in the first series being read until the sixth day, when a new series is commenced.

On the morning of the seventh day a grand procession is formed of armed and unarmed men, and a person is appointed to officiate as the déwadútayá, or messenger of the gods. This company, with a few of the priests, proceeds to some place where the gods are supposed to reside, inviting them to attend prior to the conclusion of the service, that they may partake in its benefits. Until the messenger and his associates return, the officiating priests remain seated, but the reading is suspended.

At the festival I attended the messenger was introduced with great state, and sulphur was burnt before him to make his appearance the more supernatural. One of the priests having proclaimed that the various orders of gods and demons were invited to be present, the messenger replied that he had been deputed by such and such deities, repeating their names, to say that they would attend. The threefold protective formulary, which forms part of the recitation, was spoken by all present, in grand chorus. In the midst of much that is superstitious in practice or utterly erronious in doctrine, there are some advices repeated of an excellent tendency; but the whole ceremony being conducted in a language that the people do not understand, no beneficial result can be produced by its performance.

The folly of the priests in confining their public ministrations to the simple reading of the bana, or to the offering of expositions that are equally unintelligible, has caused the class of persons called upasakas, in some districts, and especially in the neighbourhood of Matura, to go about from house to house, after the manner of the Scripture readers, reading works on religion that are written in the vernacular Singhalese, accompanied with familiar expositions. It is by this means that Budhism is in many places principally supported. It would appear that in Nepaul there has been a similar transfer of the duty of teaching from the priest to the laic, as the Vajra Acharayas, who are there the most active ministers, are married; and the extract from Mrs. Judson's Memoir, inserted above, would seem to intimate that in Burma also there is the manifestation of equal negligence on the part of the sramanas.

XX. MEDITATION.

As the priests of Budha who lived according to the rules of the original institute were much in solitude, it was necessary that regulations should be laid down for their guidance when in this position. Accordingly, the Pitakas, as well as their other works, abound with advices that are only applicable to the circumstances of the recluse. The general character of these instructions may be learnt from the following translations, taken principally from the Wisudhi Margga Sanné.

There are five principal modes of bháwaná, or meditation :1. Maitrí. 2. Mudita. 3. Karuná. 4. Upekshá. 5. Asubha. No one can enter aright upon the exercise of meditation who has not previously kept the precepts. But if there be any one who is thus prepared, let him, at the close of the day, or at the dawn, seek a place where he will be free from interruption, and with the body in a suitable posture, let him meditate on the glory of the Budhas, the excellence of the bana, and the virtues of the priesthood.

1. Maitri-bhawaná.-When the priest has arrived at a convenient spot, and placed himself in a proper position, let him exercise this wish: "May all the superior orders of being be happy; may they all be free from sorrow, disease, and evil desire; may all men, whether they be priests or laics, all the déwas, all who are suffering the pains of hell, be happy; may they be free from sorrow, disease, and evil desire." Then the same wish must be exercised relative to all sentient beings in the four cardinal points, all in the four half-points, all above and all below, taking each of these ten directions separately and in order; or if they cannot be taken separately, it will suffice if this wish be exercised: "May all beings be happy; may they all be free from sorrow, disease, and pain." This is maitríbháwaná, or the meditation of kindness. Maitrí is the same as snéha, affection, and, according to the grammarians, snéha is the opposite of kródha, hatred. Maitrí and kródha cannot exist together. It is not the affection of trishná, or mere passion; of this kind of snéha, móha or ignorance is the cause, which leads to evil desire. In the snéha of maitrí there is no evil desire; it is that which one friend feels for another.

In the exercise of this mode of bháwaná, the thoughts must not at first be fixed upon one whom the priest dislikes; nor on any particular friend; nor on any one that is indifferent to him, neither

liked nor disliked; nor on any enemy (as by thinking of any person who is known, the mind will be more or less disturbed.) The thoughts must not at this time be fixed upon any individual in particular, nor on any one that is dead. There was a young priest who exercised maitrí-bháwaná upon his preceptor, but he did not arrive at nimitta (the interior illumination for the acquiring of which he entered upon the exercise.) He therefore went to another priest, and asked him how it was that he could not arrive at nimitta. The priest replied that he must first ascertain whether the person upon whom he meditated was alive or dead, as no nimitta could be received when maitrí-bháwaná was exercised for the dead.

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The first meditation of the priest must be on himself; may I be free from sorrow, anger, and evil desire;" thus he must think. But by this exercise alone no one can arrive at samádhi, or perfect tranquillity of mind, even if practised a hundred years. He must therefore go on to desire that what he has wished to receive himself may be granted to all sentient beings; and that what he has wished to be warded from himself may be warded from all sentient beings. After this he may endeavour to exercise maitrí-bháwaná upon his enemies.

The man that is your enemy thinks of you in this way. If you are of a disagreeable person, sick or sorrowful, poor, mean, and friendless, he rejoices. He is again delighted if in the other world you are not in a place of happiness; and he does all he can to injure you. Enmity is like a shed in a place of sepulture, on fire at both ends, and in the middle filled with the dung of dogs and jackalls; such a place is utterly worthless; people do not approach it to take either fire or fuel. He who indulges in enmity cannot practise the precepts, and that which he wishes for others will recoil upon himself.

When the priest finds it difficult to exercise the meditation of kindness upon his enemy, he must think that when the words are bad, the actions are sometimes good; that when the words and actions are bad, the mind is sometimes good; and that when the mind and actions are bad, the words are sometimes good. Again, if his enemy have only a few things about him that are good, and many that are bad, he must think of the good alone, and forget the

It is said in the Angótra-atuwawa that the first exercise of the priest must be upon his enemy, then upon a person in misfortune, afterwards upon a friend, and lastly upon himself; but it is said in the Wisudhi-MarggaSanné that this is contrary to the Pali text, and cannot therefore be correct.

bad entirely. But if he be all bad, and have nothing good, the priest must think of the misery he will have to endure in the other world, whilst suffering for many ages the pains of hell. By this means sympathy will be produced. When the three, the mind, the words, and the actions are all good, there can be no difficulty in the exercise. And when the priest is still unable to accomplish the exercise, he must think further of the consequences of enmity. If the principle be indulged in, it will prevent him from being born in a brahma-lóka, and from becoming Sekra or a chakrawartti; if he should be born among men he will have to live on offal thrown away from the houses of the rich; or he will be born in hell. He who indulges in enmity is like one who throws ashes to windward, which come back to the same place and cover him all over.*

Should this exercise prove ineffectual, the priest must reflect on what is said in the Anamatagra-sútra. All persons have had in previous births parents, children, brothers, sisters, and other near relatives. The priest must think that the person with whom he is at enmity may have been one of them, and may have toiled for his benefit in various ways. By this means his enmity will be over

come.

But if the enmity still continues, he must call to remembrance what are the rewards of affection. He who possesses it will gain respect; he will not have unpleasant dreams; nor be in any danger from fire, poison, or weapons; he will have a pleasant countenance, and will not lose possession of his senses when about to die; and if not a rahat, he will be born in a brahma-lóka.

And if all these reflections are insufficient, the priest must think, "What am I at enmity with? is it with the hair, or with the bones, or with what?" Thus his hatred will have nothing upon which to fasten; even as nothing can be placed upon the mustard-seed, or painted upon the air.

There is yet one more expedient. The priest must give something to the person with whom he is at enmity, or must receive something from him, if he is willing to give it; and in this manner, even should the enmity have existed from previous ages, it will be overcome. There was a priest in the Situlpaw wihára who was three times expelled, but he was unwilling to leave. After all he said to the principal priest, "My mother, an upásikáwa, gave me this alms*There is a common saying among English sailors that nothing ought to be thrown to windward but ashes and hot water.

bowl; the value of it is eight kahawanas; I obtained it in a proper manner; and I now present it to your reverence." The superior priest received it, and by this means his enmity was appeased. The giving of alms is a blessing to him who receives as well as to him who gives, but the receiver is inferior to the giver.

The priest who exercises maitrí-bháwaná must have equal affection for himself, his friend, the person who is indifferent to him, and his enemy. Were a man to come to the priest with whom the others associated, and say that he must have one of the four to offer in sacrifice, he must not ask for a moment who is to be given up; he must at once offer himself as the victim.

The exercise of maitrí-bháwaná is agreeable to the déwas, even as the attention of the child who ministers to his parents, and in all things assists them. It will ward off danger. Whilst a cow was giving suck to its calf, a hunter tried to pierce it with a javelin, but his efforts were in vain; he could not take its life. It was not by the power of samádhi, or any other attainment, that this took place; it was from the affection manifested towards its offspring at the moment; and in this way may be learnt the greatness of the meditation of kindness.

In the exercise of maitrí-bháwaná, if the priest sees any one that is in distress, he must wish that his misfortunes may be removed; but if he sees no one of this description, he may reflect that any person whatever whom he meets must suffer in consequence of his transgressions, and must then wish that his sufferings may be removed. As the man led out to execution is pitied by the people, who bring him food, liquor, and betle, and he appears like a man enjoying himself, though every step he takes brings him nearer to death; such, the priest must think, is the situation of all men ; they now appear to be prosperous, but it is only for a moment; the day of misfortune will most certainly come.

2. Karuná-bháwaná.-In the practice of this mode of meditation the priest must exercise the wish, "May the poor be relieved from their indigence, and receive abundance." This is karuná-bháwaná, or the meditation of pity. Karuná is thus produced. When we see any object in distress, we feel kampáwíma, agitation, in the mind; and from this arises karuná, pity or compassion. It is said in the tíkáwa that when we see distress of any kind, we feel the wish to relieve it; and this feeling is karuná.

3. Mudita-bháwaná.—In the exercise of this mode of meditation