First Khandhaka. Chapter 32
p. 377
Vi. The Ukkhepaniya-kamma
For Not Renouncing A Sinful Doctrine.
32.
1. Now at that time the Blessed Buddha was staying at Svatthi, in the "G"etavana, the grove of Anthapi"n"d"ika. And at that time a certain Bhikkhu by name Ari"t"th"a, who had formerly been a vulture tormentor 1, had fallen into a sinful belief of this kind; (that is to say), 'In this wise do I understand the Dhamma preached by the Blessed One, that to him who practises those things which have been declared by the Blessed One to be impediments 2,
p. 378
there will arise no impediment sufficient (to prevent his acquiring spiritual gifts) 1.'
Now many Bhikkhus heard that Ari"t"th"a, who had formerly ( and on arriving there they asked Ari"t"th"a the Bhikkhu, who had formerly been a vulture tormentor, 'Is it true, friend Ari"t"th"a, as they say, that you have fallen into a sinful belief (&c., as above, down to) spiritual gifts?'
'Certainly 2! I do so understand the Dhamma preached by the Blessed One (&c., as before):
2. 'Say not so, friend Ari"t"th"a. Bear not false-witness against the Blessed One. For neither is it seemly to bring a false accusation against the Blessed One, nor could the Blessed One have spoken so. By many a figure, friend Ari"t"th"a, have the things which are impediments been declared to be impediments by the Blessed One, and also to be sufficient to prevent him who cultivates them (from attaining to spiritual gifts) 3. Lusts have been declared by the Blessed One to be of short taste 4, full of pain, and full of despair, things wherein the danger is great. Lusts have been declared by the Blessed One to be like the bones of a skeleton, full of pain, and full of despair, things wherein the danger is
p. 379
great. Lusts have been declared by the Blessed One to be like lumps of raw meat, full (&c., as before, down to:) is great. Lusts have been declared by the Blessed One to be like torches made of a wisp of hay...., like a pit full of live coals 1...., like the visions of a dream...., like a beggar's portion...., like the fruits of trees...., like the sword and the slaughter-house...., like darts and clubs...., like snakes and creeping things, full of pain, and full of despair, things wherein the danger is great.'
Yet notwithstanding that Bhikkhu Ari"t"th"a, who had formerly been a vulture tormentor, when thus being addressed by the Bhikkhus, remained steadfastly adhering, in the very same way, and with violence, to that sinful doctrine, declaring, 'Verily I do so understand the Dhamma preached by the Blessed One (&c., as before, in 1).'
3. Then since those Bhikkhus were unable to move Ari"t"th"a the Bhikkhu, who had formerly been a vulture tormentor, from that sinful doctrine, they went up to the place where the Blessed One was; and when they had come there, they told this thing to the Blessed One.
And the Blessed One on that occasion, and in that connection, convened a meeting of the Bhikkhusa"m"gha, and asked Ari"t"th"a the Bhikkhu, who had formerly been a vulture tormentor, 'Is it true, as they say, Ari"t"th"a, that you have fallen into a sinful doctrine of such a kind (&c., as before, in 1)?'
'Certainly, Lord! I do so understand (&c., as before, in 1).'
p. 380
'How can you, O foolish one, so understand the Dhamma preached by me? Have I not, by many a figure, O foolish one, declared the things which are impediments to be impediments, and sufficient to prevent him who cultivates them (from attaining to spiritual gifts)? Have not lusts been by me declared to be of short taste ( but rather to those who are unconverted not being converted, and to the turning back of those who have been converted 2.'
When he had thus rebuked him, and had delivered a religious discourse, he addressed the Bhikkhus, and said: Let therefore the Sa"m"gha, O Bhikkhus, carry out against Ari"t"th"a the Bhikkhu, who was formerly a vulture tormentor, the Ukkhepaniyakamma, for not renouncing a sinful doctrine, to the intent that he shall not eat or dwell together with the Sa"m"gha.'
4. 'Now thus, O Bhikkhus, should it be carried out. In the first place the Bhikkhu Ari"t"th"a ought
p. 381
to be warned [&c., as in chapter 25, down to the end of the Kammav"k", including the supplementary sentence as to the proclamation].'
Footnotes
377:1 In his commentary on the P"k"ittiya, quoted by Oldenberg in his note on this passage, Buddhaghosa explains this expression to mean 'born in a family of vulture slayers.' This does not, help us much, vulture slaying as a regular occupation being somewhat incomprehensible, and not referred to elsewhere. Whatever its meaning, the occupation referred to is perhaps the origin of, or should at least be compared with, the statement of Ktesias (circa B.c. 400) in his 'Indika' (ed. C. Mller, Fragment xiii), that the Indians used not dogs but vultures, which they trained for that purpose, in hunting hares and foxes. Lassen in his 'Indische Alterthumskunde,' Ii, 638, 639, thinks this statement not incredible, very fairly comparing the use of falcons in Europe in the Middle Ages. It is not impossible that the correct rendering here should be 'vulture-catcher,' or 'vulture-trainer;' but we prefer to be literal.
377:2 The only one of such things (Dhamm) known to us elsewhere in the Vinaya Pi"t"aka itself is deliberate falsehood. This is stated in Mahvagga II, 3, 3 to be an impediment, which is explained by the Old Commentator, at Mahvagga Ii, 3, 7, to mean an impediment to the attainment of the Ghnas, and other things of similar nature.
378:1 This is word for word the same speech as that which is condemned in the 68th and 70th P"k"ittiyas.
378:2 By is only known to us as an intensive particle occurring in passages like the present one.
378:3 So far this section is word for word the same as the 68th and the 70th P"k"ittiyas.
378:4 Quoted at Dhammapada, ver. 186.
379:1 \"G"taka I, 231, 232.
380:1 Compare Mah-parinibbna Sutta Iv, 8-11.
380:2 Up to this point the whole chapter recurs as the Introductory Story in the Sutta-vibhaga on the 68th P"k"ittiya.
Vi. The Ukkhepaniya-kamma
For Not Renouncing A Sinful Doctrine.
32.
1. Now at that time the Blessed Buddha was staying at Svatthi, in the "G"etavana, the grove of Anthapi"n"d"ika. And at that time a certain Bhikkhu by name Ari"t"th"a, who had formerly been a vulture tormentor 1, had fallen into a sinful belief of this kind; (that is to say), 'In this wise do I understand the Dhamma preached by the Blessed One, that to him who practises those things which have been declared by the Blessed One to be impediments 2,
p. 378
there will arise no impediment sufficient (to prevent his acquiring spiritual gifts) 1.'
Now many Bhikkhus heard that Ari"t"th"a, who had formerly ( and on arriving there they asked Ari"t"th"a the Bhikkhu, who had formerly been a vulture tormentor, 'Is it true, friend Ari"t"th"a, as they say, that you have fallen into a sinful belief (&c., as above, down to) spiritual gifts?'
'Certainly 2! I do so understand the Dhamma preached by the Blessed One (&c., as before):
2. 'Say not so, friend Ari"t"th"a. Bear not false-witness against the Blessed One. For neither is it seemly to bring a false accusation against the Blessed One, nor could the Blessed One have spoken so. By many a figure, friend Ari"t"th"a, have the things which are impediments been declared to be impediments by the Blessed One, and also to be sufficient to prevent him who cultivates them (from attaining to spiritual gifts) 3. Lusts have been declared by the Blessed One to be of short taste 4, full of pain, and full of despair, things wherein the danger is great. Lusts have been declared by the Blessed One to be like the bones of a skeleton, full of pain, and full of despair, things wherein the danger is
p. 379
great. Lusts have been declared by the Blessed One to be like lumps of raw meat, full (&c., as before, down to:) is great. Lusts have been declared by the Blessed One to be like torches made of a wisp of hay...., like a pit full of live coals 1...., like the visions of a dream...., like a beggar's portion...., like the fruits of trees...., like the sword and the slaughter-house...., like darts and clubs...., like snakes and creeping things, full of pain, and full of despair, things wherein the danger is great.'
Yet notwithstanding that Bhikkhu Ari"t"th"a, who had formerly been a vulture tormentor, when thus being addressed by the Bhikkhus, remained steadfastly adhering, in the very same way, and with violence, to that sinful doctrine, declaring, 'Verily I do so understand the Dhamma preached by the Blessed One (&c., as before, in 1).'
3. Then since those Bhikkhus were unable to move Ari"t"th"a the Bhikkhu, who had formerly been a vulture tormentor, from that sinful doctrine, they went up to the place where the Blessed One was; and when they had come there, they told this thing to the Blessed One.
And the Blessed One on that occasion, and in that connection, convened a meeting of the Bhikkhusa"m"gha, and asked Ari"t"th"a the Bhikkhu, who had formerly been a vulture tormentor, 'Is it true, as they say, Ari"t"th"a, that you have fallen into a sinful doctrine of such a kind (&c., as before, in 1)?'
'Certainly, Lord! I do so understand (&c., as before, in 1).'
p. 380
'How can you, O foolish one, so understand the Dhamma preached by me? Have I not, by many a figure, O foolish one, declared the things which are impediments to be impediments, and sufficient to prevent him who cultivates them (from attaining to spiritual gifts)? Have not lusts been by me declared to be of short taste ( but rather to those who are unconverted not being converted, and to the turning back of those who have been converted 2.'
When he had thus rebuked him, and had delivered a religious discourse, he addressed the Bhikkhus, and said: Let therefore the Sa"m"gha, O Bhikkhus, carry out against Ari"t"th"a the Bhikkhu, who was formerly a vulture tormentor, the Ukkhepaniyakamma, for not renouncing a sinful doctrine, to the intent that he shall not eat or dwell together with the Sa"m"gha.'
4. 'Now thus, O Bhikkhus, should it be carried out. In the first place the Bhikkhu Ari"t"th"a ought
p. 381
to be warned [&c., as in chapter 25, down to the end of the Kammav"k", including the supplementary sentence as to the proclamation].'
Footnotes
377:1 In his commentary on the P"k"ittiya, quoted by Oldenberg in his note on this passage, Buddhaghosa explains this expression to mean 'born in a family of vulture slayers.' This does not, help us much, vulture slaying as a regular occupation being somewhat incomprehensible, and not referred to elsewhere. Whatever its meaning, the occupation referred to is perhaps the origin of, or should at least be compared with, the statement of Ktesias (circa B.c. 400) in his 'Indika' (ed. C. Mller, Fragment xiii), that the Indians used not dogs but vultures, which they trained for that purpose, in hunting hares and foxes. Lassen in his 'Indische Alterthumskunde,' Ii, 638, 639, thinks this statement not incredible, very fairly comparing the use of falcons in Europe in the Middle Ages. It is not impossible that the correct rendering here should be 'vulture-catcher,' or 'vulture-trainer;' but we prefer to be literal.
377:2 The only one of such things (Dhamm) known to us elsewhere in the Vinaya Pi"t"aka itself is deliberate falsehood. This is stated in Mahvagga II, 3, 3 to be an impediment, which is explained by the Old Commentator, at Mahvagga Ii, 3, 7, to mean an impediment to the attainment of the Ghnas, and other things of similar nature.
378:1 This is word for word the same speech as that which is condemned in the 68th and 70th P"k"ittiyas.
378:2 By is only known to us as an intensive particle occurring in passages like the present one.
378:3 So far this section is word for word the same as the 68th and the 70th P"k"ittiyas.
378:4 Quoted at Dhammapada, ver. 186.
379:1 \"G"taka I, 231, 232.
380:1 Compare Mah-parinibbna Sutta Iv, 8-11.
380:2 Up to this point the whole chapter recurs as the Introductory Story in the Sutta-vibhaga on the 68th P"k"ittiya.
