Vinaya (2): The Mahavagga
by T. W. Rhys Davids | 1881 | 156,382 words
The Mahavagga (part of the Vinaya collection) includes accounts of Gautama Buddha’s and the ten principal disciples’ awakenings, as well as rules for ordination, rules for reciting the Patimokkha during uposatha days, and various monastic procedures....
Mahavagga, Khandaka 6, Chapter 6
1. Now at that time the Bhikkhus who were sick had need of fruits as medicine.
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of fruits as medicine—the viḷaṅga[1], the pippala[2], and marica peppers; the harītaka[3], and vibhītaka[4], and āmalaka[5] myrobalans; the goṭha fruit[6]; and whatsoever other fruits are used for medicine, and impart an appetising flavour to foods, either hard or soft, which the sick Bhikkhus could not otherwise eat. They may be received and stored up (&c., as in chap. 4, down to:) guilty of a dukkaṭa offence,'
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Erycibe Paniculata.
[2]:
This is not the Ficus Religiosa, but simply pepper. Childers, following Subhūti's edition of the Abhidhānappadīpikā, spells both this word and the allied form Pippalī with pph instead of pp. So also Fausböll at Jātaka, vol. i, p. 29, verse 218. We prefer the spelling with pp in accordance with the Sanskrit.
[3]:
Yellow myrobalan.
[4]:
Beleric myrobalan.
[5]:
Emblic myrobalan.
[6]:
We cannot suggest any explanation of this word. Buddhaghosa has no comment on any of these medicinal fruits or seeds.