Text 3
The people in this town of Sukhothai like to observe the precepts
and to bestow alms. Lord Ram Khamhaeng the ruler of this townAppendix 3: Translation 99
of Sukhothai, the noblemen, noble women, the young men and
women of rank, and all the nobility without exception, both male
and female all have faith in the Buddhist religion, all observe the
precepts during the rainy season. At the close of the rainy season
they celebrate the kathina ceremonies, which last a month. The
kathina ceremony is celebrated with heaps of cowries, heaps of
areca nuts, heaps of flowers, there are cushions and pillows. The
gifts they present to accompany kathinaare worth two million each
year. Everyone goes to the forest monastery over there for the
recitation of the kathina (formula). When they are ready to return
to the town they walk together, forming aline all the way from the
forest monastery to the parade ground. Whoever wants to make
merry, does so; whoever wants to laugh, does so; whoever wants
to sing, does so. As this town of Sukhothai has four very big gates,
and as the people always crowd together to come in and watch the
lord lighting candles and setting off fireworks, the town of Sukhothai
is filled to the bursting point.