Indian Antiquary Vol 11

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 63

FEBRUARY, 1882.]
CORRESPONDENCE.
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bows to the two places (viz., the pulpit and the “There have been certain leading men of great assembly), and then salutes the president, and talent who have contributed hymns of praise for then resumes his seat. The third priest then does use in the worship of Buddha-such as the venerable likewise, and so on to the end of the assembled Matrijata, a man of great talent. Of him it prieste. If the nunber of priests is very great, is said that his birth was predicted by Buddha then three or five, as they think proper, rise at the when a certain parrot saluted him as he passed same time and salute as before. This done, they through a grove. Having become a convert, he depart.
first composed 400 laudatory verses and afterwards "This is the rule of the priesthood throughout 150, arranged according to the six paramitas, the holy land of the East from Tamralipti to illustrating the most excellent qualities of the Nblanda. In the latter monastery the number of world-honoured Buddha priests and disciples is so great, amounting to "Other hymns were composed by the Bodhi. about five thousand, that such an assembly in one satwa Asangha, others by Vasubandha. All who place would be difficult. This great temple has enter the ministry are supposed to learn these eight halls, each able to hold about three hundred beforehand, whether they belong to the Great or at a time; in these the various congregations are Little Vehicle. There are also the hymns comassembled. The rules here are in consequence posed by Channa Bodhisatwa, by Sakyadêva of the of the numbers) somewhat different from other Deer Park, and also by Någarjuna, who composed places. They select one singing-master (precen. the work called Sukrita. This he left to his old tor), who, every evening towards sundown, goes patron, the king of a great southern kingdom through the various halls where the prieste are called Sadvaha. assembled accompanied by a pure brother, a young "We cannot pass over the special notice of the man [acolyte], who precedes him, holding flowers Jatakamala, which is also a book of this sort. If and incense; and as they pass through the assem. translated it would make about ten chapters in blies the members of the congregation bow down, Chinese. The origin of the book was this: and at each bow with a loud voice they chant a Siladitya' Raja was extremely fond of literature, hymn of three slokas or five, with the sound of and on one occasion issued an order that all the drums and music. At sundown, when all is just chief men of the kingdom who loved poetry should over, the precentor receives from the temple pro- assemble the next day morning at the palace, and perty a certain allowance as an offering (offertory), each bring a verse on paper. In consequence five after which he again takes his place oppoeite an hundred assembled, and on their papers being inoense heap a large censer), and singly recites with opened the verses were put together, and this is his heart (or heartily) a hymn of praise; and thus the Jatakamdld. Of all books of poetry known until nightfall, when after the congregation have in India, this is the most refined. The islands of given three complete prostrations, the assembly the Southern Sea and the ten countries all use is broken up. This is the traditional custom of these verses, but in China they have not yet been worship in the West. The old and sick occupy translated. small seats apart.
"Again, the venerable Asvaghosha composed a "There were some ancient practices not exactly book of chants, and also the Alankara Sastra, the same as the present Indian customs; such, for and also the Life of Buddha in verse. The whole instance, as the custom of chanting a hymn when book il translated might be included in about at the time of worship the distinctive marks of ten volumes. It describes the life of Tathagata Buddha were recited; this was a grand chant of from the period of his birth in the palace, to his ten or twenty blokas; this was the rule. Again, death between the trees. This is used also the " Gáthas of the Tathagatas" and others were throughout India and in the Southern Sea." originally intended to be laudatory hymns in
S. BEAL. praise of the virtues of Buddha, and were in long or short verses arranged harmoniously. And be. With reference to Dr. Hoernle's papers (vol. X; cause the meaning of these verses was difficult pp. 118f, 255f) the Rev. Mr. Beal remarks that if to be got at, it became customary during the one read carefully any of the many lives of religious seasons, when the congregation was Buddha he will see that "the two persons who assembled in the evening, to call on some distin. stand by the side of the tree, and whom bad perguished member to recite 150 to 400 stanzas in spective has apparently placed in the air” (p. 256) praise of Buddha (and explain them) with other are Dêvas worshipping the Tree, (or Buddha symhymns.
bolized by the Tree) in common with the human A similar expression is used by Få-hien (cap. 3). Occid, tom. I, p. 215. The Essenes also had pure brothers to wait on them.
This may be the copy of the Jatakamala alluded to SilAditya died 550 A. D. Julion's Mém, sur les Cont..lately by Dr. Frankfurter (I think) in the Athenaum.