English
The hot season means four months, beginning from the first day of the dark half of Phagguna until the end of the full moon of Āsāḷha. The rainy season means four months, beginning from the first day of the dark half of Āsāḷha until the end of the full moon of the latter Kattika. In the third and seventh halves, making two each, there are six fourteenth-day (uposathas). This means, in the third and seventh halves of the winter season, there are two fourteenth-day (uposathas), in the dark half of the month of Migasira, and in the dark half of the month of Māgha. Similarly, for the hot season, in the third (half) in the dark half of the month of Citta, and in the seventh (half) in the dark half of the month of Jeṭṭha. And for the rainy season, in the third (half) in the dark half of Sāvaṇa, and in the seventh (half) in the dark half of Assayuja. The remaining are fifteenth-day (uposathas). The remaining eighteen are fifteenth-day (uposathas). And here it is said: From the dark (half) of Kattika, Until the full moon of Phagguna; It should be known as the winter season; There are eight uposathas. From the dark (half) of Phagguna, Until the full moon of Āsāḷha; It should be known as the hot season; There are eight uposathas. From the dark (half) of Āsāḷha, Until the full moon of Kattika; It should be known as the rainy season; There are eight uposathas. But for the three seasons, In the third and seventh halves; The wise declare the Pātimokkha As a fourteenth-day (uposatha). Thus, in one year there are twenty-four uposathas. This means, in this manner described, since there are eight uposathas in each of the three seasons, such as winter, there are twenty-four uposathas in one year, which comprises the three seasons. This is the regular custom. This practice of having six fourteenth-day uposathas and eighteen fifteenth-day uposathas in one year is primarily a natural custom to be observed, not something to be done for reasons such as a large number of residents. When there is such a condition, it is permissible to perform the Uposatha even on another fourteenth day. By the saying, "Once in a fortnight, on the fourteenth or fifteenth day, the Pātimokkha should be recited" (Mahāvagga 136), and by the saying, "but the incoming monks should conform to the resident monks" (Mahāvagga 178) and so on, the meaning is that when there is such a condition, it is permissible to perform the Uposatha even on another fourteenth day. There, "once" means one time. "Should conform to the resident monks" means when the resident monks perform the preliminary duties saying, "Today is the fourteenth-day Uposatha," they should conform, not object. By the word "and so on," the saying "the resident monks should conform to the incoming monks," and the saying, "I allow, monks, those monks to perform two or three fourteenth-day Uposathas, how can we perform the Pavāraṇā earlier than those monks?" (Mahāvagga 240) are included. And here, for the first Sutta, for each season, on the fourteenth day of the third or seventh fortnight, or on the fifteenth day of the remaining ones, the Pātimokkha should be recited once. And also by way of common practice, since the meaning is possible, it should be understood that the Suttas beginning with "by the incoming monks" have been shown. "When there is such a condition" means when there are such conditions and so on, suitable for performing the Uposatha even on another fourteenth day, when the resident monks are more numerous. "Even on another fourteenth day" means on a fourteenth day other than the fourteenth day of the third or seventh fortnight of the three seasons. There is this Pāli text (Mahāvagga 178) – "Here, monks, for the resident monks it is the fourteenth day, for the incoming monks it is the fifteenth. If the resident monks are more numerous, the incoming monks should conform to the resident monks. If they are equal in number, the incoming monks should conform to the resident monks. If the incoming monks are more numerous, the resident monks should conform to the incoming monks. "Here, monks, for the resident monks it is the fifteenth day, for the incoming monks it is the fourteenth. If the resident monks are more numerous, the incoming monks should conform to the resident monks. If they are equal in number, the newcomers should conform to the residents. If the newcomers are more numerous, the residents should conform to the newcomers. "Here, monks, for the resident monks it is the first day, for the newcomers it is the fifteenth. If the residents are more numerous, the residents should not unwillingly give agreement to the newcomers; the newcomers should go outside the boundary and perform the Uposatha. If they are equal in number, the residents should not unwillingly give agreement to the newcomers; the newcomers should go outside the boundary and perform the Uposatha. If the newcomers are more numerous, the residents should either give agreement to the newcomers, or go outside the boundary. "Here, monks, for the resident monks it is the fifteenth, for the newcomers it is the first day. If the residents are more numerous, the newcomers should either give agreement to the residents, or go outside the boundary. If they are equal in number, the newcomers should either give agreement to the residents, or go outside the boundary. If the newcomers are more numerous, the newcomers should not unwillingly give agreement to the residents; the residents should go outside the boundary and perform the Uposatha." Here is the commentary (Mahāvagga Commentary 178) – "For the resident monks it is the fourteenth, for the newcomers it is the fifteenth" – here, those for whom it is the fifteenth should be understood as having come from another country, or as having performed the Uposatha on the fourteenth in the past. "Should conform to the residents" means that when the residents perform the preliminary duties saying "Today is the fourteenth Uposatha," they should conform, not object. "Should not unwillingly give" means should not give against one's wish. In "I allow, monks," etc., this is the Pāli from the Pavāraṇakkhandhaka (Mahāvagga 240) – Here, monks, many monks who are well-known and congenial go to reside for the Rains in a certain dwelling, and near them, other monks who are quarrelsome, contentious, disputatious, talkative, and cause legal issues in the Saṅgha go to reside for the Rains... "We will postpone the Pavāraṇā of those bhikkhus who have completed the Rains." I allow, bhikkhus, those bhikkhus to observe two or three Uposatha days as fourteenth-day Uposathas, thinking, "How can we perform Pavāraṇā before those bhikkhus?" Here is the commentary on that (Mahāva. Aṭṭha. 240): "To observe two or three Uposatha days as fourteenth-day Uposathas" – here, the fourth and fifth are the two; the third, however, is naturally a fourteenth-day Uposatha. Therefore, the third and fourth, or the third, fourth, and fifth, should be made into two or three fourteenth-day Uposathas. If they hear after the fourth has been observed, the fifth should be made a fourteenth-day Uposatha; even so, there will be two fourteenth-day Uposathas. Doing so, they will perform the fifteenth-day Pavāraṇā on the thirteenth or fourteenth day for those who cause disputes. Here is the Sāratthadīpanī passage on that (Sārattha. Ṭī. Mahāvagga 3.240): "If they hear after the fourth has been observed" means they hear that "they will postpone our Pavāraṇā" after the fourth fifteenth-day Uposatha has been observed. "Even so, there will be two fourteenth-day Uposathas" means there will be two fourteenth-day Uposathas along with the third. Here is the Vimativinodanī passage on that (Vi. Vi. Ṭī. Mahāvagga 2.240): "There will be two fourteenth-day Uposathas" means there will be two fourteenth-day Uposathas along with the fourteenth day of the third fortnight. "They will perform the fifteenth-day Pavāraṇā on the thirteenth or fourteenth day for those who cause disputes" – this shows that the designation of fourteenth-day or fifteenth-day for bhikkhus is based on their own day of observing Uposatha, not on the lunar calendar. Although it is said, "I allow, bhikkhus, to follow the kings" (Mahāva. 186), here, even when following the lunar dates of the laity, it should be followed by making the fourteenth a fifteenth or the fifteenth a fourteenth according to one's own Uposatha sequence, and not by making the sixteenth or thirteenth day the Uposatha day. For this very reason, it is stated in the Pāli (Mahāva. 240), "to observe two or three Uposatha days as fourteenth-day Uposathas." Otherwise, Because it is said: "On the twelfth, or on the thirteenth, the Uposatha should be held." And the saying: "Once in the fortnight, on the fourteenth or on the fifteenth," is said in the aforementioned sequence, and should be understood as not by the lunar date sequence. Not only are there three Uposatha days, but also Pavāraṇā days, thus it says: "For those who have spent the former Rains," and so on. "Mā" is said to be the moon, because by its movement the day is measured. Here, it is full with the completion of all its phases, thus "puṇṇamā" (full moon). The full moon of the former Kattikā is Pubbakattikapuṇṇamā, the Assayuja full moon. It is so called to distinguish it from the latter Kattikā. "Of those very ones" means of those who have spent the former Rains. "By quarrel-makers" means by those who cause disputes. "They drag back" means they drag forward. The meaning is that the quarrel-makers, by way of dispute, abandoning the Assayuja full moon and so on, drag the Pavāraṇā forward to the dark fortnight or the bright fortnight. "Let the venerable residents hear me. If it is suitable for the venerable ones, let us now hold the Uposatha, recite the Pātimokkha, and perform the Pavāraṇā in the coming dark fortnight." And: "Let the venerable residents hear me. If it is suitable for the venerable ones, let us now hold the Uposatha,