English
However, having gone thus, when entering that monastery, one should have a toothpick made allowable and take it and enter immediately. And one should not enter another cell, thinking: "I will rest for a moment, wash and anoint my feet, and so forth, and then go to the teacher." Why? Because if there were bhikkhus of a different disposition from the teacher there, they might ask him the reason for his coming ...having asked, and having revealed the teacher's fault, they might cause regret, saying: "You are ruined, if you go to him!" so that he would turn back from there. Therefore, having asked for the teacher's dwelling place, one should go straight there. A teacher of the aforementioned kind is: "Beloved, venerable, to be esteemed, one who speaks and whose words are bearable; one who speaks profound discourse, and does not assign to an improper place." Thus, a good friend, a teacher, endowed with qualities such as faith, who is exclusively benevolent, and stands on the side of growth, is of the aforementioned kind. Here, "whose mind is pleased by proper conduct": if the teacher is younger, one should not accept his bowl and robe, etc. If he is older, one should go, salute the teacher, and stand. When told, "Lay down, friend, the bowl and robe," one should lay them down. When told, "Drink water," if one wishes, one should drink. When told, "Wash your feet," one should not wash them immediately. For if the water had been brought by the teacher, it would not be proper. But when told, "Wash, friend, I did not bring it, others brought it," then, in a place where the teacher does not see, or in such a secluded place, or even in an open-air dwelling, sitting aside, the feet should be washed. If the teacher brings an oil flask, one should stand up and respectfully take it with both hands. For if one does not take it, the teacher might think otherwise: "This monk, from this very moment, is breaking communion." But having taken it, one should not immediately anoint the feet. For if that were the teacher's body-anointing oil, it would not be proper. Therefore, first anoint the head, then anoint the shoulders and so forth. But when told, "This is general-use oil, friend, anoint your feet too," then, having anointed the feet, and saying, "I will put away this oil flask, venerable sir," it should be given when the teacher takes it. From the previous day onwards, "Please tell me, venerable sir, a meditation subject"... should not be done. But from the second day onwards, if the teacher has a regular attendant, one should ask him and perform the duties. If, even when asked, he does not give, it should be done when an opportunity arises. And in doing so, three tooth-sticks, small, medium, and large, should be offered. Cold and hot, two kinds of mouth-washing water, and bathing water should be prepared. Then, whatever the teacher uses for three days, that same kind should always be offered. If he uses whatever without a rule, whatever is available should be offered. What need is there for many words? All the duties that the Blessed One enjoined in the Khandhaka, saying: “Monks, an apprentice should behave properly towards the teacher. And this is the proper behavior: Rise early, take off the sandals, arrange the upper robe over one shoulder, give the tooth-stick, give mouth-water, arrange the seat. If there is gruel, wash the bowl and offer the gruel,” and so on, all that should be done. Thus, by practicing in the manner described, one should understand that one pleases the mind through the practice of duties. “Pañcasandhika” means having five joints, meaning five parts. “Uggaṇhanaṃ kammaṭṭhānassa” means learning the text of the meditation subject, and “paripucchā kammaṭṭhānassa” is inquiring about its meaning. Or, “uggaha” is learning the meditation subject from both text and meaning, and “paripucchā” is inquiring about doubts therein. “Upaṭṭhānaṃ kammaṭṭhānassa” is the appearance of the sign, the realization for one practicing meditation thus: “This sign appears thus.” Similarly, “appanā kammaṭṭhānassa” is the absorption of the meditation subject: “Thus one attains jhāna.” “Lakkhaṇaṃ kammaṭṭhānassa” is the attainment of success by making the meditation flourish through counting, following, and touching, and beyond that, the culmination through discerning and so on, which is the discernment of the nature of the meditation subject. Therefore, it is said: “The realization of the nature of the meditation subject.” it becomes." He himself is not weary from learning the meditation subject in sections, and thus he does not trouble the teacher, having brought the Dharma matter to completion through development. Therefore, for that reason, because of his own non-weariness and the non-troubling of the teacher. "A little" means a little, a little. "There" means where the teacher lives, there. "It is suitable" means with the attainment of suitable dwelling and so on, there is ease of attention, conduciveness to development. "Up to a yojana" includes even a gavuta and half a yojana. But because a dull-witted person, living at a gavuta, half a yojana, or a yojana, if doubt arises in some part of the meditation subject, or a lapse of mindfulness occurs, he can quickly perform his duties at the monastery, go for alms on the way, and only after the meal is finished, go to the teacher's dwelling place, clarify the meditation subject with the teacher that day, and on the second day, after saluting the teacher and departing, go for alms on the way, and without weariness, return to his own dwelling place; therefore it is said, "a dull-witted person, having gone up to a yojana." If a sharp-witted person does not find a suitable place within a yojana, he should cut through all difficult points in the meditation subject, make the meditation subject pure and connected with reflection, and it is permissible to go even further than a yojana; therefore it is said, "a sharp-witted person, having gone even far." "Devoid of the eighteen faults of a dwelling" means greatness, newness, oldness, being near a road, being a tavern, leaves, flowers, fruits, being desirable, being near a city, being near wood, being near a field, the presence of unsuitable people, being near a port, being near a border, being near a kingdom's boundary, unsuitability, lack of good friends— devoid of these eighteen faults of a dwelling. For a dwelling afflicted with any one of these eighteen faults is unsuitable for development. Why? In a great monastery (pure So many with various wishes gather. They, being at odds with each other, do not perform the duties. The Bodhi-tree courtyard and such are unswept. Water and food for consumption are not provided. There, if one, having taken bowl and robe, goes forth saying, "I will wander for alms in the alms-village," and sees the duties undone, or the water pot empty, then by him the duties must be done, water must be provided. If he does not, he incurs a dukkaṭa for breaking the rules. For him who does them, time passes. Having entered too late, he gets nothing from the finished alms round. Even one who has gone into seclusion is disturbed by the loud voices of novices and young monks and by Sangha activities. But where all duties are already done, and there are no other disturbances, in such a great monastery, one should dwell. In a new monastery, there is much new construction work. They complain about one who does not do it. But where monks say, "Venerable sir, practice your monk's duties as you please, we will do the new work," in such a place, one should dwell. But in an old monastery, much needs to be maintained. They complain about one who does not even maintain his own lodging. For one who maintains, his meditation declines. In a monastery near a great road, guests gather day and night. Having given one's own lodging to those who arrive at inappropriate times, one must dwell at the foot of a tree or on a rock slab. The next day is also the same, so there is no opportunity for meditation. But where there is no such disturbance from guests, there one should dwell. There is a stone pond called Soṇḍī. There, many people gather for water. Disciples of elders close to the royal family and city dwellers come for dyeing work. To them, asking for pots, wooden troughs, and so on, one must show, "in such and such a place." Thus, one is constantly busy at all times. Where there are various kinds of vegetables and leaves, there his meditation... Even near one who has taken a place for day-rest, vegetable gatherers, singing and picking leaves, by the clashing of unsuitable sounds, cause an obstacle to meditation. But where various kinds of flowering plants are in full bloom, there too is a similar disturbance. Where there are various fruits like mango, rose-apple, and jackfruit, there fruit-seekers come and beg, they get angry if not given, or take by force. When one walking in the middle of the monastery in the evening, seeing them, says, "What are you doing, lay followers?" they abuse him as they please, and even try to drive him away from his dwelling. But when dwelling in a desirable monastery, renowned in the world, like Dakkhiṇagiri, Hatthikucchi, Cetiyagiri, or Cittala pabbata, people, thinking "This is an Arahant," desirous of venerating, gather from all sides. Therefore, it is not comfortable for him. But if that is suitable for him, he should go elsewhere during the day and stay there at night. In a monastery near a city, unsuitable objects come into view. Even water-carrying women go by, clashing their pots, and do not give way. Even powerful people spread a mat in the middle of the monastery and sit down. But in a monastery near a forest, where there are firewood and trees for implements, there firewood gatherers, like the previously mentioned vegetable and flower gatherers, cause discomfort. There are trees in the monastery, people come and cut them, saying, "We will cut them and make houses."