BIRMAN EMPIRE. 



531 



iiiriftaa pens of Buddhu ; but the image which represents 

 Empire, him is usually called Godama. The followers of this 



/- ' deity contend * : th the disciples of Brahma for the 



honour of antiquity ; and they are certainly much 

 more numerous, as his worship is prevalent not only 

 in Ceylon, but over all the countries between Bengal 

 and China. The Birmans acknowledge, that they 

 originally received their religion from Ceylon, where 

 it exists in the greatest purity. Some time ago, a 

 Catholic bishop, residing at Ava, asked the chief 

 Rahaan, called Zaradobeira, to give him some short 

 treatise, which would explain the doctrines of Goda- 

 ma. The priest, willing to satisfy the bishop, wrote 

 for his u I treatise, the most important parti- 



culars ot which are contained in the following ab- 

 stract : " The gods who have appeared in the pre- 

 sent world, and who have obtained the perfect state, 

 Niebau, (deliverance from all the evils of life, ) are 

 four ; Chauchasam, Gonagom, Gaspa, and Goda- 

 ma. Of these the law of Godama ought at present 

 to be followed. 



" Q. Where is the god Godama ? A. Godama, 

 -at the age of thirty-five years, having attained divi- 

 nity, preached his law for forty-five years, and 

 brought salvation to all living beings. At eighty 

 years of age, he attained Niebau ; and this happened 

 23t>2 vears ago. Then Godama said, ' After I shall 

 have departed from this earth, I will preserve my 

 Jaw and disciples for 5000 years ; and he command- 

 ed, that his images and relics should be worshipped, 

 which has accordingly been ever since done.' 



" Q. What is the doctrine and law which Goda- 

 ma delivered to be observed by all men ? A. It con- 

 sists chiefly in observing the five commandments, and 

 in abstaining from the ten sins. 



" Q. What are the five commandments ? A. 



From the meanest insect, up to man, thou shalt 

 Kill no animal whatsoever. 2. Thou shalt not steal. 

 3. Thou shalt not \iolate the wife or concubine of 

 another. 4. Thou shalt tell nothing false. 3. Thou 

 shalt drink neither wine, nor any thing that will in- 

 toxicate : Thou shalt not eat opium, norother inebriat- 

 ing drug. Whoever keeps these five commandments, 

 during all successive transmigrations, shall either be 

 born a nobleman or nost, and shall not be liable to 

 poverty, nor to other misfortunes and calamities. 



" Q. What are the ten sins. A. 1. The killing of 

 animals. 2. Theft. 3. Adultery. 4-. Falsehood. 

 6. Discord. 6. Harsh and indignant language. 7. 

 Idle and superfluous talk. 8. The coveting of your 

 neighbour's goods. 9. Envy, and the desire of your 

 neighbour's death or misfortune. 10. The following 

 of the doctrine of false gods. He who abstains from 

 these tins, is said to obtain Sila ; and every one who 

 observes Si/a, in all successive transmigrations, will 

 continually increase in virtue, till, at length, he will 

 become worthy of beholding a God, and of hearing 

 his great voice ; and thus he will obtain Niebau, and 

 be exempted from the four known miseries, namely, 

 weight, old age, disease, and death. We must also 

 believe, that Godama taught, if we observe his laws, 

 we shall see the other gods, who are to arise after 

 him. 



" Q. Besides these already mentioned, are there any 

 other good works which ought to be practised i A. 



Birmau 

 Empire. 



There are. One good work is called Dana, which con- 

 sists in giving alms, particularly to the Rahaans, A se- 

 cond is called Bavana, which consists in thoughtfully v ' 

 pronouncing these three words, Aneizza, Docha, and 

 Anatta. By the word Aneiza, is understood, that 

 he who pronounces it recollects, that, by his parti- 

 cular situation, he is liable to vicissitudes ; by the 

 word Doc/ia is understood, that by the same situa- 

 tion he is liable to misfortune ; and by the word , 

 Anatta, that it is not in his power to exempt him- 

 self from being liable to changes and to misfortune. 

 Whoever dies without having observed the Sila, Da- 

 na, and Bavana, will certainly pass into one of the 

 infernal states, and will become a Nirca, a Prietta. 

 or some animal. 



" Revolving these things in your mind, O ye Eng- 

 glish, Dutch, Arminians, and others, adore Goda- 

 ma the true god ; adore also his law and his priests : 

 Be solicitous in giving alms, in the observance ot 

 Sila, and in performing Bavana. But a true and 

 legitimate priest of Godama is not to be found, ex- 

 cept in this empire, or in the Island of Ceylon ; anfi 

 you, O Bishop, have obtained a great lot, who 

 have been thought worthy, although born in one of 

 the small islands depending on Zabudiba, to come 

 hither and to hear the truth of the divine law. This 

 book, which I now give you, is more estimable than 

 gold or silver, than diamonds and precious stones ; 

 and I exhort all English, Dutch, Arminians, and 

 others, faithfully to transcribe its contents, and dili- 

 gently to act according to the precepts therein con- 

 tained." 



All the priests of Godama are properly what in Priests 

 a Roman Catholic country would be called regulars. 

 There are no secular priests in this country who of- 

 ficiate in the worship of the people. These Ra- 

 haans, as they are styled, live together in convents, 

 which are by far the best habitations in the empire. 

 They are dressed in a long cloak of a yellow colour ; 

 like the Carmelites, they go barefooted, and have their 

 heads close shaven, on which they never wear any 

 covering : they all profes3 celibacy, and to abstain 

 from every sensual indulgence. If a Rahaan is de- 

 tected in an act of incontinence, he is expelled from 

 the society, and subjected to public disgrace. The 

 delinquent is seated on an ass, and his face daubed 

 with black paint, interspersed with spots of white. 

 He is thus led through the streets, with a drum 

 beating before him, and is afterwards turned out of 

 the city. Dr Buchanan informs us, that, as far as 

 he could judge, the priests are very decent in their 

 lives, remarkably hospitable to strangers, the most 

 intelligent men in the country, and very highly re- 

 spected by the inhabitants. The road, on all occa- 

 sions, is yielded up to them ; they are almost always 

 addressed by some honourable title, and in their con- 

 vents they are allowed the use of painting and gild- 

 ing, which are prohibited to all other subjects. In 

 some cases, they are even permitted to plaster the 

 outside roofs of their habitations white, which is the 

 royal colour, the most distinguishing of all royal in- 

 signia, and common only to Godama and the king. 

 However, though they are so highly honoured, they 

 retain the greatest simplicity in their manners. The 

 Rahaans never dress their own victuals, considering 



