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If there is no insect, then the water can be used through the night, and if any be found it must be filtered according to the process mentioned above. As to the examining of the water of a river or pond, details are found in the Vinaya?. The Indians use fine white cloth for straining water; and in’China fine silk may be used, after having slightly boiled it with rice-cream ; for small insects easily pass through the meshes of raw silk. Taking a piece of softened silk about four feet of the Hu-ch‘th ? (name of a common measure), lay it lengthwise by taking its edges, then double it by taking both ends, and sew them together so as-to form them into the shape of anet. Then attach cords to its two corners, and loops to both sides ; and put across it a stick about one foot and six inches long, in order to stretch it wide. Now fasten its two ends to posts, while placing a basin under it. When you pour water into it from a pot, its bottom must be inside the strainer, lest some insects drop off together with the drops of water, and should hardly escape destruction by falling on the ground or into the basin. When water comes out through the strainer, scoop and examine it, and, if it contains some insects, then return ¢he water, and, if it is clean enough, use it. As soon as enough water has been obtained, turn up the strainer, which is to be held at both ends by two persons, put it into the ‘life-preserving vessel, rinse it with water three times, and again pour water over it outside. Pour in water once more in order to see, by means of straining it, whether some insects still remain in it. If no insects be found, remove the strainer in any manner. Even after being thus filtered, the water, when a night has passed, is liable to need examining again; for one who neglects to examine the water that has stood through a night, whether it contains insects or not, is said, in the Vinaya, to be guilty. . . 1 See the Vinaya-sahgraha (Nanjio’s Catal. No. 1127). . 32 A RECORD OF BUDDHIST PRACTICES. Vi. There are many ways of protecting life while drawing water. The strainer just described is suitable in case of drawing water from a well. In a river or a pond you may filter the water by a double jar! within the willow vessel safely placed in the water. During the sixth or the seventh month the insects are so minute, and different from what they are in the other seasons, that they can pass even through ten folds of raw silk. Those who wish to protect life should try to set the insect free by some means or other. A plate-like tray may be used for the purpose, but the silk strainer is also very useful. The tray is generally made of coppef, in India, in accordance with the rules laid down by the Buddha: one must not neglect these points. The life-preserving vessel is a small water-pot with an open mouth as wide as the vessel itself. It has two knobs on the sides of the botfom-part, to which cords are fastened. When it is let down into water, it is turned upside down, and, after having been plunged into water twice or thrice, it is drawn up. The high priests must not touch the filters used in the temple, nor the water kept in a room for filtering purposes. The lower priests who have not yet received full ordination, can take and drink any water ; but if they drink at an improper time they ought to use a clean strainer, clean jar, and pure vessels, such as are fit to be used. _As regards living creatures, an injury to them is a sin, and is prohibited by the Buddha. It is this prohibition that is the most weighty of all, and an act of injury is placed at the head of the ten sins. One must not be neglectful of this. The filter is one of the six possessions ? necessary to the priests, and one cannot do without it. One should not goon a journey three or five Chinese miles without a filter. Ifa priest be aware of the fact that the residents in the temple where he is staying do not strain their water, he must not partake of food there. Even if the traveller die on his way from thirst > or hunger, such a deed is sufficient to be looked upon as a splendid example. The daily use of water necessitates inspection, 1 This may be the Danda-parissivanam (a double strainer) of Hullava: V, y paris: gga Vv, ‘13, 3, though the way of straining seems very different. * For the six possessions, see chap. x, p. By i.e. the six Requisites. a Meee a ae a See oe Pena ee ee ae ee ee ee USE OF TOOTH-WOODS. 33 Thete.are some who- use the strainer, but let the insects die within it. Some are desirous of preserving life, but few know how to do it. Some shake (or ‘ upset’) the strainer at the mouth of a well, and do not know the use of the life-preserving vessel. The insects will, no doubt, be killed when they reach the water of a deep well. Others make a small round strainer which only contains one quart or two pints. The silk of which it is made is raw, rough, and thin ; and in using it one does not look for the insects at all, but after hanging it at the side of the jar, others are ordered to do the actual inspection. Thus one pays no attention to the protection of life, and commits sins from day to day. Handing down such error from teacher to pupil, they yet think they are handing down the Law of the Buddha. _ It is indeed a grievous and regretful matter! It is proper for every person to keep a vessel for examining water, and every place must be furnished with a life-preserving vessel. CHAPTER VIII. USE OF TOOTH-WooDs. EVERY morning one must chew tooth-woods, and clean the teeth with them, and rub off the dirt of the tongue as carefully as possible. Only after the hands have been washed and the mouth cleansed is a man fit to make a salutation; if not, both the saluter and the saluted are at fault. Tooth-wood is Dantakash/4a! in Sanskrit~danta, tooth, and kashzha, a piece of wood. It is made about twelve finger-breadths in length, and even the shortest is not less than eight finger-breadths long? Its size is like the little finger. Chew softly one of its ends, and clean the teeth with it. If one unavoidably come near a superior, while chewing the wood, one should cover the mouth with the left hand. thirsty, but the water around them was full of insects. The elder did not drink, and died: be was born in heaven. The younger drank and was censured by the Buddha. Much the same story is told in the GAtaka Commentary ee Davids’ Buddhist Birth Stories, vol. i, p. 278); and in Kullavagga V, 13, 2 ' These passages are quoted in Julien’s Hiuen Thsang, liv. i, p. 55 note. 2 Te. ‘angula’ = one 1 twenty-fourth | hasta. In Kullavagga V, 31, 2, the EP, CURA cel nT Ve 34 A RECORD OF BUDDHIST PRACTICES. VHi. Then, breaking the wood, and bending it, rub the tongue. In addition to the tooth-wood, some toothpicks made of iron or copper may be used, or a small stick of bamboo or wood, flat as the surface of the little finger and sharpened at one end, may be used for cleaning the teeth and tongue ; one must be careful not to hurt the mouth. When used, the wood must be washed and thrown away. Whenever a tooth-wood is destroyed or water or saliva is spit out, it should be done, after having made three fillips with the fingers, or after having coughed more than twice’; if not, one is faulty in throwing it away. A stick taken out of a large piece of wood, or from a small stem of a tree, or a branch of an elm, or a creeper, if in the forest; if in a field, of the paper mulberry, a peach, a sophora japonica (‘ Huai’), willow-tree, or anything at disposal, must be prepared sufficiently beforehand *. The freshly-cut sticks (lit. wet ones) must be offered to others, while the dry ones are retained for one’s own use. The younger priest can chew as he likes, but the elders must have the stick hammered at one end avd made soft; the best is one which is bitter astringent or pungent in taste, or one which becomes like cotton when chewed. The rough root of the Northern Burr-weed (Hu Tai) is the most excellent ; this is otherwise called Tsang-urh or Tsae-urh, and strikes the root about two inches in the ground. It hardens the teeth, scents the mouth, helps to digest food,.or relieves heart-burning. If this kind of tooth-cleaner be used, the smell of the mouth will go off after a fortnight. A disease in the canine teeth or tooth- ache will be cured after a month. Be careful to chew fully and polish the teeth cleanly, and to let all the mouth-water come out; and, then to. rinse abundantly with water. That is the way. Take in the water from the nose once. This is the means of securing a long life 1 KAsyapa, quoting the Samyuktavastu, chap. xiii, says that the Buddha did not allow a tooth-wood or anything to be thrown away without making some noise beforehand for a warning. * The Dantakash/Aas were bits of sweet-smelling wood or root, or creeper (Gataka I, 80; Mahdvamsa, p. 23), the ends of which were to be masticated as a ee LS EN, TS TRE A A ee” ee ARE LT eee a ae Reet ean oF eo - RULES ABOUT THE UPAVASATHA-DAY. 35 adopted by Bodhisattva Nagarguna. If this be too hard to put in practice, to drink water is also good. When a man gets used to these practices he is less attacked by sickness. The dirt at the roots of the teeth hardened by time must all be cleancd away. Washed with warm water, the teeth will be freed from the dirt for the whole of life. Tooth- ’ ache is very rare in India owing to their chewing the tooth-wood. It is wrong to identify the tooth-wood with a willow-branch. Willow- trees are very scarce in India. Though translators have generally used this name, yet, in fact, the Buddha’s tooth-wood-tree (for instance) which Thave personally seen in the Nalanda monastery, is not the willow.