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



perfections of the disciple of Buddha, supernatural knowledge, 

 supreme Buddhaship itself ; all these this treasure can procure. 



Thus this possession of merit is of great and magical effect ; 

 therefore are good works praised by the wise and learned.] 



The priest simply recites these stanzas once, and then one 

 of the assembled multitude is put forward as the respondent 

 [pativacanaddyako ; Sin. pratiuttaradenna] or clerk who 

 makes the responses. He sits or stands in a posture of 

 adoration in front of the priest, who then proceeds to 

 explain each stanza in clear and simple Sinhalese. He 

 repeats the stanza in Pali, and then explains it ; and after 

 each sentence the respondent answers in Sinhalese "A!ma 

 bhante" ["It is so, lord"]. Or, if he does not quite under- 

 stand, he sometimes replies, " Pardon me, lord, I do not quite 

 understand," or any of the listeners can ask him to say that 

 they do not understand ; and the priest proceeds to explain 

 the meaning more fully. 'Whenever Nirvana is mentioned, 

 all the people raise their hands above their heads and shout 

 "Sadhu! sadhu!" 



This service occupies about two hours. It is closed with 

 a benediction in Sinhalese to the following effect - 



By virtue of the doctrines of Buddha, to which you have 

 been listening, may you be born in the worlds of Brahma and of 

 the gods, and finally attain Nirvana ! May you all share in the 

 merit of this preaching of Buddha's holy word ! 



The people then make obeisance and depart. 



The priest retires to his chamber and says to himself 

 the appointed pirit [or devotions] for the first day of was, 

 namely, the Mamgalasuttam [sources of happiness] , Rata- 

 nasuttam [the three j e wel s], Karaniyamettasuttam [goodwill 

 to all]. The translation of these devotional hymns, by 

 Mr. Childers, is as follows : — 



The Sources of Happiness. 



Thus I have heard. On a certain day dwelt Buddha at 

 Sravasti, at the Jetavana monastery, in the garden of Anatha- 

 pindaka. And when the night was far advanced, a certain radiant 

 celestial being, illuminating the whole of Jetavana, approached 



