Fifth Khandhaka. Chapter 33
33.
1. Now at that time there were two brothers, Bhikkhus, by name Yame"l"u and Tekula 3, Brhmans
p. 150
by birth, excelling in speech, excelling in pronunciation. These went up to the place where the Blessed One was, and when they had come there, they saluted the Blessed One, and took their seats on one side. And so sitting those Bhikkhus spake to the Blessed One thus:
'At the present time, Lord, Bhikkhus, differing in name, differing in lineage, differing in birth, differing in family, have gone forth (from the world). These corrupt the word of the Buddhas by (repeating it in) their own dialect. Let us, Lord, put the word of the Buddhas into (Sanskrit) verse 1.'
'How can you, O foolish ones, speak thus, saying, "Let us, Lord, put the word of the Buddhas into verse?" This will not conduce, O foolish ones, either to the conversion of the unconverted, or to the increase of the converted; but rather to those who have not been converted being not converted, and to the turning back of those who have been converted.'
And when the Blessed One had rebuked those Bhikkhus, and had delivered a religious discourse 2, he addressed the Bhikkhus, and said:
p. 151
'You are not, O Bhikkhus, to put the word of the Buddhas into (Sanskrit) verse. Whosoever does so, shall be guilty of a dukka"t"a. I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to learn the word of the Buddhas each in his own dialect 1.'
2. Now at that time the "Kh"abbaggiya Bhikkhus learnt the Lokyata system 2.
People murmured, and those Bhikkhus told the matter to the Blessed One.
'Now can a man who holds the Lokyata as valuable reach up, O Bhikkhus, to the full advantage of, or attain to full growth in, to full breadth in this doctrine and discipline 3?'
'This cannot be, Lord.'
'Or can a man who holds this doctrine and discipline to be valuable learn the Lokyata system?'
p. 152
'This cannot be, Lord.'
'You are not, O Bhikkhus, to learn the Lokyata system. Whosoever does so, shall be guilty of a dukka"t"a.'
Now at that time the "Kh"abbaggiya Bhikkhus taught the Lokyata system.
People murmured, &c., saying, 'Like those still enjoying the pleasures of the world!'
They told this matter to the Blessed One.
'You are not, O Bhikkhus, to teach the Lokyata system. Whosoever does so, shall be guilty of a dukka"t"a.'
[Similar paragraphs to the last, ending]
'You are not, O Bhikkhus, to learn--to teach--the low arts 1 (of divination, spells, omens, astrology, sacrifices to gods, witchcraft, and quackery).'
3. Now at that time the Blessed One when, surrounded by a great assembly, he was preaching the Dhamma, sneezed. The Bhikkhus raised a great and mighty shout, 'Long life to our Lord the Blessed One! Long life to the Happy One!' and by the sound ther the discourse was interrupted. Then the Blessed One said to the Bhikkhus:
'Now if when a man has sneezed, O Bhikkhus, some one says, "Long life to you," can he live or die on that account?'
'Not so, Lord.'
p. 153
'You are not, O Bhikkhus, when one has sneezed, to call out, "Long life to you." Whosoever does so, shall be guilty of a dukka"t"a 1.'
Now at that time people said to the Bhikkhus when they sneezed, 'Long life to your reverence!' and the Bhikkhus, fearing to offend, gave no reply. The people murmured, were annoyed, and were indignant, saying, 'How can the Sakya-puttiya Sama"n"as omit to reply when people say, "Long life to your reverence?"'
They told this matter to the Blessed One.
'Laymen, O Bhikkhus, are given to lucky phrases 2. I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to reply, "May you live long!" to laymen who say to you, "Long life to your reverence!"'
Footnotes
149:3 Yame"l"utekul. It is possible that this compound should be dissolved into Yame"l"a and Utekula. Compare the word Yame"l"e at verse 35 of the Uddna (which stands where a nominative should stand, judging by the form of the other words in the Uddna). A comma has there been omitted by misprint after Yame"l"e.
150:1 We think that in these words ("kh"andaso ropema) there does lie a reference to the earlier Sanskrit. And this especially for four reasons: firstly, this is required by the antithesis to 'their own dialect;' secondly, the use of the word "kh"andasi in P"n"ini, where it always means precisely 'in the Veda-dialect,' requires it; thirdly, it is difficult to understand otherwise the mention of 'Brhmans by birth;' and fourthly, this is in accordance with the traditional interpretation of the passage handed down among the Bhikkhus. Buddhaghosa says, "kh"andaso ropem ti Veda"m" viya sakka"t"a-bhsya v"k"an-magga"m" ropema. Sakka"t"a is of course Sa"m"sk"ri"ta.
150:2 See the substance intended at "K"ullavagga I,1, 3.
151:1 On the historical conclusions which may be drawn from this tradition, see H.O.'s introduction to the text of the Mahvagga, pp. xlix and following.
151:2 This is mentioned also in the Assalyana Sutta (at the beginning), and in the same terms in the Milinda Pa"n"ha, p. 10, as one of the branches of learning distinctive of well-educated Brhmans. It is condemned among other 'low arts' in the very ancient Mah Sla, 5. (See Rh. D.'s 'Buddhist Suttas from the Pli; p. 199, and his note on the age of this work, ibid. p. 188.) Among later works, the Nepalese Buddhists refer to it as one of the things with which a Bodhisattva will not condescend to occupy himself (Lotus of the Good Law, ch. xiii, Burnouf's version, p. 168), and in which good disciples will take no pleasure (ibid. p. 280). Buddhaghosa has a note on the passage in the Mah Sib. (quoted by Childers sub voce), which shows that it was understood in his time to be, or rather to have been, a system of casuistry.
151:3 So also in the "K"etokhila Sutta 2 (translated in Rh. D.'s 'Buddhist Suttas from the Pli,' p. 223).
152:1 Tira"k"kh"na-vi"g"g". Literally, 'brutish, or beastly, wisdom.' These are set out in full in the seven sections of the Mah Sla (translated in Rh. D.'s 'Buddhist Suttas from the Pli,' pp. 196-200). As noticed above, the Lokyata system is there mentioned ( 5) as one of them. Learning or teaching these things are forbidden in almost identical terms to the Bhikkhuns in the Bhikkhun-vibhaga, P"k"ittiyas XLIX and L.
153:1 This story forms the Introductory Story also to the Gagga "G"taka (No. 155 in Fausbll's edition). On the superstition here condemned, see Dr. Morris's remarks in the 'Contemporary Review' for May, 1881.
153:2 Gih bhikkhave magalik.
1. Now at that time there were two brothers, Bhikkhus, by name Yame"l"u and Tekula 3, Brhmans
p. 150
by birth, excelling in speech, excelling in pronunciation. These went up to the place where the Blessed One was, and when they had come there, they saluted the Blessed One, and took their seats on one side. And so sitting those Bhikkhus spake to the Blessed One thus:
'At the present time, Lord, Bhikkhus, differing in name, differing in lineage, differing in birth, differing in family, have gone forth (from the world). These corrupt the word of the Buddhas by (repeating it in) their own dialect. Let us, Lord, put the word of the Buddhas into (Sanskrit) verse 1.'
'How can you, O foolish ones, speak thus, saying, "Let us, Lord, put the word of the Buddhas into verse?" This will not conduce, O foolish ones, either to the conversion of the unconverted, or to the increase of the converted; but rather to those who have not been converted being not converted, and to the turning back of those who have been converted.'
And when the Blessed One had rebuked those Bhikkhus, and had delivered a religious discourse 2, he addressed the Bhikkhus, and said:
p. 151
'You are not, O Bhikkhus, to put the word of the Buddhas into (Sanskrit) verse. Whosoever does so, shall be guilty of a dukka"t"a. I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to learn the word of the Buddhas each in his own dialect 1.'
2. Now at that time the "Kh"abbaggiya Bhikkhus learnt the Lokyata system 2.
People murmured, and those Bhikkhus told the matter to the Blessed One.
'Now can a man who holds the Lokyata as valuable reach up, O Bhikkhus, to the full advantage of, or attain to full growth in, to full breadth in this doctrine and discipline 3?'
'This cannot be, Lord.'
'Or can a man who holds this doctrine and discipline to be valuable learn the Lokyata system?'
p. 152
'This cannot be, Lord.'
'You are not, O Bhikkhus, to learn the Lokyata system. Whosoever does so, shall be guilty of a dukka"t"a.'
Now at that time the "Kh"abbaggiya Bhikkhus taught the Lokyata system.
People murmured, &c., saying, 'Like those still enjoying the pleasures of the world!'
They told this matter to the Blessed One.
'You are not, O Bhikkhus, to teach the Lokyata system. Whosoever does so, shall be guilty of a dukka"t"a.'
[Similar paragraphs to the last, ending]
'You are not, O Bhikkhus, to learn--to teach--the low arts 1 (of divination, spells, omens, astrology, sacrifices to gods, witchcraft, and quackery).'
3. Now at that time the Blessed One when, surrounded by a great assembly, he was preaching the Dhamma, sneezed. The Bhikkhus raised a great and mighty shout, 'Long life to our Lord the Blessed One! Long life to the Happy One!' and by the sound ther the discourse was interrupted. Then the Blessed One said to the Bhikkhus:
'Now if when a man has sneezed, O Bhikkhus, some one says, "Long life to you," can he live or die on that account?'
'Not so, Lord.'
p. 153
'You are not, O Bhikkhus, when one has sneezed, to call out, "Long life to you." Whosoever does so, shall be guilty of a dukka"t"a 1.'
Now at that time people said to the Bhikkhus when they sneezed, 'Long life to your reverence!' and the Bhikkhus, fearing to offend, gave no reply. The people murmured, were annoyed, and were indignant, saying, 'How can the Sakya-puttiya Sama"n"as omit to reply when people say, "Long life to your reverence?"'
They told this matter to the Blessed One.
'Laymen, O Bhikkhus, are given to lucky phrases 2. I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to reply, "May you live long!" to laymen who say to you, "Long life to your reverence!"'
Footnotes
149:3 Yame"l"utekul. It is possible that this compound should be dissolved into Yame"l"a and Utekula. Compare the word Yame"l"e at verse 35 of the Uddna (which stands where a nominative should stand, judging by the form of the other words in the Uddna). A comma has there been omitted by misprint after Yame"l"e.
150:1 We think that in these words ("kh"andaso ropema) there does lie a reference to the earlier Sanskrit. And this especially for four reasons: firstly, this is required by the antithesis to 'their own dialect;' secondly, the use of the word "kh"andasi in P"n"ini, where it always means precisely 'in the Veda-dialect,' requires it; thirdly, it is difficult to understand otherwise the mention of 'Brhmans by birth;' and fourthly, this is in accordance with the traditional interpretation of the passage handed down among the Bhikkhus. Buddhaghosa says, "kh"andaso ropem ti Veda"m" viya sakka"t"a-bhsya v"k"an-magga"m" ropema. Sakka"t"a is of course Sa"m"sk"ri"ta.
150:2 See the substance intended at "K"ullavagga I,1, 3.
151:1 On the historical conclusions which may be drawn from this tradition, see H.O.'s introduction to the text of the Mahvagga, pp. xlix and following.
151:2 This is mentioned also in the Assalyana Sutta (at the beginning), and in the same terms in the Milinda Pa"n"ha, p. 10, as one of the branches of learning distinctive of well-educated Brhmans. It is condemned among other 'low arts' in the very ancient Mah Sla, 5. (See Rh. D.'s 'Buddhist Suttas from the Pli; p. 199, and his note on the age of this work, ibid. p. 188.) Among later works, the Nepalese Buddhists refer to it as one of the things with which a Bodhisattva will not condescend to occupy himself (Lotus of the Good Law, ch. xiii, Burnouf's version, p. 168), and in which good disciples will take no pleasure (ibid. p. 280). Buddhaghosa has a note on the passage in the Mah Sib. (quoted by Childers sub voce), which shows that it was understood in his time to be, or rather to have been, a system of casuistry.
151:3 So also in the "K"etokhila Sutta 2 (translated in Rh. D.'s 'Buddhist Suttas from the Pli,' p. 223).
152:1 Tira"k"kh"na-vi"g"g". Literally, 'brutish, or beastly, wisdom.' These are set out in full in the seven sections of the Mah Sla (translated in Rh. D.'s 'Buddhist Suttas from the Pli,' pp. 196-200). As noticed above, the Lokyata system is there mentioned ( 5) as one of them. Learning or teaching these things are forbidden in almost identical terms to the Bhikkhuns in the Bhikkhun-vibhaga, P"k"ittiyas XLIX and L.
153:1 This story forms the Introductory Story also to the Gagga "G"taka (No. 155 in Fausbll's edition). On the superstition here condemned, see Dr. Morris's remarks in the 'Contemporary Review' for May, 1881.
153:2 Gih bhikkhave magalik.
