Buddhist Love Of Flowers

One peculiarity in tho Buddhist ceremonial serves al all times to give a singular impulse to the progress of horticulture. Flowers and irlanda are introduced in its religious rites to tho utmost exoess. The%tmospliero of tho wiharas and temples is rendered oppressive with the poriuine of chanipac and jessamino ; and the shrino of the deity, tho podestals of his image, and the steps leading to the temple are strewn tbickly with blossoms o tho Nagaha and tho Lotus. At an earlier period the profusión in which these beautiful emblema were omployed in sacred decorations appenrs nlmost incredible ; the Mahawanso relates that tho Kuanwello dagoba, whioh was '270 i'eet in height, was on ono occasion ' festooned with garlands írom pedestal to pinnaele till it resembled one uniform bouquet ;" and at another timo, it and tho lofty dagoba at Mihintala wero buricd under heaps of jessamino from the ground to tho summit ' Fa Hian, in describing his visit to Anarajapoora in tho fourth century, dwells with admiration and wonder on tho perfumes and flowers lavished on their worship by the Cingalese ; and the nativo historian constantly alludo as familiar incidents to tho profusión in which they werc omploved on ordinary occasions, and to tho formation by successi vo kings of innumerablo gardons for tho florar requiremonts of the templos. The capital was surrounded on all sides byjflower gardens, and theso were multiplied so oxtensively that, according to tho Uajaratnacari, one was to bo found within a distance of four leagues in any part of Ceylon. Among tho rogulations of tho templo built at Dambedenia, in the thir teenth century, was " ovory day an offering of 100,000 flowers and each day a different flowor." Another advantago conferrod by BuddhiBm on the country was the planting of fruit trees and esculent vegetaties for the gratuitous uso of travelers in all the frequonted parts of the island. The historical ovidences of this are singularly corroborative of tho genuinoness of the Buddhist edicts engraved on various rocks and monumonts in India, tho deciphering of which was tho grand achievment of Prinpip and his learned coadjutore. jÉcdpit JUgtti