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Now T require no more trustworthy proof from others than this, and my readers need not doubt it. Moreover, we read in the Sanskrit text of the Nirvava-sitra thus: ‘The time when they were chewing tooth-woods.’ Some in China use small sticks of willow which they chew completely in their mouth without knowing how to rinse the mouth and remove the juice. Sometimes it is held that one can cure a sickness by drinking the juice of the tooth-wood, They become impure, in so doing, contrary to their desire for purification. Though desirous of being released from a disease, they fall into a greater sickness. Are they not already aware of this fact? Any argument would be in vain! It is quite common among the people of the five parts of India to chew the tooth-wood. Even infants of three years old are taught how to do it. The teaching of the Buddha and the custom of the people correspond. on this point, and help each other. I have thus far explained the com- parative merit of the use of the tooth-wood in China-and India. Each must judge for himself as to whether he will adopt or reject the custom. CHAPTER IX. RULES ABOUT THE RECEPTION AT THE UPAVASATHA-DAY}. I SHALL briefly describe the ceremony of inviting priests, in India as well as in the islands of the Southern Sea. In India the host comes 1 Le. the fast-day ; it is a day of religious observance and celebration for laymen and priests, and is a weekly festival when laymen see a priest and take 36 A RECORD OF BUDDHIST PRACTICES. IX. previously to the priests, and, after a salutation, invites them to the fes- tival. On the Upavasatha-day he informs them, saying, ‘It is the time.’ The preparation of the utensils and seats for the priests is made according to circumstances. Necessaries may be carried (from the monastery) by some of the monastic servants; or provided by the host. Only copper utensils as a rule are used, which are cleansed by being rubbed with fine ashes, Each priest sits on a small chajr placed at such , adistance that one person may not touch another. The shape of the chair has been already described in chap. iii. It is not wrong. however, to use earthenware utensils once, if they have not been used before. When they have been already used, they should be thrown away into a ditch, for used vessels (lit. ‘ touched’) should not be preserved at all. Consequently in India, at almsgiving places at the side of the road, there are heaps of discarded utensils which are never used again, Earthenware (of superior quality) such as is manufactured at Siang-yang (in China) may be kept after having been employed, and after having becn thrown away may be cleansed properly. In India there were not originally porcelain and lacquer works. Porcelain, if enamelled, is, no doubt, clean. Lacquered articles are sometimes brought to India by traders; pcople of the islands of the Southern Sea do not use them as eating utensils, because food placed in them receives an oily smell. But they occasionally make use of them when new, after washing the oily smell away with pure ashes. Wooden ‘articles are scarcely ever employed as eating utensils, yet, if new, they may be used once, but never twice, this being prohibited in the Vinaya. The ground of the dining-hall at the host’s house is strewn over with _cow-dung, and small chairs are placed at regular intervals ; and a large quantity of water is prepared in a clean jar. When the priests arrive they untie the fastenings of their cloaks. All have clean jars placed before them: they examine the water, and if there are no insects in it, they wash their feet with it, then they sit down on the small chairs. . When they have rested awhile, the host, having observed the time and finding that the sun is nearly at the zenith, makes this announcement : ‘It is the time.” Then each priest, folding his cloak by its two corners, ties them in front, and taking up the right corner of his skirt, holds it by the girdle at his left side. The priests cleanse their hands with powder made of peas or earth-dust: and either the host pours water. or the RULES ABOUT THE UPAVASATHA-DAY, 37 priests themselves use water out of the Kuzdi (i.e. jars); this is done according as they find one way or the other more convenient. Ther they return to their seats. Next eating-utensils are distributed to the guests, which they wash slightly so that water does not flow over them. It is never customary to say a prayer before meals. The host, having cleansed his hands and feet (by this time), makes an offering to saints. (images of arhatst at the upper end of the row of seats; then he dis- tributes food to the priests. At the lowest end of the row an offering of food is made to the mother, Hériti. At the former birth of this mother, she from some cause or other, made a vow to devour all babes at Ragagriha. In consequence of this wicked vow, she forfeited her life, and was reborn asa Yakshi ; and gave birth to five hundred children. Every day she ate some babes at Raga- grzha, and the people informed the Buddha of this fact. He took and concealed one of her own children, which she called Her Beloved Child. She sought for it from place to place, and at last happened to find it near the Buddha. ‘ Art thou so sorry,’ said the World-honoured One to her, ‘for thy lost child, thy beloved? Thou lamentest for only one lost out of five hundred ; how much more grieved are those who have lost their only one or two children on account of thy cruel vow?’ Soon con- verted by the Buddha, she received the five precepts and became an Upa- sika'. ‘ How shall my five hundred children subsist hereafter?’ the new convert asked the Buddha. ‘In every monastery,’ replied the Buddha, ‘where Bhikshus dwell, thy family shall partake of sufficient food, offered by them everyeday.’ For this reason, the image of Haritt is found either in the porch or in a corner of the dining-hall of all Indian monasteries depicting her as holding a babe in her arms, and round her knees three or five children. Every day an abundant offering of food is made before this image. Hariti is one of the subjects of the four heavenly kings 2, She has a power of giving wealth. If those who are childless on account of their bodily weakness (pray to her for children), making offerings of - food, their wish is always fulfilled. A full account of her is given in the 1 The conversion of the mythical monster is said to have occurred in the 38 A RECORD OF BUDDHIST PRACTICES. Ix, Vinaya TS so I have only given it in brief. The portrait of ‘the demon - mother of the children’ (Kuei-tze-mu) has already been found in China. There is likewise in great monasteries in India, at the side of a pillar in the kitchen, or before the porch, a figure of a deity carved in wood, two or three feet high, holding a golden bag, and seated on a small chair, with one foot hanging down towards the ground. Being always : wiped with oil its countenance is blackened, and the deity is called Maha- kala or the great, black deity. The ancient tradition asserts that he belonged to the beings (in the heaven) of the Great god (or Mahesvara). He naturally loves the Three Jewels, and protects the five assemblies ? from misfortune. Those who offer prayers to him have their desires fulfilled. At meal-times those who serve in the kitchen offer light and incense, and arrange all kinds of prepared food before the deity. I once visited the Pan-da-na monastery (Bandhana)*, a spot where the great Nirvaza was preached (by the Buddha). There, usually more than a hundred monks dine. In spring and autumn, the best seasons for _ pilgrimages, the monastery is sometimes unexpectedly visited by a multitude (of travellers). Once five hundred priests suddenly arrived there, about midday. There was no time to prepare food for them exactly before noon. The managing priest said to the cooks: ‘ How shall we provide for this sudden increase?’ An old woman, the mother of a monastic servant, replied: ‘Be not perplexed, it is quite a usual occurrence. Immediately she burnt abundant incense, and offered food before the black deity ; and invoked him, saying: ‘Though the Great Sage has gone to Nirvaza, yet beings like thy%elf still exist. Now (a multitude of) priests from every quarter has arrived here to worship the holy spot. Let not our food be deficient for supplying them; for this is within thy power. May thou observe the time.’ 1 The Samyuktavastu, chap. xxxi; Samyuktaratna-sitra VII, 106. * The five Parishads are: (r) Bhikshus, (2) Bhikshufs, (3) Sikshamams, (4) Sramazeras, (5) Sramaneris. For four Parishads see Childers, s. v. parisa (f), where Sikshamazfs, i.e. the women who are under instruction with the view of becoming Sramamerts, are included in the Sramazerts. 8 This is no doubt a monastery in Makufa-bandhana in Kusinagara, see 5 OG ee, Se |. mR. oe) a 7 ee ce oa ae RULES ABOUT THE UPAVASATHA-DAY. 39 Then all the priests were asked to take seats. The food. provided for only the priests in residence at the monastery, when supplied was sufficient for that great multitude of priests, and there was!as much remaining over as usual. All shouted ‘Good!’ and applauded the power of that deity. I myself went there to worship the spot; consequently I saw the image of that black deity before which abundant offerings of food were made. I asked the reason, and the above acéount was re- lated to me. In China the image of that deity hasi6ffen been found in the districts of Kiang-nan, though not in Hug.-poh. Those who ask him (for a boon) find their wishes fulfilled. fhe efficacy of that deity is undeniable. The Naga (snake) Mahdmufilinda! of the Maha- bodhi monastery (near Gaya) has also a similar miraculous power. The following is the manner of serving food.