Seventh Khandhaka. Chapter 3
3.
1. Now at that time the Blessed One was seated preaching the Dhamma, and surrounded by a great multitude, including the king and his retinue. And Devadatta rose from his seat, and arranging his upper robe over one shoulder, stretched out his joined hands to the Blessed One, and said to the Blessed One:
'The Blessed One, Lord, is now grown aged, he is old and stricken in years, he has accomplished a long journey, and his term of life is nearly run 1. Let the Blessed One now dwell at ease in the enjoyment of happiness reached even in this world. Let the Blessed One give up the Bhikkhu-sa"m"gha to me, I will be its leader.'
'Thou hast said enough, Devadatta. Desire not to be the leader of the Bhikkhu-sa"m"gha.'
[And a second time Devadatta made the same request, and received the same reply. And a third time Devadatta made the same request.]
'I would not give over the Bhikkhu-sa"m"gha, Devadatta, even to Sriputta and Moggallna.
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[paragraph continues] How much less, then, to so vile and evil-living a person as you 1.'
Then Devadatta thought: 'Before the king and his retinue the Blessed One denies me, calling me "evil-living," and exalts Sriputta and Moggallna.' And, angry and displeased, he bowed down before the Blessed One, and keeping him on his right hand as he passed him, he departed thence.
This was the first time that Devadatta bore malice against the Blessed One.
2. And the Blessed One said to the Bhikkhus, 'Let then the Sa"m"gha, O Bhikkhus, carry out against Devadatta the Act of Proclamation 2 in R"g"agaha, to the effect that whereas the nature of Devadatta used to be of one kind it is now of an-other kind, and that whatsoever he shall do, either bodily or verbally, in that neither shall the Buddha be recognised, nor the Dhamma, nor the Sa"m"gha, but only Devadatta.
'And thus, O Bhikkhus, shall the Act be carried out. Some discreet and able Bhikkhu (&c.,
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in the same form as in I, I, 4, down to the end of the Kammav"k").'
And the Blessed One said to the venerable Sriputta, 'Do you then, Sriputta, proclaim Devadatta throughout R"g"agaha.'
'In former times, Lord, I have sung the praises of Devadatta in R"g"agaha, saying, "Great is the power (Iddhi) of the son of Godhi! Great is the might of the son of Godhi!" How can I now proclaim him throughout R"g"agaha?'
'Was it not truth that you spoke, Sriputta, when you [so] sang his praises?'
'Yea, Lord!'
'Even so, Sriputta, do you now, speaking the truth, proclaim Devadatta throughout R"g"agaha.'
'Even so, Lord,' said Sriputta, in assent to the Blessed One.
3. And the Blessed One said to the Bhikkhus:
Let then the Sa"m"gha appoint Sriputta to the office of proclaiming Devadatta throughout R"g"agaha to the effect (&c., as before, 2). And thus, O Bhikkhus, should he be appointed. First, Sriputta should be asked, &c. (as usual in official appointments 1, down to the end of the Kammav"k").'
Then Sriputta, being so appointed, entered R"g"agaha with a number of Bhikkhus, and proclaimed Devadatta accordingly. And thereupon those people who were unbelievers, and without devotion or insight, spake thus: 'They are jealous, these Sakyaputtiya Sama"n"as! They are jealous of the gain and hospitality that fall to Devadatta!' But those who were believers, full of devotion, able, and gifted with in-
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sight, spake thus: This cannot be any ordinary affair 1, in that the Blessed One has had Devadatta proclaimed throughout R"g"agaha!'
4. And Devadatta went to A"g"tasattu the prince, and said to him: 'In former days, prince, people were long-lived, but now their term of life is short. It is quite possible, therefore, that you may complete your time while you are still a prince. So do you, prince, kill your father, and become the R"g"a; and I will kill the Blessed One, and become the Buddha.'
And prince A"g"tasattu thought, 'This worthy Devadatta has great powers and might; he will know (what is right).' And fastening a dagger 2 against his thigh, he entered with violence and at an unusual hour 3, though fearful, anxious, excited, and alarmed, the royal chamber. And when the ministers who were in attendance in the private chamber saw that, they seized him. And when, on searching him, they found the dagger fastened on his thigh, they asked him:
'What were you going to do, O prince?'
'I wanted to kill my father.'
'Who incited you to this?'
'The worthy Devadatta.'
Then some of the ministers advised 'The prince should be slain, and Devadatta, and all the Bhikkhus.' Others of them advised 'The Bhikkhus ought not to be slain, for they have done no wrong;
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but only the prince and Devadatta.' Others of them again said, 'Neither should the prince be slain, nor Devadatta, nor the Bhikkhus. But the king should be told of this, and we should do as the king shall command.'
5. So these ministers, taking the prince with them, went to the R"g"a of Magadha, to Seniya Bimbisra, and told him what had happened.
'What advice, my friends, did the ministers give?'
[When they had told him all (as before) he said]: 'What, my friends, can the Buddha, or the Sa"m"gha, or the Dhamma have to do with this? Has not the Blessed One had a proclamation already made throughout R"g"agaha concerning Devadatta, to the effect that whereas his nature used to be of one kind, it is now of another; and that whatsoever he shall do, either bodily or verbally, that shall neither the Buddha, nor the Dhamma, nor the Sa"m"gha be required, but only Devadatta?'
Then those ministers who had advised that the prince and Devadatta and all the Bhikkhus should be slain, them he made incapable (of ever again holding office) And those ministers who had advised that the prince should be slain, and Devadatta, them he degraded to lower offices. But those ministers who had advised that neither should the prince be slain, nor Devadatta, nor the Bhikkhus, but that the king should be informed of it, and his command be followed, them he advanced to high positions.
And the R"g"a of Magadha, Seniya Bimbisra, said to prince A"g"tasattu: 'Why did you want to kill me, O prince?'
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'I wanted a kingdom, O king!'
'If you then want a kingdom, O prince, let this kingdom be thine!' And he handed over the kingdom to A"g"tasattu the prince 1'.
6. Then Devadatta went to prince 2 A"g"tasattu, and said, 'Give such orders, O king, to your men that I may deprive the Sama"n"a Gotama of life.' And A"g"tasattu the prince gave orders to his men: 'Whatsoever the worthy Devadatta tells you, that do!'
Then to one man Devadatta gave command: 'Go, my friend, the Samara Gotama is staying at such and such a place. Kill him, and come back by this path.' Then on that path he placed other two men, telling them, 'Whatever man you see coming alone along this path, kill him, and return by that path.' Then on that path he placed other four men [and so on up to sixteen men].
7. And that man took his sword and shield, and hung his bow and quiver at his back, and went to the place where the Blessed One was, and when at some little distance from the Blessed One, being
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terrified, anxious, excited, and alarmed, he stood stark still and stiff 1.
On the Blessed One seeing him so, he said to the man: 'Come hither, friend, don't be afraid.'
Then that man laid aside his sword and his shield, took off his bow and his quiver, and went up to the Blessed One; and falling at his feet, he said to the Blessed One: 'Transgression, Lord, has overcome me even according to my folly, my stupidity, and my unrighteousness, in that I have come hither with evil and with murderous intent. May the Blessed One accept the confession I make of my sin in its sinfulness, to the end that in future I may restrain myself therefrom!'
'Verily, my friend, transgression has overcome thee [&c., down to] intent. But since you, my friend, look upon your sin as sin, and duly make amends for it, we do accept (your confession of) it. For this, O friend, is progress in the discipline of the Noble One, that he who has seen his sin to be sin makes amends for it as is meet, and becomes able in future to restrain himself therefrom 2.'
Then the Blessed One discoursed to that man in due order, that is to say (&c., as usual in conversions 3, down to) May the Blessed One accept me as a disciple, as one who, from this day forth as long as life endures, has taken his refuge in him.
And the Blessed One said to the man: 'Do not, my friend, leave me by that path. Go by this path.' and so dismissed him by another way.
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8. But the two men thought, 'Where now can that man be who was to come alone? He is delaying long.' And as they were going to meet him, they caught sight of the Blessed One sitting at the foot of a certain tree. On seeing him they went up to the place where he was, and saluted him, and took their seats on one side. To them also the Blessed One discoursed, [and they were converted as the other man had been, and he sent them back by another way. And the same thing occurred as to the four, and the eight, and the sixteen men 1.]
9. And the one man returned to Devadatta, and said to him: 'I cannot, Lord, deprive the Blessed One of life. Great is the power (Iddhi 2) and might of the Blessed One.'
'That will do, friend. You need not do so. I will slay the Blessed One myself.'
Now at that time the Blessed One was walking up and down (meditating) in the shade below 3 the mountain called the Vulture's Peak. And Devadatta climbed up the Vulture's Peak, and hurled down a mighty rock with the intention of depriving the Blessed One of life. But two mountain peaks came together and stopped that rock and only a splinter 4 falling from it made the foot of the Blessed One to bleed 5.
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Then the Blessed One, looking upwards, said to Devadatta: 'Great, O foolish one, is the demerit you have brought forth for yourself 1, in that with evil and murderous intent you have caused the blood of the Tathgata to flow.'
And the Blessed One said to the Bhikkhus: 'This is the first time that Devadatta has heaped up (against himself) a Karma which will work out its effect in the immediate future 2, in that with evil and murderous intent he has caused the blood of the Tathgata to flow.'
10. And the Bhikkhus having heard that Devadatta was compassing the death of the Blessed One, walked round and round the Vihra, making recitation in high and loud tones, for a protection and guard to the Blessed One. On hearing that noise the Blessed One asked the venerable nanda what it was. And when nanda [told him], the Blessed One said: 'Then, nanda, call the Bhikkhus in my
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name, saying, "The Teacher sends for the venerable ones."'
And he [did so], and they came, and saluted the Blessed One, and took their seats on one side. And when they were so seated, the Blessed One said to the Bhikkhus: 'This, O Bhikkhus, is an impossible thing, and one that cannot occur, that one should deprive a Tathgata of life by violence. The Tathgatas, O Bhikkhus, are extinguished (in death) in due and natural course.
'There are, O Bhikkhus, these five kinds, of teachers now living in the world (&c., as in Vii, 2, 3, 4, down to the end). And this, O Bhikkhus, is an impossible thing, and one that cannot occur, that a Tathgata should be slain by any act set on foot by any one besides himself. The Tathgatas, O Bhikkhus, are extinguished (in death) in due course (of nature). Go, therefore, O Bhikkhus, each one to his Vihra, for the Tathgatas require no protection.'
11. Now at that time there was at R"g"agaha an elephant named Nlgiri, fierce, and a manslayer. And Devadatta went into R"g"agaha, and to the elephant stables, and said to the elephant-keepers 1: 'I, my friends, am a relative of the raga's, and am able to advance a man occupying a low position to a high position, and to order increase of rations or of pay. Therefore, my friends, when the Sama"n"a Gotama shall have arrived at this carriage-road 2, then loose the elephant Nlgiri, and let him go down the road.'
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'Even so, Sir,' said those elephant-keepers in assent to Devadatta.
And when the Blessed One early in the morning had dressed himself, he entered R"g"agaha duly bowled and robed, and with a number of Bhikkhus, for alms; and he entered upon that road. On seeing him the elephant-keepers loosed Nlgiri, and let it go down the road. And the elephant saw the Blessed One coming from the distance; and as soon as it saw him, it rushed towards the Blessed One with uplifted trunk, and with its tail and ears erect.
When those Bhikkhus saw the elephant Nlgiri coming in the distance, they said to the Blessed One: 'This elephant, Lord, Nlgiri, is fierce, and a manslayer, and it has got into this road. Let the Blessed One, Lord, turn back: let the Happy One turn back.'
'Come on, O Bhikkhus. Be not alarmed. There is, O Bhikkhus, no possibility [ but the elephant will do him a hurt 1.' But those who were believers, full of
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devotion, able, and gifted with insight, said, 'Twill be long e'er the elephant can fight a fight with the elephant (of men)!'
And the Blessed One caused the sense of his love to pervade the elephant Nlgiri 1; and the elephant, touched by the sense of his love, put down his trunk, and went up to the place where the Blessed One was, and stood still before him. And the Blessed One, stroking the elephant's forehead with his right hand, addressed him in these stanzas:
'Touch not, O elephant, the elephant of men; for sad, O elephant, is such attack 2,
'For no bliss is there, O elephant, when he is passed from hence, for him who strikes the elephant of men.
'Be not then mad, and neither be thou careless 3, for the careless enter not into a state of bliss,
'Rather do thou thyself so act, that to a state of bliss thou mayest go.'
And Nlgiri the elephant took up with his trunk the dust from off the feet of the Blessed One, and sprinkled it over its head, and retired, bowing backwards the while it gazed upon the Blessed One.
And Nlgiri the elephant returned to the elephant stables, and stood in its appointed place, and
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became once more the tame Nlgiri. And at that time the people sung these verses:
'They can be tamed by sticks, and goads, and whips,
'But the great Sage has tamed this elephant without a weapon or a stick.'
13. The people were angry, murmured, and became indignant, saying, How wicked is this Devadatta, and how wretched 1, in that he can go about to slay the Sama"n"a Gotama, who is so mighty and so powerful.' And the gain and honour of Devadatta fell off, while that of the Blessed One increased.
2Now at that time, when the gain and honour of Devadatta had fallen off, he went, surrounded by Bhikkhus, to people's houses, appealing for alms 3.
The people were angry, murmured, and became indignant, saying, 'How can the Sakyaputtiya Sama"n"as live on food that they ask for at people's houses? Who is not fond of well-cooked food? Who does not like sweet things?'
The Bhikkhus heard ( (to wit) for the restraint of the evil-minded, and for the ease of the good 1, lest those who have evil desires should, in reliance upon a particular party (among the Bhikkhus), break up the Sa"m"gha 2, and (lastly) out of compassion for the laity 3. (A Bhikkhu) who shall enjoy an alms in parties of more than three, shall be dealt with according to law 4.'
14 5. Now Devadatta went to the place where Koklika, and Ka"t"amoraka-tissaka, and the son of Kha"n"d"a-dev and Samudda-datta were, and said to them, 'Come, Sirs, let us stir up a division in the Sama"n"a Gotama 's Sa"m"gha, and in the body of his adherents 6.'
When he had thus spoken, Koklika said to Devadatta, 'The Sama"n"a Gotama, Sir, is mighty and powerful. How can we [do such a thing]?'
'Come, Sirs, let us go to the Sama"n"a Gotama, and make the following five demands, saying,
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[paragraph continues] "The Blessed One, Lord, has declared in many a figure the advantages of the man who wishes for little, who is easy to satisfy in the matter of support and nourishment, who has eradicated evil from his mind, has quelled his passions, and is full of faith, of reverence, and of the exercise of zeal 1. The following five things, Lord, conduce to such a condition 2. It would be good, Lord, if the Bhikkhus should be, their lives long, dwellers in the woods--if whosoever goes to the neighbourhood of a village should thereby commit an offence. It would be good if they should, their lives long, beg for alms--if whosoever should accept an invitation, should thereby commit an offence. It would be good if they should clothe themselves, their lives long, in cast-off rags--if whosoever should accept a gift of robes from a layman 3, should thereby commit an offence. It would be good if they should dwell, their lives long, under the trees 4--if whosoever should (sleep) under a roof, should thereby commit an offence. It would be good if they should, their lives long, abstain from fish 5--if whosoever should
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eat fish, should thereby commit an offence." The Sama"n"a Gotama will not grant these things. Then will we gain over the people by means ther.'
'Yes; it may be possible so to stir up divisions in the Sa"m"gha, and in the party of the Sama"n"a Gotama. For the people believe in rough measures.'
15. And Devadatta went to the Blessed One, surrounded by his friends, and made these demands [in the words just set out].
'No, Devadatta. Whosoever wishes to do so, let him dwell in the woods; whosoever wishes to do so, let him dwell in the neighbourhood of a village. Whosoever wishes to do so, let him beg for alms; whosoever wishes to do so, let him accept invitations from the laity. Whosoever wishes to do so, let him dress in rags; whosoever wishes to do so, let him receive gifts of robes from laymen. Sleeping under trees has been allowed by me, Devadatta, for eight months in the year; and the eating of fish that is pure in the three points--to wit, that the eater has not seen, or heard, or suspected that it has been caught for that purpose.'
And Devadatta, pleased and delighted that the Blessed One had refused the five demands, arose from his seat, and keeping him on his right hand as he passed him, departed thence with his friends. And he entered into R"g"agaha, and urged his view upon the people by means ther, saying, 'Such and such things did we ask, Sirs, of the Sama"n"a Gotama. He would not allow them, but we live in accordance with them.'
16. Then those of the people who were unbelievers, and without reverence or insight, said. 'These Sakyaputtiya Sama"n"as have eradicated evil
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from their minds, and have quelled their passions, while on the other hand the Sama"n"a Gotama is luxurious, and his mind dwells on abundance 1.' But those of the people who were believers, and full of reverence and insight, were indignant, became vexed, and murmured, saying, 'How can Devadatta go about to stir up division in the Sa"m"gha of the Blessed One, and in the party that is subject to him.'
The Bhikkhus, hearing them so murmuring, told the matter to the Blessed One.
'Is it true, O Devadatta, as they say, that thou goest about to stir up division in the Sa"m"gha, and in the body of my adherents?'
'It is true, Lord.'
'(Thou hast gone far) enough, Devadatta. Let not a division in the Sa"m"gha seem good to thee 2;--grievous is such division. Whosoever, O Devadatta, breaks up the Sa"m"gha, when it is at peace, he gives birth to a fault (the effect of) which endures for a kalpa 3, and for a kalpa is he boiled in niraya. But whosoever, O Devadatta, makes peace in the Sa"m"gha, when it has been divided, he gives birth to the highest merit, and for a kalpa is he happy in heaven 4. Thou hast gone far enough,
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[paragraph continues] Devadatta. Let not a division in the Sa"m"gha, O Devadatta, seem good to thee. Grievous, O Devadatta, is such division.'
17. Now the venerable nanda, having dressed himself early in the morning, went duly bowled and robed into R"g"agaha for alms. And Devadatta saw the venerable nanda proceeding through R"g"agaha for alms. On seeing that he went up to the venerable nanda, and said to him: 'At once, from this day forth, friend nanda, I intend to perform Uposatha, and to carry out the formal proceedings of the Order, without either the Blessed One or the Bhikkhu-sa"m"gha.'
And when the venerable nanda had gone through R"g"agaha for alms, and had returned from his rounds, and had finished his meal, he went to the Blessed One, and bowed down before him, and took his seat on one side. And when he was so seated, he told the Blessed One [what Devadatta had said, and added], 'This very day, Lord, Devadatta will break up the Sa"m"gha.'
Then the Blessed One, when he heard that, gave utterance at that time to this expression of strong emotion:
'Easy is a good act to the good, a good act is hard to the wicked;
'Easy is evil to the evil, but evil is hard for the Noble Ones to do.'
"Here ends the Second Portion for Recitation.
Footnotes
238:1 This string of epithets recurs in Pr"g"ika I, 1, 2, of old and venerable Brhmans.
239:1 In the text read "kh"avassa khe"l"pakassa. On the first word, compare V, 2, 8. For the second the Dhammapada commentator (Fausbll, p. 143) reads, as does the Sinhalese MS. in our passage, khe"l"sika. Buddhaghosa, explaining it, says, 'In this passage (we should recollect) that those who obtain the requisites (of a Bhikkhu) by an evil mode of life are said by the Noble Ones to be like unto spittle. The Blessed One calls him khe"l"paka (to ex-press that) he eats, (that is, 'gains a living) in sin like that.' (For the Pli, see the edition of the text, p. 323, where the comma after khe"l"asadis should be before it.)
239:2 Paksaniya-kamma"m". This is not one of the regular official acts of the Sa"m"gha, as described in "K"ullavagga I, and is only mentioned in this passage. It is not referred to by the Dhammapada commentator.
240:1 See, for instance, I, 22, 2.
241:1 Na oraka"m" bhavissati. See Mahvagga I, 9, 1, and "K"ullavagga Vi, 4, 10, and our note on the latter passage.
241:2 Potthanika"m". This word has already occurred at Mahvagga Vi, 23, 3.
241:3 Divdivassa. See the use of this word at "G"taka Ii, 1.
243:1 The early literature already mentions that A"g"tasattu eventually killed his father. (See, for instance, Sma"a-phala Sutta, p. 154.) Bigandet I, 261 (3rd edition) adds that the mode adopted was by starving him to death in prison.
243:2 The Buddhist writers being so especially careful in their ac-curate use of titles, it is particularly noteworthy that A"g"tasattu is here called prince (kumra) and not king (r"g"a). It is almost impossible to avoid the conclusion that this paragraph stood originally in some other connection; and that the events it describes must then have been supposed to have taken place before A"g"tasattu actually became king. That the Dhammapada commentator says here (Fausbll, p. 143) tasmi"m" (that is. A"g"tasattu) ra"g"g"e pati"t"th"ite, is no evidence the other way; for that account is either taken from this, or depends ultimately upon it.
244:1 Patthaddha; that is, prastabdha. See Sutta-vibhaga, Pr"g"ika I, 10, 17, 21.
244:2 This confession and acceptance are in a standing form, which occurs, for instance, at Mahvagga IX, 1, g; "K"ullavagga V, 20, 5.
244:3 See, for instance, "K"ullavagga Vi, 4, 5.
245:1 The last two paragraphs of 7 are repeated in full in the text in each case.
245:2 The Iddhi here must be the power of religious persuasion.
245:3 Pa"k"kh"yya"m". See Mahvagga V, 1, 5, and Mah-parinibbna Sutta II, 31 (p. 22 of the text).
245:4 Papatik. In the text, by a misprint, this and the preceding word have been joined together.
245:5 Pde ruhiram uppdesi, where ruhira is equal to lohita. p. 246 It is so used at "G"taka II, 275, in the Milinda Pa"ha in the account of the present incident in the Dhammapada commentary (p. 144). In Mahvagga I, 67, where it is said that one who has shed (a Buddha's) blood cannot be received into the Order, the expression is lohita"m" uppdeti: and in numerous passages elsewhere it is added that such a lohituppdako becomes ipso facto discharged from one or other of the duties and privileges of a member of the Order, just as if he had thrown off the robes.
246:1 Pasta"m". By a misprint the text has pasuta"m". Compare the end of 16 below.
246:2 nantarika-kamma"m". That is, that will work out its effect, (not in the next birth, as is the case of all other Karma,) but immediately, in the present life. There are five such deeds (see Childers, sub voce pa"k", and Milinda Pa"ha, p. 25). The Bodisats, according to "G"taka I, 45 (verse 256), are free from such sins.
247:1 Hatthi-bha"n"d"e. See the note on Mahvagga Vi, 37, 2.
247:2 Ra"k"kh"a"m"; that is, rathym. Compare "G"taka I, 346, and the Old Commentary on the Bhikkhun-vibhaga, P"k"ittiya Vii.
248:1 The setting of this paragraph is parallel to 3 above in this chapter; the speech of the unbelievers is the same as that of the "G"a"t"ilas at Mahvagga I, 15, 4.
249:1 Mettena "k"ittena phari; literally, 'he suffused him with loving heart.' Compare Rh. D.'s 'Buddhist Birth Stories,' i. p.112.
249:2 In ngamsado the m is inserted for euphony. See the instances given by Kuhn, 'Beitrge zur Pli-grammatik,' p. 63. Many others might be added; siva-m-a"g"ase, "G"taka. vol. i, verse 27; sama"n"a-m-a"k"ala, Childers sub voce, &c. Compare the curious use of sdeti at "K"ullavagga I, 27.
249:3 A play on the words is here lost in English (m mado m "k"a pamdo).
250:1 Alakkhiko ti ettha na lakkhetti alakkhiko na "g"ntti attho. Apkata-kamma"m" karomti na "g"ntti na lakkhitabbo ti alakkha"n"o passitabbo ti attho (B.). We venture to differ from both of these explanations, and to follow rather the derivation of the word, and the meaning of the corresponding Sanskrit term alakshmka.
250:2 From here down to the 'decision' is identical with the introductory story in the Sutta-vibhaga to the 32nd P"k"ittiya,--a rule the previous existence of which is implied in the decision given here.
250:3 Vi"peti is continually used in the Sutta-vibhaga in this sense, and even occurs already in the Ptimokkha, P"k"ittiya 39.
251:1 This whole phrase recurs in Sutta-vibhaga, Pr"g"ika I, 5, 11, and in the Aguttara Nikya Ii, 17, 2. In the latter passage Dr. Morris reads dumma"na"m"; see his note at pp. 127, 128. But the Sanskrit Buddhist vocabulary Vyutpatti (teste Bhtlingk-Roth, s.v. maku) authorises the use of dummaku.
251:2 So the Aguttara, loc. cit., has, in the same connection, gihna"m" anukampya ppi"k"kh"na"m" pakkhupa"k"kh"edya.
251:3 See last note. The idea is here, of course, lest any particular layman should be burdened by providing for many Bhikkhus.
251:4 That is, under the 32nd P"k"ittiya, on which rule the Sutta-vibhaga explains the phrase ga"n"a-bho"g"ana.
251:5 Sections 14, 15, and the greater part of 16 recur, word for word, as the introductory story to the 10th Sa"m"ghdisesa.
251:6 In "k"akka-bheda"m" the first word no doubt connotes 'kingdom, lordship,' as in dhamma-"k"akka, "k"akkavatti, &c.
252:1 This is part of the standing 'religious discourse' so often ascribed to the Buddha in the Vinaya texts, and given at full in the "K"ullavagga I, 1-3.
252:2 It was on precisely the same reasoning that a certain Bhikkhu in Mahvagga Viii, 28, 1, endeavoured to get the Buddha to convert to the rejection of all clothing.
252:3 At Mahvagga Viii, 1, 35, it is laid down that a Bhikkhu may either dress in cast-off rags, or accept robes from a layman, according as he likes.
252:4 This dwelling under trees is expressly forbidden, as regards the season of the rains, in Mahvagga Iii, 12, 5.
252:5 The rule of the Order is merely that no one may knowingly eat fish which he has seen or heard or suspected to have been caught for that purpose. See Mahvagga Vi, 31, 14.
254:1 Bhulliko bhullya "k"eteti. Both these expressions occur above in Mahvagga Vi, 15, 9, 10, and elsewhere (see, for instance, the introductory stories to "G"taka, Nos. 6 and 32) as the standing expression for the opposite of the state of mind in which a good Bhikkhu ought to live.
254:2 M te ru"k"k"i sa"m"ghabhedo. For the connotation of this phrase, compare below, Vii, 4, 4.
254:3 Kappa"t"th"ika"m" kibbisa"m". At "G"taka I, 172, 213, 215, Prof. Fausbll reads kappa kappa"t"th"iya. In saying that the fault itself (kibbisa"m") is to endure for a kalpa, the meaning of course is that its effects on the Karma will endure so long.
254:4 Either the text has here preserved (as in other cases elsewhere) p. 255 the fragments of earlier verses, or the poetical forms of the verses below at Vii, 5, 4, have crept into the prose here, where we should otherwise expect sagge and niraye.
1. Now at that time the Blessed One was seated preaching the Dhamma, and surrounded by a great multitude, including the king and his retinue. And Devadatta rose from his seat, and arranging his upper robe over one shoulder, stretched out his joined hands to the Blessed One, and said to the Blessed One:
'The Blessed One, Lord, is now grown aged, he is old and stricken in years, he has accomplished a long journey, and his term of life is nearly run 1. Let the Blessed One now dwell at ease in the enjoyment of happiness reached even in this world. Let the Blessed One give up the Bhikkhu-sa"m"gha to me, I will be its leader.'
'Thou hast said enough, Devadatta. Desire not to be the leader of the Bhikkhu-sa"m"gha.'
[And a second time Devadatta made the same request, and received the same reply. And a third time Devadatta made the same request.]
'I would not give over the Bhikkhu-sa"m"gha, Devadatta, even to Sriputta and Moggallna.
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[paragraph continues] How much less, then, to so vile and evil-living a person as you 1.'
Then Devadatta thought: 'Before the king and his retinue the Blessed One denies me, calling me "evil-living," and exalts Sriputta and Moggallna.' And, angry and displeased, he bowed down before the Blessed One, and keeping him on his right hand as he passed him, he departed thence.
This was the first time that Devadatta bore malice against the Blessed One.
2. And the Blessed One said to the Bhikkhus, 'Let then the Sa"m"gha, O Bhikkhus, carry out against Devadatta the Act of Proclamation 2 in R"g"agaha, to the effect that whereas the nature of Devadatta used to be of one kind it is now of an-other kind, and that whatsoever he shall do, either bodily or verbally, in that neither shall the Buddha be recognised, nor the Dhamma, nor the Sa"m"gha, but only Devadatta.
'And thus, O Bhikkhus, shall the Act be carried out. Some discreet and able Bhikkhu (&c.,
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in the same form as in I, I, 4, down to the end of the Kammav"k").'
And the Blessed One said to the venerable Sriputta, 'Do you then, Sriputta, proclaim Devadatta throughout R"g"agaha.'
'In former times, Lord, I have sung the praises of Devadatta in R"g"agaha, saying, "Great is the power (Iddhi) of the son of Godhi! Great is the might of the son of Godhi!" How can I now proclaim him throughout R"g"agaha?'
'Was it not truth that you spoke, Sriputta, when you [so] sang his praises?'
'Yea, Lord!'
'Even so, Sriputta, do you now, speaking the truth, proclaim Devadatta throughout R"g"agaha.'
'Even so, Lord,' said Sriputta, in assent to the Blessed One.
3. And the Blessed One said to the Bhikkhus:
Let then the Sa"m"gha appoint Sriputta to the office of proclaiming Devadatta throughout R"g"agaha to the effect (&c., as before, 2). And thus, O Bhikkhus, should he be appointed. First, Sriputta should be asked, &c. (as usual in official appointments 1, down to the end of the Kammav"k").'
Then Sriputta, being so appointed, entered R"g"agaha with a number of Bhikkhus, and proclaimed Devadatta accordingly. And thereupon those people who were unbelievers, and without devotion or insight, spake thus: 'They are jealous, these Sakyaputtiya Sama"n"as! They are jealous of the gain and hospitality that fall to Devadatta!' But those who were believers, full of devotion, able, and gifted with in-
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sight, spake thus: This cannot be any ordinary affair 1, in that the Blessed One has had Devadatta proclaimed throughout R"g"agaha!'
4. And Devadatta went to A"g"tasattu the prince, and said to him: 'In former days, prince, people were long-lived, but now their term of life is short. It is quite possible, therefore, that you may complete your time while you are still a prince. So do you, prince, kill your father, and become the R"g"a; and I will kill the Blessed One, and become the Buddha.'
And prince A"g"tasattu thought, 'This worthy Devadatta has great powers and might; he will know (what is right).' And fastening a dagger 2 against his thigh, he entered with violence and at an unusual hour 3, though fearful, anxious, excited, and alarmed, the royal chamber. And when the ministers who were in attendance in the private chamber saw that, they seized him. And when, on searching him, they found the dagger fastened on his thigh, they asked him:
'What were you going to do, O prince?'
'I wanted to kill my father.'
'Who incited you to this?'
'The worthy Devadatta.'
Then some of the ministers advised 'The prince should be slain, and Devadatta, and all the Bhikkhus.' Others of them advised 'The Bhikkhus ought not to be slain, for they have done no wrong;
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but only the prince and Devadatta.' Others of them again said, 'Neither should the prince be slain, nor Devadatta, nor the Bhikkhus. But the king should be told of this, and we should do as the king shall command.'
5. So these ministers, taking the prince with them, went to the R"g"a of Magadha, to Seniya Bimbisra, and told him what had happened.
'What advice, my friends, did the ministers give?'
[When they had told him all (as before) he said]: 'What, my friends, can the Buddha, or the Sa"m"gha, or the Dhamma have to do with this? Has not the Blessed One had a proclamation already made throughout R"g"agaha concerning Devadatta, to the effect that whereas his nature used to be of one kind, it is now of another; and that whatsoever he shall do, either bodily or verbally, that shall neither the Buddha, nor the Dhamma, nor the Sa"m"gha be required, but only Devadatta?'
Then those ministers who had advised that the prince and Devadatta and all the Bhikkhus should be slain, them he made incapable (of ever again holding office) And those ministers who had advised that the prince should be slain, and Devadatta, them he degraded to lower offices. But those ministers who had advised that neither should the prince be slain, nor Devadatta, nor the Bhikkhus, but that the king should be informed of it, and his command be followed, them he advanced to high positions.
And the R"g"a of Magadha, Seniya Bimbisra, said to prince A"g"tasattu: 'Why did you want to kill me, O prince?'
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'I wanted a kingdom, O king!'
'If you then want a kingdom, O prince, let this kingdom be thine!' And he handed over the kingdom to A"g"tasattu the prince 1'.
6. Then Devadatta went to prince 2 A"g"tasattu, and said, 'Give such orders, O king, to your men that I may deprive the Sama"n"a Gotama of life.' And A"g"tasattu the prince gave orders to his men: 'Whatsoever the worthy Devadatta tells you, that do!'
Then to one man Devadatta gave command: 'Go, my friend, the Samara Gotama is staying at such and such a place. Kill him, and come back by this path.' Then on that path he placed other two men, telling them, 'Whatever man you see coming alone along this path, kill him, and return by that path.' Then on that path he placed other four men [and so on up to sixteen men].
7. And that man took his sword and shield, and hung his bow and quiver at his back, and went to the place where the Blessed One was, and when at some little distance from the Blessed One, being
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terrified, anxious, excited, and alarmed, he stood stark still and stiff 1.
On the Blessed One seeing him so, he said to the man: 'Come hither, friend, don't be afraid.'
Then that man laid aside his sword and his shield, took off his bow and his quiver, and went up to the Blessed One; and falling at his feet, he said to the Blessed One: 'Transgression, Lord, has overcome me even according to my folly, my stupidity, and my unrighteousness, in that I have come hither with evil and with murderous intent. May the Blessed One accept the confession I make of my sin in its sinfulness, to the end that in future I may restrain myself therefrom!'
'Verily, my friend, transgression has overcome thee [&c., down to] intent. But since you, my friend, look upon your sin as sin, and duly make amends for it, we do accept (your confession of) it. For this, O friend, is progress in the discipline of the Noble One, that he who has seen his sin to be sin makes amends for it as is meet, and becomes able in future to restrain himself therefrom 2.'
Then the Blessed One discoursed to that man in due order, that is to say (&c., as usual in conversions 3, down to) May the Blessed One accept me as a disciple, as one who, from this day forth as long as life endures, has taken his refuge in him.
And the Blessed One said to the man: 'Do not, my friend, leave me by that path. Go by this path.' and so dismissed him by another way.
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8. But the two men thought, 'Where now can that man be who was to come alone? He is delaying long.' And as they were going to meet him, they caught sight of the Blessed One sitting at the foot of a certain tree. On seeing him they went up to the place where he was, and saluted him, and took their seats on one side. To them also the Blessed One discoursed, [and they were converted as the other man had been, and he sent them back by another way. And the same thing occurred as to the four, and the eight, and the sixteen men 1.]
9. And the one man returned to Devadatta, and said to him: 'I cannot, Lord, deprive the Blessed One of life. Great is the power (Iddhi 2) and might of the Blessed One.'
'That will do, friend. You need not do so. I will slay the Blessed One myself.'
Now at that time the Blessed One was walking up and down (meditating) in the shade below 3 the mountain called the Vulture's Peak. And Devadatta climbed up the Vulture's Peak, and hurled down a mighty rock with the intention of depriving the Blessed One of life. But two mountain peaks came together and stopped that rock and only a splinter 4 falling from it made the foot of the Blessed One to bleed 5.
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Then the Blessed One, looking upwards, said to Devadatta: 'Great, O foolish one, is the demerit you have brought forth for yourself 1, in that with evil and murderous intent you have caused the blood of the Tathgata to flow.'
And the Blessed One said to the Bhikkhus: 'This is the first time that Devadatta has heaped up (against himself) a Karma which will work out its effect in the immediate future 2, in that with evil and murderous intent he has caused the blood of the Tathgata to flow.'
10. And the Bhikkhus having heard that Devadatta was compassing the death of the Blessed One, walked round and round the Vihra, making recitation in high and loud tones, for a protection and guard to the Blessed One. On hearing that noise the Blessed One asked the venerable nanda what it was. And when nanda [told him], the Blessed One said: 'Then, nanda, call the Bhikkhus in my
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name, saying, "The Teacher sends for the venerable ones."'
And he [did so], and they came, and saluted the Blessed One, and took their seats on one side. And when they were so seated, the Blessed One said to the Bhikkhus: 'This, O Bhikkhus, is an impossible thing, and one that cannot occur, that one should deprive a Tathgata of life by violence. The Tathgatas, O Bhikkhus, are extinguished (in death) in due and natural course.
'There are, O Bhikkhus, these five kinds, of teachers now living in the world (&c., as in Vii, 2, 3, 4, down to the end). And this, O Bhikkhus, is an impossible thing, and one that cannot occur, that a Tathgata should be slain by any act set on foot by any one besides himself. The Tathgatas, O Bhikkhus, are extinguished (in death) in due course (of nature). Go, therefore, O Bhikkhus, each one to his Vihra, for the Tathgatas require no protection.'
11. Now at that time there was at R"g"agaha an elephant named Nlgiri, fierce, and a manslayer. And Devadatta went into R"g"agaha, and to the elephant stables, and said to the elephant-keepers 1: 'I, my friends, am a relative of the raga's, and am able to advance a man occupying a low position to a high position, and to order increase of rations or of pay. Therefore, my friends, when the Sama"n"a Gotama shall have arrived at this carriage-road 2, then loose the elephant Nlgiri, and let him go down the road.'
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'Even so, Sir,' said those elephant-keepers in assent to Devadatta.
And when the Blessed One early in the morning had dressed himself, he entered R"g"agaha duly bowled and robed, and with a number of Bhikkhus, for alms; and he entered upon that road. On seeing him the elephant-keepers loosed Nlgiri, and let it go down the road. And the elephant saw the Blessed One coming from the distance; and as soon as it saw him, it rushed towards the Blessed One with uplifted trunk, and with its tail and ears erect.
When those Bhikkhus saw the elephant Nlgiri coming in the distance, they said to the Blessed One: 'This elephant, Lord, Nlgiri, is fierce, and a manslayer, and it has got into this road. Let the Blessed One, Lord, turn back: let the Happy One turn back.'
'Come on, O Bhikkhus. Be not alarmed. There is, O Bhikkhus, no possibility [ but the elephant will do him a hurt 1.' But those who were believers, full of
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devotion, able, and gifted with insight, said, 'Twill be long e'er the elephant can fight a fight with the elephant (of men)!'
And the Blessed One caused the sense of his love to pervade the elephant Nlgiri 1; and the elephant, touched by the sense of his love, put down his trunk, and went up to the place where the Blessed One was, and stood still before him. And the Blessed One, stroking the elephant's forehead with his right hand, addressed him in these stanzas:
'Touch not, O elephant, the elephant of men; for sad, O elephant, is such attack 2,
'For no bliss is there, O elephant, when he is passed from hence, for him who strikes the elephant of men.
'Be not then mad, and neither be thou careless 3, for the careless enter not into a state of bliss,
'Rather do thou thyself so act, that to a state of bliss thou mayest go.'
And Nlgiri the elephant took up with his trunk the dust from off the feet of the Blessed One, and sprinkled it over its head, and retired, bowing backwards the while it gazed upon the Blessed One.
And Nlgiri the elephant returned to the elephant stables, and stood in its appointed place, and
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became once more the tame Nlgiri. And at that time the people sung these verses:
'They can be tamed by sticks, and goads, and whips,
'But the great Sage has tamed this elephant without a weapon or a stick.'
13. The people were angry, murmured, and became indignant, saying, How wicked is this Devadatta, and how wretched 1, in that he can go about to slay the Sama"n"a Gotama, who is so mighty and so powerful.' And the gain and honour of Devadatta fell off, while that of the Blessed One increased.
2Now at that time, when the gain and honour of Devadatta had fallen off, he went, surrounded by Bhikkhus, to people's houses, appealing for alms 3.
The people were angry, murmured, and became indignant, saying, 'How can the Sakyaputtiya Sama"n"as live on food that they ask for at people's houses? Who is not fond of well-cooked food? Who does not like sweet things?'
The Bhikkhus heard ( (to wit) for the restraint of the evil-minded, and for the ease of the good 1, lest those who have evil desires should, in reliance upon a particular party (among the Bhikkhus), break up the Sa"m"gha 2, and (lastly) out of compassion for the laity 3. (A Bhikkhu) who shall enjoy an alms in parties of more than three, shall be dealt with according to law 4.'
14 5. Now Devadatta went to the place where Koklika, and Ka"t"amoraka-tissaka, and the son of Kha"n"d"a-dev and Samudda-datta were, and said to them, 'Come, Sirs, let us stir up a division in the Sama"n"a Gotama 's Sa"m"gha, and in the body of his adherents 6.'
When he had thus spoken, Koklika said to Devadatta, 'The Sama"n"a Gotama, Sir, is mighty and powerful. How can we [do such a thing]?'
'Come, Sirs, let us go to the Sama"n"a Gotama, and make the following five demands, saying,
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[paragraph continues] "The Blessed One, Lord, has declared in many a figure the advantages of the man who wishes for little, who is easy to satisfy in the matter of support and nourishment, who has eradicated evil from his mind, has quelled his passions, and is full of faith, of reverence, and of the exercise of zeal 1. The following five things, Lord, conduce to such a condition 2. It would be good, Lord, if the Bhikkhus should be, their lives long, dwellers in the woods--if whosoever goes to the neighbourhood of a village should thereby commit an offence. It would be good if they should, their lives long, beg for alms--if whosoever should accept an invitation, should thereby commit an offence. It would be good if they should clothe themselves, their lives long, in cast-off rags--if whosoever should accept a gift of robes from a layman 3, should thereby commit an offence. It would be good if they should dwell, their lives long, under the trees 4--if whosoever should (sleep) under a roof, should thereby commit an offence. It would be good if they should, their lives long, abstain from fish 5--if whosoever should
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eat fish, should thereby commit an offence." The Sama"n"a Gotama will not grant these things. Then will we gain over the people by means ther.'
'Yes; it may be possible so to stir up divisions in the Sa"m"gha, and in the party of the Sama"n"a Gotama. For the people believe in rough measures.'
15. And Devadatta went to the Blessed One, surrounded by his friends, and made these demands [in the words just set out].
'No, Devadatta. Whosoever wishes to do so, let him dwell in the woods; whosoever wishes to do so, let him dwell in the neighbourhood of a village. Whosoever wishes to do so, let him beg for alms; whosoever wishes to do so, let him accept invitations from the laity. Whosoever wishes to do so, let him dress in rags; whosoever wishes to do so, let him receive gifts of robes from laymen. Sleeping under trees has been allowed by me, Devadatta, for eight months in the year; and the eating of fish that is pure in the three points--to wit, that the eater has not seen, or heard, or suspected that it has been caught for that purpose.'
And Devadatta, pleased and delighted that the Blessed One had refused the five demands, arose from his seat, and keeping him on his right hand as he passed him, departed thence with his friends. And he entered into R"g"agaha, and urged his view upon the people by means ther, saying, 'Such and such things did we ask, Sirs, of the Sama"n"a Gotama. He would not allow them, but we live in accordance with them.'
16. Then those of the people who were unbelievers, and without reverence or insight, said. 'These Sakyaputtiya Sama"n"as have eradicated evil
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from their minds, and have quelled their passions, while on the other hand the Sama"n"a Gotama is luxurious, and his mind dwells on abundance 1.' But those of the people who were believers, and full of reverence and insight, were indignant, became vexed, and murmured, saying, 'How can Devadatta go about to stir up division in the Sa"m"gha of the Blessed One, and in the party that is subject to him.'
The Bhikkhus, hearing them so murmuring, told the matter to the Blessed One.
'Is it true, O Devadatta, as they say, that thou goest about to stir up division in the Sa"m"gha, and in the body of my adherents?'
'It is true, Lord.'
'(Thou hast gone far) enough, Devadatta. Let not a division in the Sa"m"gha seem good to thee 2;--grievous is such division. Whosoever, O Devadatta, breaks up the Sa"m"gha, when it is at peace, he gives birth to a fault (the effect of) which endures for a kalpa 3, and for a kalpa is he boiled in niraya. But whosoever, O Devadatta, makes peace in the Sa"m"gha, when it has been divided, he gives birth to the highest merit, and for a kalpa is he happy in heaven 4. Thou hast gone far enough,
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[paragraph continues] Devadatta. Let not a division in the Sa"m"gha, O Devadatta, seem good to thee. Grievous, O Devadatta, is such division.'
17. Now the venerable nanda, having dressed himself early in the morning, went duly bowled and robed into R"g"agaha for alms. And Devadatta saw the venerable nanda proceeding through R"g"agaha for alms. On seeing that he went up to the venerable nanda, and said to him: 'At once, from this day forth, friend nanda, I intend to perform Uposatha, and to carry out the formal proceedings of the Order, without either the Blessed One or the Bhikkhu-sa"m"gha.'
And when the venerable nanda had gone through R"g"agaha for alms, and had returned from his rounds, and had finished his meal, he went to the Blessed One, and bowed down before him, and took his seat on one side. And when he was so seated, he told the Blessed One [what Devadatta had said, and added], 'This very day, Lord, Devadatta will break up the Sa"m"gha.'
Then the Blessed One, when he heard that, gave utterance at that time to this expression of strong emotion:
'Easy is a good act to the good, a good act is hard to the wicked;
'Easy is evil to the evil, but evil is hard for the Noble Ones to do.'
"Here ends the Second Portion for Recitation.
Footnotes
238:1 This string of epithets recurs in Pr"g"ika I, 1, 2, of old and venerable Brhmans.
239:1 In the text read "kh"avassa khe"l"pakassa. On the first word, compare V, 2, 8. For the second the Dhammapada commentator (Fausbll, p. 143) reads, as does the Sinhalese MS. in our passage, khe"l"sika. Buddhaghosa, explaining it, says, 'In this passage (we should recollect) that those who obtain the requisites (of a Bhikkhu) by an evil mode of life are said by the Noble Ones to be like unto spittle. The Blessed One calls him khe"l"paka (to ex-press that) he eats, (that is, 'gains a living) in sin like that.' (For the Pli, see the edition of the text, p. 323, where the comma after khe"l"asadis should be before it.)
239:2 Paksaniya-kamma"m". This is not one of the regular official acts of the Sa"m"gha, as described in "K"ullavagga I, and is only mentioned in this passage. It is not referred to by the Dhammapada commentator.
240:1 See, for instance, I, 22, 2.
241:1 Na oraka"m" bhavissati. See Mahvagga I, 9, 1, and "K"ullavagga Vi, 4, 10, and our note on the latter passage.
241:2 Potthanika"m". This word has already occurred at Mahvagga Vi, 23, 3.
241:3 Divdivassa. See the use of this word at "G"taka Ii, 1.
243:1 The early literature already mentions that A"g"tasattu eventually killed his father. (See, for instance, Sma"a-phala Sutta, p. 154.) Bigandet I, 261 (3rd edition) adds that the mode adopted was by starving him to death in prison.
243:2 The Buddhist writers being so especially careful in their ac-curate use of titles, it is particularly noteworthy that A"g"tasattu is here called prince (kumra) and not king (r"g"a). It is almost impossible to avoid the conclusion that this paragraph stood originally in some other connection; and that the events it describes must then have been supposed to have taken place before A"g"tasattu actually became king. That the Dhammapada commentator says here (Fausbll, p. 143) tasmi"m" (that is. A"g"tasattu) ra"g"g"e pati"t"th"ite, is no evidence the other way; for that account is either taken from this, or depends ultimately upon it.
244:1 Patthaddha; that is, prastabdha. See Sutta-vibhaga, Pr"g"ika I, 10, 17, 21.
244:2 This confession and acceptance are in a standing form, which occurs, for instance, at Mahvagga IX, 1, g; "K"ullavagga V, 20, 5.
244:3 See, for instance, "K"ullavagga Vi, 4, 5.
245:1 The last two paragraphs of 7 are repeated in full in the text in each case.
245:2 The Iddhi here must be the power of religious persuasion.
245:3 Pa"k"kh"yya"m". See Mahvagga V, 1, 5, and Mah-parinibbna Sutta II, 31 (p. 22 of the text).
245:4 Papatik. In the text, by a misprint, this and the preceding word have been joined together.
245:5 Pde ruhiram uppdesi, where ruhira is equal to lohita. p. 246 It is so used at "G"taka II, 275, in the Milinda Pa"ha in the account of the present incident in the Dhammapada commentary (p. 144). In Mahvagga I, 67, where it is said that one who has shed (a Buddha's) blood cannot be received into the Order, the expression is lohita"m" uppdeti: and in numerous passages elsewhere it is added that such a lohituppdako becomes ipso facto discharged from one or other of the duties and privileges of a member of the Order, just as if he had thrown off the robes.
246:1 Pasta"m". By a misprint the text has pasuta"m". Compare the end of 16 below.
246:2 nantarika-kamma"m". That is, that will work out its effect, (not in the next birth, as is the case of all other Karma,) but immediately, in the present life. There are five such deeds (see Childers, sub voce pa"k", and Milinda Pa"ha, p. 25). The Bodisats, according to "G"taka I, 45 (verse 256), are free from such sins.
247:1 Hatthi-bha"n"d"e. See the note on Mahvagga Vi, 37, 2.
247:2 Ra"k"kh"a"m"; that is, rathym. Compare "G"taka I, 346, and the Old Commentary on the Bhikkhun-vibhaga, P"k"ittiya Vii.
248:1 The setting of this paragraph is parallel to 3 above in this chapter; the speech of the unbelievers is the same as that of the "G"a"t"ilas at Mahvagga I, 15, 4.
249:1 Mettena "k"ittena phari; literally, 'he suffused him with loving heart.' Compare Rh. D.'s 'Buddhist Birth Stories,' i. p.112.
249:2 In ngamsado the m is inserted for euphony. See the instances given by Kuhn, 'Beitrge zur Pli-grammatik,' p. 63. Many others might be added; siva-m-a"g"ase, "G"taka. vol. i, verse 27; sama"n"a-m-a"k"ala, Childers sub voce, &c. Compare the curious use of sdeti at "K"ullavagga I, 27.
249:3 A play on the words is here lost in English (m mado m "k"a pamdo).
250:1 Alakkhiko ti ettha na lakkhetti alakkhiko na "g"ntti attho. Apkata-kamma"m" karomti na "g"ntti na lakkhitabbo ti alakkha"n"o passitabbo ti attho (B.). We venture to differ from both of these explanations, and to follow rather the derivation of the word, and the meaning of the corresponding Sanskrit term alakshmka.
250:2 From here down to the 'decision' is identical with the introductory story in the Sutta-vibhaga to the 32nd P"k"ittiya,--a rule the previous existence of which is implied in the decision given here.
250:3 Vi"peti is continually used in the Sutta-vibhaga in this sense, and even occurs already in the Ptimokkha, P"k"ittiya 39.
251:1 This whole phrase recurs in Sutta-vibhaga, Pr"g"ika I, 5, 11, and in the Aguttara Nikya Ii, 17, 2. In the latter passage Dr. Morris reads dumma"na"m"; see his note at pp. 127, 128. But the Sanskrit Buddhist vocabulary Vyutpatti (teste Bhtlingk-Roth, s.v. maku) authorises the use of dummaku.
251:2 So the Aguttara, loc. cit., has, in the same connection, gihna"m" anukampya ppi"k"kh"na"m" pakkhupa"k"kh"edya.
251:3 See last note. The idea is here, of course, lest any particular layman should be burdened by providing for many Bhikkhus.
251:4 That is, under the 32nd P"k"ittiya, on which rule the Sutta-vibhaga explains the phrase ga"n"a-bho"g"ana.
251:5 Sections 14, 15, and the greater part of 16 recur, word for word, as the introductory story to the 10th Sa"m"ghdisesa.
251:6 In "k"akka-bheda"m" the first word no doubt connotes 'kingdom, lordship,' as in dhamma-"k"akka, "k"akkavatti, &c.
252:1 This is part of the standing 'religious discourse' so often ascribed to the Buddha in the Vinaya texts, and given at full in the "K"ullavagga I, 1-3.
252:2 It was on precisely the same reasoning that a certain Bhikkhu in Mahvagga Viii, 28, 1, endeavoured to get the Buddha to convert to the rejection of all clothing.
252:3 At Mahvagga Viii, 1, 35, it is laid down that a Bhikkhu may either dress in cast-off rags, or accept robes from a layman, according as he likes.
252:4 This dwelling under trees is expressly forbidden, as regards the season of the rains, in Mahvagga Iii, 12, 5.
252:5 The rule of the Order is merely that no one may knowingly eat fish which he has seen or heard or suspected to have been caught for that purpose. See Mahvagga Vi, 31, 14.
254:1 Bhulliko bhullya "k"eteti. Both these expressions occur above in Mahvagga Vi, 15, 9, 10, and elsewhere (see, for instance, the introductory stories to "G"taka, Nos. 6 and 32) as the standing expression for the opposite of the state of mind in which a good Bhikkhu ought to live.
254:2 M te ru"k"k"i sa"m"ghabhedo. For the connotation of this phrase, compare below, Vii, 4, 4.
254:3 Kappa"t"th"ika"m" kibbisa"m". At "G"taka I, 172, 213, 215, Prof. Fausbll reads kappa kappa"t"th"iya. In saying that the fault itself (kibbisa"m") is to endure for a kalpa, the meaning of course is that its effects on the Karma will endure so long.
254:4 Either the text has here preserved (as in other cases elsewhere) p. 255 the fragments of earlier verses, or the poetical forms of the verses below at Vii, 5, 4, have crept into the prose here, where we should otherwise expect sagge and niraye.
