76 



The Buddhistic annals and traditions of the Burmese are 

 peculiarly valuable to students of Buddhism in Ceylon, not only 

 from the intimate connection that has for so many centuries been 

 kept up between the two countries, for the express purpose of 

 promoting the interests of their common religion; but from the 

 circumstances which, from the original introduction of Buddhism 

 into Burmah, have there preserved it from the corrupting influences 

 which have more or less affected that faith in other countries. 

 Upon this subject the Right Rev. P. Bigandet, Bishop of Ramatha 

 and Vicar Apostolic of Ava and Pegu, observes, in the introduction 

 to his interesting work, " The Life of Gaudama, the Buddha of the 

 Burmese 



" Buddhism, such as we find it in Rurmah, appears to have retained 

 to a great extent, its original character and primitive genuineness, 

 exhibiting the most correct forms and features of that Protean creed. 

 At the epoch the Burmans left the northern vallies and settled in the 

 country they now inhabit, they were a half civilized Mongolian tribe, 

 with no kind of worship, except a sort of Geniolatry, much similar to 

 that we see now existing among the various tribes now bordering on 

 Burmah. They were in the same condition when the Buddhist mission- 

 aries first arrived among them. Deposited in this almost virginal soil, 

 the seed of Buddhism grew up freely, without meeting any obstacle to 

 check its growth. 



" Philosophy, which, during its too often erratic rambles in search of 

 truth, changes, corrects, improves, destroys, and, in numberless ways, 

 modifies all that it meets, never flourished in these parts : and therefore 

 did not work in the religious institutions, which have remained up to this 

 day nearly the same as they were when first imported into Burmah. 

 The free discussion of religious and moral subjects, which constituted 

 the very life of the Indian schools, and begat so many various, inco- 

 herent, and contradictory opinions on the most essential points of 

 religion and philosophy, is the sign of an advanced state of civilization, 

 which does not appear to have ever existed on the banks of the Irra- 

 waddy. 



