64: Captain James Low on Bupp ua and the Phrabdt. 
those inconsistencies which mark the character of Buddhist schismatics; and 
it may enable us more readily to reach the real source of their religion, 
from which somany superstitions have ramified to cross our path in eastern 
research, 
The Siamese priests, questioned by me as to the cause of this inconsis- 
tency, were so much perplexed that they could not even frame a plausible 
reply. It is, they said, the impression of the foot of their lord and master, 
and must therefore be worshipped, and they added, that any mortal about 
to arrive at the threshold of Nivdn has his feet emblazoned spontaneously 
with all the types we see on a Phrabat. 
Although the Siamese priests, from their worshipping ostensibly one 
great deified mortal, and his several manifestations only subordinately, may 
be termed a species of Unitarians in Indian theology, yet many classes, and 
perhaps the whole of the laity, venerate, and even worship in some degree 
the whole Hindu Pantheon : nor do the priests apparently censure this con- 
duct ; because they consider themselves next in rank to the D,hammang, or 
the Bali personified ; above which, and next in this triad, is Bupp4a him- 
self; and moreover that the mass of people have greater need than they of 
extraneous assistance from supernatural power.* 
The sun, amongst other objects, is still venerated under the title of Pra 
Athit, and is invoked by the Siamese people on urgent occasions. At the 
same time he is not more reverenced by them than many other sabistical 
divinities and terrestrial powers and spirits. Mr. Colebrooke has noticed, in 
his observations on the Jainas, that the worship of the sun, which distin- 
guishes the orthodox Hindus, does not seem to have been at any time prac- 
tised by the rival sects of Jaina and Buddha. But it appears to me that the 
sun holds a prominent place amongst the deities acknowledged by the 
Siamese; although, like other objects which demand the spontaneous 
homage of the Hindu, they do not give him that rank which there are many 
reasons for supposing he held in their primary system of worship. 
To whatever country or people we may choose to assign the original 
invention of the Phrabdt, it exhibits too many undoubted Hindu symbols to 
admit of our fixing its fabrication upon the worshippers of the latter 
Bupp,HA ; of whose positive dogmas it is rather subversive than otherwise, 
* Mr. Crawfurd, in his mission to Siam before noticed, seems to be of opinion that the Hindu 
gods are only tolerated. 
