{"collection":"Buddhism","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/bud/sbe20/sbe20121.htm","path":"bud/sbe20/sbe20121.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/bud/sbe20/sbe20121.htm","text":"1. Now the Vaggian Bhikkhus of Ves\u00e2l\u00ee heard the rumour: 'Yasa, they say, the son of K\u00e2kandaka, wishing to take this legal question in hand, is seeking about for support, and support they say he is succeeding in getting.' And they thought: 'This legal question, now, is hard and subtle. How can we obtain such support that we may have the greater power at the decision thereof 1?'\nAnd they thought: 'The venerable Yasa, who dwells at Soreyya, is wise in the traditions, and is one who has learnt the Agamas, who knows by heart the Dhamma, the Vinaya, the M\u00e2tik\u00e2s, is intelligent, discreet, and wise, modest, conscientious, and devoted to the precepts. If we could gain him over to our side, we should attain our end.'\nThen the Vaggian Bhikkhus of Ves\u00e2l\u00ee got together much property, requisites, a number of things of the Samanas' life--to wit, bowls and robes, and rugs, and needlecases, and girdles, and filters, and regulation-pots 2. And, taking this property with\nthem, they went up stream by boat to Sahag\u00e2ti, and there disembarked, and took their meal at the foot of a certain tree.\n2. Now to the venerable S\u00e2lha, who retired apart and was plunged in meditation, there occurred this doubtful problem: 'Are the Bhikkhus of the East, or the Bhikkhus of the West, the more in accordance with the Dhamma in the opinion that they hold?' And having gone over the Dhamma and the Vinaya in his mind, he came to the conclusion, 'The Bhikkhus of the East are not, and the Bhikkhus of the West are, in accordance with the Dhamma in the opinion that they hold.'\nAnd a certain one of the deities in the Pure Abode 1 perceived how this doubtful problem had arisen in the venerable S\u00e2lha's mind, and as quickly as a strong man could stretch forth his bent arm, or draw it in again when it was outstretched, so quickly did that deity vanish from the Pure Abode, and appeared before the venerable S\u00e2lha; saying to him: 'Thou art quite right, S\u00e2lha; it is the Eastern Bhikkhus whose opinions are against the Dhamma, and the Western Bhikkhus whose opinions accord therewith. Do thou, therefore, O S\u00e2lha, even as the Dhamma is, so take thy stand!'\n'Both formerly, O deity, and now, also, do I take my stand even as the Dhamma is. Notwithstanding, I shall not make manifest my opinion until (the Samgha) shall have appointed me (judge) over this question 2.'\n3. Now the Vaggian Bhikkhus of Ves\u00e2l\u00ee, taking with them the aforesaid property, went to the place\nwhere the venerable Revata was, and said to him: 'Let the venerable Thera receive at our hands these requisites of a Samana's life.'\nBut he refused to receive it, saying, 'Not so, my friends. I have all the things 1 I want.'\nNow at that time a Bhikkhu named Uttara, who had been twenty years admitted into the Order 2, was the attendant upon the venerable Revata. And the Vaggian Bhikkhus of Ves\u00e2l\u00ee went to him, and said: 'Let your reverence receive at our hands these requisites of a Samana's life.'\nBut he made the same reply.\nThen they said: 'People used to offer such requisites to the Blessed One. If he received them, they were happy. If he did not receive them, they used to offer them to the venerable \u00c2nanda, saying, \"Let the venerable Thera receive these requisites of a Samana's life: that will be just as if the Blessed One had received them.\" Let the venerable Uttara receive these things: that will be as if the Thera had received them.'\nThen the venerable Uttara, being thus importuned by the Vaggian Bhikkhus of Ves\u00e2l\u00ee, accepted one robe, saying, 'You may tell me, friends, what you want.'\n'Let the venerable Uttara say thus much for us to the Thera: \"Let the venerable Thera say thus much in the meeting of the Samgha--'It is in the regions of the East that the Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, are born. It is the Bhikkhus of the East who hold opinions in accord with the Dhamma, whereas the Bhikkhus of the West do not.'\"'\n'Even so, Sirs,' said the venerable Uttara, in assent to the Vaggian Bhikkhus of Ves\u00e2l\u00ee. And he went to Revata, and told him what they had said.\n'Thou urgest me, O Bhikkhu, to that which is against the Dhamma,' said the Thera, and sent away the venerable Uttara 1.\nAnd the Vaggian Bhikkhus of Ves\u00e2l\u00ee said to the venerable Uttara: 'What, fiend Uttara, did the Thera say?'\n'It is an evil you have wrought me, Sirs. The Thera has sent me away, saying, \"Thou urgest me, O Bhikkhu, to what is against the Dhamma.\"'\n'Are you not, Sir, of full age, of twenty years (since your upasampad\u00e2)?'\n'Yes, Sirs, I am.'\n'Then do we take the nissaya under you as your pupils 2.'\n4. Now the Samgha met together with the intention of deciding the legal question. And the venerable Revata laid a resolution before the Samgha, saying,\n'Let the venerable Samgha hear me. If we were to settle this question, it might be that those Bhikkhus who had at first taken the matter in hand might raise it again 3. If it seem meet to the Samgha, let the Samgha settle it at that place where it arose.'\nThen the Thera Bhikkhus went to Ves\u00e2l\u00ee, with the intention of settling the matter there.\nNow at that time the eldest Thera in the world, Sabbak\u00e2m\u00ee by name, one who was of a hundred and twenty years' standing from the date of his upasampad\u00e2, and who had been a pupil 1 of the venerable \u00c2nanda, was living at Ves\u00e2l\u00ee. And the venerable Revata said to the venerable Sambh\u00fbta S\u00e2nav\u00e2s\u00ee:\n'I shall go to that Vih\u00e2ra in which the Thera Sabbak\u00e2m\u00ee dwells. Do you go betimes to the venerable Sabbak\u00e2m\u00ee, and question him as touching these ten points.'\n'Even so, Lord,' said the venerable Sambh\u00fbta S\u00e2nav\u00e2s\u00ee, in assent to the venerable Revata.\nAnd the venerable Revata came to that Vih\u00e2ra in which the venerable Sabbak\u00e2m\u00ee lived; and a sleeping-place was made ready for the former in the inner chamber, and for the latter in front thereof. And the venerable Revata, thinking, 'This Thera, though so old, does not care to sleep,' did not go to rest. And the venerable Sabbak\u00e2m\u00ee, thinking, 'This Bhikkhu, though a traveller and tired, does not care to sleep,' did not go to rest.\n5. Then when the night was far spent, the venerable Sabbak\u00e2m\u00ee said to the venerable Revata:\n'By what manner of life, beloved one, have you lived now these so many years?'\n'By continuing in the sense of love, honoured friend, have I continued thus so many years.'\n'They say that you have continued thus, beloved one, by easiness of life: and that indeed, beloved one, is an easy life, (I mean) the continuing in love.'\n'Even long ago, Sir, when I was a layman, was much love laid up in my heart, therefore is it that now also I live much in the sense of love, and indeed since long I have attained to Arahatship. And by what manner of life have you lived now these many years?'\n'By continuing in the sense of the emptiness (of worldly things) have I, beloved one, lived these many years.'\n'They say that you, honoured friend, have continued thus by the sense of being a man born to greatness 1; and that indeed, honoured friend, is the same feeling, (I mean) the sense of the emptiness of things.'\n'Even long ago, beloved one, when I was a layman, had I a strong sense of the emptiness of things, therefore is it that now also I live much in that feeling, and indeed since long I have attained to Arahatship.'\n6. Now 2 this conversation between the Thera Bhikkhus was still unfinished when the venerable Sambh\u00fbta S\u00e2nav\u00e2s\u00ee arrived there. And he went up to the venerable Sabbak\u00e2m\u00ee, and saluted him, and took his seat beside him. And, so seated, he said to the venerable Sabbak\u00e2m\u00ee:\n'These Vaggian Bhikkhus of Ves\u00e2l\u00ee have put forth in Ves\u00e2l\u00ee these ten points;' and he told them all 3. 'Now you, O Thera, have mastered much Dhamma and Vinaya at the feet of your preceptor.\n[paragraph continues] What, then, is the conclusion to which you, O Thera, come as you lay over in your mind the Dhamma and the Vinaya;--whose opinion is in accordance with the Dhamma, that of the Bhikkhus of the East, or that of the Bhikkhus of the West?'\n'You also, Sir, have mastered much Dhamma and Vinaya at the feet of your preceptor. What, then, is the conclusion to which you, Sir, come as you lay over in your mind the Dhamma and the Vinaya;--whose opinion is in accordance with the Dhamma, that of the Bhikkhus of the East, or that of the Bhikkhus of the West?'\n'The conclusion to which I come, Lord, as I so lay over in my mind the Dhamma and the Vinaya, is this--that the Bhikkhus of the East hold an opinion that is not in accord with the Dhamma, while the Bhikkhus of the West are in accord with the Dhamma. Notwithstanding, I do not intend to make manifest my opinion until (the Samgha) shall have appointed me (referee) over this question 1.'\n'The conclusion to which I also have come, Sir, as I lay over in my mind the Dhamma and the Vinaya, is this--that the Bhikkhus of the East hold an opinion that is not in accordance with the Dhamma, while the Bhikkhus of the West are in accord with the Dhamma. Notwithstanding, I do not intend to make manifest my opinion until (the Samgha) shall have appointed me (referee) over this question.'\n7. Then the Samgha met together with the intention of enquiring into this legal question. But while they were enquiring into it, both was much pointless speaking brought forth and also the sense\nin no single speech was clear 1. Then the venerable Revata laid a resolution before the Samgha:\n'Let the venerable Samgha hear me. Whilst we are discussing this legal question, there is both much pointless speaking, and no sense is clear in any single speech. If it seem meet to the Samgha, let the Samgha settle this legal question by referring it (to a jury) 2.'\nAnd he chose four Bhikkhus of the East and four Bhikkhus of the West--from the Bhikkhus of the East the venerable Sabbak\u00e2m\u00ee, and the venerable S\u00e2lha, and the venerable Khugga-sobhita, and the venerable V\u00e2sabha-g\u00e2mika--and from the Bhikkhus of the West, the venerable Revata, and the venerable Sambh\u00fbta S\u00e2nav\u00e2s\u00ee, and the venerable Yasa, the son of K\u00e2kandaka, and the venerable Sumana. Then the venerable Revata laid a resolution before the Samgha:\n'Let the venerable Samgha hear me. During the enquiry into this matter there has been much pointless talk among us, and in no single utterance is the sense clear. If it seem meet to the Samgha, let the Samgha delegate four Bhikkhus of the East and four Bhikkhus of the West to settle this question by reference. This is the resolution.\n'Let the venerable Samgha hear me. During the enquiry into this matter there has been much pointless talk among us, and the sense in any single utterance is not clear. The Samgha delegates four Bhikkhus of the East and four Bhikkhus of the West to settle this question by reference. Whosoever\nof the venerable ones approves thereof, let him keep silence. Whosoever approves not thereof, let him speak. The delegation is made accordingly. The Samgha approves thereof. Therefore is it silent. Thus do I understand.'\nNow at that time a Bhikkhu named Agita, of ten years' standing, was the reciter of the P\u00e2timokkha to the Samgha. Him did the Samgha appoint as seat regulator 1 to the Thera Bhikkhus.\nThen the Thera Bhikkhus thought, 'At what place, now, ought we to settle this legal question?' And it occurred to them: 'This V\u00e2lika \u00c2r\u00e2ma is a pleasant place, quiet and undisturbed. Let us settle the matter there.' And thither the Thera Bhikkhus proceeded to enquire into the question.\n8. Then the venerable Revata laid a resolution before the Samgha 2: 'Let the venerable Samgha hear me. If it seem meet to the Samgha, I will question the venerable Sabbak\u00e2m\u00ee as touching the Vinaya.' And the venerable Sabbak\u00e2m\u00ee laid a resolution before the Samgha: 'If it seem meet to the Samgha, I, when asked by Revata touching the Vinaya, will give reply.'\nAnd the venerable Revata said to the venerable Sabbak\u00e2m\u00ee: 'Is the horn-salt-license, Lord, allowable?'\n'What, Sir, is this horn-salt-license?'\n'Is it allowable, Lord, to carry about salt in a horn with the intention of putting it into food which has not been salted?'\n'No, Sir, it is not allowable.'\n'Where was such a claim rejected?'\n'At S\u00e2vatthi, in the Sutta Vibha\u1e45ga.'\n'Of what offence is the person, who does so, guilty?'\n'Of P\u00e2kittiya, in eating food which has been put by 1.'\n'Let the venerable Samgha hear me. This first point, having been examined into by the Samgha, has been found to be. false Dhamma and false Vinaya, and not contained in the teaching of the Master. Thus do I cast the first vote.'\n'Is the two-inch-license, Lord, allowable?'\n'What, Sir, is this two-inch-license?'\n'Is it allowable, Lord, to eat the midday meal beyond the right time, provided only that the shadow of the sun has not yet turned two inches?'\n'Where has such a claim been rejected?'\n'At R\u00e2gagaha, in the Sutta Vibha\u1e45ga.'\n'Of what offence is he, who does so, guilty?'\n'Of P\u00e2kittiya, in eating at the wrong time 2.'\n'Let the venerable Samgha hear me. This second point, having been examined into by the Samgha, has been found to be false Dhamma and false Vinaya, and not contained in the teaching of the Master. Thus do I cast the second vote.'\n'Is the village-trip-license, Lord, allowable?'\n'What, Sir, is this village-trip-license?'\n'Is it allowable for one who has once finished his meal, and has refused any more, to eat food which has not been left over, on the ground that he is about to proceed into the village?'\n'Of P\u00e2kittiya, in eating food which has not been left over 1.'\n'Let the venerable Samgha hear me. This third point, having been examined into by the Samgha, has been found to be false Dhamma and false Vinaya, and not contained in the teaching of the Master. Thus do I cast the third vote.'\n'Is the circuit-license, Lord, allowable?'\n'What, Sir, is this circuit-license?'\n'Is it allowable, Lord, for a number of Bhikkhus who dwell within the same circuit, within the same boundary, to hold separate Uposathas?'\n'At R\u00e2gagaha, in the Uposatha Samyutta 2'\n'Of what offence is he, who does so, guilty?' 'Of Dukkata, in neglecting the Vinaya.'\n'Let the venerable Samgha hear me. This fourth point, having been examined into by the Samgha, has been found to be false Dhamma and false Vinaya, and not contained in the teaching of the Master. Thus do I cast the fourth vote.'\n'Is the indemnity-license, Lord, allowable?'\n'What, Sir, is this indemnity-license?'\n'Is it allowable, Lord, for a Samgha which is not legally constituted to perform an official act, on the ground that they will afterwards obtain the sanction of such Bhikkhus as subsequently arrive?'\n'In the Kampeyyaka section, in the body of the Vinaya 1.'\n'Of Dukkata, in neglecting the Vinaya.'\n'Let the venerable Samgha hear me. This fifth point, having been examined into by the Samgha, has been found to be false Dhamma and false Vinaya, and not contained in the teaching of the Master. Thus do I cast this fifth vote.'\n'Is the precedent-license, Lord, allowable?'\n'What, Sir, is this precedent-license?'\n'Is it allowable, Lord, to do a thing on the ground that \"My preceptor (upaggh\u00e2ya) has practised this,\" or \"My teacher (\u00e2kariya) has practised that?\"'\n'In some cases, Sir, it is allowable, and in some not 2'\n'Let the venerable Samgha hear me. This sixth point, having been examined into by the Samgha, has been found to be false Dhamma and false Vinaya, and not contained in the teaching of the Master. Thus do I cast this sixth vote.'\n'Is the churn-license, Lord, allowable?'\n'What, Sir, is this churn-license?'\n'Is it allowable, Lord, for one who has once finished his meal, and has refused any more, to drink milk not left over from the meal, on the ground that it has left the condition of milk and has not yet reached the condition of curds?'\n'Let the venerable Samgha hear me. This seventh point, having been examined into by the Samgha, has been found to be false Dhamma and false Vinaya, and not contained in the teaching of the Master. Thus do I cast this seventh vote.'\n'Is it allowable, Lord, to drink toddy?'\n'What, Sir, is this toddy?'\n'Is it allowable, Lord, to drink spirits which have not yet become spirits and have not yet acquired intoxicating properties?'\n'Where was it rejected?'\n'At Kosamb\u00ee, in the Sutta Vibha\u1e45ga:\n'Of P\u00e2kittiya, in the drinking of fermented liquors and strong drink 2.'\n'Let the venerable Samgha hear me. The eighth point, having been examined into by the Samgha, has been found to be false Dhamma and false Vinaya, and not contained in the teaching of the Master. Thus do I cast this eighth vote.'\n'Is the unfringed-seat, Lord, allowable 1?'\n'Where has it been rejected?'\n'At Savatthi, in the Sutta Vibha\u1e45ga.'\n'Of what offence is he, who uses such a seat, guilty?'\n'Of P\u00e2kittiya, in using a thing which ought to be cut down (to the proper size) 2.'\n'Let the venerable Samgha hear me. This ninth point, having been examined into by the Samgha, has been found to be false Dhamma and false Vinaya, and not contained in the teaching of the Master. Thus do I cast this ninth vote.'\n'Is gold and silver, Lord, allowable?'\n'Where was it forbidden?'\n'Of what offence is he, who takes it, guilty?'\n'Of P\u00e2kittiya, in accepting gold and silver 3.'\n'Let the venerable Samgha hear me. This tenth point, having been examined into by the Samgha, has been found to be false Dhamma and false Vinaya, and not contained in the teaching of the Master. Thus do I cast this tenth vote.'\n'Let the venerable Samgha hear me. These ten points, having been examined into by the Samgha, have been found to be false Dhamma and false Vinaya, and not contained in the teaching of the Master.'\n' 1This legal question, Sir, has been concluded; and being settled, it is settled once for all. Nevertheless, Sir, do you question me on these ten points in the midst also of the Samgha 2, in order to persuade those Bhikkhus 3.'\nSo the venerable Revata questioned the venerable Sabbak\u00e2m\u00ee on the ten points also in the midst of the Samgha, and as he was questioned on one after the other, the venerable Sabbak\u00e2m\u00ee gave reply.\n9. Now whereas at this rehearsal of the Vinaya seven hundred Bhikkhus, without one more, without one being wanting, took part, therefore is that rehearsal of the Vinaya called 'That of the seven hundred 4.'\n=====================\nHere ends the Twelfth Khandhaka, on the Rehearsal by the Seven Hundred.\n400:1 Compare above, XII, 1, 9.\n400:2 On Dhamma-karaka, see our note at Kullavagga V, 13, I.\n401:1 The Heaven, so called.\n401:2 Compare below, \u00a7 6.\n402:1 Literally, 'I have the three robes.'\n402:2 V\u00eesativasso; that is, since his upasampad\u00e2.\n403:1 Pan\u00e2mesi. That is, permanently from attendance upon him. Compare Mah\u00e2vagga I, 27. 2, where the word is used of the formal dismissal or turning away of a pupil.\n403:2 Garu-nissayam ganh\u00e2ma; on which Buddhaghosa has nothing, though the phrase does not occur elsewhere in the Khandhakas.\n403:3 Compare the 63rd P\u00e2kittiya.\n404:1 Literally, 'had dwelt in the same Vih\u00e2ra with.'\n405:1 Mah\u00e2purisa. On the subsequent history of which word, see Senart's 'L\u00e9gende du Buddha,' pp. 54, 127,\n405:2 Karahi. Compare 'Book of the Great Decease,' III, 53; Childers, p. 32.\n405:3 The text repeats XII, 1, 1.\n406:1 Compare above, \u00a7 2.\n407:1 So above in Kullavagga IV, 24, 19, where the proceeding adopted in the subsequent sentences is laid down for use on such an occasion.\n407:2 Ubb\u00e2hik\u00e2ya. See the passage quoted in the last note.\n408:1 \u00c2sana-pa\u00f1\u00f1\u00e2pakam. This office is not mentioned in the other Khandhakas. We should expect to find it at Kullavagga VI, 21, 2. The reason of this is that it is no office of authority. The different referees would take their seats in the order of their seniority, and all that the \u00e2sana-pa\u00f1\u00f1\u00e2paka would have to do would be to see that they were provided with everything they required (it was not much, chiefly mats or rugs to sit upon) in the hall or grove where they met.\n408:2 Here, of course, consisting of the eight referees.\n409:1 P\u00e2kittiya XXXVIII.\n409:2 P\u00e2kittiya XXXVII.\n410:1 P\u00e2kittiya XXXV.\n410:2 Samyutta must here be used for Khandhaka. The passage referred to is Mah\u00e2vagga II (the Uposatha Khandhaka), 8, 3.\n411:1 Vinaya-vatthu. Here used as a title, apparently of the Khandhakas. The passage referred to is in the Kampeyyaka Khandhaka (Mah\u00e2vagga IX, 3, 5).\n411:2 See the note above on XII, I. 10.\n412:1 P\u00e2kittiya XXXV.\n412:2 P\u00e2kittiya LI.\n413:1 That is, does the fact of its being unfringed make legal a mat or rug otherwise illegal by reason of its size? See above, XII, 1, 10.\n413:2 P\u00e2kittiya LXXXIX.\n413:3 The 18th Nissaggiya P\u00e2kittiya.\n414:1 It is clear from the word tvam \u00e2vuso, that Sabbak\u00e2m\u00ee is here addressing Revata.\n414:2 That is not only of the referees, but of all the Bhikkhus there at Ves\u00e2l\u00ee.\n414:3 Bhikkh\u00fbnam sa\u00f1\u00f1attiy\u00e2. See the use of this phrase at Kullavagga IV, 14, 26, and VII, 4. I. and our note on the latter of those two passages.\n414:4 Compare XI, 1, 15.","title":"SBE 20: Twelfth Khandhaka: Chapter 2","type":"page"}