156 CEYLON BRANCH— ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY, 



SINGALO WAD A. 



TRANSLATED BY THE REV, D, J. GOGERLY* 



(Read February 6, 



On one occasion when Bagawa resided at Kaiandaka 

 Niwapa, in the Welu forest, near Raja Gaha, the gahapati 

 Singaio rose early in the morning and going out of Raja 

 Gaha, stood with his hair and his garments wet, and with 

 his clasped hands elevated, bowed down to the various 

 quarters, and worshipped the east, the south, the west, the 

 north, the nadir and the zenith. On the same morning 

 Bagawa, having arisen early and put on his robes, took his 

 bowl and proceeded to Raja Gaha in order to obtain food 

 from the charitable, and seeing Singaio engaged in his 

 devotions he said to him, Gahapati, why do you rise early 

 in the morning, and with wet hair and wet garments bow 

 down towards the several quarters and worship the east, 

 the south, the west, the north, the nadir and the zenith ? 



He replied, Venerable Sir, my father when dying said to 

 me, Son, worship the quarters : and therefore respecting, 

 honoring, reverencing and holding sacred the words of 

 my father, I rise early in the morning, and going out of 

 Raja Gaha, and with my hair and garments wet, with 

 clasped hands I bow down towards the various quarters, 

 and worship the east, the south a the west, the north, the 

 nadir and the zenith. 



That is not the proper way, Gahapati, according to the 

 teachings of holy sages to worship the six points. 



Which then. Venerable Sir, is the correct mode of wor- 

 shipping the six points according to the teaching of holy 

 sages? Will the Venerable Bagawa explain the doctrine? 



Listen then Gahapati, and carefully attend : I will ex- 

 plain it. Singaio replied, Do so, Venerable Sir, upon which 

 Bagawa said : 



Gahapati, The disciples of holy sages, abstain from the 

 four actions which pollute the man ; they are not influenced 

 to commit sin by the four sources of evil ; neither do they 

 addict themselves to the six modes of procedure, which are 

 paths leading to the destrustion of property. Keeping them- 

 selves from these 14 evils they are well guarded on the six 

 sides, and are fully prepared for both worlds ; for they are 

 holy in this world, and upon the dissolution of their frame 



