THE STATURE OF GOT AM A BUDDHA. 



89 



view of the same rule, as adapted to the priestesses, which is — 



7. That the bath-cloth of a bhikkuni should be four, by 

 two spans, or three feet by one and-a-half feet. 



This is ridiculously low according to our modern notions 

 of propriety. Making all allowances for the narrow and 

 illiberal views of society in general in remote antiquity, 

 and the contempt with which woman was held by man- 

 kind in those days, Gotama Buddha not excepted,— we may 

 not be surprised, that, in regulating the size of the garments 

 for women, the sage reduced the dimensions prescribed for 

 the males. Yet, judging from the great good sense which 

 predominates his social ascetic system, we are justified in 

 expecting from the law-giver a rule by which he effectually 

 carried out the object for which a bath-cloth was at all 

 provided — the concealment of shame. Bearing in mind 

 that ablutions in the age of Gotama were performed in public 

 places, and at open ferries (see Vinaya lib. 4) we certainly 

 think that the same dimensions of a wrapper, intended as an 

 under shift in the case of males afflicted with cutaneous dis- 

 eases [vide Suprcty Case 5], would scarcely suffice for women 

 bathing at public rivers. Not only this, but the following 

 rule which regulates the size of Buddha's robe clearly indi- 

 cates that the standard of our measure should be raised. 



8. The size of Gotama Buddha's robe is nine by six 

 spans, equal to six and three-quarter by four and-a-half feet. 



If the height of man in the age of Gotama was six feet, a 

 robe of six and three-quarter feet, making allowances for 

 a coil round the shoulder would scarcely fit him "from 

 neck to ankle," but the same cannot be said of the width of 

 the robe of a "decently clad" priest, which is put down at 

 four and-a-half feet— little above the length for a wrapper 

 provided for by rule given in the fifth case cited above, 



Abandoning therefore the standard of nine inches for a 

 vidatthi, we shall here notice what has been said on the 



