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discourse on contentment, discourse on seclusion, discourse on non-entanglement, discourse on arousal of energy, discourse on virtue, discourse on concentration, discourse on wisdom, discourse on liberation, discourse on knowledge and vision of liberation. "Words causing dispute" are quarrelsome. Not abandoning the four protections. without neglecting these four protections: mindfulness of the Buddha, loving-kindness, foulness, and mindfulness of death. Regarding the rule of chewing tooth-sticks, it is said that this is the rule of chewing tooth-sticks: Whoever comes to the monastic community daily, should take only one tooth-stick each day from the tooth-sticks placed in the tooth-stick holder by novices and others, brought for the bhikkhus to use as they please. But whoever does not come daily, but stays in the meditation house or is seen at a Dhamma-listening hall or an Uposatha hall, should estimate the amount and keep four or five tooth-sticks in their dwelling place and chew them. When these are used up, if there are still many in the tooth-stick holder, they should take more and chew them. If one takes them without estimating the amount, and they are used up in the holder even before one's own are finished, then some elders might say, "Let those who took them return them," and some might say, "Let them chew them, the novices will bring more." Therefore, to avoid disputes, the amount should be estimated, but there is no fault in taking them. One going on a journey should put one or two in a bag and go. The rule of alms-round will be explained in the rule of the alms-eater. Regarding "within the village…pe… should not be spoken of," for the four requisites, regarding robes and alms-food, neither asking nor hinting nor talking about signs is allowed. Regarding lodging, only asking is not allowed; the other three are allowed. Regarding medicine for the sick, everything is allowed. Even so, bhikkhus who purify their livelihood should guard it well. By this, the virtue of pure livelihood is shown. "One should be with guarded faculties" is the virtue of restraint of the faculties. "One should fulfill the Khandhaka rules and the Sekhiya rules" is the virtue of restraint by the Pātimokkha. The virtue of reliance on requisites, however, is shown by the three abilities. Thus, the intention is that many such discourses leading to liberation, connected with the fourfold pure virtue, should be spoken. In this… Concerning the Rains-retreat, in those various cities, in those various royal times, there were endless stories of dispute. How? In the Chapter on the Rains-retreat (Mahāvagga 186): "Now at that time, King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha, wishing to postpone the Rains-retreat, sent a messenger to the bhikkhus, saying, 'If, venerable sirs, you would undertake the Rains-retreat in the coming bright fortnight.'" They reported this matter to the Blessed One, "I allow, bhikkhus, to comply with kings," relying on these words, thinking that an intercalary month was prescribed by the Blessed One, and comparing it with the Vedic system, they made various kinds of disputes. Indeed, in the Vedic system, there are two intercalary months: the requested intercalary month and the obtained intercalary month. There, when the Kali Yuga calculation is divided by nineteen, the remainder is sevenfold, according to two, five, eight, ten, thirteen, sixteen, and eighteen. According to these, they are called the two-month intercalary, the five-month intercalary, the eight-month intercalary, the ten-month intercalary, the thirteen-month intercalary, the sixteen-month intercalary, and the eighteen-month intercalary. The eighteen-month intercalary is also called the final intercalary month. Among these, the eight and sixteen, even if not yet due in the Kali Yuga for the intercalary month, are called the requested intercalary month because they are requested due to the fear of irregularities in years and months, and the month is drawn forward. The remaining five, however, are called the obtained intercalary month because the month is drawn forward only when the Kali Yuga for the intercalary month is due. Here is the characteristic of the requested intercalary month: not knowing the truth, and comparing it with the Pāli, it is called the requested intercalary month because it was requested by King Bimbisāra from the Blessed One. Therefore, they say, in only these two requested intercalary months, a month along with a day should be drawn forward, not in the others. Others, however, say that in only the five obtained intercalary months, a month along with a day should be drawn forward, not in the requested intercalary months. Others, however, say: "There are two Rains-retreats, bhikkhus: the early and the late. The early one should be undertaken on the day after the full moon of Āsāḷha, the late one should be undertaken when a month has passed after Āsāḷha." in that very Chapter on the Rains-retreat (Mahāvagga 1 Taking the meaning of the Pāli that has come down incorrectly, the Rains-retreat was allowed by the Blessed One only on the conjunction of tithi and nakkhata. Therefore, the day immediately following the full moon of Āsāḷha should be conjoined with the full tithi. And conjoined with one of the two constellations called Pubbāsāḷha and Uttarāsāḷha. If such a time occurs when a month is drawn forward without a day, then only the drawing forward of a month should be done. If it does not occur, then the drawing forward of a month with a day. They say this is a decision consistent with the Piṭaka and the Veda. Therein some also say: "Mā is said to be the moon, because by its movement the day is measured. It is 'puṇṇa' (full) here by the completeness of all its parts, hence 'puṇṇamā' (full moon)." From such statements found in the Vinayatthamañjūsā and other texts, the conjunction with the full tithi should be desired on the full moon day itself, not on the first day (pāṭipada). Similarly, the conjunction with the constellation, on the fifteenth day of the bright half of Āsāḷha, on the Uposatha, as stated in the Mahāvaṃsa: "In the Uttarāsāḷha constellation, thus the relic was established." Therein the former say: If it were so, then lunar eclipses and solar eclipses would occur only on the Uposatha day. But now, lunar eclipses are observed only on the first day of the dark half and so on. Solar eclipses only on the first day of the bright half and so on. Therefore, the conjunction of tithi and nakkhata should be desired on the first day (pāṭipada) itself. The latter also say: By the words of debaters like you, because the days that should have been drawn forward previously were not drawn forward, it happens this way due to the accumulation of days. But in truth, lunar eclipses and solar eclipses should be desired on the Uposatha day itself. So be it, speak as you wish. Has such a thing ever happened in the Buddha's word, in the three Piṭakas with their commentaries? Yes, it has. Indeed, in the Gandhāra Jātaka, a lunar eclipse occurred twice on the Uposatha day. That Jātaka is included in the Sutta Piṭaka among the three Piṭakas, included in the Khuddaka Nikāya among the five Nikāyas, and among the nine s included in the birth stories concerning the seats. When this was said, the former ones could not give a reply. Then some say: "In the three Pitakas there are only intercalary months, not intercalary days, according to the Sāratthadīpanī (Sārattha. Ṭī. Pācittiya 3.404), which states: 'What is said in all three knot-sections, that having taken the intercalary months of eighteen years and calculated them, there are indeed extra days for the remaining two years, and that these extra days should be taken without doubt' - that should not be accepted. For indeed, in two years, extra days are not found separately, as the intercalary months arise only by setting aside intercalary months through the postponement of the rains in the third year. Therefore, in two years, extra days do not arise separately." Then others say: "Intercalary days in the three Pitakas" is found in the Vajirabuddhiṭīkā (Vajira. Ṭī. Pācittiya 404) in the statement: "There are indeed extra days for the remaining two years, therefore, one should ordain without doubt." Beyond this, they speak in various ways. Even the pure Vedic scholars say this, and the Vinaya-holding monks speak according to the Vinaya tradition. But for us, it should be known according to the calculation at hand in the Vedic tradition; enough of excessive elaboration. Those who are interested should know by looking at the treatise on intercalary months, which was made because the Dhamma king questioned it in the Kali Yuga, which was more than three thousand years old. Here, however, we speak only of the intended decision. In the first and second statements, King Bimbisāra does not request the Blessed One to declare an intercalary month, nor does the Blessed One declare it. Nor is it found in the Pāḷi, commentaries, or sub-commentaries that "in that year, this is an intercalary month," or "a month or a day should be postponed." But the king, because of the possibility of postponing the rains in the Vedic tradition for the approaching rainy season, in order for the monks not to enter the rains retreat in the first Āsāḷha month but to enter in the second Āsāḷha month, (said) "that he sent a messenger, saying: “When will the rains come for the Venerable Ones to enter the Rains Retreat in the bright half of the month?” If they were to enter, it would be good, so it should be connected. The bhikkhus reported the king’s message to the Blessed One. The Blessed One, since there was no decline in the bhikkhus’ virtues by postponing the Rains Retreat, said: “I allow, bhikkhus, to follow the kings.” Therefore, it is said in the Commentary: “In ‘I allow, bhikkhus, to follow the kings,’ there is no decline whatsoever for bhikkhus who postpone the Rains Retreat, so it is allowed to follow.”