78 Each month several villagers came on visits to the temple on festival days, and a song and dance group was employed that was dedicated wholly to the temple. From these inscriptions regarding donations, we have gradually come to gain a grasp of the situation that existed in the villages as well as the society of those days. The names of persons who made donations as well as the extent of the donation was recorded in the temple’s asset ledger, and concurrently carved on the stone walls and pillars. As records, the inscriptions served as a substitute for the temple’s asset ledger. All of these movable and immovable commodities donated were assets of the temple, and were utilized for its maintenance and continued existence. The management of the temple was carried out by their use. The rice fields of the temple were cultivated by male and female employees, and the sap of the palm trees in the forests was imbibed for the maintenance of good health. It was refined by using pharmacist’s mortar. Donations were viewed as assets, and further in-depth reflection is needed in order to realize how they were effectively utilized for the maintenance of the temple. We decipher the inscriptions, analyze the movable and immovable goods described therein, and prepare and study hypotheses, concerning the society, politics, and financial systems of those times. In those days private ownership of property was already established, and the movable and immovable property owned by villagers was endorsed. Of course, there also existed taxation. Taxes similar to tithes were levied on rice, sesame, honey, salt, sugar, fabrics, and so on, and they were paid in kind. There is also mention of weights and measures, but the conversion of those units has not yet been clarified. The reason why top priority was allocated to temple events, was because the villagers of that period believed this present life was a continuation of an earlier life, and that this current life led to an afterlife. This is what is termed transmigration or reincarnation. Hence, it was necessary to perform good deeds in this present world. Visiting temples and making charitable donations with a view to attaining the Pure
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