Supplement (b): Rarity of Monkhood

Even a being so great as the Bodhisatta, who had received the definite prophecy from Buddha Dīpaṅkarā, had witnessed only twenty-four Dispensations which were very few, if we take into consideration that long duration. Even in those twenty-four Dispensations, it was only in nine that he obtained monkhood. Judging from this, it is clear that monkhood is a rarity as it is said in the Texts, “Pabbajitabhāvo dullabho. - The state of a monk is hard to achieve.” Monkhood which proves to be so difficult for a Bodhisatta, who had received the prophecy, to attain, will be all the more so for ordinary persons.

A Dullabha Monk

Nowadays, in Buddhist society, some thoughtful people, who have some off-days while toiling to earn a living, put on robes temporary lest their leisure should go futile. They would make use of it to their advantage. Such a monk is called “dullabha monk.” The meaning is: though they could not live long as a monk, the state of which is very difficult to obtain, they try to take it up for a short period.

If one fails to contemplate its meaning, one is bound to have the wrong notion that only such a temporary bhikkhu is a “dullabha bhikkhu” but he who, after becoming a novice in his younger days, attains monkhood in due course (a monk who has all along been in the robe since his childhood) is not. Because of this notion, people are inclined to show their generosity to a dullabha bhikkhu more than to a lifelong monk who have been ordained from their twentieth year. If a temporary monkhood is difficult to achieve, it goes without saying that a permanent monkhood is much more difficult.

Government Servants and Monkhood

Some would say like this:

“Since there is a rule ‘Na bhikkhave rājabhato pabbājetabbo—Monks, royal attendants should not be made monks’, even though they would make a request for monkhood during their spare time, it is not permissible for the Sangha to grant their request as it is against the Vinaya. Government servants nowadays should not be ordained.”

It is not proper to say thus either. In the Commentary on Rājabhata Vatthu, Mahā-Khandhaka of the Vinaya Mahāvagga Atthakathā, it is explained: “Although, originally, a royal attendant, he who now has returned his salaries to the king; he who has handed over his post either to his son or to his brother; and has informed the king that he is no longer in royal service; he who has fully performed his duties for which he is paid; and he who got the permission to become a monk, willingly given by his rightful employer, the king; it is lawful to ordain them.” In view of this explanation, if pensioners nowadays want to become a monk permanently (a monk for life), they should do so after returning their pensions to the Government or after being given permission willingly from the Government saying: “You may become a monk, if you wish.”

The rule that “Royal attendants should not be made monks” has been promulgated only with reference to those who took the shelter of the sāsana so that they might escape the king’s employ. (This should be known from the Pāli text of the Rajabhata Vatthu.) Government servants today have no intention of escaping service. In fact, they are even worried lest they should be dismissed by incurring the employer’s displeasure as he would ask: “Why should you become a monk?” Therefore, those who become temporary bhikkhus are not against the rule of the Vinaya Mahāvagga, provided they do so after getting permission from the authorities concerned.

Even if the one ordained had the intention to escape Government service, as is referred to by the rule, it is those bhikkhus conferring ordination upon him that violate the rule and not the one ordained who enjoys valid monkhood. It is thus clearly maintained in the Vinaya Texts.

Another way of thinking is as follows:

Even a great being like our Bodhisatta, who had received the definite prophecy, happened to be a bhikkhu only nine times despite the fact that he had encountered twenty-four Buddhas. From this, one is likely to say: “Rare is an achievement of monkhood.” Be that as it may. But, if one take into consideration the statements in the Buddhavaṃsa that four hundred thousand arahats accompanied Buddha Dīpaṅkarā when entering into Rammavati City for alms-food, and that there were one hundred thousand arahats on the first occasion of the three meetings, as the number of arahats was so great, one can hold that it may not be hard to become a monk.

The saying that “Rare is an achievement of monkhood” means “it is seldom that circumstances are favourable for such an event.” Each time the Bodhisatta encountered a Buddha’s Dispensation, he hardly had access to monkhood because circumstances were not favourable. Those numerous arahats in the lifetime of Buddha Dīpaṅkarā were the ones who had favourable circumstances, not only to become bhikkhus but to become arahats. In any endeavours, it is difficult to get a result when circumstances are not favourable. On the other hand, achievement of a result is easy under favourable circumstance.

It was because they had been endowed with the Perfections, which were fulfilled in their past existences and with all other factors leading to arahantship that they became not only monks but also arahats.

In the Bālapandita Sutta, Sunnata Vagga of the Uparipaṇṇāsa (Majjhima Nikāya), there is a simile of a blind tortoise in connection with the saying: “Manussattabhavo dullabho. - Rare is life as a human being.” Suppose a man throws a yoke, which has only one hole, into the sea. That yoke would float adrift to the west if blown by the east wind, to the east if blown by the west wind, to the south if blown by the north wind and to the north if blown by the south wind. In the sea is a tortoise with both eyes blind and it comes up to the surface of the sea every hundredth year. The chance of getting its head into the hole of the drifting yoke is rare indeed. For a being, who has been suffering in the woeful abode in one of his existences, it is more than a hundred times difficult to be reborn as a human being. Other Pāli texts also contain explanations that a human life is difficult to achieve.

While, on the one hand, the rarity of birth as a human being is thus taught, there is teaching, on the other hand, in such books as the Apadāna, the Vimanavatthu, etc., that human and divine bliss can be attained for several existences with the gift of a single flower. This may lead to the impression that “human life is not difficult to gain but easy.” The Apadāna and the like are delivered concerning those who are unable to be reborn as humans for lack of agreeable resources, whereas the Bālapandita and such discourses are given concerning the possibility of rebirth in several human existences through the gift of a flower. The rarity of monkhood is to be viewed in the same manner.

With regard to human existence, though it may be taken (if one does not contemplated deeply) that it is not hard to become a human because of the fact that the world’s population is growing day after day, but, on the other hand, it may be realized that the number of beings in the four woeful states is far greater than that of human beings. Even in the animal world alone, there are countless species. If we take just the population of ants alone and compare with that of humans, it exceeds the latter beyond comparison. Judging from the countless number of beings in the four woeful states as well as from the limited number of humans, it is obvious that rebirth in the human world is indeed very rare.

Similarly, it is difficult to join the Sangha each time there arises a Buddha Dispensation in the world. Those, who have potential qualities to become bhikkhus in the Dispensation of a Buddha, become not only bhikkhus but arahats as well. Therefore, the number of such persons is considerable. But this should not lead one to believe that it is easy to attain monkhood just because they happen to be congregated in the presence of each Buddha under favourable circumstances.

In other words, he, who is endowed with two factors is likely to become a monk: (1) “birth in a Buddha’s Dispensation which is hard to come by—Buddh'uppāda dullabha,” and (2) “life of a human being which is hard to occur—manussatta dullabha.” There is absolutely no possibility of becoming a monk in the absence of a Buddha’s Dispensation though one may be a human. There is absolutely no such possibility if one is a deva, Sakka, Brahmā or a being of a woeful abode even though there is Dispensation of a Buddha. Of these two events, birth in a Buddha’s Dispensation called Buddh'uppāda navama^[1] is harder to happen. Only when there appears a Buddha, can there be His Dispensation. And to appear as a Buddha, it takes one at least four asaṅkhyeyya and a hundred thousand aeons, even after receipt of the prophecy predicting one’s definite Buddhahood, and for so long a period, one is to fulfil the Perfections assiduously with the aforesaid four modes of development. When there appears a Buddha at long last, and His Dispensation shines forth, but if one is not born a human being or even when thus born, if one encounters other hindrances, one cannot become a bhikkhu. Taking this seriously into consideration, it may be said that monkhood is rarer than witnessing a Buddha s Dispensation in the world.

Those who, as a result of their meritorious deeds, have the two factors of witnessing the Dispensation and of being a man, which are both difficult to obtain, should not find formidable hardships in their way to monkhood which is brought about by the two factors. Though it seems that accessibility to monkhood is simple because crores of arahats, in the lifetime of Buddha Dīpaṅkarā, had possessed the two factors namely, a Buddha’s Dispensation and a human existence. It is really difficult to have these immediate causes for monkhood, hence the saying: “Rare indeed is monkhood.”

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Buddh'uppada navama, read Chapter VI, REFLECTIONS ON PERFECTIONS.