根本說一切有部尼陀那目得迦

Volume Nine

Fourth Recitation.

The Buddha was in the city of Sravasti.

As the Blessed One taught:

“There are five kinds of impure leather footwear that must not be used.”

At that time, the group of six bhiksus used five kinds of impure fat to smear their leather footwear. When King Prasenajit’s elephant smelled the stinking fat, it became frightened and ran away. The group of six said:

“Why do you not restrain this elephant?”

The elephant keeper replied:

“I cannot restrain it.”

The bhiksus said:

“We can restrain it.”

The elephant keeper said:

“If, for my sake, you can make the elephant stop, I shall repay you with cakes and fruit.”

The group of six then ran downwind, and the elephant immediately stopped. Everyone said:

“Venerable Ones! Do you possess a mantra? When the herd of elephants became frightened and fled, we could not restrain them. How did you make the elephant stop?”

The group of six replied:

“We truly know nothing about reciting mantras. We merely smeared our leather footwear with elephant fat.”

They said:

“Venerable Ones! If the king’s precious elephant had been harmed, would you not have done something injurious?”

They all censured them. The bhiksus reported this matter to the Buddha. The Buddha said:

“Bhiksus! You must not smear leather footwear with elephant fat. Whoever does so commits an offense of wrongdoing. Just as elephant fat may not be used, neither may the fat of horses, lions, tigers, or leopards.”

The Buddha was in Rajagrha. King Bimbisara went to the venerable Ananda, bowed at his feet, and said:

“Venerable Ananda! Although today is not a day for hearing the Dharma but is the time of purification, may I hear the Dharma?”

He replied:

“Great King! You should understand that purification is a communal act to be performed by the bhiksus and is not suitable for laypeople to hear.”

Having heard this, the king took his leave. The Buddha, the Blessed One, knew the matter clearly but deliberately asked Ananda:

“Why did the king come and then depart without hearing the Dharma?”

The venerable one related the entire matter. The Buddha said:

“You acted very wrongly. You should have allowed the king to hear this Pratimoksa. The king would certainly have given rise to profound faith and reverence. Having developed pure faith, he could become a foremost patron. Therefore, from now on, I permit the bhiksus to expound the Pratimoksa to kings and great ministers who possess pure faith and delight in hearing it.”

The Buddha further said:

“Even if persons of high rank lack reverent faith, it should still be expounded to them. If poor people possess reverent faith and wish to hear it, it should also be expounded to them. But if destitute people lack reverent faith yet wish to hear the precepts, it should not be expounded to them.”

The Buddha was in Rajagrha. From childhood, the venerable bhiksu Srona Kotikarna had been nourished on gruel. After going forth, he could not obtain gruel, so his body became emaciated, sallow, and weak.

The Blessed One knew this but deliberately asked Ananda:

“Why is the bhiksu Srona Kotikarna emaciated, sallow, and weak?”

The venerable Ananda then reported the matter to the Buddha. The Buddha said:

“From now on, I permit the bhiksu Srona Kotikarna to consume gruel as he wishes.”

The venerable Ananda conveyed the Buddha’s instruction to that bhiksu, saying:

“The Blessed One permits you to consume gruel as you wish.”

He asked:

“Is this permission for the entire community or for me alone?”

He replied:

“For you alone.”

Srona Kotikarna said:

“Because of this, my fellow practitioners of the holy life will ridicule me, saying, ‘Srona Kotikarna, you have now gone forth and gained a great profit! Formerly, in Campa, you possessed immeasurable wealth and abandoned even seven royal elephants to go forth. Can it be that today you seek a little thin gruel?’ If the Blessed One will, for my sake, permit the whole community to consume gruel, I shall consume it together with them.”

The bhiksus reported this matter to the Buddha. The Buddha said:

“On account of this matter, with Srona Kotikarna as the first case, I permit the entire community to consume gruel.”

At that time, Brahmins and householders of pure faith brought much excellent gruel as offerings to the bhiksus. When King Bimbisara heard that the Buddha had permitted the bhiksus to consume gruel as they wished, he offered one thousand acres of fertile fields to the community. The bhiksus did not dare accept the fields and reported the matter to the Buddha. The Buddha said:

“The Sangha may accept fields, and the whole community may share in the harvest.”

Fifth Recitation.

Laypeople, sramaneras, and others
Should not share the same seat.
Those in the two trainings, when difficult circumstances arise,
Commit no offense by remaining in the same place.

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

“May bhiksus sit upon the same mat as laypeople while hearing the Dharma?”

The Buddha said:

“They should not. If difficult circumstances arise, a bhiksu commits no offense by sitting together with them.”

“Blessed One! May one sit upon the same seat as a sramanera?”

The Buddha said:

“One should not. Nor may one share a seat with a minor, a pandaka, a bhiksuni who has committed one of the five heinous offenses, a non-Buddhist, one who is turning toward a non-Buddhist path, one who dwells by theft, or one who is expelled from communal dwelling. If difficult circumstances arise, there is no offense in sitting together.”

He further asked:

“May one sit upon the same mat as a probationary trainee?”

The Buddha said:

“One should not. If difficult circumstances arise, one may sit together as needed.”

“May one sit upon the same wooden bed as a layperson?”

The Buddha said:

“One should not. Except when difficult circumstances arise, in which case one may sit together as needed.”

Thus, one should not share a bed even with a person expelled from communal dwelling, except when difficult circumstances arise. If one shares a bed and so forth with any of the above classes of persons but there is a partition between them, no offense is committed.

Sixth Recitation.

The Buddha was in the city of Sravasti. The bhiksus sat upon small beds and seats while washing, dyeing, and sewing robes and performing such tasks as washing bowls. The group of six bhiksus ordered them to rise so that they themselves could sit, causing the others’ work to be interrupted. The bhiksus reported this matter to the Buddha. The Buddha said:

“When a bhiksu is washing, dyeing, or engaged in similar work, he must not be ordered to rise. Whoever orders him to rise commits an offense of wrongdoing.”

Wherever the group of six bhiksus went, they presumed themselves to be elders and forced others to rise. The bhiksus refused to rise and reported the matter to the Buddha. The Buddha said:

“You should sit according to seniority, in order and in your proper places.”

As the Blessed One taught:

“Sit according to seniority.”

When the group of six bhiksus saw others eating, although they themselves had arrived later, they ordered them to rise. The bhiksus reported this matter to the Buddha. The Buddha said:

“If a bhiksu is eating and an elder arrives later, the elder must not order the junior to rise. Whoever orders another to rise while he is seated and eating commits an offense of wrongdoing. Each should remain seated and eat where he is.”

The venerable Upali asked the Buddha:

“The Blessed One has taught that a bhiksu who is eating must not be ordered to rise. What constitutes eating?”

The Buddha said:

“Even if he has received no more than salt or a leaf upon which to eat, he should not rise.”

As the Blessed One taught:

“A bhiksu who is eating should not rise.”

The group of six bhiksus deliberately went to the foremost seats reserved for the elders and received food there first. The bhiksus reported the matter to the Buddha. The Buddha said:

“One must not deliberately go to the foremost places where the elders sit in order to receive food. Whoever does so commits an offense of wrongdoing. The bhiksus must clearly know their seats in proper order.”

The Sangha possessed vats and basins for dye. A bhiksu was using these implements to dye his robe. The group of six came and said:

“Venerable One! We are senior and should use them first.”

They poured out the dye and seized the vats and basins for their own use, interrupting the other bhiksu’s work. The matter was reported to the Buddha. The Buddha said:

“If another is using the Sangha’s dye-boiling vat or dye basin, it must not be seized. Wait until his work is complete before taking it. Whoever hastily takes it before he has finished commits an offense of wrongdoing.”

As the Blessed One taught:

“When others are using a basin for dyeing, it should not be taken.”

At that time, the group of six bhiksus dyed only a single piece of cloth but deliberately left it soaking in the dye basin for a long time, obstructing others. The Buddha said:

“Only when an entire robe is being dyed may it be called soaking in dye. One must not obstruct others merely to dye a small object. Whoever violates this commits an offense of wrongdoing.”

The circumstances and location were as before. The householder Anathapindika built a fence around Jeta Grove. At that time, some people damaged the fence to take the timber around Jeta Grove.

Some people damaged the fence to take the timber. The bhiksus reported this matter to the Buddha. The Buddha said:

“Appoint someone to guard it.”

After someone had been appointed to guard it, those people departed and left the timber behind. No one gathered it up, and the wood decayed.

The bhiksus then reported this matter to the Buddha. The Buddha said:

“Decayed wood that is no longer useful should be taken to the Sangha’s kitchen for firewood. Whatever remains usable should be given to the workers.”

The group of six bhiksus split timber still suitable for construction and burned it to boil dye. The bhiksus reported this matter to the Buddha. The Buddha said:

“Bhiksus! Timber still suitable for construction must not be burned. Whoever violates this commits an offense of wrongdoing.”

Seventh Recitation.

The Buddha was in the city of Sravasti. The householder Anathapindika said to the Blessed One:

“May the Buddha permit me to make an offering to the Sangha at Jeta Grove.”

The Buddha told the householder:

“Do as you wish.”

At that time, the householder decorated all the trees in Jeta Grove. If a tree bore a masculine name, he adorned it with men’s clothing; if a tree bore a feminine name, he adorned it with women’s clothing. He likewise decorated every part of the monastery: the courtyard, the walking paths, the spaces beneath the doors of rooms, the bathing room, dining hall, infirmary, and regular refectory. When he had finished, he relinquished everything as an offering to the Sangha.

When the group of six bhiksus obtained these garments, they did not know what to do with them and reported the matter to the Buddha. The Buddha said:

“You should ask the householder.”

The bhiksus asked him. The householder replied:

“Wherever an offered object was placed, it belongs to that place.”

The Buddha said:

“The garments offered as decorations upon trees bearing masculine or feminine names, and at other places within the monastery, should be stored in chests according to their respective places. (Indian languages divide words into three genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter, as does French.—Translator.) If in the future someone holds a great assembly at Jeta Grove, the articles should be used at those places according to the former arrangement.

Murals should be hung upon the walls. Firewood should be purchased for the warming room. Bathing supplies should be provided in the bathing room.

At the water house, sufficient drinking water should be provided for the community both at the proper time and outside the proper time. Excellent food should be provided in the infirmary. Articles placed near upper chambers, before the eaves, along walking paths, and beside doors are to be divided among the Sangha present.

Articles in the courtyard and throughout the monastery are for the use of the Sangha of the four directions.”

The bhiksus constructed meditation halls in which to abandon the afflictions and places for cultivating wholesome qualities through dhyana. The group of six went there, ordered others to rise, and said that they were senior. The bhiksus reported this matter to the Buddha. The Buddha said:

“In these places, one must not rely upon seniority to disturb other bhiksus. Whoever disturbs them commits an offense against the Dharma.”

While meditating, some bhiksus rose from their seats and practiced walking meditation for a while. The group of six immediately occupied their seats, causing them to abandon their meditation.

The Buddha said:

“A place previously occupied by another must not be seized. Bhiksus! When you wish to practice walking meditation, place a cushion or a sanghati upon your seat before walking.”

Another bhiksu beat the dust from his footwear against a pillar before the veranda. The bhiksus who saw this became angry and ashamed. They reported it to the Buddha. The Buddha said:

“I shall establish rules of conduct for travelers. When bhiksus are traveling and wish to enter a monastery, they must find a place with water, set down their bowls, and shake the dust from their robes. They must then wash their bodies, hands, and feet clean, leaving no dust or dirt. Next, they should pour clean water into their vessels and use a scrap of cloth to wipe their leather footwear. When all these tasks have been completed, they should put on their robes, compose their deportment, and slowly enter the monastery.”

Eighth Recitation.

As the Blessed One taught:

“Razors and tweezers should be kept.”

The group of six bhiksus took the Sangha’s razors and tweezers for themselves. After using them, they retained them without returning them, saying that they would use them again later. The bhiksus reported this matter to the Buddha. The Buddha said:

“Bhiksus! After using the Sangha’s razor, one must not keep it for oneself. As with razors, so should you understand concerning whetstones, tweezers, and footrests.”

The group of six entered the urinal, and after finishing remained there for a long time. When others wished to enter, they deliberately obstructed them, saying:

“Do not enter! I am waiting to urinate again.”

They deliberately troubled others and caused them to become angry. The matter was reported to the Buddha. The Buddha said:

“After urinating, one must not remain there for a long time. Whoever deliberately remains commits an offense of wrongdoing. The same offense is committed by deliberately troubling others at the latrine.”

Ninth Recitation.

The householder Anathapindika said to the Blessed One:

“I wish to adorn a stupa enshrining the Tathagata’s hair and fingernails. If the Buddha permits it, I shall construct it.”

The Buddha told the householder:

“Do as you wish.”

The householder did not know how it should be done. The Buddha said:

“Beginning with the image of the bodhisattva in Tusita Heaven, his descent into Jambudvipa to teach and transform sentient beings, and continuing until his entrance into nirvana, you may depict as you wish the sacred deeds of his final birth.”

While traveling, the bhiksus saw turbid water and, being doubtful, would not drink it. The Buddha said:

“Water clear enough to reflect one’s face may be drunk and used. If one’s face cannot be seen, it should be drunk only after someone has offered it. If it is excessively turbid, place kataka fruit or grapes in it and wait until it becomes clear before drinking. Powder may also be placed in the water.”

The bhiksus cast handfuls of powder into the water, but all the powder dissolved.

The Buddha said:

“Moisten the powder, form it into a lump, and then place it in the water.”

When they encountered saline water, they doubted and would not drink it. The Buddha said:

“If the saline water can be made into salt, it must first be formally received before use. If it cannot be made into salt, you may take and use it yourselves without doubt.”

Tenth Recitation.

Wash the hands, cup them, and pour into the mouth;
The greatly doubtful one feared water flowing into a bowl.
Carry provisions and transport them across a river;
Even if touched, no offense is committed.

The Buddha was in the city of Sravasti. Some Brahmins and householders living near Jeta Grove held a feast within the grove. Afterward, they threw the leftover food into a well. When the bhiksus drew water from the well and strained it through silk, they found scraps of food. The bhiksus doubted whether they could use this water or even the water already stored in jars. They reported the matter to the Buddha. The Buddha said:

“The water does not become impure for that reason. Once strained, it is pure. You should not pour it away.”

The bhiksus drew water from a pond and saw people rinsing jars that had held ghee and vessels that had held curds. Other bhiksus also washed dirty bowls in the pond. The impurities spread and floated upon the water, while pieces of residue from the vessels sank into it. The bhiksus doubted and would not use the water. They reported the matter to the Buddha. The Buddha said:

“Those substances cannot make the water impure. Once it has been strained clean, it is pure and may be used without offense.”

On another occasion, the bhiksus were traveling and had difficulty obtaining water. When they reached a waterwheel, they wished to draw water but doubted its purity. Consequently, they lacked water and reached the monastery only after great hardship. The bhiksus reported this to the Buddha. The Buddha said:

“You should draw water at the waterwheel. First use it to rinse your mouths, and then drink as you wish.”

When it was outside the proper time, they did not dare drink it. The Buddha said:

“Water may be drunk outside the proper time.”

The bhiksus did not dare store water in vessels. The Buddha said:

“You should store it.”

While traveling, the bhiksus could obtain no other water but did not dare drink spring water. They reported the matter to the Buddha. The Buddha said:

“Examine it carefully and then use it.”

Outside the proper time, they doubted and did not dare drink it. The Buddha said:

“It may be drunk outside the proper time.”

They did not dare draw additional water. The Buddha said:

“You should take more.”

The bhiksus saw yellow, turbid rainwater that had collected and did not dare drink it. The Buddha said:

“If the water is turbid, examine it carefully and then drink it.”

Outside the proper time, they did not dare drink it. The Buddha said:

“Whether at the proper time or outside it, drinking and using it entails no offense, nor is there an offense in storing additional water in a vessel.”

While traveling, a bhiksu saw a film of butter floating in a leather water bag and, being doubtful, did not dare drink it. The bhiksus reported the matter to the Buddha. The Buddha said:

“At the proper time or outside it, you may drink and use it as needed. Bhiksus! I permit these things when difficult circumstances arise. When no difficult circumstances exist, they are all forbidden. Whoever continues to use them commits an offense of wrongdoing.”

The bhiksus traveled through the countryside and reached a cattle station where they could find no water. The people gave them liquid curds for washing their feet, but the bhiksus hesitated and did not dare use it. They reported the matter to the Buddha. The Buddha said:

“When no water is available and they give you liquid curds, you should use it to wash your feet.”

They went to cattle herders and borrowed vessels for drawing water. A bhiksu obtained a vessel that had held ghee but, being doubtful, did not dare use it and therefore lacked water.

The Buddha said:

“Bhiksus! You should know that there are five kinds of vessels:

1. A vessel for excrement.

2. A vessel for urine.

3. A vessel for liquor.

4. A vessel for oil.

5. A vessel for curds.

“The first three kinds must not be used to hold food. If food has inadvertently been placed in them, it must be discarded. The latter two kinds should be fired or scrubbed clean with salt, earth, and cow dung. Once clean, they may hold water, which may be drunk and used as desired, whether at the proper time or outside it.”

A bhiksu drank a beverage outside the proper time, and a foul odor rose from his throat. He became fearful.

The Blessed One said:

“First wash your hands thoroughly and then rinse your mouth. Once your mouth is clean, you may drink the various beverages.”

As the Blessed One taught:

“The mouth must be rinsed thoroughly.”

The bhiksus then used salty earth to rinse their mouths and rubbed it upon their lips, causing their lips to crack. The Buddha said:

“Cow dung should be applied to cleanse the lips and heal the cracks.”

Upali asked the Buddha:

“As the Blessed One has taught, ‘The mouth should be cleansed,’ what constitutes cleanliness?”

The Buddha said:

“How can the mouth be considered clean while a foul odor remains? Take clean, dry cow dung, crush it into powder, or mix cleansing bean powder with water and rinse the mouth. This removes the odor of food clinging within it. Then rinse the mouth two or three times with clean water; this is called purification. Bhiksus! Whether eating or drinking at the proper time or outside it, you must first rinse your mouths in this manner. If you do not do so, either drinking or eating incurs an offense of wrongdoing.”

Another bhiksu, outside the proper time, lifted a water vessel directly to his mouth to drink. Mosquitoes and gnats inside the vessel flew out and bit him. The bhiksus reported the matter to the Buddha. The Buddha said:

“You must not lift a vessel directly to your mouth to drink. First wash your hands and rinse your mouth clean; then cup the water in your palms and drink.”

A bhiksu wished to make a water-filtering receptacle but did not know what material to use. The Buddha said:

“Place a small board, brick, or stone within the vessel so that living creatures cannot pass through.”

As the Blessed One taught:

“One must wash one’s hands clean before drinking water.”

While traveling, however, they were given only a little water and had none with which to wash their hands.

The Buddha said:

“Water may be held in a leaf for drinking.”

A bhiksu saw green leaves but there was no one to pick them. The Buddha said:

“Pick up yellow leaves that have fallen to the ground and use them to hold water for drinking. If there are no fallen yellow leaves, pick leaves from a branch.”

When the leaves grew in clusters, they could not be used. The Buddha said:

“Go to a suitable place, rinse your mouth, and then lift the vessel to your mouth and drink as needed.”

These permissions were granted because of difficult circumstances, as explained fully above.

At that time, the venerable Revata became doubtful about everything. The people of the time therefore called him Doubtful Revata. Seeing water flowing from a vessel into a bowl on the ground, he thought, “When someone pours water into a bowl, the water may have become defiled.” Therefore, he would not use it. The bhiksus reported the matter to the Buddha. The Buddha said:

“All liquids naturally flow downward and cannot flow upward; therefore, impurities from the bowl cannot flow back into the vessel. You should partake without doubt; using it entails no offense. Understand in the same way all such liquids as liquid curds. As the Buddha has said above, partake without doubt.”

At that time, a bhiksu traveled with merchants and instructed sramaneras carrying provisions to follow behind. The merchants wished to rest for a while before continuing and said to the bhiksu:

“Venerable One, please carry this for me.”

The bhiksus did not dare carry it. They reported the matter to the Buddha. The Buddha said:

“You should carry it for them.”

The merchants then said:

“Please help me set it down.”

The bhiksus doubted and did not dare help lower it. The Buddha said:

“You should help them set it down.”

Later, the sramaneras carrying the provisions arrived. Burdened and exhausted, they said to the bhiksus:

“Venerable Ones, please carry these for a while so that we may rest.”

The bhiksus refused. The Buddha said:

“You may bind the load with a cord, have the sramanera hold the cord, and carry it for him so that he may rest briefly.”

Afterward, the bhiksus became doubtful, thinking, “We untied it with our own hands,” and did not dare eat the food. The Buddha said:

“You may eat it without offense.”

The bhiksus traveled with merchants and encountered bandits who plundered the merchants’ property. The sramaneras carrying the provisions threw everything down and fled. The unburdened bhiksus likewise fled. Afterward, they told the sramaneras:

“You must return and retrieve those provisions.”

The sramaneras replied:

“Do you now wish the bandits to kill us? We cannot go! Go and retrieve them yourselves.”

The bhiksus were afraid and did not dare retrieve them.

Lacking provisions for the journey, they could not reach their destination. They reported the matter to the Buddha. The Buddha said:

“You should go and retrieve them yourselves.”

The bhiksus retrieved the provisions but did not dare eat them. They reported the matter to the Buddha. The Buddha said:

“You may eat them without offense.”

At that time, a bhiksu instructed a sramanera to carry provisions on a journey. When they wished to cross a river, they did not know what to do.

The Buddha said:

“You should ask the sramanera, ‘Can you carry my provisions across the river?’ If he replies, ‘I can only wade across by myself and cannot carry the provisions,’ the bhiksu should help him carry them across. If the sramanera says, ‘I do not have enough strength even to cross the river myself; how could I carry the provisions?’ it is best if the bhiksu can take him across. If that is impossible, first carry the provisions across the river and afterward bring the sramanera across.”

The bhiksus then became doubtful and would not eat the provisions. They reported the matter to the Buddha. The Buddha said:

“You may eat them without offense.”

The Blessed One taught:

“A bhiksu should eat from his bowl.”

When a bhiksu washed his bowl, he found a crack and feared that an offense might arise. The Buddha said:

“Mindfully wash it clean three times. Even if there is a crack, using it entails no offense.”

When another bhiksu washed his bowl, he found grains of rice in a crack and, being doubtful, did not dare use it for eating. They reported the matter to the Buddha. The Buddha said:

“Dislodge them with a blade of grass, wash the bowl clean three times with water, and then use it as desired.”

A bhiksu poured hot water into an old, dirty bowl. The grime rose and collected on the surface of the water, and he became doubtful and did not dare use it. He reported the matter to the Buddha. The Buddha said:

“Discard the impurities floating on the surface and then use the water.”

A bhiksu washed his bowl and placed it somewhere. On the third day, he washed it again, but when he used it the bowl broke. He suspected that the bowl had not been properly fired. He reported the matter to the Buddha. The Buddha said:

“After washing the bowl, you should use it for eating immediately.”

A bhiksu returned from almsround, set down his bowl, and departed. Another bhiksu returned from almsround and placed his own bowl of food on top of the first bhiksu’s bowl. Seeing this, the first bhiksu became doubtful and reported the matter to the Buddha. The Buddha said:

“If someone offers you the food, formally receive it before eating. If no one is present, remove the upper portion, and you may eat the remainder without offense.”

Another bhiksu returned from almsround, set down his bowl, and departed. A layperson came and touched the bowl. The bhiksu should ask:

“Do you want this food?”

“If the person says, ‘I saw flies, grass, or leaves and removed them,’ you should formally receive the food and then eat it. If the person says, ‘I touched it because I wanted some of this food,’ give him a portion before eating.”

A certain bhiksu returned from almsround and placed his bowl somewhere. A sramanera later returned from almsround and placed his own rice bowl inside the bhiksu’s bowl. The bhiksu became doubtful and discarded the entire meal. The Buddha said:

“Remove the bowl that has been placed in the rice, and then partake as desired.”

As the Blessed One taught:

“If bhiksus must travel far, they should carry provisions.”

But sometimes no layperson or sramanera was available.

The Buddha said:

“You should ask the donor to carry them. If there is no donor, carry them yourselves. Later, when you meet a layperson, exchange the food with him before eating. If an exchange cannot be made, divide it into two portions and say to the layperson, ‘You should take one portion.’ When he has taken it into his hand, tell him, ‘You eat my portion, and I shall eat yours.’ After exchanging them, eat.”

This was difficult to carry out, and they reported it to the Buddha. The Buddha said:

“On the first day, you should abstain from eating. On the morning of the following day, if someone offers you food, receive and eat it. If no one offers it, you may take and eat one handful of food. On the third day, if still no one offers it, you may eat two handfuls. On the fourth day, if no one offers it, you may take enough food to satisfy yourself, without offense.”

Later, a bhiksu exhausted all his provisions while traveling and saw ripe fruit that had fallen to the ground. The Buddha said:

“Pick it up, make it allowable, formally receive it, and then eat it. If no attendant is present, even if it has not been made allowable, formally receive it and eat it.”

If no one was present to offer it, the Buddha said:

“You should take it with your own hands, direct your thought to Uttarakuru, maintain your mind there, and eat.”

There was ripe fruit on a tree that had not yet fallen to the ground. The Buddha said:

“Climb the tree and shake it so that the fruit falls, then pick it up yourselves and eat.”

“Bhiksus! All the permissions given above apply only when difficult circumstances arise. When no such circumstances exist, these actions are all forbidden. Whoever violates this commits an offense of wrongdoing.”

-ooOoo-

Fourth Summary Recitation of the Separate Sections of the Muktaka.

First Recitation.

Concerning given fields, shares, and mutual assistance;
Carts and boats are not under one’s own control.
Soiled water, cords, and shameless persons;
Stupas, faith, and fewness of desires.

The Buddha was in the Bamboo Grove at Rajagrha.

At that time, King Bimbisara offered one thousand acres of fields to the Sangha. Although the bhiksus regularly took the produce for food, they neglected the fields and paid them no attention, so the fertile land became overgrown wasteland. One day, King Bimbisara went outside, saw this, and asked:

“To whom do these fields belong, that they have been allowed to become overgrown with weeds?”

A minister replied:

“These are the thousand acres that the Great King offered to the noble Sangha. They take the produce but do not tend the fields, so the land has become desolate.”

The king asked:

“Why does the Sangha not allot them to others?”

He replied:

“They have not allotted them.”

The bhiksus reported this matter to the Buddha. The Buddha said:

“A portion should be allotted to householders.”

The bhiksus gave all the grain harvested from the fields to the cultivators and took no share themselves.

The Buddha said:

“You should take a share according to the king’s prescribed law.”

After those managing the work received their own portions, they left the Sangha’s share of the produce behind and departed. The Buddha said:

“This produce should be transported to the monastery.”

At that time, those managing the work first took away their own portions and only afterward delivered the monastery’s portion. The Buddha said:

“The monastery’s portion must be transported first and one’s own portion afterward.”

Although the produce was transported to the monastery, it was stolen. The Buddha said:

“It should be guarded and not allowed to be stolen.”

When the transport caravan arrived carrying the Sangha’s share, a heavily laden cart tilted and was about to overturn. They called the bhiksus to help. Seeing that the cart carried the Sangha’s grain, the bhiksus did not dare touch it. The Buddha said:

“In such a case, you should assist them.”

A sick bhiksu was traveling on the road. A cart driver said to him:

“Venerable One! You may ride in this cart with me.”

The bhiksu doubted and did not dare ride in the cart. The Buddha said:

“Avoid only the driver’s place at the front. You may sit elsewhere without offense.”

A boat carrying the Sangha’s property ran aground. The boatman said:

“Venerable Ones! Please help me push the boat free.”

The bhiksus thought that, because the boat contained the Sangha’s property, they must not push it. The Buddha said:

“You should help push the boat.”

The bhiksus became very weary from walking alongside it. The boat’s owner said to them:

“Come aboard and travel with us.”

The bhiksus did not dare board the boat. The Buddha said:

“Except for the boatman’s place, you may sit elsewhere in the boat as you wish.”

A person carrying the Sangha’s share wished to rest temporarily and said to the bhiksus:

“I wish to rest for a while. Please help me set this down.”

The bhiksus doubted and did not dare help lower it. The Buddha said:

“You should help him set it down.”

Someone carrying a load became extremely weary along the road and wished to rest. He said to the bhiksus:

“Please carry this for me for a while so that I may rest.”

The bhiksus doubted and did not dare carry it for him. They reported the matter to the Buddha. The Buddha said:

“Bind a cord around the object, have him hold the cord, and then carry it for him. Or, if someone abandons the load he is carrying and flees along the road, bandits may come and take it away.”

The Buddha said:

“Do not abandon the object; it should be carried away.”

The bhiksus did not know whom they should ask to carry it. The Buddha said:

“Ask a layperson. If none is present, ask a sramanera. If there is no sramanera either, the bhiksus should carry it themselves.”

Because their hands had touched the food, the bhiksus did not dare eat it. They reported the matter to the Buddha. The Buddha said:

“You may eat it without offense.”

Ghee and curds were being cooked in a Sangha pot. The fire burned fiercely, and the contents boiled over. If no attendant was present, the food would be ruined and have to be discarded.

The Buddha said:

“While food is cooking, the attendant must not be sent elsewhere. If some extremely urgent matter requires him to leave, a bhiksu should remove some of the firewood. If it continues to boil, stir it with a ladle.”

When medicine being cooked boils over the rim, the matter should be handled in the same way.

“Bhiksus! I have permitted the above actions because of difficult circumstances. When no difficult circumstances exist, they are all forbidden. Whoever violates this commits an offense of wrongdoing.”

MULASARVASTIVADA

VINAYA

MUKTAKA

— End of Volume Nine —