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....
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Mahavagga, Khandaka 6, Chapter 11
1. Now at that time a certain Bhikkhu had disease of the eyes. They used to carry that Bhikkhu out to ease himself. The Blessed One as he was passing through the Bhikkhus' sleeping quarters saw them [doing so]. When he saw them, he went up to the place where they were, and asked those Bhikkhus:
'What is the disease, O Bhikkhus, from which this Bhikkhu suffers?'
2. 'This venerable one, Lord, has disease of the eyes. Therefore do we carry him out to ease himself.'
Then the Blessed One, on that account, having delivered a religious discourse, addressed the Bhikkhus, and said:
'I allow, O Bhikkhus, the use of eye ointments[1]; to wit, black collyrium[2], rasa ointment[3], sota ointment[4], geruka[5], and kapalla[6].'
They had need of perfumes to grind up into ointments.
'I allow, O Bhikkhus, the use of sandal wood, tagara[7], black anusāri[8], kālīya[9], and bhaddamuttaka[10].'
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Añjana, which is here a generic term, inclusive of all the following; sabba-saṃgāhika-vacanaṃ, says Buddhaghosa.
[2]:
Kāḷañjanan ti ekā añjana-jāti (B.).
[3]:
Rasañjanan ti nānā-sambhārehi kataṃ (B.). Böhtlingk-Roth say it is made with vitriol.
[4]:
Sotañjanan ti nadisotādisu uppajjanakaṃ añjanaṃ (B.). It is called in Sanskrit srotoñjana, and was made with antimony.
[5]:
Geruka is the Sanskrit gairika, ochre; and the kind meant is yellow ochre. Geruko nāma suvaṇṇa-geruko, says Buddhaghosa. Compare the Sanskrit Kāñcana-gairika and svarṇa-gairika.
[6]:
Kapallan ti dīpa-sikhāto gahita-masi, 'soot taken from the flame of a lamp' (B.).
[7]:
Tagara as a fragrant flower is mentioned in verse 54 of the Dhammapada quoted in Milinda Pañha, p. 333.
[8]:
A kind of dark fragrant sandal wood.
[9]:
Read so in the text as corrected on p. 381. It is a kind of sandal wood.
[10]:
A perfume made from the grass of the same name (mentioned above, VI, 3).