Toh 1-3The Chapter on Lifting Restrictions” from The Chapters on Monastic Discipline

Summary

The Chapter on Lifting Restrictions is the
third of The Chapters on Monastic Discipline’s
seventeen chapters. It recounts the origins, timing, and procedures for a rite—held
at the end of the rains retreat as an adjunct to the Rite of
Restoration (poṣadha)—known as the Rite
of Lifting Restrictions (pravāraṇa). During
this rite, monastics invite other monastics who have
passed the rainy season with them to speak of any unconfessed offenses they have
seen, heard, or suspected the inviting monastic of committing during the rains
retreat. If a monk thus prompted recalls an offense, he must make amends before
the members of the saṅgha can communally verify their purity. This rite helps to ensure harmony
in the saṅgha by providing monks with a forum in which they may air and address
concerns about their fellow monks’ conduct before they disperse, either to
wander the countryside or go to another monastery. This semi-public affirmation of
the saṅgha’s purity would also help preserve its reputation among the laypeople.
At the conclusion of the rite, goods that have been offered to the saṅgha during
the rains are distributed to those monastics who are entitled to a share, that
is, those who stayed on site for the duration of the rains.

The Rite of Lifting Restrictions is the second of the “Three Rites,”
along with the Rite of Restoration and the
Rite of Pledging to Settle for the Rains, as set out in
The Chapter on the Restoration Rite and
The Chapter on the Rains respectively. The regular observance of the “Three
Rites” at an officially demarcated monastic site is considered a crucial
component in ensuring the integrity of the monastics living there and nearby.

Acknowledgements

This text was translated from Tibetan and checked against the Sanskrit
original and Yijing’s Chinese translation by Robert Miller. Matthew Wuethrich
served as style and editorial consultant to the translator. Paul Thomas reviewed
the translation against the extant Sanskrit. Ven. Hejung Seok, Dr. Alex von
Rospatt, and Dr. Sally Sutherland Goldman all provided useful insight into the
term pravāraṇā.

The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of
84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. Nathaniel Rich and John Canti edited the
translation and the introduction, and Ven. Konchog Norbu copyedited the text.
André Rodrigues was in charge of the digital publication process.

Introduction

Overview

The Chapter on Lifting Restrictions
is the third of the seventeen chapters in The
Chapters on Monastic Discipline. It recounts the origins,
timing, and procedures for the rite of pravāraṇa or “lifting restrictions,” held at
the end of the rains retreat as an adjunct to the Rite of Restoration,
or poṣadha. Although in
practice the rite of lifting restrictions is performed at the end of the
rains, months after the rite in which monastics pledge to undertake the
rains retreat, the chapters on these two rites appear in reverse order
in The Chapters on Monastic
Discipline, with The
Chapter on Lifting Restrictions first, followed by The Chapter on the Rains.

During the rite of lifting restrictions each monk “invites” the
other monks to “prompt” his recollection of any offenses he has not
confessed. If one of the monks has seen, heard, or suspects the first
monk of an unconfessed offense, the second monk may prompt the first’s
memory by narrating the circumstances in which the offense allegedly
occurred. The proper procedures for conducting this delicate
affair—accusations of improper conduct may easily cause a schism in the
saṅgha—provide the main content of the present chapter. The Chapter on Lifting Restrictions does not,
however, explain how to deal with disputes that arise from these
invitations and the responses they prompt. A complete picture of the
Mūlasarvāstivādin protocols for handling denials, disputes, punishments,
and their rescissions must be pieced together from at least seven of
The Chapters on Monastic Discipline’s
seventeen chapters. The
rite of lifting restrictions described here proceeds from the premise
that participating monks either willingly confess their offenses from
the start or willingly acknowledge them when their memory is prompted.

Structure and Contents

Like the other chapters of The Chapters on Monastic Discipline,
The Chapter on Lifting Restrictions starts with a “global summary”
or piṇḍoddāna. In this case, the global summary groups the
contents of the text into five sections. The first section sets out the procedures by which restrictions
are lifted, and the remaining four describe the contingencies that may bear on how the rite is performed.

Lifting Restrictions

The first section, after its own summary (uddāna),
opens with a nidāna, or “narrative introduction” in which
we learn the reputed origins of the rite of lifting restrictions. We
join the Buddha as he is making a pledge to pass the rainy season at
Prince Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park in Śrāvastī. Elsewhere, somewhere off in the countryside, a
group of monks pledge to spend the rains at a site some days’ distance.
These monks adopt a rule of silence, and under the conditions of this ad
hoc agreement, the monks have neither discussed nor thought about the
others’ offenses in conduct, view, propriety, or livelihood. When they
later tell the Buddha about their arrangement, the Buddha rebukes them.
We are largely left to infer the significance of this criticism of
silence. The monastic logic, however, is not so hard to parse: offenses
are to be confessed, not concealed. Thus, before parting ways at the end
of the monsoon, monks should gather together and observe the rite of
lifting restrictions, inviting their fellow monks to prompt their memory
of unconfessed misconduct. Thus, when the community disperses, the monks
can leave one another, and the lay people too, with the assurance that
they and their fellow monks are pure.

One or two weeks before the rains retreat ends, the monks
should inform the people in nearby towns and cities of the upcoming rite
of lifting restrictions. On the eve of the ceremony, the local populace
gathers at the monastery to hear learned monks teach the Dharma. Then,
before sunrise the next morning, the monks withdraw into the inner
circle to perform the rite of lifting restrictions. First, a “monk who directs the
lifting of restrictions” must be appointed. A monk may serve as a
director of lifting restrictions provided that he knows what constitutes
a proper “lifting of restrictions”—i.e., knows how an invitation for an
accusation should be extended—and is not driven by caprice, anger,
confusion, or fear. If a community has a large number of monks, several
officiants may be appointed.

Grass for seating is then distributed to the saṅgha before the
saṅgha elder makes a motion, asking the saṅgha to allow the rite of
lifting restrictions to proceed. While the monk director of lifting
restrictions stands before him, the saṅgha elder invites the other monks
to speak of any offenses they have seen, heard, or suspected him to have
incurred by repeating the following formula one, two, or three
times:

“Honorable saṅgha, please listen. Today is the saṅgha’s
lifting of restrictions, the fifteenth. Today is also my, the monk
so-and-so’s, lifting of restrictions and the fifteenth. I, the monk
so-and-so, lift restrictions regarding the three grounds: what has
been seen, heard, or suspected by the honorable saṅgha. I ask the
venerable ones to admonish me. I ask the venerable ones to instruct
me. I ask the venerable ones to guide me. The venerable ones extend
their compassion, so I ask them to extend their compassion toward
me. If I know of or see an offense, I will properly make amends in
accord with the Vinaya.”

So long as the saṅgha is not in any danger, each monk, in order
of seniority, then invites others to remind him of any offenses he may
have forgotten to confess by repeating the same formula. The procedures
for handling any resulting disputes over offenses are laid out in
chapter 16, The Chapter on Disputes. Once
all of the monks have extended invitations to their brethren, the monk
director of lifting restrictions then does so, followed by nuns, nun
postulants, male novices, and female novices. The monk
officiant then proceeds to “lift restrictions on materials” that the saṅgha has
received during the rains before inviting the public in to present the
saṅgha with further offerings. Khenpo Shenga explains the reasoning for
this: giving to a saṅgha freshly affirmed in its purity, pure in intent,
loving, and meritorious bears great fruit.

This first section (“Lifting Restrictions”), which is signaled
by key words in the chapter’s global summary, closes with a brief
explanation of how a sick monk unable to attend the rite of lifting
restrictions should send his invitation to recollect offenses. The
protocols are similar to those described in chapter 2, The Chapter on the Restoration Rite, in which
an ill monk sends his profession of purity and consent for the
restoration rite.

Contingencies

The remaining topics mentioned in the chapter’s global summary
describe several contingencies that affect how and when the rite of
lifting restrictions is performed.

The second section (“Improper”)
states that the lifting of restrictions can be repeated once, twice, or
three times, but stipulates that if the lifting of restrictions is
suspended before the entire ceremony is completed, it is an improper
lifting of restrictions. The Buddha also provides for a “collective
lifting of restrictions,” when appropriate.

In the third section (“Monk”), the circumstances in which one
may recite the lifting of restrictions once or as an assembly are
spelled out. Each of the reasons, given in the summary verse that heads
the chapter, relates to the welfare of the monks. The section concludes
with an exchange between Upāli and the Buddha about whether monks who
arrive late during the rains should be invited to participate in the
rite. In an exchange with Upāli, the Buddha consents to their
participation but declares that, because they have arrived late, any accusations
they may make should not be accepted, that is, taken into consideration.

The fourth section (“Repetition”) enumerates the proper
protocols to follow in the event that a monk incurs an offense or is
accused of having done so on the day leading up to the rite of lifting
restrictions. Following the pattern established in the previous chapter,
The Chapter on the Restoration Rite,
scheming to exclude others from the rite of lifting restrictions and
then “inviting” recollections of offenses in their absence is deemed to
be improper. The reason for this would seem obvious—such an exclusive
“invitation” is not to be mistaken for a truly transparent invitation
for fellow monks to address the lingering unease they have about
specific incidents.

In the fifth section (“Rains”), a group of resident monks is
faced with a group of quarrelsome visiting monks, who make it difficult
for the saṅgha to invite each other to recollect offenses. The tension
between the resident and visiting monks threatens the traditional
closure of the rains retreat, where the saṅgha’s purity is affirmed and
the collective offerings are dispersed to the monks. The atmosphere is
so charged that the monks fear their invitations will become weaponized,
inviting only accusations that will then be used as a wedge to exert
influence or control over a monastery and its resources. In such fraught
circumstances, the advice, in brief, is as follows: Do not take action
immediately against the quarrelsome monks; instead, delay the rite of
lifting restrictions for two or three fortnights, as marked by the
restoration rite. If the visitors’ hostility has not dissipated by then,
the resident monks may convene in a special boundary established for
such hostile situations. If that does not work, the resident monks are instructed to
extend to the visiting monks conciliatory gestures similar to those that The Chapter
on the Restoration Rite stipulates should be
made to visiting monks who uphold the sūtras, the
vinaya, or the mātṛkā: welcome them with friendly words, wash their
begging bowls, mend their ceremonial robes, offer them baths and oils,
offer them rich foods, and give them the opportunity to explain the
Dharma.

Adaptations for Nuns

In The Chapters on Monastic Discipline,
it is males who form both audience and performers in the rites of
ordination, restoration, lifting restrictions, and pledging to settle
for the rains—the respective subjects of chapters 1 through 4.
The gendering here reflects a gendered binary in the
Buddhist saṅgha as encapsulated by the story of Mahāprajāpatī’s extended
campaign to secure the Buddha’s consent for the ordination of women,
which is told in The Chapter on Minor Matters of
Monastic Discipline. Eventually the Buddha relents and
stipulates the wording for the nuns’ ordination and entrustment to her
monastic mentor or “support”:

“From this day forth, (state her name) shall regard her
preceptress as her mother. And her preceptress will regard her as her
daughter. From this day, so long as you live, you must honor your
preceptress. And your preceptress will honor you so long as she
lives.”

Dharmamitra, who wrote an authoritative commentary on
Guṇaprabha’s sūtra digest of the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, explains how
the ritual language of the Mūlasarvāstivādin texts can be easily
adapted for the participation of nuns:

“For ordination, everywhere that [the monks’ rite] says ‘monk’
[the monk officiant] should say ‘nun.’ Here, ‘the officiant [who
performs] the motion, and so forth,’ is the monk officiant [who
performs] the motion for ordination. Apart from this monk officiant,
for the other positions such as instructor confidante and preceptor,
the word ‘nun’ should be said instead of ‘monk.’ ”

Butön Rinchen Drup, the remarkable fourteenth-century Tibetan
bibliographer and historiographer, says that translating the going forth
and ordination rites for females is simply a matter of swapping out
male-gendered terms for female ones. In the case of the rites of
restoration, lifting restrictions, and pledging to settle for the rains,
those pronouns are easily swapped in contemporary Tibetan practice,
while textually, The Chapter on Lifting
Restrictions emphasizes not gender but the ability of
someone on site to lead The Prātimokṣa
Sūtra recitation.

The Etymology of Pravāraṇa

The Sanskrit word pravāraṇa is derived from the root vṛ, which can mean “to
prevent,” “to restrain,” or “to restrict,” as well as “to choose,” “to
ask for,” or “to beg.” It assumes a wide range of meanings depending on
context and the grammatical transformations it undergoes. In Epic
Sanskrit, pravāraṇa may
imply “satisfaction,” while in other cases it means “invitation,” as in
“to invite gifts,” as we see here in the “invitation for material
goods.”

Pavāraṇā, the
Pāli Vinaya’s parallel to the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya’s pravāraṇā, is generally translated as “invitation,”
which captures the meaning of “lifting restrictions” in the present
chapter. In The Chapter on Lifting
Restrictions, “to lift restrictions” means “to invite” and
the two translations can be used interchangeably; for instance,
Kalyāṇamitra’s gloss of pravāraṇa might be translated as:

“ ‘To invite,’ to give the opportunity to monks with whom one
has pledged to settle for the rains to prompt [one’s recollection of
an offense] with what they have seen, heard, or suspected.”

The Indic sources preserved in the Kangyur and Tengyur, however,
suggest the Sanskrit pravāraṇāṃ
pravārayitum had a specific and technical meaning to ears
trained in the Vinaya, which presumably led to pravāraṇa being translated
into Tibetan as dgag
dbye. The entry on dgag dbye written for the Mahāvyutpatti, a ninth-century Sanskrit-Tibetan lexicon, glosses
pravāraṇa with
pramuktavāraṇa,
meaning “a restraint that has been released,” and then offers the
following definition: “to give an opportunity for disagreements and
disputes about what was heard, seen, or suspected, which is otherwise
prohibited while pledged to settle for the rains retreat.”

The Text

The present translation is based on the Tibetan text of the
version of the chapter in the Degé Kangyur, with reference to versions
in other Kangyurs as detailed in the endnotes. The text was originally
translated into Tibetan by Palgyi Lhünpo under the guidance of the
Kaśmīri abbot Sarvajñādeva, the Indian abbot Vidyākaraprabha, and the
Kaśmīri abbot Dharmākara. Their work was later proofread and finalized
by Vidyākaraprabha and the translator-editor Paltsek.

In Sanskrit, The Chapter on Lifting Restrictions
is not extant in full, but four of its six manuscript folios
were recovered at Gilgit. All but
the righthand side of the first of these four folios is missing, but the
remaining three folios are in relatively good condition, having
sustained only slight losses or damage to the individual characters, or
akṣaras.
Editions based on these manuscripts have been published by Dutt (1950),
Bagchi (1970), and Chung (1998). Despite these scholars’ efforts,
numerous textual problems remain, so the
Sanskrit reader would be advised to consult the facsimile edition of the
manuscripts published in Clarke (2014), along with complete textual concordances.

We have read the translation against the
Sanskrit input version of Chung and Wille as well as against Yijing’s
Chinese translation, and have also consulted Chung (1998),
who provides relevant Sanskrit parallels drawn from other texts and
compares Yijing’s Chinese and the Tibetan translation.
See also the Japanese yomikudashi
of Yijing’s text.

The translation of Vinaya technical terms given here has benefitted greatly
from discussion with the 84000 Vinaya Team. But these choices remain
provisional and may require revision as work on the Mūlasarvāstivāda
Vinaya progresses.

The Translation

From The Chapters on Monastic Discipline

The Chapter on Lifting Restrictions

Prologue

A
global summary of The Chapter on Lifting Restrictions:

Lifting
restrictions,

improper,

monk,
and

Repetition,

rains,
and the latter.

Lifting Restrictions

A summary:

Consent to
lift restrictions,

Appointing
the director of lifting restrictions,

Categorizing proper and improper, and

An act to
tend the sick.

Consent to Lift Restrictions

The Blessed Buddha pledged to settle for the rains in Śrāvastī, in Prince Jeta’s
Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park. Meanwhile, a great many monks adopted the
following rule as they pledged to settle for the rains elsewhere: “Venerable ones, during the rains no monk among us
should prompt or remind a
monk about an offense of pure conduct, lapse of
view, lapse of observance, or lapse of
livelihood. If one among us sees that a water jug or a wash bucket is empty,
dry, or without water, he should fill it if he can do so on his own, and
then leave it where it belongs. If he cannot do so on his own, he should
signal with his hands to another monk and, joining hands, put it
where it belongs. Then, while keeping silent, they should leave without
speaking to one another.”

The monks, having adopted such a rule, then pledged to settle
for the rains there.

After the three months of the rains had passed, the great many
monks mended their robes. After mending their robes, they took up their
begging bowls and robes and, without speaking to one another, set out on
the journey to Śrāvastī. Traveling in stages, they eventually arrived in
Śrāvastī where, having stored their begging bowls and robes and washed
their feet, the great many monks went to the Blessed One. After bowing
their heads at the Blessed One’s feet, they sat off to one side.

It is natural for blessed buddhas to welcome those monks who
come to visit them with the welcoming words, “Monks, where have you come
from? Where did you pledge to settle for the rains?” And so the Blessed
One welcomed the monks who had come, asking, “Monks, where have you come
from? Where did you pledge to settle for the rains?”

“Monks, were you at ease in pledging to settle for the rains
there? Were you not wearied by seeking alms?”

“No, Honorable One. We were at ease in pledging to settle for
the rains. We were not wearied by seeking alms.”

“Monks, how is it that you were at ease in pledging to settle
for the rains and were not even wearied by seeking alms?”

“Honorable One, we, the great many monks here, adopted the
following rule as we pledged to settle for the rains there: ‘Venerable
ones, during the rains no monk among us should prompt or remind a monk
about an offense of pure conduct, lapse of view, lapse of observance, or
lapse of livelihood. If one among us sees that a water jug or a wash
bucket is empty, dry, or without water, he should fill it if he can do
so on his own, and then leave it where it belongs. If he cannot do so on
his own, he should signal with his hands to another monk and, joining
hands, put it where it belongs. Then, while keeping silent, they should
leave without speaking to one another.’

“Honorable One, after adopting such a rule, we pledged to settle
for the rains there. Honorable One, that is how we were at ease in
pledging to settle for the rains and were not even wearied by seeking
alms.”

“Deluded beings! Do you think that those who live with the
enemy can be at
ease while pledged to settle for the rains?
Deluded beings! Not speaking is the tīrthikas’ standard. Therefore, a
monk should not pledge silence.
A monk
will be guilty of a breach if he pledges silence. Moreover, a monk who
has pledged to settle for the rains should lift restrictions on the
saṅgha regarding the three grounds of what has been seen, heard, or
suspected.”

Appointing the Director of Lifting

Restrictions

The Blessed One had declared, “A monk who has pledged to settle
for the rains should lift restrictions on the saṅgha regarding the three
grounds of what has been seen, heard, or suspected,” but the monks did
not know how to lift restrictions. So, the Blessed One said, “If a
lifting of restrictions is to be performed in seven or eight days, those in the surrounding towns should be
informed that on such and such a day the restrictions on the saṅgha will
be lifted.

“Those monks who have taken a support should energetically prepare ceremonial
offerings at the stūpa and the circumambulation path around the stūpa;
they should clean and decorate the perfumed sanctuary. Boarding
and resident monks should sweep,
sprinkle water over, and spread a fresh paste of dung over the floor of
the monastery. Rich goods should be offered to the saṅgha. Monks who uphold the
sūtras, the vinaya, or the mātṛkā should explain the Dharma throughout
the night. If they know they will not be
able to perform the lifting of restrictions until dawn, they should note
the time and do as they please.

“Then
one, two, or several monks should be appointed to direct the lifting of
restrictions.
For a monk who is to direct the lifting of restrictions, there are five factors that may pertain
such that someone not already appointed should not be appointed, and if
already appointed should be relieved of
that position. What are those five factors? To be driven by desire, driven by aggression, driven by ignorance, driven by fear,
and not to know a
proper from an improper lifting of restrictions. If these five factors pertain to someone not already
appointed to direct the lifting of
restrictions, he should not be appointed, and if already appointed
should be relieved of that position.

“For a monk who is to direct the lifting of restrictions, there are five other factors
that may pertain such that someone not already appointed should be appointed, and if
already appointed should not be relieved of that position. What are these five factors? Not to be driven by desire,
driven by aggression, driven by ignorance, or driven by fear, and to know a proper from an
improper lifting of restrictions. If these five factors pertain to someone not already
appointed to direct the lifting of restrictions, he should be appointed, and if already appointed should not be relieved of that
position.

“He should be appointed in the following way: After setting out
a seat, strike the gaṇḍī beam and inform the monks of the matter at
hand. Once the entire saṅgha is seated and has a quorum, his willingness
should be secured first.

“ ‘Are you, so-and-so, willing to direct the lifting of
restrictions for the saṅgha settled for the rains?’

“He should reply:

“ ‘I am willing to do so.’

“Then one monk should make a motion and then perform the
act:

“ ‘Honorable saṅgha, please listen. This monk, so-and-so, is
willing to direct the lifting of restrictions for the saṅgha settled
for the rains. If the time is right and the saṅgha can accept it, I
ask that the saṅgha give their consent. Once the saṅgha appoints
this monk to direct the lifting of restrictions, this monk so-and-so
who directs the lifting restrictions will become the director of
lifting restrictions for the saṅgha settled for the rains.’

“That is the motion. The act should be performed in the following way:

“ ‘Honorable saṅgha, please listen. The monk so-and-so is
willing to direct the lifting of restrictions for the saṅgha settled
for the rains. Therefore, should the saṅgha appoint the monk
so-and-so to direct the lifting of restrictions for the saṅgha
settled for the rains for that purpose, those venerable ones who can
accept the appointment of the monk so-and-so to direct the lifting
of restrictions should remain silent. Those who cannot accept it
should speak now.’

“Once the saṅgha has accepted and given consent for the
appointment, the saṅgha has appointed the monk
so-and-so to direct the lifting of restrictions for the saṅgha.
By thus remaining silent, they assent to the proposed act.

“I will formulate the rules of customary conduct for the monk
who directs the lifting of restrictions: The monk who directs the
lifting of restrictions should set out grass for the saṅgha and then distribute
it. If there is only one monk who directs the lifting of restrictions,
he should distribute the grass from most senior to most junior. If there
are two, one should distribute the grass from most senior while the
other does so from the most junior. If there are several of them, one
should distribute the grass from most senior, one from the middle, and
one from the most junior.

“After that, the saṅgha elder should perform an act by motion
alone:

“ ‘Honorable saṅgha, please listen. Today is the fifteenth,
the saṅgha’s lifting of restrictions. If the time is right and the
saṅgha can accept it, I ask that the saṅgha give their consent.
Today the saṅgha will lift restrictions.’

“That is the motion.

“ ‘Honorable saṅgha, please listen. Today is the fifteenth,
the saṅgha’s lifting of restrictions. As today is also my, the monk
so-and-so’s, fifteenth and my lifting of restrictions, I, the monk
so-and-so, lift restrictions upon the honorable saṅgha regarding the
three grounds of what they have seen, heard, or suspected of me.
Venerable ones, please admonish me. Venerable ones, please instruct
me. I ask the
venerable ones to care for me. May the saṅgha show compassion and
have compassion for me. If I know of or see an offense, I
will properly make amends for that offense in accord with the
Vinaya.’

“He should repeat this a second and a third time. The saṅgha,
down to the newest member, should lift restrictions in the same way,
after which the monks who direct the lifting of restrictions should lift
restrictions. If there are two monks who direct the lifting of
restrictions, they should lift restrictions to one another. If there is
only one, he should lift restrictions in front of another monk. Nuns,
nun postulants, male novices, and female novices should be made to lift
restrictions after that.

“ ‘The saṅgha has lifted restrictions.’

“Then everyone should say:

“ ‘The restrictions have been properly lifted. The
restrictions have been perfectly lifted.’

“If this is said, then all is well. If they do not say this,
they will be guilty of a breach.

“After that, the monk who directs the lifting of restrictions
should take a needle (a blade is also acceptable), sit in front of the
senior monk, and say:

“ ‘Honorable ones, let this small thing be admitted in the
lifting of restrictions on the saṅgha who have settled for the
rains.’

“All should say:

“ ‘It is well admitted, perfectly admitted.’

“Then all of the goods that have been received, no matter how
small, should be distributed in their entirety among the saṅgha.”

Categorizing Proper and Improper

The venerable Upāli asked the Blessed Buddha, “Honorable One,
how many acts of lifting restrictions are there?”

“Upāli, there are four: they are liftings of restrictions
without a quorum done improperly, those with a quorum done improperly,
those without a quorum done properly, and those with a quorum done
properly. Upāli, among these, there is one act of lifting restrictions
that is proper and with a quorum—that is the lifting of restrictions
with a quorum done properly.”

An Act to Tend The Sick

On the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, the Blessed One sat
on a seat that had been arranged before the saṅgha of monks. The Blessed
One then said to the monks, “Monks, the night is fading. Perform the
lifting of restrictions.”

Then a monk rose from his seat, took his upper robe from one
shoulder, and, bowing with palms pressed together in the direction of
the Blessed One, said to him, “There is a monk, sick, suffering, and
tormented by illness, on site. What shall we do about him?”

The Blessed One replied, “His lifting of restrictions should be
received.” Since the monks did not know how to receive the lifting of
restrictions the Blessed One spoke of when he said, “His lifting of
restrictions should be received,” the Blessed One said, “One monk may
receive the lifting of restrictions from one, two, or even many, so long
as he is able to state each of their names.

“I will formulate the rules of customary conduct for a monk
offering his lifting of restrictions. A monk offering his lifting of
restrictions, having taken his upper robe from one shoulder and removed
his sandals, should pay his respects in order of seniority, and then
squat. With palms pressed together, he should say:

“ ‘Venerable ones, please listen. Today is the fifteenth,
the saṅgha’s lifting of restrictions. Today is also the fifteenth,
the day of lifting restrictions for me, the monk so-and-so. I, the
monk so-and-so, lift restrictions upon the honorable saṅgha
regarding the three grounds of what has been seen, heard, or
suspected of me. I, the monk so-and-so, profess that I am pure of
hindering qualities. I also profess my purity for the lifting of
restrictions.
Let my profession be known.’

“That is then said a second and a third time. If the monk
offering his lifting of restrictions physically communicates his offer
to lift restrictions, the lifting of restrictions should be deemed as
having been offered. If he verbally communicates his offer to lift
restrictions, the lifting of restrictions should be deemed as having
been offered. If he is unable to physically or
verbally communicate his offer to lift restrictions, the entire saṅgha
should go to him or, alternatively, the monk should be brought among
saṅgha. If the entire saṅgha neither goes to him nor brings that monk
among the saṅgha, and they lift restrictions without a
quorum, they will be guilty of a breach.

“Monks, I will formulate the rules of customary conduct for a
monk who receives a lifting of restrictions. Once he has received a
lifting of restrictions, the monk who receives a lifting of restrictions
should not run, nor should he rush, jump, jump
over partitions, jump over ditches, jump onto verandas, sit in the sky
above, go beyond the boundary, climb a ladder two rungs at a time, climb
a staircase two steps at a time, spill over onto a causeway, fall asleep,
or sit in equipoise. To fall asleep or to sit in equipoise are censured
for two reasons: because one suggests disrespect and the other
absentmindedness.

“Then, when the saṅgha elder says, ‘Venerable ones, profess the
consent and purity of those monks who have not come.
Let their profession be known,’ the receiving monk says while seated in
front of the nearest monk, ‘Venerable one, please listen. There is a
monk, sick, suffering, and tormented by illness, at another site. Today
is the fifteenth, the saṅgha’s lifting of restrictions. As it is also
the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, for that monk, the monk
so-and-so lifts restrictions on the saṅgha regarding the three grounds
of what has been seen, heard, or suspected of him,
so his
restrictions have been lifted. I also announce his consent for the
lifting of restrictions. Let this profession be known.’

“They will be guilty of a breach if the monk receiving the
lifting of restrictions follows the customary rules of conduct but his
profession is not accepted after being properly received.”

The venerable Upāli asked the Blessed Buddha, “Honorable One,
if the monk who has received a lifting of restrictions were to die
immediately after receiving a lifting of restrictions, has the lifting
of restrictions been received or not?”

“Upāli, it has not been received and should be received
again.”

“If the monk who has received a lifting of restrictions were to make an oath professing he is a householder, or makes
an oath that he is a novice, a person who has undergone
castration, a person labeled a paṇḍaka, someone who has violated a nun,
a matricide, a patricide, someone who has killed an arhat, someone who
has caused a schism in the saṅgha, someone who has maliciously drawn
blood from a tathāgata, a tīrthika, a convert to a tīrthika order,
someone living under false pretenses, someone outside the common living,
or someone denied the common living, has the lifting of restrictions
been received or not?”

“Upāli, it has not been received and should be received again.”

“If the monk who has received a lifting of restrictions were to die on
the way, has the lifting of restrictions been received or not?”

“Upāli, it has not been received and should be received again.”

The venerable Upāli asked the Blessed Buddha, “Honorable One,
what should a monk living alone at a site do on the fifteenth, the day
of lifting restrictions?”

“Upāli, on the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, that
monk should sprinkle the temple floor with water, sweep it, spread a
fresh paste of dung over it, set up a lion throne, set out a seat, and
announce as best he can the opportunity to listen to the Dharma. After that, he should sit in the highest
place around and look into the four directions.

“If pure, like-minded monks should come, he should say to them,
‘O venerable ones! Come quickly! It is the fifteenth, the saṅgha’s
lifting of restrictions, so let you and I sit together and lift
restrictions.’

“If this occurs, then all is well. If it does not, then that
monk, having sat upon his seat, should rouse the following intention,
and say, ‘Today is the fifteenth, the saṅgha’s lifting of restrictions.
As it is also the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, for me, I,
the monk named so-and-so, sanction my lifting of restrictions. When I
find a saṅgha assembly, I will participate in the lifting of
restrictions together with the saṅgha assembly.’

“It should be sanctioned a second and a third time.

“Where two monks are staying together, they should take turns
professing to one another.

“Likewise, where three monks are staying together, they should
take turns professing to each other.

“Where four monks are staying together, they should make a
motion and perform the lifting of restrictions. A monk who directs the
lifting of restrictions should not be appointed.

“Where five monks are staying together, they should make a
motion and perform the lifting of restrictions. A monk who directs the
lifting of restrictions should be appointed but a sick monk’s lifting of
restrictions should not be received.

“Where six or more monks are staying together, they should make
a motion and perform the lifting of restrictions. A monk who directs the
lifting of restrictions should be appointed and a sick monk’s lifting of
restrictions should be received.”

Improper

An intervening summary:

In pledging to settle,

Suspending an improper rite,

A lifting of restrictions recited once, and

When a single repetition should be done.

In Pledging to Settle, Suspending an Improper

Rite, A Lifting of Restrictions Recited Once, and When a Single
Repetition Should Be Done

“There is the one proper suspension of the lifting of
restrictions and the one improper suspension of the lifting of
restrictions; the three proper suspensions of the lifting of
restrictions and the one improper suspension of
the lifting of restrictions; and the five proper suspensions of the
lifting of restrictions and the one improper suspension of the lifting
of restrictions.

“What are the one proper suspension and the one improper
suspensions of the lifting of restrictions? When the lifting of
restrictions is to be recited once, a suspension of the lifting of
restrictions before the chanting is finished is a proper suspension of
the lifting of restrictions. But a suspension of the lifting of
restrictions after the recitation is finished is an improper suspension
of the lifting of restrictions. Thus, these are the one proper
suspension and the one improper suspension of the lifting of
restrictions.

“What are the three proper suspensions of the lifting of
restrictions and the one improper suspension of the lifting of
restrictions? When the lifting of restrictions is to be recited twice, a
suspension of the lifting of restrictions before the recitation of the
first repetition is finished is a proper suspension of the lifting of
restrictions. A suspension of the lifting of restrictions after the
[first] recitation is finished is a proper suspension of the lifting of
restrictions. A suspension of the lifting of restrictions before the
recitation of the second repetition is finished is a proper suspension
of the lifting of restrictions. But a suspension of the lifting of
restrictions after the [second] recitation is finished is an improper
suspension of the lifting of restrictions. These are the three proper
suspensions and the one improper suspension of the lifting of
restrictions.

“What are the five proper suspensions of the lifting of
restrictions and the one improper suspension of the lifting of
restrictions? When the lifting of restrictions is to be recited three
times, a suspension of the lifting of restrictions before the recitation
of the first repetition is finished is a proper suspension of the
lifting of restrictions. A suspension of the lifting of restrictions
after the [third] recitation is finished is a proper suspension of the
lifting of restrictions. A suspension of the lifting of restrictions
before the recitation of the second repetition is finished is a proper
suspension of the lifting of restrictions. A suspension of the lifting
of restrictions after the second recitation is finished is a proper
suspension of the lifting of restrictions. A suspension of the lifting
of restrictions before the recitation of the third repetition is
finished is a proper suspension of the lifting of restrictions. But a
suspension of the lifting of restrictions after the third recitation is
finished is an improper suspension of the lifting of restrictions. These
are the five proper suspensions and the one improper suspension of the
lifting of restrictions.

“There are liftings of restrictions with a single repetition.
There are liftings of restrictions with two repetitions. There are
liftings of restrictions with three repetitions. There are liftings of
restrictions as an assembly.”

Monk

For what reason is the lifting of restrictions recited once?

An intervening summary:

Hemorrhoids,

rains,

king,

The
ascertainment of sweet dharmas,

Matters
considered to act as an obstacle to the saṅgha, and

A
well-gathered assembly.

Hemorrhoids

“On the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, a great
many monks afflicted with hemorrhoids may be seated and have a quorum
when the monk who directs the lifting of restrictions thinks, ‘Today is
the fifteenth, the saṅgha’s lifting of restrictions, but the great many
monks sitting who have a quorum are afflicted with hemorrhoids. If I
direct the lifting of restrictions by reciting the lifting of
restrictions three times, these venerable ones will be ill at ease! Oh
dear! I will direct the lifting of restrictions with the lifting of
restrictions recited once.’

Rains

“Another reason for the lifting of restrictions recited once:
On the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, a great many seats
may be spread out with no canopy overhead as rain falls or looks as if
it will. Considering this, the monk who directs the lifting of
restrictions may think, ‘Today is the fifteenth, the saṅgha’s lifting of
restrictions, and a great many seats are spread out with no canopy
overhead as rain falls or looks as if it will. If I direct the lifting
of restrictions by reciting the lifting of restrictions three times, I
will not be able to collect the seats without their getting wet! Oh
dear! I will direct the lifting of restrictions
with the lifting of restrictions recited once.’

King

“Another reason for the lifting of restrictions recited once:
On the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, the king, together
with his queens, princes, ministers, armed forces, city folk, and
country folk, may come to the park, where the king offers the saṅgha a
large quantity of cloth and material goods, and the queens, princes,
ministers, armed forces, city folk, and country folk too may offer the
saṅgha a large quantity of cloth and material goods, so that the monk
crier would tire from reciting
dedications throughout the night. Considering this,
the monk who directs the lifting of restrictions might think, ‘Today is
the fifteenth, the saṅgha’s lifting of restrictions, and the king,
together with his queens, princes, ministers, armed forces, city folk,
and country folk, have come to the park. Because the king is offering
the saṅgha a large quantity of cloth and material goods, and the queens,
princes, ministers, armed forces, city folk, and country folk also is
offering the saṅgha a large quantity of cloth and material goods, the
monk crier would tire from reciting dedications throughout the night. If
I direct the lifting of restrictions by reciting the lifting of
restrictions three times, the lifting of restrictions will not be
finished before dawn! I should direct the lifting of restrictions with
the lifting of restrictions recited once.’

The Ascertainment of Sweet Dharmas

“Another reason for the lifting of restrictions recited once:
On the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, the monks who sweetly
explain the sweet Dharma may be tired from chanting the nine sweet
dharmas

throughout the night. Considering this, the monk who directs the lifting
of restrictions might think, ‘Today is the fifteenth, the saṅgha’s
lifting of restrictions, and the monks who sweetly explain the sweet
Dharma may be tired from chanting the nine sweet dharmas throughout the
night. If I direct the lifting of restrictions by reciting the lifting
of restrictions three times, the lifting of restrictions will not finish
before dawn! I should direct the lifting of restrictions with the
lifting of restrictions recited once.’

“Another reason for the lifting of restrictions recited once:
On the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, the monks who uphold
the sūtras, those who uphold the vinaya, and those who uphold the mātṛkā
may be tired from their expounding upon the Dharma throughout the
night.
Considering this, the monk who directs the lifting of restrictions might
think, ‘Today is the fifteenth, the saṅgha’s lifting of restrictions,
and the monks who uphold the sūtras, those who uphold the vinaya, and
those who uphold the mātṛkā are tired from their expounding upon the
Dharma throughout the night. If I direct the lifting of restrictions by
reciting the lifting of restrictions three times, the lifting of
restrictions will not finish before dawn! I should direct the lifting of
restrictions with the lifting of restrictions recited once.’

“Suppose he then directs the lifting of
restrictions with the lifting of restrictions recited once—that is the
reason for the lifting of restrictions recited once.

“Another reason for the lifting of restrictions recited once:
On the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, a dispute about one
of the four matters of dispute may occur among the saṅgha. The monks who uphold the
sūtras, those who uphold the vinaya, and those who uphold the mātṛkā may
be tired from calming, quelling, and quieting disputes by using the
seven means to quell disputes.

Considering this, the monk who directs the lifting of restrictions might
think, ‘Today is the fifteenth, the saṅgha’s lifting of restrictions,
and a dispute about one of the four matters of dispute among the saṅgha
has occurred. The monks who uphold the sūtras, those who uphold the
vinaya, and those who uphold the mātṛkā are tired from calming,
quelling, and quieting disputes by using the seven means to quell
disputes. If I direct the lifting of restrictions by reciting the
lifting of restrictions three times, the lifting of restrictions will
not finish before dawn! I should direct the lifting of restrictions with
the lifting of restrictions recited once.’

Matters Considered to Act as an Obstacle to

the Saṅgha

“Another reason for the lifting of restrictions recited once:
On the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, the king may ready
the four branches of his armed forces—elephant corps, cavalry, chariot
corps, and infantry—and come to the park’s gates, whence he hurls
curses, saying, ‘Sirs! Capture the Śākyan ascetics! Kill them! Bind
them! Drive them away! May my elephant handlers, horsemen, charioteers,
bricklayers, standard
bearers, and battle flag carriers each see that the king’s duties and
activities are accomplished!’

“Considering this, the monk who directs the lifting of
restrictions might think, ‘Today is the fifteenth, the saṅgha’s lifting
of restrictions, and the king, having readied the four branches of his
armed forces—elephant corps, cavalry, chariot corps, and infantry—has
arrived at the park’s gates, whence he has hurled curses, saying,
“Sirs! Capture the Śākyan ascetics! Kill them! Bind them! Drive them
away! May my elephant handlers, horsemen, charioteers, bricklayers,
standard bearers, and battle flag carriers each see that the king’s
duties and activities are accomplished!” If I direct the lifting of
restrictions by reciting the lifting of restrictions three times, it
will become a hindrance to my life, my ascetic way, and my holy living!
Oh dear! I should direct the lifting of restrictions with the lifting of
restrictions recited once.’

“Another reason for the lifting of restrictions recited once:
On the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, bandits may, having
ransacked a town, a city, or the countryside, arrive at the
park’s gates, slaughter a bull, a buffalo, or goats, and smear their
limbs with blood before sending the monks a messenger who says, ‘Noble
ones! Get out! We must camp here.’

“Considering this, the monk who directs the lifting of
restrictions might think, ‘Today is the
fifteenth, the saṅgha’s lifting of restrictions, and bandits, having
ransacked a town, a city, or the countryside, have arrived at the park’s
gates, slaughtered a bull, a buffalo, or goats, and smeared their limbs
with blood before sending the monks a messenger who said, “Noble ones!
Get out! We must camp here.” If I direct the lifting of restrictions by
reciting the lifting of restrictions three times, it will become a
hindrance to my life, my ascetic way, and my holy living! I should direct
the lifting of restrictions with the lifting of restrictions recited
once.’

“Another reason for the lifting of restrictions recited once:
On the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, a childish, foolish,
ignorant, and unskilled latecomer might scold, insult, or touch a woman
or girl of good family in a village or on the way to a village.
Outraged, the local people might arrive at the park’s gates, whence they
hurl curses, saying, ‘Sirs! Capture the Śākyan ascetics! Kill them! Bind
them! Drive them away! May the king’s elephant handlers, horsemen,
charioteers, bricklayers, standard bearers, and battle flag carriers
each see that the king’s duties and activities are accomplished!’

“Considering this, the monk who directs the lifting of
restrictions might think, ‘Today is the fifteenth, the saṅgha’s lifting
of restrictions, and a childish, foolish, ignorant, and unskilled
latecomer has scolded, insulted, or touched a woman or girl of good
family in a village or on the way to a village. Outraged, the local
people have arrived at the park’s gates, whence they hurl curses,
saying, “Sirs! Capture the Śākyan ascetics! Kill them! Bind them! Drive
them away! May the king’s elephant handlers, horsemen, charioteers,
bricklayers, standard bearers, and battle flag carriers each see that
the king’s duties and activities are accomplished!” If I direct the
lifting of restrictions by reciting the lifting of restrictions three
times, it will become a hindrance to my life, my ascetic way, and my
holy living! I should direct the lifting of restrictions with the
lifting of restrictions recited once.’

“Suppose he then directs the lifting of
restrictions with the lifting of restrictions recited once—that is the
reason for the lifting of restrictions recited once.

“Another reason for the lifting of restrictions recited once:
On the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, a monastery may have
been built in a place inhabited by nonhumans. A childish, foolish, ignorant, and
unskilled latecomer might scatter or throw his feces, urine, phlegm,
snot, or vomit, or leave bedding soiled with semen or filth there.
Outraged, the nonhumans might then descend upon the village, the way to
the village, the walkway, the hall, or the gatehouse, besieging the
monks and forcing them to move from their places.

“Considering that, the monk who directs the lifting of
restrictions might think, ‘Today is the fifteenth, the saṅgha’s lifting
of restrictions, and this monastery has been built in a place inhabited
by nonhumans. A childish, foolish, ignorant, and unskilled latecomer has
scattered or thrown his feces, urine, phlegm, snot, or vomit, or left
bedding soiled with semen or filth here. Outraged, the nonhumans have
descended upon the village, the way to the village, the walkway, the
hall, or the gatehouse, besieging the monks and forcing them to move
from their places. If I direct the lifting of restrictions by reciting
the lifting of restrictions three times, it will become a hindrance to
my life, my ascetic way, and my holy living! I should direct the lifting
of restrictions with the lifting of restrictions recited once.’

“Suppose he then directs the lifting of
restrictions with the lifting of restrictions recited once— that is
the reason for the lifting of restrictions recited once.

“Another reason for the lifting of restrictions recited once: A
monastery may have been built in a place inhabited by beasts of prey,
and a childish, foolish, ignorant, and unskilled latecomer might scatter
or throw his feces, urine, phlegm, snot, or vomit, or leave bedding
soiled with semen or filth there. Outraged, the beasts of prey might
then descend upon the village, the way to the village, the walkway, the
hall, or the gatehouse, besieging the monks and forcing them to move
from their places.

“Considering that, the monk who directs the lifting of
restrictions might think, ‘Today is the fifteenth, the saṅgha’s lifting
of restrictions, and this monastery has been built in a place inhabited
by beasts of prey. A childish, foolish, ignorant, and unskilled
latecomer has scattered or thrown his feces, urine, phlegm, snot, or
vomit, or left bedding soiled with semen or filth here. Outraged, the
beasts of prey have descended upon the village, the way to the village,
the walkway, the hall, or the gatehouse, besieging the monks and forcing
them to move from their places. If I direct the lifting of restrictions
by reciting the lifting of restrictions three times, it will become a
hindrance to my life, my ascetic way, and my holy living! I should
direct the lifting of restrictions with the lifting of restrictions
recited once.’

“Suppose he then directs the lifting of
restrictions with the lifting of restrictions recited once—that is the
reason for the lifting of restrictions recited once.

“Another reason for the lifting of restrictions recited once: A
monastery may have been built in a place inhabited by nāgas, and a
childish, foolish, ignorant, and unskilled latecomer might scatter or
throw his feces, urine, phlegm, snot, or vomit, or leave bedding soiled
with semen or filth there. Outraged, the nāgas might then descend upon
the village, the way to the village, the walkway, the hall, or the
gatehouse, besieging the monks and forcing them to move from their
places.

“Considering that, the monk who directs the lifting of
restrictions might think, ‘Today is the fifteenth, the saṅgha’s lifting
of restrictions, and this monastery has been built in a place inhabited
by nāgas. A childish, foolish, ignorant, and unskilled latecomer has
scattered or thrown his feces, urine, phlegm, snot, or vomit, or left
bedding soiled with semen or filth here. Outraged, the nāgas have
descended upon the village, the way to the village, the walkway, the
hall, or the gatehouse, besieging the monks and forcing them to move
from their places. If I direct the lifting of restrictions by reciting
the lifting of restrictions three times, it will become a hindrance to
my life, my ascetic way, and my holy living! I should direct the lifting
of restrictions with the lifting of restrictions recited once.’

“Suppose he then directs the lifting of
restrictions with the lifting of restrictions recited once—that is the
reason for the lifting of restrictions recited once.

“Another reason for the lifting of restrictions recited once: A
monastery may be built in a forest, where a fire could break out,
burning the town, the city, the capital, and the surroundings, along
with the village, the walkway, the hall, and the gatehouse, pressing in
upon the monastery itself and its surroundings.

“Considering that, the monk who directs the lifting of
restrictions might think, ‘Today is the fifteenth, the saṅgha’s lifting
of restrictions. This monastery has been built in a forest where a fire
has broken out, and it is burning the town, the city, the capital, and
the surroundings, along with the village, the walkway, the hall, and the
gatehouse, pressing in upon the monastery itself and its surroundings.
If I direct the lifting of restrictions by reciting the lifting of
restrictions three times, it will become a hindrance to my life, my
ascetic way, and my holy living! I should direct the lifting of
restrictions with the lifting of restrictions recited once.’

“Suppose he then directs the lifting of
restrictions with the lifting of restrictions recited once—that is the
reason for the lifting of restrictions recited once.

“Another reason for the lifting of restrictions recited once: A
monastery may have been built in the middle of a marsh, and heavy rains
on the steep mountain slopes above could wash away the town, the city,
the capital, and the surroundings, along with the village, the walkway,
the hall, and the gatehouse, leaving the monastery inundated with
water.

“Considering that, the monk who directs the lifting of
restrictions might think, ‘Today is the fifteenth, the saṅgha’s lifting
of restrictions. This monastery has been built on marshy land, and the
heavy rains on the steep mountain slopes above have washed away the
town, the city, the capital, and the surroundings, along with the village,
the walkway, the hall, and the gatehouse, leaving the monastery
inundated with water. If I direct the lifting of restrictions by
reciting the lifting of restrictions three times, it will become a
hindrance to my life, my ascetic way, and my holy living! I should
direct the lifting of restrictions with the lifting of restrictions
recited once.’

“For what reason is the lifting of restrictions repeated twice?
In the event there is no opportunity to repeat the lifting of
restrictions three times, in that case the lifting of restrictions is
repeated twice.

“For what reason is the lifting of restrictions repeated
thrice? Under normal conditions.

“For what reason is there a lifting of restrictions as an
assembly? Villagers may flee from danger posed by an army disturbing the
forest. In that case, the monks should put their robes into a
satchel, look at one
another, and say, ‘Venerable ones, although today is the fifteenth, the
saṅgha’s lifting of restrictions, we will lift restrictions when we have
obtained a quorum of saṅgha.’ Then they should leave. This is the reason
for the lifting of restrictions as an assembly.”

A Well-Gathered Assembly

Upāli asked the Blessed Buddha, “Honorable One, if the monks
make the following rule as they settle for the rains—‘Venerable ones, if
a relative of any
among us should arrive during the rains retreat, the lifting of
restrictions should be extended to him’ —Honorable One, should such a lifting of restrictions be
extended to him or not?”

“Upāli, it should be extended to him.”

“Should the lifting of restrictions be extended to him if he
puts forward a matter but not a person?”

“Upāli, it should not be extended. Say the following to him:

‘Venerable one, we are not gathered and in a quorum for this purpose. So
why, venerable one, do you put forward a matter but not a person?
However, the Blessed One decreed the lifting of restrictions for the
purpose of self-purification. If you desire this, you may stay and
perform the lifting of restrictions.’ ”

“Should the lifting of restrictions be extended to him if he
puts forward a person but not a matter?”

“Upāli, it should not be extended. Say the following to him:
‘Venerable one, we are not gathered and in a quorum for this purpose. So
why, venerable one, do you put forward a person but not a matter?
However, the Blessed One decreed the lifting of restrictions for the
purpose of self-purification. If you desire this, you may stay and
perform the lifting of restrictions.’ ”

“Should the lifting of restrictions be extended to him if he
puts forward a person and a matter?”

“Upāli, it should not be extended. Say the following to him:
‘Venerable one, we are not gathered and in a quorum for this purpose. So
why, venerable one, do you put forward a person and a matter? However,
the Blessed One decreed the lifting of restrictions for the purpose of
self-purification. If you desire this, you may stay and perform the
lifting of restrictions.’ ”

“Should a lifting of restrictions be extended to him if he does
not put forward a person and a matter?”

“Upāli, it should be extended to him.”

A summary:

The

king apprehends a monk,

The

ten
recollections,

The

seven for offenses, and

The

seven for prompts.

The King Apprehends a Monk

“On the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, if a monk
has been apprehended by the king, a bandit, a rogue, a murderer, a
brigand, or an enemy, the monks should send a messenger to him with the
following message: ‘This monk is our fellow brahmacārin, so release
him.’ If he is released, it is well. If he is not, a second messenger
should be sent with the following message: ‘This monk has some business
with us, so release him.’ If he is released, it is well. If he is not,
the monks should enter into the inner circle and perform the lifting of
restrictions. On the following day, they should make efforts to secure
his emancipation. If efforts are made, it is well. If efforts are not
made, they will be guilty of a breach.”

The Ten Recollections

“On the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, if a monk
recalls an offense, that monk should properly make amends for the
offense before a monk and then restrictions should be lifted. The
procedure followed before lifting restrictions should be done as
described at length in the group of ten from The
Chapter on the Restoration Rite, where the Blessed One
declares, ‘I do not declare this a hindrance to the restoration rite.’
”

The Seven Arising from Offenses

“On the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, a monk may
acknowledge an
offense. If he acknowledges it to be a defeat, the offending monk should
be removed and
then restrictions lifted. If he acknowledges it to be a saṅgha remnant,
restrictions should be lifted after sanctioning it. If he acknowledges it to be a
transgression,
a confessable offense, or a misdeed, he should disclose it and then
restrictions should be lifted.

“On the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, after some
uncertainty has arisen about some matter, some may believe that the
offense is unatonable, while others believe it to be
atonable.
Those who believe it to be unatonable should remove the offending monk
and then restrictions should be lifted. Those who believe it to be
atonable should make him make a resolution about it and then
restrictions should be lifted.

“On the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, after some
uncertainty has arisen about an offense, some may say it is something
that should be confessed, while others may say it is something that
should be curbed. Those who say it is
something that should be confessed should receive a confession and then
restrictions should be lifted. Those who say it is something that should
be curbed should make him pledge to curb the behavior and then
restrictions should be lifted.”

The Seven Arising from Prompts

“On the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions,
a monk may prompt another monk. If the prompter is not restrained in
body and speech, restrictions should be lifted after quashing and
suppressing such a prompter. If the prompter is restrained in body but
not in speech, restrictions should be lifted after quashing and
suppressing such a prompter. If the prompter is restrained in speech but
not in body, restrictions should be lifted after quashing and
suppressing such a prompter, too.

“If the prompter is restrained in body and speech but he is not
an upholder of the sūtras, an upholder of the vinaya, or an upholder of
the mātṛkā, restrictions should be lifted after giving orders and
instructions to the prompter.

“If the prompter is restrained in body and speech and he is an
upholder of the sūtras, an upholder of the vinaya, and an upholder of
the mātṛkā, but is not an elucidator of the sūtras, is not an elucidator
of the vinaya, and is not an elucidator of the mātṛkā, restrictions
should be lifted after giving orders and instructions to the prompter.

“If the prompter is restrained in body and speech, is an
upholder of the sūtras, the vinaya, and the mātṛkā, and is an elucidator
of the sūtras, the vinaya, and the mātṛkā, but is not experienced in the
sūtras, is not experienced in the vinaya, and is not experienced in the
mātṛkā, restrictions should be lifted after giving orders and
instructions to the prompter .

“If the prompter is restrained in body and speech, is a
upholder of the sūtras, the vinaya, and the mātṛkā, is an elucidator of
the sūtras, the vinaya, and the mātṛkā, is experienced in the sūtras,
the vinaya, and the mātṛkā, but is not skilled in the sūtras, is not
skilled in the vinaya, and is not skilled in the mātṛkā,
restrictions should be lifted after giving orders and instructions to
the prompter.

“If the prompter is restrained in body and speech, is an
upholder of the sūtras, the vinaya, and the mātṛkā, is an elucidator of
the sūtras, the vinaya, and the mātṛkā, is experienced in the sūtras,
the vinaya, and the mātṛkā, is skilled in the sūtras, in the vinaya, and
in the mātṛkā, but he knowingly teaches among the saṅgha what is
improper to be proper, what is proper to be improper, what is not the
vinaya to be the vinaya, and what is the vinaya to not be the vinaya,
restrictions should be lifted after giving orders and instructions to
the prompter.

“If the prompter is restrained in body and speech, is an
upholder of the sūtras, the vinaya, and the mātṛkā, is an elucidator of
the sūtras, the vinaya, and the mātṛkā, is experienced in the sūtras,
the vinaya, and the mātṛkā, is skilled in the sūtras, the vinaya, and
the mātṛkā, and does not knowingly teach among the saṅgha what is
improper to be proper, what is proper to be improper, what is not the
vinaya to be the vinaya, and what is the vinaya not to be the vinaya,
the following should be said to that teacher:

“ ‘Venerable one, tell us who you are prompting. Was it a
defeat, a saṅgha remnant, a transgression, a confessable offense, or
a misdeed? Did it occur during the night, during the day, while on a
path, while off a path, while going, while rising, while sitting, or
while lying? Was it a defeat but not a saṅgha remnant, a
transgression, a confessable offense, or a misdeed? Or was it a
saṅgha remnant but not a defeat, a transgression, a
confessable offense, or a misdeed? Or was it a transgression and not
a defeat, a saṅgha remnant, a confessable offense, or a misdeed? Or
was it a confessable offense and not a defeat, a saṅgha remnant, a
transgression, or a misdeed? Or was it a misdeed and not a defeat, a
saṅgha remnant, a transgression, or a confessable offense?

“ ‘If it was a defeat, was it the first and not the second,
third, or fourth type of defeat? Or was it the second and not the
first, third, or fourth type of defeat? Or was it the third but not
the first, second, or fourth type of defeat? Or was it the fourth
and not the first, second, or third type of defeat?

“ ‘If it was a saṅgha remnant, was it the first and not the
second through the thirteenth type of saṅgha remnant? Or was it the
thirteenth and not the first, second, third through the twelfth type
of saṅgha remnant?

“ ‘If it was a transgression, was it the first and not the
second, third, through the ninetieth? Or was it the ninetieth and
not the first, second, through the eighty-ninth type of
transgression?

“ ‘If it was a confessable offense, was it the first and not
the second, third, or fourth? Or was it the second and not the
first, third, or fourth? Or was it the third and not the first,
second, or fourth? Or was it the fourth and not the
first, second, or third type of confessable offense?

“ ‘If it was a misdeed, was it the first and not the second
or third, through the last? Or was it the last and not the first or
second, through the penultimate?

“ ‘Was it done during the night but not during the day? Or
was it done during the day but not during the night? Was it done
while off a path but not while on a path? Was it done while on a
path but not while off a path? Was it done while going but not while
sitting, rising, or lying? Was it done while sitting but not while
going, rising, or lying? Was it done while lying but not while
going, rising, or sitting? Or was it done while rising but not while
lying, or sitting?’

“If, upon being well and truly cross-examined, counseled, and
interrogated in this manner, the prompter contradicts his own
account, he is not a prompter and the other
monk has not been prompted. If, upon being well and truly
cross-examined, counseled, and interrogated in this manner, the prompter
does not contradict his own account, he is a prompter, and the other
monk has been prompted.

“If the prompter does not contradict his own account, the
prompted monk has been prompted and so he should be addressed in the
following way: ‘Venerable one, describe your physical, verbal, and
mental conditions at that time.’

“If he acknowledges it to be a defeat, he should be removed and
then the restrictions should be lifted. If he acknowledges it to be a
saṅgha remnant, restrictions should be lifted after sanctioning him. If
he acknowledges it to be a transgression, a confessable offense, or a
misdeed,
he should confess it and restrictions should then be lifted.”

Repetition

A summary:

Many extrapolations, suspending,

Birds, five aspects, the three to be done
by the traveler,

Lifting restrictions for the pure.

“On the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, five or more
resident monks, seated and having a quorum, may think, ‘There are monks who
have not yet arrived but it is still valid for us to make a motion and then
perform the lifting of restrictions.’

“If those monks, with fabricated aims and fabricated preparations,
make a motion and then perform the lifting of restrictions, and later a
smaller number of resident monks arrive, they too should make a motion and
perform the lifting of restrictions. The earlier group of monks will be
guilty of a breach because of their fabricated attempts.”

The rest should be expressed as in The Chapter
on the Restoration Rite’s summary verse yet with one difference: where The Chapter on the Restoration Rite reads “four or
more resident monks may be seated and in a quorum,” and so forth, here one
should read “five or more.”

Rains

A summary:

Even though
monks who have pledged

To settle
for the rains are known to be quarrelsome,

They should
be welcomed with friendly words

Surely on
the four month;

The
ill, and

matters

Make a summary in verse.

Monks Known to Be Quarrelsome Who Have Pledged to Settle

for the Rains Should Be Welcomed on the Fourth Month

The venerable Upāli asked the Blessed Buddha, “Honorable One,
some monks who have pledged to settle for the rains have heard that some
other monks who are quarrelsome, critical, disputatious, divisive, and
argumentative are coming. What should be done if we think those who are
coming will, in their scorn, shamelessly make accusations against us and
try to remind us of offenses?”

“Upāli, the monks, after two or three restoration rites have
passed,
should then lift restrictions. If that is done, it is well.

“If it is not done, two or three monks should agree upon an
inner circle for adversities. If that is done, it is well.

“If it is not done, those monks should welcome the others with
friendly words and then take their begging bowls and mantles. Then,
having pleased and appeased them through their begging bowls and
ceremonial robes,
restrictions should be lifted. If that is done, it is well.

“If it is not done, they should give a hearing to the
Dharma.
Then, having pleased and appeased them by listening to the Dharma,
restrictions should be lifted. If that is done, it is well.

“If it is not done, Upāli, those monks should go into the inner
circle and perform the restoration rite. If others say, ‘Venerable ones,
today is the fifteenth, the saṅgha’s lifting of restrictions, so why are
you performing the restoration rite?’ they should be told, ‘Venerable
ones, you are visitors. This matter is for resident monks.’

“They will then think, ‘These venerable ones must surely be
performing the rite for lifting restrictions on the fourth month.’ Then, once the danger and adversaries have gone,
they should lift restrictions.”

The Ill

“If, on the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, an ill
monk suspends the lifting of restrictions of a healthy monk, the ill monk should be
told, ‘Venerable one, you are ill and cannot tolerate exertion; please
stay.’

“If, on the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, a
healthy monk suspends the lifting of restrictions of an ill monk, the
healthy monk should be told, ‘Venerable one, he is ill and cannot
tolerate exertion, please come.’

“If, on the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, an ill
monk sends a messenger to suspend the lifting of restrictions of a
healthy monk, the messenger should be told, ‘Venerable one, he is ill
and cannot tolerate exertion; please stay.’

“On the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, if a
healthy monk sends a messenger to suspend the lifting of restrictions of
an ill monk, the messenger should be told, ‘Venerable one, he is ill and
cannot tolerate exertion, please come.’ ”

Matters

“On the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, the matter
may be known but the person is not; or the person is known but the
matter is not; or both the person and matter are known; or neither the
person nor the matter is known.

“What does ‘the matter is known but the person is not’ mean?
Suppose that, on the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, a
childish, foolish, ignorant, and unskilled latecomer scolds, insults, or
touches a woman or girl of good family in a village or on the way to a
village. Outraged, the local people might arrive at the park’s gates,
whence they hurl curses, saying, ‘The noble ones are unbecoming and lack
judgement. These noble ones committed this and that sort of fault.’
Because they fail to name him, in such an incident the matter is known
but the person is not.

“What does ‘the person is known but the matter is not’ mean?
Suppose that, on the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, a
childish, foolish, ignorant, and unskilled latecomer scolds, insults, or
touches a woman or girl of good family in a village or on the way to a
village. Outraged, the local people might arrive at the park’s gates,
whence they hurl curses, saying, ‘The noble one named so-and-so is
unbecoming and lacks judgement. The noble one named so-and-so committed
this and that sort of fault.’ Because they name him but do not describe
the matter, in such an incident, the person is known but the matter is
not.

“What does ‘both the person and matter are known’ mean? Suppose
that, on the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, a childish,
foolish, ignorant, and unskilled latecomer scolds, insults, or touches a
woman or girl of good family in a village or on the way to a village.
Outraged, the local people might arrive at the park’s gates, whence
they hurl curses, saying, ‘The noble one named so-and-so is unbecoming
and lacks judgement. The noble one named so-and-so committed this and
that fault.’ Because they name him and name this and that fault, in such
an incident, both the person and matter are known.

“What does ‘neither the person nor the matter is known’ mean?
Situations not included in the above scenarios.

This concludes “The Chapter on
Lifting Restrictions.”

Notes

Abbreviations

Bibliography

Kangyur and Tengyur Sources

Sanskrit Sources

Chinese Sources

Secondary Sources

pledged to settle for the
rains