Journal of the Siam Society; 48

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VOLUME XLVIII Part 1

June 1960

THE

JOURNAL OF THE

SIAM SOCIETY (JSS)

BANGKOK

2503

With the Compliments of Jvl.t~

J.J. 'Boeles 'Dec 1996

i

VOLUME XLVIII PART 1

'

.,

JUNE: 1960

.Articles

:i?agb

B.P. Grosliel'

01.t1· K nm1•ledge of Klnnm· Oivilf:at{oh,

A

i

Be~arpp•J'aisrd

A.B. Griswold

Afle'f'llwugltts on the Romani:zatWll

lll'Ogl'l'HS

for t.his

soh~

t'lnp.lltPni.

l't·om another group if it is not., approximately,

1>11 thn Hmne

teeltnolugir:al and snr.ial level.

BncnnSfl 'Lltn [H'nples nf t.hP area wert:, thr, in permaneut eoHtaet with Indian

sett.]e~r~entl:l

OIJ

t.heir

ow11

flltt.t.lf'l'R, whr1

trariP

wit.h

the

On tlw eontmry, thPre is eouolllie, n sociological

ol'

o1'

:ti'C1,

c:onr~e,

other posf:libilities.

ean h, bore the great pavilion on thdr hand,;. tlu:it ·•lwuld•·r:• .wd heads. (51: 4; !i2 : 16) 5 One part to the dght of the relief is brokt•n. t'iu11d,.• 1 r • ·• ;t gud y outlined on this stone fragment. A hove tht~t-W •·IutHI•. an· at lea•il two unclearly detlned heavenly being;; floatinl\ in th< :•. Tht) ;;eem to belong to the class of vidyadhura:-;, hl'artt'•'' "I h1nm lt:d}!t:, judging from the position of their folded !C).(!': thit0 a1r,:t111 is a l;upt:t tradition, The hands of the figU!'l.! to tlw riHlit ar• fnit.k!l in veneration at the display of this miracle in th•· ,,,l;i''"'· Tho• un;t "' central figure on the fragmented part holdii a >:arlaurl iu t'•.t••ntkd hands; he is also of the vidyndhara ria,;!>. llut kg i·· Hd!ktl iu tht "plough" position. The cdp;t;s of til(! rdid an· 111 "knL •.•r eut lu size. The attention of all the tigurc\l i!l clirt'l~tJlllH~IIt. ;\] t ll't•over, the Lali tavi~~a~·a n•lat .. ~ tlt;~l hd ... r•· !.·avi11~ th(' 'l'u~ita heaven the Bodhisatt.va, i11 a t'l'l'o•uw'll~. ll'.llll'f•·l'ti hi~ t•rnwll to the Bodhisnttva Tvr'aitreya 1 1

wl1•• i" li .. \\ ,.,.. ,id\tq.: \11 tht• Tn~ita ffeaveu and who is to become tht• H111\tllta .. t 111•· fllt1ll'1',1 Fnr tid~

t'l'al'iPii t

h•· :wtd ptur uf t.h e relief in Fig. 2 might lJ ave

waut•·d '" do•Jii1'1 f lw lltHit!lw, thu!l anticipatiug eventK that would

Tld·· altt•mpt tu "xplaiu :tl.l itupnrtnnt deviation from a :·•>H't'••ol I•· \I i~· w•l t:••ttrd«l•~rl!d tu he ~~urwlnsivo aud it dues not

1'"111•

Jat•·r.

""''II' '" ,,. :·'lll'll"''!l'd I·~· aua(oJ.!:oHK l'opretloJltat,innH ill it'l•lt"~:raplt ~· "1:-i•·whl't'l'. ·lt~t·t·•·J•atH'\

)lqu·;~v.•lt

Buddhist

lluWP\'upont. l.'.··lrcheo/ogic 111011 e de Dl'arm'tlti {Pal'is, 1959), Texte, p. 289.

).J. BoeJe!'l

74

The birth of the Buddha at Khao Pmwm 1\ung :md Plumai. The ku(iigiinl asJwct. The Ln1itavistara rolate:-~ th:d •lu!'iu~~ tlu· gestation the Bodhisattva in hiH tliviw·

t'•'l'lll

!•"II lli 11 Jd

Ia~· tit'

t>f the jewelled pnvilion wa8 to prEwr•11t tlu· B11oldlw fr .. tt• ln·itll-\ defiled by the womb of his mnthPt'.

'l'ht• '''"I''''JI!i"r' w;(:' iw.

maculate.9

It in remnrkahle to nPte Uwt tlH• Lalitavi~:tara 111 l !l!;!pl••l' VI descl'ihei:l thif:l jeweller[ paviliou a:< 1'tlfllllt'!1Uhtt. Jl,.wo'\1'1', promptly after the miraelo of thL' l1irt!J. tlli~ ~:w1•· pa1 i liPit ~~ called lcufagara ( 11ala.is (l'~tages) iu t.h,. w·;·: t ..Jwpt•·1·, \ 1 I. describing the birth.10

'l'hiH ku(ft.tJal'lt i~ w•t t .. lw ltn•ud

reliefs of the Bornbw,lur,Hor

(•II tlii>Ht'

"II

tlw

ill Jl,iit'alat' al'l, tiPtllt•l

tltt• wain wall ••f t lt•· lir:'t

Oil

!-\t•l'il':'

1, a. Plnte VI, Nn. 12. For ltis dt1(. ('at.

No. 'I'.W. ,-.;, Height 114,

fine !Wn•ly.

Chil't.t•:-:•• t·\ay;;tnttt•, \~teal

t'.Jll,

UnpnhliHlil'tl.

VigUJ'P :L llirth of thP Butltlha.

Hoe

Ilt•k

1•!. 1"rn111 Angktll' Vat

uow itt National l\'hHwnm, Bnllgkol\. t'at, _N,, L.lt ;,, Height

77

em.

AlHJut

li\t.lt Ct•nt.

Brnhmi1 i~ l'('ly SC\l)H.r:tt.f!d t.he raee or people or connt.ry. 'l'lw be~:-~t atternpt.i'l of thiltkPr!i aurl wise mt•ll o[ the centnrieK atHl millPtlltia hrofot't' ]!Hill 1\,C, HPnmPd to have het>tl Hnhjr.ctod grad11tdly t1• i.!JravidiaH, Mongoloid tlw woving

:tll(l gnidi11g fol't:e ot: life.

'J'he 'l'tto numif:ef:!t,ed itHelf iu varlomJ

forms, prituarily a~ Yatt{] all(l Yin (or P.M'I"UNha antl 1-'·ra./c·~·ti, as t.he IndialHJ would say), iu the Illttterinl world, mHl alHo 111:1 'l'dt

ur Righteouf:!ness (i.e., Dlw·rnw) iu l'!•.latinml amtmg living creat;ures. 'l'lle UhilleHe people and Uhines0 thiHkers, iucluJing Confucius a)l(l hiH follower~:!, as well ul:l ot.he r phi1ol'lolJhm.·H lilm

1\'lo.'l'zu. and othors, and ineludi.ng of cnn1'HH the greu.t Lao-'l'zu, toolc for grauted the pret:WttCic~ of 'l'r.to ttl'! tl1e great BaHi;; til' Buek. gJ'OUJHl o:l' all l~xistence. Similarly, iu the Wel:ltern World the Jewl:l rltwHlOIJed t.!1eir

idea of Yahweh on the basiH of the Egyptian cOJiceptiS of the rlawuing of the l

\Vith him IlOH-iukderPllee in tl1n

and persistence il1 concentrating withii1 oneself

thl: ideal moral life.

Coufncin::;,

011

t.he otltei' h:nHl,

t.!tonght that one iil'Ht ha1l to become established ill tho right life, l1y modelling hiH eondnet on t.hP tuuclliilgS und oxau1plo::; of' the ancient t>eors

~•ucl

sagE'S, by trying to rectify tlw ills of

soeiety to the· best of his ability, and !Jy tonehillg mnrlldnd t.o li v1~ rationally mHl in u ::;pirit. of uni versn.l friendship.

h1 Ureeee tho earlier philosovhel"S were oceupi!•d both with t.hn fundamentals of t.he nnivonl(', which they sought tu explain with thei1· limited lmnw1edge, and with the tnoJ•al law toget}H~l'

ill those of Socl'atet> and Plato, who esponsecl fCia\ inl>Pt'fll'etat,inll gi \'l'11 t,o t.hiH C.O!lllllllll OXpl'PHI:'iflll ill the Burldhitlt, t.radit,ion. HrrtJz.mrJ--V?'hal'rt., m· 'llwolling in U11•

Brahmm1,' or 'Rojoieing .ill the Hrahmau,' itl a JWI:lititlll which cnn be ntt,uillet.l. through tl1P p1•aetiee of theHe grt~at virtn0s, namoly Upek.~!i. or' non.eogllhmnce of Pvil or sufl'E~rillg inilietotl hy otherfi, Mrdnta, or 'mi lcluess ur gt\ntleu0sR'6 K aru·~ta, or 'Pity nud Love for al1 Jiving ereutm·eH,' 1LtHl J1aih·1, or 'active

[riemlliness,' that

iH,

doing good actively atl against

lllfll'Ply

negative Ah?:u,tsa. '['hiH hrings in what waK prf'-erninently Bllddha's HpPnial tn Iny preHe1·ving the ancient knowledge allil c·xtending it, a111l to Gocl hy prayer nud serviee and religious ritual; that of the· tH:rson

J•etil'l~ll

from thn affairs of the world whieh belong t.o :t

househnldet•, ahandouing nuuHlmHl activities

~uul

liviltg a life of mcHlitation and prn.ye1· and service; nud finally, that o[ the Sannya8in o1' the ]Jerson who has pl:1eed (•verytbing on God ~md hn:; stal'tecl to travel all by himself the l:~st span of life to mePt hi/:\ God, virtnally al>jurinlo( everything iu the wol'1d. '.l'his aspt~ct of: Buddha's spiritual and social att.itnde led to an abnormal developme!lt or tllOlHt::itidsm ill 1hu1dhislll, which of ennrse had itf\ bPnorlcent as well ns itl:l utuleHirable aspel~ts. He r~11 thiH as it. mt•y, Buddha is nedited with this great

Spirit uf Love for everyl1olly. He Juts been made to say that just. aH n llltltlter prei:l8rves her Bingle chilcl even at the eost ul' her OWJI life, so ahll• Hhconlc1 llll:m have a milul Inll ol' infinite h•ve towards all living creatures. The !..n·eat Pity of 11nud ha for Hnmani ty has been bean t.ifnlly e xprPsserl in t h iA poetieal pasi:lage: My children, The Enlightened One, because He saw Mankind drowni11g in the Great Sea of Birth, Death and Sorrow, and longed to save them. For this He was moved to pity.

92

Suniti Kumar Chatter]! Because He saw the men of the world straying in false paths, and none to guide them, For this He was moved to pity. Because He saw that they lay wallowing in the mire of the Five Lusts, in dissolute abandonment, For this He was moved to pity. Because He saw them still fettered to their wealth, their wiveR and theii· children, knowing not ho\1' to cast them aside, For this He was moved to pity. Because He saw them doing evil with hand, heart and tongue, and many times receiving the bitter fruits of sin, yet ever yielding to their desires, For this He was moved to pity. Because He saw that they slaked the thirst of the Five Lusts as it were with br.ackish water, For this He was moved to pity. Because He saw that though they longed for happiness, they made for themselves no karma of happiness; and though they hated pain, yet willingly made fo1· themse! ves a karma of pain: and though they coveted the joys of Heaven, would not follow His commandments on earth, For this He was moved to pity. Because He saw them afraid of birth, old age and death, yet still pursuing the works that lead to birth, old age and death, For this He was moved to pity. Because. He saw them consumed by the fires of pain and sorrow, yet knowing not where to seek the still water of Sanwtllti, For this He was moved to pity. I3ecause He saw them living in a time of wars, killing and wound· ing one another; and knew that fot· the riotous hatred that had :flourished in their hearts they were doomed to pay an endless retribution, For this He was moved to pity. Because many born at tlte time of His incarnation had heard Him preach the Holy Law, yet could not receive it, For this l-Ie was moved to pity. Because some had great riches that they could not bear to give away, For this He was moved to pity. Because He saw the men of the world ploughing their field, sow· ing the seed, trafficking, huckstering, buying and selling: and at the end winning nothing but bitterness, For this He was moved to pity.7

7. From the Upasaka-Sila Siitm, Ch. III. Translated into the English by Arthur Waley.

llUDiliJA AND HllMANiTY

93

A nhinesc frimHl of mine, who is himse1f o. very ardent love!' of B11lwri H. Fox, "'l'ho Oalatagrm Excavations. 'l';vo lfith Century Burial ::1itos in Batangas, Philippinos," Ph,:Zippine 8tndics, vol. 7, Ilu. i\, August 19()9, pp. i\21-390. 'l'his lengthy articlt\ with 1G7 plates, 17 figures, a.nd two maps, is a prdimiuat•y report on the results of t,he Oalatagan excavations conclnctecl by a field team of: the National Museum of: the Philippines under Ur. Fox. 'l'he Ctllatagau burial site:-; fti'O ou tho coast of a sm:tll peninsula faciug the South China Sef\ iu the Province of T3atangas, about one hundred ldlometres l:lOuth of Manila. 'l'he gt·aves belong to the 15th century and thni:l afl'urcl some in valuable evidence of the islands' pre-Spanish cnlturalonmmcl·cial relations. In the early Ming Period thousands of pieces of: ceramic ware were brought to Oalatagan by Ohjnet.H:'· tradei'S from the kilus of South China, Annam and Siam to be exchanged for the hardwoods, cotton, indigo, pearl,; anrne 1~4, 1957. lm:~titute for Oriental Onlture, the 1\'femoil·s of the, Nos. lli-17,

1957. lnstltuto of Ethnology Academia Sinicn, Bulletin of the, No. ti,

19M\. Iustitnt,e of Fishery Biology of Ministt•y of Economic Affairs allt.l National 'l'aiwan University, Report of the, Vol. 1, No. il. lustitnto de Biologia, Auales del. 'l'ome XXIX, Nmneros 1 y

~.

Iyton, Vol. 1:2, l!'asc. 1-2.

:J«rmnese .Journnl of Ethnology, the, Vol. 23, No. ~\. Koninl-\cl,

AGcESSIONS '1'0 'l'HE LIBRAHY

116

Ninth Paeific Sciencn OongreSI:l of' the Pacific Sciettee As~>neiatlon, Proceeding:; of the, Vol. XI: :Forest. He:;nurees; Vol. G: Uocolntt. P t•oblenu:. Nytt Maga:>in for Bot,anil