Chulavagga 8.1

Tipitaka >> Vinaya Pitaka >> Khandhaka >> Chulavagga >> Eighth Khandhaka >> 8.1

Adapted from the Translation by T. W. Rhys Davids and Hermann Oldenberg

CHULAVAGGA (THE MINOR SECTION)

THE EIGHTH KHANDHAKA (DUTIES OF THE BHIKKHUS TOWARDS ONE ANOTHER)

Chapter-1.

1. Now at that time the Lord Buddha was staying at Savatthi, in Anatha Pindika's Arama(park/monastery).

Now at that time incoming Bhikkhus(monks) entered the Arama(monastery) with their sandals on, or with sunshades held up over them, or with their heads muffled up, or with their upper robe carried in a bundle on their heads; and they washed their feet in the drinking-water; and they did not salute resident Bhikkhus senior to them, nor ask them where they (the incomers) should sleep.

And a certain incoming Bhikkhu undid the bolt of an unoccupied room (Vihara), and opened the door, and so entered by force; and a snake fell

on to his back from the lintel above, and he was terrified, and made an outcry.

The Bhikkhus, running up, asked him why he did so. He told them that matter. Then those Bhikkhus who were moderate in their desires were vexed and indignant, and murmured, saying, 'How can incoming Bhikkhus enter the Arama. . . .? (&c., as before, down to). . . . where they should sleep.'

They told the matter to the Lord Buddha (&c., as usual, I, 1, 2, 3, down to) he addressed the Bhikkhus, and said, 'Therefore, O Bhikkhus, do I establish a rule of conduct for incoming Bhikkhus, according to which they ought to behave.

2. 'An incoming Bhikkhu, O Bhikkhus, when he knows he is about to enter an Arama, ought to take off his sandals, turn them upside down, beat them (to get the dust) off, take them (up again) in his

hand, put down his sunshade, uncover his head, arrange his upper robe on his back, and then carefully and slowly enter the Arama.

'When he enters the Arama he ought to notice where the resident Bhikkhus are gone to; and wheresoever they are gone--whether to the service hall, or to the portico (mandapa), or to the foot of a tree--there he ought to go, and laying his bowl on one side, and his robe on one side, he ought to take a suitable seat, and sit down.

'He ought to ask as to the drinking-water, and the water for washing, which is appropriated to the one use, and which to the other. If he has need of drinking-water, he ought to fetch it and drink. If he has need of water for washing, he ought to fetch it, and wash his feet. In washing his feet he ought to pour the water over them with one hand, and wash them with the other; he ought not to pour the water over them and wash them with one and the same hand.

'He ought to ask for the cloths with which sandals are cleaned, and clean his sandals. In cleaning his sandals he ought first to wipe them with a dry cloth, and afterwards with a wet cloth: and then he ought to wash the cloths, and lay them on one side.

'If the resident Bhikkhu be senior, he ought to be saluted; if junior, he ought to be made to salute (the incomer). The incomer ought to ask as to the lodging-place, which has fallen (to his lot), and whether it is occupied or unoccupied. He ought to ask as to lawful and unlawful resorts, and as to what families have been officially declared to be in want.

'He ought to ask as to the retiring-places, (where they are), and as to the drinking-water, and as to the water for washing, and as to the staves for walking with, and as to the place for the conferences of the Sangha, (and as to) the time at which he ought to enter (it) and at which he ought to leave it.

3. 'If the Vihara be unoccupied, he ought to knock at the door, then to wait a minute, then to undo the bolt, and open the door, and then, still standing outside, to look within.

'If that Vihara is covered with dust, or the beds or chairs are piled one upon another, and the bedding put in a heap on the top of them,--then if

he can do so he ought to clean up the Vihara. And when cleaning the Vihara, he ought to take the floor matting out and put it down on one side, and the supports of the bedsteads, and the bolsters and pillows, and the mat which is used as a seat. Putting the bedsteads and chairs down on to the ground, and carefully avoiding scratching (the floor with them) or knocking them up against (the door-posts), he ought to take them outside the door, and put them down on one side. The spittoon and the board to lean up against ought to be taken out, and put down on one side.

'If the Vihara is covered with cobwebs, they should first be removed with a cloth. The casements should be dusted, especially in the corners and joints.

'If the wall which had been plastered and red-washed, or the floor which had been laid (with earth) and black-washed, has become dirty in the corners, they should be wiped down with a duster that has been first wetted and wrung out. If the floor has not been so prepared, it should be sprinkled over with water and swept, lest the Vihara should be spoilt by dust. The sweepings should be gathered together, and cast aside.

4. 'The floor coverings should be dried in the sun, cleaned, beaten to get the dust out, taken back, and spread out again in the place to which they belonged. The supports of the bed should be dried in the sun, dusted, taken back, and put in the place to which they belonged. The bed (manka) and the chairs (pitha) should be aired in the sun, cleaned, beaten to get the dust out, turned upside down, taken back, carefully avoiding scratching them against the floor, or knocking them up against the door-posts, and then put in the place to which they belonged. The bolsters and pillows, and the

mats used as seats, should be aired in the sun, cleaned; beaten to get the dust out, taken back, and put in the place to which they belonged. The spittoon, and the board for leaning up against, should be put in the sun, dusted, taken back, and put in the place to which they belonged.

15. '(Then the incoming Bhikkhu) should put away his bowl and his robe. In putting away his bowl, he should hold it in one hand while he feels under the bed or the chair with the other, and then put it away; and he should not put it on a part of the floor which has been left bare. In putting away his robe, he should hold it in one hand while he feels along the bamboo or the rope used for hanging robes on with the other; and then hang it up with the border turned away from him, and the fold turned towards him.

'If the winds, bearing dust with them, blow from the East, West, North, or South, the window spaces on the side in question should be closed up (with shutters or lattices). If it is cold weather, the lattices should be opened by day, and closed by

night: if it is hot weather, they should be closed by day, and opened by night.'If the cell, or the store-room, or the refectory, or the room where the fire is kept, or the privy, is covered with dust, it should be swept out. If there is no drinking-water, or water for washing, they should be provided. If there is no water in the rinsing-pot, water should be poured into it.

'This, O Bhikkhus, is the rule of conduct for incoming Bhikkhus, according to which they ought to behave.'