Budhism -Laics of the Budhist Priesthood- 131 



IT pasampada lie shall not receive it : or if he have received 



Upasampada lie shall be expelled. 



57, A person who has left the priesthood and joined another 

 religions fraternity, if he have not received Upasampada shall 

 not receive it : or if he have received Upasampada he shall 

 be expelled. 



[The next law is introduced by a tale respecting a Nago. 

 These are represented as immense snakes of the Cobra 

 Capella tribe, but of miraculous power, and altogether 

 distinct from the common snake species : they have a peculiar 

 residence of their own where they possess immense riches. 

 They can assume the human form, intermarry with the human 

 race and have children by them : yet their natural form is 

 serpentine. Budhist legends abound with tales respecting 

 them,] 



A Nago was entirely disgusted with being of a serpentine 

 race, and thought, How can I speedily escape from this state, 

 and became a human being. He reflected on the purity and 

 holiness of the Budhist priests, and concluded that if he could 

 be received into the priesthood and receive Upasampada his 

 object would be accomplished. He therefore assumed the 

 form of a young man, and going to a Monastery requested 

 admission into the priesthood. He was admitted and after- 

 wards received Upasampada, and lived with another priest 

 in a room at the extremity of the Monastery. It is said 3 

 that the Nagas can only retain the human form while they 

 exercise consciousness, but if they fall so soundly asleep as to 

 be unconscious, the serpentine form is developed. The priest 

 who lived in the room with the Nago rose very early and went 

 into the open air ; upon his departure the Nago fell into a 

 sound sleep, and his natural form being developed, his body 

 filled the entire room and part of it extended beyond the 

 window. The priest who had gone out being desirous of 

 returning to his room, opening the door saw this immense 

 snake and shrieked with terror. The whole Monastery was 

 alarmed,, and the Nago awaking assumed the human form. 



