A Description of the Burmese EmpireAccount of a missionary to Burma from 1782 until 1808. |
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abodes adore afterwards alms Amarapura animals Badonsachen Baos belong body Brahmins brother Burmese Empire Burmese language called Carian cause ceremonies clothes colour concubines consent creditor crime cubits daughter death debt debtor divided dower Emperor evil father Fire Fire Fire four fruit give given Godama gold habit hells Hence honour husband inhabitants judge judicial astrology juzenà kill kinds king kingdom of Ava labour lawsuit live Mandarins manner marriage married Martaban master master of ceremonies moon mountains Navè Niban night obliged observed Pagodas palace parents pass Pegù Peguans person planets possession practise present priest princes Pron punishment rain Rangoon received reign restore rice rich river royal Rupà rupees Sciam seat seven Siamese silver slave southern island species Talapoins thing throne trees village white elephant Whoever wife wives woman wood Zabudibà Zempiuscien Zian
Popular passages
Page 105 - ... finally, when through fear or respect of persons, as of Mandarins, or rich or powerful men, they commit injustice. Those offenders also are here comprised who do not divide property equally as they ought, through love, fear, hatred, or ignorance. Besides this, a man must refrain from the six things that are called ruinous; which are the love of intoxicating liquors, the custom of wandering about the streets at unseasonable hours, too great a passion for dancing, games, and spectacles, gaming,...
Page 92 - I have need of your goods, etc.' 22. In treating of the precept of never touching a woman, it is added in the Vini that this prohibition extends to one's own mother ; and even if it should happen that she fall into a ditch, her son, if a Talapoin, must not pull her out. But in the case that no other aid is near, he may offer her his habit or a stick, and so help her out ; but at the same time must imagine that he is only pulling a log of wood. 23. The Talapoins are exhorted to observe in particular...
Page 82 - The last of these impostors taught that there exists a Supreme Being, the Creator of the world and of all things in it ; and that he alone is worthy of adoration. All these doctrines of the six false gods, are called the laws of the six Deitti.
Page 159 - The Burmese are all given to the follies of alchemy; and there is not one of them who does not believe in the existence of the philosopher's stone, and in the possibility of converting the baser metals into gold and silver by means of certain preparations. The following instance may give an idea of their folly in this respect. Among other things which can effect this transmigration, they give the first place to the...
Page 60 - The exaction of the two last mentioned rights has however heen enforced with less rigour of late, in consequence of the urgent representations made by the foreigners resident, at Rangoon. To the king it belongs to declare war or to conclude peace; and he may in any moment call upon the whole population of his empire to enlist themselves in his army, and can impose upon them at pleasure any labour or service.
Page 96 - ... fashion of the country. This done, it is swathed with bands of white linen, wrapped many times round it in every part, and upon these is laid a thick coat of varnish. To this succeeds a covering of gold, which adheres to the varnish, and in this manner the body is gilt from head to foot. It is now put into a large chest and exposed to the veneration of the people. It is this chest or coffin on which the greatest care and expense is bestowed.
Page 100 - The fathers must note down under what shade, on what day, at what hour, and in what season this ordination has been performed." Besides this, the newly ordained priest must be admonished of the fourteen things that priests may lawfully make use of, and of the four from which they must abstain. Hence the master of ceremonies thus proceeds with the instruction. "In the first place, it is the office of a priest to beg for his food with labour, and with the exertion of the muscles of his feet; wherefore,...
Page 108 - This body, which is composed of 360 bones, of 900 veins, and as many muscles, is full of intestines, phlegm, and mucus; from nine different apertures disgusting matter is discharged; a stinking perspiration exudes from all its pores, and yet there are people so foolish, as not merely to cherish their own bodies, but also to fall in love with those of other persons. This body, which even when alive is so disgusting, when it is dead becomes a carcass, which its own relations cannot look upon without...
Page 121 - It is called teh, a word signifying to mount, and takes its name from its commencing in the feet and ascending upwards through all the members of the body. It presents the appearance of a stupor or numbness, by which the patient is at last deprived of all feeling, and even of speech. The Burmese attribute it to the wind, but its true cause seems to be the congealing and torpor of the humours, particularly of the nervous fluid, from the want of exercise, as also -from the intemperate use of viscous...
Page 103 - ... the continual practice of works of piety; by showing respectfulness, humility, and sobriety before all ; and gratitude to our benefactors ; and, finally, by listening often to the preaching of the word of God, — we overcome evil inclinations, and keep ourselves far from sin.