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Through religious education and application of the ten precepts or basic rules, the novice gains merit for himself and his family. The novitiate may last only a few days and thereafter, the
novice may re-enter the monastery at any time but he can become an ordained monk or rahan, only when he is 20 years old.

 Then he must renounce the world, devote the rest of this life to meditation, learning and teaching the scriptures. The 227 vows of the Order, including those of poverty, chastity and the vow not to hurt or offend any living creature must be taken and observed.

Buddhist novice noviciation procession

Between the ages of ten and sixteen Burman

boys enter upon the monastic novitiate, an occasion celebrated with a brilliant fete. The adoption of a religious life by girls is much less general, even for the short time it is embraced by the youths ; and when it is adopted, there is no ceremony.

Buddhist Novice Burma at Bagan

But a holiday answering to that of the boy's novitiate is held in honor of the girl, especially when she is the first-born child—thami-u. In her case the ear-boring ceremony, if not the piercing itself, is deferred to the age of ten or twelve. The child, equipped in royal attire, or an imitation of it, and wearing a queen's crown (sibon), is the centre of a great gathering of relatives and friends, who are entertained with music and plays.

The lad who has prepared to renounce the world for a season, or it may he for life, is called shinlaung. The shinlaung,,- festivals usher in the religious or lenten season -wit., June to September the season of rain in Bahar the home of the Buddha. In order to accentuate the renunciation of the
world which the lad is making, he is arrayed and attended like a prince and makes a royal progress on horseback or in a chariot to the monastery. Attendants bear gilt umbrellas over him, and a retinue of relatives and friends carry his pareikaya and offerings for the use of the monastery. The pareikaya are the eight chattels, to the possession of which the regular recluse (yahan) is restricted.

They consist of the thingan or monastic yellow robes, viz, the loin-cloth (thimbaing), upper cloth (egazi), wrapper (thingan-dyi), and red girdle (kaban) ; a needle (at), wherewith to piece his clothing together, a hard-baked black earthen pot (thabeit) in winch to collect the morning dole of food, a filter (yezit) to strain the drinking water clear of living things, and a razor (thindon-da) to shave the head and face (excepting the eyebrows).

The garments are of plain cloth,

without any cut, but torn into strips and joined up again (by the donors) in commemoration of the primitive rule of piecing the garments together from rags, as well as to deprive the cloth of value. The cloth is mostly cotton, but silk and wool are also offered. The stuffs are dyed a bright ochre, with chips of Jack-wood. By repeated washings the color deepens to tan. These varying shades produce a picturesque effect. The recluse customarily also receives sandals to wear, a deer-skin to sit and sleep upon, a broom to sweep his dwelling with, and a large palm-leaf fan, both for a shelter from the sun and a screen from the sight of womankind.

Buddhist novices

The thabeit is slung in a yellow cotton net, and has a lacquer work stand and cover. In respect of chattels, however, these primitive tokens of privation have sunk to a form. The recluses have many changes of raiment and the use of spacious dwellings with good furniture. In all other respects they rigidly observe the rule of their life.

At the kyaung, or by another usage at the home of the candidate, whither the recluse has been invited to preach, the lad will pray for reception as probationer of the thinga -the assembly of devoted seekers after righteousness - -presenting his pareikaya at the same time.

In response, the recluse will recite the ordinances of reception. First, he will inquire about the bodily integrity of the candidate, the consent of his parents, his freedom from debt and other bonds. Then he will recapitulate the rule of the novice's life, who, besides the five commandments binding on all men, must observe five additional injunctions (thila). The cardinal precepts of the Buddha are (1) to respect every form of life; (2) to respect the property of others ; and (3) their wives and children (4) to respect truth ; and (5) sobriety. The additional rules are - to eschew sexuality, frequent meals, games, gold and silver, finery and worldliness. The recluse should meekly fix his gaze on the earth not more than " a four-span yoke" in front. He takes food in the morning only. The novice gives his hours to attendance upon his pre-editor, to contemplation and sober study. His preceptor receives voluntary confession of faults, without questioning, prescribes penances, and is to his disciple as a parent. having acquiesced in the rule of life, the candidate is admonished to divest himself of worldly state and personal adornment, and after that to renew his prayer for admission.

Novices at a Bagan Monastery Burma

The shinlaung then retires to be divested of his grandeur, Ills long hair -¬the pride of the n is cut close to the roots with scissors and preserved by his female relatives. Ills head is shaved by a male relative, The same day, or later, alter bathing, the candidate will present himself dad in a plain loin-cloth, offering- his robes and the rest of the parakaya for acceptance as before. The recluse will now accept the robes on behalf of the Assembly, and deliver them to the candidate, who retires to robe himself. Invested with the thingan, he returns as accepted probationer, to make obeisance (Shiko) to his instructor. The novice takes no vow and owes no formal obedience. Like the full member of the Assembly, he is always free to abandon the religious rule of life (lu-twet- to become a layman again). The goyin (maung-yin, in Pali –samanera-, “chinthamane” ) or "gentle-brother”,- as the novice is designated, discontinues the use of his secular name, in lieu of which he receives from his preceptor a Pali title (bwe), chosen in the same way as the secular name front one of seven sets. Thus Maung Shwe Ni, Brother Golden-red, becomes U Alawka, Sage above-the-world.

The Whole male population of the village

are free of the monastery. The recluse and his novices have withdrawn from participation in the world, but not from observation by the world. Great as is the homage accorded to him by the laity, a recluse who should disgrace his cloth—a thing almost unknown — would be promptly unfrocked by them.

For their sustenance the novices and regular recluses depend upon alms. They receive these in kind and according to daily need. Their appeal is mute. The morning after his reception the novice with his brethren will halt in front of his own parents' house and the houses of the neighbors to receive such dole of food as is offered. He will not look to right or left, but keep his eyes rooted on the ground, making no sign beyond raising the cover of his alms-howl.

The recluse may not ask for anything whatever, nor even express a predilection. The food, ripe or ready-cooked, as the case may, he, is doled indiscriminately into the thabeit from the east side, usually by a woman of the house. A woman should not stand in the shadow of a recluse, of a shrine, zedi, temple or image. She should not occupy an upper floor when a recluse happens to be beneath, nor enter a Thein, nor occupy a higher place with respect to men. Food given in a religious spirit, as above described, is called sun. The recluses when collecting sun are generally followed by a couple of scholars bearing a yoke and basket to receive larger offerings on behalf of the monastery.

Those probationers who remain in the monastery for several years

counted by Lents (wa) -and who aspire to full membership of the Assembly, read with the recluse Pali texts of the Tripitaka, and the commentaries on these, and commit portions, sometimes whole books of the canon, to memory. Recluses of standing and also laymen take part in these exercises.
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