LITERATURE OF THE BURMAS. 27! 



^' Q. What is the doQrinc, and law, which Go dam a 

 " delivered to be obferved by all men ? 



" A. It coniifts chiefly in obferving the five com- 

 " mandments, and in abftaining from the ten fins. 



" Q. What are the five commandments ? 



"J. I, From the meaneft infe8; up to man, thou 

 " {halt kill no animal whatever. II, Thou fhalt 

 " not ileal. Ill, Thou flialt not violate the wife 

 '* :or concubine of another. IV, Thou flialt tell 

 *' nothing falfe. V^, Thou fhalt drink neither wii'ie, 

 " nor any thing that will intoxicate; tliou flialt 

 " not eat opium, nor other inebriating drug. 

 " Whoever keeps thcfe five commandments, during 

 " all fucceflive tranfmigrations, fiiall either be born 

 " a nobleman, or Nat ; and fliall not be liable to 

 " poverty, nor to other misfortunes, and calamities. 



*' Q. What are the ten fins ? 



" A. Thefe are called by the common appellation 

 " Duzzaraik, and are divided into three clafles. In 

 " the firft clafs are comprehended the works which 

 " are contrary to the commandments ; namely, 

 -' I, the killing of animals ; II, theft; III, adul- 

 " tery. In the fecond clafs are contained ; IV, 

 " falfliood ; V, difcord ; VI, harfli and indignant 

 " language; VII, idle and fuperfluous talk. To 

 " the third clafs belong, VIII, the coveting of 

 " your neighbours goods; IX. envy, and the de~ 

 " lire of your neighbours death, or misfortune; 

 " X, the following of the doctrine of falfe gods. 

 *' He who abftains from thefe fins, is faid to ob- 

 " ferve Sila : and every one who obferves Sila in 

 " all fucceflive tranfmigrations, will continually 

 '• increafc in virtue, till at length he will become 

 *' worthy of beholding a god, of hearing his great 

 " voice; and thus he will obtain Niehan, and be 

 exempted from the four known miferies, namely, 

 weight, old age, difeafe, and death. We muft 

 alfo believe, that Go dam a taught, if we obferve 

 his laws, we fhail fee the other gods, who are to 

 " arife after him. 



" Q. Befides 





