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Adapted from the Translation by T. W. Rhys Davids and Hermann Oldenberg
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MAHAVAGGA
NINTH KHANDHAKA (VALIDITY AND INVALIDITY OF FORMAL ACTS OF THE SANGHA)
Chapter-4.
1. 'There are five kinds of Sanghas: the Bhikkhu(Monk) Sangha consisting of four persons, the Bhikkhu Sangha consisting of five persons . . . . of ten persons . . . . of twenty persons . . . . of more than twenty persons.
'In case, O Bhikkhus, the Bhikkhu Sangha consist of four persons, and acts lawfully, and is complete, it is entitled to perform all official acts except three acts, that is, the upasampada ordination, pavarana, and abbhana.
'In case, O Bhikkhus, the Bhikkhu Sangha consist of five persons, and acts lawfully, and is complete, it is entitled to perform all official acts except
two acts, that is, the upasampada ordination in the central countries and abbhana.
'In case, O Bhikkhus, the Bhikkhu Sangha consist of ten persons, and acts lawfully, and is complete, it is entitled to perform all official acts except one, namely, abbhana.
'In case, O Bhikkhus, the Bhikkhu Sangha consist of twenty persons, and acts lawfully, and is complete, it is entitled to perform all official acts.
'In case, O Bhikkhus, the Bhikkhu Sangha consist of more than twenty persons, and acts lawfully, and is complete, it is entitled to perform all official acts.
2. 'An official act, O Bhikkhus, which requires the presence of four persons, if performed by a congregation in which a Bhikkhuni(Nun) is the fourth, is no real act, and ought not to be performed. An official act, O Bhikkhus, which requires the presence of four persons, if performed by a congregation in which a sikkhamana is the fourth, . . . . in which a samanera, &c. , is the fourth, . . . . in which a person belonging to another communion is the fourth, . . . . in which a person staying within a different boundary is the fourth, . . . . in which a person poised in the air by supernatural power is
the fourth, . . . . in which a person against whom the Sangha institutes a proceeding is the fourth--is no real act and ought not to be performed.'
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End of the regulations about acts performed by four persons.
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3-5. 'An official act, O Bhikkhus, which requires the presence of five (. . . . ten, . . . . twenty) persons, if performed by a congregation in which a Bhikkhuni, &c., is the fifth ( . . . . tenth, . . . . twentieth), is no real act and ought not to be performed.'
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End of the regulations about acts performed by five, (ten, twenty) persons.
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6. 'If, O Bhikkhus, a congregation in which a person sentenced to the parivasa discipline is the fourth, institutes the proceedings of parivasa, of mulaya patikassana, and of manatta, or if a congregation in which such a person is the twentieth, confers abbhana, this is no real act and ought not to be performed.
'If, O Bhikkhus(Monks), a congregation in which a person that ought to be sentenced to mulaya patikassana . . . . that ought to be sentenced to manatta . . . . that is subject to the manatta discipline . . . .
on whom the abbhana sentence ought to be conferred, institutes the proceedings of parivasa, of mulaya patikassana, and of manatta, or if a congregation in which such a person is the twentieth, confers abbhana, this is no real act and ought not to be performed.
7. 'Of some persons, O Bhikkhus, the protest raised in the assembly is effectual, of some persons it is ineffectual.
'And which are the persons, O Bhikkhus, whose protest raised in the assembly is ineffectual?
'The protest, O Bhikkhus, raised in the assembly by a Bhikkhuni(Nun) is ineffectual. The protest, O Bhikkhus, raised in the assembly by a sikkhamana (&c. , down to:) by a person against whom the Sangha institutes a proceeding, is ineffectual. These are the persons, O Bhikkhus, whose protest raised in the assembly is ineffectual.
8. 'And which are the persons, O Bhikkhus, whose protest raised in the assembly is effectual?
'The protest, O Bhikkhus, of a Bhikkhu who is healthy (in mind), who belongs to the same communion , who stays within the same boundary, even
if he have committed a sin which brings about immediate punishment in hell,--if he give notice of his protest at the meeting,--is effectual. This is the person, O Bhikkhus, whose protest raised in the assembly is effectual.
9. 'There are, O Bhikkhus, two cases of expulsion (pronounced against, a person). If expulsion, O Bhikkhus, had not been pronounced (before) against a person, and the Sangha pronounces expulsion against him, there are some against whom such expulsion has been pronounced duly, and others against whom it has been pronounced unduly.
'And which is a person, O Bhikkhus, against whom, if expulsion had not been pronounced before, and the Sangha pronounces expulsion against him, expulsion has been pronounced unduly? In case, O Bhikkhus, there be a pure, guiltless Bhikkhu,--if the Sangha pronounces expulsion against him, expulsion has been pronounced unduly. This, O Bhikkhus, is called a person against whom, if expulsion had not been pronounced before, and the Sangha pronounces expulsion against him, expulsion has been pronounced unduly.
'And which is a person, O Bhikkhus, against whom, &c., expulsion has been pronounced duly? In case, O Bhikkhus, there be an ignorant, unlearned Bhikkhu, a constant offender, who is unable to discern what is an offence, who lives in lay society, unduly
associating himself with lay people,--if the Sangha pronounces expulsion against him, expulsion has been pronounced duly. This, O Bhikkhus, is called a person, &c.
10. 'There are, O Bhikkhus, two cases of restoration (of an expelled Bhikkhu). If restoration, O Bhikkhus, had not been granted before to a person, and the Sangha grants restoration to him, there are some to whom such restoration will have been granted duly, and others to whom it will have been unduly granted.
'And which is a person, O Bhikkhus, to whom, &c., restoration has been granted unduly? A eunuch, O Bhikkhus, to whom restoration had not been granted before, and whom the Sangha restores, has been restored unduly. A person who has furtively attached himself (to the Sangha), &c. , to whom restoration had not been granted before, and whom the Sangha restores, has been restored unduly.
'This, O Bhikkhus, is called a person to whom, &c., restoration has been granted unduly. These, O Bhikkhus, are called persons to whom, &c., restoration has been granted duly.
11. 'And which is a person, O Bhikkhus, to whom, &c., restoration has been granted duly?' &c.
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End of the first Bhanavara, called the Vasabha-gama Bhanavara.
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