272 ON THE RELIGION AN'D 



" Q. Befides thefe already mentioned, are there any 

 '" other good works which ought to be practifed ? 



" A. There are. One good work is called Dana; 

 " a fecond is called Bovana. 



" g- ^^ "^'^^^ confifts Dana ? 



" A. Dana confifts in giving alms, particularly to 

 " the Rdhans." 



" Q^. In what confifts Bavana ? 



" A. It confifts in thoughtfully pronouncing thefe 

 " three words, Aneizza, Docclia, and Anatta. .By 

 *• the word Aneizza is underftood, that he who 

 " pronounces it, recollefts, that by his particular 

 " fituation he is liable to viciffitudes : by the word 

 " Doccha is underftood, that by the fame fituation 

 " he is liable to misfortune ; and by the word 

 " Anatta, that it is not in his power to exempt 

 " himfelf from being liable to change and to mif- 

 " fortune. Whoever dies without having obferved 

 *' the Sila, Dana, and Bavana, will certainly pafs 

 " into one of the infernal ftates, and will become a 

 " Nirca, a Prietta, or forae animal. 



'' Every one, who dies without the merit of fome 

 " good a6lion, performed during his life, may be 

 " compared to him, who, without a ftore of pro- 

 *' vifions, travels through inhofpitable deferts : to 

 " him, who without arms, penetrates into a place 

 abounding in robbers or wild beafts : to him 

 finally, who in a fmall and leaky boat, attempts 

 " to pafs a vaft, tempeftuous, and whirling river. 

 Moreover whoever, either prieft or layman, gives 

 *' up himfelf to the five carnal works, or to the 

 " pleafures received by the five fenfes, who does 

 " not obferve the five commandments, and who 

 " does not abftain from the ten fins called Duzza- 

 *' raik, is like a moth, which attracted by the ftiining 

 *' of a candle, flutters round the light, till itperifhes 

 *' in the flame : or he is like a perfon, who feeing 

 '* a fpot of honey on a fword, is unmindful of the 

 *' edge, and in licking the honey cuts his tongue, 

 " and dies : or he is like a bird, who, eager for the 



" bait 



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