根本說一切有部尼陀那目得迦

Fascicle One

General summary verse.

First, ordination is explained;

Next, the property of deceased persons is divided;

Circular platforms and refined protective implements;

The bodhisattva image—five sections.

General summary verse, Part One.

The ordained should know the number of days;

Boundaries are distinct and do not overlap;

Boundary limits and dwellings of the five assemblies;

Do not cut hide from living flesh.

First summary verse.

Ordination and male or female characteristics;

An unordained person serving as preceptor;

Impediments and the like; ten cases without a preceptor;

Do not ordain one who says, “I am seven.”

At that time, the Blessed One was dwelling in the city of Sravasti, in Jeta Grove, Anathapindada’s Park. The Venerable Upali approached the Buddha, bowed with his head at the Buddha’s feet, sat to one side, joined his palms, and addressed the Buddha:

“Blessed One! If a bhiksu confers full ordination upon another person and that person’s sex changes to female, is the ordination considered valid?”

The Buddha said:

“The full ordination is indeed valid, but that person should be transferred to live among the bhiksunis.”

“Furthermore, Blessed One! Suppose that after a bhiksu has conferred full ordination upon a man, that man speaks with a woman’s voice, has desires like a woman, and bears the appearance and conducts the activities of a woman. Is that person considered to have received full ordination?”

The Buddha said:

“Upali! That person has received full ordination, but the bhiksus incur an offense of transgressing the Dharma.”

“If a bhiksuni confers full ordination upon a woman, but that woman speaks with a man’s voice, has desires like a man, and bears the appearance and conducts the activities of a man, is that person considered to have received full ordination?”

The Buddha said:

“That person has received full ordination. The bhiksunis commit an offense of transgressing the Dharma.”

“If someone takes an unordained person as preceptor, is that person considered to have received full ordination?”

The Buddha said:

“That person has received full ordination. The bhiksus incur an offense of transgressing the Dharma.”

“Suppose someone actually has a disqualifying impediment and personally says, ‘I have an impediment.’ The bhiksus confer full ordination upon that person. Does that person receive full ordination?”

The Buddha said:

“That person does not receive full ordination. The bhiksus incur an offense of transgressing the Dharma.”

“Suppose someone has no disqualifying impediment but personally says, ‘I have an impediment.’ The bhiksus confer full ordination upon that person. Does that person receive full ordination?”

The Buddha said:

“That person receives full ordination. The bhiksus incur an offense of transgressing the Dharma.”

“Suppose someone actually has a disqualifying impediment but personally says, ‘I have no impediment.’ The bhiksus confer full ordination upon that person. Does that person receive full ordination?”

The Buddha said:

“That person does not receive full ordination. The bhiksus commit no offense.”

“Suppose someone truly has no disqualifying impediment and personally says, ‘I have none.’ The bhiksus confer full ordination upon that person. Does that person receive full ordination?”

The Buddha said:

“That person truly receives full ordination.”

“If a bhiksu permits a person to go forth and, without first giving that person the ten precepts, immediately confers full ordination, does that person receive full ordination?”

The Buddha said:

“The person receives full ordination. The bhiksus commit an offense of transgressing the Dharma.”

“Suppose that when a person receives full ordination, the preceptor is absent, yet the bhiksus confer full ordination. Does that person receive full ordination?”

The Buddha said:

“That person receives full ordination. The bhiksus incur an offense of transgressing the Dharma.”

“Suppose that while receiving full ordination, a person personally declares, ‘Do not confer full ordination upon me,’ yet the bhiksus proceed to confer it. Does that person receive full ordination?”

The Buddha said:

“That person does not receive full ordination. The bhiksus incur an offense of transgressing the Dharma.”

As the Blessed One taught:

“A person who is fully seven years old and can drive away crows and other birds may be permitted to go forth.”

“Great Virtuous One! If a boy has just turned six but can drive crows and other birds away from the Sangha’s kitchen, may that person be permitted to go forth?”

The Buddha said:

“Only a person who is fully seven years old may be permitted; no one younger may be permitted.”

“If a person is fully seven years old but cannot drive away crows and other birds, may that person be permitted to go forth?”

The Buddha said:

“Those who cannot yet drive away crows and other birds must not be permitted to go forth.”

Second summary verse.

Each should know the number of days;

When announcing at night, days must be subtracted;

Six days and eighteen days;

The precepts should not be recited too frequently.

The Buddha was in the city of Sravasti. Brahmin householders approached the bhiksus and asked:

“Aryas, what day is today?”

They replied, “We do not know.”

The others said:

“Aryas! Practitioners of non-Buddhist paths clearly know how to calculate the days, months, and years—the original text says the count of days and the calendar of the stars. You too should understand these matters clearly. Why were you permitted to go forth when you do not know how to calculate the days, months, and years?”

The bhiksus remained silent and did not reply. They reported the matter to the Buddha. The Buddha said:

“From now on, I permit the bhiksus to learn how to calculate the days, months, and years.”

The bhiksus competed in studying methods of calculating the days, months, and years. They became preoccupied and neglected the cultivation of wholesome karma.

The Buddha said:

“One person should be appointed to study these methods of calculation.”

After hearing the Buddha’s instruction, the bhiksus did not know whom it would be appropriate to appoint.

The Buddha said:

“The senior elder who leads the assembly should be appointed to take responsibility for this matter.”

One senior elder forgot the number of days and asked the steward, but the steward did not remember either.

The Buddha said:

“Fifteen round clay pellets or bamboo tallies should be made, and one should be moved each day.”

After this was done, the objects were sometimes blown about by the wind, disrupting their order.

The Buddha said:

“Fifteen bamboo tallies should be made, each about four or five finger-widths long and pierced at one end. They should be strung together and hung on a wall where people frequently pass, and one tally should be moved each day.”

At that time, everyone moved the tallies.

The Buddha said:

“Only the senior elder and the steward may move the tallies.”

Brahmin householders approached the bhiksus and asked:

“Aryas! What day is today?”

They replied:

“You should ask the senior elder and the steward.”

Those people said:

“It would be better if you too could calculate and know it. Why direct us to someone else?”

The bhiksus remained silent and did not reply. They reported the matter to the Buddha.

The Buddha said:

“An announcement should be made so that the entire assembly knows.” The bhiksus then made announcements wherever they met.

The Buddha said:

“Announcements must not be made everywhere. When the assembly has gathered, one should make the announcement directly before the senior elder: ‘The assembly should know that today is the ... day of the ... month.’”

When householders heard this, they asked:

“Why do you not state clearly whether it is the dark or bright half of the month?”

They replied:

“We do not.”

The bhiksus reported this to the Buddha.

The Buddha said:

“You should clearly state whether it is the dark or bright half of the month. It should be declared as follows: After the assembly gathers in the evening, a bhiksu should be instructed to stand before the senior elder with joined palms and single-minded reverence and make this announcement:

“‘Venerable Sangha, please listen. Today is the first day of the dark half of the month. For the donor who built the monastery, the devas who protect the monastery, and the deities who formerly dwelt here, you should recite pure and sublime verses from the sutras.’”

Although the bhiksus made the announcement each day, they did not state the name of the donor who had built the monastery.

The Buddha said:

“You should state the name of the donor who built the monastery. You should also clearly state the name of the donor who provides the midday meal, so that those donors may fulfill their aspirations and increase their merit. If there are other donors, their names should likewise be stated. In addition, the names of the celestial assemblies and the eight classes of beings, one’s teachers in the Sangha, and one’s parents should all be stated, and all sentient beings should universally be included so that their meritorious benefit may increase.”

Having heard this instruction, the bhiksus all recited the pure verse:

Those who practice giving

Will surely reap meritorious benefit.

Those who delight in giving

Will later obtain peace and happiness.

The meritorious rewards of bodhisattvas

Are inexhaustible like empty space.

Such are the fruits of giving,

Increasing without cease.

A donor invited the bhiksus to receive offerings. The bhiksus knew of it but did not announce the donor’s name or residence.

The Buddha said:

“You should arrange to announce the donor’s name, as follows: ‘The donor ... will tomorrow offer a meal to the Sangha and make offerings to the assembly at ...’”

A Brahmin householder approached a bhiksu and asked:

“Arya! What day is today?” The bhiksu replied:

“The fifteenth day.”

The householder asked:

“Everyone says it is the fourteenth day. Why do you say it is the fifteenth? Do the bhiksus not know how to account for a shortened month?”

He replied:

“We do not calculate it.”

The bhiksus reported this to the Buddha.

The Buddha said:

“You must account for the subtracted day.”

The bhiksus then subtracted one day from every half-month. A householder asked:

“Arya! What day is today?”

The bhiksu replied:

“The fourteenth day.”

The householder asked:

“Everyone says it is the fifteenth day. Why do you subtract one day from every half-month?”

The bhiksus reported this matter to the Buddha.

The Buddha said:

“You must not subtract one day from every half-month. You may subtract a day only after calculating which particular half-month requires it. The original note says: From the sixteenth day of the first month to the fifteenth day of the second month is one month. From the sixteenth day of the second month to the end of the second month is half a month. One day must be subtracted from this half-month because the month is short. The other cases are analogous, although the systems of the East and West are not the same. Thus, in the course of one year, the posadha purification ceremony is held on six fourteenth-day half-months and six fifteenth-day half-months.

A Brahmin householder approached a bhiksu and asked:

“Arya! What month is it now?”

The bhiksu replied:

“It is now the month of Sravana.” The original note says: approximately from the sixteenth day of the fifth month to the fifteenth day of the sixth month.

The householder continued:

“Arya! Everyone says it is the month of Asadha—from the sixteenth day of the fourth month to the fifteenth day of the fifth month. Why do you say it is the month of Sravana? Do you not account for the intercalary month?”

The bhiksu replied:

“We do not account for it.”

Everyone laughed and ridiculed them.

The bhiksus reported this to the Buddha.

The Buddha said:

“You must account for the intercalary month.”

The bhiksus then added an intercalary month every year. A householder asked:

“Arya! What month is it now?”

The bhiksu replied:

“It is now the month of Asadha.”

The householder continued:

“Arya! Everyone says it is the month of Sravana. Why do you say it is the month of Asadha? Do you add an intercalary month every year?”

The bhiksu replied:

“Yes.”

Everyone laughed and ridiculed them. The bhiksus reported this matter to the Buddha. The Buddha said:

“You must not account for an intercalary month every year. It should be accounted for only after six years.” The original note says: Every five to six years, thirty days are added. This was the ancient method of calculation; present systems are not the same.

At that time, a king decreed that an intercalary month was to be added every two and a half years, but the bhiksus did not follow his decree. Everyone criticized them.

The Buddha said:

“Bhiksus should follow the king’s system in calculating the intercalary month. If differences arise in the courses of the planets, they should adjust their practice appropriately according to those differences. Therefore, you must learn to distinguish and calculate years, months, days, and hours so that your usage accords with that of the world. Do not create conditions under which practitioners of non-Buddhist paths can find fault with you on such grounds.”

“Great Virtuous Blessed One! May a bhiksu who has been placed under probation by his community recite the precepts?”

The Buddha said:

“He may not.”

Third summary verse.

Those in separate boundaries cannot declare purity to one another;

They cannot perform Sanghakarma for one another;

Consent carried through the air is invalid;

The former boundary must be dissolved before a later one is established.

The Buddha was in the city of Sravasti. The Venerable Upali asked the Blessed One:

“May a person inside a boundary tell a person outside the boundary that he is pure?”

The Buddha said:

“He may not.”

“May a person outside a boundary tell a person inside the boundary that he is pure?”

The Buddha said:

“He may not.”

“May a person inside a boundary perform Sanghakarma for someone outside the boundary?”

The Buddha said:

“He may not.”

“May a person outside a boundary perform Sanghakarma for someone inside the boundary?”

The Buddha said:

“He may not.”

“If a person carries another’s consent while traveling through the air, is the consent validly carried?”

The Buddha said:

“It is not valid. The consent must be obtained again.”

“If the former boundary has not yet been dissolved, may a new boundary be established?”

The Buddha said:

“No. The former boundary must first be dissolved through a motion and a Sanghakarma with three proclamations; only afterward may the new boundary be established.”

Fourth summary verse.

Boundaries that cannot overlap and relinquishing boundaries;

Receiving ordination in the presence of the Blessed One;

Boundaries that may and may not be crossed;

Sanghakarma ceases upon the officiant’s death.

The Venerable Upali asked the Blessed One:

“May a boundary that is not permitted to overlap be made to overlap with another boundary?”

The Buddha said:

“No.”

“How many kinds of boundaries are not permitted to overlap?”

The Buddha said:

“They are the small ordination platform, a place where water is presently standing, a bhiksu boundary, and a bhiksuni boundary. None of these may overlap with another.”

“In how many circumstances is a previously established boundary relinquished?”

The Buddha said:

“There are five circumstances:

1. The entire assembly returns to lay life.

2. The entire assembly changes sex at the same time.

3. The entire assembly resolves to depart.

4. The entire assembly dies.

5. The boundary is dissolved by formally announcing and performing the boundary-dissolution Sanghakarma.

“May one tree be used as a boundary marker for two boundaries?”

The Buddha said:

“If each takes one side or corner, one tree may be used as a boundary marker for three or four boundaries. If the divisions are calculated equally, they are all validly established.”

The Blessed One was traveling among the people in the country of Kasi. Upon reaching a certain place, he smiled. It is the constant rule that whenever the Blessed One smiles, five-colored rays—blue, yellow, red, white, and rose—issue from his mouth and shine either downward or upward.

The rays shining downward reach the Samjiva Hell, the Black Rope Hell, the Crushing Hell, the Wailing Hell, the Great Wailing Hell, the Burning Hell, the Great Burning Hell, the Avici Hell, the Blister Hell, the Bursting Blister Hell, the Atata Hell, the Hahava Hell, the Ahururu Hell, the Blue Lotus Hell, the Red Lotus Hell, and the Great Red Lotus Hell. In all those places, beings tormented by heat are refreshed with coolness, and those suffering in freezing water are warmed.

Those sentient beings all experience ease and say together:

“Have we and the others died in our former place and been reborn elsewhere?”

The Blessed One then caused those sentient beings to develop faith. He manifested another sign, and upon seeing it they each said:

“We have not died in our former place and been reborn elsewhere. Rather, through the spiritual power of that extraordinary great being, the depths of our minds have been refreshed with coolness.”

When those unwholesome sentient beings give rise to reverence and faith in this way, their sufferings in the hells cease, and they receive excellent and wondrous bodies among devas and humans. They will become worthy vessels of the Dharma and perceive the truth. The rays shining upward illuminate the celestial assemblies from the Heaven of the Four Great Kings through the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, Yama Heaven, Tusita Heaven, the Heaven of Delight in Transformation, the Heaven of Mastery over Others’ Transformations, the Heaven of the Brahma Assembly, the Heaven of Brahma’s Ministers, the Great Brahma Heaven, the Heaven of Lesser Light, the Heaven of Immeasurable Light, the Heaven of Utmost Radiant Purity, the Heaven of Lesser Purity, the Heaven of Immeasurable Purity,

the Heaven of Universal Purity, the Cloudless Heaven, the Heaven of Merit-Born Devas, the Heaven of Abundant Fruit, the Heaven Free from Affliction, the Heaven Free from Heat, the Heaven of Excellent Manifestation, the Heaven of Excellent Vision, and up to Akanistha, the Highest Heaven of the Form Realm.

Within those rays, the teachings of suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and non-self are proclaimed, together with two verses:

You should seek deliverance,

Diligently cultivating the Buddha’s teaching;

Subdue the army of birth and death

As an elephant crushes a house of reeds.

Within this Dharma and Vinaya,

Be vigorous and heedful;

Dry up the ocean of afflictions,

And you will escape the realm of suffering.

After illuminating the entire trichiliocosm, the rays returned to the Buddha. If the Blessed One was about to explain events of the past, the rays entered his back. If he was about to explain events of the future, the rays entered his chest.

If he was about to explain the hells, the rays entered beneath his feet. If he was about to explain animals, the rays entered his heels. If he was about to explain hungry ghosts, the rays entered his toes.

If he was about to explain human beings, the rays entered his knees. If he was about to explain the power of a Wheel-Turning King, the rays entered his left palm. If he was about to explain a Wheel-Turning King, the rays entered his right palm.

If he was about to explain the devas, the rays entered his navel. If he was about to explain the sravakas, the rays entered his mouth. If he was about to explain the pratyekabuddhas, the rays entered between his eyebrows.

If he was about to explain perfect awakening, the rays entered the crown of his head. At that time, the rays circled the Buddha three times and entered the crown of his head. The Venerable Ananda joined his palms reverently and addressed the Buddha:

“Blessed One! The Tathagata, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Awakened One, smiles joyfully only when there is a cause and condition.” He then spoke this verse:

Many rays stream forth from his mouth,

Filling the great trichiliocosm with countless colors;

They illuminate all lands throughout the ten directions,

Like the sun shining to the bounds of empty space.

The Buddha reveals the supreme cause to sentient beings,

Removing pride and sorrow.

The Buddha does not smile without being questioned for a reason;

He surely will proclaim a rare Dharma.

The Blessed One perceives all with perfect clarity;

For those who wish to hear, he teaches the true Dharma.

Like the lion king roaring mightily,

Please sweep away our doubts.

Like Mount Sumeru within the great ocean,

He does not move without a cause.

The compassionate, sovereign Buddha smiles;

For those who thirst to hear, please explain the cause.

The Blessed One told Ananda:

“So it is! So it is! The Tathagata, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Awakened One, does not smile without a cause and condition. Ananda! In the past, at this very place, Kasyapa Buddha taught the Dharma to his assembly of sravaka disciples.”

Upon hearing this teaching, the Venerable Ananda quickly removed his uttarasanga—his upper robe—folded it into four, and addressed the Buddha:

“Blessed One! I have prepared a seat. May the Blessed One know that the time is appropriate and sit upon it. I wish this ground to become a place used by two perfectly awakened ones: Kasyapa Buddha and the present Blessed One.”

The Buddha told Ananda:

“Excellent! Excellent! Although I did not instruct you, you understood the proper time yourself.”

The Blessed One sat upon that seat and told Ananda:

“At this very place stood the monastery in which Kasyapa Buddha dwelt. You should know: here was the place for walking meditation; here was the corridor by the doorway where the feet were washed; here was the pure kitchen; and here was the bathing room.”

At that time, Upali addressed the Buddha:

“Blessed One! The Buddha has taught about pure and impure places. What, then, is called pure, and what is called impure?”

The Buddha said:

“While the true Dharma abides in the world, there are pure and impure places. When the true Dharma has perished, all places are impure.”

“Blessed One! What does it mean for the true Dharma to abide in the world, and what does it mean for it to have perished?”

The Buddha said:

“Upali! If the prescribed Sanghakarmas are still formally performed and practice accords with the words of the Dharma, this is called the true Dharma abiding in the world. If the prescribed Sanghakarmas are no longer formally performed and practice does not accord with the words of the Dharma, this is called the destruction and disappearance of the true Dharma.”

Upali addressed the Buddha:

“If the unsurpassed great teacher is outside the boundary, may the bhiksus formally perform Sanghakarma?”

The Buddha said:

“They may not.”

“If the great teacher is within the boundary, may the others formally perform Sanghakarma?”

The Buddha said:

“They may.”

“May the Blessed One be counted toward the required quorum of the Sangha?”

The Buddha said:

“No. The Buddha Jewel and the Sangha Jewel differ in their essential nature.”

“May one cross a boundary that may not be crossed?”

The Buddha said:

“No.”

“Great Virtuous Blessed One! How many kinds of boundaries may not be crossed?”

The Buddha said:

“There are five kinds of boundaries: the bhiksu boundary, the bhiksuni boundary, the small ordination platform, the place where water is presently standing, and the interval between two boundaries.”

“Great Virtuous One! If a deep moat, river, ravine, or stream serves as an uncrossable boundary, how may one cross it?”

The Buddha said:

“If a bridge is continuously available, crossing it is faultless. If the bridge is damaged, for how long is the boundary considered not to have been lost?”

The Buddha said:

“For precisely seven nights. This applies when there is an intention to repair the bridge. If there is no intention to repair it, the boundary is lost as soon as the bridge is destroyed.”

“Immediately after bhiksus establish a boundary, the officiant who formally performed the Sanghakarma suddenly dies. Is the boundary considered validly established?”

The Buddha said:

“If the boundary markers were known and more than half of the Sanghakarma procedure had been performed, then although the officiant dies, the boundary is still validly established. If the boundary markers had not yet been identified and the Sanghakarma procedure was not more than half completed when the officiant died, the boundary is not established. Whether a boundary established by bhiksunis is valid may be understood according to the same principle.”

Fifth summary verse:

Performing the rite from the ground, a wall, and so forth;

No consent is permitted when establishing a boundary;

Sitting in only one place,

One may perform four Sanghakarmas.

The occasion arose in the city of Sravasti.

The Venerable Upali addressed the Blessed One:

“If a person on the ground performs Sanghakarma together with another person also on the ground but at a distance, is the Sanghakarma valid?”

The Buddha said:

“It is not valid; it becomes valid if consent is sent.”

“Great Virtuous One! If a person below on the ground and a person atop a wall perform Sanghakarma together, is the rite valid?”

The Buddha said:

“It is not valid.”

“Great Virtuous One! If a person below on the ground and a person in a tree perform Sanghakarma together, is the rite valid?”

The Buddha said:

“It is not valid.”

“Great Virtuous One! If a person below on the ground and a person in the air perform Sanghakarma together, is the rite valid?”

The Buddha said:

“It is not valid. You should know that the cases involving a person in a tree, atop a wall, or in the air each have the same four alternatives.”

“As the Blessed One has taught, there are 101 Sanghakarmas. For how many is the sending of consent permitted, and for how many is it not permitted?”

The Buddha said:

“Except for establishing a boundary, the sending of consent is permitted for all of them.”

“Great Virtuous One! If boundary markers are produced through spiritual transformations or illusion, are they valid markers?”

The Buddha said:

“No. Spiritual powers and illusions have no real existence.”

“If the sun, moon, or stars are used as boundary markers, are they valid markers?”

The Buddha said:

“No, because the sun, moon, and stars do not remain in one place.”

“If waves on water are used as boundary markers, are they valid markers?”

The Buddha said:

“They are not valid, because waves constantly change.”

“If a bhiksu traveling through the air receives another person’s declaration of consent and purity, is this considered a valid conveyance of consent and purity?”

The Buddha said:

“It is not valid. The consent must be obtained again.”

“If one bhiksu performs Sanghakarma in four dwelling places, can it be validly accomplished in all four?”

The Buddha said:

“If each of the four boundaries contains four persons and the matter is present—that is, both the persons and the matter are present—three people should be stationed at each place. The officiant should then place a chair, bed, bench, or mat across the four boundaries and formally perform the Sanghakarma. Since the officiant joins those persons, making four in each place, the rite is validly performed in all four. Thus, when separate matters arise within the four boundaries, seven Sanghakarmas may be performed:

1. Sanghakarma of expulsion.

2. Sanghakarma of censure.

3. Sanghakarma of subjugation.

4. Sanghakarma of seeking forgiveness.

5. Sanghakarma for refusal to acknowledge an offense.

6. Sanghakarma for failure to repent in accordance with the Dharma.

7. Sanghakarma for refusal to relinquish an evil view.

“When these Sanghakarmas are conducted, the officiant should take a position at the point where the corners of the four boundaries approach one another. A chair, bed, bench, mat, or cushion should be placed there for the officiant to sit upon. All the formally performed rites will be valid.”

Sixth summary verse.

The great boundary extends two and a half post-stations;

Downward to the water and upward to the mountain summit;

Different views and the passing of dawn;

The five assemblies may receive leave for seven days.

The Venerable Upali addressed the Blessed One:

“As the Blessed One has taught that a great boundary should be established, how broad may the great boundary be in each direction?”

The Buddha said:

“A great boundary may extend two and a half yojanas in each direction.” The original note says: A yojana is approximately thirty li, the distance of one horse-post station. To call it “do tuan” is erroneous; it is described here as a horse-post station for ease of understanding.

“If the distance is greater than two and a half yojanas, does it remain within the great boundary?”

The Buddha said:

“A distance greater than two and a half yojanas does not remain within the great boundary.”

“How far downward is considered within the great boundary?”

The Buddha said:

“As far as the place where water is found is considered within the great boundary.”

“If water is reached only beyond the extent of two and a half yojanas, is the additional distance considered part of the great boundary?”

The Buddha said:

“It is not.”

“How far upward is considered within the great boundary?”

The Buddha said:

“As high as the treetops or the top of a wall is considered within the great boundary.”

“Great Virtuous One! Beyond the extent of two and a half yojanas up to the treetops, is that additional distance considered within the boundary?”

The Buddha said:

“It is not.”

“Ascending toward a mountain summit, how far is considered within the boundary?”

The Buddha said:

“As far as the place where water is found.”

“If the water boundary is reached beyond the extent of two and a half post-stations, is that additional distance considered within the boundary?”

The Buddha said:

“It is not.”

“If a schism occurs in the Sangha during the rains retreat and a bhiksu leaves companions who accord with the Dharma to join companions who do not accord with the Dharma, does that bhiksu break the rains retreat or not?”

The Buddha said:

“If such a bhiksu delights in evil views and joins evil companions, then when dawn appears, he has broken the rains retreat. If he does not delight in the differing view but goes among evil companions, then although dawn has appeared, he is not said to have broken the rains retreat.”

As the Blessed One taught:

“If a matter arises during the rains retreat that requires one to leave, one may be granted leave for seven days. Who may receive such leave?”

The Buddha said:

“The five assemblies may receive it: bhiksus, bhiksunis, siksamanas, sramaneras, and sramanerikas.”

“Where may such a person formally undertake leave to go outside the boundary?”

The Buddha said:

“Within the boundary, that person may stand upright with joined palms before one bhiksu and say: ‘Venerable One, please remember me. I, the bhiksu ..., have undertaken the earlier—or later—three-month rains retreat at this dwelling place. I, the bhiksu named ..., whose armor is ..., request, for a matter of the Sangha, to undertake the observance of leaving the great boundary for seven days. If no perilous condition arises, I shall return to this dwelling place. During this rains retreat, I abide here.’ He should say this three times. If circumstances require him to leave for one day, or up to six days, the observance should be undertaken according to the procedure for seven days, as fully explained elsewhere.”

Seventh summary verse.

The five assemblies undertake the rains retreat;

They may leave for the requested number of days on account of relatives and others;

If doubts arise concerning the scriptures,

Those seeking an explanation should go.

The Venerable Upali asked the Blessed One:

“As the Blessed One has taught that the summer rains retreat must be undertaken, who must undertake it?”

The Buddha said:

“All five assemblies undertake the rains retreat: bhiksus, bhiksunis, siksamanas, sramaneras, and sramanerikas. In a secluded place, a bhiksu should squat before another bhiksu and declare: ‘Venerable One, please remember me. Today, the sixteenth day of the fifth month, the Sangha undertakes the summer rains retreat.

I, the bhiksu named ..., likewise undertake the earlier summer rains retreat today, the sixteenth day of the fifth month, for three months within the great boundary of this dwelling place. During this period, I take ... as the donor, ... as the administrator, and ... as the caregiver for the sick. If anything in this dwelling place collapses, is damaged, or leaks, I shall repair it.

During this rains retreat, I abide here.’ He should declare this a second and third time. Whether undertaking the earlier or later rains retreat, one may act in this way as appropriate. It should be known that bhiksunis perform this before a bhiksuni, following the procedure for bhiksus.

A sramanera performs it before a bhiksu; siksamanas and sramanerikas perform it before a bhiksuni.”

As the Blessed One taught:

“While a bhiksu is settled in the rains retreat, if a matter arises through an invitation from an upasaka—a male Buddhist lay follower—he may be permitted to leave for seven days. If a matter arises through an invitation from a practitioner of a non-Buddhist path or from a relative, may he leave?”

The Buddha said:

“He may.”

“If he has a doubt concerning the Tripitaka and needs to ask about it, may he leave?”

The Buddha said:

“He may leave.”

“May a bhiksu who seeks to attain what he has not attained, understand what he has not understood, realize what he has not realized, or resolve a doubt in his mind undertake the observance of leaving for seven days on account of such matters?”

The Buddha said:

“He may. If he leaves for one or two days, and so forth, the same procedure applies.”

THE MULASARVASTIVADA

VINAYA

NIDANA

— End of Fascicle One —