Mahavagga, Khandaka 1, Chapter 53

1. At that time the Blessed One dwelt at Rājagaha during the rainy season, and remained at the same place during winter and summer. The people were annoyed, &c.: 'The (four) regions are^[1] . . . . and covered by darkness to the Sakyaputtiya Samaṇas; they cannot discern the (four) regions.' Some Bhikkhus heard, &c.

2. Then the Blessed One said to the venerable Ānanda: 'Go, Ānanda, take a key and tell the Bhikkhus in every cell: "Friends, the Blessed One wishes to go forth to Dakkhiṇāgiri. Let any one of the venerable brethren who thinks fit, come to him."'

The venerable Ānanda accepted this order of the Blessed One (by saying), 'Yes, Lord,' took a key, and said to the Bhikkhus in every cell: 'Friends, the Blessed One,' &c.

3. The Bhikkhus replied: 'Friend Ānanda, the Blessed One has prescribed^[2] that Bhikkhus are to live (the first) ten years in dependence (on their ācariyas and upajjhāyas), and that he who has completed his tenth year, may give a nissaya himself. Now if we go there, we shall be obliged to take a nissaya there; then we shall stay there for a short time, then we must go back again and take a new nissaya. If our ācariyas and upajjhāyas go, we will go also; if our ācariyas and upajjhāyas do not go, we will not go either. Otherwise our light-mindedness, friend Ānanda, will become manifest.'

4. Thus the Blessed One went forth to Dakkhiṇāgiri fonowed only by a few Bhikkhus. And the Blessed One, after having dwelt at Dakkhiṇāgiri as long as he thought fit, went back to Rājagaha again.

Then the Blessed One said to the venerable Ānanda: 'How is it, Ānanda, that the perfect One has gone forth to Dakkhiṇāgiri with so few Bhikkhus?'

Then the venerable Ānanda told the thing to the Blessed One.

In consequence of that and on this occasion the Blessed One, after having delivered a religious discourse, thus addressed the Bhikkhus: 'I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that a learned, competent Bhikkhu lives five years in dependence (on his ācariya and upajjhāya), an unlearned one all his life.

5. 'In five cases, O Bhikkhus, a Bhikkhu should not live without a nissaya (i.e. independent of ācariya and upajjhāya): when he does not possess full perfection in what belongs to moral practices (&c., as in chap. 36. 2). In these five cases, O Bhikkhus, a Bhikkhu should not live without a nlssaya.

'In five cases, O Bhikkhus, a Bhikkhu may live without a nissaya: when he possesses full perfection in what belongs to moral practices (&c., as in chap. 36. 3). In these five cases, O Bhikkhus, a Bhikkhu may live without a nissaya.

6-13. 'And also in other five cases, &c.^[3]'

End of the eighth Bhāṇavāra, which is called the Abhayūvara Bhāṇavāra^[4].

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

We must leave 'āhundarikā' untranslated; Buddhaghosa says nothing about this obscure word.

[2]:

See chap. 32. 1.

[3]:

Supply these pentads and hexads, respectively, from chaps. 36. 6, 7; 8, 9; 14, 15; 16, 17; 37. 1, 2; 5, 6; 7, 8; 13, 14.

[4]:

Abhayūvara means, 'secure from anything.' This refers to the expression used in chap. 42, § 2.