Budhism : — Laws of the Budhist Priesthood. 123 



King Bimbisa.ro upon this waited on Budha and said, There 

 are in my kingdom persons destitute of faith and strongly 

 disposed to injure the priests, it will be well for them not to 

 admit into the priesthood any person belonging to the king's 

 forces. When the king was gone, Budha called the priests 

 together, stated the case, and decreed : 



30. Priests, no person in the king's pay shall be made a 

 priest. He who admits such a person into the priesthood is 

 guilty of Dukkata. 



The noted thief Anguli Malo was admitted into the priest- 

 hood. The people seeing him were alarmed and terrified, and 

 fled away to other places. The people generally gave utter- 

 ance to their extreme dissatisfaction, and the priests reported 

 it to Budha, who decreed : 



31. Priests, no outlawed felon shall be admitted into the 

 priesthood : he who admits him is guilty of Dukkata. 



The king of Magadha had commanded that no violence 

 should be offered to any of the priests of Budha, as they were 

 holy and virtuous men. On one occasion a thief had been 

 cast into prison : but he breaking out of prison escaped and 

 obtained admission into the priesthood. He was afterwards 

 recognized, but when some persons went to apprehend him 

 they were reminded of the king's command. The people 

 murmured and said, These sons of Sakya are privileged to do 

 what they will with impunity. Why do they admit to the 

 priesthood thieves who have broken out of prison. Upon 

 being informed of this, Budha decreed : 



32. Priests, no thief who has broken out of prison shall be 

 admitted into the priesthood : he who admits him is guilty of 

 Dukkata. 



Under similar circumstances the following laws were made 

 by Budha. 



33. No proclaimed thief shall be admitted into the priest- 

 hood : he who admits him is guilty of Dukkata. 



34. No person who has been flogged by a judicial sentence 

 shall be admitted into the priesthood i he who admits him is 

 guilty of Dukkata, 



