Vinaya Texts, Part I: The Pâtimokkha and the Mahâvagga I–IV — SBE Vol. 13 (trans. Rhys Davids & Oldenberg, 1881)

For two purposes the blessed Buddhas put questions to the Bhikkhus, when they intend to preach the doctrine or when they intend to institute a rule of conduct to their disciples.

5. And the Blessed One said to the venerable Upananda Vangantaputta: ‘How many years have you completed, O Bhikkhu, since your upasampada?’

‘Two years, Lord.’

‘And how many years has this Bhikkhu completed ?’

‘One year, Lord.’

‘In what relation does this Bhikkhu stand to you?’

‘He is my saddhiviharika, Lord.’

Then the blessed Buddha rebuked him: ‘This is improper, O foolish one, unbecoming, unsuitable, unworthy of a Samaza, unallowable, and to be avoided. How can you, O foolish one, who ought to receive exhortation and instruction from others, think yourself fit for administering exhortation and instruction to another Bhikkhu? Too quickly, O foolish one, have you abandoned yourself to the ambition of collecting followers. This will not do (&c., as in chap. 30. 3). Let no one, O Bhikkhus, confer the upasampad§4 ordination who has notp. 177 completed ten years. He who does, is guilty of a dukkaéa offence. I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that only he who has completed ten years, or more than ten years, may confer the upasam pada ordination.’

6. At that time ignorant, unlearned Bhikkhus (who said), ‘We have completed ten years (since our upasampad§4), we have completed ten years,’ conferred the upasampada ordination ; (thus) ignorant upagghayas were found and clever saddhivihdrikas; unlearned upaggA4yas were found and learned saddhivihdrikas; upagghdyas were found who had small knowledge, and saddhiviharikas who had great knowledge; foolish upagghâyas were found and wise saddhivih4rikas., And a certain Bhikkhu who had formerly belonged to a Titthiya school, when his upagg4ya remonstrated with him (on certain offences) according to the Dhamma, brought his upagg4ya (by reasoning) to silence and went back to that same Titthiya school'.

7. The moderate Bhikkhus were annoyed, murmured, and became angry : ‘How can those ignorant, unlearned Bhikkhus confer the upasampada ordination (saying), “We have completed ten years, we have completed ten years?” (Thus) ignorant upagghayas are found and clever saddhivihdrikas (&c., down to:), foolish upaggayas are found and wise saddhiviharikas.’

These Bhikkhus told, &c.

‘Ts it true, O Bhikkhus, &c. ?’

‘It is true, Lord.’

8. Then the blessed Buddha rebuked those Bhikkhus : ‘ How can these foolish persons, O Bhikkhus,

1 See the conclusion of this in chapter 38.
[13] N

p. 178

confer the upasampada ordination (saying), “We have, &c ?” (Thus) ignorant upagg/ayas are found, &c. This will not do, O Bhikkhus, for converting the unconverted and for augmenting the number of the converted.’

[13] Np. 178 confer the upasampada ordination (saying), “We have, &c ?” (Thus) ignorant upagg/ayas are found, &c. This will not do, O Bhikkhus, for converting the unconverted and for augmenting the number of the converted.’

Having rebuked those Bhikkhus and delivered a religious discourse, he thus addressed the Bhikkhus: ‘Let no ignorant, unlearned Bhikkhu, O Bhikkhus, confer the upasampada ordination. If he does, he is guilty of a dukkana offence. I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that only a learned, competent Bhikkhu who has completed ten years, or more than ten years, may confer the upasampada ordination.’

32.

1. At that time some Bhikkhus whose upagghayas were gone away, or had returned to the world, or had died, or were gone over to a (schismatic) faction?, as they had no 4&ariyas and received no ’ exhortation and instruction, went on their rounds for alms wearing improper under and upper garments (&c., as in chap. 25. 1-6, down to:), he thus addressed the Bhikkhus: ‘I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, (that young Bhikkhus choose) an Afariya?.

1 Buddhaghosa can scarcely be right in explaining pakkhasamkanta by titthiyapakkhasamkanta.

- * Akariya as well as upagghAya means ‘teacher,’ or ‘ preceptor.’ It is very difficult or rather impossible to draw a sharp line of distinction between 4#ariya and-upagghaya. The duties of an 4fariya towards his antevdsika, and of an antevasika towards his 4éariya, as indicated in chaps. 32, 33 (=Xullavagea VIII, 13, 14), are exactly the same as those of an upagghdya

p. 179

‘The 4ariya, O Bhikkhus, ought to consider the antevAsika (i.e. disciple) as a son; the antev4sika ought to consider the 4#ariya as a father. Thus these two, united by mutual reverence, confidence, and communion of life, will progress, advance, and reach a high stage in this doctrine and discipline.

‘I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that you live (the first) ten years in dependence (on an Afariya); he who has completed his tenth year may give a nissaya! himself.

‘I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that you live (the first) ten years in dependence (on an Afariya); he who has completed his tenth year may give a nissaya! himself.

towards his saddhivih4rika and vice versa (chaps. 25, 26 = Xullavagga VIII, 11, 12). The position of an upagghaya, however, was considered as the more important of the two; at the upasampada service the upaggaya had a more prominent part than the A4ariya, as we may infer from chaps. 28, 29, and from the explanations on the 65th paâittiya rule which are given in the Sutta Vibhanga. There it is said that, if the upasampad4 ordination had been conferred, against the rule, on a person that has not yet attained his twentieth year, the upagghaya has made himself guilty of a pakittiya offence, the 4fariya and the other present Bhikkhus only of a dukka/a offence. We may add that the succession of Vinaya teachers from Up4li down to Mahinda, which is given in the Dipavamsa (Bhazavaras IV and V), is a succession of upagghayas and saddhiviharikas (see IV, 36, 42, 43, &c.), not of 4Zariyas and antevdsikas; the duty of instructing the young Bhikkhus in the holy doctrines and ordinances seems, therefore, to belong to the upaggAaya rather than to the 4zariya; compare also Dipavamsa VII, 26. So among the Bréhmamas, on the contrary, the 4#arya is estimated higher than the upadhyaya; see Manu II,145; Yagfavalkya I, 35. Compare also chap. 36.1 (end of the paragraph), and Buddhaghosa’s explanation of that passage.

1 Nissaya (i.e. dependence) is the relation between Afariya and antevasika. The antevdsika lives ‘nissaya’ with regard to the Afariya, i.e. dependent on him; the 4fariya gives his nissaya to the antev4sika, i.e. he receives him into his protection and care. At chap. 36.1,‘nissaya’ is said also of the relation between upagghaya and saddhiviharika.

N 2

p. 180

2. ‘And let (the antevdsika), O Bhikkhus, choose his A4ariya in this way: Let him adjust his upper robe so as to cover one shoulder, salute the feet (of the Anariya), sit down squatting, raise his joined hands, and say: “ Venerable Sir, be my Aâariya, I will live in dependence on you, Sir.” (This formula is repeated thrice.)

‘(If the other answers): “ Well” (&c., as in chap.
25. 7).

3. ‘The antev4sika, O Bhikkhus, ought to observe a strict conduct towards his aéariya’ (&c., as in chap. 25. 8-24).

End of the duties towards an 4éariya.

33.

‘The aariya, O Bhikkhus, ought to observe a strict conduct towards his antevdsika’ (&c., as in chap. 26).

End of the duties towards an antevAsika.

End of the sixth BhAzavadra.

34,

At that time the antevdsikas did not observe a proper conduct towards their 4éariyas (&c., as in chap. 27. 1-8).

I, 36, 1.5 ADMISSION TO THE ORDER OF BHIKKHUS, 181

35,