24 Budhism: — Laws of the Budhist Priesthood. 



The priesthood is for the purpose of using as medicine the 

 urine of horned cattle. To this you are to attend so long as 

 you live. 



This appears to have been the original rule for the priest- 

 hood, but it was soon modified ; and now under each head, 

 articles are arranged, called ec Extras allowed ,? *p-^®»<5 (50 

 ©>csa\ The four Nissaya or necessaries, are food, raiment, 

 dwelling, and medicine. Under the first, in addition to food 

 collected in the , alms-bowl, the extras allowed are, food 

 brought to the temples for the priests generally ; daily food 

 furnished by individual benefactors ; food of which they are 

 invited to partake at the houses of their disciples and others ; 

 food given on certain days ; on the Poya days ( the days of 

 the changes of the moon ) ; and on occasional days. These 

 extras in a great measure nullify the original rule. 



Under the second, or raiment, in addition to garments 

 made of cast away cloth or refuse, they are permitted to wear 

 robes made of linen, cotton, silk, woollen cloth, hempen cloth, 

 or apparently any thing which will take a yellow colour. 



Under the head of a dwelling, in addition to living at the 

 foot of a tree, they are allowed to dwell in temples, halls, 

 square houses, terraced buildings, and caves. 



Under the head of medicine, they are allowed, in addition 

 to cows' urine, ghee, butter, oil, honey and sugar. By these, 

 Atireka labho, the ascetic principle, is destroyed. From the 

 next precept, it would appear that these extras were only 

 occasional at the commencement of the system. 



A young man solicited admission to the priesthood, and 

 they immediately informed him of the four Nissaya. He 

 replied, If as a priest I am to be subject to these rules, I am 

 unwilling to enter the priesthood, and went away disgusted. 

 They informed Budha, who ordained — 



14. Priests, the Nissaya shall not be previously declared 

 to the (applicant for ordination). He who declares them is 

 guilty of Dukkata. I direct, priests^ that they be declared 

 at the time of giving Upasampada. 



