1. Now when the Blessed One had remained at Âlavî as long as he thought fit, he
set out on his journey towards Râjagaha. And proceeding straight on, he arrived
in due course at Râjagaha. And there, at Râjagaha, the Blessed One stayed at the
Veluvana in the Kalandaka Nivâpa.
Now at that time there was a scarcity of food at Râjagaha 1. The people were
unable to provide food for the (whole) Samgha and they were desirous of
providing food 2 (to be sent to the Vihâra) for the use of a special Bhikkhu
(designated by the donor) 3 or for special Bhikkhus invited (by the donor in his
own house) 4 or for (single Bhikkhus) appointed by ticket (issued by the Samgha)
5, or of providing food during a fortnight 6, or on Uposatha
p. 221
days (that is, on the last days of each fortnight) or on the first days of each
fortnight.
They told this matter to the Blessed One.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, each of three ways of obtaining food.'
Now at that time the Khabbaggiya Bhikkhus having received good food for
themselves, gave over the worse food (which they had also received) to the other
Bhikkhus.
They told this matter to the Blessed One.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to appoint as apportioner of rations 1 a Bhikkhu who
is possessed of the following five qualifications--(&c., as in IV, 9, down to
the end of the Kammavâkâ):
Now the Bhikkhus who were apportioners of rations, thought: 'How then are the
rations to be apportioned?'
They told this matter to the Blessed One.
'I allow you. O Bhikkhus, to apportion them by arranging the food in small
heaps, and fastening tickets or marks upon them 2.'
2. Now at that time the Samgha had no distributor
p. 222
of lodging-places--no overseer of stores--no receiver of robes--no distributor
of robes, of congey, or of fruits--and no distributor of dry foods, and through
not being distributed it went bad.
They told each of these matters 1 to the Blessed One.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to appoint as distributor of lodging-places, &c., a
Bhikkhu who has (&c., as in § 1, down to the end of the Kammavâkâ, inserting
throughout the appropriate variations in the fifth qualification).
3. Now at that time articles of trifling value had accumulated in the storehouse
of the Samgha.
They told this matter to the Blessed One.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to appoint as disposer of trifles a Bhikkhu who has
(&c., as before, down to the end of the Kammavâkâ). Each separate needle, and
pair of scissors, and pair of sandals, and girdle, and pair of braces, and
filtering cloth, and regulation strainer 2, and plait 3, and half-plait 3, and
gusset 3, and half-gusset 3, and binding 4, and braiding 4, is to be given away.
If the Samgha has any ghee, or oil, or honey, or molasses, he is to give it away
for personal consumption only, and if it be wanted, he is to give it a second
and a third time 5.'
p. 223
Now at that time the Samgha had no receiver of under-garments 1, or of
bowls,--no superintendent of those who kept the grounds in order (the Ârâmikas),
and the Ârâmikas not being looked after, the necessary work was not done,--no
superintendent of sâmaneras, and the sâmaneras not being looked after did not
perform their duties.
They told each of these matters to the Blessed One.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to appoint as receiver of under-garments, &c., a
Bhikkhu who has (&c., as before, down to the end of the Kammavâkâ).'
=====================
End of the Sixth Khandhaka, on Sleeping Arrangements, &c,
Footnotes
220:1 Other special rules for times of scarcity will be found at Mahâvagga VI,
17, 7; 18, 4; 19, 2; 20, 4 (repealed for times of plenty in VI, 32). Compare
also Pârâgika IV, 1, 1.
220:2 The above modes of receiving food (instead of collecting in a bowl morsels
of food given in alms) are the dispensations allowed by Mahâvagga I, 30, 4.
220:3 Uddesa-bhattam kâtum. Compare the story of Upananda at Mahâvagga VI, 19,
I.
220:4 Nimantanam kâtum. The word is only used in this special technical sense.
Compare the whole story of Kulla-panthaka at Gâtaka I, 116, and especially the
last line.
220:5 Salâka-bhattam kâtum. See especially above, Kullavagga IV, 9; IV, to.
220:6 Pakkhikam kâtum. Both Childers sub voce and Frankfurter p. 221 ('Pali
Handbook,' p. 165), in interpreting the passage at Mahâvagga I, 30, 4, take this
to mean a feast given on the eighth day of the month. But paksha is the
half-month. The expression much more probably means, therefore, to provide food
either during the whole of a half-month for one or more specially invited
Bhikkhus, or for a larger number on any one day of the half-month to be chosen
by the Samgha.
221:1 Compare above, Kullavagga IV, 4, 1.
221:2 Buddhaghosa says, Salâkâya vâ patikâya vâ upanibandhitvâ opuñkhitvâ
uddisitun ti vakanato rukkhasâramayâya salâkâya vâ veluvilivatâlapannâdinayâya
patikâya vâ asukassa nâma salâkabhattan ti evam akkharâni upanibandhitvâ
pakkhiyam vâ kîvarabhoge vâ katvâ sabbâ salâkâyo omuñkhitvâ [sic] punappunam
hetthâ-vasena âloletvâ . . . dâtabbâ.
222:1 There is another officer (âsana-paññâpaka) mentioned at Kullavagga XII, 2,
7, whose omission from the list here is worthy of notice.
222:2 Dhamma-karako. See V, 13, I.
222:3 On these words, see Mahâvagga VIII, 12, 2.
222:4 On these two words, see Mahâvagga VIII, 1, 5.
222:5 These things were to be used only as medicines, according to Mahâvagga VI,
1, 1-5, where butter is also added. That would be under the charge of the
distributor of dry foods (§ 2), as if kept it would go bad. According to VI, 15,
10, none of these five p. 222 kinds of medicine were to be kept for a period
exceeding seven days, but that was a rule that was not very probable to be
strictly followed.
223:1 Sâtiya; no doubt the same as is spelt elsewhere sâtikâ or sâtakâ, and is
used for such purposes as bathing in.
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