amongst the Singhalese. 263 



reverently saluting venerable Brahmins ; such as the aged, 

 the honorable, the experienced, and the far advanced in life — 

 that there was not a single being amongst Brahmas, Gods, 

 Sramanas, or Brahmins in the whole universe of the 

 Brahama, the Dewa, and the human worlds, whom he should 

 reverently salute, in whose presence he should rise, or 

 whom he should invite to be seated.* 



The scriptures, too, receive the same reverence from the 

 votaries of Budha, which they pay to the priesthood. For, 

 as Mr. Justice Stark properly observes (see p. 72) " the 

 Jdtakapota, or the book of Incarnations is styled Jataka-pot 

 whanse." As to the respectful posture in which the scrip- 

 tures should be listened to, it is stated in the Loweda-san- 

 grahya, that " one should neither sit on high whilst the bana 

 is read on the ground, nor stand up whilst it is read on 

 high."— 



The Rev. S. Hardy thus notices the subject, in his work 

 on Eastern Monachism. 



" The Sramana receives worship from the householder, and he forms 

 part of the Sangha, in which all Budhists profess to take refuge, when 

 they repeat the three-fold formula of protection. The priests never 

 make obeisance to any one, and never pay any outward mark of 

 respect. In the books, they are represented as using the word to, a form 

 of the second person singular that is offensively low, when addressing 

 Kings, or even deities ; all other persons use the honorific form of 

 the verb, when addressing them, but they never use it in return ; they 

 receive honor from all beings, in all forms ; but they never give it to 

 any being in any form." — p. 414. 



Mr. Hardy is substantially correct in what he states in 

 the above extract ; but the remark respecting to, as being the 

 pronoun used by the priest to the layman, requires qualifica- 



* The habits of the Singhalese in respect of the outward marks of respect and 

 attention to Superiors, accord with those of the Hindus ; as enjoined by Manu in 

 his Institutes, ii, § 185.—- See also^ TV. Asiatic S. Hi p. 198,, et $eq. 



