Cullavagga, Khandaka 2, Chapter 1

1. Now at that time the Blessed Buddha was staying at Sāvatthi, in the Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍika's Grove. And at that time Bhikkhus who had been placed on probation^[1] used to accept reverence and service and salutation and respect from regular Bhikkhus; and to allow them to provide a seat, or a sleeping-place, or water for the feet, or a foot-stool, or a foot-towel for them; and to carry their bowl or their robe, and to shampoo them^[2]. Those Bhikkhus who were moderate were annoyed, murmured, and became indignant, saying, 'How can Bhikkhus who have been placed on probation accept reverence (&c., as above, down to) shampoo them?'

And those Bhikkhus told this thing to the Blessed One.

Then the Blessed One on that occasion, and in that connection, convened a meeting of the Bhikkhusaṃgha, and asked the Bhikkhus: 'Is it true, O Bhikkhus, as they say, that Bhikkhus who have been placed on probation accept reverence (&c., as before, down to) shampoo them?'

'It is true, Lord.'

The Blessed Buddha rebuked them, saying, 'How can those Bhikkhus (&c., as before, down to) shampoo them? This will not conduce, O Bhikkhus (&c., as usual, down to)^[3] turning back of those who have been converted.'

And when he had rebuked them, and had delivered a religious discourse, he addressed the Bhikkhus, saying, 'A Bhikkhu who has been placed on probation ought not to accept reverence (&c., as before, down to) shampoo them. Whosoever does so, shall be guilty of a dukkaṭa offence. I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, to those Bhikkhus who have been placed on probation to do [all the courtesies, duties, and services mentioned above^[4]] for one another, according to their seniority. I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, five things (as permissible) to Bhikkhus who have been placed on probation, according to their seniority; (that is to say), the Uposatha ceremony, the Pavāraṇā ceremony, the share in robes for the rainy season, in things dedicated to the Saṃgha^[5], and in food.

2. 'Therefore, O Bhikkhus, do I make known to you a rule of conduct for Bhikkhus who have been placed on probation, according to which they ought to conduct themselves aright. And herein this is the right conduct. He ought not to confer the Upasampadā (&c., as above, in I, 1, 5, down to the end)^[6].

A. Bhikkhu who has been placed on probation ought not, O Bhikkhus, to walk in front of, or to sit down in front of, a regular Bhikkhu. Whichever belonging to that company of Bhikkhus shall be the worst seat^[7], or the worst sleeping-place, or the worst room^[8], that shall be given to that Bhikkhu, and therewith shall he content himself. A Bhikkhu who has been placed under probation ought not, O Bhikkhus, to visit the families who support a regular Bhikkhu (by officiating, in order to do so, as the companion who precedes or follows that regular Bhikkhu)—he ought riot to devote himself to a forest life—he ought not to devote himself to living on alms personally received^[9]—he ought not to cause an alms to be brought out to him with the object of escaping an extension of his probationary term^[10], thinking, "Let them not recognise me" (as one who has been placed under probation)^[11].

'A Bhikkhu who has been placed on probation ought, O Bhikkhus, to announce the fact of his having been so placed when he arrives at a residence as an incoming Bhikkhu—he ought to announce the fact to an incoming Bhikkhu—he ought to announce the fact at an Uposatha meeting—he ought to announce the fact at a Pavāraṇā meeting—and, if he be sick, he ought to announce the fact at such meetings by means of a messenger^[12].

3. 'A Bhikkhu who has been placed on probation ought not, O Bhikkhus, to go away from a residence in which Bhikkhus are living to a residence in which no Bhikkhus are living, unless with a regular Bhikkhu, or in time of danger. A Bhikkhu who has been placed on probation ought not, O Bhikkhus, to go away from a residence in which Bhikkhus are living to a place which is not a residence^[13] and where no Bhikkhus are living, unless with a regular Bhikkhu, or in time of danger. A Bhikkhu (&c., as before) ought not to go away from a residence in which Bhikkhus are living, either to a residence or to a place which is not a residence, and where Bhikkhus are not living, unless (&c., as before)^[14]. . . . from a place which is not a residence, but where Bhikkhus are living, to a place which is a residence, but where Bhikkhus are not living . . . . from a place which is not a residence, but where Bhikkhus are living, to a place which is not a residence and where Bhikkhus are not living . . . . from a place which is no residence, but where Bhikkhus are living, either to a place which is not a residence or to a residence where no Bhikkhus are living . . . . from a place which is either a residence or not a residence, to a place which is a residence, but where no Bhikkhus are living . . . . from a place which is either a residence or no residence, but where Bhikkhus are living, to a place which is not a residence and where no Bhikkhus are living . . . . from a place which is either a residence or not a residence, but where Bhikkhus are living, to a place which is either a residence or not a residence, but where no Bhikkhus are living, unless with a regular Bhikkhu or in time of danger.

'A Bhikkhu who has been placed on probation ought not, O Bhikkhus, to go away from a residence where Bhikkhus are living to a residence where Bhikkhus are living, but where there may be Bhikkhus of different communities from his own (unless, &c., as before). [The same changes as in the last series are here rung upon this inhibition, down to] . . . . from a place which is either a residence or not a residence, but where Bhikkhus. are living, to a place which is either a residence or not a residence, and where Bhikkhus are living, but where there may be Bhikkhus of different communities from his own (unless, &c., as before).

'A Bhikkhu who has been placed on probation ought to go, O Bhikkhus, from a residence where Bhikkhus are living to a residence where Bhikkhus are living, and where there are Bhikkhus of the same community (with himself), if he knows, "This very day I can go there." [Here follow the same permutations and combinations as in the last two series.]

4. 'A Bhikkhu who has been placed on probation ought not, O Bhikkhus, to dwell with a regular Bhikkhu in a residence under one and the same roof—nor in a place which is not a residence under one and the same roof—nor in a place which is either a residence or not a residence under one and the same roof. On seeing a regular Bhikkhu he ought to rise from his seat^[15]; and he ought to offer his seat to a regular Bhikkhu. He ought not to sit down on one and the same seat with a regular Bhikkhu; when a regular Bhikkhu is seated on a low seat he ought not to sit down on a high seat^[16]; when a regular Bhikkhu is seated on the ground he ought not to sit down on a seat^[17]; he ought not to walk up and down on the same caṅkama^[18] with a regular Bhikkhu; when a regular Bhikkhu is walking up and down on a low caṅkama he ought not to walk up and down on a higher caṅkama; when a regular Bhikkhu is walking up and down on the ground he ought not to walk up and down on a (properly prepared) caṅkama.

A Bhikkhu who has been placed on probation ought not, O Bhikkhus, to dwell (&c., all the other acts mentioned in the last paragraph being here repeated down to the end) with a Bhikkhu senior to himself who has been placed on probation . . . . with a Bhikkhu who has been thrown back to the commencement of his term of probation . . . . with a Bhikkhu who has rendered himself liable to the Mānatta discipline^[19] . . . . with a Bhikkhu undergoing the Mānatta discipline . . . . with a Bhikkhu who is in a position to receive rehabilitation'.

If a meeting of four Bhikkhus, of whom one is a probationer, should place a Bhikkhu on probation, or throw him back to the beginning of his probationary= course, or subject him to the Mānatta discipline—or if a meeting of twenty Bhikkhus, of whom one is a probationer, should rehabilitate a Bhikkhu, that, O Bhikkhus, is an invalid act, and need not be obeyed^[20]:

__________________

Here end the ninety-four duties encumbent on a probationer.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

There are four principal kinds of probation; the first of which was required when the follower of another of the reforming sects was received into the Buddhist Order, and is described in Mahāvagga I, 38. The other three, which follow on the commission of a Saṃghādisesa offence, are more particularly described below in the third Khandhaka. The Pāli names of these four are respectively apaṭicchanna-parivāsa, paṭicchanna-parivāsa, suddhanta-parivāsa, and samodhāna-parivāsa.

[2]:

All these expressions recur above, I, 27, 1.

[3]:

See I, 1, 2, down to the end.

[4]:

That is, in the lists recurring in the previous paragraphs, and given in full at I, 27, 1.

[5]:

Onojanam, which the Samanta Pāsādikā explains by 'visajjanaṃ: Compare the use of onojesi at Dīpavaṃsa XIII, 29. The etymology of the word is unknown to us.

[6]:

The Samanta Pāsādikā has here the following note on savacaniyaṃ, which should be compared with the shorter note on the same word given above, I, it, 5: Na savacaniyaṃ kātabban ti palibodhatthāya pakkosanatthāya vā savacaniyaṃ na kātabbaṃ. Palibodhatthāya hi karonto, aham āyasmantaṃ imasmiṃ vatthusmiṃ savacaniyaṃ karomi, imamhā āvāsā ekapadaṃ pi mā pakkami yāva na tam adhikaraṇaṃ vūpasantaṃ hotīti; evam karoti. Pakkosanatthāya karonto, ahaṃ te savacaniyaṃ karomi, ehi mayā saddhiṃ vinaya-dharānaṃ sammukhibhāvaṃ gacchāmā ti: evaṃ karoti.

[7]:

Buddhaghosa says here, Āsanapariyanto bhattaggādīsu saṃgha-navak-āsanaṃ vuccati, svassa dātabbo. Pariyanta is used here in the same sense as in the 22nd Nissaggiya.

[8]:

Vihārā, In later times this word is no doubt always, or almost always, used to designate the whole of a building in which several or many Bhikkhus resided. In the older literature it always, or almost always, denotes the dwelling-place, the private apartment, of a single Bhikkhu.

[9]:

That is, to refrain from salāka-bhatta, &c.

[10]:

The Samanta Pāsādikā says, Tappaccayā ’ti nihaṭabhatto hutvā vihāren’ eva nisiditvā bhuñjanto vattiyo gaṇayissāmi gacchato me bhikkhū disvā anārocentassa ratticchedo (cap. 2) siyā ’ti iminā kāraṇena piṇḍapāto na niharāpetabbo.

[11]:

Mā maṃ jāniṃsū ’ti mā maṃ ekabhikkhu pi jānātū ’ti ca iminā ajjhāsayena vihāre sāmaṇerehi pacāpetvā bhuñjitum labbhati. Gāmaṃ piṇḍāya pavisitabbam eva. Gilānassa pana navakammaṃ ācariyupajjhāyakiccādipasu (sic) tassa vā vihāre yeva acchituṃ vaṭṭati. Sace pi gāme anekasatā bhikkhū vicaranti na sakkā hoti ārocetuṃ gāmakāvāsaṃ gantvā sabhāgaṭṭhāne vasituṃ vaṭṭati.

[12]:

This paragraph, it will be seen, is omitted in three out of the four following cases, which are otherwise similar in every respect, as regards the right conduct which is laid down for them, to the present case of the Bhikkhus who have been placed on probation.

[13]:

The Samanta Pāsādikā says, (Abhikkhuko āvāso) na hi tattha vuttharattiyo gaṇanupikā honti. pakatattena pana saddhiṃ vaṭṭati. Anāvāso nāma cetiyagharaṃ bodhigharaṃ sammañjaniaṭṭako dāruaṭṭako pāniyamāḷo vaccakuṭi dvārakoṭṭhako ’ti evamādi.

[14]:

In the text read āvāso vā anāvāso vā.

[15]:

This recurs in Khandhaka I, chapter 27.

[16]:

Compare the 69th Sekhiya.

[17]:

Compare the 68th Sekhiya.

[18]:

A narrow space of open ground, levelled and cleared of jungle, for the purpose of being used to walk up and down upon when meditating. See our note on Mahayana V, 1, 14.

[19]:

On these disciplines and on rehabilitation, see the following Khandhaka.

[20]:

Compare Mahāvagga IX, 4, I.