expect? It is this--to
_rest_ as Buddha does--to sleep forever and ever. This is the reward they
look for. Every one in Burmah thinks he has been born a great many times
into the world,--now as an insect,--now as a bird,--now as a beast, and
he thinks that because he was very good,--as a reward he was made a
_man_. Then he thinks that if he is very good as a _poor_ man, he shall
be born next time to be a _rich_ man; and at last, that he will be
allowed to rest like Buddha himself. What is it to be good? The Burmese
say that the greatest goodness is making an idol, and next to that,
making a pagoda. You know what an idol is, but do you know what a pagoda
is? It is a house, with an idol _hidden_ inside, and it has no door, nor
window, therefore no one can get into a pagoda. Some pagodas are very
large, and others very small. As it is thought so very good to make idols
and pagodas, the whole land is filled with them; the roads in some places
are lined with them; the mountains are crowned with them.

Next to making idols, and building pagodas, it is considered good to make
offerings. You may see the father climbing a steep hill to reach a
pagoda, his little one by his side, and plucking green twigs as he goes.
He reaches the pagoda, and strikes the great bell, then enters the
idol-house near the pagoda, and teaches his young child how to fold its
little hands, and to raise them to its forehead, while it repeats a
senseless prayer; then leaving the green twigs at the idol's feet, the
father descends with his child in his arms. How many little ones, such
as Jesus once took in his arms, are taught every day to serve Satan.

The people who are thought the best in Burmah, are the priests. Any one
that pleases may be a priest. The priests pretend to be poor, and go out
begging every morning with their empty dishes in their hands; but they
get them well filled, and then return to the handsome house, all shining
with gold, in which they live together in plenty and in pride. They are
expected to dress in rags, to show that they are poor; but not liking
rags, they cut up cloth in little pieces, and sew the pieces together to
make their yellow robes; and this they call wearing rags. They pretend to
be so modest, that they do not like to show their faces, and so hide them
with a fan, even when they preach; for they do preach in their way, that
is, they tell foolish stories about Buddha. The name they give him is
Guadama, while the Chi