Cullavagga, Khandaka 5, Chapter 11

1. Now at that time the Bhikkhus sewed their robes together after tearing the cloth with their hands^[1]; and the robes became jagged.

They told this matter to the Blessed One.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of a blade and of a sheath (for the blade) made of felt^[2].'

Now at that time a blade with a haft to it^[3] had come into the possession of the Saṃgha.

They told this matter to the Blessed One.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of a blade with a haft to it.'

Now at that time the Chabbaggiya Bhikkhus used various kinds of long handles to their blades, made of silver, and made of gold.

People murmured (&c., as usual, down to) They told this matter to the Blessed One.

'You are not, O Bhikkhus, to use various kinds of handles to your blades. Whosoever does so, shall be guilty of a dukkaṭa. I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of handles to your blades made of bone, or ivory. or horn, or of the na la reed, or of bamboo, or hard wood, or of lac, or of the shells of fruit, or of bronze, or of the centre of the chank-shell^[4]:

2. Now at that time the Bhikkhus sewed their robes with quills or bits of bamboo rind, and the robes were badly sewn.

They told this matter to the Blessed One.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of needles.'

The needles got blunted^[5].

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of a needle-case made of bamboo^[6].'

Even in the needle-cases the needles became blunt.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to fill the cases with chunam^[7].

Even in the chunam the needles became blunt.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to fill the cases with barley-meal^[8].'

Even in the barley-meal the needles became blunt.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of powdered stone^[9].'

Even in the powdered stone the needles became blunt.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to mix (the powder) with beeswax^[10].'

The powder still did not cohere.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to mix sipāṭika gum^[11] with the powder^[12].'

3. Now at that time the Bhikkhus sewed their robes together by planting stakes here and there, and uniting them (with strings). The robes became out of shape^[13].'

They told this matter to the Blessed One.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of a Kaṭhina^[14], and that you are to sew the robes together after tying down Kaṭhina-strings here and there.'

They spread out the Kaṭhina on uneven (ground), and the Kaṭhina fell to pieces^[15].

'You are not, O Bhikkhus, to spread out the Kaṭhina on uneven (ground). Whosoever does so, shall be guilty of a dukkaṭa.'

They spread out the Kaṭhina on the ground, and the Kaṭhina became dirty.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of a grass-mat.'

The edge of the Kaṭhina decayed through age.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to strengthen it by a doubling or a binding along the edge^[16].

The Kaṭhina was not large enough^[17].

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of a daṇḍa-kaṭhina^[18], of a pidalaka^[18], of a ticket, of binding strings, and of binding threads^[19]; and that you sew your robes together after binding them therewith.'

The interstices between the threads became irregular in length^[20].

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of little marks (of the leaf of the talipot palm, or such-like things)^[21].'

The threads became crooked.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of false threads (laid along the cloth to show where it is to be cut or sewn)^[22].'

4. Now at that time the Bhikkhus got on to the Kaṭhina with unwashen feet, or wet feet, or with their shoes on^[23], and the Kaṭhina was soiled.

They told this matter to the Blessed One.

'You are not, O Bhikkhus, to get on to the Kaṭhina with unwashen feet, or with wet feet, or with your shoes on. Whosoever does so, shall be guilty of a dukkaṭa.'

5. Now at that time the Bhikkhus, when sewing their robes, held the stuff with their fingers, and their fingers were hurt.

They told this matter to the Blessed One.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of a thimble^[24].'

Now at that time the Chabbaggiya Bhikkhus used various kinds of thimbles; gold ones, and silver ones.

People murmured, &c. The Bhikkhus heard, &c. They told this matter to the Blessed One.

'You are not, O Bhikkhus, to use various kinds of thimbles. Whosoever does so, shall be guilty of a dukkaṭa. I allow you, O Bhikkhus, thimbles made of bone, or ivory, or horn, or of the na la reed, or of bamboo, or of hard wood, or of lac, or of the shells of fruit, or of bronze, or of the centre of the chank-shell^[25].'

Now at that time the needles, and scissors, and thimbles got lost.

They told this matter to the Blessed One.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of a box or drawer^[26] in the workshop.'

They got crowded together in the workshop box. They told this matter to the Blessed One.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of a thimble bag (to carry the thimbles about in).'

They had no shoulder-strap. They told this matter to the Blessed One.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of a shoulder-strap, or of a piece of string, to tie the bags on with^[27].'

6^[28]. Now at that time the Bhikkhus, when sewing their robes in the open air, were distressed by heat and by cold.

They told this matter to the Blessed One.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of a hall or of a shed for the Kaṭhina:

The Kaṭhina hall had too low a basement, and it was inundated with water.

They told this matter to the Blessed One.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to make it with a high basement^[29].'

The facing (of the basement) fell in.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to line the basement with facing of three kinds^[30]—brick facing, stone facing, or wooden facing.'

They found difficulty in getting up into it.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of stairs of three kinds—brick stairs, stone stairs, or wooden stairs.'

As they were going up them they fell off.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of a balustrade^[31].' Straw and plaster fell (from the walls and roof) into the Kaṭhina-hall.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to first cover over (the walls and roof with skins^[32]), and then plaster them within and without. (And I allow the use of) whitewash, and blacking, and red colouring^[33], and wreath-work, and creeper-work, and bone hooks, and cupboards^[34], and bamboos to hang robes on, and strings to hang robes on.'

7. Now at that time the Bhikkhus, when they had sewn the robes together, left the Kaṭhina as it was, and went away; and the robes were eaten by rats and white ants.

They told this matter to the Blessed One.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to fold up the Kaṭhina.

The Kaṭhina came to pieces.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to fold up the Kaṭhina in a cow-hide (?)^[35].'

The Kaṭhina got uncovered.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of strings to tie it up with.'

Now at that time the Bhikkhus went away, putting the Kaṭhina up against the wall or a pillar; and the Kaṭhina, falling over, was broken.

They told this matter to the Blessed One.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to hang it on a stake of the wall,. or on a hook^[36].'

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Vipaṭetvā. The three MSS. read vippādetvā, the same corrected to vipphādetvā, and vipphāmetvā. M for L is a common-mistake in Sinhalese MSS., and the correct reading may possibly be vipphāletvā, if it is not vipphāṭetvā, as suggested in H.O.'s note, vol. v, p. 259.

[2]:

Namatakan ti satthaka-veṭhanakaṃ pilotika-khaṇḍaṃ (B.). The word occurs again below at V, 19, I, V, 27, I, and X, 10, 4 (where the nuns are forbidden to use it). Namata is felt; and nāmatika-aṅga, the wearing of felt, is inserted by some Sanskrit Buddhist writers in the list of Dhutaṅgas. (Burnout, Introduction, &c., p. 306.)

[3]:

Daṇḍa-satthakan ti vippalikaṃ vā aññaṃ pi vā yaṃ kiñci daṇḍaṃ yojetvā kata-satthakaṃ (B.). Compare daṇḍa-caṭhinaṃ at V, II, 3, and daṇḍa-parissāvanaṃ at V, 13, 3.

[4]:

This list is given in the Mahāvagga VI, 12, 1 (where see our notes), as the materials of which ointment-boxes may be made; and below, V, 11, 5, of thimbles.

[5]:

Kaṇṇakitā hontī ti malagga-kitā (B.). Mala may probably here. mean 'rust,' if the needles were made of iron. Kaṇṇakitā, 'spoiled,' is used of plastered walls and the floors of a Vihāra at Mahāvagga I, 25, 15 = Cullavagga VIII, 1, 3; and paṃsu-kitā occurs just below in our present passage. Compare also the note on vikaṇṇaṃ in the following section.

[6]:

Sūci-nāḷikaṃ. On these needle-cases compare the Introductory Story to the 10th Jātaka. It is Pācittiya to have them made of ivory, horn, or bone. (80th Pācittiya, but they are there called Sūci-gharaṃ.)

[7]:

Kiṇṇena cuṇṇena (B.).

[8]:

Satthuyā ti halidda-missakena piṭṭha-kuṇṇena (B.).

[9]:

Saritakan ti pāsāna-kuṇṇaṃ vuccati (B.).

[10]:

Madhu-sitthakena sāretun ti madhu-sitthakena makkhetuṃ (B.).

[11]:

The use of this gum for medicine purposes is allowed at Mahāvagga VI, 7, where see our note. The present use is again mentioned below, V, 27, I.

[12]:

Sarita-sibbāṭikan ti madhu-sitthaka-pilotikaṃ (B.).

[13]:

Vikaṇṇaṃ hoti. See the note on this expression at Mahāvagga VI, 21, I. The 'robes' were lengths of cloth, and 'out of shape' (vikaṇṇaṃ) must mean either that one side was larger than the other, so that each corner (kaṇṇo) was not a right angle, or perhaps that each edge (kaṇṇo) was not straight.

[14]:

What Kaṭhina may meats in this connection is not exactly clear to us, but it is evidently a sort of framework, or bench, for the tailors to lay out their work upon. Our notes above on the 1st Nissaggiya and on Mahāvagga VII, 1, 3, refer to a different and secondary use of the word in the Kaṭhina ceremonies--so-called doubtless because the Kaṭhina-dussa (the supply of cloth to be dyed, sewn, and made up into robes, and distributed, on one and the same day) was to be so sewn with the aid of the Kaṭhina here referred to. Buddhaghosa says here, Kaṭhinan ti nisseṇi pi tattha attharita-kaṭasāraka-kilañcanaṃ aññataraṃ pi kaṭhinaṃ vuccati yāya dupaṭṭa-cīvaraṃ sibbenti kaṭhine cīvaraṃ pi bandhanti. On Dupaṭṭa, see Mahāvagga VIII, 14, I.

[15]:

Paribhijjati. Perhaps we should translate, 'did not hold together.' See the last section.

[16]:

Anuvātaṃ paribhaṇḍaṃ. See Mahāvagga VII, 1, 5, VIII, 21, Cullavagga V, 9, 4, VI, 17, I, XI, I, 14, and our notes there.

[17]:

Kaṭhinaṃ na ppahotī ti dīghassa bhikkhuno pamāṇena kataṃ kaṭhinaṃ tattha rassassa bhikkhuno cīvaraṃ patthariyamānaṃ na ppahoti auto yeva hoti (B.).

[18]:

On these terms, which we do not attempt to translate, see Buddhaghosa's notes as quoted by H.O. at p. 317 of the edition of the text. The first seems to be a Kaṭhina with a cross-bar, but daṇḍa at V, 11, 1, and V, 13, 3, means handle.

[19]:

Vinandhana-rajjuṃ vinandhana-suttakaṃ. See Buddhaghosa's notes loc. cit., and compare Mahāvagga V, 11.

[20]:

Visamā honti ti kāci khuddakā honti kāci mahantā (B.). Sutta here probably means those threads or strings just referred to by which the stuff was to be tied on to the Kaṭhina.

[21]:

Kaḷimbhakaṃ: so explained by Buddhaghosa, loc. cit.

[22]:

Mogha-suttakaṃ. Buddhaghosa says, 'the making of a mark with a green thread, as carpenters do on wood with a black thread.' Compare also our notes 2 and 3 on Mahāvagga VII, 1, 5.

[23]:

The whole section is repeated in the text at length for each of these three cases.

[24]:

Paṭiggaho, 'receptacle' for the finger. See our note above on V, 10, 3, where the same word means a waste-tub. For other secondary uses of the word, see Jātaka I, 146, II, 9, 26. Buddhaghosa says here, paṭiggahan ti aṅguli-kosakaṃ.

[25]:

So of ointment-boxes, Mahāvagga VII, 12, 1; and of scissors, above, V, 1, 1.

[26]:

Āsevana-(sic)vitthakaṃ nāma yaṃ kiñci pātīi-caṅgoṭakādi (B.).

[27]:

See our note above on V, 9, 4.

[28]:

The whole of this paragraph is repeated below, though not in the same order, of the Caṅkama or cloister, and of the Jantāghara, or bath-house. (See V, 14, 2, 3.)

[29]:

That is, to build it on a raised platform, the technical term for which is caya.

[30]:

See our note below on V, 14, 3. The whole passage recurs of the lining of a well at V, 16, 2, and of Vihāras themselves at VI, 3, 3.

[31]:

Ālambana-bāhaṃ. At Mahā-sudassana Sutta I, 59, there is a description of flights of stairs (sopānā), each of which had thambhā, evidently posts or banisters; sūciyo, apparently cross-bars let in to these banisters; and uṇhīsaṃ, either a head-line running along the top of the banisters, or a figure-head at the lower end of such a head-line. (See Rh. D.'s 'Buddhist Suttas,' p. 262.) This and the previous paragraphs are repeated below, V, 14, 2, of the Caṅkama.

[32]:

See Mahāvagga V, 11, where the same technical term (ogumpheti) is used. Buddhaghosa's note is given at p. 317 of the text. See also V, 14, 3, below.

[33]:

Geruka-parikammaṃ. This reading, and not gerika, is confirmed by VI, 3, 1, VI, 17, 1, where the two previous words also occur. On this mode of preparing walls and floors, see our note below on VI, 20.

[34]:

Pañca-paṭikaṃ or -paṭṭhikaṃ, a term of doubtful signification which recurs, together with all the previous words, in the Old Commentary on the 19th Pācittiya. Compare pañca-prastha in BR. The word is perhaps however connected with Sanskrit paṭṭikā, as cela-pattikam at V, 21, 2 undoubtedly is. It occurs below, in a similar connection, at VI, 3, 1.

[35]:

Go-ghaṃsikāya. Compare pāda-ghaṃsani at 22. 1; and on the use of saṃharati in a similar connection, see VI, 2, 7.

[36]:

Nāga-dante. See the note on Mallaka at Cullavagga V, I, 4.