30 



asked me, and I have replied truly to the same ; therefore, from 

 compassion to me, grant me permission to be admitted a pritst." 

 . *'^After this, the priests coming- round the candidate, one of the 

 three readers stands before Idm and the others at either side, and 

 they read from this writing, their three voices forming as it were 

 one : " Oh venerable lord, learned in the sacred writings, and all ye 

 other priests, this candidate, who is desirous of becoming a priest, 

 having equipped himself with thabike, thanegaji, and the other 

 things required, begs permission to be admitted to the priesthood ; 

 will you give your consent ^" 



Then the chief teacher says,, It is a very difficult matter to abide 

 by the law ; and it is particularly the duty of priests to strive after it, 

 for men who live in the world cannot do so, whether they be chiefs, or 

 persons of unbounded wealth, or merchants, or cultivators : these 

 cannot keep to the two hi-mdered and twenty-seven rules, but rAa- 

 hcms must endeavour to keep tliem." 



After this the chief teacher and the other priests announce to 

 him that he is admitted a priest, and admonish him, thus : " Take 

 notice that from this day you are a priest, therefore greatly must 

 you rejoice ; and according to this joy, see that you observe the two 

 hundred and twenty-seven rules, and that they be not transgress- 

 ed by you, and you may accept what (in a religious manner) is of- 

 fered to you. If you do not govern yourself by these precepts, you 

 are not a priest, but an ordinary man, and are not worthy 

 to receive the offerings that would be made to you ; for if unworthily 

 such are received and turned to use, it is like a person attempting 

 to swallow a lump of red-hot-iron." The new priest answers, 

 *' Good, my lord." 



The man who enters into priest's orders must carefully note the 

 day, the month, the hour, the length of his shadow, (^3) and the 

 season of the year at which he becomes a priest. Four things are 

 there which must be avoided ; four, also, which should be done. 



^' To obtain food, he must go round and beg,(2'*) even till wea- 

 ried in his limbs by so doing, and on food obtained in this manner 

 must he all his life subsist. If a pupil reverently invite him, he may 

 go and eat at that pupil's house, or he may carry thence food offer- 

 ed him. He may also eat the food which a pupil brings to his mo- 

 nastery and there reverently offers him : he may partake of the food 

 presented to a number of priests in a body, and of that offered by 

 lot. Thus, of whatever is offered on any day of the increase of the 

 moon, (25) and whatever is offered on any of its decrease, that 

 which is offered on a worship day,(-6) and that which is offered on 



