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B030108Vinayālaṅkāra ṭīkā(vinaya pitaka adornment re commentary)

English

which is a commentary on the Vinayasaṅgaha, The Ornament of the Discourse on the Decision Regarding the Entry into the Rains Retreat Is the twenty-sixth chapter. The first part is finished. Homage to that Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One. Vinayālaṅkāra-ṭīkā (Second Part) 27. Discourse on the Decision Regarding the Duties to the Upajjhāya and Others Description of the Discourse on the Duties to the Upajjhāya 183. Having thus explained the decision regarding the entry into the Rains Retreat, now begins the discourse on the duties to the Upajjhāya and other duties. To say "these are observed here," he begins. Here, "vatta" means what should be observed, what should be put into practice. It is the customary conduct, the disciplinary rules, that disciples and others should practice towards their preceptors and so on. How many kinds are there? He says, "This 'vatta'... is of many kinds." "Latrine duty" and so on—the word "iti" here means "and so forth." This includes the duties of a disciple, the duties of a resident, and the duties of expressing appreciation. For it is said in the commentaries here and there, "the fourteen duties of the sections." And in the Pāli text of the Vatta-khandhaka (Cūḷava. 356), it is also found. There, however, it begins with the duties of a guest, but here it starts with the duties of a preceptor. Besides these, there are also the seventy-five training rules (sekhiya-vattāni) and the eighty-two great duties (mahā-vattāni), which are also "vatta." Among these, the training rules are found in the Mahāvibhaṅga, and the great duties in the Karma-khandhaka and Pārivāsika-khandhaka (Cūḷava. 75 onwards). Therefore, only the fourteen duties of the sections are shown here. Showing the preceptor's duties first among them, he begins by saying, "There, the preceptor's duties should be understood thus." There, who is a preceptor? For what reason is one a preceptor? How is a preceptor acquired? By whom should the preceptor's duties be observed? What are those duties? There, who is a preceptor? From the statement, "I allow, monks, that a competent and capable monk, ten years or more, may give ordination" (Mahāva. 76), a monk who is competent and capable, ten years or more since his ordination, is a preceptor. For what reason is one a preceptor? One is a preceptor because one scrutinizes (upanijjhāyati) faults and non-faults. This means one deeply considers the minor or major faults of one's disciples. How is a preceptor acquired? When a disciple, having arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, sat in a squatting position, and raised his hands in anjali, says three times, "Be my preceptor, venerable sir," if the preceptor says, "Good," or "Quickly," or "It is suitable," or "I will protect you..." or "with a pleasing manner, attend to it," in these five phrases, by means of any one of these phrases, by body, or by speech, or by both body and speech, if one makes known the acceptance of the preceptor, saying, "The preceptor has been accepted by you," then the preceptor is accepted. Therein, "sāhu" means good. "Lahū" means not heavy, meaning easy to bear. "Opāyikaṃ" means connected with means, meaning such a practice is a means to liberation. "Patirūpaṃ" means this is proper conduct. "Pāsādikena" means with a pleasing bodily and verbal effort, attend to it, is the meaning. By whom should the preceptor's duties be performed? By the accepted preceptor's resident pupil. What are those duties? This has been stated: "Rising early, taking off the sandals"— if, for walking in the early morning, or for washing and attending to the feet, sandals are worn on the feet, they should be removed by rising early. "Such water for washing the face should be given"— meaning, in the same season and bodily condition, the same kind should be given. "Having made them into one piece"— meaning, the outer robe and the double robe, these two robes should be given together. For all robes are called "saṅghāṭī" (double robe) because they are joined together. Therefore it is said, "the double robes should be given." "Padavītihārehi" (with steps of a certain measure)— here, "pada" (step) "vītiharati" (moves across) "ettha" (here), so "padavītihāra" is the place where steps are moved across. Without being too quick or too slow, with an even pace, the distance of a fist-jewel between two steps. Or, the moving of steps, placing them forward, this is "padavītihāra"— such is the meaning to be understood here. "One should not interrupt the preceptor's speech"— whether in the inner dwelling or elsewhere, while he is speaking, before his words are finished, another topic of conversation should not be raised. "From this point onwards"— meaning, from the word "na" (not) in "na upajjhāyassa bhaṇamānassā" (one should not interrupt the preceptor's speech). This shows that in cases like "nātidūre" (not too far), where "na" negates, there is no offense. "Everywhere there is an offense of wrong-doing"— except for cases of misfortune, madness, Even for a sick person who speaks without knowing the designation, without mental suffering, pain, etc., it is a dukkaṭa (wrongdoing). Indeed, in times of difficulty, it is permissible to speak intermittently, and similarly in other such cases where "no" is prohibited. But in other cases, even a sick person is not exempt. It should be understood that a dukkaṭa offense occurs everywhere, and it was said to show that "in such cases, even a sick person is not exempt." Indeed, for a non-sick person who disrespectfully does not perform the preceptor's duties as stated, in all cases of deviation from duty, it is a dukkaṭa. Therefore, it will be said: "Indeed, by a non-sick co-resident, even for sixty years, all the preceptor's duties must be performed. For one who disrespectfully does not perform them, in cases of deviation from duty, it is a dukkaṭa. But in places connected with 'no,' even for a sick person, performing a prohibited action is indeed a dukkaṭa." "Speaking near an offense" means speaking words close to an offense, in terms of the Padasodhamma (Pāci. 44 onwards) or Duṭṭhulla (Pārā. 283) and so on. And "words close to an offense" refers to words that generate an offense. Indeed, the speech by which one commits an offense, that speech is called "close to an offense." Here, "having wrapped the bowl with a robe" means "having wrapped it with one corner of the outer robe," as stated in the Gaṇṭhipada. "Or having touched the lower seat" — this was said so as not to collide with a bowl or other things placed there previously. Even by looking with the eye, and knowing the absence of others, it is indeed permissible to place it. "Having raised the corner by four fingers" means the robe should be folded in such a way that the corner is made to exceed by a measure of four fingers. "The waistband should be placed in the fold" means the waistband should be folded, placed in the fold of the robe, and kept there. Here, regarding "if there is almsfood": One who comes having eaten in the village itself, or between houses, or on the return path, or who does not receive alms, for him there is no almsfood. But for one who has not eaten in the village, or who has received alms, there is. Therefore, "if there is almsfood" and so on was said. There, "in the village" means the village boundary... in such a place where it is to be given. He enters the inner house, into the inner chamber. He goes to the sitting hall. Even if he does not have it, and wishes to eat, having given water, the almsfood received by oneself should be offered. It is connected with "should be asked three times with water," meaning it should be asked three times: at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end. "Upakaṭṭha" means near. "Dhotavālikā" means with clean sand, in a place where water has flowed, with dust-free, pure sand. He cleans the steam-bath house, free from the smoke of burning fire. A steam-bath house is indeed a place for steaming the body to prevent diseases and afflictions caused by heavy snowfall in many countries. There, it is said, due to being covered in darkness, many enter together, lay aside their robes, smear their faces with clay to protect against the heat of the fire, steam their bodies as much as needed, rub themselves with powders and so on, and then bathe. Therefore, in the Pāli (Mahāvagga 66), it is said, "powder should be prepared," and so on. "If he is able" means if he is capable. It explains the same meaning, "he is not overcome by any illness." "Without rubbing" means without rubbing on the ground. "Door-panel" means without touching the door-panel and the back-frame. "Santānaka" means any kind of insect's nest, spider's web, and so on. "The ceiling should be lowered first" means it should be removed starting from the ceiling, making the ceiling the beginning. "Ulloka" means the place for looking up, meaning the upper part. "Light-joints and corner-parts" means the light-joint parts and the corner parts, and the inner and outer window-panels, and the four corners of the chamber should be swept. "He should be taken elsewhere" means where disaffection with the teaching has arisen due to the monastery, he should be taken elsewhere, to a place endowed with good friends and so on. "And he should not depart while drops are still falling" means as long as even a small amount of dye drips from the dyed robe, he should not depart. "One should not give a bowl to someone without asking the preceptor," and so on. All this is said in terms of the preceptor's unsuitable individuals. Here, "unsuitable individuals" refers to those, whether conscientious or unconscientious, who are not conducive to the preceptor's growth. If, however, the preceptor is unconscientious and does not accept advice, and the conscientious ones are unsuitable for him, then one should abandon the preceptor and partake of alms and so forth only with the conscientious ones.