1 8(38.] On the History of the Burma Race. 81 



introduction of the complete Buddhist scriptures, Bi-da-gat, into 

 Burma, occurred. This event has probably been materially antedated, 

 as indeed appears from what is stated subsequently in the his- 

 tory of the reign of A-nan-ra-hta more than six hundred years 

 Liter. But in the history it is related how at this time, the 

 entire Bi-da-gat was brought to Tha-htun, then the chief city of 

 the Talaing kingdom, by the great teacher Bud-da-gau-tha. The 

 story of this great teacher appears to have been taken from the 

 Mahawanso of Ceylon, for older Burmese accounts generally represent- 

 ed Bud-da-gau-tha as an inhabitant of Tha-htun. The event is thus 

 narrated. " About this time it is recorded in the great lladza-weng, 

 that the celebrated teacher, the lord Bud-da-gau-tha, went from the 

 country of Tha-htun to Ceylon to bring the books of the Bi-da-gat. 

 In the new Badza-weng, it is said that he crossed from Mits-tsi-ma- 

 de-tha ; but the case is really thus : For more than nine hundred 

 years after the establishment of religion,* the disciples of Yau-na-ka- 

 maha-dham-ma-rak-khi-ta, and of Thau-na and U't-ta-ra, repeated by 

 heart the three great divisions of the Bi-da-gat. There were as yet 

 no letters in Dzam-bu-di-pa. At that time a young Brahman was 

 living near the Baudi tree. He was learned in medicine and mathe- 

 matics. Wandering about in Dzam-bu-di-pa, disputing the doctrines 

 of others, he came to a monastery, and in the vicinity began to recite 

 in a soft voice. The great teacher Sheng Re-wa-ta hearing, said : 

 ■ This man is wise, it will be proper to discuss with him.' He there- 

 fore called out, ' Who is there braying like an ass ?' The young man 

 replied, ' You understand then the braying of asses ?' and then to his 

 questions Sheng Revvata gave suitable replies. But the young 

 Brahman knew nothing of the divine law. He therefore became a 

 Kalian to study the three great books of the Bi-da-gat. From that 

 time, he became as celebrated as a Phra, and was named Bud-da-gau- 

 tha. He wished to study commentaries on the Bi-da-gat. The 

 Sheng Re-wa-ta, knowing this, said : ' In Dzam-bu-di-pa there is only 

 the Pali, there is not the commentary ; teachers with various gifts of 

 mind are scarce ; but in Ceylon the commentaries are pure. The 



* The assertion in the text must mean that until after the year 900 of 

 religion, there were no Scriptures in Burma or Suvanabhumi, that is, Tha-htun. 

 The term Dzam-bu-di-pa, which is generally applied to India only) is here 

 applied by a bold license to those two countries. 



12 



