115 
TO THE COURT OF AVA. 
the only exception is in favour of those ad¬ 
mitted into Nibban, where there is neither joy, 
nor grief, pleasure or pain; a state, which if 
it does not amount to absolute annihilation, ap¬ 
proaches as near to it as can well be imagined. 
In passing from the temple of Ananda to the 
next, and close to an old and massy gateway, 
which belonged to the ancient fortification of 
Pugan, we came upon the first inscriptions 
which we had seen. These were on two square 
columns of sandstone, each about seven feet 
high above the ground, and much like the massy 
posts of a gate, although they had certainly not 
been used for this purpose. The four sides of 
these pillars were completely covered with wri¬ 
ting, which appeared quite distinct and perfect. 
The character is not legible to the present race 
of inhabitants, or at least we could find no per¬ 
son at Pugan who could understand it. A per¬ 
son lately deceased, it was stated, made himself 
master of it; and his son, now at Ava, is said 
to have inherited his knowledge. The Pali wri¬ 
tings of the Burman priests and laity are in the 
common character of the country, in which they 
differ from the Siamese, Kambojans, and, I be¬ 
lieve, Cingalese, whose sacred writings are in¬ 
variably in the ancient Pali character, or, as it 
is frequently denominated, that of Magad’ha, 
i 2 
