The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-03-22

she rises ana idS9 49, .o
= Plfddha in one Of the hapelS
On tba other side Of us are tnfte
pnddbist Nuns. they are dressed III
nIain yellow cotton and haye llt1le
more than a sheet OF TINS stun Nldpo
ped around them. Their heaoS o.
shaved close. IheE nolu nfTar,
mon which the people throw oleI-
incs As they pass by. Each nun llda
= ,oear, about her neck, and she tens
her beads as she prays.
Wome1, and Their Sins.
The religion takes bat
small ,cconnt Of ONE and n rules
are such that 4 mOnk CANNOT 80
under the same roof with q nun ~
cannot travel in a cart or poat Nh
| = woman. and one OF the BOOKS o. liz
law says that he must not touch net,
and that if any oma even ms
mother. should fall into a often. ne
must not offer his hand to help her
ont. He may hold forth a suck, pul
if she grasps it he must imagine ne -
| pulling al a log OF wood. According
| to a Buddhist saying the sins OF the
| worst mar are Il thousand times less
than those of the best woman tndt
ever lived. Nevertheless there are
numerous converts all over this coun-
try. and nuns arc everywhere iouno'
We see many priests Worshlpplns
about the pagoda. Here comes one
now. fIe must be sixty years old, ana
his brown face is withered, his neck
shunkcn and his thin legs seem 10
totter. lie is clad only III two strips
OF bright yellow cotton, his right
shoulder and arm being pare. IN ms
left hand is q pair of old sandals, the
sweaty outlines Of his foot marked
on the yellow leather. and in his rlght
he carries q small bunch OF roses, lie
kneels on the bricks with the tropical
sun beating down upon his shaved
head. and holds up the flowers as he
prays. After a time he goes to q
chapel and lays them on the knees OF
a great golden Buddha.
There are many family parties
praying, men, women and children
kneeling together. They all act as
though their religion WAS II Of re-
ioicing. They laugh and smoke on
their way to and from prayers. They
hold their heads high, and are evi-
IDENTIFY proud or both Buddha and
Burma.
SunesStitious Worstnpcrs.
But what IS this coming around the
corner from the other side of the
great golden spire. 1t is & middle.
aged nan alternately rising and fall
ing. He wears a urban and waist
cloth. and his skin Is as dark as that
Of a negro. He is a Buddhist from
India, and he must have something
of the Hindu in his religion, for he
is prOstrating himself on the brick
platform and measuring the distance
around the pagoda with his half
naked form, saying Il prayer every
time he spreads himself out with his
face to the bricks. He lies flat on
the ffoor and puts his bare arms as
far out as he can reach, stretching
every muscle from the ends Of his
toes to The tips Of his fingers. He
presses his fingers hard uDon the
bricks ami marks hi- }i,4,t+ nc ~aonE,
with a candle lie then rises Ut walks
to this candle. He picks it up and
then p~rOStTateS himself ono more on
his face and prays using the candle
to mark the spot where his finger-tips
rest. lie goes fast. the whole circuit
than an hour. We watch him at the
end of his journey. As he completes
the circuit he lies praying for three
minutes and then rises with q heatific
look upon his face, evidently believing
that he has acquired merit.
About the Snrine~.
Later on We make q tour Of the
shrines. There are 4 hundred or
more, al ending in spires OF gold far
below tho spire Of this great golden
mountain. All are beautifully carved
and some are walled with col0red
glass, SO set in golden wires that
when the sun shines they show the
many ~splendors Of the peacock's tail.
The Buddhas within Ia offerings Of
flowers, fruit and rice. lying before
them. AT some candles are burning.
and on their laps offerings Of brocades
and silks have been placed. We are
touched by the sentiment shown by
the wOrShippers. They are OF all
classes and conditions; some poor, sick
and sad, but most are rich, we'll dress
ed and apparently joyful.
All seem s~elf-respecting and It
would be unfair to say they are not
N earnest in their religion. ] am told
that the Burmese are naturally reli-
Sious. They are charitable. and when
ever one has a surplus he spends it in
erecting rest houses, or places along
the road where travellers can have q
coo drink Of water. They haye spot-
ted the whole country with pagOdas:
they are to be found in every town
and village n on almost every hill.
There are monaStericS everywhere.