Mahavagga, Khandaka 1, Chapter 30

1. At that time an arrangement had been made at Rājagaha that the Bhikkhus were to receive excellent meals successively (in the houses of different rich upāsakas). Now (one day) a certain Brāhmaṇa thought: 'Indeed the precepts which these Sakyaputtiya Samaṇas keep and the life they live are commodious; they have good meals and lie down on beds protected from the wind^[1]. What if I were to embrace the religious life among the Sakyaputtiya Samaṇas?' Then this Brāhmaṇa went to the Bhikkhus and asked them for the pabbajjā ordination; the Bhikkhus conferred the pabbajjā and upasampadā ordinations on him.

2. When he had been ordained, the arrangement of successive meals (with the rich upāsakas) came to an end. The Bhikkhus said to him: 'Come, friend, let us now go on our rounds for alms.'

He replied: 'I have not embraced the religious life for that purpose—to going about for alms; if you give me (food), I will eat; if you do not, I will return to the world.'

(The Bhikkhus said): 'What, friend! have you indeed embraced the religious life for your belly's sake?'

“Yes, friends.”

3. The moderate Bhikkhus were annoyed, murmured, and became angry: 'How can a Bhikkhu embrace the religious life in so well-taught a doctrine and discipline for his belly's sake?'

These Bhikkhus told this thing to the Blessed One.

(The Buddha said): 'Is it true, O Bhikkhu, that you have embraced the religious life for your belly's sake?'

(He replied): 'It is true, Lord.'

Then the blessed Buddha rebuked that Bhikkhu: 'How can you, foolish person that you are, embrace the religious life in so well-taught a doctrine and discipline for your belly's sake? This will not do, O foolish one, for converting the unconverted and for augmenting the number of the converted.'

Having rebuked him and delivered a religious discourse, he thus addressed the Bhikkhus:

4. 'I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that he who confers the upasampadā ordination (on a Bhikkhu), tell him the four Resources.

'The religious life has morsels of food given in alms for its resource. Thus you must endeavour to live all your life. Meals given to the Saṃgha, to certain persons, invitations, food distributed by ticket, meals given each fortnight, each uposatha day (i.e. the last day of each fortnight), or the first day of each fortnight, are extra allowances.

'The religious life has the robe made of rags taken from a dust heap for its resource. Thus you must endeavour to live all your life. Linen, cotton, silk, woollen garments, coarse cloth, hempen cloth are extra allowances.

'The religious life has dwelling at the foot of a tree for its resource. Thus you must endeavour to live all your life. Vihāras, aḍḍhayogas, storied dwellings, attics, caves^[2] are extra allowances.

“The religious life has decomposing urine as medicine^[3] for its resource. Thus you must endeavour to live all your life. Ghee, butter, oil, honey, and molasses are extra allowances.”

Here ends the fifth Bhāṇavāra, which contains the duties towards upajjhāyas.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

On this curious expression, compare Cullavagga IV, 4, 8. It is frequently repeated below.

[2]:

These are the five kinds of dwellings (pañca lenāni) which are declared to be allowable, Cullavagga VI, I, 2. The single expressions are explained by Buddhaghosa in his note on Cullavagga 1. 1. as follows: 'aḍḍhayogo 'ti suvaṇṇavaṅgagehaṃ, pāsādo 'ti dīghapāsādo, hammiyan ti upariākāsatale patiṭṭhitakūṭāgāro pāsādo yeva, gubā 'ti iṭṭhakaguhā silāguhā dāruguhā paṃsuguhā,' i.e. 'Aḍḍha-yoga is a gold-coloured Bengal house. Pāsāda is a long storied mansion (or, the whole of an upper storey). Hammiya is a Pāsāda, which has an upper chamber placed on the topmost storey. Gubā is a hut made of bricks, or in a rock, or of wood.'

[3]:

Compare Mabāvagga VI, 14, 6.