Vinaya Pitaka (3): Khandhaka
by I. B. Horner | 2014 | 386,194 words | ISBN-13: 9781921842160
The English translation of the Khandhaka: the second book of the Pali Vinaya Pitaka, one of the three major ‘baskets’ of Therevada canonical literature. It is a collection of various narratives. The English translation of the Vinaya-pitaka (third part, khandhaka) contains many Pali original words, but transliterated using a system similar to the I...
Allowance for sugar, etc.
Then the Lord, having stayed at Sāvatthī for as long as he found suiting, Vin.1.210 set out on tour for Rājagaha. And on the way the venerable Revata the Doubter[1] saw a sugar-factory; having stepped aside, (he saw the men) putting flour and syrup[2] BD.4.286 into the sugar; seeing this and thinking: “Sugar with food[3] is unallowable; it is not allowable to make use of sugar at a wrong time,” being scrupulous,[4] he and his company did not make use of the sugar, neither did those make use of the sugar who deemed that he should be listened to. They told this matter to the Lord. He said: “Why, monks, did they put flour and syrup into the sugar?”
“So as to make it firm, Lord.”
“If, monks, they put flour and syrup into the sugar so as to make it firm, and if it is still called ‘sugar’, I allow you, monks, to make use of as much sugar as you like.”[5]
Kd.6.16.2 Then on the way the venerable Revata the Doubter saw a kidney-bean growing on a dunghill; having seen it and thinking: “Kidney-beans are not allowable, for ripe kidney-beans are also growing,”[6] being scrupulous he and his company did not make use of the kidney-bean, neither did those who deemed that he should be listened to make use of the kidney-bean. They told this matter to the Lord. He said: “Monks, even if ripe kidney-beans are growing, I allow you to make use of kidney-beans as much as you like.”
Kd.6.16.3 Now at that time a certain monk had an affliction of wind in the stomach. He drank salted sour gruel.[7] Because of this his affliction of wind in the stomach subsided. They told this matter to the Lord. He said: “I allow, monks, salted sour gruel for one who is ill; when one is not ill to make use of it by using it as a beverage mixed with water.”
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Kankhārevata. At AN.i.24 called “chief of musers”; verses at Thag.3, Thi-ap.491. Mentioned at Ud.5.7, MN.i.212, MN.i.462. He was scrupulous about and doubted what was allowable, kappiya. Cf. Thag-a.37, Ud-a.314, AN-a.i.230, MN-a.ii.247, GS.i.18, n.2.
[2]:
chārikaṃ cannot here be ashes, which is its most usual meaning. But cf. Sanskrit kṣāra, treacle, molasses. Perhaps some confused reference back to the “four irregular things” of Kd.6.14.6 is intended here. The allowability of the first two has been emphasised in specific cases (in Kd.6.14.6 and Kd.6.14.7), and “mud turned up by the plough” (of Kd.6.14.7) is probably intended as an example of the fourth irregular thing, namely clay. Here occurs the same word as is used for the third irregular thing, chārika, there translated “ashes” where syrup or treacle would hardly fit; but here translated “syrup”, as people would not put ashes into sugar to stiffen it, nor would ashes be called “food”, āmisa.
[4]:
kukkuccāyanta. AN-a.i.230, in explanation of Kaṅkhārevata’s name, says “doubting means, having scruples; the meaning is being scrupulous”.
[5]:
yathāsukhaṃ.
[6]:
Meaning of this passage is not clear. Vin-a.1092 says, “if ripe kidney-beans are also growing they may be used as much as you like, for these are allowed just because they are ripe”. On mugga see BD.1.83, n.4.
[7]:
loṇasovīraka. At Vin.3.86 it is called suvīraka. See BD.1.149, n.3.