 the chief ,pounha of   
,king ,kothala1 and next of his son4    
,buddha earnestly desired the conversion
 of so distinguished a personage4       
,maukalan was at first despatched to    
that famous hermit1 to attempt to bring 
him over to his master2 but he utterly  
failed4 ,the reception he at first met  
with was anything but pleasant4 ,the    
work was to be done and perfected only  
by the irresistible eloquence of the    
great preacher4 ,buddha soon came up to 
the entrance of ,eggidatta's cell4 ,he  
began to upbraid the ,rathee for        
teaching his disciples to worship       

mountains1 trees1 rivers1 and all that  
exists in nature4 ,he then initiated him
 in the knowledge of the four great     
truths4 ,eggidatta1 seeing the truth1 at
 once became a convert with all his     
disciples4 ,when this great spiritual   
conquest was achieved1 ,buddha returned 
to ,radzagio1 and spent the third season
 in the ,weloowon or bamboo-grove       
monastery4 ,it was during the three     
months of the rainy season that ,buddha 
imparted1 in a more complete manner1 to 
his disciples the knowledge and science 
which during his peregrinations he had  
but superficially conveyed to them4 ,at 
the same time1 he carefully trained them
 up in the practice and observance of   
those disciplinary regulations which    
were intended as a means to subdue      
passions1 to estrange them from the     
world and all its attractions1 and to   
lead a spiritual life4  ,during his stay
 in the monastery1 among the many       
instructions that he gave to his        
disciples1 ,i will relate the           

particulars that he mentioned respecting
 the former doings and the final        
conversion of the ,rahanda              
,tsampooka4#aj  ,in the days of the     
,buddha ,kathaba1 ,tsampooka1 or rather 
the being who in the present existence  
is called by that name1 put on the      
religious dress in the ,thawatie        
country4 ,he lived in a fine monastery1 
and had for his supporters the best and 
richest people of the place4 ,one day1 a
 ,rahan1 belonging to another country1  
came to his monastery and begged the    
favour to be allowed to live therein for
 some time4 ,the heartless ,tsampooka   
denied him admittance into the interior 
of the building1 but tolerated his      
staying in the verandah during the cold 
season4 ,the people1 however1 actuated  
by better feelings than those of their  
teacher1 brought regularly food for the 
head of the house1 as well as for the   
stranger1 for whom they felt great      
affection4 ,the spiteful ,tsampooka     
could not bear to see the people showing

 marks of kindness and benevolence      
towards his hated guest4 ,on one        
occasion he forgot himself so far as to 
abuse him1 by repeating the following   
coarse expressions3 ,eat dirt1 go naked1
 and sleep on the bare ground4 ,such an 
inhuman behaviour soon met with a       
condign punishment4 ,the wretched       
,tsampooka had at first to endure       
horrible torments in hell4  ,on his     
return to the seat of man on earth1 he  
was born from respectable parents1 but  
he was always prone from his infancy to 
indulge in the lowest habits4 ,he would 
secretly steal away1 and actually       
satiate the cravings of hunger by eating
 the most disgusting things2 he would   
not wear clothing1 but ran about in a   
state of nakedness2 he would only sleep 
on the ground4 ,his parents1 after many 
fruitless attempts to correct him1      
resolved to make him over to the        
heterodox ascetics4 ,these received him2
 but he would not eat in the company of 
his brethren1 nor go to beg with them4  

,he1 from the moment they were absent1  
went to devour the refuse he could find4
 ,his eccentric and disgusting habits   
were soon found out1 and his new friends
 said one to the other3 ,let this man be
 no longer allowed to live with us4     
,should the disciples of the ,rahan     
,gaudama hear that one of our company is
 behaving in such a manner1 our         
brotherhood would become a              
laughing-stock to them4 ,he was1        
therefore1 expelled from this place4    
,tsampooka went to take his abode on a  
rock near the place that served as      
receptacle to the sewers of ,radzagio4  
,on that rock he remained in the most   
fatiguing posture2 he leaned on his     
right hand which rested on the rock1 and
 also on his right knee2 the left leg   
was stretched and the left arm raised   
up4 ,he kept his mouth opened4 ,when the
 people asked him why he remained with  
his mouth wide open1 as a man who is    
incessantly drawing air into his lungs1 
he answered that1 refraining from the   

use of coarse food1 he was feeding on   
air only3 when questioned about the     
singular position of his two legs1 he   
answered1 that1 were he to stand on both
 legs1 the earth would instantly shake4 
,he had been during fifty-five years in 
that sad position1 when ,gaudama1 moved 
with compassion at his pitiable         
condition1 went in person to convert    
him4 ,he began to relate to him all that
 he had done during former existences1  
mentioning in particular the sin he had 
been guilty of towards a brother hermit4
 ,at this unexpected declaration1       
,tsampooka humbled himself4 ,buddha then
 preached to him his law4 ,the repenting
 ,tsampooka firmly believed in all that 
was said to him4 ,he then rose up1 and1 
with a heart overflowing with joy1      
instantly left his place1 followed his  
new master1 and soon became a ,rahanda4 
,his proficiency in science and virtue  
was such that he soon occupied a        
distinguished rank among the members of 
the assembly4   ,,footnotes      #a ,in 

glancing over the episode of            
,thoodaudana's deputation to     his    
son1 to invite him to come and visit his
 native country1 the     reader is      
almost compelled to confess that the    
motive that     influenced the king was 
only inspired by the natural feeling of 
beholding once more1 before he died1 him
 whose fame1 spread far     and wide1   
rendered him an object of universal     
admiration4 ,was     the monarch induced
 by considerations of a higher order to 
send     for ,buddha8 ,there is no      
distinct proof in support of this       
supposition4 ,he was his father1 and he 
but obeyed and followed     the impulse 
of his paternal heart4 ,he entertained a
 high sense     of his son's            
distinguished qualifications4 ,he had   
faith in the     wonderful signs        
foretelling his future matchless        
greatness4 ,he     desired1 therefore1  
to honour him in an extraordinary way1  
on     the very spot where he had been  
born4 ,but he appeared to concern       

himself very little about the doctrines 
he was preaching with a     success     
never before equalled4 ,the king        
exhibited a great amount     of         
worldly-mindedness1 until his mind had  
been enlightened by     the oral        
instructions of the great reformer4     
,it is difficult1 if not impossible1 to 
form an accurate idea of     the effect 
produced on the mass of the people by   
,buddha's     preachings4 ,we see that  
eminent and zealous reformer surrounded 
by thousands of distinguished disciples 
in the country of     ,radzagio4 ,these 
converts belonged chiefly to the class  
of     anchorites and philosophers1     
already alluded to in foregoing         
notes as existing at the time ,buddha   
began to enter the career     of        
preaching4 ,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 discourses4 ,the opponents     
of ,buddha1 the ,brahmins in particular1

 exercised a powerful     influence over
 the public mind4 ,they used it most    
effectually     for retaining their     
ancient hold over the masses4 ,it       
required     the extraordinary display  
of the greatest wonders to break        
through the almost insuperable barriers 
raised by his enemies4     ,from that   
period we see the people following      
,buddha1 crowding     round him1 and    
showing unmistakable signs of belief in 
him4      ,the only explanation to      
account for this undeniable result is   
the philosophical method adopted by     
,buddha in expounding the     principles
 of his system4 ,his mode of proceeding 
in the gradual     development of his   
ideas retained the abstruseness peculiar
 to     subjects discussed in schools of
 philosophy4 ,the technical terms     so
 familiar to scholars prove enigmatical 
to the uninitiated     vulgus4 ,it takes
 a long time before maxims elaborated by
     scholars are so far popularised as 
to be understood by the     unlearned1  

which in every age and country have     
always     constituted the great mass of
 the people4 ,if the mind of the        
generality of men is unable to          
comprehend at first a system of         
doctrines1 based on metaphysics1 we     
cannot wonder at the slow     progress  
made by the preachings of the great     
philosopher3 but     the working of     
wonders is a tangible fact operating    
upon the     senses of the multitude1   
eliciting their applauses1 and          
disposing them to yield an implicit     
faith to all the     instructions       
imparted by the wonderful being that is 
gifted with     supernatural powers4    
,feelings1 and not reason1 become the   
foundation of a belief which grows      
stronger in proportion to the           
mysterious obscurity that encompasses   
the proposed dogmas1 when     supported 
by wonderful deeds4      ,at the time   
,thoodaudana sent messengers to his son1
 the great     work of conversion was   
carried on with a most complete and     

hitherto unheard-of success4 ,the hall  
of the ,weloowon monastery     was too  
small for the thousands that flocked    
thither to hear     ,gaudama4 ,outside  
its precincts1 crowds stood motionless1 
listening with unabated attention to the
 discourses that fell     from his lips4
 ,so crowded was the audience that the  
messengers     had no chance to make    
their way to the presence of the        
preacher4     ,struck with the intense  
attention paid to what was said by their
     master's son1 they too wished to   
make themselves acquainted with     the 
subjects of the instruction4 ,what was  
listened to from     motives of mere    
curiosity1 soon made a deep impression  
upon     their mind4 ,the magic power of
 the irresistible eloquence of          
,buddha worked a thorough change almost 
instantaneously in their                
dispositions1 and they became converts4 
,so perfect was their     conversion1   
that they forgot for the sake of truth  
the very     object of their mission4   

,they became at once members of the     
,assembly1 and took rank among the      
,rahans4 ,they attained the     state of
 ,ariahs1 and were foremost among the   
perfect4 ,the great     attainments     
arrived at by the ,ariahs communicate to
 the material     portion of their being
 such an extraordinary amount of amazing
     virtues or properties1 that it     
becomes so refined as to partake1     to
 a certain degree1 of a spiritual       
nature4 ,hence we see the     ,rahandas 
going over immense distances through the
 air1 and     performing deeds of a     
supernatural order4 ,the power of       
working     miracles is1 therefore1     
inherent in perfection2 and it is       
greater or smaller in proportion to the 
degree of perfection     possessed by   
individuals4 ,we find that power        
expanded in ,buddha     to an unlimited 
extent1 because his mental attainments  
were     boundless4      #b ,magatha is 
a country in the north of ,india4 ,it   
occupied     nearly the same extent of  

territory as that now called ,north     
,behar in ,bengal4 ,the ,pali or sacred 
language of the southern     ,buddhists 
is often called the language of         
,magatha4 ,hence we may     infer that  
it was the common language of that      
country4 ,it is     probable that the   
,pali language was extensively spoken in
 the     days of ,gaudama1 and it was   
the channel through which he and his    
disciples long after him conveyed their 
religious instructions     to the       
multitude of converts4 ,the ,pitagat1 or
 the last amended     collection of     
sacred writings1 is written in ,pali1   
which is     looked upon in ,ceylon1    
,nepaul1 ,burmah1 and ,siam as the      
language     of sacred literature4      
,except in some old manuscripts1 where  
the     old square ,pali letters are    
used1 the ,burmese employ their         
common alphabetic characters for writing
 ,pali words4 ,the words1     having to 
pass first through a ,burmese ear1 and  
next being     expressed by ,burmese    

letters1 undergo great changes4 ,to such
 an     extent does the metamorphosis   
reach1 that very often they are         
scarcely recognisable4 ,the ,burmans1   
however1 deserve great     credit for   
having1 in very many instances1 retained
 in their     orthography of ,pali words
 letters which1 though not at all       
sounded1 indicate to the eye the nature 
of the word1 its origin1     and its    
primitive form4      ,in the southern   
parts of ,burmah the ,pali language is  
learned but     not studied1 used1 but  
not understood by the inmates of        
monasteries4 ,they are all obliged to   
learn certain formulas of     prayers to
 be daily recited in private1 and1 on   
great and solemn     occasions1 to be   
chanted aloud in the presence of a crowd
 of     pious hearers4 ,the writer1     
anxious to acquire some knowledge of    
the sacred language1 often visited those
 monks1 who1 among their     brethren1  
enjoyed a certain fame for learning1    
with the express     intention of       

becoming a humble student1 under the    
direction of     one of the best        
informed of the society4 ,he was        
thoroughly     disappointed to find     
those who proffered their services in   
great     earnest quite ignorant1 and   
utterly incapable of giving him the     
least assistance4      ,the ,burmese    
have translated in their vernacular     
tongue most of     the sacred writings4 
,in many instances the translation is   
not     exactly what we call            
interlineary1 but it approaches to it as
     nearly as possible4 ,two1 three1 or
 four ,pali words are written     down1 
and the translation in ,burmese follows 
with a profusion of     words which     
often confuses and perplexes the reader2
 then come     again a few other ,pali  
words1 accompanied also with the        
translation1 and so on throughout the   
whole work4 ,the art of     translating 
well and correctly from one language    
into another is     not so common as    
many persons may imagine4 ,in a good    

translator     are required many        
qualifications which are not to be      
easily met     with1 particularly in a  
,burman1 to whom we may give credit for 
knowing well his own tongue1 but who1   
without detracting from     his literary
 attainments1 is certainly an           
indifferent ,pali     scholar4 ,these   
translations may convey1 perhaps1 the   
general     meaning of the original1    
but1 as regards the correct meaning of  
each term1 it is a luxury ever denied to
 the reader of such     crude and       
imperfect compositions4      #c ,it is  
difficult to ascertain exactly the      
length of the     measure called        
youdzana1 formerly used to indicate land
     distances4 ,it varies from five to 
twelve ,english miles4 ,in     measuring
 the distance from ,radzagio to the     
,brahmin village of     ,nalanda1 the   
birthplace of ,thariputra1 which is one 
youdzana1     ,general ,cunningham has  
found it to be seven miles4 ,this would 
induce us to hold as certain that at the

 epoch when ,fa-,hian     visited the   
place1 the youdzana was equal to seven  
miles or     forty ,chinese li4 ,but    
this would not prove that the more      
ancient youdzana was not shorter than   
the one used in the time     of the     
,chinese pilgrim4 ,several authors      
maintain that such is     the case4 ,it 
appears1 likewise1 that the length of   
that measure     of distance has varied 
with localities and places to such an   
extent that it has been found in some   
countries to be equal to     more than  
twelve miles4 ,we believe that when that
 measure of     distance is mentioned in
 this work1 one would not be far from   
the truth in estimating its length six  
or seven ,english miles at     the      
utmost4      #d ,the attentive reader of
 this work cannot fail to remark the    
general tendencies of ,buddhism to      
isolation1 retirement1 and     solitude4
 ,in a retired position1 the mind is    
less distracted or     dissipated by    
exterior objects2 it possesses a greater

 share of     self-control1 and is      
fitter for the arduous work of attentive
     reflection and deep meditation4    
,whenever ,buddha1 attended by his      
followers1 reaches a place where he is  
to stay for a while1 a     grove outside
 the city is invariably selected4       
,thither the great     preacher retires1
 as to a beloved solitude4 ,he enjoys it
 beyond     all that can be said4 ,alone
 with his spiritual family1             
unconcerned about the affairs of this   
world1 he breathes at ease     the pure 
atmosphere of a complete calm2 his      
undisturbed soul     soars freely in the
 boundless regions of spiritualism4     
,what he     has seen and discovered    
during his contemplative errands he     
imparts with a placid countenance and a 
mild voice to his     disciples1        
endeavouring thereby to make them       
progress in the way     of knowledge and
 perfection4      ,in those solitary    
abodes of peace ,buddha was willing to  
receive     all those who wished for    

instruction4 ,they were all1 without    
distinction of rank or caste1 admitted  
into the presence of him     who came   
professedly to point to men the way to  
happiness1     helping them to          
disentangle themselves from the trammels
 of     passions4 ,he preached to all   
the most excellent law4 ,the            
tendency to retreat and withdrawal from 
worldly tumult is1 in     our own days1 
conspicuous in the care taken by        
,buddhistic monks     to have their     
houses built in some lonely quarter of a
 town1     assigned exclusively for that
 special purpose1 or1 as is oftener     
the case1 in fine places at a small     
distance from the walls4     ,some of   
those groves1 in the centre of which    
rise the peaceful     abodes of ,rahans1
 the writer has often seen and much     
admired4 ,in     towns or large         
villages1 where the ground is uneven1   
the small     heights are generally     
crowned with the dwellings of religious4
      #e ,the narrative of ,buddha's    

reception in his father's royal     city
 suggests two reflections4 ,the first   
is1 that the saying     ,nemo ,propheta 
in sua patria was as true in the days of
 ,gaudama     as it has been in         
subsequent ages4 ,the mountains of      
,kapilawot     had often re-echoed the  
praises of ,buddha and the recital of   
his     wonderful doings4 ,the splendid 
retinue of twenty thousand              
distinguished converts that attended his
 person1 the hitherto     unwitnessed   
display of miraculous powers1 c41--all  
these     peculiarly remarkable         
circumstances seemed more than          
sufficient     to secure for him a      
distinguished reception among his       
kinsmen1     who ought to have been     
proud of being connected with him by the
     ties of relationship4 ,such1       
however1 was not the case4 ,actuated    
by the lowest feelings of base jealousy1
 his relatives refused     to pay him   
the respect he was so well entitled to4 
,their     wretched obduracy was to be  

conquered by the awe and fear his       
miraculous power inspired4      ,the    
second reflection suggested by the      
recital of the ceremonies     observed  
on the occasion of ,buddha's reception  
in his native     country is the truly  
pleasing fact of seeing the weaker sex  
appearing in public divested of the     
shackles put upon it by     oriental    
jealousy4 ,in ,burmah and ,siam the     
doctrines of ,buddhism     have produced
 a striking1 and1 to the lover of true  
civilisation1 a most interesting result1
 viz41 established the     almost       
complete equality of the condition of   
women with that of     men4 ,in those   
countries women are not miserably       
confined in the     interior of their   
houses1 without the remotest chance of  
ever     appearing in public4 ,they are 
seen circulating freely in the          
streets2 they preside at the comptoirs1 
and hold an almost     exclusive        
possession of the bazaars4 ,their social
 position is     more elevated in every 

respect than that of the persons of     
their     sex in the regions where      
,buddhism is not the predominating      
creed4 ,they may be said to be men's    
companions1 and not their     slaves4   
,they are active1 industrious1 and by   
their labours and     exertions         
contribute their full share towards the 
maintenance of     the family4 ,the     
marital rights1 however1 are fully      
acknowledged     by a respectful        
behaviour towards their lords4 ,in spite
 of all     that has been said by       
superficial observers1 ,i feel convinced
     that manners are less corrupted in 
those countries where women     enjoy   
liberty1 than in those where they are   
buried alive by a     barbarous and     
despotic custom in the grave of an      
opprobrious and     vice-generating     
slavery4 ,buddhism disapproves of       
polygamy1 but     it tolerates divorce4 
,in this respect the habits of the      
people     are of a damnable laxity4    
,polygamy is very rare in ,burmah among 

the people4 ,this nefarious and         
anti-social practice is left to     the 
magnates of the land1 from the king down
 to a petty myowon1     who make a part 
of their greatness consist in placing   
themselves     above public opinion1    
above moral and religious precepts1 for 
enjoying the unrestrained gratification 
of the basest appetite4     ,though     
divorce be a thing of common occurrence1
 it is looked     upon as an            
imperfection1 merely tolerated for the  
sake of human     frailty4      #f      
,buddhist monks1 out of humility and    
contempt for all worldly     things1 do 
not allow hairs or beard to grow4 ,they 
walk     barefooted1 wearing a yellow   
dress of the simplest make4 ,they       
are bound to live on the alms that are  
freely bestowed upon     them4 ,the     
regulations of the ,wini are1 in this   
respect1 most     explicit1 and leave no
 room for false interpretation4 ,a      
,rahan1     having renounced the world1 
and divested himself of all worldly     

property1 is bound by his professional  
vows to rely for his     daily food on  
what he may obtain by begging4 ,hence   
the     appellatio of ,bickus1 or       
mendicants1 always bestowed on them by  
,gaudama1 whenever he addresses them in 
particular on certain     points        
regarding their profession4 ,in ,burmah1
 as soon as the day     begins to dawn1 
a swarm of yellow-dressed monks sally   
forth from     their abode with the     
patta under the left arm1 and           
perambulate     the streets in quest of 
food4 ,they never ask for anything2 they
     accept what is voluntarily tendered
 to them1 without uttering a     single 
word of thanks1 or even looking at their
 generous     benefactors4 ,this action 
of bestowing alms on the ,rahans is     
deemed a most meritorious one4 ,the     
offerer1 therefore1 becomes     liberal1
 not on account of the person he is     
assisting1 but     because of the       
abundant merits he hopes to derive from 
the act4     ,this notion agrees very   

well with the leading tenets of         
,buddhism4      #g ,the answer of       
,buddha to his royal father is a most   
remarkable one1 and deserves the        
attention of the observer4 ,the         
great moralist does away with all the   
prerogatives man may     derive from    
birth1 rank1 and riches4 ,law alone can 
confer titles     of true greatness and 
genuine nobility4 ,the fervent and      
zealous     observers of the law are    
alone entitled to the respect of their  
fellow-men4 ,the begging of alms may be1
 in the eyes of     worldlings1 a low   
and mean action1 but it becomes a most  
dignified one1 because it is enforced by
 the law4 ,this lofty     principle     
boldly establishes the superiority of   
virtue upon the     strongest basis1 and
 sanctions the moral code he was        
destined to     publish to men and      
saddle on their conscience4 ,the        
criterion of     all that is good1      
excellent1 praiseworthy1 and meritorious
 is no     more to depend on the        

arbitrary and very often erroneous views
     of men1 but must rest upon the     
immutable tenets of the eternal     law1
 discovered1 revived1 and published by  
the omniscient     ,buddha4 ,this truth1
 like a flash of light1 illuminated the 
king's mind1 and1 at this first         
preaching of his son1 he     attained   
the first of the four states of         
perfection4      ,the princes ,thamadat 
and ,thoodaudana boast to have descended
     from are1 according to ,buddhistic 
sacred books1 the princes who     were  
elected to hold supreme power at the    
very moment the words     mine and thine
 began to be heard amongst men1 after   
they had     eaten the rice called      
,tsale1 and become subject to passions1 
that is to say1 at the origin of        
society1 in the beginning of     the    
world4 ,the kings of ,burmah1 down to   
the present occupant of     the throne1 
who are descended1 in their opinion1    
from the     ,kapilawot line of kings1  
lay claim to the same distinction4 ,the 

writer has heard the present ,king of   
,burmah very coolly stating     as a    
matter of fact1 which no one could think
 of contradicting1     that he was      
descended from the ,thamadat's royal    
line4      ,the ,princess ,yathaudara1  
mentioned in this narrative1 had been   
the wife of ,buddha1 ere he had         
withdrawn into solitude and             
renounced the world4 ,a son had just    
been born to him when he     left his   
father's palace4 ,his name was ,raoula4 
,the doctrine of     the influence of   
merits gathered during former existences
 is     forcibly illustrated in the case
 of ,yathaudara1 who1 unmindful     of  
the position she occupied in former     
years1 did not hesitate     to fling    
herself at ,buddha's feet1 acknowledging
 him to be     worthy of all honour and 
veneration4 ,her former merits disposed 
her to view in him1 who had been her    
husband1 the extraordinary     personage
 who was to lead men through the path of
 virtue to the     deliverance4      #h 

,nanda was ,buddha's younger brother1 or
 rather half-brother4     ,his mother   
was ,patzapati1 the younger sister of   
,maia4 ,since     ,buddha had renounced 
the world1 ,nanda had become the        
presumptive     heir to the crown of    
,kapilawot4 ,his conversion grieved the 
king     much1 who1 to prevent the      
recurrence of such an event1 exacted    
from the great reformer that in after   
times no one could be     admitted into 
the society of the perfect1 without     
having     previously obtained the      
consent of his parents2 failing such a  
condition1 the act of admission should  
be considered as null and     void4     
,hence1 we read in the book of          
ordination1 or admittance to     the    
dignity of ,rahan1 that the person      
directed by the president     of the    
assembly to examine the candidate never 
omits to inquire     of him whether he  
has obtained the consent of his parents4
      ,the conversion of ,raoula        
followed that of ,nanda4 ,of this new   

and     distinguished convert no mention
 is made afterwards in the     course of
 this work4 ,he must1 in all likelihood1
 have become a     celebrated member of 
the assembly1 as he was trained up to   
the     functions and duties of his     
profession by the greatest and most     
renowned disciples1 such as ,maukalan1  
,thariputra1 and ,kathaba4      ,in the 
history of ,buddhism1 the ,dzetawon     
monastery is not     inferior in        
celebrity to that of ,weloowon4 ,therein
 ,gaudama     announced during a certain
 night the thirty-six beatitudes of     
the law to a ,nat that had come and     
requested him to make him     acquainted
 with the most perfect points of his    
law4 ,in the     division of the        
scriptures called ,thoots1 or sermons1  
we see     that the most important have 
been delivered in the hall of that      
monastery4      ,here is another        
instance of a donation of landed        
property to a     religious corporation4
 ,in the first case1 the gift had been  

made     to him and to his actual       
followers4 ,but in this circumstance1   
,phra desires the rich and pious        
benefactor to make the donation1     not
 only in behalf of self and the present 
assembly1 but also in     that of all   
future members1 who might resort to this
 place4 ,in a     ,buddhistic point of  
view1 we may conclude that the advice   
given     to the donor was intended as a
 means of multiplying the sum of     the
 merits of his liberality1 which must be
 commensurate with     the number of the
 individuals to whom it is designed to  
be     extended4      ,according to the 
principle respecting property1 which    
from     immemorial time has prevailed  
under almost all despotic               
governments in ,asia1 which recognises  
the head of the state as     the sole1  
real1 and absolute owner of the soil1 it
 is evident     that the act of donation
 was1 legally speaking1 a declaration or
     a statement of the disposal an     
individual made of the rights     such  

as he had them1 viz41 those of use1 in  
favour of a     religious body4 ,the    
landed property1 thus conferred1        
acquired a     kind of sacredness which 
preserved it from the grasp of even the 
most rapacious ruler4 ,on the other     
hand1 the religious body had     no     
right or power whatsoever to sell or    
dispose of that     property4 ,in a     
corporation constituted as the assembly 
of the     disciples of ,buddha was1 and
 is in our own days1 the society        
alone could have the possession and     
management of immovable     properties  
given to monasteries4 ,donations of this
 kind must     have stood good as long  
as there were members of the ,buddhistic
     religious family willing and ready 
to maintain their rights4     ,nothing  
short of a complete revolution in the   
political state of     the country1 or  
the prolonged absence of the individuals
 vested     with the right of           
occupation1 could put an end to the     
effect of     those deeds of donation4  

,in ,burmah1 the ,buddhist monks possess
     nothing beyond the ground upon     
which stands the monastery4 ,from       
certain inscriptions found in the midst 
of the ruins of the     temples at      
,pagan1 it is evident that in the palmy 
days of that     city donations of      
landed properties1 such as paddy-fields1
     fruit-trees1 bullocks1 and         
peasants1 were made to monasteries      
and temples4 ,but for the last three or 
four hundred years1 no     vestiges of  
such deeds have ever been found4 ,so far
 as ,i have     been able to make       
inquiries1 ,i am not aware that the     
order has     ever become possessor of  
lands4 ,in ,ceylon such is not the case1
     at least was not when the ,english 
occupied the island4 ,extensive         
tracts of valuable lands were in the    
hands of the ,talapoins1 who     thereby
 obtained over the people the twofold   
influence conferred     by wealth and   
religion4      #i ,ananda1 whose        
conversion is here mentioned1 was the   

son of     ,amitaudana1 a brother of    
,king ,thoodaudana1 and1 therefore1     
first     cousin to ,gaudama4 ,he is one
 of the best known disciples of the     
celebrated philosopher of ,kapilawot4   
,he has gained his     well-earned fame1
 less by the shining attainments of his 
intellect than by the amiable qualities 
of a loving heart4 ,he     bore to      
,buddha the most affectionate regard and
 the warmest     attachment from the    
very beginning of his conversion4 ,the  
master     repaid the love of the       
disciple by tokens of a sincere esteem  
and tender affection4 ,though it was a  
long period afterwards ere     ,ananda  
was officially appointed to minister    
unto the personal     wants of ,buddha1 
yet the good dispositions of his        
excellent     heart prompted him to     
serve ,buddha on all occasions1 and in  
every way that was agreeable to him4 ,he
 became the medium of     intercourse   
between his beloved master and all those
 that     approached him4 ,when he had  

to communicate orders or give           
directions to the religious1 or when    
some visitors desired to     wait on    
him1 ,ananda was the person who         
transmitted all orders1     and ushered 
visitors into the presence of the great 
preacher4      ,dewadat was both first  
cousin to ,buddha and his               
brother-in-law4     ,his father was     
,thouppabudha1 ,maia's brother4 ,he was 
brother of     the ,princess            
,yathaudara1 who had married our        
,gaudama1 when he     was crown prince  
of ,kapilawot4 ,hereafter1 we shall have
 the     opportunity of seeing that his 
moral dispositions were very            
different from those of the amiable     
,ananda4      #aj ,the story of         
,eggidatta gives us an insight into one 
of the     tenets which was held by that
 ascetic4 ,his interlocutor             
reproached him with worshipping         
mountains1 trees1 forests1     rivers1  
and the heavenly bodies4 ,from the      
expressions made use     of by the      

,burmese translator1 the writer is      
inclined to believe     that a direct   
allusion is made to pantheistic         
opinions4 ,we know     that most of the 
,indian schools of philosophy have based
 their     various systems of           
metaphysics upon that most erroneous    
foundation4 ,according to pantheists1   
this world is not distinct     from the 
essence of ,god2 all that exists is but 
a manifestation     or a development of 
the substance of ,god4 ,this world is   
not the     work of ,god1 existing as   
distinct from its ,maker1 but it is ,god
     manifesting ,himself substantially 
in all things4 ,who could1     then1    
wonder at the conduct of ,tsampooka8 ,he
 worshipped ,god1 or     rather that    
portion of the supreme ,being he saw in 
the great and     mighty subjects that  
surrounded him and attracted his notice4
      ,spinoza1 in the seventeenth      
century1 and his unfortunately too      
numerous followers in this century1 have
 recast into a hundred     different    

moulds the pantheistic ideas of the     
,hindu     philosophers1 and offer to   
the intelligence of their hearers and   
readers1 through an almost              
unintelligible language1 the same       
deadly food which has finally produced  
on the ,hindu mind the sad     results  
which we witness4 ,if we were better    
acquainted with the     variety of      
doctrines which the ,hindu philosophers 
have exhibited     in the field of      
metaphysics1 we would be soon convinced 
that the     modern metaphysicians1 who 
have placed themselves out of the       
pale of revelation1 have not advanced   
one step in that science1     and that  
the divergence in their opinions is but 
a faithful     representation of the    
confusion which for more than two       
thousand     years prevailed on the     
banks of the ,ganges among their        
predecessors in the same speculative    
studies4      ,it appears that          
,tsampooka was in his days what the     
,jogies or     ,hindoo penitents are up 

to our time4 ,he remained on his rock1  
in     the most difficult position1 for 
the space of fifty-five years1          
exhibiting himself to the crowd1 and    
aiming at winning their     admiration  
by the incredible sufferings that he    
voluntarily     submitted to4 ,his      
apparent sanctity was made up of very   
doubtful     materials4 ,he passed      
himself off for a man who could remain  
without eating1 and who was gifted with 
supernatural powers4     ,plain         
humility1 which is nothing but the      
result of the true     knowledge of     
self1 was not the favourite virtue of   
our spiritual     quack4     ,,chapter  
,,ix4      ,a rich man of ,thawattie1   
named ,anatapein1 becomes a convert --  
,story of ,dzewaha -- ,he cures ,buddha 
of a painful distemper --     ,the      
people of ,wethalie send a deputation to
 ,buddha -- ,digression     on the      
manner ,buddha daily spent his time --  
,settling of a     quarrel between the  
inhabitants of ,kaulia and those of     

,kapilawot     -- ,new converts are     
strengthened in their faith --          
,thoodaudana's     death in the arms of 
his son -- ,queen ,patzapati and many   
noble     ladies are elevated to the    
rank of ,rahaness -- ,conversion of     
,kema1 the first queen of ,king         
,pimpathara -- ,heretics near           
,thawattie are confounded by the display
 of miraculous powers --     ,buddha    
goes to the seat of ,thawadeintha1 to   
preach the law to     his mother4       
,when ,buddha was in the country of     
,radzagio1 a certain rich merchant1     
named ,anatapein1 came to ,radzagio1    
with five hundred carts loaded with the 
most precious goods1 and took his       
lodging in the house of an intimate     
friend4 ,whilst living with his friend1 
he heard that ,gaudama had become a     
,buddha4 ,suddenly1 he was seized with  
an earnest desire of seeing him and     
hearing his doctrine4 ,on a certain day1
 he rose at an early hour1 and          
perceived1 reflected through the        

lattices of the window1 some rays of an 
uncommon brightness4 ,he went in the    
direction of the light to the place     
where ,buddha was preaching the law4 ,he
 listened to it with great attention1   
and1 at the end of the discourse1 he    
obtained the state of ,thautapan4 ,two  
days after1 he made a great offering to 
,buddha and to the assembly1 and        
requested him to come to the country of 
,thawattie4 ,the request was granted4   
,the distance to ,thawattie is          
forty-five youdzanas4 ,anatapein spent  
enormous sums that one monastery should 
be erected at each youdzana distance4   
,when ,buddha was approaching1 the pious
 merchant arranged as follows for the   
reception of the distinguished visitor1 
and presenting to him a splendid        
monastery called ,dzetawon1 which he had
 made ready for him4 ,he sent first his 
son1 richly attired1 with five hundred  
followers1 belonging to the richest     
families2 then followed his two         
daughters with five hundred girls1 all  

decked with the most costly ornaments4  
,every one carried flags of five        
different colours4 ,these were followed 
by five hundred dames1 having the rich  
man's wife at their head1 each carrying 
a pitcher of water4 ,last of all1 came  
,anatapein1 with five hundred followers1
 all wearing new dresses4 ,gaudama let  
the crowd walk in front1 and he followed
 attended by all the ,rahans4 ,when he  
entered the grove1 he appeared as       
beautiful as the peacock's tail when    
completely expanded4 ,anatapein asked   
,gaudama how he wished the donation     
should be made and effected8 ,let the   
monastery be offered1 said ,buddha1 to  
all the ,rahans that may come in future 
to this place from what quarter soever4 
,thereupon1 the rich man1 holding a     
golden vessel of water1 poured its      
contents on the hands of ,buddha1       
saying3 ,i present this monastery to    
,buddha and to all the ,rahans that may 
come hereafter to reside therein4       
,buddha said prayers and thanks in token

 of his accepting the offering4 ,seven  
days were devoted to making this great  
offering1 and during four months        
uninterrupted rejoicings went on in     
commemoration of this great and solemn  
donation4 ,for the purchase of the      
place1 and the expenses of the ceremony1
 enormous sums were lavished4 ,during   
the era of former ,buddhas this very    
place had always been purchased and     
offered to them and their disciples4    
,n4,b4--,here is found narrated in full 
the history of a celebrated physician   
named ,dzewaka4 ,as such story has no   
reference whatever to ,buddha's career1 
,i will give but a very succinct account
 of it4  ,at a certain time1#a when     
,buddha lived in the city of ,radzagio1 
the country of ,wethalie was made rich1 
gay1 and attractive by the presence of a
 famous courtesan4 ,a nobleman of       
,radzagio1 who had just returned from   
that country1 narrated to the king all  
that he had seen at ,wethalie1 and      
induced the monarch to set up1 in his   

own kingdom1 some famous courtesan1 who 
would be skilful in music and dancing1  
as well as attractive by the form and   
accomplishments of her person4 ,such a  
person having been procured1 she was1 by
 the munificence of the king1 placed on 
a most splendid footing1 and one hundred
 pieces of silver were to be paid for   
each evening's visit4 ,the king's son   
being rather assiduous in his visits to 
her place1 she became pregnant4 ,aware  
of her state1 the courtesan affected to 
be sick until her confinement4 ,she     
directed her servant to throw out the   
newly-born infant1 on a heap of rubbish1
 in some lonely and distant place4 ,the 
next morning the king's son1 going out  
with some attendants1 chanced to pass   
close to the spot where the infant had  
been deposited4 ,his attention having   
been attracted by the noise of crows    
hovering close by1 he went to see what  
it was4 ,to his great surprise1 he saw  
an infant1 yet breathing1 half buried in
 rubbish4 ,taken with the beauty of this

 little creature1 the prince ordered the
 child to be carried to the palace1     
where he was brought up with the        
greatest care and attention4 ,he was    
named ,dzewaka1 which means life1       
because the prince1 when he found him1  
inquired if he was alive4 ,the young    
lad1 having reached the years of        
discretion1 was unwilling to remain in  
the palace1 not occupied with any       
business4 ,in order to afford relief and
 comfort to his fellow-creatures1 he    
resolved to study medicine4 ,he repaired
 to ,benares1 placed himself under the  
direction of a famous physician1 and    
soon became eminent by his extreme      
proficiency in the profession4 ,having  
left his master1 and begun practice in  
his own name and for his own account1   
,dzewaka worked the most wonderful      
cures1 which soon procured to him       
unbounded wealth and an extraordinary   
reputation4  ,dzewaka was at the height 
of his fame1 when1 on a certain day1    
,buddha happened to be troubled with    

bellyache4 ,he called ,ananda and said  
that he wanted some medicine to relieve 
him from pain4 ,ananda went to the place
 where lived the celebrated ,dzewaka1   
and informed him of ,buddha's complaint4
 ,the doctor ordered first a rubbing of 
oil1 which was to be repeated three days
 after4 ,this remedy not having a full  
effect1 ,dzewaka took three lily        
flowers1 whereupon he spread several    
powders1 and came to ,buddha1 saying1   
,most glorious ,phra1 here is one lily  
flower1 please to smell it2 this will be
 followed by ten motions4 ,here is a    
second one2 the smelling thereof will   
produce a similar effect2 and this one  
will cause the same result4 ,having     
handed over the three flowers1 the      
doctor paid his respects to ,buddha1    
turned to the right1 and left the       
monastery4  ,when he was crossing the   
gate1 he thought within himself1 ,i have
 given a medicine calculated to cause   
thirty motions1 but as the complaint is 
rather of a serious and obstinate       

character1 twenty-nine motions only will
 take place2 a warm bath would be       
required to produce the thirtieth2 and  
with this reflection he departed4       
,buddha1 who saw all that passed in the 
doctor's mind1 called ,ananda and       
directed him to prepare a warm bath4 ,a 
little while after1 ,dzewaka came back  
to ,buddha1 and explained to him his    
prescription4 ,buddha was soon restored 
to his former health1 and ,dzewaka told 
him that the people were preparing to   
make him offerings4 ,maukalan went to   
the son of ,thauna1 a rich man1 to get  
some rice from a field that had been    
watered with milk4 ,the owner gave rice 
to ,maukalan and urged him to partake of
 it1 assuring him that there was some   
other in reserve for ,buddha2 ,maukalan 
assented4 ,after the meal1 his patta was
 cleaned with perfumed water1 and filled
 with the choicest food4 ,maukalan took 
it to ,buddha1 who ate it4 ,afterwards  
he preached the law to the king and to  
an immense crowd2 amongst them was      

,thauna's son4 ,they all obtained the   
first degree of perfection1 but ,thauna 
reached at once the state of ,arahat4   
,dzewaka came again to ,buddha's        
presence1 and requested the favour of   
presenting him with two splendid pieces 
of cloth1 which he had received in      
present from a king whom he had cured of
 a most distressing distemper4          
,moreover1 he wished that the ,rahans   
should be allowed to receive clothes of 
a better sort than those they were wont 
to wear4 ,buddha received the two pieces
 and preached the law to the donor1 who 
attained the state of ,thautapan4       
,dzewaka1 rising from his place1 wheeled
 to the right and departed4  ,a little  
while after1 ,gaudama called the ,rahans
 and said to them1 ,beloved ,bickus1 now
 ,i give permission to the faithful to  
make offerings of cloth for your        
dress4#b ,whoever is pleased with his   
present dress1 let him wear it2 whoever 
is disposed to receive some other from  
the people1 let him do so4 ,but ,i must 

praise you for having hitherto been     
satisfied with the ancient dress4 ,the  
people of the city having heard of the  
permission given to the ,rahans1 offered
 at once more than one hundred thousand 
pieces of cloth4 ,their example was     
followed by the people of the country1  
who made offerings to the same amount4  
,a little while after this1 ,buddha     
received a deputation from the ,wethalie
 people1 inviting him to visit their    
country4 ,here is the reason of the     
invitation4 ,the country was very rich  
and flourishing4 ,the ,malla princes    
governed it each in turn for a certain  
space of time4 ,on a sudden a terrific  
pestilence desolated the land1 which was
 in a short time strewed with dead      
bodies in every direction4 ,in the midst
 of so great a calamity some advised to 
propitiate the ,nats1 by making         
offerings to them2 others said that     
recourse must be had to the great       
teachers2 a third party insisted upon   
calling to their aid the great ,gaudama1

 who had appeared in this world for the 
purpose of saving mankind4 ,the last    
opinion prevailed4 ,having ascertained  
that he lived at ,radzagio1 a great     
number of princes1 pounhas1 and nobles  
went to ,radzagio1 with great presents  
for ,king ,pimpathara1 to induce him to 
allow the great teacher to come to their
 country4 ,the object of their mission  
having become known1 ,buddha agreed to  
go4 ,he sallied forth from the ,weloowon
 monastery1 attended by the king as far 
as the southern bank of the ,ganges4    
,having reached the northern one1 he was
 received with every possible mark of   
the highest respect and veneration4 ,as 
soon as he set his feet in the country1 
a heavy rain fell which almost deluged  
the land4 ,the water carried away the   
dead bodies4 ,the atmosphere was        
purified1 the pestilence ceased1 and all
 the sick recovered4 ,on the fifth day  
after the full moon of ,nayon 7,june71  
,buddha having conferred such a favour  
to the people of ,wethalie1 left that   

country and returned to ,radzagio1 which
 he reached on the full moon of ,watso  
7,july71 just in time to spend the      
fourth season in the ,weloowon          
monastery4  ,here is inserted a short   
sketch of the manner in which ,buddha   
spent his days during the rainy season1 
as the translator has found in one of   
the manuscripts before him4  ,each day  
was divided into five parts1 and a      
certain occupation was reserved to each 
part4 #a4 ,buddha generally rose at an  
early hour1 a little after daybreak1    
washed his face1 rinsed his mouth1 and  
dressed4 ,he then retired into a private
 apartment4 ,with his all-seeing eyes1  
he glanced over all creatures1 carefully
 examined the amount of their merits and
 demerits1 and the real nature of their 
dispositions4 ,the reason for his taking
 a survey of the state and condition of 
all beings was to ascertain the         
dispositions of the various beings1 and 
discern those who were prepared to hear 
the preaching of truth from those who1  

on account of their demerits1 were as   
yet unprepared for receiving            
beneficially for themselves such a great
 favour4 ,when this was done1 he put on 
his full canonical dress1 and1 with the 
mendicant's pot under his arm1 he       
sallied forth in quest of his food4 ,he 
invariably directed his steps towards   
those places where he knew that his     
preachings would be heard with          
beneficial results4 ,sometimes he went  
alone2 at other times he was attended   
with a certain number of his disciples4 
,his countenance bespoke an unaffected  
modesty and an inimitable mildness4     
,occasionally he allowed a display of   
wonders to take place4 ,musical         
instruments emitted1 of themselves1     
sweet tunes1 which1 revealing to the    
people the coming of ,buddha1 rejoiced  
their heart and disposed them to bestow 
abundant alms1 and to hear the preaching
 of the law4 ,some of the hearers became
 ,upasakas1 others ,thautapans1 c41 c41 
agreeably to every one's disposition4   

,then he returned to his monastery4  #b4
 ,as soon as he had arrived1 he washed  
his feet1 and during the ablution he had
 his disciples assembled round him1 and 
said to them1 ,beloved ,bickus1 be ever 
watchful and attentive1 with a mind ever
 prone to reflection4 ,it is exceedingly
 difficult to obtain the nature of      
man1#c to hear the law1 to become       
perfect1 to obtain the state of         
,rahanda1 and to arrive to the condition
 of a ,buddha4 ,he then pointed out to  
them some subjects of meditation4 ,many 
of the disciples devoted themselves to  
mental labour2 some combined together   
manual and mental exertions2 others     
withdrew to lonely places at the foot of
 certain trees1 and into the caves of   
neighbouring hills4 ,buddha then took   
his meal1 and retired for awhile alone  
into his own private apartment4 ,when he
 arose a little after mid-day1 he anew  
contemplated all beings1 and fixed his  
attention on those that were to come and
 receive his instructions4 ,he soon came

 out1 and at once began to impart       
instructions to all those that had      
arrived1 from what place soever4 ,when  
the instruction was completed1 the      
people withdrew4  #c4 ,after the        
people's departure1 ,buddha bathed and  
took a walk in the open verandah of the 
monastery4 ,his mat1 cushion1 c41 were  
spread in a becoming and open place4    
,the ,rahans hastened at that hour to   
come and communicate freely the result  
of their mental exertions4 ,when they   
wanted any explanation1 they were       
encouraged to put him questions1 which  
were instantly answered2 and they       
received submissively the answers which 
he condescended to give to them4 ,this  
exercise lasted until it was dark4 ,the 
disciples retired from their master's   
presence4  #d4 ,after their departure1  
the ,nats and other celestial beings    
were admitted4 ,buddha conversed with   
and instructed them until nearly        
midnight4  #e4 ,buddha then walked      
awhile to relieve his limbs from extreme

 lassitude1 and went into his apartment 
to take some rest4 ,he rose very early1 
and began to review the beings who1     
during the days of former ,buddhas1 had 
distinguished themselves by their       
exertions in the path of virtue and in  
the high mental attainments4  ,during   
one of his usual benevolent errands     
through the country1 ,gaudama converted 
,ouggasena1 his wife and companions4    
,here is an abridged narrative of that  
event4 ,ouggasena was the son of a rich 
man4 ,in the time of his youth a company
 of comedians came to ,radzagio and     
exhibited during seven days in the      
presence of ,king ,pimpathara and his   
court4 ,our young man1 along with many  
of his companions1 attended the         
exhibition4 ,on a sudden1 he became     
passionately enamoured of a rope        
dancing-girl1 who performed many feats  
with accomplished grace and uncommon    
address4 ,despite his parents'          
remonstrances and entreaties1 he        
sacrificed to his ungoverned passion all

 considerations1 and he married the     
damsel4 ,in his new situation1 he had no
 alternative but to learn the art of    
rope-dancing1 tumbling feats1 and       
standing in various attitudes on the    
extremity of posts or masts1 sometimes  
sixty cubits high4 ,during his          
noviciate1 he had to bear the laughter  
and taunts of his wife and of his new   
friends4 ,by dint of exertion he became 
proficient in the art of performing     
tumblers' feats with a surprising       
agility4 ,one day it was announced at   
the sound of the drum that ,ouggasena   
was to perform on the top of a post     
sixty cubits high4 ,an immense crowd of 
citizens went out with great eagerness  
to see the performance4 ,when the       
amusements had just begun1 ,buddha      
happened to pass by with a number of    
disciples4 ,he desired ,maukalan to go  
ahead1 and begin to preach to           
,ouggasena4 ,soon he came up himself in 
person1 and converted the juggler1 who  
forthwith descended from his mast1      

prostrated himself before ,buddha1 and  
asked to be admitted as a member of the 
assembly4 ,after further instructions he
 obtained the science of ,rahanda4 ,his 
wife and all the company became likewise
 converts4#d  ,buddha had now fulfilled 
the promise he had formerly made to the 
ruler of ,radzagio1 to spend three      
consecutive seasons in his royal city4  
,he went over to the ,wethalie country1 
and fixed his residence in a fine place1
 in the midst of a forest of sala-trees1
 called ,mahawon4 ,whilst he enjoyed    
himself in that place1 a quarrel took   
place between a portion of the people of
 ,kappila and that of ,kaulia1 who lived
 on both banks of the little river      
,rauhani4 ,the cause of the dispute was 
the irrigation of paddy-fields4 ,the    
small river had been duly barred1 but on
 account of an unusual drought there was
 not water enough to supply the quantity
 required for the fields on both banks4 
,one party wanted to have all the water1
 the other demurred4 ,hence a dispute   

arose which1 wildfire-like1 spread from 
the banks of the stream all over both   
countries4 ,a general appeal to arms    
ensued1 and1 in a short time1 both      
armies stood facing each other in battle
 array4  ,at an early hour ,buddha1     
having risen from his couch1 cast1 as   
usual1 a glance over all beings4 ,he    
soon saw the feud that existed between  
the country of his birth and that of    
,kaulia4 ,moved with compassion over the
 miseries which that people1 blinded by 
a furious passion1 were bringing upon   
themselves1 he went through the air1 and
 stood over and above the stream which  
separated the two armies4 ,rays of      
glory1 beaming out of his person1 soon  
attracted general attention4 ,both      
parties laid down their arms and        
prostrated themselves1 worshipping him4 
,he said to them1 ,princes and warriors1
 hearken to my words4 ,which is the most
 valuable1 a small quantity of water or 
the lives of countless beings1 and1 in  
particular1 the lives of princes8 ,they 

answered1 ,of course the lives of       
princes and warriors are most valuable4 
,if so1 retorted ,buddha1 lay aside your
 passion1 conquer your anger1 throw away
 your weapons of destruction1 love each 
other1 and live in peace4 ,both parties1
 by a low and prolonged tone of voice1  
expressed their deep regret at what they
 had done1 and their sincere desire to  
follow his instructions4 ,he preached to
 them the law in such an impressive and 
convincing manner that on the spot two  
hundred and fifty noblemen of ,kappila  
and the same number of ,kaulia asked for
 admittance among the members of the    
assembly4  ,the instruction they had    
heard1 and which had determined their   
vocation1 had not had time to cast deep 
roots in their hearts4 ,they soon       
regretted their home1 their families1   
and their former gay life4 ,buddha1 who 
saw what was going on in their souls1   
said to them1 ,will you come with me1   
and enjoy yourselves on the green banks 
of the beautiful lake ,kontala8 ,they   

joyfully accepted the proposal4 ,by the 
power inherent in his nature1 ,buddha   
took them through the air1 and soon     
reached the lake4 ,they alighted on its 
banks4 ,delighted with the beautiful    
scenery that surrounded them1 and       
ignorant of the new objects which they  
saw1 they interrogated ,buddha about the
 names of the new plants and fruits     
which they perceived4 ,gaudama          
condescended to answer all their        
questions4 ,while thus engaged they saw 
the king of the birds of the lake       
resting on the branch of a tree4 ,on a  
sudden five hundred birds of the same   
kind came crowding round their chief1   
and1 by their cries and various         
attitudes1 testified the happiness which
 they felt at being in his company4     
,the new converts wondered at the       
admirable instinct of those birds1 and  
communicated to each other their mutual 
surprise4 ,as an accomplished teacher1  
,buddha availed himself of the opportune
 moment1 and said to them in a mild     

manner1 ,beloved disciples1 what you see
 now and admire is the lively and true  
image of my family4 ,so effectually was 
the instruction conveyed that they all  
at once became ,thautapan1 and no longer
 thought of returning into the world4   
,by the virtue inherent in their new    
position1 they were enabled to fly      
through the air1 and they returned with 
,buddha into the ,mahawon residence4    
,on their arrival1 ,buddha began his    
fifth season in that same place4 ,it was
 in the middle of that season1 in the   
month of ,wakhaong 7,august71 that he   
heard that his father had been seized   
with a violent distemper1 which left him
 no rest either day or night4 ,sensible 
of his approaching end1 ,thoodaudana    
ardently wished to see his son for the  
last time4 ,in the morning1 at the hour 
when ,buddha was reviewing all beings1  
and examining with a compassionate heart
 their respective condition1 he saw the 
sad and painful position of his royal   
father4 ,he instantly summoned1 by the  

means of ,ananda1 a select band of      
disciples1 and flying through the air1  
alighted with his company in front of   
the palace4 ,without a moment's delay he
 ascended to the upper apartments1 and  
sat on a place prepared for him1 near   
the head of the couch upon which lay the
 royal patient4  ,buddha1 recollecting  
himself awhile1 and then laying one of  
his hands on his father's head1 said1   
,by the virtue of the merits ,i have    
acquired during countless existences1 by
 the power of the fruits gathered during
 forty-nine days round the tree ,bodi1  
let this head be forthwith relieved from
 all pain4 ,it happened so in the       
twinkling of an eye4 ,nan1 or ,nanda1   
the younger brother of ,buddha1 the son 
of his aunt ,patzapati1 holding the     
right hand of his father1 said with a   
fervent earnestness1 ,by the merits that
 ,i have obtained at the feet of        
,buddha1 let this right hand be freed   
from all pain4 ,and perfect cure        
instantly followed4 ,ananda1 ,phra's    

first cousin1 held the left arm4        
,thariputra laid his hand on the back1  
,maukalan grasped the feet4 ,all of them
 with a similar faith uttered such like 
prayers1 and the same happy result      
invariably followed4 ,thoodaudana was   
delivered from all pain4 ,but he        
continued to remain very weak4  ,buddha1
 profiting by that favourable           
opportunity1 preached to his father the 
law of mutability1 and gave him many and
 truly seasonable instructions on that  
most important subject4 ,with such a    
persuasive language did he expound this 
favourite doctrine that his father      
became at once a ,rahanda4 ,at the same 
time he distinctly informed him that    
seven days hence the end of his life    
would inevitably happen4 ,thoodaudana1  
perfectly prepared for the new change1  
that is to say1 for death1 by his son's 
instructions1 and thoroughly resigned1  
saw before him the true state of        
,neibban1 and said1 ,now ,i clearly     
perceive the instability of all things4 

,i am free from all passions4 ,i am     
completely disentangled from the        
trammels of existence4 ,rocking himself 
in the bosom of these comforting truths1
 he spent happily the few days he had   
yet to live4 ,on the last day1 and for  
the last time1 he paid his respects to  
,buddha by worshipping him4 ,sitting    
then on his couch1 the royal patient    
humbly asked pardon in the presence of  
all his attendants for all offences he  
had committed by thoughts1 words1 and   
deeds4 ,having performed this act of    
sincere humility1 he consoled his wife  
,patzapati1 who sat bathed in tears1 as 
well as the other members of the royal  
family1 and several times repeated      
before them the great truth--that all   
beings1 when they come into existence1  
have within1 inherent in their nature1 a
 principle of death that hurries them to
 their end and dissolution2 that the    
same principle that has brought near and
 united beings together is always       
opposed1 and at last overpowered by the 

opposite one that tends to separate     
them4 ,he then placidly lay on his      
couch1 and gently breathed his last in  
the day of the full moon of ,wakhaong1  
on a ,saturday1 at the rising of the    
sun1 in the year of the ,eetzana1 era   
#ajg1 at the advanced age of            
ninety-seven years4  ,gaudama1 after his
 father's demise1 when all the ,rahans  
were assembled round the deathbed1 said 
to them3 ,beloved ,bickus1 behold my    
father's remains4 ,he is no longer what 
he was a little while ago4 ,he has      
undergone the change4 ,no one can offer 
an effectual and lasting resistance to  
the principle of death1 inherent in all 
beings4 ,be diligent in the practice of 
good works3 follow steadily the four    
roads leading to perfection4 ,after this
 lecture1 he consoled his aunt          
,patzapati and the other ladies of the  
court1 who1 with dishevelled hair1 were 
wailing aloud and striking their        
breasts4 ,he minutely explained to them 
the consequences resulting from the     

great principle of mutability1 which    
pervades all beings and infallibly leads
 them to destruction by the separation  
of their constitutive parts4  ,when the 
instruction was finished1 ,buddha       
directed ,kathaba to go and prepare the 
spot on which the funeral and cremation 
of the corpse were to take place4 ,aided
 by ,thariputra1 he washed the corpse1  
which was subsequently placed in great  
state1 on a magnificent and lofty       
catafalco1 raised for the purpose4 ,the 
princes of ,thekkara1 ,thoopawa1 and    
,weritzara1 came to attend the royal    
funeral and offer presents4 ,the corpse 
was carried processionally through the  
principal streets of the city at the    
sound of all musical instruments4       
,buddha1 in person1 received the corpse1
 and laid it on the funeral pile4 ,to no
 one else would he leave the honourable 
and pious task of setting fire to it4   
,on that occasion there took place an   
indescribable outburst of wailings and  
lamentings4 ,the impassible ,buddha     

preached the law on that occasion4 ,he  
left aside all praises in behalf of the 
deceased4 ,he was satisfied with        
announcing the law2 and countless       
beings1 both among men and ,nats1       
obtained the deliverance4  ,after the   
loss of her royal husband1 ,queen       
,patzapati1 profoundly impressed with   
all that she had seen and heard1 desired
 to renounce the world and embrace a    
religious mode of life4 ,for that       
purpose she came to the presence of     
,buddha1 and asked three times the      
permission to follow her inclination and
 become ,rahaness4 ,three times the     
solicited favour was denied her4 ,buddha
 then left his own native country and   
returned to ,wethalie1 fixing his abode 
in the ,gutagaia-thala monastery1 in the
 ,mahawon forest4  ,buddha had not been 
long in this place when he had to grant 
the request which he at first refused to
 his aunt ,patzapati4 ,the wives of the 
princes of the ,kappila and ,kaulia     
countries1 who1 to the number of #ejj1  

had recently renounced the world1       
desired also to follow the example set  
before them by their husbands4 ,they    
went to the queen's apartments and      
communicated to her their design1       
entreating her to help them in obtaining
 the object of their wishes4 ,patzapati 
not only promised them her support1 but 
expressed the determination to join     
their company4 ,as a token of the       
sincerity and earnestness of their      
resolution1 all the ladies1 without the 
least hesitation1 cut their beautiful   
black hair1 put on a dress in accordance
 with their pious intentions1 and       
resolutely set out on foot in the       
direction of the ,wethalie country4     
,unused to such bodily exertions1 the   
pious pilgrims suffered much during     
their long journey4 ,at last1 worn out  
with fatigue1 covered with dust1 they   
arrived near the ,mahawon monastery4    
,they respectfully stopped at the gate1 
and requested an interview with ,ananda4
 ,the latter1 having ascertained from   

their own mouth the object of their     
pious and fatiguing errand1 hastened    
into the presence of ,buddha1 and       
entreated him to grant the earnest and  
praiseworthy demand of his aunt and of  
the other ladies1 her companions4 ,on   
hearing the request1 ,buddha1 for a     
while1 remained silent1 as if           
deliberating on the answer he had to    
give4 ,then he said3 ,ananda1 it is not 
expedient to allow women to embrace the 
religious state2 otherwise my           
institutions shall not last long4       
,ananda1 undismayed by that reply1      
respectfully reminded ,buddha of all the
 favours he had received from           
,patzapati1 who had nursed and brought  
him up with the utmost care and         
tenderness1 from the day his mother     
died1 when he was but seven days old1   
and represented with a fervent          
earnestness the good dispositions of the
 pious postulants4 ,buddha's scruples   
were overcome by the persuasive language
 of the faithful ,ananda4 ,he asked     

whether women could observe the eight   
precepts3 and added1 that in case they  
would consent to bind themselves to a   
correct observance of them1 they might  
be admitted as members of the assembly4 
,fully satisfied with the answer he had 
obtained1 the venerable ,ananda saluted 
,buddha1 and hastened to the gate of the
 monastery1 where his return was        
impatiently awaited4 ,on hearing the    
good news1 ,patzapati1 in the name of   
her companions1 spoke to ,ananda3       
,venerable ,ananda1 we all rejoice that 
the favour so often asked for has been  
at last granted unto us4 ,as a young    
maid1 who has bathed1 and washed her    
hair1 is anxiously desirous to put on   
her fine ornaments1 as she receives with
 delight the beautiful and fragrant     
nosegays that are offered to her1 so we 
are longing for the eight precepts1 and 
wish for admittance into the assembly4  
,they all promised to observe the rules 
of their new profession to the end of   
their lives4 ,yathaudara and            

,dzanapada-kaliani were among these     
converts4 ,they all1 owing to their     
former meritorious works1 became        
subsequently ,rahandas4  ,one of the new
 female converts seemed to have retained
 as yet a certain admiration of and     
fondness for her handsome features1 and 
secretly prided herself on her beauty4  
,buddha1 who quickly perceived the      
latent enemy lurking in the folds of her
 heart1 resorted to the following       
expedient to correct her4 ,on a certain 
day1 when the proud and vain woman was  
in his presence1 he created in an       
instant a consummate beauty1 who as much
 exceeded her in perfection of form as  
the snow-white swan surpasses the black 
crow4 ,whilst she looked on this        
suddenly appearing rival with somewhat  
jealous eyes1 ,buddha caused the beauty 
of his creation to appear on a sudden   
very old1 with a wrinkled face and an   
emaciated frame1 and to exhibit on her  
person all the various and disgusting   
inroads which the most loathsome        

diseases make on the human body4 ,the   
change acted as an electric shock on the
 young religious woman4 ,when ,gaudama  
perceived the change1 and that she was  
so horrified at such a sight that she   
was nearly fainting1 he said to her3    
,behold1 my daughter1 the faithful      
foreshowing of what shall inevitably    
happen to that form you are so proud of4
 ,he had scarcely spoken those words1   
when she was instantly and for ever     
cured of her vanity4  ,buddha left      
,wethalie and went on the ,makula       
mountain1 where he spent his sixth      
season4 ,during his stay in that place  
thousands of people were converted and  
obtained the deliverance4 ,at the end of
 that season1 ,buddha went to ,radzagio1
 and stayed in the ,weloowon monastery4 
,it was at that time that ,kema1 the    
first queen of ,king ,pimpathara1 proud 
of her rank1 youth1 and beauty1 was at  
last converted4 ,up to that time she had
 obstinately refused to see ,buddha and 
hear his doctrine4 ,on a certain day1   

the queen went to visit a garden which  
was in the neighbourhood of the         
,weloowon grove4 ,by a contrivance of   
the king1 her husband1 she was brought1 
almost against her will1 into the       
presence of ,buddha1 who worked out the 
spiritual cure of her foolish vanity by 
a process similar to the one above      
mentioned4 ,he caused a beautiful female
 of his creation to pass successively1  
in the queen's presence1 through the    
various stages of old age1 disease1 and 
death4 ,her mind having been thus well  
prepared to hear his instructions1      
,buddha gave her a lengthened           
explanation of the miseries attending   
the body4 ,it had the desirable effect  
to convert her in so perfect a manner   
that she entered into the current of    
perfection1 and became ,thautapan4      
,after having obtained the consent of   
her lord1 she was1 upon her pressing    
solicitations1 admitted into the        
religious order4 ,she became a ,rahanda1
 and among the female members of the    

assembly she ranked as the disciple of  
the right4 ,such a glorious charge was  
owing to her former merits4  ,on a      
certain day1 a rich man of the country  
of ,radzagio went to enjoy himself on   
the banks of the river ,ganges4 ,that   
man was not a disciple of ,buddha1 nor  
did he hold the doctrines of the        
opposite party4 ,he steered a middle    
course between both doctrines1 with a   
mind disposed1 however1 to embrace such 
opinions as should appear to him based  
on the best and strongest evidence4     
,chance offered him a favourable        
opportunity to acknowledge the          
superiority of ,buddha over his         
opponents4 ,he saw a log of sandal-wood 
floating on the stream1 took it up1 and 
had a beautiful patta made of it4 ,when 
finished1 he wrote upon it these words1 
,he who can fly in the air let him take 
it4 ,the patta was raised on the top of 
a succession of hampers1 tied together1 
and sixty cubits high4 ,some heretics   
living in the neighbourhood asked on    

successive occasions the rich man to get
 down the patta for them2 he answered   
them that he would give it only to him  
who by flight could reach it4 ,the head 
man of those heretics feigned to prepare
 himself to fly2 but when he was        
extending his arms1 and raising one of  
his feet1 his disciples1 according to a 
preconcerted plan1 seized him1 saying1  
,it is not becoming that you should     
exert yourself for such a trifle4 ,but  
the wily rich man could not be thus     
deceived2 he persisted in his former    
resolution1 and for six days resisted   
all their entreaties4 ,on the seventh   
day ,maukalan happened to go to that    
place in search of his food4 ,he was    
informed of all that had just happened4 
,he was1 moreover1 told that the rich   
man and all his family would become     
disciples under him who could by flight 
possess himself of the sandal-wood      
patta4 ,maukalan was ready1 for the     
glory of ,buddha1 to raise himself in   
the air1 but his companion refused to   

allow him to do it1 saying that such an 
easy work could easily be accomplished  
by one less advanced in merits4         
,maukalan agreed to his proposal4       
,whereupon entering into the fourth     
state of ,dzan1 his companion rose in   
the air1 carrying with the toes of one  
of his feet an enormous rock            
three-quarters of a youdzana wide4 ,the 
whole space between him and the         
bystanders appeared darkened4 ,every one
 was half dead with fear1 lest1 perhaps1
 it should fall over his head4          
,maukalan's companion had the rock split
 into two parts1 and his person then    
appeared to the view of the assembled   
crowd4 ,after having during a whole day 
exhibited such a mighty power1 he caused
 the rock to fall on the place he had   
taken it from4 ,the rich man bade him   
come down1 fully satisfied with the     
display of such power4 ,the sandal-wood 
patta was taken down1 filled with the   
best rice1 and presented to him4 ,the   
,rahan received it and went back to his 

monastery4 ,many persons living at a    
distance from the place where the wonder
 had been exhibited1 followed him to the
 monastery1 begging him to show some    
other signs4  ,as they approached the   
monastery1 ,buddha hearing the noise1   
inquired what it was4 ,he was informed  
of all the particulars of the event that
 had just taken place4 ,he called the   
,rahan into his presence1 took the      
patta1 had it broken into pieces and    
reduced to dust4#e ,he then forbade the 
,rahan ever to make such a display of   
his power4  ,the heretics soon heard of 
the prohibition issued by ,gaudama to   
his disciples4 ,they thought that no one
 would dare to match them in the display
 of wonders1 and that they could easily 
ascertain their superiority over him4   
,the ruler of ,radzagio1 hearing of this
 news1 went to ,buddha and inquired as  
to his motive for such a prohibition4   
,buddha told him that the prohibition   
regarded his disciples only1 but not    
himself4 ,the heretics1 informed of     

this1 said1 ,what will become of us8    
,gaudama himself will show signs4 ,they 
held a council among themselves as to   
what was to be done4 ,gaudama told the  
king that in four months he would make a
 grand display of his miraculous power  
in the country of ,thawattie1 as it was 
in that place that all former ,buddhas  
had in former ages showed signs4 ,the   
heretics from that day never lost sight 
of ,buddha for a moment2 they followed  
him day and night4 ,they gave orders    
that a large and extensive covered place
 should be prepared for them1 where they
 might show their power and outshine    
that of the ,rahan ,gaudama4 ,buddha    
having said that he would select the    
spot where a white mango-tree stood for 
the scene of his miracles1 the heretics 
caused the total destruction of all     
mango-trees in that direction4  ,on the 
full moon of ,tabaong 7,february71      
,gaudama left ,radzagio1 attended by a  
large retinue of disciples4 ,he went to 
preach in different parts4 ,on the      

seventh of the waxing moon of ,watso he 
entered the country of ,thawattie4 ,a   
gardener gave him by way of present a   
large mango fruit4 ,ananda prepared the 
fruit and ,buddha ate it4 ,when this was
 done1 the stone was handed to ,ananda  
with an injunction to plant it in a     
place prepared to receive it4 ,when     
planted1 ,buddha washed his hands over  
it1 and on a sudden there sprang up a   
beautiful white mango-tree1 fifty cubits
 high1 with large branches loaded with  
blossoms and fruits4 ,to prevent its    
being destroyed1 a guard was set near it
 by the king's order4 ,dismayed at such 
a wonderful sign1 the heretics fled in  
every direction to conceal their shame  
and confusion4 ,their head man1 named   
,pourana1 took from a husbandman a large
 jar with a rope1 tied up the vessel    
with one extremity of the rope1 passed  
the other round his neck1 and flinging  
first the jar and next himself into the 
river1 where the water was very deep1 he
 was drowned1 and went to the lowest    

hell1 called ,awidzi4  ,buddha created  
in the air an immense road1 reaching    
east and west to the extremities of the 
world4 ,when the sun began to verge     
towards the west1 he thought the time   
had come to ascend to that road in the  
presence of an immense crowd1 that      
covered an area of thirty-six youdzanas1
 and there make a display of his        
wonderful powers4 ,he was on the point  
of crossing the threshold of the        
building that had been erected for him  
by the care of ,nats1 when a female     
convert1 named ,garamie1 who had become 
an ,anagam1 came into his presence1 and 
after the usual prostrations said to    
him1 ,glorious ,buddha1 it is not       
necessary that you should take the      
trouble of working wonders2 ,i1 your    
servant1 will do it4 ,what wonder will  
you work1 my daughter1 ,garamie8 replied
 ,buddha4 ,i will1 said ,garamie1 fill  
up the space with water1 and plunging   
into the water in an eastern direction1 
,i will come back1 and reappear in the  

west like a water-fowl4 ,on my          
appearance before the crowd they will   
ask1 ,what is this water-fowl8 ,and ,i  
will answer to them1 that this          
water-fowl is ,garamie1 the daughter of 
the most excellent ,buddha4 ,this is the
 wonder ,i will accomplish4 ,the        
heretics1 on seeing it1 will say to     
themselves1 ,if such be the power of    
,garamie1 how much greater and more     
wonderful must be that of ,buddha       
himself8 ,i know1 said ,buddha1 that you
 have such a power1 but it is not for   
your sake that these crowds have been   
gathered together2 and he refused the   
solicited permission4 ,garamie said to  
herself1 ,buddha would not allow me to  
work this great wonder1 but there is    
some one else that can do greater things
 than ,i2 perhaps ,buddha will not be so
 inflexible with them as he is with me4 
,she then withdrew to a becoming place4 
,buddha thought within himself1 ,there  
are many among my disciples who can make
 a display of great wonders2 it is meet 

that the crowds should be aware of it1  
and see how1 with hearts stout as that  
of the lion1 they are ready to perform  
the most wonderful feats4 ,he said      
aloud1 ,who are they that can do        
wonders8 let them come forward4 ,many   
came into his presence with a lion-like 
boldness and a thundering voice1 craving
 for the honour of displaying           
supernatural powers4 ,among them was a  
rich man1 named ,anatapein2 a female    
child1 called ,tsera2 a grown-up woman1 
and ,maukalan4 ,they volunteered their  
services to perform the most            
extraordinary wonders1 in order both to 
frighten the heretics1 and make them    
understand that1 if such a power        
belonged to the disciples1 what that of 
,buddha himself must be4 ,but ,buddha   
would not accept their proffered        
services1 and said to them that the     
people had not been assembled there for 
their sake1 but for his2 and that to him
 alone was reserved the task of         
enrapturing the crowds by the great     

wonders he was preparing to show4       
,addressing ,maukalan1 he said to him   
that1 being a ,buddha1 he could not     
leave to others the trouble of          
performing his own duty4 ,in a former   
existence1 when he was a bullock1 he    
drew from a muddy place a heavily-laden 
cart1 to save a ,brahmin's property and 
rejoice his heart4  ,buddha ascended to 
the immense road which he had created in
 the air in the presence of the crowd1  
that filled a place of eighteen         
youdzanas in breadth and twenty-four in 
length4 ,these wonders which he was     
about to display were the result of his 
own wisdom1 and could not be imitated by
 any one4 ,he caused a stream of water  
to issue from the upper part of his body
 and flames of fire from the lower part1
 and on a sudden the reverse to take    
place2 again fire issued from his right 
eye1 and streams of water from his left 
eye1 and so on from his nostrils1 ears1 
right and left1 in front and behind4    
,the same wonder too happened in such a 

way that the streams of fire succeeded  
the streams of water1 but without       
mingling with each other4 ,each stream  
in an upward direction reached the seats
 of ,brahmas2 each stream in a downward 
direction penetrated as far as hell2    
each in a horizontal direction reached  
the extremities of the world4 ,from each
 of his hairs the same wonderful display
 feasted the astonished eyes of the     
assembled people4 ,the six glories      
gushed1 as it were1 from every part of  
his body1 and1 made it appear           
resplendent beyond description4 ,having 
no one to converse with1 he created a   
personage1 who appeared to walk with    
him4 ,sometimes he sat down1 while his  
companion was pacing along2 and at other
 times he himself walked1 whilst his    
interlocutor was either standing or     
sitting4 ,all the while ,buddha put to  
him questions which he readily answered1
 and in his turn replied to the         
interrogations that were made to him4   
,at intervals ,phra preached to the     

crowd1 who were exceedingly rejoiced1   
and sung praises to him4 ,according to  
their good dispositions1 he expounded   
the various points of the law4 ,the     
people who heard him and saw the        
wonderful works he performed1 obtained  
the understanding of the four great     
principles4  ,buddha1 having completed  
the twofold work of preaching to the    
crowds1 and exciting their respect and  
admiration by the most astonishing      
display of the most extraordinary       
miracles1 began to think within himself 
as follows3 ,to what place have all     
former ,buddhas resorted after the      
display of signs1 and spent the season8 
,he saw by a stretch of his incomparable
 foresight that all of them had gone to 
the seat of ,tawadeintha1 in the ,nats' 
country1 to announce the perfect law to 
their mothers4 ,he resolved to go       
thither too4 ,with one step he reached  
the summit of the mountain ,ugando1 at a
 distance of #afj1jjj youdzanas1 and    
another step carried him to the top of  

the ,mienmo mountain4 ,this was done    
without any effort on the part of       
,buddha4 ,those mountains lowered their 
summits to the very spot where he was   
standing1 and rose up again to resume   
their lofty position4 ,buddha found     
himself brought almost instantaneously  
to the seat of ,tawadeintha4#f ,he took 
his position on the immense rock        
,pantukambala4 ,when he lay extended    
there upon his tsiwaran1 the huge mass  
on a sudden contracted itself to the    
very narrow dimensions of his dress4    
,the people who had seen ,buddha1 and   
who could not now descry him1 found     
themselves in a state of bereavement1 as
 if the sun and the moon had disappeared
 from the sky4 ,they gave full vent to  
their cries and lamentations1 saying3   
,we are now deprived of the blessed     
presence of him who is the most         
excellent among the three sorts of      
beings1 men1 ,nats1 and ,brahmas4 ,some 
said he has gone to this place2 some    
replied1 no1 he has gone to that place4 

,many of the people1 who had just       
arrived from different parts of the     
country1 were exceedingly grieved1      
because they could not see him4 ,they   
all repaired before ,maukalan1 to       
ascertain from him what place ,buddha   
had gone to4 ,maukalan knew it1 but he  
wished to leave to ,anourouda the honour
 of satisfying their curiosity4 ,the    
latter said to them that ,buddha had    
gone to the seat of ,tawadeintha to     
preach the law to his mother1 and spend 
there one season on the rock of         
,pantukambala4 ,he added1 that he would 
be back in three months hence1 on the   
day of the full moon of ,thadin-kioot   
7,october74 ,they came to the           
spontaneous resolution to remain on that
 very spot1 and not to return to their  
homes1 until they had seen ,buddha a    
second time4 ,they erected temporary    
sheds2 and1 though the place was small  
for such a countless multitude1 they    
managed to accommodate themselves in the
 best way they could4 ,previous to his  

departure1 ,buddha had enjoined on      
,maukalan to remain with the people and 
preach to them the law4 ,maukalan       
faithfully complied with the request1   
and during three consecutive months     
instructed the people1 and answered all 
their questions4 ,the rich man          
,anatapein fed the ,rahans and the      
assembly abundantly during the whole    
time4   ,,footnotes      #a ,it is      
impossible to assign the motive that    
induced the     compiler of ,buddha's   
life to insert in his work a long       
episode     on the celebrated physician 
,dzewaka4 ,the story is in itself       
uninteresting1 and throws no light      
whatever on the history of     the      
supposed originator or reformer of      
,buddhism4 ,for this reason     it has  
been thought quite unnecessary to give a
 complete     translation of the whole  
passage4 ,the name of ,dzewaka is quite 
familiar to the adepts of the medical   
art in ,burmah4 ,many times     the     
writer has made inquiries respecting the

 works of the     ,hippocrates of       
,india1 but he has never been able to   
meet with     mention of or allusion to 
such compositions4 ,hence he has been   
led to suppose that the father of       
medicine in these countries     has left
 behind him no writings to embody the   
results of his     theoretical and      
practical favourite pursuits4 ,surgery  
appears to     have been no novelty with
 our great doctor1 since we see him on  
an occasion extracting from the body of 
a prince1 by means of an     incision1 a
 snake that put his life in peril4      
,the numerous quacks who in ,burmah     
assume the name of physicians1     and  
are ever ready to give medicines in all 
cases1 even the most     difficult and  
complicated1 are ignorant of the very   
elements of     the surgical art4 ,they 
possess a certain number of remedies1   
made up of plants1 which1 when applied  
under proper     circumstances and in   
certain cases1 work wonderful cures4    
,but     the native physicians1 unable  

in most instances to discern the        
true symptoms of diseases1 prescribe    
remedies at random1 and     obtain1 in  
too many cases1 results most fatal to   
the unfortunate     patient4 ,in        
medicine as well as in religion1        
ignorance begets     superstition and   
recourse to magical practices4 ,we may  
positively assert that the black art is1
 with native     practitioners1 an      
essential concomitant to the practice of
     medicine4 ,when a physician has    
exhausted the limited stock of          
remedies that he possesses1 and he      
finds1 in spite of his     exertions1   
that the disease bids defiance to his   
skill1 he     gravely tells the         
relatives of the patient that some evil 
spirit     is interfering with his      
remedies1 and that he must be expelled  
ere there can be any chance of relieving
 the sufferer and     obtaining his     
recovery4 ,whereupon a shed is erected  
with the     utmost speed on a spot     
close to the house of the patient4      

,offerings of rice1 fruits1 and other   
articles are made to the     pretended  
evil spirit1 who is supposed to have got
 hold of the     sufferer's body4       
,dances of the most frantic character   
are     carried on by his relatives4    
,males will only officiate in           
default of females2 preference is always
 given to the latter4     ,young girls1 
say the ,burmese1 are the fittest       
persons for the     occasion1 as it is  
supposed that the evil ,nat is more     
effectually and easily propitiated by   
the power of their charms4     ,this    
exercise lasts until1 strength at last  
failing them1 they     drop down in a   
state of complete exhaustion and        
prostration4     ,they appear as if they
 had entirely lost their senses4 ,in    
that     state they are supposed to be  
inspired by the evil spirit4            
,interrogated by the physician on the   
nature of the disease1 and     the      
proper remedies to be applied for       
eradicating it1 they give     answers1  

or rather they become channels through  
which the     spirit1 satisfied with the
 offerings made in his honour1          
condescends to declare that he has now  
left the patient1 and     that by       
placing him under a certain treatment1  
which he fails     not to indicate1 he  
will soon recover his health4           
,occurrences of     this nature are     
exceedingly common4 ,they are called by 
the     natives festivals of the        
,nat-pan1 or of the possessing spirit4  
#b ,the first followers of ,buddha1     
observing a mode of life much           
resembling that of the ,rathees1 had    
hitherto made use of the     dress they 
had purchased previous to their leaving 
the world4     ,but when they became    
professed members of the new society1   
they     were subjected to the          
observance of the vow of strict poverty1
     and had to depend entirely on      
public charity for the obtaining     of 
the required food and raiment4 ,the old 
clothes brought at the     time of their

 entering the society were worn out and 
unfit to be     put on4 ,others were to 
be provided for by some means that would
     not wound the delicate feeling of  
absolute poverty4 ,the only one     that
 occurred was the willing and liberal   
dispositions of the     lay members of  
the ,buddhist community4 ,this new      
source of     abundant alms was opened  
by our ,buddha himself1 on the occasion 
of the offering made by ,dzewaka4       
,desiring likewise to do away     with  
the scruples many religious might       
entertain respecting the     lawfulness 
or unlawfulness of receiving articles of
 dress1     ,gaudama laid it down as a  
regulation that all the religious       
could lawfully accept all that might be 
willingly offered them     by the       
faithful4 ,in the foregoing pages we    
have seen the founder     of ,buddhism  
granting to his followers permission to 
receive     houses and landed properties
 presented to communities4 ,now the     
same legislator1 adhering to the same   

principle1 gives a fuller               
development thereto1 and extends to     
articles necessary for dress     the    
leave to receive offerings of this      
description1 proffered by     the       
faithful to the religious4 ,in the book 
of ,buddhist     ordinations1 or        
promotion to the degree of ,patzin1     
mention is     made of these two sorts  
of permissions given to the ,rahans4    
#c ,it was at that moment that ,gaudama 
delighted to reveal to     his disciples
 the most startling points of his       
doctrine1 and     made them familiar    
with certain tenets upon which he laid  
much     stress4 ,he wished that what he
 looked upon as subjects of the         
greatest importance1 should be come     
familiar to them4 ,no doubt     he      
intended that those favourite topics    
should become the     spiritual food    
upon which his disciples' minds should  
feed     during the hours devoted to    
meditation4 ,those who are              
uninitiated in the doctrines of         

,buddhism will not understand the       
meaning of such an expression4 ,it is   
difficult to obtain the     nature of   
man4 ,such language is1 however1 in     
perfect accordance     with the         
principles of that system4 ,a being1 who
 is in one of     the four states of    
punishment1 that of an animal1 for      
instance1     shall have1 in many       
instances1 to pass through an immense   
number     of various existences1 ere he
 can escape from the circle of          
animal existences1 and at last emerge   
into that of man4 ,to give     us an    
idea of the excessive difficulties a    
being has to     encounter1 they make   
use of the following comparison4 ,let us
     suppose that a needle be dropped   
from one of the seats of     ,brahmas1  
and at the same time a man on earth be  
keeping another     needle with the     
point upwards4 ,it will be more easy for
 the two     needles' extremities to    
come in contact one with the other1 than
     it will be to a being in the       

condition of animal to reach the        
state of man4 ,on the same principle one
 can easily imagine what     mighty     
efforts must be made during countless   
existences ere a     simple man can     
obtain all the qualifications necessary 
for     enabling him to become a        
,buddha4 ,the theory of ,gaudama1 on    
this     point1 resembles much that of  
some modern thinkers who preach     the 
perfectibility of man to an almost      
infinite degree4      #d ,the conversion
 of ,ouggasena and of his companions1   
procured     by the direct intervention 
of ,buddha himself1 is another          
instance of the truly liberal spirit    
which animated the great     preacher4  
,his law was intended for all without   
exception4 ,the     profession of these 
individuals whom he so peculiarly       
selected     was far from being a       
respectable one4 ,the proud ,brahmin    
would     not have condescended to take 
notice of people who1 in his            
opinion1 had degraded themselves so low4

 ,but the new teacher1     though born  
from parents belonging to a high caste1 
entirely     free from the prejudices   
inculcated by the narrow spirit of      
caste1 rose himself to such a high      
position as to look upon man1           
whatever his condition or position might
 be1 as a fellow-being     fully        
entitled to the benefit of his          
instructions4 ,this is one     of the   
most striking features of his           
preachings1 its     universality as     
regards persons and places4 ,it enables 
us to     account for the rapid and     
astonishing diffusion of his doctrines  
through so many countries4 ,it          
constitutes the essential and           
capital difference between the two great
 systems which1 in days     long passed 
by1 have contested for the religious    
supremacy over     the ,indian          
peninsula4      ,in the subsequent story
 of ,thoodaudana's illness1 we see      
,buddha     first1 then ,ananda1        
,thariputra1 and ,maukalan relieving the

     illustrious patient from his bodily
 distemper1 by invoking1 not     the    
interference of a supreme ,being1 whom  
they ignore1 but a     certain power or 
influence connected with former good    
deeds4 ,a     great1 nay1 a miraculous1 
effect is produced by the agency of a   
cause which no one but a ,buddhist can  
understand4 ,he has     recourse to kan1
 or the influence resulting from        
meritorious     actions1 as to a mighty 
agent who has the power to work any     
desired result whatever4 ,but how a man 
can by his own will     control the     
influence of his good actions1 so as to 
produce a     grand effect in no way    
short of a miracle1 is a thing which can
     in no rational way be explained or 
accounted for4      #e ,the rebuke given
 by ,buddha to the disciple who had1    
without     permission1 made such a     
display of miraculous power1 intended   
though it was for the promotion of his  
glory1 was designed to     operate as a 
salutary check on the pride that might  

find its way     into the heart of even 
the most privileged beings4 ,such a     
lesson     was deemed of the greatest   
importance1 since we find in the book   
of ,buddhistic ordinations the sin of   
boasting of or pretending     to the    
power of working wonders1 c41 ranked    
among the four     capital sins1        
excluding a ,rahan for ever from the    
society of the     perfect1 and         
depriving him of his rank and dignity4  
,buddha1 it     seems1 wished to reserve
 to himself alone the honour of working 
miracles1 or to give the permission1    
when circumstances should     require   
it1 to some of his disciples to do the  
same in his name     and for the        
exaltation of his religion4      ,the   
following story of ,purana and his five 
associates holds a     prominent rank   
among the events that have rendered     
,buddha so     celebrated4 ,gaudama1 as 
it has been already mentioned in some   
foregoing notes1 was an ascetic who had 
studied philosophy under     eminent    

masters who belonged to the ,brahminical
 school4 ,in many     of his opinions1  
as well as in his mode of life1 there   
was no     perceptible difference       
between him and the followers of the    
,brahmins4 ,the writings of the latter1 
as well as those of the     earliest    
,buddhists1 exhibit to us the sight of a
 great number of     schools2 where     
opinions on ontology1 morals1 and       
dogmas1 c41 at     once various1        
multifarious1 and opposite1 were        
publicly taught4     ,then the human    
mind1 left to its own resources1        
launching forth     into the boundless  
field of speculative philosophy1 ran in 
every     direction1 searching after    
truth4 ,the mania for arguing1          
defining1 drawing conclusions1 c41 in   
those days1 prevailed to     an extent  
scarcely to be credited4 ,many centuries
 before     ,aristotle wrote the rules  
of dialectics1 the ,indian philosophers 
had carried the art of reasoning to a   
great degree of nicety and              

shrewdness4 ,witness the disputes and   
discussions between the     ,brahmins   
and the immediate disciples of ,buddha4 
,when our ,phra     began to attract    
about his person crowds of hearers and  
disciples2 when his opinions on the end 
of man were understood     and          
appreciated2 when the system of castes  
received the first     shock from the   
new but rapidly progressing doctrine2   
when the     eyes and hearts of the     
people were slowly at first1 and rapidly
     afterwards1 centred on the new     
preacher and his disciples2 when     at 
last alms1 that had hitherto flowed into
 the abodes of the     ,brahmins1 began 
to enter into new channels and carry    
their     substantial produce to the    
door of the followers of the new        
sect1 then jealousy and other passions  
began to agitate the     hearts of those
 who had hitherto retained an undisputed
 sway     over the credulity of the     
people4 ,they tried1 if credit be given 
to the works of ,buddhists1 every effort

 and devised every means     in order to
 oppose the progress of the new         
doctrine4      ,in this instance1       
,purana and his friends1 assisted1 as   
the     ,buddhists pretend1 by the      
agency of the evil one1 wished to       
enter into discussion with ,buddha and  
to surpass him in the     display of    
miraculous power4 ,the contest was to   
take place in     the country of        
,thawattie1 in the presence of the king 
and of a     countless multitude        
assembled for the purpose4 ,purana1 as  
usual     with ,buddhists in regard to  
those who held opinions different       
from their own1 is styled a heretic4 ,of
 the opinions of the     enemies of     
,buddha nothing is said in the present  
work1 but the     writer has had the    
opportunity of perusing another work    
where a     slight allusion is made to  
those six holders of heterodox          
doctrines4 ,their opinions were at      
variance on the beginning of     this   
world1 the eternity of matter1 the      

existence of the soul1     and a first  
principle1 creator of all that exists4  
,we may infer     therefrom that they   
were heads or chiefs of various schools1
     who1 though not agreeing among     
themselves upon purely     speculative  
doctrines1 united and combined against  
the common     enemy4 ,a detailed       
account of the doctrines held by these  
six     heretics would prove highly     
interesting1 as it would throw some     
light on the very obscure and           
imperfectly known history of     ,indian
 philosophy1 in the days when ,buddhism 
assumed the shape     of a religious    
system4 ,to those who are unacquainted  
with ,indian     literature1 the great  
progress made by ,hindus in             
philosophical     sciences at such an   
early period may appear somewhat        
doubtful3     but modern discoveries    
made all over the ,indian peninsula     
leave     not the least doubt respecting
 this startling assertion4 ,at a        
period when ,greece and the other       

regions of ,europe were sunk in     a   
state of complete ignorance1 most of the
 branches of     literature were        
successfully cultivated on the banks of 
the     ,ganges4 ,the study of          
philosophy always supposes a great      
intellectual advancement4 ,there would1 
therefore1 be no rashness     whatever  
in asserting that the present state and 
condition of     ,india1 as regards     
literary progress1 are much below the   
mark     that was attained at such a    
remote period4 ,the epoch of literary   
decadence began with the devastating    
expeditions of the     fanatical ,moslem
 in the tenth century4 ,it is probable1 
too1 that     the religious and         
sanguinary conflicts between the        
,buddhists and     ,brahminists have had
 their share in bringing about a similar
     result4 ,the latter1 having        
obtained the ascendancy over their      
adversaries1 became more bigoted4 ,they 
would no longer tolerate1     to the    
same extent as before1 the liberty of   

elaborating new     systems1 lest some  
successful philosopher might hereafter  
propagate opinions at variance with     
their own1 undermine the     mighty     
fabric of their creed1 and endanger the 
holding of that     absolute sway and   
paramount influence they had recovered1 
after     centuries of a deadly contest 
with the disciples of the               
philosopher of ,kapilawot4      #f ,the 
preachings of ,buddha were not to be    
confined to the     narrow limits of    
man's abode2 they were designed to reach
 much     further4 ,all beings living in
 the six seats of ,nats were to         
share with men the blessings of the     
publication of the perfect     law4 ,it 
has been already stated at length1 in a 
foregoing note1     that the condition  
of ,nats is merely a state of pleasure  
and     enjoyment allotted to those who 
in former existences had done     some  
meritorious work4 ,the fortunate        
inhabitants of these     celestial      
regions remain in those seats until the 

sum of their     respective merits      
being1 as it were1 exhausted1 they      
return to     the abode of man1 the true
 place of probation for all beings      
living therein4 ,the condition of ,nat1 
therefore1 is not a     permanent one2  
the ,nat1 after his time of reward is   
over1 has to     migrate to our         
terrestrial abode1 begin a new          
existence1 and     endeavour to advance 
himself in the way of perfection by the 
practice of virtue4 ,he is as yet very  
far from the state of     ,neibban4     
,like man1 he has to learn the sublime  
law1 and to     become acquainted with  
the roads leading to the four high      
perfections4 ,buddha1 who came to       
announce the law of salvation     to all
 beings1 could not but go to the seats  
of ,nats1 and teach     them the way to 
free themselves from the turmoil of     
never-ending     existence4 ,the        
preachings of ,buddha for three         
consecutive months     were attended    
with a success that must have exceeded  

his most     sanguine expectations4     
,millions of ,nats were converted1 and  
forthwith obtained the deliverance4     
,others less advanced in     merits     
obtained the first1 or second1 or third 
state of     perfection4      ,during   
his stay in the other seats of ,nats1   
,buddha gave a     decision on the      
merits of almsgiving1 which is certainly
 to the     advantage of the            
yellow-dressed ,bickus1 but appears     
somewhat     opposed to all principles  
of justice and reason4 ,in his opinion  
the inward dispositions of him who gives
 alms has nothing to do     with the    
merits resulting from such a good work4 
,those merits     are strictly          
proportionate to the degree of sanctity 
or     perfection of him who receives   
alms4 ,such doctrine1 destructive     of
 the purest and noblest motives that can
 actuate man to do     good1 is openly  
upheld now both in theory and practice  
by the     ,buddhist monks4 ,when they  
receive alms from the admirers of       

their saintly mode of life1 they never  
think of returning thanks     to those  
who so liberally administer to all their
 material     wants2 they content       
themselves with saying1 ,thadoo1 thadoo2
 that     is to say1 ,well1 well2 and   
the pious offerer withdraws perfectly   
satisfied and happy1 relying on the     
merits he has gained on this            
occasion1 and longing for another       
opportunity of doing the like4     ,the 
liberality of the laity towards the     
religious is carried to     an excess   
scarcely to be credited4 ,government do 
not interfere     in the maintenance of 
the perfect1 and yet they are abundantly
     supplied with all the necessaries1 
nay1 the luxuries1 of life4     ,they   
live on the fat of the land4      ,that 
the crowds of people might be better    
prepared for hearing     the sacred law 
and obtaining a correct understanding of
 it1     ,buddha charges ,maukalan to a 
regular fast1 or at least               
abstinence1 carried to a considerable   

degree4 ,a free and copious     use of  
nourishing substances unfits man for    
mental exertions1     occasions in him  
heaviness and supineness1 enervates and 
weakens     the vigour of the intellect1
 and gives to matter a                  
preponderating influence over the soul4 
,the advice will hold     good          
everywhere1 but it becomes particularly 
pressing and     stringent when         
addressed to an audience of ,buddhists1 
who     require the full force of their 
mind to be able to understand     the   
various bearings of a doctrine resting  
on the most abstruse     principles1 the
 end of which too is to disentangle the 
soul from     the influence of          
materiality4 ,up to this day in ,burmah 
there are     some remnants of the      
observance of fast during the three     
months     of ,lent1 when the law is    
oftener expounded to and better         
observed by religious people4 ,the      
obligation of fasting during     the    
days of the quarters of the moon is     

generally admitted1 and     some few    
observe it1 if not always1 at least from
 time to time4     ,the generality of   
the ,burmese people entirely disregard  
fasting4      ,curious but interesting  
is the reply ,buddha gave to            
,thariputra1     who rejoiced           
exceedingly because men and ,nats vied  
with each     other in paying great     
honours to him4 ,he unhesitatingly      
states3     ,blessed are all those who  
rejoice on his account4 ,by this joy we 
ought not to understand the transient   
and momentary affection of     the      
heart1 elicited by some pleasing and    
agreeable occurrence2     but the kind  
of joy alluded to is a rational1        
philosophical1 and     religious one1   
having its origin1 first1 in a full and 
perfect     knowledge of ,buddha's      
transcendent excellence1 rendering his  
person an object of the highest         
admiration2 and1 second1 in a     lively
 confidence in his benevolence and      
goodness towards all     beings1 which  

urge him to labour for their deliverance
 from all     miseries and their        
guidance to a state of peace and rest4  
,such a     joy1 diffused over the      
heart1 creates an ardent love for       
,buddha     and his doctrine2 that      
affection rests1 not on ,buddha1 as a   
mere     individual1 but on him who is  
the personification of a saviour     of 
all beings4 ,it implies faith in him and
 his preachings1 as     well as a strong
 confidence in his power and willingness
 to     confer the greatest possible    
benefits4 ,hence there is no wonder     
to hear ,buddha declaring all those     
blessed who on that solemn     occasion 
rejoiced in him4     ,,chapter ,x4      
,buddha's proceedings in the seat of    
,tawadeintha -- ,his     triumphant     
return to the seat of men1 in the city  
of ,thin-ka-tha     -- ,he is           
calumniated by the heretics of          
,thawattie -- ,eighth     season spent  
in the forest of ,tesakala --           
,subsequent preachings     -- ,he meets 

with a bad reception in the ,kothambi   
country --     ,dissension among the    
disciples -- ,reconciliation -- ,travels
 of     ,buddha -- ,preaching to a      
,pounha who tilled a field4   ,while    
,buddha was in the seat of ,tawadeintha 
all the ,nats came from more than ten   
thousand worlds to his presence2 but the
 glory that always encompasses their    
bodies disappeared1 or was completely   
outshone by that of ,buddha's person4   
,his mother1 a daughter of ,nats1 came  
from the seat of ,toothita to see her   
son and hear his instructions4 ,she sat 
on his right4 ,two sons of ,nats stood  
by the right and left of his mother4    
,the crowd was so great that it covered 
a surface of eighteen youdzanas4 ,in    
that immense assembly two ,nats were    
conspicuous by their particular         
demeanour and position4 ,one of them    
stood so close to ,buddha as to touch   
almost one of his knees1 the other was  
standing in a respectful position afar  
off4 ,buddha asked the latter what he   

had done to deserve the place he        
occupied4 ,he answered that1 during     
former existences1 he had made abundant 
alms indeed1 but his merits had been    
comparatively small1 because he had not 
done those good works to persons eminent
 for their sanctity4 ,the same question 
was put to the other ,nat1 who said that
 he was1 in a former existence1 living  
in very narrow circumstances1 but that  
he had had the good fortune of giving   
alms1 according to his limited means1 to
 persons who were much advanced in      
merits4 ,with a voice that was heard by 
the crowds on the seat of men1 ,buddha  
proclaimed the immense advantage of     
giving alms to and supporting the       
,rahans and those advanced in           
perfection4 ,they were1 said he1 like   
good seed sown on a good field1 that    
yields an abundance of good fruits4 ,but
 alms given to those who are as yet     
under the tyrannical yoke of passions   
are like a seed deposited in a bad soil2
 the passions of the receiver of alms   

choke1 as it were1 the growth of merits4
 ,at the conclusion1 the two ,nats      
obtained the reward of ,thautapan4 ,the 
crowds on earth had also the benefit of 
hearing his instructions4  ,whilst      
,buddha was in the middle of the ,nats1 
he announced the law of ,abidama to his 
mother4 ,having to go about to get his  
food1 ,buddha created a likeness of     
another ,buddha1 whom he commissioned to
 continue the preaching of the ,abidama4
 ,as to himself1 he went to the mountain
 of ,himawonta1 ate the tender branches 
of a certain tree1 washed his face in   
the lake ,anawadat1 and partook of the  
food he received from the ,northern     
,island4 ,thariputra went thither to    
render him all necessary services4 ,when
 he had eaten his meal1 he called       
,thariputra1 and desired him to go and  
preach the law of ,abidama to five      
hundred ,rahans1 who were present when  
the display of wonders took place1 and  
were much pleased with it4 ,in the time 
of the ,buddha ,kathaba those five      

hundred ,rahans were bats1 living in a  
cave much resorted to by ,rahans1 who   
were wont to repeat the ,abidama4 ,those
 bats contrived to retain a certain     
number of words1 the meaning whereof    
they could not understand4 ,when they   
died1 they were transferred into one of 
the seats of ,nats2 and when they became
 men anew1 they had the good fortune to 
be born from illustrious parents1 in the
 country of ,thawattie1 and when ,phra  
showed his powers1 they were much       
pleased4 ,they became ,rahans under     
,thariputra1 and were the first to      
understand perfectly the sublime law of 
,abidama4  ,as to ,buddha1 he returned  
to the seat of ,tawadeintha and         
continued the instructions1 where the   
,buddha of his creation had left them4  
,at the end of three months' preaching1 
an innumerable number of ,nats knew and 
understood the four great principles4   
,as to his mother1 she obtained the     
perfection of ,thautapan4  ,the time    
when ,buddha was to return to the seat  

of men was near at hand4 ,the crowds1   
eager to know the precise time when     
,buddha was to come back among them1    
went to ,maukalan to ascertain from him 
the precise day on which they would be  
blessed with his presence4 ,well1 said  
,maukalan to the people1 in a very short
 time ,i will give you an answer on the 
subject of your inquiry4 ,that very     
instant he plunged to the bottom of the 
earth and reappeared1 but when he was at
 the foot of the ,mienmo mountain1 he   
ascended1 in the view of the crowd whom 
he had left1 and soon arrived in the    
presence of ,buddha1 to whom he         
explained the object of his errand4 ,my 
son1 answered ,buddha1 in what country  
does your brother ,thariputra spend his 
season8 ,in the city of ,thin-ka-tha1   
replied ,maukalan4 ,well1 said ,buddha1 
seven days hence1 at the full moon of   
,thadin-kioot 7,october71 ,i will       
descend near the gate of ,thin-ka-tha   
city2 go and tell the people that those 
who desire to see me must go to that    

country1 distant thirty youdzanas from  
,thawattie4 ,let no one take any        
provision2 but by a rigorous abstinence 
let them dispose themselves to hear the 
law that ,i will preach4 ,maukalan1     
having paid his respects to ,buddha1    
returned to the place where the         
assembled multitude anxiously waited for
 him4 ,he related to them all the       
particulars regarding his interview with
 ,buddha1 and conveyed to them the      
much-wished-for intelligence of his     
speedy return on earth4  ,on the day of 
the full moon of ,thadin-kioot          
7,october71 ,buddha disposed himself to 
go down to the seat of men4 ,he called a
 prince of ,thagias and directed him to 
prepare everything for his descent4     
,complying with his request1 the ,thagia
 prepared three ladders or stairs1 one  
made of precious stones1 occupying the  
middle2 one on the right made of gold2  
and a third1 made of silver1 on the     
left4 ,the foot of each ladder rested on
 the earth1 near to the gate of         

,thin-ka-tha city1 and their summits    
leaned on the top of the ,mienmo        
mountain4 ,the middle ladder was for    
,buddha1 the golden one for the ,nats1  
and that of silver for the ,brahmas4    
,having reached the summit of the steps1
 ,buddha stopped awhile1 and resolved to
 make a fresh display of his power4 ,he 
looked upwards1 and all the superior    
seats of ,brahmas were distinctly       
descried2 on his looking downwards1 his 
eyes could see and plunge into the      
bottom of the earth to the lowest hell4 
,the ,nats of more than a thousand      
systems could see each other4 ,men could
 perceive ,nats in their fortunate      
seats1 and ,nats saw men in their       
terrestrial abode4 ,the six glories     
streamed forth with an incomparable     
splendour from ,buddha's person1 which  
became visible to all the crowds4 ,there
 was not one who did not praise ,buddha4
 ,having the ,nats on his right1 and the
 ,brahmas on his left1 the most glorious
 ,phra began his triumphant coming down4

 ,he was preceded by a ,nat1 holding a  
harp in his hands and playing the most  
melodious tunes2 another ,nat fanned    
him2 a chief of ,brahmas held over him a
 golden umbrella4 ,surrounded with that 
brilliant cortege1 ,buddha descended    
near the gate of ,thin-ka-tha city1 and 
stopped there for awhile4 ,thariputra   
came forthwith into the presence of     
,buddha1 paid him his respects at a     
becoming distance1 and said1 with a     
heart overflowing with joy3 ,on this    
day1 ,o most glorious ,buddha1 all the  
,nats and men are showing their love to 
you4 ,buddha replied3 ,blessed is       
,thariputra1 and blessed are all those  
who rejoice on my account4 ,men and     
,nats love him who is acquainted with   
the sublime law1 who has put an end to  
his passions1 and who has attained to   
the highest state of contemplation4 ,at 
the end of his discourse1 innumerable   
beings understood the four great        
principles1 and the five hundred ,rahans
 whom ,thariputra was commissioned to   

instruct reached the state of ,arahat4  
,on the spot where all ,buddhas set     
their feet1 when coming from the seat of
 ,tawadeintha1 a dzedi#a has always been
 erected4  ,buddha1 on leaving          
,thin-ka-tha1 shaped his course towards 
,wethalie1 and took his abode in the    
,dzetawon monastery4 ,the fame of the   
wonders he had performed increased his  
reputation1 and elicited from the people
 fresh tokens of respect and veneration4
 ,alms poured from all quarters into the
 monastery2 the liberality of the people
 towards his person and that of his     
disciples expanded in a wonderful       
manner4 ,the heretics1 who swarmed in   
,wethalie and its neighbourhood1 became 
exceedingly jealous of ,buddha's        
successes4 ,the loss which they         
sustained in the donations of the people
 added fuel to the inward discontent4   
,they resolved to devise some means to  
lower the character of ,buddha in the   
opinion of the people4 ,after a long    
deliberation1 they fixed on the         

following plan3--,a certain woman of    
great beauty1 but of a rather doubtful  
character1 was induced to join them in  
accusing ,gaudama of having violated    
her4 ,she contrived to assume the       
appearance of a person in a state of    
pregnancy1 and1 covering herself with a 
piece of red cloth1 she went about the  
town spreading evil reports respecting  
,buddha's character4 ,she had the       
impudence even to go into the ,dzetawon 
monastery1 and ask ,buddha to provide a 
place for her approaching confinement1  
and likewise maintenance for herself and
 the child she was by him pregnant with4
 ,such an infamous calumny did not1     
however1 move him in the least4         
,conscious of his innocence1 he lost    
nothing of his usual composure and      
serenity4 ,but by the interference of   
the ,thagia the slander was made        
manifest4 ,two mice bit the strings that
 kept tied up on the abdomen the        
apparatus designed to prop up the       
deceit1 and1 on a sudden1 the whole fell

 on the ground1 proclaiming at once the 
innocence of the sage and smiting his   
enemies with confusion4  ,every one     
present on the occasion gave vent to his
 just indignation at such a base attempt
 on the part of the heretics4 ,but      
,buddha meekly replied that what had    
just happened was a righteous           
retribution for a misbehaviour of his   
own during a former existence4 ,at that 
time1 he was on a certain day under the 
influence of liquor1 when he chanced to 
meet on his way a ,pitzegabuddha4       
,without any reason or provocation1 he  
abused the holy man with the lowest and 
coarsest expressions1 and went so far as
 to tell him that his whole life was but
 a series of hypocritical actions4      
,turning then towards his disciples1 he 
added1 with a grave countenance1 that   
what they had now witnessed was the just
 punishment inflicted on him under the  
influence of the demerit created and    
generated by his former evil doing4     
,the eighth season was spent in the     

grove or forest of ,tesakala1 and when  
the rains were over1 the most excellent 
,phra travelled throughout the country1 
preaching and teaching the right way to 
many4 ,countless converts entered one of
 the four ways1 and many obtained at    
once the deliverance4  ,in the town of  
,santoo-maragiri1 he was preaching to   
the benefactors who had fed him and his 
disciples4 ,among the hearers were two  
persons1 ,nakoulapita and ,nakoulamata1 
husband and wife1 belonging to the      
pounha race4 ,during a great many       
successive former existences they had   
had the good fortune to be father1      
mother1 uncle1 aunt1 c41 to ,buddha4    
,during the present existence the       
feeling of affection towards him with   
whom they had been so long and so       
intimately connected was powerfully     
awakened and glowed in their hearts4    
,under the influence of that natural1   
kindly1 and tender feeling1 they came   
forward1 and prostrating themselves     
before ,gaudama1 said to him3 ,dear son1

 how is it that you have been away from 
us for so long a while8 ,we are so happy
 to see you after so long an absence4   
,buddha1 remaining indifferent to such a
 scene and language1 knew at once what  
were the real wants of that good couple1
 and in what manner he could acknowledge
 the great favours he had during former 
existences received at their hands4 ,he 
preached to them the most excellent law4
 ,they were thoroughly converted4 ,the  
next morning they had the happiness to  
supply their great teacher and his      
company with the choicest food4         
,meanwhile they addressed to him the    
following request3 ,during many         
existences we both have always been     
happily united3 not a word of complaint 
or quarrel has ever passed between us4  
,we pray that in our coming existences  
the same love and affection may ever    
unite us together4 ,their request was   
affectionately granted1 and ,buddha1 in 
the presence of a large assembly1       
pronounced them blessed and happy       

amongst all men and women4  ,the son of 
the ruler of the country where these    
things happened was1 to his great       
affliction1 childless4 ,he invited      
,buddha to come and partake of his      
hospitality in his house4 ,the offer was
 accepted4 ,great preparations were made
 for the reception of the illustrious   
visitor4 ,the prince had some of his own
 clothes laid on the way that ,buddha   
was to follow1 in the hope that by      
treading over them he might communicate 
a certain virtue1 whereby he would have 
the object of his earnest desire        
realised4 ,on his arrival near the      
entrance of the house1 ,buddha stopped  
and refused to proceed farther4         
,meanwhile1 he beckoned ,ananda to      
remove the clothes4 ,this was done      
accordingly1 to the prince's deep       
disappointment4 ,after the meal1        
,gaudama explained to him that he and   
his wife during a former existence had  
lived on eggs and had killed many birds4
 ,their present barrenness was the just 

punishment of their former trespassing2 
but their actual good dispositions      
having atoned for the past              
transgressions1 they would be blessed   
with children4 ,both were overjoyed at  
this news4 ,they believed in ,buddha1   
obtained the state of ,thautapan1 and   
thereby entered into the current of     
perfection4 ,their faith in ,buddha's   
word procured for them so happy a       
result4  ,during all the time that      
elapsed after the rain1 ,buddha         
travelled through the country1 engaged  
on his usual benevolent errand1 and     
converting many among men and ,nats4 ,in
 the country of ,garurit1 in a village  
of pounhas called ,magoulia1 the head   
man1 one of the richest in the place1   
had a daughter whose beauty equalled    
that of a daughter of ,nats4 ,she had   
been in vain asked in marriage by       
princes1 nobles1 and pounhas4 ,the proud
 damsel had rejected every offer4 ,on   
the day that her father saw ,gaudama1 he
 was struck with his manly beauty and   

meek deportment4 ,he said within        
himself3 ,this man shall be a proper    
match for my daughter4 ,on his return   
home he communicated his views to his   
wife4 ,on the following day1 the        
daughter having put on her choicest     
dress and richest apparels1 they all    
three went with a large retinue to the  
,dzetawon monastery4 ,admitted to the   
presence of ,buddha1 the father asked   
for his daughter the favour of being    
allowed to attend on him4 ,without      
returning a word of reply1 or giving the
 least sign of acceptance or refusal1   
,buddha rose up and withdrew to a small 
distance1 leaving behind him on the     
floor the print of one of his feet4 ,the
 pounha's wife1 well skilled in the     
science of interpreting wonderful signs1
 saw at a glance that the marks on the  
print indicated a man no longer under   
the control of passions1 but a sage     
emancipated from the thraldom of        
concupiscence4 ,she communicated her    
views to her husband1 who had the       

impudence to go to ,buddha's presence   
and renew the same offer4 ,buddha meekly
 replied3 ,pounha1 ,i neither accept nor
 decline your offer2 in your turn1      
listen to what ,i have to say4 ,he then 
went on to relate how he had left the   
world1 resisted ,manh's temptation1     
lived in solitude for six years1 and    
freed himself from the net of passions4 
,he concluded by stating that1 having   
become a ,buddha1 he had for ever       
conquered all passions4 ,at the         
conclusion of the instruction1 both     
father and mother became established in 
the state of ,thautapan4 ,the damsel was
 highly offended at the refusal she     
experienced1 and retained a strong      
feeling of hatred towards him who had   
declined her proffered favours4 ,her    
father took her into the ,kothambi      
country1 where she was offered to the   
ruler1 who1 smitten with her charms1    
elevated her to the rank of first queen4
  ,in the country of ,kothambi1 there   
lived three rich men4 ,these three men  

fed during the rainy season every year  
five hundred hermits1 who came from the 
,himalaya range for the purpose of      
obtaining their maintenance4 ,these     
charitable laymen went over to ,wethalie
 for the purpose of trade4 ,there they  
met ,buddha1 and earnestly pressed him  
to come to their country and preach the 
law4 ,the invitation was accepted4 ,they
 returned home1 and built for the       
accommodation of the illustrious visitor
 each of them one monastery4 ,when all  
was ready1 ,buddha went to ,kothambi1   
attended by five hundred disciples4 ,he 
spent there the ninth season4 ,during   
his stay he dwelt by turns in each of   
the three monasteries1 and was          
abundantly supported by the rich man in 
whose monastery he took his abode4  ,in 
the country of ,kothambi there were as  
yet few disciples or believers in       
,buddha2 but the number of holders of   
false doctrines was exceedingly great4  
,secretly supported by the first queen1 
and actuated by jealousy against the    

new-comer1 they reviled him and his     
disciples in every possible way1 and did
 their utmost to destroy in public      
opinion his rising fame4 ,whenever they 
met ,buddha's disciples1 they abused    
them with the coarsest language4 ,unable
 to bear any longer so many insults1    
,ananda1 in the name of his brethren1   
went to ,buddha1 and asked him to remove
 to some other place1 where they would  
receive a becoming treatment4 ,but1 said
 ,buddha1 if we be ill-treated in the   
new place we go to1 what is to be done8 
,we shall proceed to some other place1  
replied ,ananda4 ,but1 retorted ,buddha1
 if in that new place we be likewise    
reviled1 what then8 ,we shall1 replied  
,ananda1 remove to some other place4    
,buddha remained silent for awhile1 and1
 casting a gentle glance on ,ananda1    
said to him3 ,a little patience will    
save us the trouble of so many travels1 
and certainly procure for us here what  
we may perhaps vainly look for anywhere 
else4 ,by patience and endurance the    

wise man conquers all his enemies4      
,behold the war-elephant2 he plunges    
into the thickest of the raging         
conflict1 regardless of the darts and   
arrows flying in every direction1 and   
carries all before him4 ,i1 too1 the    
most excellent ,buddha1 shall certainly 
stay here1 diligently preach the most   
excellent law1 and perseveringly labour 
to disentangle men from the net of      
passions4 ,in no way shall ,i care for  
the abuses they may pour on me and my   
disciples4  ,not long after this a      
trifling accident kindled the fire of   
dissension among the members of the     
assembly4 ,the subject was1 as usual1 of
 a trifling nature4 ,it was concerning a
 point of discipline of scarcely any    
importance1 infringed unintentionally by
 a ,rahan4 ,he was accused by one of his
 brethren of having committed a sin4    
,but he replied that1 having done an act
 in which his will had not participated1
 he did not consider himself guilty4    
,each disputant attracted to his party  

some religious who supported his view of
 the case4 ,the ,kothambi ,rahans seem  
to have been the cause of the disunion  
which prevailed in the community1 and   
soon1 like a devouring flame1 extended  
to the female portion of the assembly4  
,in vain ,gaudama interfered1 and       
exhorted the two parties to patience1   
union1 and charity4 ,in his presence the
 parties were silent1 but in his absence
 the quarrel grew worse4 ,at last his   
entreaties were unheeded1 and discord   
continued to rend asunder the bond of   
unity4 ,disgusted with such a state of  
things1 ,buddha preached to the most    
distinguished members of the assembly   
the blessings of peace and concord4     
,such men as ,baddia1 ,kimila1 and      
,anourouddha1 treasured up in their     
heart the instructions of their great   
master4 ,but others continued the       
dispute4 ,meanwhile he resolved to      
separate himself for a time from all    
company1 and to go to a lonely spot to  
enjoy the happiness of peace and        

meditation4 ,he shaped his course       
towards the village of ,palelayaka1     
where he received his food1 and went    
into a grove of sala-trees1 to fix his  
residence at the foot of one of those   
trees4 ,the villagers1 hearing of his   
intention1 hastened to the spot1 and    
built a hermit's hut for his use1 and   
promised to supply him daily with his   
food4  ,it was in this place that1      
delighting in the contemplation of      
unclouded truth1 ,gaudama spent the     
tenth season alone4 ,the rich men of the
 ,kothambi country1 hearing that ,buddha
 had departed because of the dissension 
that took place among the ,rahans1      
became indignant4 ,they openly declared 
their fixed intent of refusing to give  
anything for the maintenance of the     
,rahans1 until they agreed among        
themselves1 and became reconciled with  
their teacher4 ,the timely threat had   
the desired effect4 ,the disputants felt
 the unpleasant seriousness of their    
uneasy position4 ,they could hold on no 

longer4 ,the ,rahans came to an         
agreement among themselves1 and promised
 that after the season they would go to 
,buddha and solicit his pardon4 ,in the 
forest of ,paleliaka there lived a      
certain elephant1 much advanced in      
merits1 which went to ,buddha1 and1     
during three months1 ministered to all  
his wants1 as a most affectionate and   
devoted disciple would do towards a     
beloved master4  ,the three months of   
,lent being completed1 the rich man     
,anatapein made earnest inquiries with  
,ananda1 respecting the place ,buddha   
had withdrawn to1 and charged him to    
invite the great preacher to come back  
to ,thawattie1 and live as usual in the 
,dzetawon monastery4 ,complying with the
 pious wishes of the rich man1 ,ananda  
took with himself five hundred ,rahans1 
and went to the solitude of ,paleliaka4 
,he was likewise followed by the five   
hundred refractory ,rahans of ,kothambi1
 who had come to ,wethalie4 ,the ruler  
of the country and ,anatapein had       

refused at first to receive them4 ,but  
the prohibition had been removed on     
account of their repentance4 ,he        
approached alone the place where ,buddha
 was living4 ,after the usual           
prostrations1 ,gaudama inquired whether 
he had come alone4 ,he replied that     
there were with him many of his faithful
 disciples and the ,kothambi ,rahans4   
,the latter came with the express       
purpose of asking his pardon1 and a firm
 resolution to yield henceforward a     
perfect obedience to all his commands4  
,buddha desired them to appear in his   
presence4 ,they came1 were there well   
received1 and their misbehaviour was    
forgiven4 ,gaudama explained to them the
 great advantage of shunning bad company
 and of living in retirement4 ,the      
hearers were fully converted and        
established in the state of ,thautapan4 
,buddha1 on his return to ,wethalie1    
continued preaching in every direction1 
and led to the deliverance a great      
number of men1 ,nats1 and ,brahmas4 ,the

 stay in the ,dzetawon monastery was not
 very long4 ,buddha went into the       
,magatha country1 to a pounha village1  
named ,nala4 ,not far from that village 
there is the ,deckinagiri1 or southern  
mountain1 with a monastery4 ,in that    
place ,buddha spent the eleventh        
season4#b ,his supporters were the      
pounhas of the village4 ,the chief      
occupation of those men was the tillage 
of the fields4 ,gaudama took a          
particular pleasure during his daily    
walks in conversing with them1 when he  
met them engaged in their daily labours4
  ,one day ,buddha went into the fields1
 where he met a pounha1 with whom he    
began to converse1 in the intention of  
ultimately preaching to him the holy    
law4 ,he spoke at first on the subject  
of his daily labour1 his bullocks1 his  
plough1 the seed1 and the harvest1 which
 supplied the pounha and his family with
 their daily food during the year4 ,he  
added3 ,i1 too1 am a labourer1 provided 
with the seed and all the implements    

necessary for carrying on tillage4 ,the 
pounha1 surprised at what he heard1     
asked ,buddha in what place he had left 
his bullocks1 the seed1 the plough1 c4  
,the latter coolly replied3 ,all these  
things are with me at present4 ,hearken1
 ,o pounha1 to what ,i am about to      
state4 ,the seed is that fervent desire1
 that benevolent disposition1 which     
prompted me at the foot of the ,buddha  
,deipinkara to ask for the ,buddhaship3 
it is the science which ,i have gathered
 under the tree ,bodi4 ,the rain water  
is that uninterrupted series of good    
works performed by me1 until ,i have    
become a ,buddha4 ,they have been as the
 means of watering the good seed which  
was in me4 ,the knowledge1 or science1  
and wisdom are as the yoke1 as well as  
the plough-shaft4 ,the heart1 or the    
knowing principle which is in me1       
represents the reins that serve to guide
 the bullocks4 ,the teeth of the plough 
represent the diligence that must be    
used in attending to the eradicating of 

the principle of demerits and of bad    
works4 ,the plough-handle represents the
 guiding principle of the law1 which    
enables me to remove all that is bad1   
and promote what is good4 ,the food     
which you1 ,o pounha1 derive from your  
exertions1 represents the pure relish   
which is tasted by him who is bent on   
avoiding evil and doing good4 ,when you 
make use of the plough1 you cut or      
uproot all bad weeds4 ,so it is with him
 who is penetrated with the full meaning
 of the four great truths2 he cuts and  
uproots from himself the wicked         
inclinations and low propensities that  
are in him4 ,when the labour of the     
field is over1 you unyoke your bullocks 
and leave them to go whithersoever they 
please2 so it is with the wise man4 ,by 
application to invigorating the         
principle of good that leads to         
perfection1 he lets go the opposite     
principle which gives rise to all       
imperfections4 ,the bullocks have to    
work hard to complete the work of       

tillage4 ,so the sage has to struggle   
hard1 to till perfectly and cultivate   
thoroughly the soil of his own being1   
and reach the happy state of ,neibban4  
,the husbandman who labours so much for 
bringing his field into a position to   
receive the seed1 and in every way to   
favour its growth1 is imitated by the   
true sage who endeavours to free himself
 from the miseries attending existence1 
to advance in the way of merits by the  
practice of good works1 and who thirsts 
after the happy condition of the        
perfect4 ,he who works in the field is  
sometimes disappointed1 and feels       
occasionally the pangs of hunger4 ,he   
who works in the field of wisdom is     
exempt from all miseries and            
afflictions4 ,he eats the fruit of his  
labour4 ,he is fully satiated when he   
beholds ,neibban4 ,it is in this manner1
 ,o pounha1 that ,i am a true           
husbandman1 and am always provided with 
all the implements necessary for the    
tillage of man's soul4 ,the pounha1     

delighted with such doctrine1 became a  
convert1 and professed his belief in    
,buddha1 the law1 and the assembly4     
,subsequently he applied for admittance 
into the assembly1 and by energetic     
efforts in the arduous work of          
meditation1 he became at last a         
,rahanda4  ,when the rains were over1   
,buddha travelled through the country1  
preaching the most excellent law1 with  
the happiest results4 ,he went to the   
town of ,satiabia1 in the ,kosala       
country4 ,there he received from a      
pounha of ,waritzaba an invitation to go
 to that place4 ,the invitation was     
graciously accepted4 ,in that town he   
spent the twelfth season4 ,a great many 
pounhas were enlightened and converted  
by professing their firm adherence to   
the three precious things4 ,the vile    
,manh ,nat did his utmost to thwart the 
beneficial results of ,buddha's         
preachings4 ,a great dearth prevailing  
in the country1 he did all that he could
 to starve the most excellent ,buddha   

and all his followers4 ,but he was      
frustrated in his iniquitous design by  
the charity of five hundred horse       
merchants1 who had come from            
,outharapata1 and were then staying in  
,waritzaba4  ,buddha1 leaving this      
country1 shaped his course through the  
great ,mantala country2 he travelled by 
the shortest route1 a distance of #ejj  
youdzanas4 ,he started on the day after 
the full moon of ,tabodway1 and spent   
nearly five months in this voyage4 ,he  
reached the banks of the ,ganges at     
,gayagati1 where he crossed the mighty  
stream and went to ,benares4 ,he had not
 been long in that city1 when he        
recrossed the ,ganges and went to       
,wethalie1 dwelling in the              
,gootagarathala monastery4 ,thence he   
went into ,thawattie1 preaching through 
all the places he visited4 ,when he was 
in the ,dzetawon monastery1 he delivered
 the ,maha ,rahula instruction for the  
benefit of his son ,rahula1 who then was
 eighteen years old4   ,,footnotes      

#a ,the religious edifices that are to  
be met with in all parts     of ,burmah 
deserve a particular notice4 ,they are  
called dzedis in     all the ,buddhist  
writings of the ,burmese1 but the people
     generally speak of them under the  
appellation of ,payas or ,phras1        
which1 in this instance1 is merely a    
title of honour of a     religious      
character4      ,dzedis1 in the earliest
 days of ,buddhism1 were sacred tumuli  
raised upon a shrine1 wherein relics of 
,buddha had been     deposited4 ,these  
structures were as so many lofty        
witnesses1     bearing evidence to the  
presence of sacred and precious objects1
     intended to revive in the memory of
 the faithful the remembrance     of    
,buddha1 and foster in their hearts     
tender feelings of     devotion and a   
glowing fervour for his religion4       
,from the perusal of this legend1 it    
will appear that dzedis were            
likewise erected on the tombs of        
individuals who1 during their           

lifetime1 had obtained great distinction
 by their virtues and     spiritual     
attainments among the members of the    
assembly4 ,buddha     himself ordered   
that a monument should be built over the
 shrine     containing the relics of the
 two great disciples1 ,thariputra and   
,maukalan4 ,in ,burmah1 no dzedis of    
great dimensions and     proportions    
have ever been erected on the ashes of  
distinguished     ,phongyies4 ,in some  
parts1 however1 particularly in the     
upper     country1 there may be seen    
here and there some small dzedis1 a     
few feet high1 erected on the spot where
 have been deposited the     remains of 
some saintly personages4 ,these         
monuments are little     noticed by the 
people1 though1 on certain occasions1 a 
few     offerings of flowers1 tapers1   
c41 are made around and in front     of 
them4      ,similar kinds of religious  
edifices have been built sometimes      
also to become a receptacle of the      
,pitagat1 or collection of the     holy 

scriptures4 ,one of the finest temples  
of ,ceylon was devoted     to that      
purpose4 ,there was also one in the     
ancient city of ,ava1     but ,i am not 
aware that there is any of this kind at 
,amarapoora4      ,finally1 dzedis have 
been erected for the sole purpose of    
harbouring statues of ,gaudama2 but     
there is every reason to     believe    
that this practice gained ground in     
subsequent ages4     ,when a fervent    
,buddhist1 impelled by the desire of    
satisfying     the cravings of his piety
 and devotion1 wished to build a        
religious monument1 and could not       
procure relics1 he then     remained    
contented by supplying the deficiency   
with images of     ,buddha representing 
that eminent personage1 in attitudes of 
body     that were to remind ,buddhists 
of some of the most striking     actions
 of his life4 ,in many instances1 dzedis
 have been built     up1 not even for   
the sake of sheltering statues1 but for 
the     pious purpose of reminding the  

people of the holy relics of            
,buddha1 and1 as they used to say1 for  
kindling in the soul a     tender       
feeling of affectionate reverence for   
the person of     ,buddha and his       
religion4 ,if what is put forward as a  
plea for     building pagodas be founded
 on conviction and truth1 we must       
conclude that the inhabitants of the    
valley of the ,irrawaddy are     most   
devotedly religious1 as the mania for   
building dzedis has     been1 and even  
now is1 carried to such a pitch as to   
render     almost fabulous the number of
 religious buildings to be seen on      
an extent of above seven hundred miles  
as far as ,bhamo4      ,as ,buddhism was
 imported from ,india into ,eastern     
,asia there is     no doubt that the    
style of architecture adopted in the    
erection     of religious edifices came 
from the same quarter4 ,to the native   
genius of the ,burmese we may allow the 
merit of ornamental     architecture for
 the great monasteries1 and a few       

details of the     exterior decorations 
of the religious monuments2 but no one  
will     take offence at refusing to the
 tribes that occupy the basin of     the
 ,irrawaddy the merit of originating the
 plan of such     monuments as those to 
be seen in some parts of the country4   
,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 disposal4 ,the   
resemblance that     exists between the 
much-defaced ,buddhist monuments yet to 
be met     with in some parts of ,india 
and at ,java1 and those now studding    
the banks of the ,irrawaddy1 leaves no  
doubt respecting the     origin of the  
shape and form of such monuments4       
,at first sight1 the traveller in       
,burmah believes that there is a        
great variety in the shape and          
architecture of pagodas4 ,he is         
easily led astray by many fantastical   
ornaments that have been     added by   

inexperienced natives to religious      
monuments4 ,after1     however1 a close 
examination of those edifices1 it seems 
that     they can be arranged into three
 distinct classes1 to which those       
presenting minor differences may be     
referred4 ,the first class     comprises
 those which have a cone-like           
appearance1 though much     enlarged in 
the direction of the base4 ,these are   
without niches1     or rather ought to  
be without niches1 as the small ones to 
be     seen added to those monuments    
indicate that they are no     essential 
appendage of the building1 but rather   
the fanciful and     tasteless work of  
some devotees4 ,the pagodas of ,rangoon1
 ,pegu     and ,prome offer the finest  
specimens of this order of edifices4    
,the second class includes those of a   
dome-like shape4 ,they are     not      
common in ,burmah4 ,the finest and      
grandest specimen is that     of the    
,kaong-hmoo-dau1 or great meritorious   
work1 situated west     of the ancient  

city of ,tsagain4 ,in the third class we
 may place     all the pagodas that     
approximate to the temple form2 that is 
to     say1 all those that offer the    
shape of a more or less     considerable
 rectangle1 with a large hall in the    
centre and     several galleries running
 throughout4 ,upon this rectangle a     
conical structure is raised1 ending as  
usual with the tee or     umbrella4 ,the
 most remarkable and perfect specimens  
of this kind     are to be seen at      
,pagan1 which may be aptly styled the   
,city of     ,pagodas4      ,the        
cone-shaped pagoda invariably rests on a
 quadrangular basis     a few feet high4
 ,the body of the cone in its lower part
 is an     hexagon or octagon1 broad at 
first1 then gradually and regularly     
decreasing to two-thirds of its height4 
,upon it rises the     regular cone1    
which ends in a point covered with the  
gilt     umbrella4      ,the            
architectural ornaments of such         
structures are circular1     bold and   

round lines or mouldings2 above this1 to
 the place     where the cone begins1   
are sculptures1 representing leaves     
shooting from the middle part1 one half 
upwards and the other     half          
downwards4 ,that part is often divested 
of such ornaments1     as is the case   
with the ,shoaydagon4 ,on the sides of  
the cone are     horizontal lines       
grouped together2 each group is         
separated by a     considerable         
distance1 then comes a sculptured       
foliage1     different from the one     
already mentioned1 but disposed in a    
like     manner4 ,in the middle of the  
four sides of the base1     particularly
 in the one facing the ,east1 the       
,burmese have     introduced the        
practice of making small niches for     
receiving the     statues representing  
,buddha in a cross-legged position4 ,a  
portico leads to them4 ,on the four     
angles of the base they     likewise    
place griffins or sometimes fantastic   
figures of     monsters4 ,small dzedis  

are often disposed on the lower parts of
     the hexagon or octagon4 ,this kind 
of pagoda being naturally     destitute 
of all ornaments1 and standing over a   
tomb or a     shrine1 as a pillar that  
has gradually assumed the shape above   
described1 is a very ancient one1 and   
probably coeval with the     earliest   
,buddhist religious monuments4      ,the
 second class of religious edifices is  
that of those that     exhibit a        
dome-like appearance4 ,they are rather  
uncommon in     ,burmah4 ,they rest on a
 square basis4 ,the lower part is       
adorned     with a few mouldings1 but   
the greatest part offers a perfectly    
even superficies4 ,the umbrella that is 
placed on them partakes     somewhat of 
the appearance of the monument it is    
destined to     crown4 ,it considerably 
expands in the horizontal direction1 and
     has a very ungraceful appearance4  
,the ,kaong-hmoo-dau in the             
neighbourhood of ,tsagain rests on a    
basis about #ah or #bj feet     high2   

the dome1 according to an inscription1  
is #aec feet high1     the diameter1 at 
the lowest part1 is nearly #bjj feet4   
,the whole     was formerly gilt4 ,the  
four sides of the square are lined with 
small niches1 each tenanted by a small  
statue of ,gaudama4     ,separated from 
the square by an open and well-paved    
gallery that     runs all round the     
edifice1 are disposed in a row eight    
hundred     and two small pillars of    
sandstone1 about #f feet high1 with     
their upper part perforated1 so as to   
afford room sufficient to     receive a 
lamp on festival days4 ,splendid must be
 the effect     produced during a dark  
night by so many lamps1 pouring a flood 
of light that illuminates on all sides  
the massive edifice4     ,whether the   
monument was built about three hundred  
years ago1 as     stated to the writer  
by one of the guardians1 or1 as it is   
most     probable1 only repaired and    
adorned at that time1 certain it is     
that this kind of religious edifice is  

very ancient1 and very     likely not   
inferior in antiquity to those above    
referred to4     ,another of a similar  
form1 but of much smaller dimensions1 is
 to     be seen at ,bhamo1 not far from 
the eastern gate4      ,the third class 
of pagodas comprises all those that are 
generally of a square form1 not made of 
a solid masonry1 but     with openings  
or doors1 a room1 galleries1 c41 for    
receiving     statues of ,gaudama4 ,they
 are all surmounted with the usual      
conical structure1 which is1 it seems1  
the essential appendage     to all      
dzedis4 ,these edifices1 in my opinion1 
are not to be     considered as tumuli  
or topes1 but rather as places of       
worship1     and sanctuaries for the    
reception of the statues of ,gaudama4   
,the     monuments are1 ,i suspect1 of a
 comparative modern origin2 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 ,buddhism4    

,they are not made to answer the purpose
 for     which dzedis were primitively  
raised4 ,they must have been     erected
 at times when ,buddhist worship1       
emerging from its     primeval sternness
 of form1 assumed proportions and       
developments     congenial to the taste 
and wants of large religious            
communities4     ,this class of temples 
offers a great variety of forms as to   
the     size1 dimensions1 and details of
 architecture4 ,but they may be     all 
brought to this general outline4 ,from  
the square body of the     temple       
diverge1 in the direction of the four   
points of the     compass1 porticoes2   
the one facing the east is always the   
largest and best adorned2 sometimes     
there is but one portico1     that of   
the east1 and there are only doors in   
the middle of the     three other sides4
 ,from these porticoes the galleries    
converge     towards the centre of the  
temple1 where are statues4 ,in the      
large and magnificent pagodas of ,pagan1

 galleries with vaults in     the       
pointed style run all round the         
building4 ,some of those     stupendous 
structures have two stories1 and it is  
only on the     second that the conical 
part rests1 which is the essential      
complement of every religious building4 
,on one of the     middle-sized pagodas 
rises1 instead of a cone1 an obelisk1   
with     ornaments that appear to       
resemble hieroglyphic figures4 ,some of 
those obelisks swell considerably       
towards the middle of their     height4 
,great was the surprise and astonishment
 of the writer1     when he observed in 
the same place1 among the prodigious    
number     of pagodas1 in a more or less
 advanced state of decay1 one1 not      
considerable by its dimensions1 nor in a
 much-ruined condition1     that        
exhibited the solitary instance of a    
regular pyramid4      #b ,the few       
particulars that have been gathered     
respecting the     mode that ,buddha    
followed in disseminating his doctrines1

     exhibit him in the light of a      
zealous and indefatigable     preacher4 
,we see him passing from one place to   
another with the     sole purpose of    
instructing the ignorant and pointing   
out to     them the way leading to the  
deliverance4 ,bebar and ,oude appear    
to have been the seat of his labours1   
and the scene on which he     acted in  
behalf of all1 without any distinction  
of condition1     caste1 or sex4        
,individuals in the humblest walks of   
life1 men     engaged in wicked         
practices1 women of an abandoned        
character1     were all1 to an equal    
degree1 the object of his tender        
solicitude4 ,they were all summoned to  
come to his feet and     partake in the 
blessings that he had in store for them4
 ,gaudama     was to an eminent degree  
an earnest and fervent propagandist4    
,this is a striking feature in his      
character1 which distinguishes     him  
not only from all his contemporaries1   
but also from all the     philosophers  

that have appeared throughout the       
,indian peninsula4     ,all these sages 
aimed at becoming the heads of schools1 
but none     of them thought of         
promulgating a code of morals intended  
for     the whole human race4 ,gaudama  
has the honour of being the first       
who1 with enlarged views1 looked upon   
his fellow-men as equally     entitled  
to the benefit of his instructions4 ,his
 love of all men     prompted him to    
undergo all sorts of fatigue1 to procure
 for     them what he imagined to be a  
great boon4 ,in making this             
statement we have no intention to pass  
an opinion on the     doctrines of the  
founder of ,buddhism2 we merely bring   
forward to     the notice of the reader 
a peculiar characteristic of that sage1 
which1 in our humble opinion1 helps to  
account for the     extraordinary spread
 of ,buddhism from the banks of the     
,oxus to     the ,japanese archipelago4 
,the tenets of that creed have become   
popular1 because they were intended for 

all4 ,false though they     be1         
particularly in what has a reference to 
dogmas1 they were     accepted by the   
masses1 because there were no other     
proffered to     them4 ,the disciples of
 ,gaudama must have been well received  
in     the various places they went to1 
for they showed a disposition     of    
mind quite unknown in those days1 viz41 
a lively interest in     the welfare of 
all4 ,this zeal1 which appeared so      
conspicuously     in ,gaudama and during
 the first ages of ,buddhism1 has become
 all     but totally extinct4 ,there is 
no desire on the part of those who      
in our days follow that creed to        
propagate its tenets among     other    
nations or tribes4     ,,chapter ,,xi4  
,voyage to ,tsalia -- ,instructions to  
,meggia -- ,raoula is made a            
professed religious -- ,manahan's       
questions to ,buddha --                 
,misbehaviour of ,thouppabuda --        
,questions proposed by ,nats in the     
,dzetawon monastery -- ,conversion of a 

,biloo -- ,episode of     ,thirima at   
,radzagio -- ,attention paid to a poor  
pounha and to a     weaver's daughter on
 account of their faith -- ,in the      
twentieth     season1 appointment of    
,ananda to the stewardship --           
,conversion     of a famous robber4     
,after a rather short stay in           
,thawattie1 ,buddha went to the town of 
,tsalia4 ,the inhabitants built for him 
a monastery on a hill not far from the  
town1 and liberally supplied him with   
all that he wanted4 ,pleased with the   
good reception the people gave him1     
,gaudama spent on that spot the         
thirteenth season4 ,he went to receive  
his food in the village of ,dzantoo4    
,thence travelling through the country1 
he reached the banks of the river       
,kimikila and enjoyed himself in a      
beautiful grove of mango-trees4 ,the    
disciple ,meggia1 being too much taken  
up with the beauty of the place1 eagerly
 wished to remain here for some time4   
,as a punishment for such an inordinate 

attachment to a particular spot1 he who 
had renounced the world and the         
gratification of passions1 felt on a    
sudden a strange change pass over him4  
,a flood of concupiscence inundated his 
soul4 ,buddha1 who saw what was taking  
place in ,meggia1 gave him an           
instruction on contempt for the things  
of this world1 and entirely cured him of
 his great spiritual distemper4  ,thence
 he proceeded to ,thawattie into the    
,dzetawon monastery1 where he spent the 
fourteenth season4 ,the great disciple  
,thariputra1 with five hundred          
religious1 was spending the season in a 
neighbouring village4 ,the people were  
so much pleased with him and his        
company1 that they offered to each of   
them a piece of yellow silk4 ,some      
religious1 jealous of the great         
disciple1 came to ,buddha and accused   
him of covetousness4 ,buddha fully      
justified his great companion and       
commended the liberality of the donors1 
who had thus an opportunity of          

gratifying their liberality and gaining 
merits4  ,the ,thamane ,raoula was then 
twenty years old4 ,having reached the   
canonical age1 he was elevated to the   
dignity of ,patzin4 ,the young religious
 could scarcely defend himself from a   
certain feeling of vanity on account of 
his father's dignity and his own        
personal mien and bearing1 which he was 
very fond of admiring4 ,buddha was      
intimately acquainted with what was     
going on in ,raoula's soul4 ,he preached
 to him the contempt of self and of all 
varieties of form4 ,the instruction was 
so impressive that it led the young     
hearer to the state of ,rahanda4 ,on a  
certain night when ,raoula was sleeping 
near the door of ,gaudama's private     
apartment1 ,manh ,nat1 wishing to       
frighten the young ,rahanda1 created the
 likeness of an elephant1 which1 keeping
 his trunk over his head1 suddenly made 
a frightful noise4 ,buddha1 who was     
inside1 saw clearly that this was only a
 temptation of the vile ,manh4 ,he said 

to him1 ,o wretched one1 are you not    
aware that fear is no longer to be found
 in him who has become a ,rahanda8      
,manh1 being discovered1 vanished away1 
covered with shame and confusion at the 
abortiveness of his malicious attempt4  
,in the same year1 ,buddha went to      
,kapilawot1 which is in the ,thekka     
country1 and took up his residence in   
the ,nigranda monastery1 situated close 
to the banks of the river ,rohani4 ,at  
that place he spent the fifteenth       
season4 ,on a certain day1 his cousin   
,mahanan1 the son of ,thoodaudana1 came 
to the monastery1 and having paid his   
respects to his illustrious relative1   
took the liberty to propose to him the  
four following questions3--#a4 ,in what 
consists the fulfilment of the religious
 duties8 #b4 ,what is meant by the      
religious disposition8 #c4 ,what is the 
real renouncing8 #d4 ,what is the true  
knowledge8  ,buddha replied in the      
following manner3 ,the fulfilment of the
 religious duties consists in observing 

carefully the five precepts obligatory  
on all men4 ,the religious disposition  
is but a loving inclination and         
affection for all that refers to ,buddha
 and the law that he has published4 ,he 
who possesses it experiences a continual
 longing for the acquisition of merits4 
,the renouncing is that disposition a   
man is habitually in when he finds his  
pleasure in parting with his riches for 
the purpose of relieving the needy and  
bestowing alms on the members of the    
assembly4 ,finally1 wisdom consists in  
making one's self perfectly acquainted  
with what can procure merits for the    
present and the future2 under its       
influence man acts up to that knowledge1
 and also attends with the utmost       
diligence to what may put an end to the 
law of miseries4  ,even among his       
nearest relatives1 ,buddha was doomed to
 meet with the bitterest enemies4       
,thouppabuda1 who was at once his uncle 
and his father-in-law1 bore to him a    
deadly hatred1 and secretly harboured in

 his heart a sentiment of revenge1 for  
two principal reasons1 because his      
daughter ,yathaudara had been abandoned 
by ,gaudama1 when he left his palace and
 began the life of an ascetic2 and also 
for having admitted his own son ,dewadat
 among the members of the assembly4     
,having been informed that on the       
following day ,buddha would direct his  
steps towards a certain quarter of the  
town to beg his food1 ,thouppabuda      
partook largely of intoxicating liquor1 
to nerve himself for the execution of   
the design he had in his mind1 and went 
out in the direction in which ,gaudama  
was expected to come4 ,as soon as he saw
 him drawing near1 he planted himself in
 the middle of the road1 barring the    
passage1 and loading his great relative 
with abuses4 ,buddha stopped awhile     
without showing the least sign of       
emotion4 ,then turning to ,ananda1 he   
said1 ,great is the crime of my uncle2  
seven days hence he shall be swallowed  
up alive by the earth at the foot of the

 great staircase of his palace4 ,on this
 fearful prediction being reported to   
,thouppabuda1 he laughed and stated that
 he would stay during eight days in the 
upper story of his palace1 and belie his
 nephew's prediction4 ,despite the      
precautions that he took1 the fatal     
prediction was literally fulfilled4 ,the
 unfortunate unrepenting prince saw the 
earth burst open under his feet1 and he 
was precipitated to the very bottom of  
the ,awidzi hell4 ,buddha took advantage
 of the awful punishment that had       
befallen a prince of his family to      
exhort ,mahanan to seek a firm asylum in
 the three precious things1 to bear a   
sincere love and an affectionate        
fondness to all that related to the law 
and its practices4  ,up to the present  
period of his life1 ,buddha had reserved
 to himself the right of preaching the  
law to and extolling the merits of those
 who had brought him his food1 after    
having partaken of their liberal        
donation4 ,this instruction may be      

properly called the sermon of           
thanksgiving4 ,it is called             
,anou-mau-dana4 ,now he allowed his     
disciples to do the like1 and repay the 
generosity of their benefactors by      
distributing unto them the knowledge of 
truth4  ,at that time ,buddha preached  
the four laws of ,a-sa-wan1 or the four 
bands that retain a being in the vortex 
of existences4 ,from ,kapilawot ,buddha 
returned to ,thawattie in the ,dzetawon 
monastery4 ,at that time a ,nat had     
proposed four questions to his          
companions which they had not been able 
to answer4 ,they were subsequently      
communicated to all the denizens of the 
six seats of ,nats1 but no one had been 
able to solve the difficulty4 ,not      
knowing what to do1 they agreed to refer
 the particulars to the most excellent  
,buddha1 then in the ,dzetawon          
monastery4 ,a deputation was forthwith  
sent to him with the view of proposing  
to him the puzzle1 and entreating him to
 condescend to give the much-desired    

solution4 ,the members of the deputation
 having duly paid their respects1 said  
to him1 ,o most excellent ,phra1 which  
is the best thing to be bestowed in     
alms8 ,which is the most savoury and    
relishing of all things8 ,which is the  
most pleasurable8 ,which is the best and
 the fittest thing to put an end to     
passions8 ,to these four questions      
,buddha answered by one word--,the law4 
,addressing himself both to the ,nats   
and to his assembled disciples1 he      
added1 ,the giving of alms1 though good 
in itself1 cannot introduce a being into
 the path that leads to the deliverance4
 ,the law alone can afford such a       
benefit4 ,the preaching of the law1 and 
the exertions in communicating its      
knowledge to others1 are therefore the  
most excellent alms4 ,all that in this  
world confers pleasure to the senses is 
but a means to plunge man into the      
vortex of existences1 and thereby into  
all miseries4 ,on the contrary1 the     
hearing of the law rejoices the heart to

 such an extent as often to open a      
spring of joyful tears2 it destroys     
concupiscence1 and leads gradually out  
of the whirlpool of existences4 ,it     
establishes man in the state of ,arahat1
 which is the end of all passions4 ,the 
law1 therefore1 is the most savoury1 the
 most pleasing thing1 leading beings to 
the cessation of all miseries4 ,you1 my 
beloved disciples1 exert yourselves in  
making known by your preaching the said 
law to all beings4 ,this is the most    
excellent alms that you can bestow on   
the beings that inhabit the three       
different states of men1 ,nats1 and     
,brahmas4  ,buddha soon left ,thawattie 
and went to ,alawee4 ,a ,biloo was in   
the habit of eating every day some      
children of that place4 ,owing to the   
ravenous and horrible appetite of the   
monster1 all the children had been eaten
 up2 there remained only the child of   
the king1 who was on the following day  
to be given over to him4 ,buddha        
reviewed1 as usual1 on a certain morning

 the condition of all beings4 ,he saw   
the sad position of the king of ,alawee 
and of his son4 ,he resolved to proffer 
assistance to both1 and also to convert 
the ,biloo4 ,he arrived in the country  
of ,alawee1 where he was received with  
every mark of respect4 ,he forthwith    
went into the forest where the monster  
lived4 ,at first he met with a most     
determined and violent opposition4 ,but1
 opposing to his enraged antagonist     
meekness1 patience1 and kindness1       
,buddha gradually softened that terrible
 nature4 ,concealing affectedly the     
change which was taking place in him1   
almost against his perverse inclination1
 the ,biloo said to ,buddha1 ,i have put
 certain questions to many famous       
ascetics1 but they have not been able to
 answer them4 ,on seeing their utter    
incapacity1 ,i have seized them1 torn   
their bodies in pieces1 and flung their 
quivering limbs into the ,ganges4 ,such 
shall be your fate1 ,o ,gaudama1 if your
 science fails you on this occasion4 ,by

 what means can a man get out of the    
stream or current of passions8 ,how can 
he cross over the sea of existences8    
,how can he free himself from the evil  
influence8 ,how shall he be able to     
purify himself from the smallest stain  
of concupiscence8 ,buddha replied3      
,listen1 ,o ,biloo1 to my words2 my     
answer shall fully satisfy you4 ,by     
faith in and affection for the three    
precious things1 man escapes from the   
current of passions4 ,he who applies    
himself with a diligent earnestness to  
the study of the law of merits passes   
over the sea of existences4 ,he who     
strives to practise the works that      
procure merits frees himself from evil  
influence1 and from the attending       
miseries4 ,finally1 the knowledge of the
 four meggas or ways to perfection      
procures perfect exemption from the     
least remnant of concupiscence4 ,the    
,biloo1 delighted with what he had      
heard1 believed in ,buddha1 and soon was
 firmly established in the state of     

,thautapan4 ,on that spot1 where so     
glorious and unexpected a conversion had
 taken place1 a monastery was erected4  
,buddha spent herein the sixteenth      
season4 ,as usual1 myriads of ,nats and 
men who had heard his preachings        
obtained the deliverance4  ,from ,alawee
 ,buddha went to ,radzagio1 and spent   
the seventeenth season in the ,weloowon 
monastery4 ,during that season a famous 
courtesan1 named ,thirima1 sister of the
 celebrated physician ,dzewaka1 renowned
 all over the country for her wit and   
the incomparable charms of her person1  
wished to show her liberality to the    
disciples of ,buddha4 ,every day a      
certain number of them went to her      
dwelling to receive1 along with their   
food1 abundant alms4 ,one of the pious  
mendicants1 in an unguarded moment1     
moved by an unholy curiosity1 looked at 
her1 and was instantly smitten by her   
charms4 ,the mortal wound was widened   
and deepened by a fortuitous occurrence4
 ,on a certain day ,thirima fell sick4  

,but she did not relax in her daily work
 of charity4 ,weak though she was1 and  
in her negligee1 she insisted on the    
mendicants being introduced into her    
room1 that she might pay her respects to
 them4 ,the unfortunate lover was among 
the company4 ,her incomparable charms   
were heightened by her plain dress and  
drooping attitude4 ,the poor lover went 
back with his brethren to the monastery4
 ,the arrow had penetrated to the core  
of the heart4 ,he refused to take any   
food1 and during some days completely   
estranged himself from the society of   
his brethren4 ,while the intestine war  
raged in his bosom1 ,thirima died4      
,buddha1 desirous to cure the moral     
distemper of the poor religious1 invited
 ,king ,pimpasara to be present when he 
should go with his disciples to see the 
remains of ,thirima4 ,on the fourth day 
after ,thirima's death he went to her   
house with his disciples4 ,there her    
body was laid before them1 with a livid 
appearance1 and all swollen4 ,countless 

worms already issuing out through the   
apertures1 rendered the sight loathsome1
 whilst a horrible stench almost forbade
 a standing close to it4 ,buddha coolly 
asked the king1 ,what is that object    
which is stretched before us8 ,thirima's
 body1 replied the king4 ,when she was  
alive1 retorted ,buddha1 people paid a  
thousand pieces of silver to enjoy her  
for a day4 ,would any one take her now  
for half that sum8 ,no1 replied the     
king2 in all my kingdom there is not one
 man who would offer the smallest sum to
 have her remains2 nay1 no one could be 
found who would be willing to carry her 
to any distance unless compelled to do  
so4 ,buddha1 addressing the assembly1   
said1 ,behold all that remains of       
,thirima1 who was so famous for her     
personal attractions6 ,what has become  
of that form which deceived and enslaved
 so many8 ,all is subjected to          
mutability2 there is nothing real in    
this world4 ,on hearing the instruction1
 eighty-two thousand persons obtained   

the knowledge of the four truths4 ,the  
,rahan who1 because of his passion1     
would not eat his food1 was entirely    
cured of his moral distemper1 and firmly
 established in the state of ,thautapan4
 ,all this happened whilst ,buddha spent
 his seventeenth season in the          
bamboo-grove monastery4  ,when the      
season was over1 he went1 as usual1 to  
preach in every direction1 and returned 
to ,thawattie1 to the ,dzetawon         
monastery4 ,his stay in that place was  
not long4 ,he undertook another voyage  
to ,alawee4 ,he was received with the   
greatest demonstrations of joy by the   
people1 who gladly ministered to all his
 wants4 ,on a certain day1 when he was  
to receive large offerings from the     
people and preach to them1 it happened  
on that occasion that a poor pounha1 who
 was very desirous to hear his          
instructions1 was informed at an early  
hour of that very day that one of his   
cows had gone astray from the herd and  
could not be found4 ,hereupon he felt   

greatly aggrieved4 ,he was afraid to let
 go the golden opportunity to hear the  
instruction4 ,however1 he trusted that  
by making the utmost diligence he would 
be back in time4 ,he ran in all haste   
until he found the strayed animal and   
brought it back4 ,it was nearly midday  
when he returned to the town4 ,though   
pressed with the pangs of hunger and    
overwhelmed with fatigue1 he went       
straight forward to the place where the 
congregation was assembled4 ,the        
offerings had been brought a long while 
ago2 the people out of respect stood    
motionless1 with their hands joined1 in 
the presence of ,buddha1 who1 contrary  
to the general expectation1 remained    
perfectly silent4 ,with his supernatural
 vision he had seen the perfect         
dispositions of the poor pounha4 ,he    
would have him to share in the blessing 
of his instruction4 ,as soon as the     
pounha had taken his place among the    
hearers1 ,buddha1 casting a benevolent  
glance towards him1 beckoned him to come

 near his person4 ,meantime1 he ordered 
some of his disciples to bring the poor 
man some food1 because he was very      
hungry2 and he would not condescend to  
begin the instruction till the man had  
been relieved from the pangs of hunger  
by a good meal4 ,when the preaching was 
over1 several ,rahans ridiculed the     
attention paid by their master to a     
common man4 ,buddha1 knowing their      
innermost thoughts1 spoke to them by way
 of an instructive rebuke3 ,beloved     
sons1 you seem to be surprised at my    
behaviour towards that poor pounha4 ,but
 ,i had perceived at once the           
super-excellent dispositions of that    
man1 his craving for the holy law1 and  
his lively and strong faith in me1 which
 prompted him to lay no stress on       
hunger1 nor on fatigue1 and to make no  
account of his personal discomforts1 in 
order to satisfy his earnest longings   
for the law4 ,on that occasion an       
immense number of hearers were          
converted4  ,buddha went to a monastery 

built on a hill1 near the town of       
,tsalia1 where he spent the eighteenth  
season4 ,in that town there was a       
weaver1 who had one daughter1 who       
followed the same profession as her     
father4 ,the damsel was very desirous to
 hear ,buddha's preachings2 but on the  
day when ,buddha was to come into the   
town to deliver instructions to the     
people1 it happened she had to finish   
the weaving of a piece of cloth that was
 urgently required by the owner4 ,she   
then said to herself3 ,i will exert     
myself with so much diligence that ,i   
will be enabled both to finish my work  
and listen to my teacher's preaching4   
,she set instantly to work1 wound up the
 thread on the quill1 and took it with  
her1 to carry it to the shed where her  
father's loom was4 ,on her way to the   
shed1 she had to pass near the place    
where a motionless congregation stood   
before ,buddha1 eagerly waiting for the 
words that were to fall from his mouth4 
,she laid aside her quill1 loaded with  

thread1 and squatted timidly behind the 
last rank of the congregation4 ,buddha  
had seen at a glance the perfect        
dispositions of the young girl4 ,it was 
chiefly for her benefit that he had     
undertaken a long journey and come over 
to that place4 ,as soon as he saw her1  
he made her draw nearer to him4 ,the    
injunction was joyfully complied with4  
,with an encouraging tone of voice1     
,buddha asked her whence she came and   
whither she was going4 ,the damsel      
modestly answered that she knew whence  
she came1 and also whither she was      
going2 at the same time1 she added that 
she was ignorant of the place she came  
from1 and of the place she was going to4
 ,on hearing this apparently            
contradictory answer1 many of the       
hearers could scarcely refrain from     
giving vent to indignant feelings4 ,but 
,buddha1 who had fathomed the girl's    
wisdom1 prayed them to be silent4 ,then1
 turning towards his young interlocutor1
 he desired her to explain the meaning  

of her answer4 ,she said3 ,i know that  
,i come from my father's house1 and that
 ,i go to our loom-shed2 but what       
existence ,i have come from to this     
present one1 this ,i am entirely        
ignorant of4 ,i am likewise uncertain   
about the existence that shall follow   
this one4 ,about these two points ,i am 
completely ignorant2 my mind can        
discover neither the one nor the other4 
,buddha extolled the wisdom of the      
damsel1 and forthwith began his         
instruction4 ,at the conclusion1 she was
 firmly grounded in the state of        
,thautapan4 ,she withdrew immediately1  
took up her quill1 and went to the shed4
 ,it happened that her father was       
asleep1 with his hand on the loom's     
handle4 ,she approached the loom1 and   
began to arrange the thread4 ,her       
father1 awaking suddenly1 pushed        
inadvertently the part of the loom his  
hand was laid upon1 and struck his      
daughter in the chest4 ,she fell down   
and instantly expired4 ,overwhelmed with

 grief1 the unfortunate father poured a 
flood of tears over the lifeless corpse 
of his daughter4 ,unable to console     
himself1 he rose up and went to ,buddha1
 in the hope of receiving some comfort  
at his feet4 ,buddha affectionately     
received him1 and1 by his good          
instructions1 relieved him from the load
 that pressed on his heart1 and         
gradually enlightening his mind by the  
preaching of the four great truths1 he  
gently infused into his heart and his   
soul that sweet joy which wisdom alone  
can impart4 ,the weaver resolved to     
abandon the world1 asked for admittance 
into the assembly1 and not long after   
became a ,rahanda4 ,this conversion was 
followed by that of a great many others4
  ,buddha returned to ,radzagio1 and    
spent the nineteenth season in the      
,weloowon monastery4 ,the season being  
over1 ,buddha went into the districts of
 ,magatha1 preaching in all places4     
,previous to that time1 there lived at  
,radzagio a rich man who had an only    

daughter1 who was brought up with the   
greatest care and the utmost fondness4  
,she lived in the upper apartments of a 
splendid dwelling4 ,on a certain day1 at
 an early hour in the morning1 she was  
looking on the people that flocked from 
the country into the town4 ,she saw     
among many a young hunter driving a cart
 loaded with venison4 ,she much admired 
his fine1 energetic appearance4 ,she was
 instantly enamoured of him1 and made   
all the necessary arrangements to elope 
with him4 ,she succeeded1 married the   
hunter1 and had by him a large family4  
,passing on one day through a forest1   
the most excellent ,buddha chanced to   
meet with a deer which was caught in the
 net of a hunter4 ,moved with feelings  
of commiseration1 he helped the poor    
beast to get out of the meshes4 ,after  
this benevolent action1 he went to rest 
under a tree4 ,the hunter soon made his 
appearance1 and to his great dismay at  
once discovered that some one had       
deprived him of his prey4 ,whilst he was

 looking about1 he saw ,buddha1 in his  
yellow dress1 calmly resting under the  
shade of a large tree4 ,this1 said the  
hunter to himself1 is the man who has   
done the mischief2 ,i will make him pay 
dear for his undue interference4        
,hereupon he hastily took up an arrow   
and placed it on the bow1 with the      
intention of shooting dead the evildoer4
 ,but despite his exertions1 heightened 
by the thirst for revenge1 he could not 
succeed2 both his hands were seized with
 a sudden quivering1 and his feet       
appeared as if nailed to the ground4 ,he
 stood motionless in that attitude4     
,absorbed in meditation1 ,buddha was not
 aware what was going on so close to    
him4  ,the sons of the hunter as well as
 their wives grew very much troubled    
that their father did not return at the 
usual hour from visiting his nets4 ,they
 feared that some untoward accident had 
overtaken him4 ,they armed themselves   
and went in search of him4 ,they soon   
came to the spot where they saw the sad 

position of their father4 ,at the same  
moment1 perceiving a yellow-dressed     
individual1 they hastily concluded1     
that1 by the power of some charms1 he   
had brought their father into this      
miserable condition4 ,they made up their
 mind to kill him4 ,but whilst they were
 preparing to put their cruel design    
into execution1 their hands1 suddenly   
benumbed1 could not grasp the weapons1  
and they all stood motionless and       
speechless4 ,awaking at last from       
contemplation1 ,buddha saw the hunter   
and all his family standing before him4 
,taking compassion on them1 he restored 
them to their ordinary condition1 and   
preached to them4 ,they all fell at his 
knees1 craved his pardon1 believed in   
him1 and became fervent ,upasakas4      
,buddha returned to ,thawattie to spend 
the twentieth season in the ,dzetawon   
monastery4 ,it was at that period that  
there happened a remarkable change in   
the management of the domestic affairs  
of ,gaudama4 ,up to the present time1 no

 one among the religious had been       
specially appointed to attend on ,buddha
 and administer to his wants4 ,but some 
of them1 as circumstances occurred1     
undertook the agreeable and honourable  
duty of serving him4 ,however human     
nature will occasionally let appear1    
even in the best of men1 some marks of  
its innate imperfections4 ,on two       
occasions1 the ,rahans who followed     
,buddha and carried his mendicant's pot 
and a portion of his dress wished to go 
in one direction1 whilst ,buddha desired
 them to follow in another4 ,they had   
the imprudence to part company with him4
 ,both paid dearly for their            
disobedience4 ,they fell into the hands 
of robbers1 who took away all that they 
had1 and beat them severely on the head4
 ,this twofold act of insubordination   
painfully affected ,buddha4 ,he summoned
 all the religious into his presence1   
and declared that1 being old1 he wished 
to appoint one of them to the permanent 
office of personal attendant on himself4

 ,thariputra and ,maukalan immediately  
tendered their services with a pious and
 loving earnestness4 ,but ,buddha       
declined to accept their offer1 as well 
as that of the eighty principal         
disciples4 ,the reason was1 that their  
services were required for preaching to 
the people1 and labouring with him for  
the dissemination of the true science   
among men4 ,some of the disciples urged 
,ananda to volunteer his services2 but  
out of modesty he remained silent4 ,then
 he added that1 should ,buddha be       
willing to accept his humble services1  
he knew his heart's dispositions and his
 willingness to attend on him on all    
occasions2 he had but to signify his    
good pleasure4 ,as to him1 he would be  
too happy to accept the office4 ,buddha 
expressed his readiness to confer on him
 the honourable employment4 ,he was     
formally appointed and nominated ,phra's
 attendant1 and1 during the twenty-five 
remaining seasons1 he acted as the      
beloved and devoted attendant on        

,buddha's person4 ,through him alone    
visitors were ushered into ,buddha's    
presence1 and orders were communicated  
to the members of the assembly4 ,gaudama
 was then fifty-five years old4  ,on a  
certain day he went to the village of   
,dzantoo for the purpose of collecting  
alms4 ,manh ,nat1 his inveterate foe1   
entered into the heart of all the       
villagers to prevent them from giving   
alms to the mendicant4 ,he succeeded so 
well in his wicked design that no one   
noticed ,gaudama's passage through the  
street1 nor gave him alms4 ,when he drew
 near to the gate1 ,manh stood by the   
side of the street1 and asked him1 with 
a sarcastic tone1 how he felt under the 
pangs of hunger4 ,buddha replied to him1
 that he could1 by entering into the    
state of perfect trance1 remain1 like   
the great ,brahma1 without using        
material food1 feeding only1 as it were1
 on the inward happiness created by the 
immediate sight of unclouded truth4     
,five hundred young virgins1 who        

happened to return from the country into
 the place1 prostrated themselves before
 ,buddha1 listened to his instructions1 
and reached the state of ,thautapan4    
,on leaving the place1 ,buddha happened 
to travel through a forest1 which had   
become an object of terror to all the   
people of ,kothala1 as being the        
favourite haunt of ,ougalimala1 a       
notorious robber and murderer4 ,the     
ruler of the country1 ,pasenadi1 had    
heard from the windows of his palace the
 cries of his alarmed subjects4 ,despite
 the many remonstrances that were made  
concerning the dangers of such an       
attempt1 ,buddha went straight forward  
to the den of the formidable man1 who1  
enraged at such presumptuous boldness1  
was preparing to make him pay dear for  
his intrusion4 ,but he had to deal with 
an opponent that could not easily be    
frightened4 ,to his threats and attempts
 to inflict harm ,gaudama opposed the   
meekest composure1 the mildest          
expressions1 and an invincible patience4

 ,softened by the kindness of his       
opponent1 ,ougalimala altered the tone  
of his voice1 and showed signs of       
respect to ,buddha4 ,the latter1 quickly
 perceiving the change that had taken   
place in the robber's soul1 preached to 
him the law1 and made of him a sincere  
convert4 ,coming out from the forest    
which had been the scene of so many     
crimes1 he followed ,buddha1 with the   
behaviour of an humble disciple4 ,the   
people of ,kosala could scarcely give   
credit to the change that had taken     
place in ,ougalimala4 ,in a short time  
he became a ,rahanda1 and died not long 
after he had become perfect4 ,the       
members of the assembly were1 on a      
certain day1 talking among themselves   
about the place he had probably migrated
 to4 ,buddha1 who had overheard their   
conversation on this subject1 said to   
them3 ,beloved ,bickus1 the ,rahan      
,ougalimala1 who died a little while    
after his conversion1 has reached the   
deliverance4 ,his conversion was at once

 prompt and perfect4 ,he was very wicked
 previous to his conversion1 because he 
never cohabited except with wicked and  
perverse associates1 the company of whom
 led him into all sorts of disorders4   
,but he no sooner had the good fortune  
to meet me1 hear my instructions1 and   
converse with you1 than he at once      
believed in my doctrine1 adhered to me  
with all his might1 and entered into the
 way leading to perfection4 ,he laboured
 strenuously to destroy in himself the  
law of demerits1 and thus rapidly       
reached the summit of perfection4       
,,chapter ,,xii4      ,buddha is        
slandered in ,thawattie -- ,questions   
put to him by     a pounha -- ,story of 
,anatapein's daughter -- ,conversion of 
a     pounha whose navel emitted rays of
 light -- ,blank in a great     part of 
,buddha's life -- ,story of ,dewadat -- 
,his jealousy     towards ,buddha --    
,his friendship with ,prince ,adzatathat
 -- ,his     ambition -- ,his attempt to
 kill ,buddha -- ,his miserable end4    

,while the most excellent ,buddha was in
 the ,dzetawon monastery1 the heretics  
of ,thawattie made another attempt to   
lower1 nay1 to destroy his reputation4  
,they prevailed upon ,thondarie1 a woman
 entirely devoted to their interests1 to
 spread the rumour that she had spent a 
night in the apartments of ,buddha4     
,when the calumny had been noised       
abroad1 they suborned a gang of         
drunkards1 to whom they promised a large
 sum of money1 if they would do away    
with the instrument of the slander4     
,they accordingly selected a favourable 
opportunity1 killed ,thondarie1 and     
threw her body into a cluster of bushes 
close to the monastery4 ,when the crime 
had been perpetrated1 the heretics      
raised a cry all over the country       
inquiring about ,thondarie4 ,she could  
nowhere be found4 ,search was made in   
every direction1 until at last1 by the  
secret directions of their emissaries1  
the body was found on the spot where it 
had been apparently concealed4 ,the     

party hostile to ,buddha laid the crime 
at his door4 ,the king of the country1  
urged on by them1 ordered a strict      
inquiry to be made4 ,the infamous trick 
was at last discovered in the following 
manner4 ,the perpetrators of the deed   
happened to go into a drinking-place4   
,heated by the liquor they had taken1   
they began to accuse each other of      
having killed ,thondarie4 ,their        
conversation was overheard by one of the
 king's servants1 who had them arrested 
and led to the palace4 ,the king said to
 them1 ,wicked men1 is it true that you 
have killed the woman ,thondarie8 ,they 
answered1 ,it is true we have killed    
her4 ,who advised you to commit the     
murder8 ,the ,deitty teachers1 who have 
paid us one thousand pieces of silver4  
,indignant at such a horrible deed1 the 
king ordered the murderers and their    
advisers to be put to death4 ,their     
punishment consisted in their being     
buried in the earth up to their waist4  
,they were subsequently covered with a  

heap of straw1 which being set fire to1 
they were burnt to death4 ,buddha told  
his disciples that what had happened on 
this melancholy occasion was but a just 
retribution for his having in a former  
existence been drunk1 and in that state 
abused and slandered a holy personage4  
,in one of his preaching excursions1    
,gaudama converted a distinguished      
pounha1 who asked him1 ,illustrious     
,buddha1 what has the great ,brahma done
 to merit the extraordinary glory that  
encompasses his person and the          
unsurpassed felicity that he enjoys8 ,to
 whom he answered1 ,the great ,brahma1  
during several existences1 has bestowed 
abundant alms on the needy1 delivered   
many people from great perils1 and      
delighted in giving instruction to the  
ignorant4 ,such meritorious deeds have  
procured for him the transcendent rank  
that he occupies1 and secured to him for
 an immense period of time the matchless
 happiness that he possesses4  ,two rich
 men1 one of ,thawattie1 and the other a

 denizen of the ,ougga city1 had in     
their youth1 when engaged in their      
studies1 promised each other that he who
 should have a daughter would give her  
in marriage to the son of the other4    
,when they had grown up1 the rich man of
 ,thawattie became a disciple of        
,buddha1 but his friend followed the    
teachings of the heretics4 ,in due time 
,anatapein1 for such was the name of the
 former1 had a beautiful daughter4 ,his 
friend ,ougga had also a fine grown-up  
son4 ,it came to pass that ,ougga on a  
certain day arrived from his place with 
five hundred carts of goods to          
,thawattie1 for the purpose of trading4 
,he lodged1 as a matter of course1 in   
his friend's house4 ,during the         
conversation ,ougga reminded his host of
 their former promise1 and declared that
 he would be too happy to have it       
fulfilled without delay4 ,anatapein1    
having consulted his wife and daughter1 
and secured their consent1 agreed to the
 proposal that was made to him4 ,the    

pious rich man1 however1 was somewhat   
concerned respecting the dangers of his 
daughter's position in the midst of     
upholders of false doctrines4 ,he gave  
her a retinue of female attendants1 who 
could1 by their advice and conversation1
 maintain intact in her the faith in    
,buddha4 ,when the bride arrived1 after 
a long journey1 to ,ougga's city1 she   
was desired by her father-in-law to go  
in the company of his wife to pay her   
respects to his teachers1 who were      
sitting quite naked1 with dishevelled   
hairs1 in the midst of the most         
disgusting uncleanness1 under a shed    
prepared for them4 ,unused to such an   
unsightly and revolting display1 the    
modest girl recoiled back with a        
becoming horror1 refusing even to cast a
 look at them4 ,enraged at the contempt 
shown to his teachers1 the unnatural    
father-in-law threatened to send her    
away from his house1 as being an        
unsuitable match for his son4 ,firm in  
her faith1 she withstood all the efforts

 that were made to induce her to alter  
her resolution and pay attention to such
 individuals4 ,she went back into her   
apartments4 ,having somewhat recovered  
her spirits1 and regained her usual calm
 and serene composure1 the pious young  
lady began1 in the presence of her      
mother-in-law and other ladies of the   
town1 to praise and extol the glory1    
modesty1 meekness1 and all the other    
qualifications which adorned her great  
teacher and his disciples4 ,the hearers 
were delighted at all that they heard1  
and expressed an eager desire to see    
them and hear their instructions4  ,on  
that very day the compassionate ,buddha 
was at an early hour1 as usual1         
reviewing the beings dwelling on the    
island of ,dzampoudipa1 endeavouring to 
discover those that were well disposed  
to hear the truth4 ,his searching glance
 soon discovered what was going on in   
the house of the rich man ,ougga1 and   
the good dispositions of many of its    
inmates4 ,thither1 said he1 ,i shall    

hasten to preach the law1 for many shall
 be converted4 ,hereupon he summoned    
five hundred disciples to attend him4   
,they all took their pattas and other   
articles4 ,with his company he flew     
through the air1 and soon alighted in   
the courtyard of the rich man's house4  
,all were rejoiced to see ,buddha and   
his disciples4 ,they lent a most        
attentive ear to his instructions4 ,the 
rich man1 his household1 and a great    
number of the people of the town were   
converted4 ,anouroudha was left at      
,ougga to complete1 perfect1 and extend 
the good work so happily begun4 ,buddha 
in all haste returned to ,thawattie4    
,at that time a great noise was made    
throughout the country on account of a  
certain pounha whose navel emitted a    
sort of light in the shape of a moon4   
,he belonged to the party of            
unbelievers4 ,he was led by them into   
every village and town1 as a living     
proof of the power they possessed4 ,at  
last his friends introduced him into the

 ,dzetawon monastery4 ,he was no sooner 
introduced into ,buddha's presence1 when
 the prodigy suddenly ceased4 ,he went  
away somewhat annoyed at his misfortune2
 but he had scarcely crossed the        
threshold of the monastery when the     
light reappeared4 ,three times he came  
before the great preacher1 and three    
times the light was completely eclipsed4
 ,no doubt could be entertained that    
there was in ,buddha some secret power  
superior to the one he possessed4 ,the  
pounha was at once disconcerted and     
bewildered4 ,in his ignorance he        
attributed the accident to some superior
 magical formula possessed by ,buddha1  
and asked him to teach him the said     
formula4 ,buddha said to him1 ,o pounha6
 ,i possess no charm2 ,i ignore all     
magical formulas4 ,there is in me but   
one virtue2 it is that which ,i have    
gathered at the foot of the ,bodi tree  
during the forty-nine days that ,i have 
spent there in the deepest meditation4  
,as to what attracts now the attention  

of the people in your person1 you are   
indebted for it to the offering of a    
gold coronet1 in the shape of a moon1   
you made to a ,buddha during a former   
existence4 ,the reward bestowed on you  
for such a good work is but a transient 
one4 ,it can afford you no real1        
substantial1 and lasting happiness4     
,hearken to my doctrine2 it will confer 
on you a never-ending recompense4 ,he   
went on explaining to him many points of
 the law4 ,the pounha believed in       
,buddha2 nay1 he applied for the dignity
 of ,rahan1 and finally became a        
,rahanda4  ,n4,b4--,the history of      
,buddha offers an almost complete blank 
as to what regards his doings and       
preachings during a period of nearly    
twenty-three years1#a beginning with the
 twenty-first season1 when he was       
fifty-six years old1 and ending with the
 forty-fourth season1 having reached the
 patriarchal age of seventy-nine years4 
,so entirely are we kept in ignorance of
 the important transactions that took   

place during so long a portion of       
,buddha's life1 that the writer1 after  
having vainly consulted several         
manuscripts1 is reluctantly obliged to  
come to the same conclusion as that     
which the ,burmese authors have arrived 
at1 viz41 that there is a complete      
disagreement as to even the names of the
 places where ,buddha spent the         
twenty-three remaining seasons4 ,out of 
regard for the rich man ,anatapein1 who 
for so many years had been one of his   
most liberal supporters1 ,buddha spent  
the greatest part of the remaining      
seasons in the ,dzetawon monastery4     
,during the few others he seems to have 
stayed at or near ,radzagio1 chiefly in 
the ,weloowon monastery4 ,the amount of 
seasons spent by our ,phra from the time
 he obtained the ,buddhaship till his   
death is forty-five4  ,i find related1  
as a fact worthy of notice1 the donation
 by a rich widow of ,wethalie1 named    
,wisaka1 of the celebrated ,pouppayon   
monastery4 ,it was situated not far from

 the ,dzetawon1 in an eastern direction 
from that famous place4 ,it is mentioned
 that when ,phra sallied from the       
,dzetawon monastery by the eastern gate1
 the people of the country knew that he 
was going to dwell for awhile in the    
,pouppayon monastery2 when1 on the other
 hand1 he was observed to leave it by   
the northern gate1 all the people       
understood that he was undertaking a    
journey through the country for the     
purpose of preaching4 ,the epoch of this
 donation is not certain4 ,it appears   
from some particulars indirectly alluded
 to that it must have taken place when  
,buddha was sixty years old4  ,in       
following our manuscript1 we find       
inserted in this place the detailed     
accounts respecting ,dewadat1 related by
 ,buddha himself in the ,dzetawon       
monastery1 in the presence of a large   
party of his disciples4 ,the fact of    
,buddha mentioning the name of          
,adzatathat as king of ,radzagio1 leaves
 no doubt respecting the time when the  

awful punishment is supposed to have    
been meted out to ,dewadat1 on account  
of the many heinous sins laid to his    
charge4 ,adzatathat1 having murdered his
 father ,pimpathara1 by starving him to 
death in a prison1 became king of       
,radzagio1 and succeeded him when       
,buddha was nearly seventy-two years    
old4 ,he was already king1 as the sequel
 will show1 when ,dewadat was as yet his
 spiritual adviser4 ,it is probable that
 the following narrative was made not   
more than two years after the above     
date4  ,when the most excellent ,buddha 
was in the ,dzetawon monastery1 alluding
 to the sad fate that had fallen        
,dewadat1 he related the causes that had
 brought on this dreadful occurrence4   
,at a certain time1 when ,buddha was    
spending a season in the ,kosamby       
country1 the people came in great       
numbers every day to the monastery to   
bring abundant alms1 and pay their      
respects to him and the assembly4 ,on   
certain occasions they made inquiries   

about the most distinguished members of 
the assembly1 such as ,thariputra1      
,maukalan1 ,anouroudda1 ,ananda1 ,bagoo1
 ,kimila1 and others1 giving utterance  
to the feelings of admiration and love  
they entertained towards them4 ,but they
 never took the least notice of         
,dewadat4 ,the latter keenly resented   
the studied slight2 the more so1 because
 he thought that in his capacity of     
member of the assembly and of his royal 
descent1 he was entitled to as much     
consideration as many others1 who in    
this twofold respect were greatly his   
inferiors4 ,he resolved to leave the    
company of ,buddha and go to some other 
place4 ,he went to ,radzagio and        
ingratiated himself in the favours of   
the young ,prince ,adzatathat1 son of   
,king ,pimpathara1 ,the young prince1   
taken up with the grave manners of the  
new-comer1 acknowledged him as his      
teacher1 and built for him a monastery  
on the ,yauthitha hill1 close to the    
city4  ,some years afterwards ,buddha   

came to ,radzagio to spend a season in  
the ,weloowon monastery4 ,dewadat went  
to his monastery4 ,having paid his      
respects in the usual manner and        
occupied a becoming place1 he three     
times requested the permission of having
 an assembly or thinga of his own1 quite
 distinct from the other1 which was     
under the immediate management of       
,buddha4 ,on this point he three times  
received a direct refusal to his demand4
 ,from that day the jealousy he         
entertained towards ,buddha waxed to a  
base envy1 which soon generated in his  
soul a deadly hatred against him4 ,he   
made up his mind to break with ,buddha  
all ties of spiritual relationship1 and 
to become the chief of a new religious  
body4 ,to succeed in his impious design 
he required the support of the secular  
arm4 ,the king of ,magatha was in favour
 of ,buddha1 but his son had warmly     
espoused the cause of ,dewadat4 ,in such
 a position1 the evil-disposed ,dewadat 
advised ,prince ,adzatathat to compass  

the destruction of his father1 in order 
to become king4 ,the ambitious son      
followed the detestable advice1 and put 
an end to his father's life by starving 
him to death in a prison1 in spite of   
his own mother's exertions to save her  
royal husband's life4  ,it was in the   
thirty-seventh season of ,buddha's      
public mission that ,adzatathat ascended
 the throne of ,magatha4 ,under the new 
king's auspices1 ,dewadat carried       
everything before him with a high hand4 
,assured of the new king's support1 he  
hired thirty bowmen and promised them an
 ample reward if they killed ,buddha4   
,the ruffians gladly agreed to the      
proposal4 ,but when they were on the    
point of committing the crime1 they felt
 themselves overawed by the presence of 
,buddha4 ,instead of executing the order
 they had received1 they fell at his    
feet1 craved his pardon1 listened to his
 preaching1 and were converted one after
 the other4 ,disappointed on this point1
 ,dewadat designed another plan to rid  

himself of the great preacher4 ,he      
watched the moment when ,buddha was     
walking at the foot of a hill1 named    
,weitsa-gout4 ,from the summit he rolled
 a large stone that was to crush his    
enemy4 ,fortunately on its way down the 
hill's side it met with a small         
obstacle1 on which it split into several
 parts4 ,one splinter alone hurt the toe
 of one of ,buddha's feet1 and severely 
bruised it4 ,on hearing of such a       
nefarious and cowardly attempt1 the     
disciples hastened to the spot and      
conveyed their beloved master to his    
monastery4 ,they offered to keep guard  
round his person1 to prevent the        
repetition of other attempts on his     
life4 ,but ,buddha said to them that no 
mortal had the power to hurt him so far 
as to cause his death4 ,he thanked them 
for this new token of their affectionate
 regard towards him1 and bade them      
return to their respective places4 ,the 
celebrated physician ,dzewaka1 having   
been sent for1 applied a bandage1 which1

 being removed on the following morning1
 it was found1 to the surprise and joy  
of all present1 that the injured toe was
 perfectly cured4 ,on another occasion  
,dewadat made a last attempt on         
,buddha's life1 in the suburbs of       
,radzagio1 by the means of an elephant1 
infuriated and maddened by strong liquor
 forced into his throat4 ,the animal was
 let loose in one of the streets which  
,gaudama was perambulating gathering    
alms in his mendicant's pot4 ,but far   
from doing any injury to ,buddha1 the   
elephant1 having come into his presence1
 stood for awhile1 and then knelt before
 him in token of respect4 ,in this      
manner ,dewadat signally failed in this 
last wicked attempt4  ,dewadat differed 
from his cousin on some points of       
discipline2 and this difference         
occasioned the schism that he meditated 
to establish4#b ,he had proposed to     
,buddha to make it obligatory on all    
,rahans to live in forests at the foot  
of certain trees2 not to receive food   

from the people in their own places1 but
 to use only as articles of food such   
things as they could procure by their   
exertions2 to use robes made up of rags 
collected in the dust of public         
thoroughfares1 and not such as might be 
offered by pious laymen2 to abstain from
 fish and meat2 and to dwell in unroofed
 places4 ,gaudama positively refused to 
accede to his demands4 ,meanwhile he    
meekly warned him against the sin of    
schism1 telling him that the commission 
of such an offence would throw the      
perpetrator into the hell ,awidzi for a 
whole revolution of nature4 ,deaf to    
such a salutary warning1 ,dewadat       
precipitated himself into schism4 ,he   
gained over to his party five hundred   
inexperienced ,rahans of the ,witzi     
country1 and with them dwelt in the     
monastery of ,gayathitha4 ,he signally  
failed in his attempt to draw ,ananda to
 his side4 ,thariputra1 by the advice of
 ,buddha1 went to ,dewadat's place4     
,profiting from the time he was asleep  

at a distance1 he prevailed upon the    
five hundred ,rahans to abandon schism  
and return to ,buddha1 the centre of    
unity1 who was then in the ,dzetawon    
monastery in ,wethalie4 ,rising from his
 sleep1 ,dewadat fell into a paroxysm of
 rage at the trick played on him4 ,he   
instantly resolved to start for the     
,dzetawon monastery1 to have his revenge
 on ,buddha for the injury done unto    
him4 ,he was carried in a litter4       
,messenger after messenger informed     
,buddha of the approach of his          
antagonist4 ,but he calmly said to his  
disciples3 ,beloved sons1 do not trouble
 yourselves4 ,dewadat shall not see my  
face nor enter the precincts of this    
place4 ,information was1 in haste1      
conveyed that ,dewadat had actually     
reached the tank close to the monastery1
 and was resting a while under the shade
 of a tree4 ,gaudama calmly gave the    
same assurance to his trembling         
disciples4 ,but the moment of a terrible
 punishment was at hand4 ,dewadat1      

quitting his couch1 stood up for a      
while1 to refresh his wearied limbs4    
,but he was seen by his astonished and  
bewildered companions gradually sinking 
into the earth1 first up to his knees1  
then to his navel1 and finally to his   
shoulders4 ,at that moment he humbled   
himself1 confessed his fault1           
acknowledged and proclaimed the glory of
 ,buddha4 ,he then disappeared1 wrapt in
 flame1 and fell to the bottom of the   
hell ,awidzi4 ,his punishment consists  
in having his feet sunk ankle-deep in a 
burning ground2 his head is covered with
 a red-hot pan1 that caps his head down 
to the lobe of the ears2 two huge       
red-hot iron bars transfixt him         
horizontally from right to left1 two    
from back to front1 and one impales him 
from top to bottom4 ,he shall have to   
suffer in that frightful position during
 a revolution of nature4 ,but1 for his  
tardy and sincere repentance1 he shall  
be delivered1 and1 by his exertions in  
practising virtue1 he shall become a    

,pitzegabuddha1 under the name of       
,atisara4  ,adzatathat ruled over the   
two countries of ,enga and ,magatha4    
,his mother was ,waydahi1 the sister of 
,king ,pathenadi1 who ruled over the two
 countries of ,kaci and ,kosala4        
,adzatathat1 who was of a bellicose     
temper1 quarrelled with his uncle on    
account of some districts in ,kaci1     
which he seized by force of arms4       
,unable to resist the army of his       
nephew1 ,pathenadi offered to the       
invader the hand of his daughter        
,watzera-komma4 ,the offer was accepted1
 and a reconciliation followed4 ,three  
years afterwards1 ,pathenadi lost his   
throne1 which was seized by             
,meittadoubba1 a son he had had by a    
concubine4 ,pathenadi went to ,radzagio 
to ask assistance against the usurper   
from his son-in-law4 ,but he died on his
 way to that place4  ,it was under the  
rule of ,meittadoubba1 in the           
forty-fourth season1 that occurred the  
total destruction of the ,thagiwi       

princes of ,kosala and ,kapilawot by the
 ambitious ,adzatathat4  ,buddha spent  
the forty-fourth season in the ,dzetawon
 monastery4 ,when the season was over1  
he went to dwell in the ,weitzagout     
monastery1 near ,radzagio4 ,while he was
 in that place1 there was spread a      
rumour that ,adzatathat entertained     
hostile feelings towards ,wethalie4     
,buddha then foretold that as long as   
the princes of ,wethalie would be united
 and avoid internal strife and          
contention1 they would be more than a   
match for their enemy2 but should       
quarrel take place among them1 they and 
their country would fall an easy prey to
 the invader4 ,these words1 which fell  
from ,buddha's mouth1 were not forgotten
 by a pounha who was one of             
,adzatathat's ministers4 ,he planned1   
with his royal mother's consent and     
secret encouragement1 the destruction of
 the rulers of ,wethalie1 and the       
conquest of that country1 by contriving 
to sow the seed of dissension among the 

,letziwi princes4 ,his plan met with    
complete success some years later1 about
 three years after ,gaudama's ,neibban1 
as we shall have the opportunity of     
relating4   ,,footnotes      #a ,this   
short summary of ,buddha's life1        
indicating but little     more than the 
names of the places where he had spent  
twenty     seasons1 and leaving us in   
the dark as to all the particulars      
regarding the twenty-three other        
seasons1 is another     illustration of 
the assertion1 made in some foregoing   
passages1     that the present          
compilation is very concise and         
imperfect1     supplying us with but an 
outline of ,buddha's proceedings during 
the course of his preachings4 ,he       
reached the age of eighty4              
,according to the authority of this     
legend1 ,buddha lived     forty-five    
years after he had obtained the         
,buddhaship4 ,he was     therefore      
thirty-five when he began his public    
life and entered     the career of      

preaching the law4 ,it is not in my     
power to say     anything positive      
respecting the antiquity of this work1  
but the     statement of the main facts 
is borne out by the united testimony    
of the ,buddhistic works existing in    
various parts and in     different      
languages of ,eastern ,asia4 ,if it be  
true that our     ,buddha lived so long1
 we must believe that his time during   
the     last twenty-five years was      
employed in the same benevolent         
undertaking1 viz41 to preach the sacred 
law and point out to     beings the way 
that shall lead them to the deliverance4
 ,many     volumes are full of the      
disputes on religious subjects between  
,buddha and the heretics1 that is to    
say1 his opponents4 ,we may     conclude
 that those controversies took place    
during the latter     part of ,buddha's 
life1 as it cannot be doubted that they 
increased in proportion to the progress 
the new doctrines made     among the    
people4 ,if1 however1 we are in great   

part kept in the     dark respecting the
 doings of the great reformer during a  
long     period of his public life1 we  
are amply compensated by the     account
 of many interesting circumstances that 
occurred chiefly     during the last    
year of his earthly career4      #b     
,dewadat1 in insisting upon the adoption
 of regulations of a     more rigid     
character1 intended to imitate1 to a    
certain extent1     the conduct of the  
mendicants of the opposite party4 ,he   
aimed at     rivalling them in the      
practice of austere observances4 ,it    
does     not appear that he innovated in
 the dogmas that he had learned     at  
the school of his great teacher4 ,as his
 royal pupil1     ,adzatathat1 had      
hitherto supported the party of the     
pounhas1 it     is not improbable that  
,dewadat wished to lessen the           
differences     between the practices   
and observances of the two parties1 to  
render them less perceptible1 and by    
doing so1 to prepare the     way1 by    

gradual approximation1 for a complete   
fusion4 ,he     exhibited himself in the
 character of a rigid reformer1 who was 
displeased with the too lenient tenor of
 the disciplinary     regulations       
instituted by ,buddha4 ,be that as it   
may1 it is     certain that jealousy in 
the beginning inspired him with the     
idea of separating from the assembly4   
,this first step led him     farther    
than he at first contemplated4 ,he      
wished to set up an     assembly1 or    
thinga of his own1 and thereby to place 
himself on     a footing of equality and
 rivalry with his cousin4 ,meeting with 
greater resistance than he expected1 and
 being convinced that he     could not  
succeed so long as ,buddha should be    
alive1 he did not     shrink from making
 several attempts on his life4 ,it is a 
fact     worthy of notice that the      
disturbances which took place           
subsequently in the ,buddhist society   
had their origin1 in most     instances1
 in points of discipline of a trivial   

importance1     which were altered or   
rejected by a fraction of the assembly1 
whilst they were upheld with the utmost 
tenacity by the greater     portion of  
the ,rahans1 as having been established 
by ,gaudama4     ,this observation will 
be fully corroborated by the particulars
     that we shall relate on the subject
 of the councils or meetings     held   
after ,gaudama's death4                 
,,end ,,of ,,vol4 ,i4                   
,printed by ,,ballantyne1 ,,hanson      
,,co4                                   
,edinburgh  ,london                     
,truebner's ,oriental ,series4          
,illustration                  ,,kegan  
,,paul1 ,,trench1 ,t,r,ue,b,n,e,r  ,,co4
 ,,ltd                 ,,dryden ,,house1
 ,,gerrard ,,street1 ,,london1 ,w4   ,a 
knowledge of the commonplace1 at least1 
of ,oriental literature1 philosophy1 and
 religion is as necessary to the general
 reader of the present day as an        
acquaintance with the ,latin and ,greek 
classics was a generation or so ago4    

,immense strides have been made within  
the present century in these branches of
 learning2 ,sanskrit has been brought   
within the range of accurate philology1 
and its invaluable ancient literature   
thoroughly investigated2 the language   
and sacred books of the ,zoroastrians   
have been laid bare2 ,egyptian1         
,assyrian1 and other records of the     
remote past have been deciphered1 and a 
group of scholars speak of still more   
recondite ,accadian and ,hittite        
monuments2 but the results of all the   
scholarship that has been devoted to    
these subjects have been almost         
inaccessible to the public because they 
were contained for the most part in     
learned or expensive works1 or scattered
 throughout the numbers of scientific   
periodicals4 ,messrs4 ,truebner  ,co41  
in a spirit of enterprise which does    
them infinite credit1 have determined to
 supply the constantly-increasing want1 
and to give in a popular1 or1 at least1 
a comprehensive form1 all this mass of  

knowledge to the world4--,times4        
,the late ,oriental scholar1 ,mr4       
,romesh ,c4 ,dutt1 ,c4,i4,e41 says3--   
,i wish to say a word about this series1
 because ,i am in a special degree      
indebted to it4 ,professor ,max         
,mueller1 who has1 by his lifelong      
labours1 done more than any living      
scholar to elucidate ancient ,hindu     
literature and history1 has now         
conceived the noble idea of enabling    
,english readers to go to the fountain  
source1 and consult ,oriental works in a
 series of faithful translations4 ,more 
than thirty volumes1 translated from the
 ,sanscrit1 ,chinese1 ,zend1 ,pahlair1  
,pali1 ,arabic1 c41 have already been   
published1 and more volumes are         
expected4 ,i take this opportunity to   
own my great indebtedness to the volumes
 of this series which relate to ,indian 
,history4 ,i have freely quoted from    
them--allowing myself the liberty of a  
verbal alteration here and there2 and ,i
 have seldom thought it necessary to    

consult these original ,sanscrit works  
which have been translated in this      
faithful and valuable series4         99
       99       99       99       99    
,in ,two ,volumes1 post #hvo1 cloth1 pp4
 #dbf and #dfj1 price #bes4     net4    
,,alberuni',s ,,india4      ,,an        
,,account ,,of ,,the ,,religion1        
,,philosophy1 ,,literature1 ,,geography1
     ,,chronology1 ,,astronomy1         
,,customs1 ,,laws1 ,,and ,,astrology    
,,of ,,india     ,,about ,a4,d4 #ajcj4  
,an ,english ,edition1 with ,notes and  
,indices4      ,by ,,dr4 ,,edward ,c4   
,,sachau1     ,professor in the ,royal  
,university of ,berlin1 and ,principal  
of     the ,seminary for ,oriental      
,languages2 ,member of the ,royal       
,academy     of ,berlin1 and            
,corresponding ,member of the ,imperial 
,academy of     ,vienna ,honorary       
,member of the ,asiatic ,society of     
,great ,britain     and ,ireland1       
,london1 and of the ,american ,oriental 
,society1     ,cambridge1 ,u4,s4,a4     

,,extract ,,from ,,preface4  ,alberuni1 
or1 as his compatriots called him1 ,abu 
,raihan1 was born ,a4,d4 #igc1 in the   
territory of modern ,khiva1 then called 
,khwarizm1 or ,chorasmia in antiquity4  
,early distinguishing himself in science
 and literature1 he played a political  
part as councillor of the ruling prince 
of his native country of the ,ma'muni   
family4  ,in the opening of his book    
,alberuni gives an account of the       
circumstances which suggested to him the
 idea of writing the ,greek3 ,indika4   
,once the conversation with a friend of 
his1 else unknown1 ran on the then      
existing literature on the history of   
religion and philosophy1 its merits and 
demerits4 ,when1 in particular1 the     
literature on the belief of the ,hindus 
came to be criticised1 ,alberuni        
maintained that all of it was           
second-hand and thoroughly uncritical4  
,to verify the matter1 his friend once  
more examines the books in question1    
which results in his agreeing with our  

author1 and his asking him to fill up   
this gap in the ,arabic literature of   
the time4 ,the book he has produced is  
not a polemical one4 ,he will not       
convert the ,hindus1 nor lend a direct  
help to missionary zealots4 ,he will    
simply describe ,hinduism1 without      
identifying himself with it4 ,he takes  
care to inform the reader that he is not
 responsible for whatsoever repugnant   
detail he has to relate1 but the ,hindus
 themselves4 ,he gives a repertory of   
information on ,indian subjects1        
destined for the use of those who lived 
in peaceable intercourse with them1 and 
wished to have an insight into their    
mode and world of thought4  ,the author 
has nothing in common with the          
,muhammadan ,ghazi who wanted to convert
 the ,hindus or to kill them1 and his   
book scarcely reminds the reader of the 
incessant war between ,islam and ,india1
 during which it had been prepared1 and 
by which the possibility of writing such
 a book had first been given4 ,it is    

like a magic island of quiet1 impartial 
research in the midst of a world of     
clashing swords1 burning towns1 and     
plundered temples4 ,the object which the
 author had in view1 and never for a    
moment lost sight of1 was to afford the 
necessary information and training to   
any one 7in ,islam7 who wants to        
converse with the ,hindus1 and to       
discuss with them questions of religion1
 science1 or literature1 on the very    
basis of their own civilisation4  ,in   
general1 it is the method of our author 
not to speak himself1 but to let the    
,hindus speak1 giving extensive         
quotations from their classical authors4
 ,he presents a picture of ,indian      
civilisation as painted by the ,hindus  
themselves4 ,many chapters1 not all1    
open with a short characteristic        
introduction of a general nature4 ,the  
body of most chapters consists of three 
parts4 ,the first is a precis of the    
question1 as the author understands it4 
,the second part brings forward the     

doctrines of the ,hindus1 quotations    
from ,sanskrit books in the chapters on 
religion1 philosophy1 astronomy1 and    
astrology1 and other kinds of           
information which had been communicated 
to him by word of mouth1 or things which
 he had himself observed in the chapters
 on literature1 historic chronology1    
geography1 law1 manners1 and customs4   
,in the third part he does the same as  
,megasthenes had already done2 he tries 
to bring the sometimes very exotic      
subject nearer to the understanding of  
his readers by comparing it with the    
theories of ancient ,greece1 and by     
other comparisons4 ,in the disposition  
of every single chapter1 as well as in  
the sequence of the chapters1 a         
perspicuous1 well-considered plan is    
apparent4 ,there is no patchwork nor    
anything superfluous1 and the words fit 
to the subject as close as possible4    
,he does not blindly accept the         
traditions of former ages2 he wants to  
understand and to criticise them4 ,he   

wants to sift the wheat from the chaff1 
and he will discard everything that     
militates against the laws of nature and
 of reason4  ,he criticises manuscript  
tradition like a modern philologist4 ,he
 sometimes supposes the text to be      
corrupt1 and inquires into the cause of 
the corruption2 he discusses various    
readings1 and proposes emendations4 ,he 
guesses at lacunae1 criticises different
 translations1 and complains of the     
carelessness and ignorance of the       
copyists4      ,this valuable and       
interesting work has been out of print  
for     many years1 and second-hand     
copies have been very difficult to      
obtain even at a high premium4 ,at the  
urgent request of many     scholars and 
students both in ,england and ,india1   
the publishers     have decided to issue
 the present reprint at a cheaper price 
than the original edition4         99   
99       99       99       99      ,post
 #hvo1 pp4 viii4 and #bgj1 cloth1 price 
#fs4      ,,indian ,,poetry3            

,,containing ,,the ,,indian ,,song ,,of 
,,songs4      ,from the ,sanskrit of the
 ,gita ,govinda of ,jayadeva2 ,two      
,books     from ,the ,iliad of ,india   
7,mah4abharata71 ,proverbial ,wisdom    
from the ,shlokas of the ,hitopadesa1   
and other ,oriental ,poems4      ,by    
,,sir ,,edwin ,,arnold1 ,m4,a41         
,k4,c4,i4,e41 ,c4,s4,i41 c41 c4         
,,contents4      ,the ,indian ,song of  
,songs--       ,introduction4           
,hymn to ,vishnu4       ,sarga the      
,first--,the ,sports of ,krishna4       
,sarga the ,second--,the ,penitence of  
,krishna4       ,sarga the              
,third--,krishna ,troubled4       ,sarga
 the ,fourth--,krishna ,cheered4        
,sarga the ,fifth--,the ,longings of    
,krishna4       ,sarga the              
,sixth--,krishna made ,bolder4          
,sarga the ,seventh--,krishna supposed  
,false4       ,sarga the ,eighth--,the  
,rebuking of ,krishna4       ,sarga the 
,ninth--,the ,end of ,krishna's ,trial4 
,sarga the ,tenth--,krishna in          

,paradise4       ,sarga the             
,eleventh--,the ,union of ,radha and    
,krishna4      ,miscellaneous ,oriental 
,poems--       ,the ,rajpoot ,wife4     
,king ,saladin4       ,the ,caliph's    
,draught4       ,hindoo ,funeral ,song4 
,song of the ,serpent ,charmers4        
,song of the ,flour-,mill4       ,taza  
ba ,taza4       ,the ,mussulman         
,paradise4       ,dedication of a ,poem 
from the ,sanskrit4       ,the ,rajah's 
,ride4      ,two ,books from ,the ,iliad
 of ,india4       ,the ,great ,journey4 
,the ,entry into ,heaven4      ,the     
,night of ,slaughter4      ,the ,morning
 ,prayer4      ,proverbial ,wisdom from 
the ,shlokas of the ,hitopadesa4        
,,opinions ,,of ,,the ,,press4  ,in this
 new volume ,sir ,edwin ,arnold does    
good service by illustrating1 through   
the medium of his musical ,english      
melodies1 the power of ,indian poetry to
 stir ,european emotions4 ',the ,indian 
,song of ,songs' is not unknown to      
scholars4 ,sir ,edwin ,arnold will have 

introduced it among popular ,english    
poems4--,times4  ,complete mastery of   
the ,english language1 combined with    
genuine poetic fervour1 has enabled the 
translator of ',the ,indian ,song of    
,songs' to spread before his readers a  
feast of dulcet sounds and lyrical      
language4 ,music seems to flow from his 
pen as naturally as rain from the cloud 
or song from the throat of the          
thrush4--,morning ,post4  ,the poem     
abounds with imagery of ,eastern        
luxuriousness and sensuousness2 the air 
seems laden with the spicy odours of the
 tropics1 and the verse has a richness  
and a melody sufficient to captivate the
 senses of the dullest4--,standard4     
99       99       99       99       99  
,third ,edition4 ,post #hvo1 pp4        
viii4-#dfd1 cloth1 price #afs4          
,,the ,s,a,,nkhya ,,aphorisms ,,of      
,,kapila1     ,with ,illustrative       
,extracts from the ,commentaries4       
,translated by ,j4 ,r4 ,,ballantyne1    
,,ll4,d41 late ,principal of the        

,benares ,college4      ,edited by      
,,fitzedward ,,hall4  ,the work displays
 a vast expenditure of labour and       
scholarship1 for which students of      
,hindoo philosophy have every reason to 
be grateful to ,dr4 ,hall and the       
publishers4--,calcutta ,review4         
99       99       99       99       99  
,fourth ,edition4 ,post #hvo1 cloth1 pp4
 xxiv4-#caj1 price #afs4      ,,the     
,,religions ,,of ,,india4      ,,by ,a4 
,,barth1     ,member of the ,societe    
,asiatique of ,paris4      ,authorised  
translation by ,rev4 ,j4 ,wood1 ,edin4  
,india has not only preserved for us in 
her ,vedas the most ancient and complete
 documents for the study of the old     
religious beliefs founded on            
nature-worship1 which1 in an extremely  
remote past1 were common to all the     
branches of the ,indo-,european family2 
she is also the only country where these
 beliefs1 in spite of many changes both 
in form and fortune1 continue to subsist
 up to the present time4 ,whilst        

everywhere else they have been either as
 good as extinguished by monotheistic   
religions of foreign origin1 in some    
instances without leaving behind them a 
single direct and authentic trace of    
their presence1 or abruptly cut short in
 their evolution and forced to survive  
within the barriers1 henceforth         
immovable1 of a petty ,church1 as in the
 case of ,parseeism1--in ,india alone   
they present up to this time1 as a rich 
and varied literature attests1 a        
continuous1 self-determined development1
 in the course of which1 instead of     
contracting1 they have continued to     
enlarge their borders4 ,it is owing in a
 great measure to this extraordinary    
longevity that such an interest attaches
 to the separate and independent study  
of the ,hindu religions1 irrespective   
altogether of the estimate we may form  
of their dogmatic or practical worth4   
,nowhere else do we meet with           
circumstances1 on the whole1 so         
favourable for the study of the         

successive transformations and destiny1 
so to speak1 of a polytheistic idea of  
the universe4         99       99       
99       99       99      ,post #hvo1   
cloth4 pp4 cviii4-#bdb and viii4-#cgj4  
,two volumes1     price #bds4           
,,si-,,yu-,,ki4      ,,buddhist         
,,records ,,of ,,the ,,western ,,world4 
,translated from the ,chinese of ,,huien
 ,,tsiang 7,a4,d4 #fbi74 ,by            
,,samuel ,,beal1 ,b4,a4 7,trin4 ,col41  
,camb471 ,r4,n4 7,retired ,chaplain     
and ,n4,i471 ,professor of ,chinese1    
,university ,college1 ,london2          
,rector of ,wark1 ,northumberland1 c4   
,the progress which has been made in our
 knowledge of ,northern ,buddhism during
 the last few years is due very         
considerably to the discovery of the    
,buddhist literature of ,china4 ,this   
literature 7now well known to us through
 the catalogues already published7      
contains1 amongst other valuable works1 
the records of the travels of various   
,chinese ,buddhist pilgrims who visited 

,india during the early centuries of our
 era4 ,these records embody the         
testimony of independent eyewitnesses as
 to the facts related in them1 and      
having been faithfully preserved and    
allotted a place in the collection of   
the sacred book of the country1 their   
evidence is entirely trustworthy4  ,it  
would be impossible to mention seriatim 
the various points of interest in these 
works1 as they refer to the geography1  
history1 manners1 and religion of the   
people of ,india4 ,the reader who looks 
into the pages of this book will find   
ample material for study on all these   
questions4 ,but there is one particular 
that gives a more than usual interest to
 the records under notice1 and that is  
the evident sincerity and enthusiasm of 
the travellers themselves4 ,never did   
more devoted pilgrims leave their native
 country to encounter the perils of     
travel in foreign and distant lands2    
never did disciples more ardently desire
 to gaze on the sacred vestiges of their

 religion2 never did men endure greater 
sufferings by desert1 mountain1 and sea 
than these simple-minded1 earnest       
,buddhist priests4 ,and that such       
courage1 religious devotion1 and power  
of endurance should be exhibited by men 
so sluggish1 as we think1 in their very 
nature as the ,chinese1 this is very    
surprising1 and may perhaps arouse some 
consideration4         99       99      
99       99       99      ,in ,two      
,volumes1 post #hvo1 pp4 xii4-#ccf and  
x4-#ceb1 cloth1 price     #bas4         
,,mediaeval ,,researches ,,from         
,,eastern ,,asiatic ,,sources4          
,,fragments ,,towards ,,the ,,knowledge 
,,of ,,the ,,geography ,,and ,,history  
,,of     ,,central ,,and ,,western      
,,asia ,,from ,,the ,,thirteenth ,,to   
,,the ,,seventeenth     ,,century4      
,,by ,e4 ,,bretschneider1 ,m4,d41       
,formerly ,physician of the ,russian    
,legation at ,pekin4  ,,extract ,,from  
,,preface  ,the subjects dealt with in  
the two volumes form a carefully revised

 and improved edition of three essays   
gathered into one collection1 viz43--   
#a4 ,notes on ,chinese ,mediaeval       
,travellers to the ,west1 #ahge4   #b4  
,notices of the ,mediaeval ,geography   
and ,history of ,central and            
,western ,asia1 #ahgf4   #c4 ,chinese   
,intercourse with the ,countries of     
,central and ,western      ,asia during 
the ,fifteenth ,century1 #ahgg4  ,since 
the first publication of these papers1  
large additions have been made to the   
stock of our knowledge regarding the    
regions of ,central ,asia which1        
previously to the ,russian occupation of
 these tracts1 had been inaccessible to 
scientific exploration4 ,thus new light 
has been thrown upon many interesting   
geographical questions suggested by the 
narratives of mediaeval travellers1 or  
hitherto based only upon more modern but
 vague and dubious ,chinese accounts4   
,to bring the new edition of those      
former researches up to the present     
advanced state of knowledge on the      

subject1 ,i had to study a vast amount  
of literature1 written for the greater  
part in ,russian1 which has come to     
light1 on ,central ,asia1 and was       
obliged to read through a great number  
of works and papers1 some of them       
published in ,russian ,turkestan1 and1  
therefore1 difficult to obtain4 ,in     
general1 all reading accessible to me   
bearing on the subject has been made use
 of for the elucidation of mediaeval    
geographical questions arising out of my
 researches4         99       99        
99       99       99      ,post #hvo1   
pp4 xii4-#afd1 cloth1 price #ajs4 #f;d4 
,,the ,,history ,,of ,,esarhaddon       
7,son of ,sennacherib71      ,,king ,,of
 ,,assyria1 ,b4,c4 #fha-ffh4            
,translated from the ,cuneiform         
,inscriptions upon ,cylinders and       
,tablets in the ,british ,museum        
,collection2 together with a            
,grammatical ,analysis of each ,word1   
,explanations of the     ,ideographs by 
,extracts from the ,bi-,lingual         

,syllabaries1 and ,list     of ,eponyms1
 c4      ,,by ,e4 ,a4 ,,wallis ,,budge1 
,m4,a41 ,litt4,d41 ,d4,lit41     ,keeper
 of the ,egyptian and ,assyrian         
,antiquities in the ,british            
,museum4  ,students of scriptural       
archaeology will also appreciate the    
',history of ,esarhaddon4'--,times4     
,there is much to attract the scholar in
 this volume4 ,it does not pretend to   
popularise studies which are yet in     
their infancy4 ,its primary object is to
 translate1 but it does not assume to be
 more than tentative1 and it offers both
 to the professed ,assyriologist and to 
the ordinary non-,assyriological        
,semitic scholar the means of           
controlling its results4--,academy4     
,mr4 ,budge's book is1 of course1 mainly
 addressed to ,assyrian scholars and    
students4 ,they are not1 it is to be    
feared1 a very numerous class4 ,but the 
more thanks are due to him on that      
account for the way in which he has     
acquitted himself in his laborious      

task4--,tablet4         99       99     
99       99       99      ,post #hvo1   
pp4 xlviii4-#cih1 cloth1 price #abs4    
,,the ,,ordinances ,,of ,,manu4         
,translated from the ,sanskrit1 with an 
,introduction4      ,by the late ,a4 ,c4
 ,,burnell1 ,ph4,d41 ,c4,i4,e4          
,completed and ,edited by ,e4 ,w4       
,,hopkins1 ,ph4,d41 of ,columbia        
,college1 ,n4,y4  ,this work is full of 
interest2 while for the student of      
sociology and the science of religion it
 is full of importance4 ,it is a great  
boon to get so notable a work in so     
accessible a form1 admirably edited1 and
 completely translated4--,scotsman4     
,few men were more competent than       
,burnell to give us a really good       
translation of this well-known law book1
 first rendered into ,english by ,sir   
,william ,jones4 ,burnell was not only  
an independent ,sanskrit scholar1 but an
 experienced lawyer1 and he joined to   
these two important qualifications the  
rare faculty of being able to express   

his thoughts in clear and trenchant     
,english4444 ,we ought to feel very     
grateful to ,dr4 ,hopkins for having    
given us all that could be published of 
the translation left by ,burnell4--,f4  
,,max ,m,ue,l,l,e,r in the ,academy4    
99       99       99       99       99  
,third ,edition4 ,post #hvo1 cloth1 pp4 
vi4-#baf1 price #fs4      ,,the         
,,bhagavad ,g,i,t,a2 or1 ,,the ,,sacred 
,,lay4     ,a ,,sanskrit ,,philosophical
 ,,poem4      ,translated1 with ,notes1 
,,by ,,john ,,davies1 ,m4,a4 7,cantab47 
,member of the ,royal ,asiatic ,society1
 of the ,cambridge     ,philological    
,society1 c41 and 7sometime7 ,rector of 
,walsoken1     ,norfolk4     ,i4        
,introduction4   ,,ii4 ,translation4    
,,iii4 ,appendix4     7i7 ,on the date  
at which the ,bhagavad ,gita was        
probably         written1 and on the    
theory that it was written under an     
influence derived from a knowledge of   
,christian doctrines4    7ii7 ,the      
traditional line of descent of the      

,lunar ,dynasty4   7iii7 ,collation of  
two ,,mss4 with the ,bonn edition of the
         ,bhagavad ,gita1 and the       
readings of other editions         and  
,,mss4  ,in preparing this translation  
of the ,bhagavad ,gita1 the author had  
before him the ,greek translation of    
,galanos1 and the ,italian version of   
,stanislao ,gatti1 both supplied by ,dr4
 ,reinhold ,rost4 ,the author also      
consulted the ,french version of        
,burnouf1 the ,latin version of ,lassen1
 and the ,english versions of ,mr4      
,thomson and ,k4 ,t4 ,telang4 ,the notes
 of ,lassen have given valuable aid1 as 
well as a paper on the ,bhagavad ,gita1 
read before the ,akademie der           
,weissenschaften of ,berlin in #ahbf by 
,w4 van ,humboldt1 which contained a    
scholarly review of the doctrines       
contained in the poem4 ,the author has  
also consulted a ,,ms4 copy of the      
,commentary on the ,bhagavad ,gita1     
written by ',sridhara1 and1 by the      
kindness of ,dr4 ,rost1 another         

commentary1 attributed to ',sankara1 but
 written by ',sankara ,ananda ,saraswati
 7quot4 at ,ananda71 and called         
,tatparya ,bodhini4         99       99 
99       99       99      ,second       
,edition4 ,post #hvo1 cloth1 pp4        
viii4-#aeb1 price #fs4      ,,hindu     
,,philosophy4      ,,the ,s,a,,nkhya    
,k,a,,rik,a ,,of ,i',s,,wara ,,krishna4 
,an ,exposition of the ,system of       
,kapila1 with an ,appendix on the       
,nyaya and ,vai'seshika ,systems4       
,,by ,,john ,,davies1 ,m4,a4 7,cantab47 
,member of the ,royal ,asiatic ,society1
 of the ,cambridge     ,philological    
,society1 c41 and 7sometime7 ,rector of 
,walsoken1     ,norfolk4  ,,extract     
,,from ,,preface4  ,i wish to present to
 my readers the philosophy of ,kapila as
 it has been set forth by his ,indian   
exponent1 ,i'swara ,krishna4 ,the system
 of ,kapila1 called the ,sankhya or     
,rationalistic1 in its original form1   
and in its theistic development by      
,patarijali1 contains nearly all that   

,india has produced in the department of
 pure philosophy4 ,other systems1 though
 classed as philosophic1 are mainly     
devoted to logic and physical science1  
or to an exposition of the ,vedas4  ,the
 system of ,kapila may be said to have  
only an historical value1 but on this   
account alone it is interesting as a    
chapter in the history of the human     
mind4 ,it is the earliest attempt on    
record to give an answer1 from reason   
alone1 to the mysterious questions which
 arise in every thoughtful mind about   
the origin of the world1 the nature and 
relations of man1 and his future        
destiny4 ,it is interesting also and    
instructive to note how often the human 
mind moves in a circle4 ,the latest     
,german philosophy1 the system of       
,schopenhauer and ,von ,hartmann1 is    
mainly a reproduction of the philosophic
 system of ,kapila in its materialistic 
part1 presented in a more elaborate     
form1 but on the same fundamental lines4
 ,in this respect the human intellect   

has gone over the same ground that it   
occupied more than two thousand years   
ago1 but on a more important question it
 has taken a step in retreat4 ,kapila   
recognised fully the existence of a soul
 in man1 forming indeed his proper      
nature--the absolute ego of             
,fichte--distinct from matter and       
immortal2 but our latest philosophy1    
both here and in ,germany1 can see in   
man only a highly developed physical    
organisation4 ,all external things1 says
 ,kapila1 were formed that the soul     
might know itself and be free4 ,the     
study of psychology is vain1 says       
,schopenhauer1 for there is no ,psyche4 
99       99       99       99       99  
,post #hvo1 pp4 #dcb1 cloth1 price #afs4
      ,a ,,classical ,,dictionary ,,of  
,,hindu ,,mythology ,,and ,,religion1   
,,geography1 ,,history1 ,,and           
,,literature4      ,,by ,,john ,,dowson1
 ,m4,r4,a4,s41     ,late ,professor of  
,hindustani1 ,staff ,college4  ,this not
 only forms an indispensable book of    

reference to students of ,indian        
literature1 but is also of great general
 interest1 as it gives in a concise and 
easily accessible form all that need be 
known about the personages of ,hindu    
mythology whose names are so familiar1  
but of whom so little is known outside  
the limited circle of savants4--,times4 
,it is no slight gain when such subjects
 are treated fairly and fully in a      
moderate space2 and we need only add    
that the few wants which we may hope to 
see supplied in new editions detract but
 little from the general excellence of  
,mr4 ,dowson's work4--,saturday ,review4
         99       99       99       99  
99      ,revised ,edition in ,two       
,volumes1 post #hvo1 pp4 xxx4-#cij2     
xiv4-#cfd1 cloth1 price #bas4      ,a   
,,history ,,of ,,civilisation ,,in      
,,ancient ,,india4     ,,based ,,on     
,,sanskrit ,,literature1      ,,by      
,,romesh ,,chunder ,,dutt1 ,c4,i4,e4    
,of the ,indian ,civil ,service1 and of 
the ,middle ,temple1                    

,barrister-at-,law1 ,member of the      
,royal ,asiatic ,society of ,great      
,britain and ,ireland1 and of the       
,asiatic ,society of ,bengal4           
,,vol4 ,i4--,b4,c4 #bjjj ,,to #cbj2     
,,vol4 ,,ii4--,b4,c4 #cbj--;,a4,d4      
#ajjj4  ,,extract ,,from ,,preface4     
,the method on which this work has been 
written is very simple4 ,my principal   
object has been to furnish the general  
reader with a practical and handy work  
on the ,ancient ,history of ,india--not 
to compose an elaborate work of         
discussions on ,indian ,antiquities4 ,to
 study clearness and conciseness on a   
subject like this was not1 however1 an  
easy task4 ,every chapter in the present
 work deals with matters about which    
long researches have been made1 and     
various opinions have been recorded4 ,it
 would have afforded some satisfaction  
to me to have given the reader the      
history of every controversy1 the       
account of every antiquarian discovery1 
and the pros and cons of every opinion  

advanced4 ,but ,i could not yield to    
this temptation without increasing the  
work to three or four times its present 
humble size1 and thus sacrificing the   
very object with which it is written4   
,to carry out my primary object ,i have 
avoided every needless discussion1 and  
,i have tried to explain as clearly1    
concisely1 and distinctly as ,i was able
 each succeeding phase of ,hindu        
civilisation and ,hindu life in ancient 
times4  ,but1 while conciseness has been
 the main object of the present work1 ,i
 have also endeavoured to tell my story 
so that it may leave some distinct      
memories on my readers after they have  
closed the work4 ,for this reason1 ,i   
have avoided details as far as possible1
 and tried to develop1 fully and        
clearly1 the leading facts and features 
of each succeeding age4 ,repetition has 
not been avoided where such repetition  
seemed necessary to impress on my       
readers the cardinal facts--the salient 
features of the story of ,hindu         

civilisation4      ,mr4 ,dutt has       
attempted to popularise learned         
researches1 and     has undertaken a    
patriotic work1 and in many respects    
none could     he better prepared for   
the task than he4444 ,as far as possible
     he allows the original texts to    
speak for themselves2 his book     is   
thus filled with extracts selected and  
translated with care2     and the       
extracts are connected together by      
analyses and resumes     in which we    
always find what is necessary1 and      
seldom what is     superfluous4 ,he has 
written with enthusiasm1 in a language  
clear     and correct1 and without that 
needless display of erudition     which 
tires more than it instructs4 ,on the   
whole ,i know of     no work which      
enables one better to enter into the    
spirit     of ancient ,indian thought1  
or which is more fascinating            
reading4--,m4 ,,barth1 in ,revue        
,critique1 ,paris4 7,translated47       
99       99       99       99       99  

,in ,one ,volume1 post #hvo1 cloth1 pp4 
xvi4-#bbd1 price #gs4 #f;d4      ,,lays 
,,of ,,ancient ,,india4     ,selections 
from ,indian ,poetry rendered into      
,english ,verse4      ,,by ,,romesh     
,,chunder ,,dutt1 ,c4,i4,e4             
,barrister-at-,law1 and of the ,indian  
,civil ,service2 ,member of the         
,royal ,asiatic ,society1 and of the    
,asiatic ,society of ,bengal4           
,author of ,a ,history of ,civilisation 
in ,ancient ,india1 c4  ,,extract ,,from
 ,,preface4  ,the time has come for     
placing before ,english readers a       
carefully prepared book of selections   
from the entire range of ,ancient       
,indian ,poetry4 ,such a book of        
selections should convey something not  
only of the beauty of ,indian poetry in 
general1 but also of the distinctive    
features of the poetry of each special  
period--something of the freshness and  
simplicity of the ,vedic ,hymns1 the    
sublime and lofty thought of the        
,upanishads1 the unsurpassed beauty of  

,buddhist precepts1 and the incomparable
 richness and imagery of the later or   
classical ,sanscrit poetry4 ,and it     
seems to me that such a book1 comprising
 specimens from the literature of       
successive periods1 is likely to give   
the ,english reader a general bird's-eye
 view of ,indian poetry1 ,indian        
thought1 and ,indian religion4          
99       99       99       99       99  
,revised ,edition4 ,post #hvo1 pp4 #bgf1
 cloth1 price #gs4 #f;d4      ,,religion
 ,,in ,,china4      ,,by ,,joseph       
,,edkins1 ,d4,d41 ,,peking4             
,containing a ,brief ,account of the    
,three ,religions of the     ,chinese1  
with ,observations on the ,prospects of 
,christian     ,conversion amongst that 
,people4  ,dr4 ,edkins has been most    
careful in noting the varied and often  
complex phases of opinion1 so as to give
 an account of considerable value of the
 subject4--,scotsman4  ,as a missionary1
 it has been part of ,dr4 ,edkins' duty 
to study the existing religions in      

,china1 and his long residence in the   
country has enabled him to acquire an   
intimate knowledge of them as they at   
present exist4--,saturday ,review4  ,dr4
 ,edkins' valuable work1 of which this  
is a second and revised edition1 has1   
from the time that it was published1    
been the standard authority upon the    
subject of which it                     
treats4--,nonconformist4  ,dr4 ,edkins  
444 may now be fairly regarded as among 
the first authorities on ,chinese       
religion and language4--,british        
,quarterly ,review4         99       99 
99       99       99      ,new and      
,revised ,edition4 ,post #hvo1 pp4      
xxiv4-#dbj1 cloth1 price     #ahs4      
,,chinese ,,buddhism4     ,a ,,volume   
,,of ,,sketches1 ,,historical ,,and     
,,critical4      ,,by ,j4 ,,edkins1     
,d4,d4     ,author of ,china's ,place in
 ,philology1 ,religion in ,china1       
c41 c4  ,it contains a vast deal of     
important information on the subject1   
such as is only to be gained by         

long-continued study on the             
spot4--,athenaeum4  ,upon the whole1 we 
know of no work comparable to it for the
 extent of its original research1 and   
the simplicity with which this          
complicated system of philosophy1       
religion1 literature1 and ritual is set 
forth4--,british ,quarterly ,review4    
,the whole volume is replete with       
learning4444 ,it deserves most careful  
study from all interested in the history
 of the religions of the world1 and     
expressly of those who are concerned in 
the propagation of ,christianity4 ,dr4  
,edkins notices in terms of just        
condemnation the exaggerated praise     
bestowed upon ,buddhism by recent       
,english writers4--,record4         99  
99       99       99       99           
,third ,edition4 ,post #hvo1 cloth1 pp4 
xxiv4-#bfh1 price #is4      ,,the       
,,philosophy ,,of ,,the ,,upanishads    
,,and ,,ancient ,,indian ,,metaphysics4 
,as exhibited in a series of ,articles  
contributed to the     ,calcutta        

,review4      ,,by ,,archibald ,,edward 
,,gough1 ,m4,a41 ,lincoln ,college1     
,oxford2     ,principal of the ,calcutta
 ,madrasa4  ,,extract ,,from ,,preface4 
,those interested in the general history
 of philosophy will find in it an       
account of a very early attempt1 on the 
part of thinkers of a rude age and race1
 to form a cosmological theory4 ,the    
real movement of philosophic thought    
begins1 it is true1 not in ,india1 but  
in ,ionia2 but some degree of interest  
may still be expected to attach to the  
procedure of the ancient ,indian        
cosmologists4 ,the ,upanishads are so   
many 'songs before sunrise'--spontaneous
 effusions of awakening reflection1 half
 poetical1 half metaphysical--that      
precede the conscious and methodical    
labour of the long succession of        
thinkers to construct a thoroughly      
intelligible conception of the sum of   
things4 ,for the general reader1 then1  
these pages may supply in detail1 and in
 the terms of the ,sanskrit texts       

themselves1 a treatment of the topics   
slightly sketched in the third chapter  
of ,archer ,butler's first series of    
',lectures on the ,history of ,ancient  
,philosophy4' ,the ,upanishads exhibit  
the prehistoric view of things in a     
naively poetical expression1 and1 at the
 same time1 in its coarsest form4 ,any  
translations will be found to include   
the whole of the ,mun4d4aka1 ,kat4ha1   
',sveta'svatara1 and ,man4d4ukya        
,upanishads1 the greater part of the    
,taittiriya and ,br4ihadaron4yaka1 and  
portions of the ,chhandogya and ,kena1  
together with extracts from the works of
 the ,indian schoolmen4         99      
99       99       99       99           
,third ,edition4 ,post #hvo1 cloth1 pp4 
xvi4-#dbh1 price #afs4      ,,essays    
,,on ,,the ,,sacred ,,language1         
,,writings1 ,,and ,,religion ,,of ,,the 
,,parsis4      ,by ,,martin ,,haug1     
,ph4,d41     ,late of the ,universities 
of ,tuebingen1 ,goettingen1 and ,bonn2  
,superintendent of ,sanskrit ,studies1  

and ,professor of ,sanskrit     in the  
,poona ,college4      ,,edited ,,and    
,,enlarged ,,by ,,dr4 ,e4 ,w4 ,,west4   
,to which is added a ,biographical      
,memoir of the late ,dr4 ,,haug by      
,prof4 ,e4 ,p4 ,,evans4     ,i4 ,history
 of the ,researches into the ,sacred    
,writings and ,religion       of the    
,parsis1 from the ,earliest ,times down 
to the ,present4   ,,ii4 ,languages of  
the ,parsi ,scriptures4  ,,iii4 ,the    
,zend-,avesta1 or the ,scripture of the 
,parsis4   ,,iv4 ,the ,zoroastrian      
,religion1 as to its ,origin and        
,development4  ',essays on the ,sacred  
,language1 ,writings1 and ,religion of  
the ,parsis1' by the late ,dr4 ,martin  
,haug1 edited by ,dr4 ,e4 ,w4 ,west4    
,the author intended1 on his return from
 ,india1 to expand the materials        
contained in this work into a           
comprehensive account of the            
,zoroastrian religion1 but the design   
was frustrated by his untimely death4   
,we have1 however1 in a concise and     

readable form1 a history of the         
researches into the sacred writings and 
religion of the ,parsis from the        
earliest times down to the present--a   
dissertation on the languages of the    
,parsi ,scriptures1 a translation of the
 ,zend-,avesta1 or the ,scripture of the
 ,parsis1 and a dissertation on the     
,zoroastrian religion1 with especial    
reference to its origin and             
development4--,times4         99        
99       99       99       99      ,post
 #hvo1 pp4 viii4 and #cdf1 cloth1 price 
#ajs4 #f;d4                             
,,manava-,,dharma-,,castra3     ,,the   
,,code ,,of ,,manu4      ,,original     
,,sanskrit ,,text1 ,,with ,,critical    
,,notes4      ,,by ,j4 ,,jolly1         
,,ph4,d41     ,professor of ,sanskrit in
 the ,university of ,wurzburg2 late     
,tagore     ,professor of ,law in the   
,university of ,calcutta4  ,the date    
assigned by ,sir ,william ,jones to this
 ,code--the well-known ,great ,law ,book
 of the ,hindus--is #abej-ejj ,b4,c41   

although the rules and precepts         
contained in it had probably existed as 
tradition for countless ages before4    
,there has been no reliable edition of  
the ,text for ,students for many years  
past1 and it is believed1 therefore1    
that ,prof4 ,jolly's work will supply a 
want long felt4         99       99     
99       99       99      ,second       
,edition4 ,post #hvo1 pp4 xii4-#eab1    
cloth1 price #afs4      ,,folk-,,tales  
,,of ,,kashmir4      ,,by ,,the ,,rev4  
,j4 ,,hinton ,,knowles1 ,f4,r4,g4,s41   
,m4,r4,a4,s41 c4     7,c4,m4,s47        
,missionary to the ,kashmirs4  ,,extract
 ,,from ,,preface4  ,kashmir as a field 
of folk-lore literature is1 perhaps1 not
 surpassed in fertility by any other    
country in the world2 and yet1 while    
every year witnesses the publication of 
books on the subject from ,bengal1      
,bombay1 ,madras1 ,porjab1 and other    
parts1 this field1 ripe for the harvest1
 has remained almost ungleaned4 ,no     
doubt its isolated position and the     

difficulty of its language have had     
something to do with this apparent      
neglect4  ,no apology will be needed for
 the presentation of this book to the   
public4 ,the great interest and         
importance attaching to the folk-tales  
of any people is manifest from the great
 attention devoted to them by many      
learned writers and others4 ,concerning 
the style and manner of the book1       
however1 ,i would ask my readers to be  
lenient with me4 ,i have sought not so  
much to present these tales in a purely 
literary form as to give them in a fair 
translation1 and most of the work was   
done by lamp-light after an ordinary    
amount of missionary work during the    
day4 ,however1 such as it is1 ,i        
sincerely hope it will prove a real     
contribution towards that increasing    
stock of folk-lore which is doing so    
much to clear away the clouds that      
envelop much of the practices1 ideas1   
and beliefs which make up the daily life
 of the natives of our great            

dependencies1 control their feelings1   
and underlie many of their actions4     
99       99       99       99       99  
,post #hvo1 pp4 ix4-#bha1 cloth1 price  
#ajs4 #f;d4      ,,the                  
,,sarva-,,darsana-,,samgraha2     ,,or1 
,,review ,,of ,,the ,,different         
,,systems ,,of ,,hindu ,,philosophy4    
,,by ,,madhava ,,acharya4               
,translated by ,e4 ,b4 ,,cowell1 ,m4,a41
 ,professor of ,sanskrit in the         
,university of ,cambridge1 and ,a4 ,e4  
,,gough1 ,m4,a41 ,professor of          
,philosophy in the ,presidency ,college1
 ,calcutta4      ,this work is an       
interesting specimen of ,hindu critical 
ability4     ,the author successively   
passes in review the sixteen            
philosophical systems current in the    
fourteenth century in the     ,south of 
,india2 and he gives what appears to him
 to be their     most important tenets4 
,the translation is trustworthy         
throughout4 ,a protracted sojourn in    
,india1 where there is a living         

tradition1 has familiarised the         
translators with ,indian                
thought4--,athenaeum4         99        
99       99       99       99      ,five
 ,volumes1 post #hvo1 cloth1 price #bas4
 each4      ,,original ,,sanskrit       
,,texts      ,on the ,origin and        
,history of the ,people of ,india3      
,their     ,religion and ,institutions4 
,collected1 ,translated1 and            
,illustrated4     ,,by ,j4 ,,muir1      
,c4,i4,e41 ,d4,c4,l41 ,,ll4,d41 ,,ph4,d4
      ,third ,edition1 ,re-written1 and 
greatly ,enlarged4  ,vol4 ,i4--,mythical
 and ,legendary ,accounts of the ,origin
 of ,caste1 with an ,inquiry into its   
,existence in the ,vedic ,age4  ,vol4   
,,ii4--,inquiry whether the ,hindus are 
of ,trans-,himalayan ,origin1 and akin  
to the ,western ,branches of the        
,indo-,european ,race4  ,vol4           
,,iii4--,the ,vedas3 ,opinions of their 
,authors and of later ,indian ,writers  
on their ,origin1 ,inspiration1 and     
,authority4 7,out of print47  ,vol4     

,,iv4--,comparison of the ,vedic with   
the later representations of the        
principal ,indian ,deities4  ,vol4      
,v4--,contributions to a knowledge of   
the ,cosmogony1 ,mythology1 ,religious  
,ideas1 ,life1 and ,manners of the      
,indians in the ,vedic ,age4         99 
99       99       99       99      ,post
 #hvo1 pp4 xliv4-#cgf1 cloth1 price     
#ads4      ,,metrical ,,translations    
,,from ,,sanskrit ,,writers4      ,with 
an ,introduction1 many ,prose ,versions1
 and ,parallel ,passages     from       
,classical ,authors4      ,,by ,j4      
,,muir1 ,c4,i4,e41 ,d4,c4,l41 ,,ll4,d41 
,,ph4,d4  444 ,an agreeable introduction
 to ,hindu poetry4--,times4  444 ,a     
volume which maybe taken as a fair      
illustration alike of the religious and 
moral sentiments and of the legendary   
lore of the best ,sanskrit              
writers4--,edinburgh ,daily ,review4    
99       99       99       99       99  
,post #hvo1 pp4 lxv4-#cfh1 cloth1 price 
#ads4      ,,tibetan ,,tales ,,derived  

,,from ,,indian ,,sources4              
,translated from the ,tibetan of the    
,,kah-,,gyur4     ,,by ,f4 ,,anton ,,von
 ,,schiefner4      ,done into ,english  
from the ,german1 with an ,introduction1
     ,,by ,w4 ,r4 ,s4 ,,ralston1 ,m4,a4 
,mr4 ,ralston1 whose name is so familiar
 to all lovers of ,russian folk-lore1   
has supplied some interesting ,western  
analogies and parallels1 drawn1 for the 
most part1 from ,slavonic sources1 to   
the ,eastern folk-tales1 culled from the
 ,kahgyur1 one of the divisions of the  
,tibetan sacred books4--,academy4  ,the 
translation 444 could scarcely have     
fallen into better hands4 ,an           
,introduction 444 gives the leading     
facts in the lives of those scholars who
 have given their attention to gaining a
 knowledge of the ,tibetan literature   
and language4--,calcutta ,review4       
,ought to interest all who care for the 
,east1 for amusing stories1 or for      
comparative folk-lore4--,pall ,mall     
,gazette4         99       99       99  

99       99      ,post #hvo1 pp4        
xvi4-#bbd1 cloth1 price #is4            
,,udanavarga4      ,a ,,collection ,,of 
,,verses ,,from ,,the ,,buddhist        
,,canon4     ,compiled by ,,dharmatrata4
      ,,being ,,the ,,northern          
,,buddhist ,,version ,,of ,,dhammapada4 
,translated from the ,tibetan of        
,bkah-hgyur1 with ,notes1 and           
,extracts from the ,commentary of       
,pradjnavarman1      ,,by ,w4           
,,woodville ,,rockhill4  ,mr4           
,rockhill's present work is the first   
from which assistance will be gained for
 a more accurate understanding of the   
,pali text2 it is1 in fact1 as yet the  
only term of comparison available to us4
 ,the ',udauavarga1' the ,thibetan      
version1 was originally discovered by   
the late ,m4 ,schiefner1 who published  
the ,tibetan text1 and had intended     
adding a translation1 an intention      
frustrated by his death1 but which has  
been carried out by ,mr4 ,rockhill4444  
,mr4 ,rockhill may be congratulated for 

having well accomplished a difficult    
task4--,saturday ,review4          99   
99       99       99       99           
,fifth ,edition4 ,post #hvo1 pp4        
xv4-#bej1 cloth1 price #gs4 #f;d4       
,,outlines ,,of ,,the ,,history ,,of    
,,religion ,,to ,,the ,,spread ,,of     
,,the     ,,universal ,,religions4      
,,by ,c4 ,p4 ,,tiele1      ,doctor of   
,theology1 ,professor of the ,history of
 ,religions in the     ,university of   
,leyden4      ,translated from the      
,dutch by ,j4 ,,estlin ,,carpenter1     
,m4,a4  ,few books of its size contain  
the result of so much wide thinking1    
able and laborious study1 or enable the 
reader to gain a better bird's-eye view 
of the latest results of investigations 
into the religious history of nations4  
,as ,professor ,tiele modestly says1    
',in this little book are               
outlines--pencil sketches1 ,i might     
say--nothing more4' ,but there are some 
men whose sketches from a thumb-nail are
 of far more worth than an enormous     

canvas covered with the crude painting  
of others1 and it is easy to see that   
these pages1 full of information1 these 
sentences1 cut and perhaps also dry1    
short and clear1 condense the fruits of 
long and thorough research4--,scotsman4 
99       99       99       99       99  
,four ,volumes ,ready4 ,volume ,v4 in   
the ,press4 ,post #hvo1 cloth1     price
 #ajs4 #f;d4 each4      ,,the ,,shahnama
 ,,of ,,firdausi4      ,done into       
,english by     ,,arthur ,,george       
,,warner1 ,m4,a41 ,,and ,,edmond        
,,warner1 ,b4,a4  ,february #beth of the
 present year 7#aiaj7 is the nine       
hundredth anniversary of the completion 
of the ,shahnama4 ,its author1 the      
,persian poet ,firdausi1 spent over     
thirty laborious years in its           
composition1 only to experience1 when   
the task had been achieved1 a           
heart-breaking disappointment well      
worthy of inclusion in any record of the
 calamities of authors4 ,his work has   
survived the test of time1 and by       

general consent is accounted to be one  
of the few great epics of the world4    
,geographically and in some other       
respects it may be said to stand        
half-way between the ,epics of ,europe  
and those of ,india4 ,in its own land it
 has no peer1 while in construction and 
subject-matter it is unique4 ,other     
,epics centre round some heroic         
character or incident to which all else 
is subservient4 ,in the ,shahnama there 
is no lack either of heroes or of       
incidents1 but its real hero is the     
ancient ,persian people1 and its theme  
their whole surviving legendary history 
from the days of the ,first ,man to the 
death of the last ,shah in the middle of
 the seventeenth century of our ,era4   
,it is the glory of the ,persian race   
that they alone among all nations       
possess such a record1 based as it is on
 their own traditions and set forth in  
the words of their greatest poet4 ,in   
another sense1 too1 the ,shahnama is    
unique4 ,the author of the other great  

,epics tell us little or nothing of     
their own personalities or of their     
sources of information4 ,their works are
 fairy palaces suspended in mid air2 we 
see the result1 but know not how it was 
achieved4 ,the author of the ,shahnama  
takes us into his confidence from the   
first1 so that in reading it we are let 
into the secret of epic-making1 and can 
apply the knowledge thus gained to solve
 the problem of the construction of its 
great congeners4 ,to the student of     
comparative mythology and folk-lore1 to 
the lover of historic romance or        
romantic history1 and to all that are   
fond of tales of high achievements and  
the gests of heroes1 the ,shahnama is a 
storehouse of rich and abundant         
material4 ,to set forth a complete      
presentment of it with the needful notes
 and elucidations is the object of the  
present translation1 made from two of   
the best printed texts of the           
original--that of ,vullers and          
,landauer1 and that of ,turner ,macan4  

99       99       99       99       99  
,third ,edition4 ,post #hvo1 cloth1 pp4 
xxiv4-#cfj1 price #ajs4 #f;d4      ,,the
 ,,history ,,of ,,indian ,,literature4  
,,by ,,albrecht ,,weber4                
,translated from the ,second ,german    
,edition by ,,john ,,mann1 ,m4,a41      
and ,,theodor ,,zachariae1 ,ph4,d41 with
 the sanction of the ,author4  ,dr4     
,,buhler1 ,inspector of ,schools in     
,india1 writes3--,when ,i was ,professor
 of ,oriental ,languages in ,elphinstone
 ,college1 ,i frequently felt the want  
of such a work to which ,i could refer  
the students4  ,professor ,,cowell1 of  
,cambridge1 writes3--,it will be        
especially useful to the students in our
 ,indian colleges and universities4 ,i  
used to long for such a book when ,i was
 teaching in ,calcutta4 ,hindu students 
are intensely interested in the history 
of ,sanskrit literature1 and this volume
 will supply them with all they want on 
the subject4  ,professor ,,whitney1     
,yale ,college1 ,newhaven1 ,conn41      

,u4,s4,a41 writes3--,i was one of the   
class to whom the work was originally   
given in the form of academic lectures4 
,at their first appearance they were by 
far the most learned and able treatment 
of their subject2 and with their recent 
additions they still maintain decidedly 
the same rank4  ,is perhaps the most    
comprehensive and lucid survey of       
,sanskrit literature extant4 ,the essays
 contained in the volume were originally
 delivered as academic lectures1 and at 
the time of their first publication were
 acknowledged to be by far the most     
learned and able treatment of the       
subject4 ,they have now been brought up 
to date by the addition of all the most 
important results of recent             
research4--,times4         99       99  
99       99       99      ,second       
,edition4 ,post #hvo1 pp4 xxxii4 and    
#ccj1 cloth1 price #gs4     #f;d4       
,,masnavi ,i ,,ma',,navi3      ,,the    
,,spiritual ,,couplets ,,of ,,maulana   
,,jalalu-',d-,,din ,,muhammad ,i        

,,ru',,mi4      ,translated and         
,abridged by ,e4 ,h4 ,,whinfield1       
,m4,a41     ,late of ,h4,m4 ,bengal     
,civil ,service4  ,,extract ,,from      
,,author',s ,,preface4  ,this is the    
book of the ,masnavi4 ,it contains the  
roots of the roots of the roots of the  
,faith1 and treats of the mysteries of  
,union and ,certitude4 ,thus saith the  
feeble slave1 in need of the mercy of   
,god1 whose name be praised1 ,muhammad1 
son of ,muhammad1 son of ,husain1 of    
,balkh1 of whom may ,god accept it1--,i 
have exerted myself to enlarge this book
 of poetry in rhymed couplets1 which    
contains strange and rare narratives1   
beautiful sayings and recondite         
indications2 a path for the devout1 and 
a garden for the pious2 short in its    
expressions1 but having numerous        
applications4 ,the author goes on to    
state that he wrote his book at the     
instance of ,shaikh ,hasan1 son of      
,muhammad1 a ,chief of the ,gnostics    
7',arifin7 and a leader of right        

direction and of sure knowledge2 and    
concludes with a prayer that it may     
prove a blessing to those who are       
possessed of insight1 the godly1 the    
spiritual1 and the heavenly-minded1 the 
men of light who keep silence and       
observe1 who are absent in spirit though
 present in the body1 very kings though 
clothed in rags1 true nobles among the  
people1 endued with virtues1 the lights 
of guidance4         99       99        
99       99       99      ,post #hvo1   
cloth1 pp4 xxxii4-#ccf1 price #ajs4     
#f;d4      ,,the ,,quatrains ,,of ,,omar
 ,,khayyam4      ,the ,persian ,text    
with an ,english ,verse ,translation4   
,,by ,e4 ,h4 ,,whinfield1 ,m4,a41       
,late of the ,bengal ,civil ,service4   
,,extract ,,from ,,the ,,introduction4  
,ghias uddin ,abul ,fath ,omar bin      
,ibrahim al ,khayyam was a native of    
,nishapur1 one of the principal cities  
of ,khorasan4 ,according to the ,preface
 of the ,calcutta ,,ms41 he died in #eag
 ,a4,d41 during the reign of ,sultan    

,sarjar4 ,the date of his birth is      
nowhere mentioned1 but he was           
contemporary with ,nizam ul ,mulk1 the  
celebrated ,wazir of the ,seljuk kings1 
,alp ,arslan and ,malik ,shah4          
,this edition contains the ,persian test
 of #ejj quatrains based on     a       
collation of eight authorities1 together
 with ,english verse     translations4  
99       99       99       99       99  
,second ,edition1 ,revised4 ,post #hvo1 
cloth1 pp4 viii4-#abd1 price     #es4   
,,the ,,quatrains ,,of ,,omar ,,khayyam4
      ,translated into ,english verse1  
,,by ,e4 ,h4 ,,whinfield1 ,m4,a41       
,late of the ,bengal ,civil ,service4   
,this edition contains #bfg of the best 
quatrains in the larger     edition1    
carefully revised4         99       99  
99       99       99      ,post #hvo1   
pp4 vi4-#cfh1 cloth1 price #ads4        
,,modern ,,india ,,and ,,the ,,indians4 
,,being ,a ,,series ,,of ,,impressions1 
,,notes1 ,,and ,,essays4      ,,by ,,sir
 ,,monier ,,williams1 ,d4,c4,l41        

,hon4 ,,ll4,d4 of the ,university of    
,calcutta1 ,hon4 ,member of the         
,bombay ,asiatic ,society1 ,boden       
,professor of ,sanskrit in the          
,university of ,oxford4      ,fifth     
,edition1 revised and augmented by      
considerable ,additions1     with       
,illustrations and a ,map4  ,in this    
volume we have the thoughtful           
impressions of a thoughtful man on some 
of the most important questions         
connected with our ,indian ,empire4444  
,an enlightened observant man1          
travelling among an enlightened         
observant people1 ,professor ,monier    
,williams has brought before the public 
in a pleasant form more of the manners  
and customs of the ,queen's ,indian     
subjects than we ever remember to have  
seen in any one work4 ,he not only      
deserves the thanks of every ,englishman
 for this able contribution to the study
 of ,modern ,india--a subject with which
 we should be specially familiar--but he
 deserves the thanks of every ,indian1  

,parsee or ,hindu1 ,buddhist and        
,moslem1 for his clear exposition of    
their manners1 their creeds1 and their  
necessities4--,times4         99        
99       99       99       99      ,post
 #hvo1 pp4 xii4-#gb1 cloth1 price #es4  
,,the ,,satakas ,,of ,,bhartrihari4     
,translated from the ,sanskrit      ,,by
 ,,the ,,rev4 ,b4 ,,hale ,,wortham1     
,m4,r4,a4,s41     ,rector of ,eggesford1
 ,north ,devon4  ,a very interesting    
addition to ,truebner's ,oriental       
,series4--,saturday ,review4  ,many of  
the ,maxims in the book have a ,biblical
 ring and beauty of expression4--,st4   
,james' ,gazette4         99       99   
99       99       99                    
,,transcriber',s ,,notes   #a4 ,passages
 in italics are surrounded by           
underscores4  #b4 ,footnotes have been  
moved from the middle of a paragraph to 
the end of the chapter4  #c4 ,obvious   
punctuation errors have been silently   
corrected4  #d4 ,the original text      
includes ,greek characters4 ,for this   

text version these letters have been    
replaced with transliterations4  #e4    
,the words coup-d'oeil and ,oedipus use 
an oe ligature in the original4  #f4    
,the letters with diacritical marks are 
enclosed within square braces4  #g4     
,numbers of the form #i-a_/b represent  
fractional numbers where whole number #i
 is followed by hyphen and the fraction 
#a_/b4  #h4 ,the following misprints    
have been corrected3     similiar       
corrected to similar 7page x7     savans
 corrected to savants 7page xiv7        
,rasula corrected to ,raoula 7page xx7  
ntellectual corrected to intellectual   
7,ch4 ,i1 ftn4 #a7     siting corrected 
to sitting 7page #fi7     amuesment     
corrected to amusement 7page #fi7       
,guadama corrected to ,gaudama 7page    
#ge7     ocurrence corrected to         
occurrence 7,ch4 ,v1 ftn4 #a7           
substantinl corrected to substantial    
7page #ha7     undescribable corrected  
to indescribable 7page #ajj7            
,pathanadi corrected to ,pathenadi 7page

 #ajg7     ,ooodaka corrected to ,oodaka
 7page #aac7     ,rathans corrected to  
,rahans 7,ch4 ,,vi1 ftn4 #b7            
succesively corrected to successively   
7page #aba7     possesssed corrected to 
possessed 7page #acb7     drunkennness  
corrected to drunkenness 7page #acf7    
,tsadoumaritz corrected to ,tsadoomarit 
7page #aci7     ,rathan corrected to    
,rahan 7page #adb7     ,adzatatha       
corrected to ,adzatathat 7,ch4 ,,vi1    
ftn4 #ac7     perfect on corrected to   
perfection 7,ch4 ,,vii1 ftn4 #c7        
morever corrected to moreover 7page     
#aeg7     eft corrected to left 7page   
#afb7     ,buddah corrected to ,buddha  
7,ch4 ,,viii1 ftn4 #i7     pracittioners
 corrected to practitioners 7,ch4 ,,ix1 
ftn4 #a7     stockof corrected to stock 
of 7,ch4 ,,ix1 ftn4 #a7     ,patzati    
corrected to ,patzapati 7page #bjh7  #i4
 ,other than the corrections listed     
above1 printer's inconsistencies in     
spelling1 punctuation1 hyphenation1 and 
ligature usage have been retained4