212 Translation of a Burmese [Mat, 



In the reign of Mahamanygolarhve bhungathop kridayaka 

 mangtara, in the year 2323, certain unholy priests violated the laws of 

 the holy Buddh by inventing in the Pali language ten heterodox 

 doctrines of their own, and substituting them in the stead of the 

 dictates of Buddh. It was amongst other things directed, that a piece 

 of yellow cloth of four cubits long and one span in breadth, tied around 

 the breast, should form the only raiment of priests — a doctrine to which 

 they gave all the force of their own example. These inconsistencies 

 made the monarch anxious to exhibit and elucidate to all his subjects, 

 both foreigners and aborigines, the laity and the priesthood, the true 

 shastras with commentaries : he therefore convened a general meeting, 

 where those versed in shastrical lore, by long discussion and close scru- 

 tiny, came to the conclusion that the use of the yellow cloth in the manner 

 stated was a violation of the shastras, and that priests should roll part of 

 their cloth, and pass it under their arms ; when it was also enjoined that 

 the uninitiated priests should study Sehhiyavatha, (a volume which regu- 

 lates dress and ceremonies,) and correct by its dictates their system of 

 mendicancy, habiliments, and general demeanour. Many holy volumes, 

 teeming with sapient comments, were brought to demonstrate the incon- 

 sistency of the practices prevalent, which could not be gainsaid or coun- 

 teracted by the advocates of the new system, who formed a class living 

 by themselves in the village of Dum. 



Another general conference was held, in which presided Mahayasa. 

 There was a class of priests called Chhabbaggi, who used to practise ten 

 several kinds of inconsistencies, when in the year 2326, it was deter- 

 mined and ascertained that the practice was founded on tradition, and 

 not in the shastras. Chhangpru mrahsakhang mang tarah kri, 

 the king of Amarapura, to whom were subject several tributary rajas, 

 being displeased at the perversion, he by the power he was invested 

 with by the institutions of Heaven, as well as by those of the laws of 

 his own kingdom, suppressed unholiness,and amongst the rest destroyed 

 the evil practices alluded to, and what was impure he filtered into re- 

 finement, so that the conduct and holy exercises of the priests were 

 brought to concord and harmony, and those who followed wrong 

 dogmas, or their own whims, were brought within the pale of orthodoxy. 

 In fine like Sridhammasoka, king of the world, he directed the cir- 

 culation and establishment of the shastras in all accessible countries. 

 Having heard that the shastras were made light of in a country called 

 Mahavisa, he took possession of it, and brought and charmed away 

 thence the statue of Mahamuni, and deposited it in a temple decorated 

 with gems. 



In Brother Changprurhang's reign, Vichitta lankara being ex- 



