Monks and Paribbajakas

The monks and the paribbajakas address each other with the epithet avuso and also exchange greeting (S.S.).^[1] However, the actual relationship between the monks and paribbajakas is not always friendly. Therefore, a number of paribbajakas belonging to different schools come to the monk Anuradha, exchange greeting (S.S.) with him and address him as avuso. However, the paribbajakas are dissatisfied at the end of his discourse and say of him, “This bhikku must be a novice (navo) not long ordained, or if he is an elder (thero), he is an ignorant fool.^[2] Pataliputta the paribbajaka exchange greeting (S.S.) with the monk samiddhi and uses the mutual term of respect avuso. But soon after the conversation, Potaliputta takes leave of samiddhi, ‘neither rejoicing nor protesting against what samiddhi has said.”^[3]

Paribbajakas with gotta affiliation are addressed by their gotta, and the mode of address is somewhat different in that avuso is ommited. The monk Moggallama exchange greeting (S.S.) with Vacchagotta the paribbajaka and addresses him as bho vaccha. In reply vaccha addresses him as bho Moggallana.^[4]