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world which the lad is making, he is arrayed and attended
like a prince and makes a royal progress on horseback or in
a chariot to the monastery. Attendants bear gilt umbrellas
over him, and a retinue of relatives and friends carry his pareikaya and offerings for the use of the monastery. The
pareikaya are the eight chattels, to the possession of which
the regular recluse (yahan) is restricted.
They consist of the thingan or monastic yellow robes, viz,
the loin-cloth (thimbaing), upper cloth (egazi), wrapper (thingan-dyi),
and red girdle (kaban) ; a needle (at), wherewith to piece
his clothing together, a hard-baked black earthen pot (thabeit)
in winch to collect the morning dole of food, a filter (yezit)
to strain the drinking water clear of living things, and a
razor (thindon-da) to shave the head and face (excepting the
eyebrows).
The garments are of plain cloth,
without any cut, but torn into
strips and joined up again (by the donors) in commemoration
of the primitive rule of piecing the garments together from
rags, as well as to deprive the cloth of value. The cloth is
mostly cotton, but silk and wool are also offered. The
stuffs are dyed a bright ochre, with chips of Jack-wood. By
repeated washings the color deepens to tan. These varying
shades produce a picturesque effect. The recluse customarily
also receives sandals to wear, a deer-skin to sit and sleep
upon, a broom to sweep his dwelling with, and a large
palm-leaf fan, both for a shelter from the sun and a screen
from the sight of womankind.
The thabeit is slung in a yellow cotton net, and has a
lacquer work stand and cover. In respect of chattels,
however, these primitive tokens of privation have sunk to a
form. The recluses have many changes of raiment and the use
of spacious dwellings with good furniture. In all other
respects they rigidly observe the rule of their life.
At the kyaung, or by another usage at the home of the
candidate, whither the recluse has been invited to preach,
the lad will pray for reception as probationer of the thinga
-the assembly of devoted seekers after righteousness -
-presenting his pareikaya at the same time.
In response, the recluse will recite the ordinances of
reception. First, he will inquire about the bodily integrity
of the candidate, the consent of his parents, his freedom
from debt and other bonds. Then he will recapitulate the
rule of the novice's life, who, besides the five
commandments binding on all men, must observe five
additional injunctions (thila). The cardinal precepts of the
Buddha are (1) to respect every form of life; (2) to respect
the property of others ; and (3) their wives and children
(4) to respect truth ; and (5) sobriety. The additional
rules are - to eschew sexuality, frequent meals, games, gold
and silver, finery and worldliness. The recluse should
meekly fix his gaze on the earth not more than " a four-span
yoke" in front. He takes food in the morning only. The
novice gives his hours to attendance upon his pre-editor, to
contemplation and sober study. His preceptor receives
voluntary confession of faults, without questioning,
prescribes penances, and is to his disciple as a parent.
having acquiesced in the rule of life, the candidate is
admonished to divest himself of worldly state and personal
adornment, and after that to renew his prayer for admission.
The shinlaung then retires to be divested of his grandeur,
Ills long hair -¬the pride of the Burman is cut close to the
roots with scissors and preserved by his female relatives.
Ills head is shaved by a male relative, The same day, or
later, alter bathing, the candidate will present himself dad
in a plain loin-cloth, offering- his robes and the rest of
the parakaya for acceptance as before. The recluse will now
accept the robes on behalf of the Assembly, and deliver them
to the candidate, who retires to robe himself. Invested with
the thingan, he returns as accepted probationer, to make
obeisance (Shiko) to his instructor. The novice takes no vow
and owes no formal obedience. Like the full member of the
Assembly, he is always free to abandon the religious rule of
life (lu-twet- to become a layman again). The goyin (maung-yin,
in Pali –samanera-, “chinthamane” ) or "gentle-brother”,- as
the novice is designated, discontinues the use of his
secular name, in lieu of which he receives from his
preceptor a Pali title (bwe), chosen in the same way as the
secular name front one of seven sets. Thus Maung Shwe Ni,
Brother golden-red, becomes U Alawka, Sage above-the-world.
The Whole male population of the
village
are free of the monastery. The
recluse and his novices have withdrawn from participation in
the world, but not from observation by the world. Great as
is the homage accorded to him by the laity, a recluse who
should disgrace his cloth'a thing almost unknown ' would be
promptly unfrocked by them.
For their sustenance the novices and regular recluses depend
upon alms. They receive these in kind and according to daily
need. Their appeal is mute. The morning after his reception
the novice with his brethren will halt in front of his own
parents' house and the houses of the neighbors to receive
such dole of food as is offered. He will not look to right
or left, but keep his eyes rooted on the ground, making no
sign beyond raising the cover of his alms-howl.
The recluse may not ask for anything whatever, nor even
express a predilection. The food, ripe or ready-cooked, as
the case may, he, is doled indiscriminately into the thabeit
from the east side, usually by a woman of the house. A woman
should not stand in the shadow of a recluse, of a shrine,
zedi, temple or image. She should not occupy an upper floor
when a recluse happens to be beneath, nor enter a Thein, nor
occupy a higher place with respect to men. Food given in a
religious spirit, as above described, is called sun. The
recluses when collecting sun are generally followed by a
couple of scholars bearing a yoke and basket to receive
larger offerings on behalf of the monastery.
Those probationers who remain in
the monastery for several years
counted by Lents (wa) -and who
aspire to full membership of the Assembly, read with the
recluse Pali texts of the Tripitaka, and the commentaries on
these, and commit portions, sometimes whole books of the
canon, to memory. Recluses of standing and also laymen take
part in these exercises.
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