Show PRINCE TURNS MONK DAN OF CF SIAM TURNS HIS BACK ON OM THE rhe WORLD WO could not pi aleane aaa e the Rei monarch and nd concluded to abandon statecraft tor missionary labod may ia 10 d christendom bangkok letter nov 6 5 I 1 I 1 1896 was a great day in the history of ceylon buddhism it was the I 1 I 1 day when in the I 1 7 village of I 1 I 1 dua in the district 1 I 1 of Kalu tura t i in ceylon at an d I 1 hour when the sun was wai sinking seaward his royal highness prince phra ong chou chuila charn cham klan Choo masi of the reigning dynasty of siam made the great renunciation of royalty ro and all worldly ties and glory and betook retook himself to the threefold three fold refuge of gautama buddha exchanging ear hanging his priestly robes of grandeur and gold for the yellow of and mendicancy after recen receiving in an elementary english education in siam the prince went to england in to complete his education he joined kings college london and was a pupil of the famous rev since bishop alfred barry D D it is said that his favorite subjects ets were applied science an and d mechanics in aistis after he returned from a short visit isit to siam he we went it through a course of civil engineering in which branch of learning he be so distinguished himself that he obtained from the london society of arts a silver medal for profi lency in engineering and architecture and was made an associate member of the institute of civil engineering he had by then graduated from kings king s college with 1 I 1 I 1 i va I 1 11 I 1 t I 1 f 1 i I I 1 I 1 I I 1 I 1 1 I 1 I 1 it I 1 I 1 11 I 1 k I 1 IN j ROBES OF A MO MONK hunora among the literary and otner honors he received in europe it may h bs mentioned that he was made an associate of kings college london jl ember of the oriental society of frane and member of the archaeological society of portugal one can nl art help regretting in recording these falts that the crowning event of prince s life in this world the event that stands as a landmark on the borderland of the princes world and his no world orld should have been the beginning of and not of a career for which his education and training of nearly a quarter ter of a century well fit him but the regret arises only when it is forgotten that as great and many were his distinctions in the world so great and sincere wan wa i the sacrifice involved in his renunciation oi of them mem on the completion of his collegiate caider prince was appointed interpreter to the siamese special envoy to the courts of england and germany in 1880 he was appointed interpreter to the siamese envoy charged with the honor of investing her majesty the queen of england their royal highnesses the prince and princess of 0 wales and monsieur grevy the president of the french republic with the grand cordon of the in most ost exalted order of the rhe white elephant he was next envoy extraordinary tra ordinary and minister plenipotentiary to the courts of berlin and vienna the talent and tact he displayed in his bis high duties won for him the esteem of all the european courts he had anything to do with he was instrumental in making various treaties between siam and the countries of the west including the united states of america notably a treaty tor for the regulation of the liquor traffic with siam honors were lavished on him ana and his name wm was well known in all european countries in 3 1883 when prince returned to siam finally from europe europe a royal proclamation was issued setting forth all his various services to his king and his country the highest of siamese honors were conferred on him and he was granted vast estates to ex enable 10 him to uve live in state futher further lie IM was wag raised to the highest rank in th the e sil siamese ese peerage by being made a ph phra ong chou it Is in not possible in 81 siam I 1 to attain to 10 any rank higher than the phra ong chou which Is probably second only to the honor of kingship prince a Pris dans career in slam siam was bra nr iena ia unhappy though it commenced brightly and augured much happiness a time he was cabinet minister and held also the position tion of minister of war but he could not please the king in all things nor could the king bl him nl unwilling to abide much much longer in a country where he waa VAA hot iq ar abal L enable to serve it a king aho vho ablo was dissatisfied with his saride I 1 esthe prince took the first step toward his se self af bof immolation atlon by leaving slam setd st up op forever an all lift ills wealth A to abbou I 1 arid acid an we letb I 1 assida l I 1 I 1 dja jjr RA erva I 1 na MOM td I 1 I 1 f h 1 z effs farr tv t v k ferk fer k transferred his allegiance to the british gove aument and as aa plain mr P Choo masi was during the last tev tear years employed ern plod as first asai assistant stant magistrate and settlement officer 0 of even now the prince Is in the pay of the british government his leave of eight months not yet having ex expired at the end ot of which period he will formally tender his resignation it was about 5 p rn on thursday november 5 1896 when in the small email upper room of the octagonal kansala at Waska duwa prince W was as admitted to the appearing in his state dress wearing his full complement of decorations the prince scattered among the vast crowds a assembled d round und the pan kansala numbers of silver coins cains in token that so he renounced all his wealth and worldly greatness then he addressed the people in english his words being translated into singhalese setting forth the nature of the duties he was entering upon and with an effort he broke in two his sword in to token ken of surrender to his conqueror all this was before the vast concourse of the assembled multitude amid shouts 0 of applause and ringing cheers of jubilation but all the loud beating of drums the shouts of sadhu and the many and varied cries of men women and children had given place aislee to a remarkably mar kably imposing stillness and calm when the prince clean shaved and clad in spotless white presented himself at the door of the octagonal upper room of tho the kansala pan sala on an ele elevation vadon which resembled a catholic alt arwas an image of buddha with seven candles burning before it in a row all tha princes costly apparel and personal belongings three uniforms wrought with ornaments of fine gold old two swords helmets a naval cap etc were placed on a salver in front of 0 the image as an offering to the kansala pan sala on the floor spread with gorgeous carpets on circular cushions of r soft oft cotton sat a dozen priests the prince was questioned as to his intentions to be admitted to and then it was touching to see prince Pris dan prostrating pro himself before the image repeat re peat in a solemn half heard half hushed voice after the still more solemn intoning of the officiating monk Bud dham anam Gac chami charman saraham Gac chami mangham harn saraham Gac chami the expression of em embracing tracing emo racing the thre threefold refuge of buddhism meaning 1 I 1 go for refuge to the buddha I 1 go for r refuge fuge to the law I 1 go for refuge to the order it is remarkable that this is the only prayer of true buddhism the novice was then robed in yellow and shown to the people thus it came to pass that prince of the royal family of siam was made a buddhist monk at waska awa in ceylon ceylo n after instruction in the ten precepts of the desa sila and a complete ordination known as the novice would be a full monk at present the prince is at Waska duwa and he has not yet decided whether he is to work in ceylon or go abroad As there is not in the ranks of the buddhist monks another man so learned in english and in french freach as the royal mendicant and trained to western ways and western culture as he it is probable that the princely monk will be sent next year to england on a missionary tour in the meantime he will be taught pali and singhalese to enable him to understand the buddhist scripture in the original the prince la Is an affable courteous and kindhearted kind hearted man and what is most characteristic of him more even than his devotion as a buddhist is his bis |