1 I.e. with a number of Bhikkhus sufficient for holding Uposatha.
2 See chap. 15. 4.
II, 36> i. UPOSATHA CEREMONY, AND PATIMOKKHA. 295
O Bhikkhus, to go on the day of Uposatha from a
residence in which Bhikkhus are, to a non-residence
in which no Bhikkhus are, except, &c. You ought
not, O Bhikkhus, to go on the day of Uposatha from
a residence in which Bhikkhus are, to a residence or
non-residence1 in which no Bhikkhus are, except, &c.
2. ' You ought not, O Bhikkhus, to go on the day
of Uposatha from a non-residence in which Bhikkhus
are, to a residence, &c, to a non-residence, &c, to a
residence or non-residence in which no Bhikkhus are,
except, &c.
3. * You ought not, O Bhikkhus, to go on the day
of Uposatha from a residence or non-residence in
which Bhikkhus are, to a residence, &c, to a non-
residence, &c, to a residence or non-residence in
which no Bhikkhus are, except, &c.
4. ' You ought not, O Bhikkhus, to go on the day
of Uposatha from a residence in which Bhikkhus are,
to a residence in which Bhikkhus are, if these Bhik-
khus belong to a different district, except, &c. 2
5. * You may go, O Bhikkhus, on the day of
Uposatha from a residence in which Bhikkhus are,
to a residence in which Bhikkhus are, if these Bhik-
khus belong to the same district, and if you know :
" I can attain that place to-day." You may, &c. 2 '
1. ' Let no one, O Bhikkhus, recite the Pati-
mokkha in a seated assembly (of Bhikkhus) before
a Bhikkhunf. He who does, commits a dukka/a
1 Probably this means a place the quality of which, whether residence or non-residence, is doubtful.
2 Nine cases are distinguished here quite as in §§ 1-3.
296 MAHAVAGGA. II, 36, 2.
offence. Let no one, O Bhikkhus, recite the P&ti-
mokkha in a seated assembly (of Bhikkhus) before
a sikkhamana1, a sima^era, a sama/zeri, one
who has abandoned the precepts 2, one who is guilty
of an extreme offence2. He who does, commits a
dukka/a offence.
2. ' Let no one, O Bhikkhus, recite the Pati-
mokkha in a seated assembly (of Bhikkhus) before
a (Bhikkhu) against whom expulsion has been
pronounced for his refusal to see an offence (com-
mitted by himself), before a (Bhikkhu) against whom
expulsion has been pronounced for his refusal to
atone for such an offence, or for his refusal to
renounce a false doctrine. He who does, is to be
treated according to the law3.
3. ' Let no one, O Bhikkhus, recite the Pati-
mokkha in a seated assembly (of Bhikkhus) before
a eunuch, before one who has furtively attached
himself (to the Sawgha), &c. (see chap. 22.3), before
a hermaphrodite. He who does, commits a duk-
ka/a offence.
1 In the Bhikkhunikhandhaka (.Zullav. X, 1, 4) we are told that Buddha, when admitting women to the Order of mendicants, pre- scribed for them a probationary course of instruction, which should last two years, after which time they were to ask for the upasam- pad& ordination. During these two years the candidates were called sikkhamawds. Childers (Diet. s.v. sikkhati) has misunder- stood the Mahavawsa (p. 37), when he states that in the case of Asoka's daughter Sa/rcghamitta the training prescribed for the sik- kham^nas was absolved in a single day.
2 See the note on chap. 22. 3.
3 The law alluded to most probably is the 69th Pa^ittiya rule, which expressly treats only of the conduct towards Bhikkhus re- fusing to renounce false doctrines, but it may be extended by analogy also to the two other categories of Bhikkhus mentioned in our passage.
Ii, 3^ 4- Uposatha Ceremony, and Patimokkha. 297
4. ' Let no one, O Bhikkhus, hold Uposatha by
(accepting) the parisuddhi declaration1 of a pari-
vdsika2, except if the assembly has not yet risen
(at the time when the parisuddhi is declared).
And let no one, O Bhikkhus, hold Uposatha on
another day than the Uposatha day, except for the
sake of (declaring the re-establishment of) concord
among the Sa^gha V
End of the third Bha/zavara in the Uposatha- khandhaka.
1 See chap. 22.
2 I.e. a Bhikkhu subject to the penal discipline of parivasa, the rules of which are discussed at length in the second and third books of the ^Tullavagga.
3 If a schism among the fraternity has been composed, the reconciled parties hold Uposatha together (X, 5, 14).
298 MAHAVAGGA. Ill, 1, 1.
THIRD KHANDHAKA.
(residence during the rainy season, vassa.)
1. At that time the Blessed One dwelt at Ra^a-
gaha, in the Ve/uvana, in the Kalandakanivapa 1.
At that time the retreat during the rainy season
had not yet been instituted by the Blessed One for
the Bhikkhus. Thus the Bhikkhus went on their
travels alike during winter, summer, and the rainy
season.
2. People were annoyed, murmured, and became
angry, saying, ' How can the Sakyaputtiya Samaras
go on their travels alike during winter, summer, and
the rainy season ? They crush the green herbs, they
hurt vegetable life 2, they destroy the life of many
small living things. Shall the ascetics who belong
to Titthiya schools, whose doctrine is ill preached,
retire during the rainy season and arrange places
for themselves to live in3 ? shall the birds make their
nests on the summits of the trees, and retire during
1 See the note on I, 22, 17. About the name of Kalandaka- nivapa (seeds of Kalandaka? feeding ground for squirrels?), see the story related in Beal, Romantic Legend, &c, p. 315, where this place is said to be the gift of a merchant named Kalandaka. A dif- ferent account is given by Spence Hardy, Manual, p. 194.
2 Literally, living creatures which have but one organ of sense ; that is, which have only the organ of feeling, viz. the outward form (kaya).
8 Sa/rakapayissanti = sawkappayissanti ? Buddhaghosa : appossukka-nibaddha-v&saw vasissanti.
Ill, 2, 2. RESIDENCE DURING THE RAINY SEASON. 299
the rainy season, and arrange themselves places to
live in ; and yet the Sakyaputtiya Samaras go on
their travels alike during winter, summer, and the
rainy season, crushing the green herbs, hurting
vegetable life, and destroying the life of many small
things ?'
3. Now 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 enter upon Vassa V
1. Now the Bhikkhus thought: 'When are we to enter upon Vassa ?'
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
' I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that you enter upon
Vassa in the rainy season/
2. Then the Bhikkhus thought : * How many periods are there for entering upon Vassa ?'
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
' There are two periods, O Bhikkhus, for entering
upon Vassa, the earlier and the later. The earlier
time for entering (upon Vassa) is the day after the
1 I. e. enter upon the retreat prescribed for the rainy season. Buddhaghosa : ' They are to look after their Vihara (if it is in a proper state), to provide food and water for themselves, to fulfil all due ceremonies, such as paying reverence to sacred shrines, &c, and to say loudly once, or twice, or thrice : ' I enter upon Vassa in this Vihara for these three months." Thus they are to enter upon Vassa/
300 MAHAVAGGA. Ill, 3, 1.
full moon of Asi/y^a (June-July) ; the later, a month
after the full moon of Asa//£a 1. These, O Bhikkhus,
are the two periods for entering upon Vassa.'
1 . At that time the AT^abbaggiya Bhikkhus, having
entered upon Vassa, went on their travels during
the period of Vassa. People were annoyed, mur-
mured, and became angry (saying), ' How can the
Sakyaputtiya Samaras go on their travels alike
during winter, summer, and the rainy season, ....
(&c, as in chap. 1. 2, down to:) and destroy the life
of many small living things?'
2. Now some Bhikkhus heard those people that
were annoyed, murmured, and had become angry.
The moderate Bhikkhus were annoyed, murmured,
and became angry (saying), ' How can the Kkab-
baggiya Bhikkhus, having entered upon Vassa, go
on their travels during the period of Vassa ?'
These Bhikkhus told this thing to the Blessed One.
1 Very probably this double period stands in connection with the double period prescribed in the Brahmawas and Sutras for most of the Vedic festivals. Thus the sacrifice of the varu^apra- ghasas, with which the Brahmans began the rainy season, was to be held either on the full moon day of Asha^a or on the full moon day of the following month, -Srava/za, quite in accordance with the Buddhistical rules about the vassupanayika\ The Brahmawa texts begin the year with the full moon day of the (uttara) Phalguni; the Sutras mention, besides the Phalguni, another new-year's day, the ^Taitri paurwamasi, which falls one month later. It was in connection with this dislocation of the be- ginning of the year that the annual festivals could be postponed accordingly. See Weber, Die vedischen Nachrichten von den Naxatra, II, p. 329 seq.
Ill, 4, 3. RESIDENCE DURING THE RAINY SEASON. 3OI
In consequence of that and on this occasion the
Blessed One, after having delivered a religious dis-
course, thus addressed the Bhikkhus :
' Let no one, O Bhikkhus, who has entered upon
Vassa, go on his travels before he has kept Vassa
during the earlier or during the later three months.
He who does so, commits a dukka/a offence/
1. At that time the A^abbaggiya Bhikkhus were not willing to enter upon Vassa.
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
i Let no one, O Bhikkhus, forbear to enter upon
Vassa. He who does not enter upon Vassa, com-
mits a dukka^a offence/
2. At that time the .A^abbaggiya Bhikkhus, who
were not willing to enter upon Vassa on the pre-
scribed day, purposely left the district (where they
were living).
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
' Let no one, O Bhikkhus, purposely leave the dis-
trict (where he is living), because he is not willing
to enter upon Vassa on the prescribed day. He
who does, commits a dukka^a offence/
3. At that time the Magadha king Seniya Bimbi-
Sclra, who wished that the Vassa period might be
postponed, sent a messenger to the Bhikkhus: 'What
if their reverences were to enter upon Vassa on the
next full moon day ? '
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
' I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that you obey kings/
302 MAHAVAGGA. Ill, 5, 1.
1. And the Blessed One, after having resided at
Rd^agaha as long as he thought fit, went forth to
Sclvatthi. Wandering from place to place he came
to Savatthi. There, at Savatthi, the Blessed One
dwelt in the ^etavana, the garden of Anathapi/zafika.
At that time an upasaka (lay devotee) named
Udena, in the Kosala country, had a Vihara built
for the Sa//2gha. He sent a messenger to the
Bhikkhus (saying), ' Might their reverences come
hither ; I desire to bestow gifts (on the Sawgha) and
to hear the Dhamma and to see the Bhikkhus/
2. The Bhikkhus replied: 'The Blessed One has
prescribed, friend, that no one who has entered upon
Vassa, may go on a journey before he has kept
Vassa during the earlier or during the later three
months. Let the upasaka Udena wait so long as
the Bhikkhus keep their Vassa residence; when
they have finished Vassa, they will go. But if
there is any urgent necessity, let him dedicate the
Vihara in presence of the Bhikkhus who reside
there/
3. The upasaka Udena was annoyed, murmured,
and became angry (saying), ' How can their reve-
rences, when I send for them, refuse to come ? I am
a giver and a doer (of good works), and do service
to the fraternity/ Some Bhikkhus heard the upa-
saka Udena, who was annoyed, &c.
These Bhikkhus told the thing to the Blessed One.
4. In consequence of that the Blessed One, after
having delivered a religious discourse, thus addressed
the Bhikkhus :
' 1 allow you, O Bhikkhus, to go (even during
Ill, 5, 6. RESIDENCE DURING THE RAINY SEASON. 303
the rainy season), if the affair for which you go can
be accomplished in seven days, and if you are sent
for, but not if you are not sent for, by a person of
one of the following seven classes : Bhikkhus, Bhik-
khunis, sikkhamaln&s1, sama/zeras, sama/zeris,
lay devotees, female lay devotees. I allow you, O
Bhikkhus, to go, if the thing (you go for) can be
accomplished in seven days, and if you are sent for,
but not if you are not sent for, by a person of one
of these seven classes. Within seven days you
ought to return.
5. ' In case, O Bhikkhus, an upasaka has built
a Vihara for the Sa^gha. If he sends a mes-
senger to the Bhikkhus (saying), " Might their
reverences come hither ; I desire to bestow gifts
(on them) and to hear the Dhamma and to see
the Bhikkhus," you ought to go, O Bhikkhus, if the
affair for which you go can be accomplished in
seven days, and if he sends for you, but not if he
does not send for you. Within seven days you
ought to return.