heart they loved? That is woman's religion.

CHAPTER XIII

FESTIVALS

'The law is sweet, filling the soul with joy.'
_Saying of the Buddha._

The three months of the rains, from the full moon of July to the full
moon of October, is the Buddhist Lent. It was during these months that
the Buddha would retire to some monastery and cease from travelling and
teaching for a time. The custom was far older even than that--so old
that we do not know how it arose. Its origin is lost in the mists of
far-away time. But whatever the beginning may have been, it fits in very
well with the habits of the people; for in the rains travelling is not
easy. The roads are very bad, covered even with water, often deep in
mud; and the rest-houses, with open sides, are not very comfortable with
the rain drifting in. Even if there were no custom of Lent, there would
be but little travelling then. People would stay at home, both because
of the discomfort of moving, and because there is much work then at the
village. For this is the time to plough, this is the time to sow; on
the villagers' exertions in these months depends all their maintenance
for the rest of the year. Every man, every woman, every child, has hard
work of some kind or another.

What with the difficulties of travelling, what with the work there is to
do, and what with the custom of Lent, everyone stays at home. It is the
time for prayer, for fasting, for improving the soul. Many men during
these months will live even as the monks live, will eat but before
mid-day, will abstain from tobacco. There are no plays during Lent, and
there are no marriages. It is the time for preparing the land for the
crop; it is the time for preparing the soul for eternity. The
congregations on the Sundays will be far greater at this time than at
any other; there will be more thought of the serious things of life.

It is a very long Lent--three months; but with the full moon of October
comes the end. The rains then are over; the great black bank of clouds
that walled up all the south so long is gone. The south wind has died
away, and the light, fresh north wind is coming down the river. The
roads are drying up, the work in the fields is over for a time, awaiting
the ripening of the grain. The damp has gone out of the air, and it is
very clear. You can see once more the purple mountains that you have
missed so long; there is a new feeling in the win