Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-03
BURMESE BUDDH|STS
Strive for Advanceme n tin
the Favor of the Gods.
SPIRIT WORSHIPERS
BELIEVE IN THE TRANsMIGRA-
TON OF SOULS.
Food for the Priests Collected From
the People-The Missionary
Schools.
SPIRIT WORSHIPERS
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star and
Chicago Record-Herald.
RANGOON, April /, 1904.
The entire population of Burma are Budd-
hists, except the 10000 Christians that I
tcld you about yesterday. But Burmese
Buddhism is very different from the genu-
inc article. The purity of that beautiful
and sentimental philosophy has been cor
rupted by ignorant and depraved priests
Instead of self-sacrifice and the suppression
of all desires the Burmese variety Is pure
Selfshness. Its believers are taught to be-
stow aims, build temples and pagodas and
to do good in other ways, not for the bene-
fit of other people, but to acquire merit for
themselves. Everything Burmese does
is with a singleness of purpose-his own
advancement In the favor of the gods.
The Buddhists of Burma are spirit wor-
shippers also. They are saturated with SUI
perstition. They believe in all kinds of
demons and evil spirits, which they have
borrowed from the Taoists of China on the
one side and the Brahmins of India on the
other. They see a significance in every sign
and an omen in every dream. which must
be interpreted by sorcerers and soothsayers
In their monasteries, who exercise power
full influence over them. Their ability in
reading signs commands complete conf
dence. The advice and guidance Of the
priests Is also necessary for them In Secur-
ing forgiveness for sin and In escaping Its
penalties. There are 22T sins listed in the
Buddhist book of doom and the penalties
vary. Most of them can be avoided by con-
tributions of money, by the erection of pa
godas or by pilgrimages to sacred places.
where merit" may be acquired at the same
time.
A Borrowed Doctrine
rhn 81
Ghosts also. which means the transmigration
of souls after death into new bodies and
conditions. This doctrine was not taught
by Budda, but was borrowed from the
Brahmins. The form Of reincarnation of a
human soul after death Is determined by
the record of merit or demerit acquired dur
ing life from good or bad actions. The soul
of man may be transferred to the body
of saint or a snake, an elephant or pig
a viper or a dog. or any other creature de-
spised or admired, honorable or infamous
according to his deserts, and the favorite
curse of the fakirs in India and Burma
condemns the soul of the object of enmity
to eternal abasement and humiliation in
the body of a toad or some other loathsome
creature. The gods keep a credit and debit
account with each soul in great book
above All good acts are recorded on one
side and all evil acts on the other. and the
balance drawn at death will determine
whether the subject shall Improve his posi-
ton or not in the next life The spirits of
Burmese Buddhists never remain In the
same stage. They are either progressive
or retrogressive. They ascend or descend
the scale OF happiness or misery for count
less ages until "Nfkban' or final emancipa-
ton Is attained, when they are delivered to
eternal paradise in Nirvana or doomed to
one OF the seven hells with different grades
of torment. 80 I'd, --' ' .+--.' ~
Buddhist priests are celibates, living In
common IN monasteries. Every man be-
comes priest at some time or other Of his
life, If only for day and usually for a
year or two years when he is a child in or
der to purify his soul. to acquire knowl-
edge of sacre1 things, and what the priests
call "enlightenment-..s 1t is serious cere-
mony, and may be compared to conlrma-
ton in the Episcopal or admission to mem
bership and first communion in other Prot
estant churches. Lads from ten to four
teen years old enter the monasteries and
remain for given period under the III
struction of the priests. If they do not
wish to continue the studies and adopt that
life they are sent home at any time. No
adopt the priestly vocation they become
punjees, or nOvices, what the Chinese call
learn piggins.' They shave their heads,
put on robes Of yellow, which Is the color
of humility and contrition, and become the
disciples of priests for two years. After the
expiration Of two years the punjee can
choose whether to return to the world or
remain in the monastery. In the latter case
O.
Then, at the end of that period, he makes a
pilgrimage to some sacred shrine, and dur
ing his absence Is required to decide for
himself whether he shall continue In the
priesthood The choice Is always voluntary,
and even Protestant missionaries are will
ing to admit that large numbers of the
priests are good men, honest and sincere,
and living lives Of piety and usefulness.
Food for the Priests.
Buddhist priest owns nothing. He sur
renders everything he has of value when he
enters the priesthood except his robes OF
yellow cotton and little brass bowl which
Is needed for his food and drink. The mon
asteries are maintained by private benev-
olence, and no greater act of merit" can
be performed than building and repairing
one. Every morning shortly after sunrise
the 'punjees'' leave the monastery with
large brass pots and wander through the
streets of the town In which they live col
lecting food for the priests and themselves.
Each of them takes a street or one side OF
street, and as they pass along they make
their presence known by striking nttle
pongs ringing bells or blowing whistles.
Gongs similar to those they use can be pur-
chased at any of the temples They have
very sweet tones The ''punjee" never begs,
but after giving his signal stands at the
door until the housewife appears with an
Offering of rice. curry, vegetables or fruit,
which is dumped into his brass pot, and he
con tinueS on his way. Inc market places
are canvassed in similar manner. and
when his route is completed the ''punjee'
returns to The monastery and the food Is
distributed among the inmates. 1t Is fire.
ouentIy asserted that the Buddhist clergy
will not accept money, but l have tried
them often and have never known one to
refuse it. $50
Every village has a monastery with TWO
or more inmates, and often in the larger
towns as many as fifty or sixty live I'M
der the same roof According to the re-
cent census of 1901 there are 1881 mon
asteries in Burma and 22,42S priests and
puniees The head Of the church Is an arch
bishop who resides at Mandalay. The late
archbishop died in 1895 Pakan Padaw was
elected his successor by a general assembly
of priests, and Is now performing the du-
ties of the office, although the election has
not been confirmed by the government be-
cause of some Irregularities.
The highest grade of priests are known
as 'rahans," which means perfect ones"
and they number 25,507; the next grade
are "upazins' or "sayas." which means
teachers, and they number 2O771. Under
them are the 1890 ''punjees." which
means practitioners. The latter include
students disciples and servants, and the
great majority of them are under fifteen
wears of age. Some Of the "rahans" are
genial, scholarly men Of fine appearance
and profound learning. although they know
nothing whatever of modern sciences or
history. They welcome strangers to their
monasteries and will talk freely with them