They told this thing to the Blessed One.
' You ought not, O Bhikkhus, to recite the Pati-
mokkha abridged. He who does, commits a duk-
ka/a offence/
3. At that time a certain residence (of Bhikkhus)
in the Kosala country was menaced on the day of
Uposatha by savage people. The Bhikkhus were
not able to recite the Patimokkha in its full extent.
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
' I allow you, O Bhikkhus, in the case of danger
to recite the Patimokkha abridged/
4. At that time the jOabbaggiya Bhikkhus recited
the Patimokkha abridged also when there was no
danger.
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
' You ought not to recite the Patimokkha abridged,
O Bhikkhus, if there is no danger. He who does,
commits a dukka/a offence. I allow you, O
Bhikkhus, in the case of danger only to recite the
Patimokkha abridged. The cases of danger are the
following : danger from kings, from robbers, from fire,
from water, from human beings, from non-human
beings, from beasts of prey, from creeping things,
danger of life, danger against chastity. I ordain,
O Bhikkhus, the recitation in such cases of danger
262 MAHAVAGGA. II, 15, 5.
of the Patimokkha abridged ; if there is no danger, in its full extent/
5. At that time the A^abbaggiya Bhikkhus
preached the Dhamma before the Sa^gha without
being called upon (by the Thera).
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
' Let no one, O Bhikkhus, preach the Dhamma
before the Sa^gha without being called upon. He
who does, commits a dukka/a offence. I prescribe,
0 Bhikkhus, that the Thera is either to preach the
Dhamma himself or to call upon another (Bhikkhu
to do so)/
6. At that time the A^abbaggiya Bhikkhus put
questions about the Vinaya before the Sa^gha
without being appointed thereto.
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
* Let no one, O Bhikkhus, put questions about
the Vinaya before the Sa^gha without being ap-
pointed thereto. He who so questions, commits
a dukka^a offence. I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that
an appointed (Bhikkhu) is to put questions about
the Vinaya before the Sawgha. And (this Bhikkhu)
is to be appointed, O Bhikkhus, in this way : One
may either appoint himself, or one may appoint
another person.
7. 'And how is (a Bhikkhu) to appoint himself?
Let a learned, competent Bhikkhu proclaim the fol-
lowing $atti before the Sa^gha : " Let the Sawgha,
reverend Sirs, hear me. If the Sawgha is ready,
1 will question N. N. about the Vinaya." Thus one
may appoint himself. And how is (a Bhikkhu) to
appoint another person ? Let a learned, competent
Bhikkhu proclaim the following /zatti before the
Sa^gha : " Let the Sa^gha, &c. If the Sa^gha is
Ii, 15, Ii. Uposatha Ceremony, and Patimokkha. 263
ready, let N. N. question N. N. about the Vinaya." Thus one may appoint another person/
8. At that time appointed, clever Bhikkhus put
questions about the Vinaya before the Sa^gha. The
iT^abbaggiya Bhikkhus conceived anger (towards
those Bhikkhus), conceived discontent, and threat-
ened them with blows.
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
' I prescribe you, O Bhikkhus, that even he who
has been appointed shall (not) put questions about
the Vinaya before the Sa^gha (without) having
looked at the assembly and weighed (with the mind
each) person (present)/
9, 10. At that time the AT^abbaggiya Bhikkhus
answered questions about the Vinaya before the
Sa^gha without being appointed thereto.
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
' Let no one, O Bhikkhus, answer questions about
the Vinaya before the Sa^gha without being ap-
pointed thereto. He who does, commits a dukka/a
offence. I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that questions
about the Vinaya are to be answered before the
Sa^gha (only) by an appointed (Bhikkhu). And
(this Bhikkhu) is to be appointed \ &c/
11. At that time appointed, clever Bhikkhus
answered questions about the Vinaya before the
Sa^gha. The i^abbaggiya Bhikkhus 2, &c.
1 See §§ 6, 7. Read: ' . . . I will answer the questions of N. N. about the Vinaya/ And, ' ... let N. N. answer the questions of N. N. about the Vinaya/
2 See § 8. Read : ' . . . shall (not) answer questions about the Vinaya . . /
264 mahAvagga. II, 16, 1.
1. At that time the A^abbaggiya Bhikkhus
reproved for an offence a Bhikkhu who had not
given them leave.
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
' No Bhikkhu, O Bhikkhus, who has not given
leave, may be reproved for an offence. He who
reproves (such a Bhikkhu), commits a dukka/a
offence. I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that you reprove
(Bhikkhus) for an offence (only) after having asked
for leave (by saying), " Give me leave, reverend
brother, I wish to speak to you." '
2. At that time clever Bhikkhus reproved the
jOabbaggiya Bhikkhus for an offence after having
asked for leave. The Af^abbaggiya Bhikkhus con-
ceived anger (towards those Bhikkhus), conceived
discontent, and threatened them with blows.
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
' I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that you are (not) to
reprove (a Bhikkhu) for an offence, even if he has
given leave, (without) having weighed (with your
mind) the person (concerned).'
3. At that time the iOabbaggiya Bhikkhus, who
thought : ' Otherwise clever Bhikkhus might ask us
for leave (and reprove us for an offence)/ themselves
asked beforehand pure Bhikkhus who had com-
mitted no offence, for leave without object and
reason.
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
* Let no pure Bhikkhus, O Bhikkhus, who have
committed no offence, be asked for leave without
object and reason. He who does, commits a duk-
ka^a offence. I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that you
II, i6, 6. UPOSATHA CEREMONY, AND PATIMOKKHA. 265
are (not) to ask for leave (without) having weighed (with your mind) the person (concerned)/
4. At that time the A^abbaggiya Bhikkhus per- formed an unlawful official act before the Sa#?gha.
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
' Let no one, O Bhikkhus, perform unlawful acts
before the Sa^gha. He who does, commits a duk-
ka/a offence/
They performed an unlawful act nevertheless.
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
' I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that you should protest, if an unlawful act is being performed/
5. At that time clever Bhikkhus protested at an
unlawful act being performed by the A^abbaggiya
Bhikkhus. The ATzabbaggiya Bhikkhus conceived
anger, conceived discontent, and threatened (those
Bhikkhus) with blows.
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
' I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to express your opinion only (instead of protesting formally)/
They expressed their opinion in the presence of
the said (Bhikkhus). The Af/£abbaggiya Bhikkhus
conceived anger, conceived discontent, and threat-
ened (them) with blows.
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
' I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that four or five persons
may protest, that two or three may express their
opinion, and that one person may determine (in his
mind) : " I do not think this right/' r
6. At that time the A^abbaggiya Bhikkhus, when
reciting the Patimokkha before the Sa^gha, inten-
tionally recited it so that it could not be heard.
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
' Let not him who is to recite the Patimokkha,
266 MAHAVAGGA. II, 16, 7.
O Bhikkhus, intentionally recite it so that it cannot
be heard. He who does, commits a dukka/a
offence/
7. At that time the reverend Udiyi, who had
a crow's voice, had the duty to recite the Pati-
mokkha before the Sa^gha. Now the reverend
Udayi thought : * It has been prescribed by the
Blessed One that he who is to recite the Pati-
mokkha, ought to recite it so that it may be heard ;
but I have a crow's voice. Well, how am I to act ?'
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
' I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that he who is to recite
the Patimokkha may endeavour to make it audible.
If he endeavours (to do so), he is free from offence/
8. At that time Devadatta recited the Patimokkha before an assembly in which laymen were present.
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
' Let no one, O Bhikkhus, recite the Patimokkha
before an assembly in which laymen are present. He
who does, commits a dukka/a offence/
9. At that time the A^abbaggiya Bhikkhus re-
cited the Patimokkha before the Sa/^gha without
being called upon (by the Thera).
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
' Let no one, O Bhikkhus, recite the Patimokkha
before the Sa^gha without being called upon. He
who does, commits a dukka^a offence. I prescribe,
O Bhikkhus, that the Thera is master of the Pati-
mokkha1/
End of the Bha^avara of the A^^atitthiyas2.
1 I.e. of reciting the Patimokkha himself or causing another Bhikkhu to do so.
2 I.e. Samaras belonging to other schools. See chap. 1.
11,17,3- Uposatha Ceremony, and Patimokkha. 267
i. Then the Blessed One, after having dwelt near
Ra^agaha as long as he thought fit, went forth
on his pilgrimage to Aodanavatthu. Going from
place to place on his pilgrimage, he came to A^oda-
navatthu. At that time there dwelt in a certain
residence many Bhikkhus, the eldest of whom was
an ignorant, unlearned person : he neither knew
Uposatha, nor the Uposatha service, nor the Pati-
mokkha, nor the recital of the Patimokkha.
2. Now those Bhikkhus thought: 'It has been
prescribed by the Blessed One that the eldest Bhik-
khu is master of the Patimokkha, and here the eldest
of us is an ignorant, unlearned person : he neither
knows Uposatha . . . nor the recital of the Pati-
mokkha. Well, how are we to act ?'
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
* I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that (in such a case)
that Bhikkhu who is (most) learned and competent,
is to be made master of the Patimokkha/
3. At that time there dwelt in a certain residence
on the day of Uposatha many ignorant, unlearned
Bhikkhus : they neither knew Uposatha . . . nor the
recital of the Patimokkha. They called upon the
Thera : ' May it please the Thera, reverend Sir, to
recite the Patimokkha/ He replied: 'I am not
competent to do so/ They called upon the next
eldest, &c. He also replied, &c. They called upon
the third eldest, &c. In this manner they called
upon (all Bhikkhus) down to the youngest one :
' May it please the reverend brother to recite the
Patimokkha/ He also replied : ' I am not compe-
tent, venerable Sirs, to do so/
268 MAHAVAGGA. II, 17, 4.
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
4, 5. * When, O Bhikkhus, in a certain residence,
&C.1; in that case, O Bhikkhus, these Bhikkhus are
instantly to send one Bhikkhu to the neighbouring
residence (of Bhikkhus): "Go, friend, and come back
when you have learnt the Patimokkha abridged or in
its full extent." '
6. Now the Bhikkhus thought : ' By whom is (this Bhikkhu) to be sent?'
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
' 1 prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that the Thera is to give order to a young Bhikkhu/
The young Bhikkhus, having received that order from the Thera, did not go.
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
' Let no one who has been ordered by the Thera
forbear to go, unless he be sick. He who does not
go, commits a dukka/a offence/
1. Then the Blessed One, after having dwelt at
A'bdanavatthu as long as he thought fit, went back
again to Ra^agaha. At that time the people asked
the Bhikkhus who went about for alms: 'What day
of the half month is this, reverend Sirs ?' The Bhik-
khus replied : ' We do not know, friends/ The people
were annoyed, murmured, and became angry: 'Those
Sakyaputtiya Samaras do not even know how to
count (the days of) the half month ; what good things
else will they know?'
1 Here follows an exact repetition of the story told in § 3, which is given here, of course, in the present tense.
Ii, 19. Uposatha Ceremony, and Patimokkha. 269
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
* I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that you learn how to
count (the days of) the half month/
2. Now the Bhikkhus thought: 'Who ought to learn to count (the days of) the half month ?'
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
' I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that you learn all of you
to count (the days of) the half month/
3. At that time the people asked the Bhikkhus
who went about for alms : 'How many Bhikkhus
are there, reverend Sirs?' The Bhikkhus replied:
' We do not know, friends/ The people were annoyed,
murmured, and became angry : ' Those Sakyaputtiya
Samaras do not even know each other ; what good
things else will they know ?'
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
' I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that you count the
Bhikkhus/