th century found in Kedah and another of
the seventh or eighth from Phra Pathom both contain the formula _Ye
dharma_, etc. The latter inscription and also one from Mergui ascribed
to the eleventh century seem to be in mixed Sanskrit and Pali. The
Sukhothai inscription summarized above tells how a learned monk was
brought thither from Ligor and clearly the Pali Buddhism of northern
Siam may have followed the same route. But it probably had also
another more important if not exclusive source, namely Burma. After
the reign of Anawrata Pali Buddhism was accepted in Burma and in what
we now call the Shan States as the religion of civilized mankind and
this conviction found its way to the not very distant kingdom of
Sukhothai. Subsequently the Siamese recognized the seniority and
authority of the Sinhalese Church by inviting an instructor to come
from Ceylon, but in earlier times they can hardly have had direct
relation with the island.

We have another picture of religious life in a Khmer
inscription[202] of Lidaiya or Sri Suryavamsa Rama composed in
1361 or a little later. This monarch, who is also known by many
lengthy titles, appears to have been a man of learning who had
studied the Tipitaka, the Vedas, the Sastragama and Dharmanaya
and erected images of Mahesvara and Vishnu as well as of the
Buddha. In 1361 he sent a messenger to Ceylon charged with the task of
bringing back a Metropolitan or head of the Sangha learned in the
Pitakas. This ecclesiastic, who is known only by his title, was duly
sent and on arriving in Siam was received with the greatest honour and
made a triumphal progress to Sukhothai. He is not represented as
introducing a new religion: the impression left by the inscription is
rather that the king and his people being already well-instructed in
Buddhism desired ampler edification from an authentic source. The
arrival of the Sangharaja coincided with the beginning of Vassa and
at the end of the sacred season the king dedicated a golden image of
the Buddha, which stood in the midst of the city, and then entered the
order. In doing so he solemnly declared his hope that the merit thus
acquired might make him in future lives not an Emperor, an Indra or a
Brahma but a Buddha able to save mankind. He pursued his religious
career with a gratifying accompaniment of miracles and many of the
nobility and learned professions followed his example. But after a
while a deputation waited on his Majesty begging him t