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A Record of the Buddhist Religion, As Practised in India and the Malay Archipelago (a.d. 671–695) - Max Muller, 1896 - Complete Book

English

Had a person taught and altered this point, the arrangement might have been exactly like that of Ragagrzha, It is the fault of the former teachers and not the ignorance of the later pupils that is to be blamed. The earth and the water in the jar, which are to be kept at the lavatory, must be safely placed and sufficiently supplied. The second jar (from which one pours out water) should “have a spout attached to it. If one uses a kumdi, it is to be made according as I explained before *. A copper jar with a wide mouth and a lid is not fit to be used in washing. If you make another mouth at the side of it, guard the top of its cover with tin, and* make a hole at the centre of the pointed top. You may use the copper jar in time of need. So far I have toiled with my pen and used my paper, the result being the minuteness of my description. I hope that there may be some who will listen to my remonstrance and pursue the (proper) course. The Great Sage entered Nirvaza in the twin Sdla-trees; and the Arhats also became ashes in the five parts of India. 1 Page 23, note, above. ? Chap. vi above. Be 23 P: RULES OF ORDINATION. 95° The Law that has been left behind is only beginning to dawn in its shadow and sound. Go and entrust yourselves to those who: have abandoned the worldly life; rise and follow the men who have rejected earthly care. The busy and turpid world of darkness you must quit ; the quiet and white life of purity you should pursue. Let both the dirt outside and the error inside be wiped away, and the tying above and the binding below be equally cut off. With your body in quiet and with your mind in purity, the four actions? of yours will never be troubled, _and the three objects 4 of honour should always be friends, Then you are not an object of mockery among living men ; how should you fear the angry look of the prince of Death (Yama)? We should tax our thoughts as to how to benefit the nine worlds of beings, and complete the good cause (for Buddhahood) through three long ages. If, as I earnestly hope, one man out of a million improve himself (by my words) I shall not be sorry for the difficulty and bitterness which I endured, during the two dozen years of my toil *, CHAPTER XIX. RULES OF ORPINATION. AS-to the ceremonies pertaining to admission to the priesthood (lit. ‘the homelessness *) which are performed in the West, there are minute rules, for them, all established by the Sage (Buddha), as can be fully seen in the ‘One Hundred Karmas’*; but I shall briefly cite here some points only > concerning them. . Any one who has turned his thoughts (to religion) and is desirous of being a priest (lit. ‘a homeless ) enters the presence of a teacher of his own choice, and relates to him his wish, The teacher, through some means or other, inquires whether there is any impediment in the way; i.e. such as patricide, matricide, and the like. * "He means to say that the influence of the Law is yet small. Le. going, staying, sitting, and lying. * Le, the Three Jewels, * Ie. the Mlasarvstivadanikayaikasatakarman, Nanjio’s Catal. No. 1131. ® Chinese BE 48 # BS lit. “briefly point out squares and angles,’ = 96 A RECORD OF BUDDHIST PRACTICES. , XIX. If he finds no such difficulty he allows what was asked, and accepts him (as a candidate for orders}. Having accepted him, the teacher leaves him at leisure ten days or a month, and then imparts to him the five precepts}. : * The man who hitherto was not a member of the seven Assemblies (ie, seven Parishads)? is now called an Upasaka; this is his first step into the Law of the Buddha. Then the teacher, having arranged a Pafa (or a simple cloak), a Sankakshika, a Nivdsana, a bowl, and a filter (for the candidate), addresses himself to the Sangha, and relates that the candidate has a desire to become a priest (homeless). When the Sangha has admitted him, the teacher on his behalf asks the Akaryas (to conduct the ceremony). Then the candidate, in a private place, has his hair and © beard shaved by a barber (lit. a man who shaves the head), and takes | a bath, cold or warm according to the season. The teacher through some means or other examines him as to whether he is not a eunuch, &c., and then puts the Nivdsana (i.e. under-garment) on the candidate. Then the upper cloak is given him, which he receives; touching it with his head. After putting on his priestly cloak, he receives the bowl. He is now called a homeless priest (i.e. Pravragita). Next, in the presence of the teacher (Upadhyaya), the AZarya imparts to him the ten precepts (i.e. ten Sikshdpadas), either by reciting or by reading them. After the priest has been instructed in these precepts, he is called Sramavefa. ~ (Note by I-tsing): Sramavera ig to be interpreted ‘one who seeks for rest, meaning ‘ one who wishes to enter Nirvaza, the complete rest.’ The former transliteration was ‘ Sha-mi, which is too short and wrong in pronunciation, and this name was interpreted as ‘resting in compassion, which has no authority, though the meaning may have. 1 The text has &, JB; lit. ‘place or object of learning ;’ the original is SikshApadam, i.e. sentence of moral training, precept. Padam, meaning either ‘place ’ or ‘sentence,’ was here translated by ‘place.’ The five and ten Siksha- padas are identical with the five and ten Silas respectively ; the five being the well-known fundamental precepts or commands of the Buddha, i.e. ‘Bo not kill, {steal. tell a lie. commit adultery, nor drink any intoxicating liquor’ Childers, RULES OF ORDINATION. - 97 The dignity, the ceremonies, the attitude and method and the rites of asking instruction and announcing one’s intention are the same for those who proceed to receive full ordination? {as well as those who desire the ordination as Sramanera). But in case of a Sramavera a transgression of the twelve particulars set forth in the Vinaya texts does not involve guilt ; for a SikshamAva (fem.), however, there are some modifications of the rule. Now what are the twelve particulars? 1, One must distinguish (between legal and illegal) robes (N issaggiya I-10). 2. One must not sleep without garments. 3.-One must not touch fire? (probably Paéittiya 56). 4. One must not eat too much food (Pakittiya 35, 36, and 34). 5. One must not injure any living things (Pakittiyé 61). 6. One must not throw filth upon the green grass (Pasittiya 11 and 20). 7. One must not recklessly climb upa high tree (unless in emergency), 8. One must aot touch jewels (Pakittiya 84; Nissaggiya 18 and 19). 9. One must’ not eat food left from a meal (Pakittiya 38). To. One must not dig the ground (Pakittiya 9). 11. One must not refuse offered food. 12, One must not injure growing sprouts. The two lower classes of members (i.e. Sramaveras and Sramaneris) néed not conform to the twel¥e, but the Sikshamands (fem.) incur guilt + if they fail to keep the last five particulars (8-12 above), These three lower members also have to observe the summer-retreat (i.e. Varsha), The six important rules and six minor rules (for women) are given elsewhere*. If they are not guilty of breach of any rules they can be fie. Upasampada ; Prof, Rhys Davids prefers ‘ initiation’ to ordination’ as the translation of Upasampadé, P- 377, Milinda II, S. B. E., vol. xxxvi; for the cere- mony of leaving home (Pabbagga) to become a Sramazera, and the full ordination .(Upasampada) to become a Bhikshu, see Childers, s.v., and Mahavagga I, 28-76. ® According to Kasyapa, this is burning fire in an open ground. * The Vinaya-sahgraha;“thap. xii (Nanjio’s Catal., No. 1127), gives the six rules and six minor rules for the female members, a, The six important rules :— 1. A female must not travel alone.” : oO gs A RECORD OF BUDDHIST PRACTICES. XIX. considered as ‘acting in accordance with the laws;’ in this case they may properly be included among the five assemblies (i. e. Parishads) and partake of the benefits conferred. It is wrong for a teacher not to impart the ten precepts to one who has become a priest (lit. ‘left home’), and not to communicate the complete precepts (MahAsila, s.v. Sila, Childers) out of fear that one should transgress them. For in such a case the novice falsely bears the name (of Sramavera which means) ‘seeking rest,’ and vainly embraces the appellation (of Pravragita, i.e. one) ‘who has gone forth from his home. It is a great loss to one, though some may think that there is some benefit in being a priest even under such conditions. It is said in a Strat: ‘He who is counted among the number of priests without receiving the ten precepts has a seat only temporarily open for him. How can he hold the seat and make it per- manent (lit. long-period)?’ In China the admission to the priesthood is _ public registration. After having shaved one’s hair, one takes refuge for a time with a teacher ; the latter never holds himself responsible for imparting to one a single prohibitive rule, nor does the pupil himself ask to be instructed in the ten moral precepts. Before he proceeds to full ordination, he is doing wrong in that he acts according to his own wish. On the day on which he receives full ordination he is ordered to go into the Bodhimazdala without any z. A female must not cross.a river alone. 3 a 33 touch the body of a man. 4: 5 have the same lodging with a man. + & ‘s3 as act as a matchmaker. 6. 33 i conceal a grave offence committed by a nun. é. The six minor rules :— x. A female must not take gold or silver which does not belong to her. 2. 3s is shave the hair in any place but the head. 3 dig up an uncultivated ground. 4 y wilfully cut growing grass or a tree. 5. 9 35 eat food which is not offered. 6. a _ eat food which has once been touched. * The Mahaparinirvina-sQtra is meant heré (Nanjio’s Catal.