are in the main retained but are made to depend on Buddhist
texts. Later Dhammathats become more and more decidedly Buddhist. Thus
the Mohavicchedani (1832) does not mention Manu but presents the
substance of the Manu Dhammathats as the law preached by the Buddha.

Direct Indian influence may be seen in another department not
unimportant in an oriental country. The court astrologers, soothsayers
and professors of kindred sciences were even in recent times Brahmans,
known as Ponna and mostly from Manipur. An inscription found at Pagan
and dated 1442 mentions the gift of 295 books[171] to the Sangha among
which several have Sanskrit titles and about 1600 we hear of Pandits
learned in the Vedasastras, meaning not Vedic learning in the
strict sense but combinations of science and magic described as
medicine, astronomy, Kamasastras, etc. Hindu tradition was
sufficiently strong at the Court to make the presence of experts in
the Atharva Veda seem desirable and in the capital they were in
request for such services as drawing up horoscopes[172] and
invoking good luck at weddings whereas monks will not attend
social gatherings.

More important as a non-Buddhist element in Burmese religion is the
worship of Nats[173] or spirits of various kinds. Of the prevalence of
such worship there is no doubt, but I cannot agree with the
authorities who say that it is the practical religion of the Burmese.
No passing tourist can fail to see that in the literal as well as
figurative sense Burma takes its colour from Buddhism, from the gilded
and vermilion pagodas and the yellow robed priests. It is impossible
that so much money should be given, so many lives dedicated to a
religion which had not a real hold on the hearts of the people. The
worship of Nats, wide-spread though it be, is humble in its outward
signs and is a superstition rather than a creed. On several occasions
the kings of Burma have suppressed its manifestations when they became
too conspicuous. Thus Anawrata destroyed the Nat houses of Pagan and
recent kings forbade the practice of firing guns at funerals to scare
the evil spirits.

Nats are of at least three classes, or rather have three origins.
Firstly they are nature spirits, similar to those revered in China and
Tibet. They inhabit noticeable natural features of every kind,
particularly trees, rivers and mountains; they may be specially
connected with villages, houses or individuals. Though not essentially
evil they