32 



rials, nor even of a worm : he who does so is not the child of the 

 deity. As soon might a broken stone be joined together and be- 

 come whole again, as such a person continue a priest ; and even till 

 the end of his Hfe this must be his rule; the deity hath so direct- 

 ed." — Answer. Good, my lord." 



After becoming a priest, the thing that is untrue must not be 

 ■spoken, nor any of the * ten precepts' (^9) infringed. It must not 

 be said, * I can fly in the air,' or * penetrate the earth,' or * go 

 under the water,' or ' I shall certainly attain happiness in the next 

 life.' * the evils of this life cannot hurt me,' or * I can render my- 

 self invisible.' Like as a palmj/ra-tree of which the top has been cut 

 ofF ceases to throw forth leaves, so he that says things of this sort 

 cannot continue a priest. Thus hath the deity ordered." — Answer. 

 Good, my lord," 



" There are four similitudes, land you must keep them in remem- 

 brance/'— Answer. Good, my lord ; so long as I wear the gar- 

 ment of a priest I will abide by these precepts, in hope that, by 

 keeping them, I shall in death exchange this life for a better, and 

 knowing also that if I do not I shall be turned into hell." 



These are the rules respecting the kattine thanegan. From 

 the eighth day of the increase of the moon Tazownmown (about 

 November), until the fifteenth day of the same, is the proper 

 time for those who wish to buy and offer garments to priests 

 to do so. Cloth for two upper garments and one under 

 garment, needles, thread, jack-tree wood, dowkyat : these 

 articles are to be purchased, and taken whilst it is yet night 

 to the neighbourhood of the monastery where dwells the priest,* 

 learned in the sacred writings. 



These things are to be put down at the steps ; and in order to 

 bring it to the knowledge of the priest that they are there, the man 

 who offers them is to throw some pebbles against the house from 

 some place of concealment hard by. Then the priest, being Aroused, 

 well get up, and on coming down the steps will perceive the cloth 

 and other things; he must then three times enquire, saying, " Is 

 there any owner for these things ?" and no owner being found, he 

 may then take and put them aside for his own use. After this, 

 the man who has been abiding in concealment is to go up into the 

 monastery, and petitioning the priest, say, My lord, is there any 

 owner for the things you took up just now ?" The priest answers, 

 ** There is not." The other then says, " As that is the case, I w^ill 



• To whom it is intended to offer them. 



