Buddhism in Ceylon.

Southland Times, Issue 8094, 24 August 1885, Page 4

Buddhism in Ceylon.

,A correspondent writes to a Madras' paper on April 5 :— ' A novel and . imposing ceremony toJk place this evenin? at the Widyodya Buddhist College in Colombo, by which a young~and accomplished English lady, well known in Bombay! formally became a prcfesßional follower of* Lord Buddha. Not long ago, a clergyman from England, the Bey. C. W. Lead beater, "took the • nve precepts* ia tho presence of the high, priest, Samangala. ThU .time it was Mi<« Mary Flynn who accepted the <faUh. It was a curious sight to see an English young lady Sressed in an elegant robe ot black silk, sitting in the midst of a crowd of yellow-iobed Buddhist priests and repeating the PansiJ, The ceremony began by the high priest examining the fair candidate a3 to the reasons that led her to desire to accept Buddhism as her faith, to which Miss Flynu answered that, 'after having sludied the various religious systems of the' world, she found the Buddhist'esoteriij philosophy as being most in accordance with fier pytn reason and common-sense. ; '.Other questions having been satisfactorily, answered by her, the hieh priest administered to her • the five precepts. 1 ■which Miss Flycn vtomised" to 'observe, ihe cerercoay ended by the cbantißj? of • Batana Sutta' by aft tho priests present.' [The five precept? above referred -to, are the fir^t of a series of bands or* obligations which under various conditions are aasamed by Buddhist priests, &c. Those here intecded are said to be popular with women. The first excludes the taking of life, and the second the taking of what is not given. The tbird corresponds with ths monastic vow of chastity, but need only be temporary., the fonrth rejects the utterances of untruth,, and the fifth renounces the use tf intoxi:atiDg liquor 0 ,