o return to the
business of his kingdom.[203] An edifying contest ensued. The monks
besought him to stay as their preceptor and guide: the laity pointed
out that government was at an end and claimed his attention. The
matter was referred to the Sangharaja who decided that the king
ought to return to his secular duties. He appears to have found little
difficulty in resuming lay habits for he proceeded to chastise the
people of Luang-Prabang.

Two other inscriptions,[204] apparently dating from this epoch,
relate that a cutting of the Bo-tree was brought from Ceylon and
that certain relics (perhaps from Patna) were also installed with
great solemnity. To the same time are referred a series of engravings
on stone (not reliefs) found in the Vat-si-jum at Sukhothai. They
illustrate about 100 Jatakas, arranged for the most part according to
the order followed in the Pali Canon.

The facts that King Sri Suryavamsa sent to Ceylon for his
Metropolitan and that some of the inscriptions which extol his merits
are in Pali[205] make it probable that the religion which he professed
differed little from the Pali Buddhism which flourishes in Siam to-day
and this supposition is confirmed by the general tone of his
inscriptions. But still several phrases in them have a Mahayanist
flavour. He takes as his model the conduct of the Bodhisattvas,
described as ten headed by Metteyya, and his vow to become a Buddha
and save all creatures is at least twice mentioned. The Buddhas are
said to be innumerable and the feet of Bhikkhus are called Buddha
feet.[206] There is no difficulty in accounting for the presence of
such ideas: the only question is from what quarter this Mahayanist
influence came. The king is said to have been a student of Indian
literature: his country, like Burma, was in touch with China and his
use of the Khmer language indicates contact with Camboja.

Another inscription engraved by order of Dharmasokaraja[207] and
apparently dating from the fourteenth century is remarkable for its
clear statement of the doctrine (generally considered as Mahayanist)
that merit acquired by devotion to the Buddha can be transferred. The
king states that a woman called Bunrak has transferred all her merit
to the Queen and that he himself makes over all his merit to his
teacher, to his relations and to all beings in unhappy states of
existence.

At some time in this period the centre of the Thai empire changed
but divergent views have been