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JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [Vol. VIII. 



under the last head, the merit of the giver is not diminished, 

 but a reflected light of merit, as it were, is shed on all who 

 join, in true heart and mind, either in deed or in spirit, in 

 the pious act, from the doing of which the merit is acquired. 

 An invitation to take part in the merit is not necessary; for 

 example, if a passer-by falls in with a procession which is 

 conducting an offering to a shrine, and goes along with it 

 with the wish to take part in it as a meritorious act, he 

 shares in the merit. 



6. Helping the helpless. — The duty of rendering assis- 

 tance to the sick and infirm, to one's parents, to one's 

 teachers, and others. 



7. Showing respect. —The maintenance of a reverential 

 spirit, of which the outward manifestation is found at the 

 present day in offerings of flowers, perfumes, food, &c, at 

 the sacred b6 tree, at the dagobas or relic-mounds [thupa] , 

 and in front of the images of Buddha. 



8. Preaching. — It does not differ from dhammaddnam, 

 already explained under the first head. The merit is 

 obtained in three ways : by preaching, by getting a priest to 

 preach, and by listening. 



9. Listening. — Listening with an attentive mind, and 

 performing the part of a good listener, in repeating fre- 

 quently " Sddhu ! sddhu ! " [" It is good ! it is good ! "], which 

 resembles the "amen" of the Christian Church. 



10. Rejection of heresy. — This includes more than is 

 generally comprehended by the word heresy. When a man 

 listens to the doctrines of Buddha, he must not only believe 

 in them with an unwavering faith in the Three Gems ; he 

 must examine himself and put out from his heart all desire, 

 hate, ignorance, vanity, heresy, doubt, sloth, arrogance, 

 shamelessness, hardness of heart — lobho, doso, moho, mdno, 

 ditthi, vicikicchd y thinam, uddhaccam, ahirikd, anottappam. 

 Compare the English Communion Service. 



The above is briefly a list of virtues which every Buddhist 

 may practise more or less in secret, but there are many 

 occasions on which a pinkama is publicly performed ; and 

 at the present day the word is generally applied to these 



