1845.] du Buddhism Indien, par E. Burnouf. 803 



In the commencement of his preaching, however, when the number 

 of his disciples was inconsiderable, Sakya instructed himself his neo- 

 phytes. The investiture gave his followers the character of religious 

 mendicants ; for after the obligation to observe the law of chastity, the 

 most binding was to live on public charity alone. From the life of 

 privation, to which his followers had to submit, they received the title 

 of Sramanas, or ascetics, who subdue their senses, a title which Sakya 

 bore himself, (both these titles, mendicants and ascetics, were borrowed 

 from the Brahmans, who, however attached a different sense to them.) 



The first of all conditions, which those who wanted to become his 

 disciples, had to fulfil, was belief ; and this being found satisfactory, all 

 others might be dispensed with. Excluded from his assembly were 

 persons, affected with incurable diseases (as lepers) or with gross defects 

 of the body 5 criminals, as the parricide, the murderer of his mother or 

 of an Arhat ; persons who had created dissensions among the religious, 

 or who had committed one of the four great crimes of the Brahmans : 

 persons under the age of 20 years, who had not the authority of their 

 parents ; slaves who might be reclaimed by their masters ; debtors, who 

 might be prosecuted for debt. No person could be admitted by a single 

 follower, but he was to be examined and received by the whole assem- 

 bly. The legends inform us, that Sakya conferred on the assembled 

 body of the religious the office of receiving novices, and investing them 

 when prepared, and also, that he appointed two chiefs of the assembly. 

 The different classes of persons, composing the assembly, of which 

 Sakya was the chief, were as follow. First, the mendicants; to 

 them corresponded a body of female ascetics, the admission of whom 

 was guided by the same regulations. They had also to submit to the 

 same obligations, enjoined by the law of discipline, viz. to the ob- 

 servance of perpetual chastity, and to the duty of supporting themselves 

 by begging. These ascetics of both sexes compose the body of the 

 assembly ; a degree lower are placed the Upasakas and Upasikas, 

 that is to say, the devotees, or more generally, the believers, who pro- 

 fessed to believe in the truth, revealed by Sakya, without having 

 assumed the life of an ascetic. Mr. Burnouf believes, that this institu- 

 tion was not introduced until after the death of Sakya. I do not think, 

 he says, that Sakyamuni would from the commencement of his 

 preaching have divided his assembly in Bhikchus (mendicants) and 



