Sunday, March 27, 2011

Cullavagga - Tenth Khandhaka: Chapter 3

1. Now Mahâ-pajâpatî the Gotamî went up to the place where the venerable Ânanda
was, and bowed down before him, and stood respectfully on one side.
p. 328
[paragraph continues] And, so standing, Mahâ-pajâpatî the Gotamî said to the
venerable Ânanda: 'One thing, Ânanda, would I ask of the Blessed One. It were
well, Sir, if the Blessed One would allow the making of salutations, the rising
up in presence of another, the paying of reverence, and the performance of
proper duties one towards another, to take place as between both Bhikkhus and
Bhikkhunîs (equally) according to seniority.'
And the venerable Ânanda went to the Blessed One [and repeated her words to
him].
'This is impossible, Ânanda, and unallowable, that I should so order. Even those
others, Ânanda, teachers of ill doctrine, allow not such conduct towards women;
how much less, then, can the Tathâgata allow it?'
And the Blessed One, on that occasion, having delivered a religious discourse,
addressed the Bhikkhus, and said: 'You are not, O Bhikkhus, to bow down before
women, to rise up in their presence, to stretch out your joined hands towards
them, nor to perform towards them those duties that are proper (from an inferior
to a superior). Whosoever does so, shall be guilty of a dukkata.'

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