attainment of the paths. The four paths, the fruition of the paths, nirwana, and the bana, are the ten dharmmas-dasa dharmma. On a certain occasion the priest Kálábudharakshita, who resided in the cave called Rajagiri, near Anuradhapura, repeated the Kálakaráma-sútra, at the foot of a timbiri tree. Whilst thus engaged, he began to perspire; but the sun appeared in one quarter, and the moon in another, and caused a breeze to arise that he might thereby be cooled. At the same time, like a beautiful woman opening her mouth so that her teeth may just be perceived, all the buds of the trees in the forest began to unfold themselves partially; all the bees began to murmur an offering of praise; all the pea-fowl, doves, and other birds remained in silence, lest they should disturb the sound of the bana, and they listened attentively for the commencement of the recitation, thinking every moment that it would begin; even the apes and other animals all remained in anxious expectation. When the priest began to speak, his voice rose from the midst of the assembly like thunder from a rain-cloud; from rainbow lips his tongue moved, like the play of the lightning; and the words came from his rain-cloud mouth, falling upon the hearts of those who listened, like a shower of divine instruction, filling as many tanks and pools. At that time Sardhá-tissa was king of Anuradhapura, who, having heard that the priest Kálábudharakshita was about to say bana, took with him seven of his faithful attendants, and went to the timbiri tree, where he remained during the whole of the night watches without being perceived. When the day dawned, and the darkness had passed away, like evil desire from the hearts of the worshippers, the priest imparted the five obligations to the assemblage. The king then came from his concealment, commended the skill of the priest, and took the obligations. On being asked at what time he had come, he said that he arrived during the recitation of the first stanza, and had remained there ever since. The priest replied, that his majesty was of a delicate frame, and that it must have fatigued him to remain so long; but he graciously made answer, "If you were the speaker, I could remain to hear bana during the whole of either of our lives. I have heard every word, and I would rather inherit only so much of this realm of Lanká as could be covered by the point of a goad, than have missed the privilege of hearing it." The king then lauded the priest; and the priest, the people, and the déwas praised the king. After this Sardha-tissa informed the priest that he had never previously heard bana of the same description, and asked him how he had learnt so many particulars respecting the virtues of Budha, and if more could be declared upon the same subject. Kálábudharakshita replied, that it was from the three pitakas, the discourses on the 550 births, the 299 katha-wastus, and the 17,575 sútras, he had learnt these things. "What!" said the king, "is there more bana, in addition to that which you have repeated to us?" The reply of the priest was this: "What I have declared bears the same proportion to all the sayings of Budha that a single grain does to the harvest of a thousand fields; or a drop of water, the size of a mustard seed, to the whole body of the ocean; or the portion of earth taken up by a small bird, to the entire mass of the earth; or the atom that an ant takes into its mouth, to the carcase of an elephant; or the rain that merely covers a splinter of wood, to the flood that would overflow the four continents; or the portion of sky covered by the wing of a bird when flying, to the whole expanse of the heavens. That which I have declared is little; that which I have not declared is immeasurable." The king was so much delighted with what he had heard, that he said, if he had been a universal emperor he would have given the four great continents to those who say bana; if he had been king of Jambudwípa, he would have given the whole of that portion of the world; if he had been king of the déwas, he would have given the déwa-lokas; but that as he was only king of Lanká, this small realm was all that he could give; yet this he freely offered. The priest said in answer, "We accept what you have given, that you may enjoy the merit of the gift; but we return it to you again, as we have no need of two kingdoms; that of the dharmma is sufficient for us. Respect the three gems, regard the precepts, reign righteously, and be blessed both in this world and the next." The king, after worshipping the priest, returned to his palace in the city. that may The advantages to be received from listening to the bana are represented by the native authors as being immensely great; and there is scarcely any benefit presented to the mind of the Budhist not be derived from the exercise. This is in conformity with the sentiments generally entertained in the east, as the Brahmans also assert of their puránas, that "it is an act of the greatest merit, extinguishing all sin, for the people to read these books or hear them read." In the earliest ages of Budhism, when the bana was in the vernacular language of the people, we may suppose that great effects were produced by its recitation, and by the discourses that were delivered in explaining its doctrines and duties; but its rehearsal has now degenerated into an unmeaning form, leading the people to found their hopes of blessedness upon an act that cannot in any way be beneficial. A few additional extracts may form a suitable conclusion to our account of the Sacred Books. The Brahmans say that the destruction of evil desire may be effected by the reading of the Bharata or Rámayana; but this is not possible. It is only by listening to the bana of Budha that this effect can be produced. There are two principal modes of dána, or almsgiving. 1. Dharmma-dána, providing for the recitation of the bana, or the giving of religious instruction. 2. Amisa-dána, presenting robes, alms-bowls, and other requisites of the priesthood; and giving cattle, garments, and ornaments, to supply the necessities of the poor. Of these two modes, the former is the most meritorious. The déwas in Tawutisá being on one occasion assembled together, propounded to each other four questions:-1. What is the principal dána? 2. What is the principal taste or enjoyment? 3. What is the principal desire? 4. What is the principal evil? The déwas of 10,000 sakwalas considered these questions continually for the space of twelve years, but were unable to come to any conclusion. They therefore went to the four guardian deities, called waram; but neither could they determine the questions. Upon which they referred the matter to Sekra, who said that they had better go at once to Budha; and when they went, he accompanied them. After hearing these questions, Gótama replied, “1. Of all modes of dána, dharmma-dána is the chief. 2. Of all enjoyments, that of the dharmma is the most exquisite. 3. Of all desires, that of the dharmma is the most excellent. 4. Of all evils, the repetition of existence is the greatest." Budha said further, "Were any one to give the three robes to Budha, the Pasé-Budhas, or the rahats, though the material of their fabric were as soft and smooth as the tender bud of the plantain, the hearing or reading of one single stanza of the bana would bring him a greater reward; indeed its reward would be more than sixteen times greater." Were any one to fill the bowl of Budha with the choicest food, or to present oil, sugar, honey, or other medicaments in the greatest abundance, or to build thousands of wiháras splendid as those of Anuradhapura, or to present an offering to Budha like that of Anépidu, the hearing or reading of one single stanza of the bana would be more meritorious than all. He who listens not to the bana is unable to procure merit. Even Seriyut, whose wisdom was vast as the rain that falls during a whole kalpa, could not attain nirwana without hearing the bana of Budha; it was from hearing a stanza repeated by Assaji that he was enabled to enter the paths. The dharmma brings to those who listen to it with affection, though it be only for a little time, all the happiness of the déwalókas, the joy of the brahma-lókas, received during myriads of years; the greatness of the chakrawartti, and the other advantages of the world of men; the pleasures that are to be obtained in the worlds of the nágas, suparnnas, and other beings; and the wisdom of the supreme Budhas. There was a virgin in Kapilawastu, of the Sákya race, who heard bana, and had great merit. As she was a woman she could not become Sekra, or Maha Brahma, or a chakrawartti; but when she died she became a déwa, changing her sex, and received a glory like that of the ruler of Tawutisá. There was a certain déwa, who was aware that in eight days he must die, and be re-born in a place of torment; but as he perceived that Budha, and he alone, had the power to help him, he went and heard bana, by which he was enabled to enter the paths. may It be asked why all who heard Budha had not the power to become rahats, and the reply is this:-"When the king partakes of food, he gives a portion to the princes who are near him, and they receive as much as their hands will hold. In like manner, when the Budhas say bana, it can only be effectual to those who listen, in proportion to their capacity for receiving its advantages, though in itself it is always good." In the time of Kasyapa Budha there were two priests who lived in a cave, and were accustomed to repeat aloud the Abhidharmma Pitaka. In the same cave there were 500 white bats, that were filled with joy when they heard the bana of the priests, by which they acquired merit, so that they afterwards became déwas, and in the time of Gótama were born in the world of men. 500 priests who kept wass at Sakaspura, with Seriyut, when Budha They were the visited him from the déwa-lóka. Now if these bats, merely from hearing the sound of the words of the Abhidharmma, without understanding them, received so great a reward, it is evident that 198 the reward of those who both hear and understand them must be something beyond computation. The dharmma softens the hearts of even such obdurate beings as Angulimála, Suchiróma, Khararóma, Bakabbrahma, Sachaka, and Déwadatta. It establishes friendship between beings that have naturally the greatest antipathy to each other, as between the asurs and the déwas, the nágas and the garundas, snakes and frogs, elephants and lions, tigers and deer, crows and owls, and cats and rats. It is as a witness to tell the beings in the world of men, that they who are under the power of demerit will be born in a place of misery, by this means saving them from this awful state; even as Asóka, the king, was saved from his inveterate scepticism, and led to attend to the precepts. It shines upon the darkness of the world, as the rays of the sun, when this luminary has ascended the Yugandhara rocks, shine upon the lotus flowers of the lake, causing them to expand, and bringing out their beauty. XIX. MODES OF WORSHIP, CEREMONIES, AND FESTIVALS. The Budhists of the present age are image-worshippers; but it is not known at what period they adopted this custom, nor indeed at what period it was introduced into India. The first notice of idolatry is in connexion with the history of Abraham, whose father "served other gods," and there is an ancient tradition, that he was a maker of idols. All the nations with which the patriarchs had intercourse appear to have been image-worshippers. But if we may trust the most ancient uninspired writers, both eastern and western, this practice was of more recent establishment among other nations. Among the Greeks, the first objects of worship were nothing more than a pillar, a log of wood, or a shapeless stone. The original image of the Ephesian Artemis, as seen upon coins, was little more than a head with a shapeless trunk. When statues were introduced, they were of the rudest form; and it would have been regarded as sacrilege to make any innovation upon the ancient model. The profession of idol-carvers being hereditary would seem to indicate that they had originally belonged to some other race. According to Eusebius, the Greeks were not worshippers of images until the time of Cccrops, and Lucian tells us |