Burman His life and Notions, the - libri usati

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1882 edition. Excerpt: ...models of the sacred teeth and bones; besides these, there was a miscellaneous collection of other things--slabs of coloured glass, precious stones, white jars, such as are used by the royal family, and finally a soda-water machine, then almost as much a novelty in England as in Burma. The offerings did not strike Captain Cox as being very valuable, but the then king, Bodaw Payah, cared a good deal more for his own special glory than for the raising of religion. Not long afterwards he claimed to be a new Buddha, and because the Sacred Order would not recognise his right to the title, turned heretic, and victimised the monks with renegade zeal. The relic chamber at the great Shway Maw-daw offers a very decided contrast. The Buddha gave two hairs of his head to two brothers, with instructions to enshrine them on the Thoo-da-thana hill. An earthquake revealed the exact spot to them, and a host of byammahs and nat-dewahs came down to take part in the depositing of the relics. A chamber, ten cubits square, was prepared, and at the bottom was laid a slab of pearly white marble, set with diamonds. A similar slab, studded with emeralds, formed the lid. The Tha-gyah king placed a golden cradle in the centre of the bottom slab, and round this were arranged images of the chief disciples of Shin Gautama, each holding a golden bouquet. The jewelled casket containing the hairs was placed on the cradle, and high festival was held for many days. Numbers of other images of the Buddha himself, and of many eminent disciples, were placed round the sides of the tapanah teik, and countless offerings were made, the Tha-gyah king giving ten billions of gold, each of his queens forty thousand of silver; the father of the two brethren one thousand of gold, and many others...