NINTH KHANDHAKA.
ON EXCLUSION FROM THE PÂTIMOKKHA CEREMONY.
1.
1. Now at that time the Blessed One was staying at Sâvatthi, in the Eastern
Ârâma, the mansion of the mother of Migâra. And at that time, it being Uposatha
Day, the Blessed One was seated in the midst of the Bhikkhu-samgha. And the
venerable Ânanda, when the night was far spent, when the first watch was passing
away, arose from his seat, arranged his robe over one shoulder, and stretching
out his joined hands towards the Blessed One, said to the Blessed One:
'The night, Lord, is far spent. The first watch is passing away. For a long time
has the Bhikkhu-samgha been seated here. Let my lord the Blessed One recite to
the Bhikkhus the Pâtimokkha.'
When he had thus spoken, the Blessed One remained silent. And a second time,
when the second watch was passing away [he made the same request with the same
result]. And a third time, when the third watch had begun, and the dawn was
breaking 1 he made the same request].
The assembly, Ânanda, is not pure 2.'
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2. Then the venerable Mahâ Moggallâna thought, 'What individual can the Blessed
One be referring to in that he says, "The assembly, Ânanda, is not pure."' And
the venerable Mahâ Moggallâna considered the whole Bhikkhu-samgha, penetrating
their minds with his. Then the venerable Mahâ Moggallâna perceived who was that
individual,--evil in conduct, wicked in character, of impure and doubtful 1
behaviour, not a Samana though he had taken the vows of one, not a religious
student though he had taken the vows of one, foul within, full of cravings, a
worthless creature,--who had taken his seat amongst the Bhikkhu-samgha. On
perceiving which it was, he went up to that individual, and said to him, 'Arise,
Sir! The Blessed One has found you out. There can be no communion 2 between you
and the Bhikkhus!'
When he had thus spoken, that man kept silence. And a second and a third time
the venerable Mahâ Moggallâna addressed to him [the same words, and with the
same result]. Then the venerable Mahâ Moggallâna took that man by the arm and
made him go out beyond the porch 3, and bolted the door,
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and went up to the place where the Blessed One was, and said to him, 'Lord, I
have made that man go out. The assembly is now undefiled. May my lord the
Blessed One recite the Pâtimokkha to the Bhikkhus.'
'How astonishing and curious a thing it is, Moggallâna, that that foolish fellow
should have waited up to the very point when he had to be taken by the arm.'
3. And the Blessed One said to the Bhikkhus: 'There are, O Bhikkhus, in the
great ocean, then, eight astonishing and curious qualities, by the constant
perception of which the mighty creatures take delight in the great ocean. And
what are the eight?
'The great ocean, O Bhikkhus, gets gradually deeper, slope following on slope,
hollow succeeding hollow, and the fall is not precipitously abrupt 1. This is
the first [of such qualities] 2.
'Again, Ô Bhikkhus, the great ocean remains of the same nature 3, and passes not
beyond the shore. This is the second [of such qualities].
'Again, O Bhikkhus, the great ocean will not brook association with a dead
corpse. Whatsoever dead corpse there be in the sea, that will it--and
quickly--draw to the shore, and cast it out on the dry ground 4. This is the
third [of such qualities].
'Again, O Bhikkhus, all the great rivers--that is to say, the Gaṅgâ, the Yamunâ,
the Akiravatî, the
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[paragraph continues] Sarabhû, and the Mahî--they, when they have fallen into
the great ocean, renounce their names and lineage, and are reckoned thenceforth
as the great ocean. This is the fourth [of such qualities].
'Again, O Bhikkhus, though all the streams in the world flow on till they reach
the great ocean, and all the waters of the sky fall into it, yet does it not
thereby seem to be the more empty or more full. This is the fifth [of such
qualities].
'Again, O Bhikkhus, the great ocean has only one taste, the taste of salt. This
is the sixth [of such qualities].
'Again, O Bhikkhus, the great ocean is full of gems, of gems of various kinds;
among which are these gems--that is to say, the pearl, the diamond, the catseye,
the chank, rock, coral, silver, gold, the ruby, and the cornelian 1. This is the
seventh [of such qualities].
'Again, O Bhikkhus, the great ocean is the dwelling-place of mighty beings,
among which are these--that is to say, the Timi, the Timiṅgala, the
Timitimiṅgala, the Asuras, the Nâgas, and the Gandhabbas. There are in the great
ocean creatures so constituted that they stretch from one to five hundred
leagues 2. This is the eighth [of such qualities].
4. 'And just in the same way, O Bhikkhus, there are in this doctrine and
discipline eight marvellous and wonderful qualities, by the constant perception
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of which the Bhikkhus take delight in this doctrine and discipline. What are the
eight?
'Just, O Bhikkhus, as the great ocean gets gradually deeper, slope following on
slope, hollow succeeding hollow, and the fall is not precipitately abrupt just
so, O Bhikkhus, in this doctrine and discipline is the training a gradual one,
work following on work, and step succeeding step; and there is no sudden
attainment to the insight (of Arahatship) 1. This is the first [of such
qualities].
Just, O Bhikkhus, as the great ocean remains of the same nature, and passes not
beyond the shore--just so, O Bhikkhus, is the body of precepts which I have
established for those who are hearers of my word, and which they, their lives
long, do not pass beyond. This is the second [of such qualities].
Just, O Bhikkhus, as the great ocean will not brook association with a dead
corpse; but whatsoever dead corpse there be in the sea that will it--and
quickly--draw to the shore, and cast it out upon the dry land just so, O
Bhikkhus, if there be any individual evil in conduct, wicked in character, of
impure and doubtful behaviour, not a Samana though he have taken the vows of
one, not a religious student though he have taken the vows of one, foul within,
full of cravings, a worthless creature; with him will the Samgha brook no
association, but quickly, on its meeting together, will it cast him out. And
what though that man should himself be seated in the midst of the
Bhikkhu-samgha, verily, both is he afar off from the Samgha,
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and the Samgha from him. This is the third (of such qualities].
'Just, O Bhikkhus, as the great rivers--that is to say, the Gaṅgâ, the Yamunâ,
the Akiravatî, the Sarabhû, and the Mahî--when they have fallen into the great
ocean, renounce their name and lineage and are thenceforth reckoned as the great
ocean just so, O Bhikkhus, do these four castes--the Khattiyas, the Brahmans,
the Vessas, and the Suddas--when they have gone forth from the world under the
doctrine and discipline proclaimed by the Tathâgata, renounce their names and
lineage, and enter into the number of the Sakyaputtiya Samanas. This is the
fourth [of such qualities].
'Just, O Bhikkhus, as though all the streams in the world flow on till they
reach the great ocean, and all the waters of the sky fall into it, yet does it
not seem thereby to be either more empty or more full just so, O Bhikkhus,
though many Bhikkhus pass entirely away in that kind of passing away which
leaves not a trace behind, yet does not [the Samgha] thereby seem to be either
more empty or more full. This is the fifth [of such qualities].
'Just, O Bhikkhus, as the great ocean has only one taste, the taste of salt just
so, O Bhikkhus, has this doctrine and discipline only one flavour, the flavour
of emancipation. This is the sixth [of such qualities].
'Just, O Bhikkhus, as the great ocean is full of gems, of gems of various
kinds--that is to say, the pearl, the diamond, the catseye, the chank, rock,
coral, silver, gold, the ruby, and the cornelian--just so, O Bhikkhus, is this
doctrine and discipline full of gems, of gems of various kinds, among which are
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these gems,--that is to say, the four Earnest Meditations, the fourfold Great
Struggle, the four Roads to Iddhi, the five Moral Powers, the five Moral Senses,
the seven kinds of Wisdom, and the noble eightfold Path. This is the seventh [of
such qualities].
'Just, O Bhikkhus, as the great ocean is the dwelling-place of mighty beings,
among which are the Timi, the Timiṅgala, the Timitimiṅgala, the Asuras, the
Nâgas. and the Gandhabbas; just as there are in the great ocean creatures so
constituted that they stretch from one to five hundred leagues--just so, O
Bhikkhus, is this doctrine and discipline the resort of mighty beings, among
whom are he who has entered the First Path (the converted man, the Sotâpanno)
and he who has realised the fruit thereof, he who has entered the Second Path
(the Sakadâgâmin) and he who has realised the fruit thereof, he who has entered
the Third Path (the Anâgâmin) and he who has realised the fruit thereof, the
Arahat, and he who has realised the fruit of Arahatship. This is the eighth [of
such qualities].
'These, O Bhikkhus, are the eight marvellous and wonderful qualities in this
doctrine and discipline by the constant perception of which the Bhikkhus take
delight therein.'
And the Blessed One, on perceiving that matter, gave forth at that time this
ecstatic utterance:
'The rain falls heavily on that which is covered, not upon that which is
revealed.
'Reveal, therefore, what thou hast concealed, and the rain shall touch thee not
1.'
Footnotes
299:1 Nandimukhiyâ rattiyâ ti arunadhata-kâle pîti-mukhâ viya ratti khâyati ten’
âha nandimukhiyâ ti (B.). See also our note on this at Mahâvagga VIII, 13, 1.
299:2 That is, there is some one present who is disqualified by some p. 300
fault from taking part in the proceedings, which would therefore be invalid.
300:1 Samkassara. See the passages quoted by Dr. Morris in the introduction to
his edition of the Aṅguttara (pp. viii, ix), though we cannot accept his
conclusions. We may add that the Tibetan rendering of Dhammapada 312, given in
Rockhill's 'Udâna-varga,' p. 49, from which we might expect some help, throws no
light on the exact meaning of the word, the translator contenting himself with
an ambiguous phrase.
300:2 Samvâso. See Mahâvagga I, 79, 2, and Kullavagga.
300:3 On these expressions, see the notes above, V, 14, 3, in accordance with
which we should read here, in the text sûki, for suki.
301:1 Na âyataken’ eva. See Kullavagga V, 3, 1, and V, 27, 2.
301:2 Paragraph 1 is here, and in the succeeding paragraphs, repeated in full.
301:3 Thita-dhammo, 'has characteristics which are stable.'
301:4 For ussâreti read ussâdeti. See our note on VI, 11, 3.
302:1 On these gems, compare Rh. D.'s note on the Mahâ-sudassana Sutta I, 4, in
'Buddhist Suttas from the Pâli,' pp. 249, 250.
302:2 On this belief, compare above, VII, 2, 2. of land creatures, where the
same term, attabhâva, is used.
303:1 Aññâ-pativedho. On the use of aññâ, standing alone, in this sense, see the
note above on Mahâvagga V, I, 19.
305:1 This enigmatical saying amounts apparently to this: 'As a usual thing, no
doubt, the rain falls not on that which is covered p. 306 with a roof; but in
morals it is precisely where there is already a fault concealed, unconfessed,
that new faults rain in upon him who adds deceit to his fault.' Buddhaghosa
says, Khannam ativassatîti âpattim âpaggitvâ patikkhâdento aññam navam âpattim
âpaggatîti idam etam sandhâya vuttam. Vivatam nâtivassatîti âpattim âpaggitvâ
vivaranto aññam n’ âpaggatîti idam etam sandhâya vuttam.
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