Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal/Volume 29/Remarks upon an ancient Buddhist Monastery at Pu-gân, on the Irrawaddy

by A. Phayre

Remarks upon an ancient Buddhist Monastery at Pu-gân, on the Irrawaddy.—By Lt.-Col. A. Phayre, Commissioner of Pegu.

The ruins of the ancient city of Pu-gân are situated, as is well known, on the left hank of the river Irrawaddy, about three hundred and fifty miles above Rangoon.

In the southern portion of the ruined city, I discovered the remains of an ancient monastery. This was the first building of the kind that I had met with in Burmah, and it is probably in better preservation than any of the ancient Viharas built for Buddhist monks. The nature of the masonry, as compared with that of Pagodas at Pu-gân, the date of building which is known, leads me to believe that the monastery in question was built five or six hundred years ago. The building is constructed entirely of brick.

It is somewhat dilapidated. Still enough remains to show distinctly the nature of the building and its several divisions. The ground plan is shown in the sketch accompanying, and a rough front elevation is added. There was evidently no upper story.

The building consisted of a square of about 80 feet, the outer wall up to the top of its battlemented parapet being about 18 feet above the ground. Each corner had a pilaster supporting a deep cornice which ran all round the outer wall. The outer wall had been plastered, but this protection has now nearly disappeared. The corner pilasters rested on basement mouldings, which appear to have been placed nearly two feet above the ground; the chief entrance was on the eastern face of the building, and here there was a projection of about 15 feet from the main wall, forming a part of the outer room or vestibule. There was a corresponding projection on the opposite face where there was an elevated domed-structure, for the reception of an image of Gautama. This was apparently, from what remains, some twelve or fourteen feet higher than the outer wall. Over the entrance door on the eastern side, there had been an ornamental canopy of flamboyant rays in plaster, such as is seen over most of the doors and windows of the temples of Pu-gân. This,

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however, is now nearly worn away by the weather. Entering this door-way, you pass at once into the vestibule or outer room, which is about 30 by 25 feet. From this you enter the main enclosure or central court of the monastery, more than 40 feet square, and into which open the principal surrounding cells, which were for the use of the monks. At the west end of this court, and directly fronting the main entrance, is an elevated domed tower, once surmounted by a graduated steeple now in ruins. Within the domed tower, at a height of about fifteen feet above the ground, was a palleng or raised throne, for an image of Gautama. This must ordinarily have been worshipped from below. There are no existing steps up to the tower, which probably was reached from the hall by a ladder when necessary. Beneath this throne was a vault below the level of the ground. A small opening and descending passage led down to it. In the vault also were places for images. This represented the cave which Buddhists love to construct, to remind them of places for retirement and devotion. The walls for the interior cells or apartments of the monastery are now not more than 10 or 12 feet high, and this appears to have been their original elevation. The interior walls have not been plastered. No portion of a roof anywhere remains. Each cell has a separate entrance door and window about 18 inches square. These are all formed with flat arches and no timber appears in any part of the building. It is not clear how the cells have been roofed or with what material, but probably with planks. Not a vestige of a tile was visible. The outer wall of the building is pierced to receive stone pipes to carry off the rain water from the roof. These are seen obtruding through the top of the outer wall below the parapet. The great centre room or court of the monastery has also been roofed but probably only with boards laid horizontally. The two dotted lines in the plan show where, from marks at the top of the inner walls of the side cells, two beams had probably rested. In a climate where it seldom rains, planks laid on rafters supported by these, would afford sufficient protection from the weather. This apartment was evidently the great hall of the monastery where the religious discourses and instruction would be conducted. The outer room would be that for the reception of strangers and probably for teaching the scholars, who daily attended for that purpose, as is now customary at existing monasteries in Burmah. At the south-eastern angle of the building was an apartment differing from the others. It had several recesses in the walls and may probably have been the library of the establishment. At its southern end was a staircase which led up to a small turret on the roof. This was probably intended for the inmates to proceed to the roof in the cool of the evening.

The monastery was surrounded by an enclosure wall (now nearly all in ruins) about nine feet high. Each face was about 200 feet long. There was only the appearance of a gate at the centre of the eastern face. This was constructed with a double arch, indicating that the monastery had been erected by royal bounty.

This building appears to have been constructed solely as a monastery or residence for monks, and with places for images of Buddha, but no other object of worship. I mention this as Mr. James Fergusson in a note on Buddhist structures, appended to Yule’s Narrative of the Mission to the Court of Ava in 1855, appears to suppose that in Burmese monasteries “a dagoba altar” has been introduced, together with images of Buddha, thus converting the Vihara or monastery into the purposes of a chaitya hall. I am not quite sure that I understand what is meant by a “dagoba altar,” to which “the priest turns in prayer.” If it be a small model dagoba representing a relic receptacle, I am very certain I never saw one in a modern Burmese kyoung or monastery. In Burmah, Buddhist monks do not conduct worship. They simply preach the law. Each individual makes his own offerings, and utters his own ejaculations. Prayer is scarcely an appropriate term for the devotions of Buddhists. There was no indication in the ancient monastery I have been describing that any such object of worship as a “dagoba altar” was introduced. But in the enclosure wall of the monastery, and entirely detached from the building, are two small chambered or vaulted pagodas, which evidently were intended as oratories, (so to speak,) for the monks. This also would tend to show that no “dagoba” was placed within the walls of the monastery itself.

It may be well to add a few words on modern monasteries in Burmah. They are almost invariably built entirely of teak wood. Indeed Burmese of the present day, clergy and laity, appear to have

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a prejudice against living in brick edifices, whether sacred or profane. Close to the Ananda temple at Pu-gân is a monastery called Ananda monastery. It was, when I visited it in October, 1859, about eight years old. The building, of which a plan is annexed, rests on a platform of teak plank, supported by about two hundred massive teak posts, each not less than eighteen inches in diameter. The floor or platform is raised about eight feet from the ground. The monastery itself is 60 feet long from east to west and 45 feet from north to south. The outer portion of the platform on which the building rests, is left unroofed, being an open space from 14 to 16 feet broad, all round the monastery. A reference to the accompanying ground plan will show, that the arrangement of this modern building bears no resemblance to that of the ancient one. The outer walls of teak plank, are seven feet high. The roof rises with three gradations or tiers. The eaves, gables and ridge ornaments are elaborately and beautifully carved. No gilding appears in the building. The Abbot of this establishment was upwards of eighty years of age. His apartment would properly have been the state room (No. 4) but his great age rendered it irksome to him to move, so he passed his time, during the day, in the long northern apartment, (No. 2) half reclined, leaning against one of the great pillars and enjoying the air. About half of the north side of the outer wall of the building and the whole of the eastern side consisted of shutters working on hinges, which could be raised up and supported on poles, or closed at pleasure, usually only those on the northern side were kept raised during the day. At night the aged Abbot had his bed on the floor, near to where he sat during the day, though there was a handsomely carved bedstead for him close by, had he wished to use it. Near him slept one of the two pazens or deacons, of whom two were attached to the monastery. This arrangement also was with reference to the great age of the Abbot. Under ordinary circumstances, one or both of these pazens would have occupied the room south of the state room (No. 5). The long room called western apartment (No. 6) I found occupied by one of the pazens and the young probationers, of whom there were some half dozen. Usually also this would have been the school room for those boys who attended daily for instruction, but the old Abbot could not bear the noise of these youngsters, and the schooling went on in another and separate building. In the idol apartment (No. 3), most of the images of Buddha were arranged facing the entrance, that is to the north. Two or three were facing the east. They were placed in wooden models of sacred dwellings, elaborately carved and gorgeously gilded. Worshippers coming to listen to the preaching of the monks, or to make offerings of flowers and food to the images, would kneel below the raised dais, and women probably outside the raised screens on the uncovered platform, so as not to come too near the officiating monk. But they might enter the monastery to deposit their offerings, on a receptacle which is generally placed before the images. No particular room was set apart as a library. Some book-cases were in the idol room, and some books were scattered on bedsteads below the dais on the east side.

In this monastery the discipline was evidently very lax, no doubt arising from the great age of the Abbot, and his inability to move about, and personally exercise authority. The pazens or deacons I found importunate, and the young probationers, notwithstanding their shaven heads and yellow robes, as riotous and wild as school boys. However they all were civil and obliging and willingly showed me over the establishment. Being much interrupted by them in making measurements of the rooms, I left it to be done by a Burmese assistant. He afterwards told me he also had been quite perplexed by the talking, questioning, joking and laughing of these young candidates for monasticism.

On the same platform with the monastery, and at a distance of only 13 feet under a separate roof was what is called a “phra kyoung” or image monastery. In this were images of Buddha placed facing to the north. But as this building is not an essential part of a monastery though in modern times generally added thereto, it need not be described.

References to plan of modern monastery.

1. Uncovered portion of the platform on which the building rests.
2. Outer hall extending on three sides of the building. The east side and a portion of the north is enclosed by wooden shutters.
3. The principal division of the monastery called “Phra Khan,”

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or “Image apartment.” The floor is raised about a foot higher than the rest of the floor of the building. The idols are facing the north and east.

1. The state room for the Abbot. This is separated by a richly panneled wall from the “Image apartment.”
2. Room for the pazeng or second in rank to the Abbot.
3. The “western apartment,” where the young probationers and students sleep and eat. In this apartment, ordinarily the teaching of the day-scholars would be conducted.
4. This is called “the Image monastery.” It is not invariably joined to a monastery, but when added it is always on the east side. The principal idol in this building faces the north.

Note on a ruined monastery near the Tsoola Moonee Pagoda at Pu-gân.

Amidst the extensive ruins of Pugân there are probably many objects of interest yet to be discovered. I met with a second ruined monastery near an ancient temple called the “Tsoola Moonee.” A rough ground plan which is annexed, shows the arrangement of the building. The main building, as seen in front facing the east, which included a portion of the interior enclosure wall, was nearly 150 feet long. The principal entrance was on the east. It was gained by ascending a slightly elevated open terrace. In the interior were four apartments, including the vestibule, which were arranged somewhat in the form of a cross, round a central mound, which had probably contained an image of Buddha, within a vaulted chamber. Not far from this monastery was another building, within which I found a stone inscription on which the Burmese date 678 (A. D. 1316) was legible, but I have not been able to decipher the inscription itself.

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