5. '"A Bhikkhu who has received the upa- sampada ordination, ought not to attribute to
236 MAHAVAGGA. I, 79, 1.
himself any superhuman condition, and not to
say even : * I find delight in sojourning in an empty
place/ A Bhikkhu who with bad intention and out
of covetousness attributes to himself a superhuman
condition, which he has not, and which he is not pos-
sessed of, a state of /Mna (mystic meditation), or
one of the vimokkhas1, or one of the samadhis
(states of self-concentration), or one of the sama-
pattis (the attainment of the four^anas and four
of the eight vimokkhas), or one of the Paths
(of sanctification), or one of the Fruits thereof, is no
Samara and no follower of the Sakyaputta. As a
palm tree of which the top sprout has been cut off,
cannot grow again, thus a Bhikkhu who with bad
intention, &c. Abstain from doing so as long as
your life lasts/' '
End of the four Interdicts.
1. At that time a certain Bhikkhu against whom
expulsion2 had been pronounced for his refusal to
see an offence (committed by himself), returned to
1 The vimokkhas (literally, deliverances) are eight stages of meditation different from the four £-Mnas. The characteristics of the different vimokkhas are specified by Childers s. v.
2 This temporary expulsion (ukkhepaniyakamma), which is pronounced against Bhikkhus who refuse to see an offence com- mitted by themselves (apattiyst ad as sane), or to atone for such an offence (apattiya appa/ikamme), or to renounce a false doc- trine (papikaya di/Miya appa/inissagge), must be distin- guished from the definitive and permanent expulsion (nasana) which is pronounced against Bhikkhus who have committed a para- g-ika offence, or in cases like those treated of in chapters 61 seq.
I, 79, 3. ADMISSION TO THE ORDER OF BHIKKHUS. 237
the world. Afterwards he came back to the Bhikkhus and asked them for the upasampada ordination.
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
' In case, O Bhikkhus, that a Bhikkhu against
whom expulsion has been pronounced for his refusal
to see an offence (committed by himself), returns to
the world, and afterwards comes back to the Bhikkhus
and asks them for the upasampada ordination,
let them say to him : " Will you see that offence ?"
If he replies : " I will see it," let him be admitted to
the pabba^a ordination; if he replies: "I will
not see it," let him not be admitted to the pab-
bagga ordination.
2. ' When he has received the pabba^a ordina-
tion let them say to him : "Will you see that offence?"
If he says : " I will see it," let him be admitted to
the upasampada ordination; if he says: "I will
not see it," let him not be admitted to the upasam-
pada ordination.
' When he has received the upasampada ordina-
tion (&c, as before). If he says : " I will see it,"
let him be restored1 ; if he says : " I will not see it,"
let him not be restored.
' When he has been restored, let them say to
him : " Do you see that offence ?" If he sees it,
well and good ; if he does not see it, let them expel
him again, if it is possible to bring about unanimity
(of the fraternity for the sentence of expulsion) ; if
that is impossible, it is no offence to live and to
dwell together (with such a Bhikkhu).
3. ' In case, O Bhikkhus, that a Bhikkhu against whom expulsion has been pronounced for his refusal
1 I. e. the sentence of expulsion is abolished ; compare the Samanta Pasadika, ap. Minayeff, Pratimoksha, p. 92.
238 Mahavagga. 1,79,4-
to atone for an offence (committed by himself), &C.1
When he has been restored, let them say to him :
" Atone now for that offence." If he atones for it,
well and good, &c.
4. ' In case, O Bhikkhus, that a Bhikkhu against
whom expulsion has been pronounced for his refusal
to renounce a false doctrine, &c.2 When he has
been restored, let them say to him : " Renounce now
that false doctrine." If he renounces it, well and
good, &c.'
End of the first Khandhaka, which is called the Great Khandhaka 3.
1 As in §§ 1, 2. Instead of ' Will you see that offence?' and, 'I will see it,' read here : 'Will you atone for that offence?' and, ' I will atone for it/
2 As above. Read here : ' Will you renounce that false doc- trine ?' and, ' I will renounce it.'
3 Here follow some -Slokas, probably written in Ceylon, and an elaborate Table of Contents, both of which we leave untranslated. The Slokas are introductory to the Table of Contents (uddana) and belong to it. A similar Table of Contents is found in the MSS. nearly after all the other Khandhakas.
Ii, I, 2. Uposatha Ceremony, and Patimokkha. 239
SECOND KHANDHAKA.
(the Uposatha Ceremony, and the Patimokkha.)
1. At that time the blessed Buddha dwelt near
Ragagaha, on the Gi^/zakfi/a mountain (' the Vul-
ture's Peak'). At that time the Paribba^akas
belonging to Titthiya schools assembled on the
fourteenth, fifteenth, and eighth day of each half
month 1 and recited their Dhamma. The people
went to them in order to hear the Dhamma. They
were filled with favour towards, and were filled with
faith in, the Paribba^akas belonging to Titthiya
schools ; the Paribba^akas belonging to Titthiya
schools gained adherents.
2. Now when the Magadha king Seniya Bimbi-
sara was alone, and had retired into solitude, the
following consideration presented itself to his mind :
' The Paribba^akas belonging to Titthiya schools
assemble now on the fourteenth, fifteenth, and eighth
day of each half month and recite their Dhamma.
The people go to them in order to hear the Dhamma.
They are filled with favour towards, and are filled with
faith in, the Paribba^akas who belong to Titthiya
1 One should be inclined to understand that the Paribba^akas assembled twice each half month, on the eighth day of the pakkha and on the fourteenth or fifteenth day, according to the different length of the pakkha. However, chap. 4 makes it probable that not two days in each pakkha are to be understood, but three. Compare, however, the remark of Buddhaghosa, quoted in the note on chap. 34. 1.
24O MAHAVAGGA. II, 1, 3.
schools ; the Paribba^akas who belong to Titthiya
schools gain adherents. What if the reverend ones
(the Buddhist Bhikkhus) were to assemble also on
the fourteenth, fifteenth, and eighth day of each half
month/
3. Then the Magadha king Seniya Bimbisara went
to the place where the Blessed One was ; having
approached him and having respectfully saluted the
Blessed One, he sat down near him. Sitting near
him the Magadha king Seniya Bimbisara said to the
Blessed One : ' Lord, when I was alone and had
retired into solitude, the following consideration pre-
sented itself to my mind : " The Paribba^akas, &c. ;
what if the reverend ones were to assemble also on
the fourteenth, fifteenth, and eighth day of each half
month. " Well, Lord, let the reverend ones assemble
also on the fourteenth, fifteenth, and eighth day of
each half month/
4. Then the Blessed One taught, incited, animated,
and gladdened the Magadha king Seniya Bimbisara
by religious discourse ; and the Magadha king Seniya
Bimbisara, having been taught .... and gladdened
by the Blessed One by religious discourse, rose from
his seat, respectfully saluted the Blessed One, passed
round him with his right side towards him, and went
away.
In consequence of that and on this occasion the
Blessed One, after having delivered a religious dis-
course, thus addressed the Bhikkhus : ' I prescribe,
O Bhikkhus, that you assemble on the fourteenth,
fifteenth, and eighth day of each month/
Ii, 3, I. Uposatha Ceremony, and Patimokkha. 241
At that time the Bhikkhus, considering that the
Blessed One had ordered them to assemble on the
fourteenth &c. day of each half month, assembled
on the fourteenth &c. day of each half month and
sat there silent. The people went to them in order
to hear the Dhamma. They were annoyed, mur-
mured, and became angry: 'How can the Sakya-
puttiya Samaras, when they have assembled on the
fourteenth &c. day of each half month, sit there
silent, like the dumb, or like hogs ? Ought they
not to recite the Dhamma, when they have assem-
bled ? ' Some Bhikkhus heard those people that
were annoyed, murmured, and had become angry ;
these Bhikkhus told this thing to the Blessed One.
In consequence of that and on this occasion the
Blessed One, after having delivered a religious dis-
course, thus addressed the Bhikkhus : ' I prescribe,
O Bhikkhus, that you recite the Dhamma, when
you have assembled on the fourteenth &c. day of
each half month/
1. Now when the Blessed One was alone and had
retired into solitude, the following consideration pre-
sented itself to his mind : ' What if I were to
prescribe that the Bhikkhus recite as the Pati-
mokkha1 the precepts which I have promulgated to
1 On the origin and the meaning of the title ' Patimokkha,' see our Introduction, p. xxvii.
242 MAHAVAGGA. II, 3, 2.
them ; this will be their Uposatha service (service of the fast- day)/
2. And the Blessed One, having left the solitude
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 fol-
lowing consideration, &c, this will be their Upo-
satha service. I prescribe you, O Bhikkhus, to
recite the Patimokkha.
3. ' And you ought, O Bhikkhus, to recite it in
this way : Let a learned, competent Bhikkhu pro-
claim the following $atti before the Sa^gha : " Let
the Sa^gha, reverend Sirs, hear me. To-day it is
Uposatha, the fifteenth (of the half month). If the
Sa^gha is ready, let the Sa^gha hold the Upo-
satha service and recite the Patimokkha. What
ought to be first done by the Sa^gha ? Proclaim
the parisuddhi1, Sirs. I will recite the Pati-
mokkha."
* "We hear it well and fix well the mind on it all of us2."
'"He who has committed an offence, may con-
fess it ; if there is no offence, you should remain
silent; from your being silent I shall understand
that the reverend brethen are pure (from offences).
As a single person that has been asked a question,
answers it, the same is the matter if before an
1 See chap. 22. If a Bhikkhu is prevented by disease from assisting to the Patimokkha ceremony, he is to charge another Bhikkhu with his parisuddhi, i.e. with the solemn declaration that he is pure from the offences specified in the Patimokkha.
2 These words are evidently the answer of the Bhikkhus then present to the proclamation ofthepatimokkhuddesaka.
Ii, 3> 4- Uposatha Ceremony, and Patimokkha. 243
assembly like this a question has been solemnly
proclaimed three times : if a Bhikkhu, after a three-
fold proclamation, does not confess an existing
offence which he remembers, he commits an inten-
tional falsehood. Now, reverend brethren, an
intentional falsehood has been declared an impedi-
ment1 by the Blessed One. Therefore, by a
Bhikkhu who has committed (an offence), and
remembers it, and desires to become pure, an
existing offence should be confessed ; for if it has
been confessed, it is treated duly." '
4.2 ' Patimokkha;^ :' it is the beginning, it is
the face (mukha^), it is the principal (pamu-
kha/^) of good qualities; therefore it is called
'pitimokkha^3.'
'Ayasmanto :' this word 'dyasmanto' is an
expression of friendliness, an expression of re-
spect, an appellation that infers respectfulness and
reverence.
* Uddisissami :' I will pronounce, I will show,
I will proclaim, I will establish, I will unveil, I will
distinguish, I will make evident, I will declare.
'Taw' (it) : this refers to the Patimokkha.
'Sabbe va sant&' (all of us): as many as are pre-
sent in that assembly, aged, young, and middle-aged
(Bhikkhus), are denoted by ' sabbe va santa4/
' Sddhuka^ su^oma' (we hear it well) : admit-
1 See § 7.
2 §§ 4-8 contain an explanation, word by word, of the formula given in § 3. This explanation is a portion of the ancient com- mentary on the Patimokkha which at the time of the redaction of the Vinaya Pi/aka has been admitted into it in its full extent (see the Introduction, p. xv seq.).
3 See p. 241, note 1.
4 See p. 1, note 5.
244 MAHAVAGGA. II, 3, 5.
ting its authority, fixing our minds on it, we repeat the whole of it in our thoughts.
' Manasikaroma' (we fix our minds on it): we
listen to it with concentrated, not perplexed, not
confused thoughts.
5. ' Yassa siya apatti' (he who has committed
an offence) : he who, whether an aged or young or
middle-aged Bhikkhu, has committed some offence
belonging to the five classes of offences or to the
seven classes of offences 1.
'So avikareyya/ he may show it, unveil it,
make it evident, declare it before the Sa^gha (the
full chapter of Bhikkhus), or before a small number,
or before one person.
'Asanti apatti' (a non-existing offence): an
offence which has not been committed, or which has
been committed and atoned for.
'Tu/zhi bhavitabba^' (he ought to remain
silent) : he ought to accept (the recitation of the
Patimokkha without any answer), he ought not to
utter anything.