124 Budhism : — Laws of the Budhist Priesthood. 



35. No person who has been branded by a judicial sentence 

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

 guilty of Dukkata. 



36. No person who is in debt shall be admitted into the 

 priesthood : he who admits him is guilty of Dukkata. 



37. No slave shall be admitted into the priesthood : he 

 who admits him is guilty of Dukkata. 



A lad of the goldsmith trade quarrelled with his parents^ 

 and going to the Monastery was made a Samanero priest. 

 His parents came to the Monastery and enquired of the 

 priests if they had seen such a lad there. They, not being 

 aware of the circumstance, stated that they had not seen him. 

 After further search the boy was found, having been admit- 

 ted as a novice. The parents loudly complained, affirming 

 that the priests were shameless liars. From this it appears 

 that priests were accustomed to ordain novices on their indi- 

 vidual responsibility, without any reference to a Chapter of 

 the Order regularly assembled. The case was reported to- 

 Budha, who, to prevent such irregularities, decreed : 



38. I direct, priests, that the shaving of the head shall be 

 notified to the Sangho. 



(In consequence of this la w, whenever a lad is to be received 

 into the priesthood as a novice, the Sangho is to be assembled 

 and the circumstances stated to the meeting, prior to the head 

 of the candidate being shaved.) 



There were in Hajagaha 17 children who were friends^ 

 Upali being the principal one. His parents thought much 

 of a profession for him by which he might obtain a livelihood 

 after their death. They thought of his being a scribe, but 

 remembered that writing tires the fingers : then they thought, 

 of his being an accountant, but that would be injurious to his 

 chest : were he to become a painter that would try his eyes. 

 They then reflected, that the sons of Sakya were virtuous 

 men ; that they were well fed and comfortably lodged, and 

 that it would be desirable to make him a priest. Upali heard 

 his parents speaking on the subject, and being pleased with 



