The History of Indian Literature c9.427

c9.427

As regards the second division of the Buddhist scriptures, the *Vinaya-Piṭaka*, or precepts concerning discipline and worship, these are almost entirely wanting in the Paris collection, doubtless because they are looked upon as peculiarly holy, and are therefore kept as secret as possible by the priests, being indeed specially intended for the clergy.—Like the Buddhist mythology, the Buddhist hierarchy was a thing of gradual growth. Buddha, as we have seen, received all without distinction as disciples, and when ere long, in consequence of the great numbers, and of the practice of living constantly together, except in the winter season, some kind of distribution of rank was required, it was upon the principle of age[^asterisk] or meritdagger that this took place. As the Buddhist faith spread more and more, it became necessary to distinguish between those who devoted themselves entirely to the priestly calling, the *bhikshus*,[^ddagger] monks, and *bhikshuṇís*, nuns, on the one