Kinh Về Điều Tỳ-Kheo Trân Quý Nhất

Summary

What Mendicants Hold Most Dear contains the Buddha’s
answer to a question by Upāli, the Buddha’s foremost disciple in knowledge and mastery of
the Vinaya. Upāli asks the Buddha to teach about the nature, types, and
obligations of mendicants and about the meaning of this term. For the
benefit of the assembled mendicants and mendicants in general, the Buddha explains that
their nature is restraint, their obligations consist of disciplined conduct, and their
types are the genuine mendicants who abide by disciplined conduct and those who are not
genuine and thus do not so abide. When one of the Buddha’s answers given in similes seems
obscure, he offers further clarification upon Upāli’s request. The Buddha explains the
advantages of maintaining disciplined conduct, thus urging the mendicants to treasure it,
and he warns against disregarding it while wearing the mendicant’s robes.

Acknowledgements

This sūtra was translated from Tibetan by the Achi Translation Group under the
guidance of Khenchen Nyima Gyaltsen from Kagyu College in Dehradun, India, who provided
many detailed explanations. Konchog Tenzin (Mark Riege) served as the main translator, and
Yeshe Metog (Claudia Jürgens) and Virginia Blum as the main reviewers. Meghan Howard
contributed valuable research and additional review.

The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000:
Translating the Words of the Buddha.

Introduction

What Mendicants Hold Most Dear contains the
Buddha’s response to a question from Upāli. It is set in a monastery called Blooming Lotus in Śrāvastī,
where Upāli supplicates the Buddha in front of a large assembly of mendicants (Skt.
bhikṣu; Tib. dge slong) and asks him about the
nature, types, and obligations of mendicants, as well as the meaning of the term itself.
To benefit mendicants generally, the Buddha addresses Upāli’s questions by praising disciplined
conduct, emphasizing its importance, and encouraging the listeners to maintain it. When
one of the Buddha’s answers given in similes seems obscure, he offers further
clarification upon Upāli’s request. The Buddha explains the advantages of maintaining
disciplined conduct, thus urging the mendicants to treasure it, and he warns against
disregarding it while wearing the mendicant’s robes.

The monk Upāli is remembered as one of the “ten close disciples”
(Tib. nyan thos nye ’khor bcu) of the
Buddha and foremost in his mastery of the monastic discipline, or Vinaya. Before
becoming a monk, Upāli was a low-caste barber attending the Śākya princes, and he
received ordination together with them. Many conversations about the Vinaya between the
Buddha and Upāli are recorded in the various Vinaya collections, For example, in the Pali Canon there is the Upālipañcaka, and in the Chinese canon there is a
translation of the Upāliparipṛcchā from the Sarvāstivāda Vinaya. See Norman (1983), pp. 28–29. In the
Kangyur, the Upāliparipṛcchā of the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya is found in the
Vinayottaragrantha (Toh 7 and Toh
7a). and, according to early Buddhist texts, Upāli was often consulted by
others about matters of monastic discipline, even during the Buddha’s lifetime.
Following the Buddha’s passing, Upāli was chosen to recite the
Vinaya at the First Buddhist Council. See
Thera 1997, p. 131.

Very little is known about the sūtra’s history. There do not appear to be any
translations into Chinese, and no Sanskrit version is extant. The meaning of the word prareju in the transliterated Sanskrit of the title remains
uncertain. There are different renderings of the title in other Kangyur versions as
plareju (bla re dzu in KY and KQ) and prariju (pra ri dzu in
S, L, and Z). The origin of the term prareju/prariju in the
Tibetan transliteration is uncertain. We can speculate that it may capture prarju, i.e., pra + ṛju. If
so, the sūtra’s Sanskrit title would mean “Sūtra on Upright Mendicants.” However,
although the Sanskrit term ṛju and
its Pali equivalent uju/ujju, meaning “upright,” appear in the Vinaya as a
quality of monks, the compound term prarju is not attested in Indic literature. However, as we discuss
below, one verse of the sūtra is cited in a commentary in the Tengyur.
tshul khrims kyi gtam gyi ’grel pa (Śīlakathāvṛtti), Toh 4165. See Hahn and
Saito 2009, p. 179, who mention that the author of this commentary, the ācārya (Tib. slob dpon) *Prakāśakīrti (Tib. gsal grags), quotes mainly from older Mahāyāna works, the
earliest being from the fifth century ce. This might also
be an indication of the age of that commentary and, by extension, an indication of the
age of the sūtra’s first appearance. Nothing is known for certain about *Prakāśakīrti
himself. There was, however, a Tibetan translator named Pungsho Selwadrak (spung zho gsal ba grags) who studied at
Nālandā under Abhayākaragupta (d. ca. 1125 ce). Thus, there is
another possibility that this work is an original Tibetan composition by the
Tibetan Selwadrak and not a text written by an Indian paṇḍit named Prakāśakīrti. As
noted in the following paragraph of the introduction, the text’s colophon provides no
information about the translator. Just as we know very little about the sūtra’s
Indic origins, we know even less about the origins of the Tibetan translation. The
text’s colophon is rudimentary and does not offer any information on the translator.
Additionally, two Kangyur catalogs list the translator as unknown. See Situ Panchen Chökyi Jungné, p. 460, and Eimer 1998, p.
75: dge slong la rab tu gces pa’i mdo ’gyur byang med
pa (“The Sūtra on What Mendicants Hold Most
Dear has no translator’s colophon”). In terms of the date of its
translation, the sūtra is not listed in the Denkarma (ldan/lhan dkar ma) or Phangthangma (’phang
thang ma) catalogs, the earliest available lists of Buddhist texts
translated into Tibetan, which were prepared in the ninth century. We do, however, find
a reference to the sūtra in Butön’s (1290–1364) extensive catalog of scriptures and
treatises, but he does not list the translator either. See Nishioka 1983, p. 67.

The sūtra is included in many of the Kangyurs. For example, Resources for
Kanjur & Tanjur Studies at the University of Vienna
Resources for
Kanjur & Tanjur Studies. Universität Wien. Accessed April 23, 2019.
lists twenty-nine different Kangyurs that contain the sūtra, including representatives
from all the important groups, such as the Tshalpa, Thempangma, Ladhaki/Mustang,
Independent/Mixed groups, and Bhutan Kangyurs. Except for the Namgyal Kangyur—which
lists it as The Noble Sūtra of Upāli’s Questions (’phags pa nye bar ’khor gyis zhus pa zhes bya ba’i mdo)—all
the titles and colophons are similar. While the Sanskrit title was originally specified
by Tibetans as Bhikṣuprarejusūtra, modern scholars
have reconstructed it as Bhikṣupriyasūtra,
possibly due to the obscure meaning of prareju. See Tsong-kha-pa
2000, p. 405; Tohoku 1934, p. 58; and Steinkellner 1998, p. 65. Steinkellner, who
gives Bhikṣupriyasūtra, identifies Baron Schilling
de Canstadt’s Index de Gandjour, published in 1831, as
the source of the Sanskrit sūtra titles (ibid.). The Tohoku catalog, which also uses
priya in the sūtra’s name, was
published in 1934 and states that some Sanskrit titles were corrected by the compiler.
Note that priya was never used by any
Tibetan sources in the title of this sūtra. The Sanskrit term priya means “dear” or “beloved.” If we
search the Kangyur and Tengyur for other instances of rab tu gces pas (“most dear”) where there is a surviving
Sanskrit original, we find the Avadānakalpalatā by
Kṣemendra (eleventh century, translation completed 1267–75), where it corresponds to
priyataraṃ (“the most beloved”;
-tara is the superlative suffix in
Sanskrit). In his entry on gces pa
(but not rab tu gces pa), Negi cites
it as a translation of priya in
another passage in the same text (Negi 1993, s.v.). On the other hand, the Mahāvyutpatti dictionary gives several translations for
priya, as well as compounds
including priya, and none of them are
gces pa. Another point to note
about priya is that it has a
different number of syllables than prareju. If, for example, prareju were the result of a scribe miscopying the text at some point, we
must ask why we do not find any versions with an incorrect title that has the same
number of syllables or letters as the hypothetical “original” priya. That said, a final possibility
(perhaps an explanation of last resort) is precisely that what we have is a scribal
mistake that crept in early in the text’s transmission in Tibet, though a faulty
back-translation into Sanskrit is probably more likely. Our translation is
based on the version of the text contained in the Degé Kangyur. When comparing the
Tibetan versions in the different Kangyurs (including the Lhasa, Stok Palace, Choné,
Narthang, and Lithang Kangyurs), we found only minor differences beyond questions of
spelling. The text has previously been translated several times: by W. W. Rockhill in
1883, by Bhikkhu Thubten Kalsang and Bhikkhu Pāsādika in 1970, and in two recent
translations into English and Spanish, respectively, which have been published on the
internet. See Rockhill 1885, pp.
clxxii–clxxiii; Kalsang 1970, pp. 5–7; Gyatso 2015; Lekden 2013. We are not
aware of any modern research dedicated to this text.

“It is explained that like branches that grow

For a long time from a strong trunk,

If that person has only the outer attributes for a long time,

Reprehensible talk will increase,

And misdeeds too will increase.”

Several Tibetan masters quote verses from the sūtra to emphasize the
importance of keeping monastic discipline. For example, Jé Tsongkhapa (1357–1419) says
in his Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path: See Tsong-kha-pa 2000, p. 343. The
translation given here is by the Lamrim Chenmo Translation Committee.

“There are very grave consequences for you if you undertake an ethical
discipline and then fail to keep it. The Sūtra Beloved of Monks (Bhikṣuprarejusūtra) says that, once you undertake a
training, it will proceed in either an advantageous or disadvantageous direction:

“ ‘The ethical discipline of some leads to pleasure;

The ethical discipline of others leads to pain.

Those who possess ethical discipline are happy,

Whereas those who break ethical discipline suffer.’

“Therefore, you should also think about the drawbacks of not keeping to
ethical discipline and thereby generate great respect for the training.”

Another example is the Fifth Dalai Lama, Ngawang Losang Gyatso (1617–82),
who quotes a verse in his regulations for Drepung monastery: Quoted from Jansen 2013, pp. 121–22, except for the sūtra
quote, where we use our own translation, since Jansen offers a different
interpretation. The Great Fifth also uses two lines of the sūtra in his biography of
Tsarchen Losal Gyatso (1502–66). See Mohr 2010, p. 304.

“If, due to a specific condition, one cannot keep the vows, it is more
beneficial to give them up than to keep them hypocritically. For [the Bhikṣupriyasūtra] says:

“ ‘Rather than not abiding by the training

While bearing the Well-Gone One’s victory banner,

It would be better if that person were to cast off this outer appearance and remain
a householder

The moment they no longer abide by the training.’ ”

The verse cited by the Fifth Dalai Lama embodies one of the sūtra’s key
points—the importance of disciplined conduct, which the Buddha urges mendicants to
treasure, warning them of careless discipline. The Buddha also affirms the value and
benefit of monastic vows, urging those who have gone forth to protect their discipline
and to hold it dear. For example, he eloquently likens discipline to an unparalleled
balm, monastic robes to unparalleled garments, and disciplined conduct to supreme
happiness. He says, moreover, that the merit accumulated through it brings forth the
result of buddhahood.

Lastly, it should be noted that in the title and throughout the translation,
we have rendered the term bhikṣu
(Tib. dge slong) as “mendicant.” The
Sanskrit term technically refers to a fully ordained monk, but in the plural, it may
also implicitly include fully ordained nuns (Skt. bhikṣuṇī) and sometimes even practicing lay people. See Alice Collett and Bhikkhu Anālayo 2014.
Moreover, we know that the Buddha’s disciples in Śrāvastī included nuns. He addresses
them explicitly in the Bhikṣuṇīvinayavibhaṅga, See dge slong ma’i
’dul ba rnam par ’byed pa (Toh 5), which shows
instances of the Buddha addressing nuns in Śrāvastī’s Jeta Grove (see, for example,
folio 118.b). and several Pali suttas of the Saṃyutta Nikāya also mention the
presence of nuns in Śrāvastī. See Bodhi
2000, pp. 221–30, who shows that the discourses with bhikkhunis all take place in
Śrāvastī, although the exact location mentioned there is Jeta’s Grove and not the
Blooming Lotus Monastery. While of course we cannot know whether the sūtra’s
original audience included nuns, its subject matter clearly concerns monks and nuns
equally, so we felt it was desirable to render the term bhikṣu with the more inclusive “mendicant,” rather than just
“monk.” This choice is also supported by the original meaning of the term bhikṣu, which, in its most literal sense,
simply means “one who begs (Skt. bhikṣati)
for a living.”

The Translation

The Sūtra on What Mendicants Hold Most Dear

Homage to the Omniscient
One.

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was residing in the Blooming
Lotus Monastery in the great city of Śrāvastī together with a retinue that consisted of
a saṅgha of 12,500 mendicants. At that time, among the assembled retinue of the Blessed
One, there was a noble one called Upāli, whose senses were disciplined, who was well
learned, and who had profound wisdom. He was devoted to the Dharma and Vinaya excellently
taught by the Blessed One, and he held them in the highest esteem. Upāli rose from his
seat, draped his upper robe over one shoulder, and, kneeling on his right knee with
palms joined at his heart, he smiled and supplicated the Blessed One with these
words:

“Arisen like a lotus from the mud of saṃsāra,

Protector, unshakable like a mountain, your sage’s body

Ornamented by the adornments of the minor marks and beautiful with the blossoms of
the major marks,

One never tires of looking at you. To you, utterly supreme, I pay homage!

“Since there are only mendicants residing here, I supplicate you,

O Sage, to please teach us who are gathered here these four points:

The nature of mendicants, their types,

The usage of the term, and their obligations.”

The blessed Well-Gone One was very pleased

And, looking at Upāli, responded as follows: Note that these two lines are in verse even though they
are spoken neither by the Buddha nor by Upāli, but by the narrator.

“Listen well, Upāli, my son,

For I will satisfy you

And explain this for the benefit of mendicants.

“Mendicants are the victory banner of the Dharma,

And mendicants are the adamantine life pillar. This refers to the central inner pillar or tree trunk
that is said to give life to a stūpa or sacred statue.

Mendicants are those who have abandoned suffering,

And mendicants are the heirs of the victorious ones.

Mendicants are those who have cut the life force of afflictions,

And mendicants are those who enter the garden of liberation.

“The very nature of mendicants is restraint, This is likely playing on the word for “vows” (Skt.
samvara, Tib. sdom pa), which in both Sanskrit and
Tibetan shares a root with “restraint” (Skt. samvṛta, Tib. bsdams
pa).

And their completely pure obligations are the two hundred and fifty precepts, This is the approximate number of precepts
for fully ordained monks. Nuns have roughly one hundred additional precepts, the
exact count depending on the lineage.

Such as those on the four root downfalls, which comprise disciplined conduct.

“As for the types of mendicants, what are they called?

There are those who hold only the outer attributes, and there are genuine mendicants.

“As for the usage of the term, because their afflictions are completely
exhausted, Though the Tibetan does not
actually make this explicit, we have read “exhausted” here as referring to the
afflictions, which are the basis of saṃsāra, becoming depleted. It may reflect a
common Pali definition of bhikkhu
as being so called due to bhinnakilesattā, “the state of having broken (bhinna) the afflictions (kilesa, Skt. kleśa).” See the respective aṭṭhakathās to the Abhidamma Vibhaṅga (PTS 328) and to the
Vimānavatthu (PTS 29, 114, 310) and Petavatthu (PTS 51, 146) in the Khuddakanikāya.
This definition is based on a traditional etymological analysis of the word bhikkhu.

Because they arouse wholesomeness,
“Arouse wholesomeness” (Tib. dge slong)
is a literal translation of the Tibetan term for bhikṣu, rendered throughout as “mendicant.” Note that the
Tibetan uses the same verb for “arouse” wholesomeness and “beg for” food, creating a
wordplay that is lost in the English translation. beg for food,

Abide in peace, have entered the path,

Lead a proper life, have abandoned attachment,

And are attractive, for these reasons they are called ‘mendicants.’ This passage presents a list of traditional definitions
of the term bhikṣu. The first three
definitions are traditional etymologies of the word bhikṣu. These are not actual linguistic etymologies but more
akin to folk etymologies. They work by using homophones to elucidate a word’s
meaning, and they are tied to ancient Indian beliefs about the power of language to
both shape and embody reality. Rather than being etymologies, the last five
definitions cited in this verse are synonyms that encapsulate the defining
characteristics of a bhikṣu. Like
the folk etymologies, these lists of synonyms have ancient roots in Buddhist
literature.

“Mendicant means adorned: This may
be a play on the Sanskrit words bhikṣu and vibhūṣaṇa
(“adornment”), which sound similar. The Buddha seems to be defining bhikṣu by pointing to an etymology based
in wordplay, suggesting that bhikṣu and “adornment” come from the same root (Skt. dhātu) and therefore bhikṣu means “adornment.” Without the
original Sanskrit text, we cannot confirm that the word for “adornment” is a
semi-homophone to bhikṣu. Thus,
while our interpretation remains speculative, it is in accord with the frequent
wordplay in the rest of the sūtra. If this interpretation is correct, the Buddha
here is adding a new etymology of the word “mendicant” (not found in other
discourses) to the list of classic etymological definitions of the term just
rehearsed in the preceding paragraph.

They are well adorned by the adornment of abandoning adornment.

Having abandoned attachment, they practice with great attachment.

They enjoy the unsurpassed balm, ablution, food,

And when it comes to horses, elephants, palanquins, and the like,

They ride the unsurpassed mount. While
the preceding verse contains wordplay on the meaning of the term
bhikṣu, in this list of a
mendicant’s adornments, the Buddha instead employs a symbolic mode, playing further
on the meaning of “adornment.” Taken literally, the list appears counterintuitive
and surprising, since it contains luxurious items that are restricted by a
mendicant’s vows. However, the meaning of these items is symbolically inverted from
examples of unwholesome indulgence to supremely wholesome characteristics, as the
Buddha continues to explain later.

Those who have acquired these are mendicants,

And those who have not acquired these are not mendicants.”

Upāli then supplicated

The Blessed One with the following words: Note that, as in the case above, these two lines are
kept in verse even though they are spoken neither by the Buddha nor by Upāli, but by
the narrator.

“How is that? The Well-Gone One has given a derivation The Tibetan skad
kyi byings, which we translate as “derivation,” is a grammatical term
for the “root” (Skt. dhātu) of a
word. If our interpretation is correct, “derivation” (Tib. skad byings, lit. “verbal root”) refers to
the Buddha’s deriving the term for “mendicant” (Skt. bhikṣu) from the word for “ornament” (perhaps Skt. vibhūṣaṇa), which is not found among the
standard etymologies given for the term in Buddhist literature (

see note 24). Since
this derivation is both unique and counterintuitive, Upāli here asks the Buddha for
further explanation. Another possible interpretation of skad byings in this context would be “concealed speech,” by
which Upāli might refer to the preceding coded series of surprising adornments
listed by the Buddha (

see note 25).

That is difficult to understand.

Well-Gone One, please shed light

On those words’ obscurity

With the lamp of your words!”

The Blessed One responded:

“Having completely abandoned worldly ornaments

Such as gold, adorn yourself

With the supreme ornament of compassion!

Wear not worldly garments, but the garment of training—

That is the excellent, supreme garment.

“Anoint yourself not with camphor or the like,

But with the supreme balm of disciplined conduct.

The most beautiful color is not white or red or the like,

But the color of faith.

The swiftest mount is not a worldly mount,

But the unsurpassed mount of diligence.

“The Dharma practice of meditative stability is the supreme nourishment

Whose taste is more refined than rice pudding.

In the celestial palace of the saṅgha gathering,

Apply yourself fully on the seat of calm abiding!

“Those endowed with these do not fall back.

They are genuine mendicants.

“Those who have the three main robes and the five accompanying implements

Along with the sage’s bowl and staff,

Who are completely restrained in body, speech, and mind,

And who show ascetic discipline
“Ascetic discipline” (Skt. vrata,
Tib. brtul zhugs) refers to the
twelve ascetic practices (dvādaśadhūtaguṇāḥ, sbyang pa’i
yon tan bcu gnyis) regarding food, clothing, and residence. These
include practices like begging for alms, wearing castoff clothing, and living in
seclusion. in their conduct—

They are also genuine mendicants.

“Both types of genuine mendicants will approach the city of liberation

And experience the supreme bliss of liberation.

“As for the other type—those who are disingenuous Degé reads gnyis (“two”) for the number of other types, but our translation
follows that of several other Kangyurs (H, KY, J, KQ, N, C) that read gcig (“one”). —

With their alms bowls and other implements ablaze,

They will be boiled like molten iron

In the hells for four thousand eons.

“The disciplined conduct of some brings happiness;

The disciplined conduct of others is the cause of suffering.

Possessing disciplined conduct is supreme happiness;

Disordered disciplined conduct is suffering.

“One who restrains oneself most excellently through disciplined conduct,

Such a person gains a beautiful outer appearance.

The merit amassed by a person

Who, even for a single day, closely abides by the Vinaya

And places their trust in the training of disciplined conduct

Is without measure.

Accumulate it and bring forth the result of buddhahood!

“Deceiving yourself,

Claiming, ‘I am a mendicant,’

Based merely on the outer appearance

Of bearing the Well-Gone One’s victory banner, “Bearing the Well-Gone One’s victory banner” refers to
wearing monastic robes, which are the outer signs of being a follower of the
Buddha.

Yet not abiding by the training,

Is like tying a sword to the trunk of a mad elephant, Here the reading in Degé is sda, which we emend to sna based on the other Kangyur versions.

Or like a pregnant woman drinking overly sour liquids.

“The seeds from misdeeds that such a person amasses

In a single day are without measure,

And they only commit

All sorts of harms against themselves.

“Rather than not abiding by the training

While bearing the Well-Gone One’s victory banner,

It would be better if that person were to cast off this outer appearance and remain a
householder

The moment they no longer abide by the training. While the Tibetan in most Kangyur versions uses the
term for “body” (Tib. gzugs po, lit.
“one with form”) here, it carries the same meaning as the term for “form” (Tib. gzugs) or “outer appearance” used in the
verses above. We should therefore understand this as referring to the outer
appearance of wearing the monastic robes. Even though the Comparative Edition does
not list this, some Kangyur versions (S, F, and possibly also D) use gzugs bor (lit. “casting off the form”),
changing the Tibetan letter pa into
ba, since the letters look very
similar. Since this explains the additional por/bor syllable, we
are following this alternate reading.

“A holder of the outer attributes who does not abide by the training—

This worldly person

Will fail to appeal to anyone’s heart,

And they will become the object of everyone’s disparagement.

“It is explained that, like branches that grow

For a long time from a strong trunk,

If that person has only the outer attributes for a long time,

Reprehensible talk will increase,

And misdeeds too will increase.

“Disciplined conduct is supreme happiness.

Disciplined conduct is the path to liberation.

Disciplined conduct is the field of good qualities.

Disciplined conduct is the cause of buddhahood.

“Disciplined conduct is most supreme.

Protect it like your own eyes!

It is unwise and foolish to cast aside

Disciplined conduct, even if your life is at stake.

“If you lose your life, you will be reborn thereafter,

But disciplined conduct, once lost, will not be like that. A possible understanding of these two lines is that if
we lose our life, we will regain it in rebirth, but if we lose our discipline, we
may not get a chance to regain it, particularly if we are not reborn in a precious
human body with the opportunity to be liberated. “Once lost” has been read by implication in the second line of this verse. Literally the Tibetan here might be rendered, “You are reborn after you lose your life, but not so after disciplined conduct.”

Therefore, Upāli and all you others,

Hold on to it firmly!”

Thus proclaimed the Blessed One, and Upāli and the other mendicants praised
what the Blessed One had said.

This completes “The Sūtra on What Mendicants Hold
Most Dear.”

Notes

Abbreviations

C
Choné

D
Degé

H
Lhasa (Zhol)

J
Lithang

KY

Peking Yongle

KQ

Peking Qianlong

L
London (Shelkar)

N
Narthang

S
Stok Palace

Z
Shey Palace

Bibliography

Primary Sources

Secondary Sources

mendicant
dge slong
དགེ་སློང་།
bhikṣu
Although the Tib. (dge slong) and Skt. (bhikṣu) terms usually refer to fully ordained monks, in the plural
they may encompass nuns as well. Rendering it as “mendicant” in English remains
faithful to the original meaning of bhikṣu as “one who begs for alms.”

The four root downfalls (Tib. rtsa ba’i ltung ba bzhi, here shortened to Tib. rtsa ba bzhi) are killing, taking what is
not given, sexual activity, and lying about one’s spiritual attainments.

The three robes (Skt. tricīvara, Tib. chos gos
gsum) of the fully ordained are the lower robe (Skt. antarvāsa, Tib. mthang gos) wrapped around the waist, the outer or upper
robe (Skt. uttarāsaṅga, Tib. bla gos) covering the upper body, and the
ceremonial robe (Skt. saṃghāṭī, Tib. snam sbyar).

These may refer to the traditional possessions of mendicants,
which Prebish 2002, p. 4, lists as “begging bowl, razor, needle, girding for the
robes, and water strainer” in addition to the three robes.

Upāli
nye bar ’khor
ཉེ་བར་འཁོར།
Upāli
One of the ten closest disciples of the Buddha. He is known
for having mastered the Buddha’s teachings on the Vinaya, the code of discipline.
After the Buddha’s parinirvāṇa, Upāli was the Vinaya’s chief compiler.

Name of a monastery (vihāra) in Śrāvastī.