Mahavagga, Khandaka 5, Chapter 8

1. Now when the Blessed One had remained at Benares as long as he thought fit, he set out on his journey towards Bhaddiya. And wandering from place to place he came to Bhaddiya: and there, at Bhaddiya, he stayed in the Jātiyā Grove.

Now at that time the Bhikkhus at Bhaddiya were accustomed to the use of various kinds of foot coverings for the sake of ornament. They made, or had made for themselves foot coverings of tiṇa-grass, of muñja-grass, of babbaja-grass, of the leaves of the date-palm^[1], of kamala-grass^[2], and of wool^[3]. And they neglected^[4] instruction, enquiry, morality, self-concentration, and wisdom^[5].

2. The moderate Bhikkhus were annoyed, murmured, and became angry, thinking, 'How can they [do so]?' And those Bhikkhus told this thing to the Blessed One.

'Is it true' (&c., as in chap. 4. 2)?

'It is true, Lord.'

The Blessed Buddha rebuked them, saying, 'How can they [do so]?' This will not conduce (&c., as in chap. 4. 2, down to:) becoming estranged.

3. Having thus rebuked them, and having delivered a religious discourse, he thus addressed the Bhikkhus: 'Shoes, O Bhikkhus, made of tiṇa-grass are not to be worn, or made of muñja-grass, or of babbaja-grass, or of leaves of the date-palm, or of kamala-grass, or of wool, nor [ornamented with] gold, or silver, or pearls, or beryls, or crystal, or copper, or glass, or tin, or lead, or bronze. Whosoever does so, is guilty of a dukkaṭa offence.

'And clogs, O Bhikkhus, that are taken away^[6], are not to be worn. Whosoever does so, is guilty of a dukkaṭa offence.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of three kinds of clogs, that are fixed to the ground, and are not taken away^[7], privy-clogs, urinal-clogs, and rinsing-clogs^[8].'

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Hintāla-pādukā ’ti khajjūra- (MS. khajjari) pattehi katapādukā: hintāla-pattehi pi na vaṭṭati yeva (B.).

[2]:

Kamala-pādukā ’ti kamala-tiṇaṃ nāma atthi, tena kata-pādukā. Ussīra-pādukā ’ti pi vadanti. Childers only gives lotus as the meaning of kamala. At Jātaka I, 119, 149, 178; IV, 42, it must be kamala, and not kambala as printed by Fausböll, that is meant.

[3]:

Kambala-pādukā ’ti uṇṇāhi kata-pādukā.

[4]:

On riñcanti (Sanskrit ric, riṇakti), compare the verses in Milinda Pañha, p. 419 (ed. Trenckner).

[5]:

The adhisīlādi-sikkhā-ttayaṃ mentioned at Dhp. p. 358 is explained in the Saṃgiti Sutta as training in adhisīla, adhicitta, and adhipaññā. On the first, compare the note on Mahāvagga I, 36, 8.

[6]:

See next clause.

[7]:

Asaṃkamaniyāyo ’ti bhūmiyaṃ supatiṭṭhā niccalā asaṃhariyā (sic), (B. here). Compare Pātimokkha, pp. 106, 113 (ed. Minayeff), and Childers's interpretation of those passages under saṃkamati.

[8]:

On vacca-pādukā, see Kullavagga V, 35, 2, at the end; and VIII, 10, 3, at the beginning. On the other two, Cullavagga V, 35; 1, 4, and VIII, 10, 3; and see also VIII, 9. The use of them was part of the sanitary arrangements enjoined upon the Order. A very ancient pair of stone vacca-pādukā, forming part of a slab of stone, was discovered at Anurādhapura by Rhys Davids, and is now in the Colombo Museum. As they were dug up in one of the palaces there, they were probably for the use of the king, or some high official. These ruins are among the most ancient in Ceylon, and are certainly pre-Christian in date.