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52 MÆT LANKA

D. Analysis of the text

The poem begins with the advent of the Buddhist Lent which, by definition, starts
with the rainy season and finishes with it. It is the period where the monks remain
confined in their monasteries and where the faithful come to hear sermons and acquire
merit to enhance the course of their Karma.
Lent also coincides with the plowing season and the farmers are very busy
during the day, which explains why the poet awaits the night to draft his lines.

Lent is also a period of devotion, especially for the faithful who have faith in the
teachings of the Buddha. Elderly people, at least those who are estimated to have lived
1
long enough, are concerned about their salvation by observing the Eight precepts . At
night they sleep on a simple mat, in the monastery’s compound.
In the Lao and Tai traditions of the Indo-Chinese Peninsula, the religious and the
secular are never fully separated. For young people, who expect a lot from life, Lent
does not prevent them from engaging in their usual passion : « The court of love ». As
said Nhouy Abhay (1956 : 41-42), « The loving joust is, above all, a love duet between a
phoubao (young man) and a phousao (young girl). [...] The tradition authorized the girl
of more than sixteen years old to work, lonely, on the porch, in the evening, while the
parents slept. As the moon lit up the surroundings, or as darkness plunged the village
into an awe of the malevolent phis (evil spirits), the spinning wheel of the phousao
creaked, moaned and launched appeals, while along the paths, rounds of phoubaos modu-
2
lated love songs on the national khen . Then the phoubao, who had made his choice,
climbed to the house of his beloved and whispered sweet nothings in her ear. »
On reading the Mæt Lanka, we discover that the writer also has a poet’s soul,
judging by the passages praising the beauty of nature. The sun, moon and stars, as well
as natural phenomena, like the rain and the fog, find their place there. The profusion of
rhyme and alliteration, which lulls like soft music, is a real “ delight ” for the listeners.

The real history of the « Pilgrimage to Lanka » begins with the desire of Chao
Konekeo Inthaleng, the reigning Prince of Keng Tung, to find out if the texts of the
Tipi†aka, the Buddhist Canon, were identical to those of Lanka and if the prayers recited
by the monks were the same on both sides. To do this, he suggested to the monks of his
principality to make a pilgrimage to Lanka, the island known for having preserved the
Doctrine of the Buddha.

1
The Eight Precepts, or A††has‚la, are usually observed by lai faithful on the holy days of the Uposatha.
They are the Five Precepts and : 6. Abstaining from eating after midday ; 7. from dancing, singing, music
and shows, from garlands, scent, cosmetics and adornment ; 8. from luxurious beds.

2
Traditional Lao reed musical instrument, sounding similar to an organ.