Vinaya Pitaka (3): Khandhaka

by I. B. Horner | 2014 | 386,194 words | ISBN-13: 9781921842160

The English translation of the Khandhaka: the second book of the Pali Vinaya Pitaka, one of the three major ‘baskets’ of Therevada canonical literature. It is a collection of various narratives. The English translation of the Vinaya-pitaka (third part, khandhaka) contains many Pali original words, but transliterated using a system similar to the I...

On revoking an act of suspension for not relinquishing

… of suspension for not giving up a wrong view, has been carried out by an Order, conducts himself properly … these monks are here speakers of what is right.”

The Ninth Section: that on (the monks) at Campā.

In this Section there are thirty-six items. This is its key:

The Lord was at Campā, case at Vāsabha village,
he made an effort for in-coming monks
in regard to what they wanted,[1] /
Having known “They are appointed” henceforth he made no effort,
Thinking “Suspended, one does not carry out”, he went to the Victor, / Vin.1.334
BD.4.479 A (formal) act not by rule,
in an incomplete assembly,
by rule in a complete assembly,
and a (formal) act by rule in an incomplete assembly,
by what has the appearance of rule in an incomplete assembly, /
By what has the appearance of rule in a complete assembly,
one suspends one,
and one two, several, one suspends an Order, /
Then two, then several, and an Order suspends an Order,
the distinguished, omniscient one, having heard, objects,
saying, “It is not the rule”, /
Whatever (formal) act for which the motion is not furnished
(although) a proclamation is furnished
And that for which the proclamation is not furnished
although it is furnished with a motion, /
If neither is furnished and it is also not by rule,
against the teacher’s (instruction), protested against,
reversible, not fit to stand, /
Not by rule, in an incomplete assembly—these two,
but just this: by rule, in a complete assembly
is allowed by the Truthfinder. /
Fourfold, fivefold, tenfold and twenty
and more than twentyfold—an Order is thus of five kinds. /
Having excluded ordination and whatever
(formal) act for Invitation (there is)
together with the (formal) act of rehabilitation—
the carrying out is by means of a fourfold Order, /
Excluding two (formal) acts:
ordination in the middle districts
(and) rehabilitation—
the carrying out is by means of a fivefold Order. /
Excluding rehabilitation alone—
these monks are tenfold,
an Order of twenty carries out all (formal) acts,
it is the carrier out of everything. /
Nun, probationer and novice, woman novice,
disavower, (one who has committed) an extreme offence,
one suspended for not seeing an offence, /
For not making amends for,
(for not giving up) a wrong view, eunuch,
one living in communion as it were by theft,
(one gone over to) a sect, an animal, slayer of mother, of father, /
Of one perfected, seducer of a nun, schismatic,
shedder of (a Truthfinder’s) blood,
hermaphrodite, BD.4.480 one belonging to a different communion,
staying within a different boundary,
(standing above the ground) by psychic power, /
One against whom an Order is carrying out a (formal) act—
these come to be twenty-four
(and) they are objected to by the Awakened One
for they are not completers of a group./
If one undergoing probation should
as the fourth member grant probation
or should rehabilitate one (sent back to) the beginning
or (undergoing) mānatta it is not a (formal) act
and should not be carried out. /
So too, if one deserving the beginning
or mānatta (should rehabilitate)
one deserving rehabilitation—
this is not in accordance with a (formal) act—
the five are explained by the All-awakened One. /
Nun, probationer, novice, woman novice,
disavower, (one who has committed)
an extreme (offence), who is mad,
unhinged, in pain, (suspended) for not seeing, /
For not making amends for, for (not giving up) a wrong view,
and a eunuch and a hermaphrodite,
one belonging to a different communion (or) boundary
(or standing) above the ground (by psychic power)
and one against whom a (formal) act is being carried out, / Vin.1.335
Of these eighteen the protest is not valid,
the protest is valid of a regular monk. /
A pure one may be wrongly sent away,
and an ignorant one rightly sent away,
eunuch, one living in communion as it were by theft,
going over (to a sect), an animal, /
(Slayer) of mother, of father, of one perfected,
seducer (of a nun), schismatic of the Order,
shedder of (a Truth-finder’s) blood
and also a hermaphrodite and whichever /
Of these eleven is not meant for restoration.
Hands, feet, both these, ears, nose, both these, /
Fingers, nails, tendons, one who has webbed hands,
hunchback, and dwarf,
one who has goitre, who has been branded, scourged,
and who has been written about
and one who has elephantiasis, /
BD.4.481 One who is badly ill, who has disgraced an assembly, who is blind,
and one with a crooked limb, lame, and also one who is paralysed,
a cripple, one weak through age, blind from birth, dumb, and deaf, /
Blind and dumb, (blind and) deaf, and dumb and deaf likewise,
and blind-deaf-dumb: all these thirty-two—/
Their restoration was explained by the all enlightened one.
(An offence) that should be seen,
for which amends should be made,
(a wrong view) to be given up does not exist, /
There are seven (formal) acts suspending him which are not legally valid,
And these seven that are not legally valid for one complying with his falling, /
Among (formal) acts there are seven that are legally valid
for one not complying with his falling,
in the presence of, interrogation,
and according as it is and on the acknowledgement,
Innocence, past insanity, depravity,[2] and on account of censure,
banishment, reconciliation, and suspension, probation, /
The beginning, mānatta, rehabilitation, and thus ordination:
These sixteen[3] are not legally valid if it should carry out one for another,[4] /
These sixteen are quite legally valid
if it should carry out the appropriate one for that one,[5]
reciprocally they should explain
how these sixteen are not legally valid, /
When conditioned for it paired[6]:
these sixteen are also legally valid,
when conditioned (for it) singly:
the conqueror said the cycle[7] is not legal. /
One who makes strife[8]:
the Order carries out a (formal) act of banishment BD.4.482
not by rule, in an incomplete assembly;
he goes to another residence, /
There they carried out a (formal) act of censure against him,
not by rule,[9] in a complete assembly,
elsewhere they carried out a (formal) act of banishment against him
by rule, in an incomplete assembly, /
And they likewise carried out one which in both cases
had the appearance of rule,
in an incomplete assembly, in a complete assembly,
and not by rule in a complete assembly,
also by rule in an incomplete assembly, /
And by what had the appearance of rule
in an incomplete assembly, and in a complete assembly:
these cases, having done what is conditioned singly,
put the cycle together. /
Guidance for one who is ignorant, inexperienced,
banishment for one who brings a family into disrepute,
And they carried out a (formal) act of reconciliation for a reviler, / Vin.1.336
And for whoever does not see, does not make amends for (an offence),
does not give up a (wrong) view:
for these a (formal) act of suspension
was decreed by the leader of the caravan. /
The wisdom of these (formal) acts of suspension
should be applied to censure,
and if, being subdued, conducting himself properly, he has asked, /
The revocation of these or those (formal) acts
is according to the (formal) acts below.[10]
And if in this or that case he disputes some (formal) act /
And says, “It was not carried out, it was badly carried out,
it should be carried out again”,
further, concerning the revocation of the (formal) act:
these monks are speakers of what is right. /
The Great Sage, having seen falling away from shakiness[11]
in one entitled (to take part in a formal) act
prescribed revocation, as a surgeon medicine. Vin.1.337

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Oldenberg’s text icchitabbake; Sinhalese edition -ko.

[2]:

Here pāpikā for tassapāpiyyasika.

[3]:

Only fifteen listed above: nissaya (placing under) guidance, is omitted.

[4]:

“It” is an Order, see Kd.9.6.2, but if it carries out a formal act that is not appropriate and does not fit the case, that formal act is not legally valid.

[5]:

taṃ taṃ kareyya taṃ tassa soḷas’ ete sudhammikā.

[6]:

dvedvetamūlakaṃ.

[7]:

cakka wheel, cycle series.

[8]:

Oldenberg, at Vin.1.394, notes that “all three manuscripts read bhaṇḍanakārako”, where the accusative would have been expected.

[9]:

Oldenberg’s text reads dhammena; Sinhalese edition tatthādhammena and see Kd.9.7.1.

[10]:

heṭṭhā, “below” is equivalent to our “above”.

[11]:

vipattivyādhite. Sinhalese edition -dhitā.

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