IV.
THE PATISÂRANIYA-KAMMA (ACT OF RECONCILIATION).
18 1.
1. Now at that time the venerable Sudhamma was residing at Makkhikâsanda in
dependence upon Kitta the householder, superintending 2 the new buildings he
erected 3, and being constantly supplied by him with food. And whenever Kitta
the householder wished to give an invitation to the Samgha, or to four or five
Bhikkhus 4, or to a single one, he used not to invite them without making
special mention of the venerable Sudhamma.
Now at that time a number of the Thera Bhikkhus, including the venerable
Sâriputta, and the venerable Mahâ Moggallâna, and the venerable Mahâ Kakkâna,
and the venerable Mahâ Kotthita, and the venerable Mahâ Kappina, and the
venerable Mahâ Kunda, and
p. 360
the venerable Anuruddha, and the venerable Revata, and the venerable Upâli, and
the venerable Ânanda, and the venerable Râhula, as they were journeying through
the country of Kâsi, arrived at Makkhikâsanda. And Kitta the householder heard
the news that the Thera Bhikkhus had arrived at Makkhikâsanda.
Then Kitta the householder went up to the place where the Thera Bhikkhus were,
and on arriving there, he saluted the Thera Bhikkhus, and took his seat on one
side. And when he was so seated the venerable Sâriputta taught Kitta the
householder, and incited him, and roused him, and gladdened him with religious
discourse. And Kitta the householder, having been thus taught, and incited, and
roused, and gladdened with religious discourse, said to the Thera Bhikkhus, 'May
the venerable Theras consent to take their to-morrow's meal, as incoming
Bhikkhus, at my house.' And the Thera Bhikkhus signified, by silence, their
consent.
2. Then perceiving that the Thera Bhikkhus had given their consent, Kitta the
householder rose from his seat, and bowed down before the Thera Bhikkhus, and
keeping them on his right hand as he passed them, went on to the place where the
venerable Sudhamma was. And on arriving there, he saluted the venerable
Sudhamma, and stood by on one side. And so standing, Kitta the householder said
to the venerable Sudhamma: 'May the venerable Sudhamma consent to take his
to-morrow's meal at my house with the Theras.'
But the venerable Sudhamma, thinking, 'Formerly indeed this Kitta the
householder, whenever he wished to give an invitation to the Samgha, or to
p. 361
four or five Bhikkhus, or to a single one, used not to invite them without
making special mention of me; but now he has invited the Thera Bhikkhus without
regarding me. This Kitta the householder is now incensed against me,
unfavourable to me, takes pleasure in me no longer.' And so thinking he refused,
saying, 'It is enough, O householder.'
And a second time Kitta the householder said to the venerable Sudhamma (&c., as
before, with the same result). And a third time (&c., as before, with the same
result).
Then Kitta the householder, thinking, 'What can the venerable Sudhamma do
against me, whether he consents, or whether he does not consent,' saluted the
venerable Sudhamma, and keeping him on his right hand as he passed him, departed
thence.
3. And at the end of the night Kitta the householder made ready sweet food, both
hard and soft, for the Thera Bhikkhus. And the venerable Sudhamma, thinking, 'I
may as well go and see what Kitta the householder has made ready for the Thera
Bhikkhus,' robed himself early in the morning, and went, duly bowled and robed,
to the place where Kitta the householder dwelt; and, on arriving there, he took
his seat on a mat spread out for him.
Then Kitta the householder went up to the place where the venerable Sudhamma
was; and after he had come there, he saluted the venerable Sudhamma, and took
his seat on one side. And when he was so seated the venerable Sudhamma addressed
Kitta the householder, and said: 'Though this great store of sweet food, both
hard and soft, has been made ready by you, O householder, there is one thing yet
wanting, that is to say, tila seed cake.
'p. 362
Though then, Sir, there is so much treasure in the ward of the Buddhas, yet
there is but one thing of which the venerable Sudhamma makes mention, and that
is tila seed cake. Long ago, Sir, certain merchants of Dakkhinâpatha went, for
the sake of their traffic, to the country of the East, and thence they brought
back a hen. Now, Sir, that hen made acquaintance with a crow, and gave birth to
a chicken. And, Sir, whenever that chicken tried to utter the cry of a cock it
gave vent to a "caw," and whenever it tried to utter the cry of a crow, it gave
vent to a "cock-a-doodle-do 1." Just even so, Sir, though there is much treasure
in the ward of the Buddhas, when-ever the venerable Sudhamma speaks, the sound
is "tila seed cake."'
4. 'You are abusing me, householder. You are finding fault with me, householder.
This place, householder, is yours. I must go away from it,' said the venerable
Sudhamma.
'I do not intend, Sir, to abuse the venerable Sudhamma, nor to find fault with
him. Let, Sir, the venerable Sudhamma still dwell at Makkhikâsanda. Pleasant is
this grove of plum trees, and I shall take good care to, provide the venerable
Sudhamma with those things a recluse requires--to wit, with robes and food and
lodging and medicine when he is sick.'
And a second time the venerable Sudhamma said: You are abusing me (&c., as
before, with the same reply). And a third time the venerable Sudhamma said: 'You
are abusing me (&c., as before, down to) I must go away from it.'
p. 363
'Whither then, Sir, will the venerable Sudhamma go?'
'I shall go to Sâvatthi, O householder, to visit the Blessed One.'
'Then, Sir, let the Blessed One know all, both what you yourself have said, and
what I have said. And I should not, Sir, be surprised if the venerable Sudhamma
were to return again even to Makkhikâsanda.'
5. So the venerable Sudhamma gathered together his sleeping mat, and set out,
with his bowl and his robe, for Sâvatthi. And he journeyed straight on to
Sâvatthi, to the Getavana, Anâthapindika's Grove, to the place where the Blessed
One was; and on arriving there he bowed down before the Blessed One, and took
his seat on one side. And when he was thus seated the venerable Sudhamma
informed the Blessed One of all, both that he himself had said, and that Kitta
the householder had said.
The Blessed Buddha rebuked him, saying, 'This was improper, O foolish one, not
according to rule, unsuitable, unworthy of a Samana, and ought not to have been.
done. How is it that you, O foolish one, could put down 1 and could lower by
your censure 2 Kitta the householder, he being a man of faith, a believing
disciple, and a donor, a provider, and a supporter of the Samgha?' This will not
conduce, O foolish one, either to the conversion of the unconverted, or to the
increase of the converted; but rather to the unconverted not being converted,
and to the turning back of those who have been
p. 364
converted.' And after he had rebuked him, and had delivered a religious
discourse, he addressed the Bhikkhus, and said: 'Let therefore the Samgha, O
Bhikkhus, carry out the Patisâraniya-kamma (Act of Reconciliation) 1 against the
Bhikkhu Sudhamma, saying, "You are to ask and obtain pardon of Kitta the
householder."'
6. 'Now thus, O Bhikkhus, should it be carried out. In the first place the
Bhikkhu Sudhamma ought to be warned: when he has been warned, he ought to be
reminded (of the Rule in the Pâtimokkha against which he has offended); when he
has been reminded, he ought to be charged with the offence; when he has been
charged with the offence, some discreet and able Bhikkhu ought to lay the matter
before the Samgha, saying,
'"Let the venerable Samgha hear me. This Bhikkhu Sudhamma has put down, and has
lowered by censure Kitta the householder, a man of faith, a believing disciple,
a donor, provider and supporter of the Samgha. If the time is fit for the Samgha
to do so, let the Samgha carry out the Patisâraniya-kamma against the Bhikkhu
Sudhamma.
'"This is the motion (ñatti).
p. 365
'"Let the venerable Samgha hear me. This Bhikkhu (&c., as before, down to)
supporter of the Samgha. The Samgha hereby carries out the Patisâraniya-kamma
against the Bhikkhu Sudhamma with the words, 'You are to ask and obtain pardon
of Kitta the householder.' Whosoever of the venerable ones approves of the
carrying out of the Patisâraniya-kamma against Sudhamma the Bhikkhu, let him
remain silent. Whosoever approves not thereof, let him speak.
'"A second time I say the same thing. Let the venerable. Samgha (&c., as
before). A third time I say the same thing. Let the venerable Samgha (&c:, as
before).
'"The Patisâraniya-kamma has been carried out against the Bhikkhu Sudhamma with
the words, 'You are to ask and obtain pardon of Kitta the householder.' The
Samgha approves the motion. Therefore is it silent. Thus do I understand."'
Footnotes
359:1 The whole of this story of Kitta and Sudhamma recurs in the Dhammapada
commentary, pp. 262-264. There is no Rule in the Pâtimokkha by which giving
offence to a layman, the cause of the proceeding described in the following
chapters, is considered worthy of censure.
359:2 Navakammiko, not 'newly appointed to an office,' as Dr. Rudolf Hoernle
translates in the Indian Antiquary, XI, 29, in dealing with one of the Bharhut
Inscriptions. See Gâtaka I, 92, and below, V, 13, 3, VI, 5, 2, VI, 17, 1, X, 24,
This duty of superintending a new building was even filled by Bhikkhunîs; see
the Bhikkhunî-vibhaṅga, Pârâgika I, where the details of the duty are
incidentally mentioned.
359:3 Compare below, Kullavagga VI, 5, 2, and Gâtaka I, 92, 22.
359:4 This clause, both here and below, is omitted in the Sinhalese MS.
362:1 Compare Gâtaka I, 432; II, 307.
363:1 Compare Dhammapada, p. 263, and Gâtaka I, 191.
363:2 Compare Gâtaka I, 191, 356, 359, and Sutta Nipâta, verse 905.
364:1 Childers proposes doubtingly to derive the word Patisâraniya from the root
smar; but that that is impossible is probably sufficiently evident from the
meaning of the word, which is quite clear from the context of this, and from the
following chapters. Now at p. 530 of the Lalita Vistara the common Pâli phrase
sammodanîyam katham sârânîyam vîtisâretvâ is represented by the Sanskrit
sammodanîh samrañg.anîh kathâh kritvâ. It is by no means impossible that this
parallel may offer the true solution of the etymology of the Pâli words in
question; (compare Sârâga as equal to samrâga, sâratta to samrakta, &c. &c.)
Patisâraniya would then be equal to pratisamrañganîya. See Senart, Mahâvagga, p.
599.
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