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the native government. The right of sanctuary agrees well with monastic pretension and principle. Matthew of Westminster says of the sanctuary at Hexham, "Now, if a malefactor, flying for refuge to that church, was taken or apprehended within the four crosses, the partye that tooke or laid holde of hym there, did forfeit two hundredh; if he tooke hym withyn the towne, then hee forfetted four hundredh; if withyn the walles of the churche, then six hundredh; if withyn the churche, 1200; if withyn the doores of the quire, then 1800 besides penance; but if hee presoomed to take hym oute of the stoone chair near the altare, called fridstol, or from the holie relics behinde the altare, the offence was not redeemable with anie somme." These places were frequently complained of as a great grievance. Stow says in his Chronicle, "Unthrifts riot and run in debt upon the boldness of these places; yea, and rich men run thither with poor men's goods; there they build, there they spend, and bid their creditors go whistle them; men's wives run thither with their husband's plate, and say they dare not abide with their husbands for beating; thieves bring thither their stolen goods, and live thereon; there devise they new robberies, nightly they steal out, they rob and reave, and kill, and come in again, as though these places gave them not only a safeguard for the evil they have done, but a licence to do more." The vestal virgins were permitted to demand the release of any criminal they might meet accidentally in the street. The priests of Budha in Burma had until recently so much authority, that they even withdrew condemned criminals from the hand of justice. Capital punishment was a rare occurrence in the kingdom; for no sooner did the priests hear that a criminal was being led to execution, than they issued from their convents in great numbers, with heavy sticks concealed under their habits, with which they furiously attacked the ministers of justice, put them to flight, and led away the culprit to their temple. Here his head was shaved, the yellow robe was put upon him, and by these ceremonies he was absolved from his crime, and his person rendered inviolable; but they do not now venture upon these bold measures, unless they are sure of the protection of the mandarins.*

The limits of the wihára, as well as of the places in which bana is publicly read, are to be defined by a chapter. The form to be used appears in the Kammawáchan. It is not a consecration, but

* Sangermano's Burmese Empire.

simply an appointment of boundaries; an act of this kind being. necessary in relation to all places where regulars are permitted to congregate. The consecration of churches began in the fourth century, and appears to have been connected with the jus asyli which was then claimed. It is a fitting rite when properly conducted; but when the spot thus consecrated is regarded as a place in which the whole of the ministerial duty may be performed, or as conferring upon the word preached, or the supplication presented, a power which it does not possess in other places, a consequence is produced that is in opposition to the extent of privilege conferred upon the church by Christ. The whole world, to its utmost limit, has been consecrated by the shedding of the Redeemer's blood; and, as if in reference to the coming down of the glory that overpowered the priests at the dedication of the tabernacle, it is expressly stated, that "all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord."

A glowing description is given in the Mahawanso of the consecration of a site at Anuradhapura, by Dewananpiyatisso, who began to reign B. c. 307. When the monarch was about to define the limits of a garden that he intended to devote to the priesthood, he approached the priests worthy of veneration, and bowed down to them; and then proceeding with them to the upper ferry of the river, he made his progress, ploughing the ground with a golden plough. The superb state elephants Mahápadumo and Kunjaro having been harnessed to the golden plough, Dewananpiyatisso, accompanied by the priests and attended by his army, himself holding the shaft, defined the line of boundary. Surrounded by vases exquisitely painted, which were carried in procession, and by gorgeous flags, tinkling with the bells attached to them; sprinkled with red sandal dust, guarded by gold and silver staves, the concourse decorated with mirrors of glittering glass and with garlands, and with baskets borne down by the weight of flowers; triumphal arches made of plantain trees, and females holding up umbrellas and other decorations; excited by the symphony of every description of music; encompassed by the martial might of his empire; overwhelmed by the shouts of gratitude and festivity which welcomed him from the four quarters of the earth;-this lord of the land made his progress, ploughing amidst enthusiastic acclamations, hundreds of waving handkerchiefs, and the exaltation produced by the presenting of superb offerings. Having perambulated

the precincts of the wihára, as well as the city, and again reached the river, he completed the demarkation of the consecrated ground.*

It is to be supposed that an atheistical system will pay little regard to acts of worship. The people, on entering the wihára, prostrate themselves before the image of Budha, or bend the body, with the palms of the hands touching each other and the thumbs touching the forehead. They then repeat the three-fold formulary of protection, called tun-sarana, stating that they take refuge in Budha, in the Dharmma, and in the Sangha; or they take upon themselves a certain number of the ten obligations, the words being first chanted in Pali by a priest, or in his absence by a novice. Some flowers and a little rice are placed upon the altar, and a few coppers are thrown into a large vessel placed to receive them; but no form of supplication is used; and the worshipper goes through the process with feelings kindred to those with which he would irrigate his field, or cast his seed-corn into the ground, knowing that in due time, as a natural consequence, he will reap the reward of his toil. When special offerings are presented, or a particular wihára visited, or a ceremony attended that is out of the common course, it is usually with the expectation of receiving some specific boon, which may be relative either to this world or the next.

The assistance derived from the three gems, Budha, the Truth, and the Associated Priesthood is called sarana, protection. The invocation of the triad is noticed by a Mahometan traveller in Tibet, who calls its constituents God, his prophet, and his word. By Remusat it is translated" Boudha, la loï et le clergé." A king of China, of the dynasty of Siang, once sent a present of all kinds of perfumes to a prince of Korea; but the prince did not know for what purpose they were intended, until informed by a priest of Budha recently come to the country, who told him that they were to be burnt, and that if whilst they were burning any wish was formed, the triad to whom the perfume was grateful would cause the wish to be accomplished. The king's daughter was at this time sick. The priest was therefore commanded to burn the perfumes in the proper manner, that her disease might be removed; and as the ceremony had its desired effect, he was amply rewarded. There are minor, perhaps essential, differences in the Budhism of different countries; but the worship of the triad appears to be universal.

The protection derived from the three gems is said to destroy + Remusat's Relation, p. 43.

*Turnour's Mahawanso, cap. xv.

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the fear of reproduction, or successive existence, and to take away the fear of the mind, the pain to which the body is subject, and the misery of the four hells. The protection of Budha may be obtained by listening to the bana or keeping the precepts; and by its aid the evil consequences of demerit are overcome. The protection of the dharmma is like a steed to one who is travelling a distant journey. The protection of the sangha is ensured by a small gift in alms or offerings. By reflecting on the three gems, scepticism, doubt, and reasoning will be driven away, and the mind become clear and calm. There is no other way of overcoming the evil consequences arising from the sequence of existence but by trust in

Budha.

When the king is worshipped, on account of his greatness; or the teacher, on account of his learning, the benefit is small: but if any one worships the three gems, he will receive their protection. When any one is worshipped on account of relationship, or from fear, or from respect, there may be no wrong committed; but by the worship of the three gems the benefit of the paths will be gained, and relief from all sorrow. The protection of Budha is denied to any one who goes near a dágoba, or other sacred place, and does not worship; or to any one who, when in sight of a sacred place, or an image of Budha, covers his shoulder with his garment, holds an umbrella over his head, rides in any vehicle, bathes, or goes aside for any private purpose. The protection of the dharmma cannot be received by any one who refuses to hear bana when called for the purpose, or who listens to it in an irreverent manner, or who does not keep its precepts, or who does not affectionately proclaim its excellencies to others. The protection of the sangha cannot be received by any one who sits near a priest without permission, or who says bana without being appointed, or opposes a priest in argument, or remains in the presence of a priest with his shoulders covered, or holding an umbrella, or remains seated in any vehicle when riding near him. An offence done to one single priest is done to the whole association; and he who transgresses in any one of these ways is guilty of disrespect to the tun-sarana, and can derive therefrom no assistance.

There was an upásaka in the time of Anomadassa Budha, who was unable to become a priest, as his parents were blind, and he had to support them. But he received the tun-sarana from a certain priest, by means of which he enjoyed eight blessings during

many myriads of years; never, in the whole of this period, being born in hell, but always in the world of men, or a déwa lóka.

In a former age, six hundred merchants set out by sea for a distant country, intending there to trade; but during the voyage a storm came on, and they were in great danger. As one of the merchants remained fearless and calm, though the others were greatly agitated, they enquired whence his tranquillity proceeded; and he informed them that previous to embarking he had received the sarana from a priest. He then, at their request, imparted to them the same sarana, and they repeated after him the formulary of protection in sections of a hundred. As the first hundred re

peated it, they were up to their ancles in water; the second hundred, on repeating it, were up to the knee; and the third hundred, nearly over head. The ship was lost, but the merchants were all born in a déwa-lóka; and through this repetition of the sarana received many blessings in future ages.

A youth, after completing his education, was taking a large sum of money to pay his teacher for the instruction he had received; but as Budha foresaw that he would be waylaid by a robber, and murdered, he seated himself by a tree near which the youth would have to pass, and when he came up stopped him, and taught him the tun-sarana. A little time afterwards the youth was killed, but as he was meditating at the time on the sarana, he was born in a déwa-lóka.

The king of Ságal, on one occasion said to Nágaséna, "You declare that although a man live in sin a hundred years, taking life and committing other crimes, if he thinks of Ludha once when at the point of death, he will be born in a déwa lóka; this I cannot believe. You say again that if a man only once takes life, and does not think of Budha, he will be born in hell; this also I cannot believe." Nágaséna replied, "How so? If we put ever so small a pebble in the water it will sink; but a hundred yálas of stones may be put into a boat, and floated across the river without difficulty; and it is the same with those who acquire merit."

These legends, with the exception of the last, are selected from a work that is very popular in some parts of Ceylon, the name of which I was not able to ascertain. They bear testimony to the fact that the repetition of the tun-sarana is regarded as an opus operatum that will be a sure defence against every calamity; but it

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