Budhism : — Laws of the Budhist Priesthood. 1 5 



perfect and pure path of the priesthood. He at the same 

 time expressed his own intention of going to a village near 

 Uruwella, to preach his doctrines. 



The priests, in obedience to the directions they had received, 

 travelled into the provinces, and made many converts. 



Of these, several desired admission into the priesthood, 

 and as Goutama had hitherto reserved to himself the right 

 of admitting candidates, they brought the applicants to Budha 

 that they might be admitted to the priesthood, and obtain 

 Upasampada. 



The first of these, " Pabbhaja," is the retiring from secu- 

 lar life for religious purposes, and applies to the whole body, 

 whether novices or ordained priests. The latter, Upasam- 

 pada, is the state of full admission to the priesthood, being 

 derived from the verb, Upasampajjati, to attain* 



Budha, perceiving that this mode of proceeding was 

 fatiguing both to the priests and to the candidates, deter- 

 mined to confer upon the priests the right of admitting 

 candidates into the priesthood. For this purpose, he called 

 them together, and delivered the first of his precepts re- 

 specting Ordination. These are in the form of permission, 

 commencing with Anujanami, I permit. 



Having assembled the priests, he said, 



1. I now allow you, priests, to ordain to the priesthood 

 and admit to Upasampada, in any part of the provinces in 

 which you may be. And in this manner, priests, shall ye 

 make priests, and admit to Upasampada. First, having 

 caused the head and beard to be shaven and a yellow gar- 

 ment to be put on, make ( the candidate ) remove his upper 

 garment from one shoulder, worship the feet of the priests, 

 and [Lit: sit on his heels] kneel down. Let him then 

 lift up his joined hands, and say, I take refuge C 1 ) in 

 Budha, I take refuge in Damma (his doctrine), I take 

 refuge in the Sangha ( the priesthood ). A second time I 

 take refuge in Budha, I take refuge in Damma, I take 



(1) Or I go for aid : Wtf^oGaStT oW. 



