'They reckon the chief points of goodness to consist in giving to the priests, in making pudgiahs, sacrifices to their gods, in forbearing shedding the blood of any creature, which to do they call pau boi, a great sin; and in abstaining from eating any flesh at all, because they would not have any hand, or any thing to do, in killing any living thing. They reckon herbs and plants more innocent food. It is religion also to sweep under the bogahah, or god-tree, and keep it clean. It is accounted religion to be just and sober, and chaste and true, and to be endowed with other virtues, as we do account it.

'They give to the poor out of a principle of charity, which they extend to foreigners, as well as to their own countrymen, but of every measure of rice they boil in their houses for their families, they will take out a handful, as much as they can gripe, and put into a bag, and keep it by itself, which they call mitta-haul (mettam-rice? or handful-rice?) and this they give and distribute to such poor as they please, or as come to their doors.

'Nor are they charitable only to the poor of their own nation, but, as I said, to others, and particularly to the Moorish beggars, who are Mohammedans by religion: these have a temple in Candy.'

CHAPTER XXVIII

LATER REVIVALS OF THE COMMUNITY

T does not come within my province to trace the

IT

political history of the island, nor the history of its Christianity; only the events which have directly affected the Buddhist system, and made it what it now is. Of these events the most important, in the recent period, to which we have now come, are the importations of foreign monks and books, the successive revivals of the Community by foreign help.

The frequency of these renewals of the succession of elders is significant of the weak hold which the system must have had on the people. Whenever the kings were unable or indisposed to foster the Community, its numbers rapidly fell off; till the chronicler had to record, as he does many times, that there were no longer enough monks to form a chapter, or that there was not a single fully qualified monk left in Lanka.

Such a falling-off had occurred many times before the recent period. Vijaya Bahu, in the eleventh century (1065), is the first of whom it is recorded1 that he restored the succession by bringing monks

1 Mahavansa, Ix. 4.

from Ramanna.1 Parakrama Bahu II., the hero of our last chapter, introduced foreign monks from different parts of Southern India and from Tamba (explained as Máramma) to teach the Sinhalese, and to promote unity among the native monks.2

Yet in the time of Vimala Dhamma Suriya,3 the succession of 'ordained priests' is said to have failed entirely in Ceylon, and to have been restored by the king's inviting Nandicakka and other 'priests' from Arakan. He lodged the visitors at Getambe, a suburb of Kandy, near the 'ordination-house,' the 'water-boundary,' in the Mahaveliganga.

4

Again, in Sri Vijaya Rajasinha's time, A.D. 1740, it is said that the Community was extinct; and the king, after inquiry in Pegu, Arakan, and Siam, countries where Buddhism flourished, obtained monks from Ayodhya in Siam to continue the succession. This is the first mention of the Siam line.

1 The Provinces situated between Arakan and Siam.

The author of a modern Sinhalese work, the Sásanavaṁsa, treats this as the cessation of the original succession from Mahinda, and holds that in Vijaya's time the pure Rámanyan succession was brought over and established in Lanka. This, though it may be strictly true, is not the light in which the Mahavansa puts the matter; for the chroniclers speak long after Vijaya Bahu's time of the three Nikayas.' See 'Sásanavaṁsa Dipa,' by 'Acariya Vimalására Thera, A.D. 1881, ch. xii. 1290-1293. This work is that in answer to which was written the 'Simánaya dappano.' Its twelfth chapter contains the principal notices of reforms in the community of Ceylon, paraphrased with no great ability from the Mahavansa.

2 In Mahavansa, lxxxiv. 10, occurs the phrase 'Ubhayasásanam,' 'the double church.' Mr. Vijésinhe understands it of the Mahávihára on the one hand, and the Abhayagiri and Jetavana on the other. Vimalasára Thera (l.c. line 1350) seems to understand it as implying a mixed succession, Rámanyan and Cholian. Those who are acquainted with modern local controversies may see what underlies these differences of opinion. 4 Ib. xcviii. 88, 89.

3 Mahavansa, xciv. 15.

But it was by his successor, Kirti Sri Raja Sinha, about A.D. 1750, that the Siamese succession which now exists was introduced. Of this king's reign a fuller account must be given.

He established his Court at Kandy or Sirivaddhana, and is described as a pattern of the royal virtues as well as of the merit of giving to the Community, and promoting the knowledge of the sacred law. He had the Pitaka books written out, not only the Damsak and other popular Sutras, and the Mangalasutta and other short pieces used in 'Pirit,' but the large collections, the Digha and Samyutta Nikayas. He made pilgrimages to the ancient shrines at Alut Nuwara, Anuradhapura, and Polonnaruwa; but it is not said that he attempted their restoration. He did not scruple to promote, though his biographer mentions it with a slightly apologetic tone, the cult of Hindu deities, Natha, Vishnu and the rest, ‘like the former kings of Lanka;' and in particular the 'perahora' or procession, carrying the emblems of these idols; but he 'thought it proper' (as his faith and wisdom increased) 'that they should be preceded by a procession in honour of Buddha.'

This was the beginning of the 'perahora,' the still popular festival, in its present form; and we nave it described by one who was doubtless an eyewitness of it under this king.

The king 'caused a golden howdah of exquisite workmanship to be fixed on the back of the State

1 Mahavansa, xcix. 100.

And

elephant, and adorned this white elephant with ornaments. And this one was surrounded by elephants ridden by men who carried silver umbrellas and chowries and flowers, and canopies with flowers hanging from them, and manifold other things that were meet for offerings; by divers flags and banners; by men who disguised themselves in manifold dress; by royal ministers; and by divers strangers. when everything was thus made ready, the ruler of men reverently placed the splendid golden casket containing the relics of the body of Buddha on the howdah, and caused the flower-strewers to strew flowers thereon, thick as rain. Then there was great rejoicing, with cries of 'Sadhu,' and with the sound of conchs and cymbals and the noise of divers drums. And the good people, who were struck with wonder and amazement, unceasingly worshipped the relics with their hands raised to their foreheads. And the ruler of men arranged that the procession should be preceded by men carrying torches and by men wearing festive garments, and by a variety of festive shows. And he commanded that the relic of the Conqueror, which had obtained the first place among the things that were to be adored by gods and demigods and men, should be carried foremost; and the rest, such as the emblems of gods, and men, and others, should follow behind it. And he himself, surrounded with all the magnificence of royalty, amidst shouts of victory and applause, with the majesty of a king, and with great rejoicings, went