104 CEYLON BRANCH ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY. 



2. Hermaphrodites ^^oSKden^, who may also be 

 human, gods or demons, and animals, and have the three 

 paths. 



3. Males, viz. men, gods and demons, and animals, who 

 have two paths. 



If violence be used, the party suffering it is not guilty, if 

 there be no participation of the will ; but if there be the 

 slightest assent, the individual is excluded. Among the 

 cases there are two not connected with crime, but shewing a 

 similarity to the classical fable of Caenis. They are recorded 

 without a word expressive of surprize, and the Budhists of 

 the present day regard a similar occurrence as by no means 

 impossible. On one occasion, it happened to a priest that the 

 organ of generation became changed from male to female, 

 (i. e. the man became a woman), the case was reported to 

 Budha, who said, I permit, priests, that the person retain the 

 same spiritual father as before, that the years since his ordi- 

 nation shall continue, but he must now be a priestess, and be 

 subject to the laws enacted respecting them. The other case 

 was that of a priestess, who suddenly became changed into a 

 man, and the directions given were similar to the preceding ; 

 having become a man, she was to be accounted a priest, re- 

 tain her spiritual father, and her standing in the priesthood, 

 and become subject to all the rules given for the guidance of 

 the priest. This being recorded in the sacred text, must be 

 implicitly received by Budhists. No reason for the change 

 is assigned, and no agent by which it was effected is mentioned. 

 The comment states, that the priest's merit, accumulated in 

 former births, was insufficient to keep him a man till his 

 death, and that the priestess had too much merit to remain a 

 female to the end of her life. Another legend is recorded 

 in the comment, which shews that the Budhists regarded the 

 change of sex as perfect. The legend is, a beautiful young 

 man, became a Rahat, being perfectly holy. As he was bath- 



