At that time there were sixty-one Arahats in the world.
1. And the Blessed One said to the Bhikkhus :
' I am delivered, O Bhikkhus, from all fetters, human
and divine. You, O Bhikkhus, are also delivered
from all fetters, human and divine. Go ye now,
O Bhikkhus, and wander, for the gain of the many,
for the welfare of the many, out of compassion for
the world, for the good, for the gain, and for the
welfare of gods and men. Let not two of you go
the same way 1. Preach, O Bhikkhus, the doctrine
1 This cannot be understood as a general rule, for it is repeated nowhere where precepts for wandering Bhikkhus are given, and, on the contrary, numerous instances occur in the Sacred Texts
I, II, 2. ADMISSION TO THE ORDER OF BHIKKHUS. 1 1 3
which is glorious in the beginning, glorious in the
middle, glorious at the end, in the spirit and in the
letter ; proclaim a consummate, perfect, and pure
life of holiness. There are beings whose mental
eyes are covered by scarcely any dust, but if the
doctrine is not preached to them, they cannot attain
salvation. They will understand the doctrine. And
I will go also, O Bhikkhus, to Uruvela, to Senani-
nigama *, in order to preach the doctrine/
2. And M&ra the wicked One went to the place
where the Blessed One was ; having approached
him, he addressed the Blessed One in the following
stanza : ' Thou art bound by all fetters, human
and divine. Thou art bound by strong fetters.
Thou wilt not be delivered from me, O Samara/
Buddha replied : * I am delivered from all fetters,
human and divine. I am delivered from the strong
fetters. Thou art struck down, O Death/
(M&ra said) : ' The fetter which pervades the sky,
with which mind is bound, with that fetter I will
bind thee. Thou wilt not be delivered from me,
O Samara/
(Buddha replied): 'Whatever forms, sounds, odours, flavours, or contacts there are which please the
in which two or more Bhikkhus are mentioned as wandering together, without any expression of disapproval being added. The precept given here evidently is intended to refer only to the earliest period in the spread of the new doctrine ; just as in chap. 1 2 a form of upasampadst is introduced by Buddha which was re- garded as inadmissible in later times.
1 The correct spelling of this name appears to be Sen&nini- gama ('the General's Town'), and not Senanigama ('the Army's Town ') ; the Gataka Atthava^ana (vol. i. p. 68) and the Paris MS. of the Mahavagga (manu secunda) read Senaninigama. The Lalita Vistara has Senapatigrama.
114 MAHAVAGGA. I, 12, I.
senses, in me desire for them has ceased. Thou art struck down, O Death/
Then Mara the wicked One understood : ' The
Blessed One knows me, the perfect One knows me/
and, sad and afflicted, he vanished away.
Here ends the story of Mara.
1. At that time the Bhikkhus brought (to Buddha),
from different regions and different countries, persons
who desired to obtain the pabba^a and upasam-
pada ordinations, thinking : ' The Blessed One will
confer on them the p a b ba^a and upasampada ordi-
nations/ Thus both the Bhikkhus became tired (from
the journey), and also those who desired to obtain
the pabba^a and upasampada ordinations. Now
when the Blessed One was alone and had retired
into solitude, the following consideration presented
itself to his mind : ' The Bhikkhus now bring to me
from different regions and different countries persons
who desire to obtain the pabba^a and upasam-
pada ordinations, thinking: " The Blessed One will
confer on them the pabba^a and upasampada
ordinations/' Now both the Bhikkhus become tired,
and also those who desire to obtain the pabba^a
and upasampada ordinations. What if I were to
grant permission to the Bhikkhus, saying: " Confer
henceforth, O Bhikkhus, in the different regions,
and in the different countries, the pabba^a and
upasampada ordinations yourselves (on those who
desire to receive them)."'
2. And the Blessed One, having left the solitude
I, 12, 4. ADMISSION TO THE ORDER OF BHIKKHUS. II5
in the evening, in consequence of that, and on this
occasion, after having delivered a religious discourse,
thus addressed the Bhikkhus : 'When I was alone,
O Bhikkhus, and had retired into solitude, the follow-
ing consideration, &c. What if I were to permit,
. • . / (&c, as in § i).
3. 'I grant you, O Bhikkhus, this permission :
Confer henceforth in the different regions and in the
different countries the pabba^a and upasampada
ordinations yourselves (on those who desire to receive
them). And you ought, O Bhikkhus, to confer the
pabba^a and upasampada ordinations in this
way : Let him (who desires to receive the ordina-
tion), first have his hair and beard cut off; let him
put on yellow robes, adjust his upper robe so as to
cover one shoulder, salute the feet of the Bhikkhus
(with his head), and sit down squatting ; then let him
raise his joined hands and tell him to say :
4. '" I take my refuge in the Buddha, I take my refuge in the Dhamma, I take my refuge in the
Sa^gha. And for the second time I take (&c
Sawgha). And for the third time I take my refuge
in the Buddha, and for the third time I take my
refuge in the Dhamma, and for the third time I take
my refuge in the Sa^gha."
' I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, the pabba^a and
upasampada ordinations consisting in the three
times repeated declaration of taking refuge (in the
holy triad)/
End of the account of the upasampada ordination by the threefold declaration of taking refuge1.
1 On this ceremony, which is still gone through before the regular ordination, see the remarks in the note on chapter 1, § 1.
I I 6 MAHAVAGGA. I, 13, 1.
1. And the Blessed One, after having kept the
vassa residence1, thus addressed the Bhikkhus : ' By
wise contemplation, O Bhikkhus, and by wise firm-
ness of exertion have I attained the highest emanci-
pation, have I realised the highest emancipation.
Attain ye also, O Bhikkhus, the highest emancipation,
realise the highest emancipation, by wise contempla-
tion and by wise firmness of exertion/
2. And Mara the wicked One went to the place
where the Blessed One was ; having approached
him, he addressed the Blessed One by the following
stanza : ' Thou art bound by Maras fetters, human
and divine. Thou art bound by strong fetters.
Thou wilt not be delivered from me, O Samara.'
(Buddha replied): 'I am delivered from Maras
fetters, human and divine. I am delivered from the
strong fetters. Thou art struck down, O Death/
Then Mara the wicked One understood : ' The
Blessed One knows me, the perfect One knows me \
and, sad and afflicted, he vanished away.
Benares as long as he thought fit, went forth to
Uruveli. And the Blessed One left the road and
went to a certain grove ; having gone there, and
having entered it, he sat down at the foot of a tree.
At that time there was a party of thirty friends, rich
young men, who were sporting in that same grove
1 See about the vassa residence the rules given in Book III.
I, 14, 3. ADMISSION TO THE ORDER OF BHIKKHUS. I I 7
together with their wives. One of them had no wife;
for him they had procured a harlot. Now while they
did not pay attention, and were indulging in their
sports, that harlot took up the articles belonging to
them, and ran away.
2. Then those companions, doing service to their
friend, went in search of that woman ; and, roaming
about that grove, they saw the Blessed One sitting
at the foot of a tree. Seeing him they went to the
place where the Blessed One was ; having approached
him, they said to the Blessed One : ' Pray, Lord, has
the Blessed One seen a woman passing by?'
' What have you to do, young men, with the woman?'
' We were sporting, Lord, in this grove, thirty
friends, rich young men, together with our wives.
One of us had no wife ; for him we had procured a
harlot. Now, Lord, while we did not pay attention,
and were indulging in our sports, that harlot has
taken up the articles belonging to us, and has run
away. Therefore, Lord, we companions, doing ser-
vice to our friend, go in search of that woman, and
roam about this grove/
3. ' Now what think you, young men ? Which
would be the better for you ; that you should go in
search of a woman, or that you should go in search
of yourselves?'
* That, Lord, would be the better for us, that we should go in search of ourselves/
' If so, young men, sit down, I will preach to you the Truth (Dhamma)/
The rich young companions replied: 'Yes, Lord,'
and respectfully saluted the Blessed One, and sat
down near him.
1 1 8 MAHAVAGGA. 1, 14, 4.
4. Then the Blessed One preached to them, .... (&c, as in chap. 8. 2, or 9. 3).
5. And having seen the Truth, .... (&c, as in
chap. 9. 4 down to :). Thus these venerable persons
received the upasampada ordination.
Here ends the story of the thirty rich young companions.
End of the second Bha^avara.
1. And the Blessed One, wandering from place to
place, came to Uruveld. At that time there lived
in Uruvela three (^a/filas1, Uruvela Kassapa, Nadl
Kassapa (Kassapa of the River, i. e. the Nera^ard),
and Gaya Kassapa (Kassapa of the village Gaya).
Of these the (9a/ila Uruvela Kassapa was chief,
leader, foremost, first, and highest over five hundred
GWilas ; Nadt Kassapa was chief .... (&c, down to
highest over) three hundred Ga/ilas, Gaya Kassapa
was chief .... (&c, down to highest over) two
hundred Ga/ilas.
2. And the Blessed One went to the hermitage of
1 The GWilas (i. e. ascetics wearing matted hair) are Brah- manical vanaprasthas. The description of their ascetic life given in many passages of the Gataka Atthava#;zan& and of the Apadana exactly agrees with the picture of the forest life of the vkopioi which so frequently occurs in the Mahabharata. In the Mahavagga (VI, 35, 2) it is expressly stated that the Ga/ilas recognised the authority of the Veda, and it is in keeping with this that the usual term for adopting the state of a Ga/ila is 'isipabba^am pabba^ati' (frequently in the Gat. Atth.), i. e. leaving the world and becoming a i?zshi.
I, i& 3. ADMISSION TO THE ORDER OF BHIKKHUS. 1 1 9
the GditWdi Uruveld Kassapa ; having gone there, he
said to the 6Wila Uruvela Kassapa : ' If it is not
disagreeable to you, Kassapa, let me spend one
night in the room where your (sacred) fire is kept.'
* It is not disagreeable to me, great Samara, but
there is a savage Naga (or Serpent) king of great
magical power1, a dreadfully venomous serpent; let
him do no harm to you/
And a second time the Blessed One said to the
£a/ila Uruveli Kassapa : ' If it is not disagreeable,'
&c
' It is not disagreeable,' &c.
And a third time the Blessed One said : ' If it is not disagreeable/ &c
' It is not disagreeable,' &c
' He is not likely to do any harm to me. Pray,
Kassapa, allow me a place in the room where your
fire is kept/
' Stay there, great Samara, as you wish it/
3. Then the Blessed One entered the room where
the fire was kept, made himself a couch of grass, and
sat down cross-legged, keeping the body erect and
surrounding himself with watchfulness of mind2.
And the Naga saw that the Blessed One had entered;
when he saw that, he became annoyed, and irritated,
and sent forth a cloud of smoke. Then the Blessed
One thought : ' What if I were to leave intact the
skin, and hide, and flesh, and ligaments, and bones,
1 Iddhi. Compare the passages referred to by Rh. D. in ' Bud- dhist Suttas from the Pali/ pp. 2, 40, 259; and further Mahavagga VI, 15, 8, and .Abulia vagga VII, 1, 4, and VII, 2, 1.
2 Sati/tf upa//Mpetva. Sati is here a more precise idea than memory.
120 Mahavagga. 1,15,4-
and marrow of this Naga ; but were to conquer the fire, which he will send forth, by my fire/
5. That night having elapsed, the Blessed One,
leaving intact the skin and hide and flesh and liga-
ments and bones and marrow of that Naga, and con-
quering the Naga's fire by his fire, threw him into
his alms-bowl, and showed him to the 6arila Uru-
vela Kassapa (saying), 'Here you see the Naga,
Kassapa ; his fire has been conquered by my fire/
Then the GWila Uruvela Kassapa thought: 'Truly
the great Samara possesses high magical powers and
great faculties, in that he is able to conquer by his
fire the fire of that savage Naga king, who is pos-
sessed of magical power, that dreadfully venomous
serpent. He is not, however, holy (a rah a) as I am/