9. Now it is the custom of the blessed Buddhas
1 We are not quite sure of the meaning of the compounds
hattha-vikarena and hattha-vilanghakena. Buddhaghosa
says merely hatthavilahghaken^ 'ti hatthukkhepakena.
2 For this whole passage, compare jKullavagga VIII, 5, 3. The single actions which these Bhikkhus do, are quite correct, except that they keep silence during the whole time of Vassa, and espe- cially at the end of it, for which time Buddha, on this occasion, prescribes thePavara/za ceremony.
IV, I, n. THE PAVARAiVA CEREMONY. 327
to exchange greeting with incoming Bhikkhus. And
the Blessed One said to those Bhikkhus : ' Do things
go well with you, O Bhikkhus ? Do you get enough
to support yourselves with ? Have you kept Vassa
well, in unity, and in concord, and without quarrel ?
and have you not suffered from want of food ?'
' Things go tolerably well with us, Lord ; we get
enough, Lord, wherewith to support ourselves ; we
have kept Vassa well, in unity, in concord, and
without quarrel ; and have not suffered from want
of food/
10. The Tathagatas sometimes ask about what
they know ; sometimes they do not ask about what
they know. They understand the right time when
to ask, and they understand the right time when
not to ask. The Tathagatas put questions full
of sense, not void of sense ; to what is void of sense
the bridge is pulled down for the Tathagatas. 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.
1 1. And the Blessed One said to those Bhikkhus :
( In what way, O Bhikkhus, have you kept Vassa
well, in unity, and in concord, and without quarrel,
and not suffered from want of food ? '
* We have entered upon Vassa, Lord, a number
of Bhikkhus, companions and friends of each other,
in a certain district of the Kosala country. Now,
Lord, we thought : " What shall we do (&c, as in
§ i)?" Then we thought, Lord: "If we do not
speak (&c, as in §§ 2-4)." Thus, Lord, we did not
speak to or converse with each other (&c, down to :)
without uttering a word on that account. In that
328 MAHAVAGGA. IV, 1, 12.
way, Lord, we have kept Vassa well, in unity, and
in concord, and without quarrel ; and have not suffered
from want of food/
12. Then the Blessed One thus addressed the
Bhikkhus : ' Indeed, O Bhikkhus, these foolish men
who profess to have kept Vassa well, have kept it
badly ; indeed, O Bhikkhus, these foolish men who
profess to have kept Vassa well, have kept it
like a herd of cattle ; indeed .... have kept it like
a herd of rams ; indeed .... have kept it like a
company of indolent people. How can these foolish
persons, O Bhikkhus, take upon themselves the vow
of silence, as the Titthiyas do?
13. ' This will not do, O Bhikkhus, for converting the unconverted (&c, as in Book III, chapter 14, § 3)/
And when he had rebuked them and delivered a religious discourse, he thus addressed the Bhikkhus :
' Let no one, O Bhikkhus, take upon himself the
vow of silence, as the Titthiyas do. He who does,
commits a dukka/a offence.
' I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that the Bhikkhus, when
they have finished their Vassa residence, hold
Pavara/za with each other1 in these three ways:
by what has been seen, or by what has been heard,
or by what is suspected. Hence it will result that
you live in accord with each other, that you atone
for the offences (you have committed), and that you
keep the rules of discipline before your eyes.
14. 'And you ought, O Bhikkhus, to hold Pavd- ra^a in this way :
1 Literally, invite each other ; i. e. every Bhikkhu present invites his companions to tell him if they believe him guilty of an offence, having seen that offence, or having heard of it, or suspecting it.
Iv, 2, I. the Pavaraata Ceremony. 329
' Let a learned, competent Bhikkhu proclaim the
following ^atti before the Sa/^gha : " Let the Sa^-
gha, reverend Sirs, hear me. To-day is the Pava-
ra#a day. If the Sa^gha is ready, let the Sa^gha
hold Pavara;za."
* Then let the senior Bhikkhu adjust his upper
robe so as to cover one shoulder, sit down squatting,
raise his joined hands, and say : " I pronounce my
Pavara^a, friends, before the Sawgha, by what has
been seen, or by what has been heard, or by what
is suspected 1 ; may you speak to me, Sirs, out
of compassion towards me ; if I see (an offence), I
will atone for it. And for the second time, &c.
And for the third time I pronounce my Pavara/za....
(&c, down to) .... if I see (an offence), I will atone
for it."
' Then let (each) younger Bhikkhu adjust his upper robe .... (&c.)2'
1. At that time the A^abbaggiya Bhikkhus, while
the senior Bhikkhus were crouching down and were
performing their Pavara^a, remained on their seats.
The moderate Bhikkhus were annoyed, murmured,
and became angry : 'How can the A^abbaggiya
Bhikkhus remain on their seats, while the senior
1 I. e. I invite the Sawgha to charge me with any offence they think me guilty of, which they have seen, or heard of, or which they suspect.
2 As in the preceding sentence, except that the younger
Bhikkhus do not address the Sangria, ' Friends/ but, ' Reverend
Sirs.'
330 MAHAVAGGA. IV, 2, 2.
Bhikkhus crouch down, and perform their Pava- ra/za ?'
Those Bhikkhus told the thing to the Blessed One.
'Is it true, O Bhikkhus, that the A^abbaggiya Bhikkhus, &c.?'
' It is true, O Lord/
Then the blessed Buddha rebuked them : ' How can
these foolish men, O Bhikkhus, remain on their seats
(&c, as above)? This will not do, O Bhikkhus, for
converting the unconverted (&c., as in chap, i, § 13)/
Having rebuked them and delivered a religious
discourse, he thus addressed the Bhikkhus : ' Let
no one, O Bhikkhus, remain on his seat, while the
senior Bhikkhus crouch down, and perform their
Pavara/za. He who does, commits a dukka^a
offence. I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that all of you
crouch down while Pavara^a is being performed/
2. At that time a certain Bhikkhu weak from
age, who waited crouching till all had finished their
Pavara^a, fell down fainting.
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
' I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that (every Bhikkhu)
crouches down the whole while till he has performed
his Pavara^a, and sits down on his seat when he
has performed it/
1. Now the Bhikkhus thought: ' How many Pavara^a (days) are there ?'
They told this thing to the Blessed One. 'There are the two following Pavira^a (days),
IV, 3>5- THE PAVlRAiVA CEREMONY. 33 1
O Bhikkhus : the fourteenth and the fifteenth (of
the half month)1; these are the two Pavara^a
(days), O Bhikkhus.'
2. Now the Bhikkhus thought: ' How many Pavara^d services are there ?'
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
' There are the four following Pavara/za services,
O Bhikkhus, &c.2'
3. Then the Blessed One thus addressed the
Bhikkhus : ' Assemble, O Bhikkhus, the Sa^gha
will hold Pavara^a.' When he had spoken thus,
a certain Bhikkhu said to the Blessed One : ' There
is a sick Bhikkhu, Lord, who is not present/
* I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that a sick Bhikkhu
shall declare (lit. give) his Pavara/za. And let
him declare it, O Bhikkhus, in this way : Let that
sick Bhikkhu go to some Bhikkhu, adjust his upper
robe so as to cover one shoulder, sit down squatting,
raise his joined hands, and say : " I declare my
Pavara^a, take my Pavara^a, perform the Pava-
ra/za for me," If he expresses this by gesture, or
by word, or by gesture and word, the Pavara/za
has been declared. If he does not express this by
gesture, &c, the Pavara/za has not been declared.
4-5. ' If (the sick Bhikkhu) succeeds in doing so,
well and good. If he does not succeed, let them
take that sick Bhikkhu, O Bhikkhus, on his bed or
his chair to the assembly, &c.3
1 Comp. II, 14, 1, and the note on II, 34, 1.
2 This passage is exactly identical with II, 14, 2. 3, replacing 'Uposatha service' by 'Pavara^a service/
3 This passage is a repetition of II, 22, 2-4, the words, 'Hold Uposatha/ 'Declare the Parisuddhi/ &c, being replaced respec- tively by 'Hold Pavdrawa/ 'Declare the Pavara/za/ &c.
332 MAHAVAGGA. IV, 4.
' I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that on the day of
Pavara^a he who declares his Pavara^a, is to
declare also his consent1 (to acts to be performed
eventually by the Order), for (both declarations)
are required for the Sa^gha (and for the validity
of its acts) V
At that time relations of a certain Bhikkhu kept him back on the day of Pavara/za, &c.3
1. At that time five Bhikkhus dwelt in a certain
district (or, in a certain residence of Bhikkhus) on
the day of Pavara^a.
Now these Bhikkhus thought : ' The Blessed One
has prescribed the holding of Pavara^a by the
Sa^gha, and we are (only) five persons 4. Well, how
are we to hold Pavara^a ?'
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
' 1 prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that five Bhikkhus should hold Pavara/zaina (regular) chapter5/
2. At that time four Bhikkhus dwelt in a certain
1 See II, 23.
2 Comp. the finishing clause of II, 23.
3 This is a repetition of II, 24, but instead of 'Uposatha' and 'Parisuddhi' read 'Pavararca/
4 As a general rule five Bhikkhus were sufficient to form the quorum ; but for the performance of several among the official acts of the Order the presence of more than five members was required ; see IX, 4, 1 seq.
5 See IX, 4, 1.
IV, 5>5- THE PAVARAiVA CEREMONY. 333
district on the day of Pavctra;za. Now these Bhik-
khus thought : ' The Blessed One has prescribed that
five Bhikkhus shall hold Pavara/za in a (regular)
chapter, and we are (only) four persons. Well, how
are we to hold Pavara/za ?'
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
' I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that four Bhikkhus should hold Pavara^a with each other.
3. 'And let them hold Pavara/za, O Bhikkhus,
in this way : Let a learned, competent Bhikkhu pro-
claim the following /zatti before those Bhikkhus:
" Hear me, Sirs. To-day is Pavara/za day. If you
are ready, Sirs, let us hold Pavara/za with each
other."
' Then let the senior Bhikkhu adjust his upper
robe, &c, and say to those Bhikkhus : " I pronounce
my Pavara/za, friends, before you, by what has
been seen, or by what has been heard, or by what
is suspected ; may you speak to me, Sirs, out of com-
passion towards me ; if I see (an offence), I will atone
for it. And for the second time, &c. ; and for the
third time, &c."
' Then let each younger Bhikkhu, &c/
4. At that time three Bhikkhus dwelt in a certain
district on the day of Pavara/za. Now these Bhik-
khus thought : ' The Blessed One has prescribed that
five Bhikkhus shall hold Pavara/za in a (regular)
chapter, that four Bhikkhus shall hold Pavara/za
with each other, and we are (only) three persons.
Well, how are we to hold Pavara/za ?'
' I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that three Bhikkhus
should hold Pavara/za with each other. And let
them hold Pavara/za (&c, see § 3)/
5. At that time two Bhikkhus dwelt in a certain
334 MAHAVAGGA. IV, 5, 6.
district on the day of Pavara/za. Now these Bhik-
khus thought : ' The Blessed One has prescribed that
five Bhikkhus, &c, that four Bhikkhus, &c, that three
Bhikkhus, &c., and we are (only) two persons. Well,
how are we to hold Pavara/za ?'
' I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that two Bhikkhus should hold Pavara^a with each other.
6. 'And let them hold Pavara^a, O Bhikkhus,
in this way : Let the senior Bhikkhu adjust his upper
robe, &c, and say to the junior Bhikkhu : " I pro-
nounce my Pavara/za, friend, &c."
' Then let the junior Bhikkhu, &c/
7. At that time there dwelt a single Bhikkhu in
a certain district on the day of Pavara^a. Now
this Bhikkhu thought : ' The Blessed One has pre-
scribed that five Bhikkhus, &c., &c, and I am only
one person. Well, how am I to hold Pavara/za ?'
8. 'In case there dwell, O Bhikkhus, in a certain
district on the day of Pavara^a, a single Bhikkhu :
Let that Bhikkhu, O Bhikkhus, sweep the place
which the Bhikkhus use to frequent, — the refectory,
or hall, or place at the foot of a tree ; let him (then)
provide water and food, prepare seats, put a lamp
there, and sit down. If other Bhikkhus come, let
him hold Pavara/za with them ; if they do not
come, let him fix his mind upon the thought :
" To-day is my Pavara/za." If he does not fix his
mind upon this thought, he commits a dukka/a
offence.
9. ' Now, O Bhikkhus, where five Bhikkhus dwell
(together), they must not convey the Pavara^a1
of one (to their assembly) and hold Pavara/za by