Nāi Salā Cing; his wife; his family (Bān Chāng Phüank, the North of Chiang Mai city)
Catalog reference:
ชม-09-10-220-00
Subject matter:
Didactics
Copyist:
Nāng Khing Còng (Bān Nam Māng, close to Khunyuam district)
Copying date in Gregorian:
1950-1980
Script:
Shan; Burmese
Writing support:
Mulberry paper – Leporello format
Watermark?:
No
Countermark?:
No
Manuscript cover?:
Yes
Binding?:
No
Manuscript cover dimension:
17.5 x 41 cm
Manuscript paper dimension:
17.5 x 41 cm
Text block dimension:
14.5 x 35 cm
Number of pages:
287 pages
Number of blank pages:
15 pages
Rubrication?:
No
Illumination?:
No
Illustration?:
Yes
Manuscript condition:
Poor
Description of manuscript content:
This manuscript explains the 113 conventional manners of laymen. The Buddha taught that laymen’s behaviors could be divided into several categories: gift-giving, the observance of the precepts, and good behavior towards other people. However, donation objects are to be derived by proper ways, not by exploitation. Five things prohibited being sold are weapons, humans, animals, intoxicants, and poisons. The Buddha narrates the story of Phra Nāratha Thera who travelled to the hells and saw a hungry ghost (Peta) living at a beautiful castle but feeding on his own body. The hungry ghost told Phra Nāratha Thera that he had been born as a judge but accepted bribes and defamed people. However, he was led by a wealthy man to listen to the Dhamma. After his death, he was destined to [be punished] in the hells and fed on his own body; but he lived in the beautiful castle because of his meritorious outcomes of listening to the Dhamma.
Colophon:
တၼ်ၼႆ ၵိပ်ၽင် ၵင်ၸႂ်ၽႂ်မၼ် ၶိုၼ်ဝၼ် လတ်သွၼ်ၵၼ် သေ်ၶျႃ တုဝ်လိၵ်ၵေႃ်ဢပိတ်လိၵ် တုဝ်ယႂ်ၵေႃ်ဢပိတ်ယႂ် ၵိပ်သႂ်ဝႆဝင်ၸိၵ် မတ်ယႃ ၽႂ်မၼ်တဝၼ်
When you all have finished listening to the Dhamma, please keep it in mind and follow the teachings. If you often behave sinfully, no matter of being severe sin, you must gain the precise result according to the level of wickedness. Powerful people gain bad results than less powerful ones. This is normal.
Other notes:
The front cover, the back cover, and the spine are decorated with black lacquer and gilded with gold leaves. The manuscript is severely damaged by insects.
(The inner flyleaf)
I am an old scribe. I put my hands together and kneel [on the floor] to pay homage to the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha. May the merit [derived from copying this manuscript) reward me with physical and mental happiness, and make me pleasant with merit-making, gift-giving, and precept observance. Whenever a new Buddha emerges in the future, may I be reborn as his follower, be free from the mud [of ignorance] which is the Cycle of Rebirths, and finally reach Nibbāna.