Cullavagga, Khandaka 9, Chapter 3

1. Now at that time the Chabbaggiya Bhikkhus thinking, 'No one knows that we are guilty' listened to the Pātimokkha. The Thera Bhikkhus, who understood the thoughts of other men, told the Bhikkhus, saying, 'Such and such a one, Sirs, and such and such a one, Chabbaggiya Bhikkhus, thinking, "No one knows that we are guilty," are listening to the Pātimokkha.'

When the Chabbaggiya Bhikkhus heard that, they, thinking 'the good Bhikkhus will (otherwise) first interdict the Pātimokkha to us,' interdicted the Pātimokkha to the Bhikkhus who were pure and innocent before (they had time to do so to them), and this without ground and without cause.

Those Bhikkhus who were moderate murmured, &c (as usual, down to) told the matter to the Blessed One.

'Is it true, O Bhikkhus, that the Chabbaggiya Bhikkhus have [acted thus]?'

'It is true, Lord!'

Then he rebuked them, and when he had delivered a religious discourse, he said: 'The Pātimokkha is not, O Bhikkhus, to be interdicted to pure and innocent Bhikkhus without ground and without cause. Whosoever does so, shall be guilty of a dukkaṭa.

2. 'There is one kind of inhibition of the Pātimokkha, O Bhikkhus, which is illegal, and one which is legal. There are two . . . ., three . . . ., four (&c., up to) ten kinds of inhibition of the Pātimokkha which are illegal, and one, two (&c., up to) ten which are legal.

3. 'Which is the one kind of inhibition of the Pātimokkha which is illegal? When one inhibits the Pātimokkha for a breach of morality without ground. This is the one kind, &c.

'And which is the one kind of inhibition of the Pātimokkha which is legal? When one inhibits the Pātimokkha for a breach of morality with good ground. This is the one kind, &c.

'And which are the two kinds of inhibition of the Pātimokkha which are illegal? When one inhibits the Pātimokkha for a breach of morality, or for an offence against conduct, and each of them without ground. These are the two kinds, &c.

'And which are the two kinds of inhibition of the Pātimokkha which are legal? When one inhibits the Pātimokkha for a breach of morality, and for an offence against conduct, and each of them with good ground. These are the two kinds, &c

'And which are the three kinds, &c.? [as the last two, adding "offence against doctrine."]

'And which are the four kinds, &c.? [as the last, adding "offence against the right mode of livelihood."]

'And which are the five kinds of inhibition of the Pātimokkha which are illegal? When one inhibits the Pātimokkha for a Pārājika, or for a Saṃghādisesa, or for a Pācittiya, or for a Pāṭidesanīya, or for a Dukkaṭa, and each of them without ground. These are the five kinds, &c.

'And which are the five kinds of inhibition of the Pātimokkha which are legal? [Same as the last, "with good ground."]

'And which are the six kinds of inhibition of the Pātimokkha which are illegal? When one inhibits the Pātimokkha for an offence against morality . . . . conduct . . . . doctrine^[1] . . . . without ground, the offence being one of omission—when one inhibits the Pātimokkha for an offence against morality . . . . conduct . . . . doctrine . . . . without ground, the offence being one of commission^[2]. These are the six, &c.

'And which are the six kinds of inhibition of the Pātimokkha which are legal? [Same as the last, "with good ground."]

'And which are the seven kinds of inhibition of the Pātimokkha which are illegal? When one inhibits the Pātimokkha for a Pārājika, or for a Saṃghādisesa, or for a Thullaccaya, or for a Pācittiya, or for a Pāṭidesanīya, or for a Dukkaṭa, or for a Dubbhāsita, and each of them without ground. These are the seven kinds, &c.

'And which are the seven kinds of inhibition of the Pātimokkha which are legal? [Same as the last, "with good ground."]

'And which are the eight kinds of inhibition of the Pātimokkha which are illegal? [The same as the six, adding "offence against the right means of livelihood."]

'And which are the nine kinds of inhibition of the Pātimokkha which are illegal . . . . legal? [The same as the six, adding for each kind of offence, "the offence being one both of omission and of commission."]

'And which are the ten kinds of inhibition of the Pātimokkha which are illegal? When (a Bhikkhu) who has been guilty of a Pārājika is not seated in that assembly^[3],—when no discussion is still going on (in the assembly) as to a Pārājika offence (supposed to have been committed by a Bhikkhu then present),—when (a Bhikkhu) who has abandoned the precepts^[4] is not seated in that assembly,—when no discussion is still going on (in the assembly) in respect of (a Bhikkhu then present having been charged with) abandoning the precepts,—when (the person charged) submits himself to the legally prescribed concord (of the assembly)^[5],—when (the person charged) does not withdraw his acceptance of the legally prescribed concord (of the assembly)^[6],—when no discussion is still going on (in the assembly) in respect of the withdrawal of (any member's) acceptance of the legally (prescribed) concord (of the assembly),—when (the Bhikkhu charged) has not been suspected of an offence against morality, nor seen (to have committed one), nor heard (to have committed one)—. . . . of an offence against conduct—. . . . of an offence against doctrine These are the ten kinds, &c.

And which are the ten kinds of inhibition of the Pātimokkha which are legal? [The same as the last, positive instead of negative.]

4. 'And how (can it be legally said that) a Bhikkhu who has been guilty of a Pārājika offence is seated in the assembly?

'In case, O Bhikkhus, a Bhikkhu sees that (another) Bhikkhu is incurring a Pārājika offence by those means, marks, and signs by which the incurring of a Pārājika offence is brought about. Or in case a Bhikkhu does not himself see that (another) Bhikkhu is incurring a Pārājika offence, but another Bhikkhu inform the (first-mentioned) Bhikkhu, saying, "Such and such a Bhikkhu, Sir, has been guilty of a Pārājika offence." Or in case a Bhikkhu does not himself see that another Bhikkhu is incurring a Pārājika offence, but that one himself inform the (first-mentioned) Bhikkhu, saying, "I, Sir, have been guilty of a Pārājika offence."

'(In either of these cases), O Bhikkhus, if he seem to do so, the Bhikkhu may, on the ground of what he has seen and heard and suspected, bring forward the following resolution on an Uposatha day, on the fourteenth or fifteenth day of the month, at a time when that individual is present in the midst of the Saṃgha: "Let the venerable Saṃgha hear me. Such and such an individual has been guilty of a Pārājika offence. I interdict for him the Pātimokkha, to the effect that the Pātimokkha ought not to be recited at a time when he is present." That is a legal inhibition of the Pātimokkha.

'If, when the Pātimokkha his been inhibited for that Bhikkhu, the assembly should rise on account of any one or other of the Ten Dangers^[7]—danger arising from the king, or from thieves, or from fire, or from water, or from human beings, or from non- human beings, or from beasts of prey, or from creeping things, or danger of life, or danger against chastity—the Bhikkhu may, if he desire to do so, bring forward the following resolution, either in that circle of residence or in another circle of residence, at a time when that individual is present in the midst of the assembly: "Let the venerable Saṃgha hear me. A discussion had commenced with regard to a Pārājika offence of such and such a person, but that matter was not decided. If the time seems meet to the Saṃgha, let the Saṃgha decide that matter." If he thus succeed, it is well. If not, then on an Uposatha day, on the fourteenth or fifteenth day of the month, at a time when that individual is present in the midst of the Saṃgha, let him bring forward the following resolution: "Let the venerable Saṃgha hear me. A discussion had commenced with regard to a Pārājika offence of such and such a person, but that matter was not decided. I interdict the Pātimokkha for him to the effect that the Pātimokkha ought not to be recited at a time when he is present." That is a legal inhibition of the Pātimokkha.

5. 'And how (can it be legally said that a Bhikkhu) who has abandoned the precepts is seated in the assembly?'

[The same as last, reading 'abandoned the precepts,' &c., for 'Pārājika offence,' &c.]

6. 'And how (can it be legally said that the person charged) does not submit himself to the legally (prescribed) concord (of the assembly)?'

[Same as last, reading 'not submit himself to the legally (prescribed) concord of the assembly,' &c., instead of 'abandon the precepts,' &c.]

7. 'And how (can it be legally said that the person charged) withdraws his acceptance of the legally (established) concord (of the assembly)?'

[Same as last, reading 'withdraws his acceptance,' &c., for 'does not submit,' &c.]

8. 'And how can it be legally said that the person charged has been seen or heard or suspected of having committed an offence against morality . . . . an offence against conduct . . . . an offence against doctrine?'

[Same as 4, reading 'offence against morality,' &c., for 'Pārājika offence.]

These are the ten kinds of the inhibition of Pātimokkha which are legal.

________________________

Here ends the First Portion for Recitation.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The paragraph is repeated in the section full for each of these cases.

[2]:

Kata . . . . akatā . . . . katākatā we have rendered here and below as offence of omission--of commission--of both, as seems imperatively demanded by the context. Buddhaghosa, however, says, Akatāya ti tena puggalena sā vipatti katā vā hotu akatā vā pātimokkha-ṭhapanakassa saññā amūlika-vasena amūlikā hoti. Katākatāyā ti katañ ca akatañ ca ubhayaṃ gahetvā vuttaṃ.

[3]:

This and the following phrase are further enlarged upon in 6 4 and the following sections.

[4]:

See our note on Mahāvagga II, 22, 3.

[5]:

See Mahāvagga X, 5, 13, &c.

[6]:

Paccādīyati. Buddhaghosa says here, paccādīyatī ti puna kātabbaṃ kammaṃ paccādīyati. Tena ukkoṭanake pācittiyaṃ āpajjati.

[7]:

See the rule laid down in Mahāvagga II, 15, 4.