The Buddhist Monks.

Te Aroha News, Volume VIII, Issue 485, 2 July 1890, Page 6

The Buddhist Monks.

The monks or priests, as they are sometimes incorrectly called, of Buddha in Burma are perhaps the most interesting study in connection with the religion of that country. Strict rules are laid down for their carriage and conduct. They are commanded hot to look to the right hand nor to the left, not to walk too slowly nor too rapidly, not to swing their arms in walking. Every monk is expected to go these daily rounds with his begging potslung over his shoulder. If he is very old and feeble he is excused from going regularly, but even the oldest and feeblest are expected to walk abroad at times and learn a lesson in burailit: by mutely supplicating

the pious to give them their offerings of rice and other eatables. As a rule, each phongyi has his regular round ; he knows his admirers, and is never turned away empty. The rules as to a phongyi’s relations with the other sex are very severe. He cannot travel in the same boat as a woman, though that is now rarely kept; he is not permitted to touch a woman, not even his own mother. When a lady is consulting a phongyi on any matter she cannot come nearer than six cubits. Breaches of these rigid laws are very severely punished. It does not often happen that a phongyi trangresses, for, if the battle with the flesh and the devil is growing boo warm, he can at once throw aside his yellow robe. Kingdoms have come and gone, dynasty after dynasty has been swept away, bub the monks of Gautama remain almost unchanged after centuries. So far as Burma is concerned, Buddhism appears bo have not the slightest influence on the lives and conduct of the people, except on feast days, when they become more joyous and laughing than usual. True followers of Buddha are nob to be found outside the ranks of the phongvis, and one has the opportunity of seeing in them and their teaching what Buddhism really is.