240 
11. C. Temple— The JLokaniti translated 
[No. 3, 
ble in them even upon a superficial examination. Lastly in one of the 
MSS. in the Bassein District there is a preface partly in Burmese and 
partly in Pali, according to the usual custom, which was forwarded to me. 
This contains much the same information as the account above given, and 
is almost identical with what is given as the last or 165th sloka of the 
Government printed edition of the Lawkanidi, a rendering of which will be 
found at the end of the following translation of the whole work. From 
these sources of information it is difficult to tell whether the book was 
compiled or only revised by the Hpongyi Sekkandabi, but I think the latter 
is probably the correct assumption. 
The Lokaniti is divided into seven khandas or chapters, each contain¬ 
ing a series of proverbs on the subject of the chapters. These subjects are 
(1) the Wise, (2) the Good, (3) the Wicked and Foolish, (4) Friendship, 
(5) Women, (6) Kings, (7) Miscellaneous Subjects. In the first of these 
chapters, and in fact throughout the whole work, there is a strong religious 
element, but they contain at the same time many spicy bits of shrewd 
worldly wisdom, while the quaintness of the similes with which the pro¬ 
verbs abound should I think of themselves attract attention. 
In reading the rendering of this book it must be borne in mind that it 
is a Buddhist work, and that such words and expressions as “ the truth,” 
“ the Law,” “ God,” “ angels,” “ the world to come” and so on, have a 
Buddhist and not a Christian signification. However, it bears so strong a 
resemblance to our own “ Proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, King of 
Israel,” that I thought it advisable to translate it into Biblical language, 
deeming that the Buddhist mode of religious thought would be more forci¬ 
bly brought before English readers by that than by any other mode. 
Lastly, when making the following translation in 1875, I had the assis¬ 
tance of Moung Shwe Tha, a well-known “ Munshi” of Bangoon. 
THE BOOK OF THE PROVERBS OF COMMON LIFE. 
Glory be to him that is blessed , that is holy , that is the Author of all 
Truth* 
Chapter I. 
1. Making my obeisance to God,f the Law, and the Assembly of the 
Perfect, J I have written in one book, called the Book of the Proverbs of 
* This is the usual heading of Buddhist hooks. In Pali it runs as follows : “ Na- 
mo tassa bhagavato arahato samma Sambuddhassa.” 
f Or Buddha or the All Wise. 
X Or to the Three Precious Things. The “ Three Precious Things” are (in Pali) 
Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha, which are translated by Childers in his Khuddaka 
Patha as Buddha, the Law, and the Church. 
