English
For whoever, abandoning a mass of wealth, small or large, has gone forth from home to homelessness, having given up livelihood by agriculture, cattle-rearing, and the like, is a monk because he has undertaken the alms-round by merely accepting the monastic insignia. Or, because his livelihood depends on others, even while eating communal meals in the monastery, he is a monk because he has undertaken the alms-round. Or, because he has generated enthusiasm for ordination relying on morsel-food, he is a monk because he has undertaken the alms-round. He wears a robe that is different due to difference in value, touch, and color, therefore he is one who wears a robe that is different. Here, difference in value should be understood by cutting with a knife. For even a robe worth a thousand, cut into pieces with a knife, becomes of different value, not worth even half its former value. Difference in touch should be understood by sewing with thread. For even a robe of pleasant touch, sewn with threads, becomes of different touch, attaining a rough touch. Difference in color should be understood by needles, dirt, and the like. For even a very pure robe, from the work of the needle onwards, by needle-dirt, hand-sweat-dirt-scum and the like, and at the end by the processes of dyeing, becomes of different color, abandoning its natural color. Thus, because of wearing a robe that is different in these three ways, the monk is one who wears a robe that is different. Or, merely by wearing the robes of a color different from that of lay clothes, he is a monk who wears a robe that is different. He abandons evil, unwholesome things, that bhikkhu. By the path of stream-entry, he shatters five defilements, that bhikkhu. By the path of once-returning, four; by the path of non-returning, four; by the path of arahantship, he shatters eight defilements, that bhikkhu. Thus, the four path-attainers are shown. By "shattered," however, the four fruit-attainers. For the stream-enterer, by the path of stream-entry, having shattered five defilements, stands firm. The once-returner, by the path of once-returning, four; the non-returner, by the path of non-returning, four; the arahant, by the path of arahantship, having shattered eight defilements, stands firm. Thus, this fourfold fruit-attainer, by shattering evil, unwholesome things, is called a bhikkhu. "Limited in the abandoning of defilements," here there are two limits: the limit of the path and the limit of the defilements. Limit means boundary, restriction. Therein, the stream-enterer, by the limit of the path, limited in the abandoning of defilements, is a bhikkhu. For his defilements are abandoned by one limit among the four paths, not by the entire fourfold path. The same method applies to the once-returner and the non-returner. The stream-enterer, also by the limit of the defilements, limited in the abandoning of defilements, is a bhikkhu. For among the defilements to be abandoned, defilements are abandoned only by a limit, not all by all. The arahant, however, is unlimited in the abandoning of defilements, that bhikkhu. For his defilements are abandoned by the fourfold path, without limit, not by a single path's boundary. And among the defilements to be abandoned, defilements are abandoned without limit. For not even a single defilement's boundary remains. Thus, he, in both ways, unlimited in the abandoning of defilements, is a bhikkhu. "A trainee" means the seven noble ones together with the virtuous ordinary person. They train in the three trainings, therefore trainees. Any trainee among them should be understood as a bhikkhu. "Not training" means a non-trainee. Having transcended the qualities of a trainee, standing in the highest fruit, because there is nothing further to be trained in, the one with destroyed outflows is called a non-trainee. The remaining ordinary bhikkhu neither trains in the three trainings, nor having trained, stands firm; therefore, he should be understood as neither a trainee nor a non-trainee. The highest virtue, the highest concentration, the highest wisdom, the highest liberation, and... Because he has attained the highest state, he is called the "highest bhikkhu." "Bhadra" means without evil. For virtuous ordinary people and those on the path up to the arahant, because they are endowed with noble virtue, concentration, wisdom, liberation, and the knowledge and vision of liberation, they are called "bhadra bhikkhus." "Maṇḍa bhikkhu" means a clear bhikkhu; like clarified butter, unclouded, very clear, is the meaning. "Sāra" means endowed with those very essences of virtue, etc., just as a blue cloth is endowed with blueness, so the "sāra bhikkhu" should be understood. Or, because he is devoid of the pith of defilements, only the arahant whose taints are destroyed should be understood as "sāra." And there, in these three instances, "he breaks evil, unwholesome things, therefore a bhikkhu; he washes away defilements, therefore a bhikkhu; a trainee bhikkhu," the seven trainees are spoken of. In these five instances, "because of the breaking of evil, unwholesome things, therefore a bhikkhu; because of the washing away of defilements, therefore a bhikkhu; a non-trainee bhikkhu, the highest bhikkhu, the maṇḍa bhikkhu," only the arahant whose taints are destroyed is spoken of. In "neither a trainee nor a non-trainee," only the ordinary person is spoken of. In the remaining instances, the virtuous ordinary person, the seven trainees, and the arahant whose taints are destroyed, all these are spoken of. Having thus shown the bhikkhu by way of designation, etc., now, to show him by way of ordination, he begins with "by the united Sangha," etc. There, "by the united Sangha" means, in the final analysis, in a procedure requiring a group of five, as many bhikkhus as are eligible for the procedure, because they have come, because the consent of those who are worthy of consent has been brought, and because of the non-opposition of those who are present, by those who have attained unity in one procedure. "With a motion and four announcements" means to be done with three announcements and one motion. "By a procedure" means by a lawful procedure according to the Vinaya. "Irrevocable" means having attained irrevocability, non-rejection, because it is complete with the object, the motion, the announcements, the boundary, and the assembly. "Worthy of the occasion" means worthy of the reason, worthy of the Teacher's dispensation. "Ordained" means having attained a higher state, having reached, is the meaning. For the state of a bhikkhu is a higher state. And that, indeed, Because of being accomplished by the act as declared, he is called "ordained." Herein, these eight ordinations are stated: ordination by "Come, bhikkhu," ordination by taking refuge, ordination by receiving instruction, ordination by answering questions, ordination by accepting the weighty rules, ordination by a messenger, ordination by the eight utterances, and ordination by motion and three declarations. Of these, ordination by motion and three declarations, ordination by a messenger, and ordination by the eight utterances, these three are permanent. The rest existed only while the Buddha was living. Among those ordinations, in this context, only this ordination by motion and three declarations is intended. 511. In the explanation of the Pātimokkhasaṃvara, "Pātimokkha" means the precepts of training. For, that which protects it, frees and releases him from sufferings such as those of the woeful states, therefore it is called "Pātimokkha." "Sīla is the foundation," etc., are synonyms for that same thing. Here, "sīla" is indeed a synonym for the Pātimokkha, which is accomplished together with the conclusion of the act of declaration. Even so, in reality, this "sīla" is to be understood as the mental states, etc., of one who abstains from killing, etc., or fulfills the customary practice. For it was said in the Paṭisambhidā: "What is sīla?" "Intention is sīla, mental states are sīla, restraint is sīla, non-transgression is sīla." Here, "intention is sīla" means the intention of one who abstains from killing, etc., or fulfills the customary practice. "Mental states are sīla" means the abstinence of one who abstains from killing, etc. Furthermore, "intention is sīla" means the seven paths of action intention of one who abandons killing, etc. "Mental states are sīla" means the absence of covetousness, absence of ill will, and right view, which are stated in the Saṃyutta Mahāvagga in the manner of "Having abandoned covetousness, he dwells with a mind free from covetousness," etc. Here, "restraint is sīla" should be understood as five kinds of restraint: restraint of the Pātimokkha, restraint of mindfulness, restraint of knowledge, restraint of patience, and restraint of energy. Their distinctions are in the Visuddhimagga. Purity. Said: Non-transgression is virtue, the non-transgression, physical and verbal, of one who has undertaken virtue. And here, restraint-virtue and non-transgression-virtue, this itself is virtue in the ultimate sense; volition is virtue, mental states are virtue, this should be understood as virtue in the conventional sense. But since a bhikkhu is established in the Dispensation by virtue of the Pātimokkha restraint, therefore that is called "establishment"; or a bhikkhu is established therein, or wholesome states are established therein, hence "establishment." This is the meaning: "Established in virtue, a wise person, cultivating mind and wisdom, ardent, discerning, a bhikkhu, he unravels this tangle." (SN 1.23); "Virtue, great king, is the establishment of all wholesome states," and "For one established in virtue, great king, all wholesome states do not decline" (MN 2.1.9) should be understood as beginning statements. That, in the sense of prior origination, is the beginning. And this was said: "Therefore, Uttiya, first purify the beginning in wholesome states.