LITERATURE QF THK BURMAS. ^Sf 



** A. GoDAMA is the only true and pure god, who 

 " knows the four laws called Sizza, and who can 

 " beftow Nieban. In the fame manner as on the 

 *' deIlru8ion of a kingdom many arife, who afpire 

 *' to the throne, and who alfume the royal infigina; 

 " fo when the time fixed for the duration of the 

 *' law preceding Godama had expired, and it had 

 *' been prophefjed for a thoufand years, that a new 

 '* god was about to appear, fix men before the 

 *' coming of Godama pretended, that they were 

 *' gods, aUd each of them was followed by five 

 " hundred difciples. 

 ♦' g. Did thofe falfc gods preach no do6lri|ie ? 

 *' A. They did preach : but that, which they taught^ 



" was falfq. 

 *« g. What did they teach ? 



*' A. One taught, that the caufe of all the good and 

 *' evil, which happen in the world, of poverty and 

 " wealth, of nobility and want of rank, w as a cer- 

 " tain fuperiour Nat of the woods, who on this 

 " account ought to be worfhipped by mankind. 

 *' A fecond taught, that after death men were by no 

 *^ means changed into animals, and that animals on 

 " being (lain were not changed into men : but that 

 " after death men were always born men, and 

 *' animals born animals*. 

 '' A third denied the proper Niehan, and aficrted, that 

 " all living beings had their beginning in their mo- 

 *' ther's womb, and would have their end in death : 

 " and that there is no other Nieban, but this 

 *' death t. " A fourth 



* This was probably the doclrlne adopted by the Burmas before they 

 were converted to the rehglon of Bouddha: for it is yet retained by 

 the Karayn, a rude tribe lliii occupying many of the woods in the Pegu, 

 and Burma kingdoms. 



+ Grosser, in his account of the Chirtefe religion, (11, 222,) ha.s 

 either confounded this heretical Nieban with the . true dotlrine of the 

 Rdhqns, or elfe the religion he has defcribed as thnt of Fo, muft be dif- 

 ferent from that of Godama. In that work alfo many dete liable prac- 

 tices are afcribed to the Chinefe Bonzea, which, fo far as I could lenrn, 

 were entirely unknown to the Rdhans • and alfo many fooUlh and grofs 

 fuperllitions, and penances, which they ngver praftii'e. 



