76
1 At that time ordained Bhikkhus were seen who were afflicted with leprosy, boils, dry leprosy, consumption, and fits.
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
'I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that he who confers the upasampadâ ordination, ask (the person to be ordained) about the Disqualifications (for receiving the ordination). And let him ask, O Bhikkhus, in this way:
'Are you afflicted with the following diseases, leprosy, boils, dry leprosy, consumption, and fits?
'Are you a man?
'Are you a male?
'Are you a freeman?
'Have you no debts?
'Are you not in the royal service?
'Have your father and mother given their consent?
'Are you full twenty years old?
'Are your alms-bowl and your robes in due state?
'What is your name?
'What is your upagghâya's name?'
2 At that time the Bhikkhus asked the persons who desired to receive the upasampadâ ordination about the Disqualifications, without having them instructed beforehand (how to answer). The persons that desired to be ordained, became disconcerted, perplexed, and could not answer.
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
'I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that you first instruct (the persons desirous of being ordained), and then ask them about the Disqualifications.'
3 Then they instructed (the candidates) in the midst of the assembly; the persons desirous of being ordained became disconcerted, perplexed, and could not answer nevertheless.
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
'I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that you instruct them aside, and ask them about the Disqualifications before the assembly. And you ought, O Bhikkhus, to instruct them in this way: You ought first to cause them to choose an upagghâya; when they have chosen an upagghâya, their alms-bowl and robes must be shown to them, "This is your alms-bowl, this is your sanghâti, this is your upper robe, this is your under garment; come and place yourself here." '
4 Ignorant, unlearned Bhikkhus instructed them; the persons desirous of being ordained, though they had been instructed, became disconcerted, perplexed, and could not answer.
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
'Let no ignorant, unlearned Bhikkhus, O Bhikkhus, instruct them. If they do, they commit a dukkata offence. I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that a learned, competent Bhikkhu instruct them.'
5 At. that time persons instructed them who were not appointed thereto.
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
'Let no one, O Bhikkhus, instruct them without being appointed thereto. He who so instructs, commits a dukkata offence. I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that an appointed Bhikkhu is to instruct them. And (this Bhikkhu), O Bhikkhus, is to be appointed in this way: One may either appoint himself, or one may appoint another person. And how is (a Bhikkhu) to appoint himself? Let a learned, competent Bhikkhu proclaim the following ñatti before the Sangha: "Let the Sangha, reverend Sirs, hear me. N. N. desires to receive the upasampadâ ordination from the venerable N. N. If the Sangha is ready, I will instruct N. N." Thus one may appoint himself.
6 'And how is (a Bhikkhu) to appoint another person? Let a learned, competent Bhikkhu proclaim the following ñatti before the Sangha: "Let the Sangha, &c. N. N. desires to receive the upasampadâ ordination from the venerable N. N. If the Samgha is ready let N. N. instruct N. N." Thus one may appoint another person.
7 'Then let that appointed Bhikkhu go to the person who desires to be ordained, and thus address him: "Do you hear, N. N.? This is the time for you to speak the truth, and to say that which is. When I ask you before the assembly about that which is, you ought, if it is so, to answer: 'It is;' if it is not so, you ought to answer: 'It is not.' Be not disconcerted, be not perplexed. I shall ask you thus: 'Are you afflicted with the following diseases, &c?' " '
8 (After the instruction, the instructor and the candidate) appeared together before the assembly.
'Let them not appear together. Let the instructor come first and proclaim the following ñatti before the Sangha: "Let the Sangha, reverend Sirs, hear me. N. N. desires to receive the upasampadâ ordination from the venerable N. N.; he has been instructed by me. If the Sangha is ready, let N. N. come." Then let him be told: "Come on." Let him be told to adjust his upper robe (&c., see [1st Khandhaka 29:2]), to raise his joined hands, and to ask (the Sangha) for the upasampadâ ordination (by saying), "I ask the Sangha, reverend Sirs, for the upasampadâ ordination; might the Sangha, reverend Sirs, draw me out (of the sinful world) out of compassion towards me. And for the second time, reverend Sirs, I ask, &c. And for the third time, reverend Sirs, I ask, &c."
9 'Then let a learned, competent Bhikkhu proclaim the following ñatti before the Sangha: "Let the Sangha, reverend Sirs, hear me. This person N. N. desires to receive the upasampadâ ordination from the venerable N. N. If the Sangha is ready, let me ask N. N. about the Disqualifications.
' "Do you hear, N. N.? This is the time for you (&c., see [1st Khandhaka 76:7], down to:) you ought to answer: 'It is not.' "
' "Are you afflicted with the following diseases, &c.?"
10 'Then let a learned, competent Bhikkhu proclaim the following ñatti before the Sangha: "Let the Sangha, reverend Sirs, hear me. This person N. N. desires to receive the upasampadâ ordination from the venerable N. N.; he is free from the Disqualifications; his alms-bowl and robes are in due state. N. N. asks the Sangha for the upasampadâ ordination with N. N. as upagghâya. If the Sangha is ready, &c. [see 1st Khandhaka 28:4–6; 29:3]" '
End of the regulations for the upasampadâ ordination.
77
'Then let them measure the shadow, tell (the newly-ordained Bhikkhu) what season and what date it is, tell him what part of the day it is, tell him the whole formula [i.e. the data in the previous verse], and tell him the four Resources: "The religious life has the morsels of food given in alms for its resource (&c., as in [1st Khandhaka 30:4])." '
End of the four Resources.
78
1 At that time the Bhikkhus, after having conferred the upasampadâ ordination on a certain Bhikkhu, left him alone and went away. Afterwards, as he went alone (to the Ârâma), he met on the way his former wife. She said to him: 'Have you now embraced the religious life?' (He replied): 'Yes, I have embraced the religious life.' 'It is difficult to persons who have embraced religious life, to obtain sexual intercourse; come, let us have intercourse.' He practised intercourse with her, and, in consequence, came late (to the Ârâma). The Bhikkhus said: 'How is it, friend, that you are so late?'
2 Then that Bhikkhu told the whole matter to the Bhikkhus. The Bhikkhus told it to the Blessed One.
'I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that you give a companion to a newly-ordained Bhikkhu, and that you tell him the four Interdictions:
' "A Bhikkhu who has received the upasampadâ ordination ought to abstain from all sexual intercourse even with an animal. A Bhikkhu who practises sexual intercourse is no Samana and no follower of the Sakyaputta. As a man whose head is cut off, cannot live any longer with his trunk alone, thus a Bhikkhu who practises sexual intercourse is no Samana and no follower of the Sakyaputta. Abstain from doing so as long as your life lasts.
3 ' "A Bhikkhu who has received the upasampadâ ordination, ought to abstain from taking what is not given to him, and from theft, even of a blade of grass. A Bhikkhu who takes what is not given to him, or steals it, if it is a pâda (i.e. a quarter of a kârshâpana), or of the value of a pâda or worth more than a pâda, is no Samana and no follower of the Sakyaputta. As a sear leaf loosed from its stalk cannot become green again, thus a Bhikkhu who takes, &c. Abstain from doing so as long as your life lasts.
4 ' "A Bhikkhu who has received the upasampadâ ordination, ought not intentionally to destroy the life of any being down to a worm or an ant. A Bhikkhu who intentionally kills a human being, down to procuring abortion, is no Samana and no follower of the Sakyaputta. As a great stone which is broken in two, cannot be reunited, thus a Bhikkhu who intentionally, &c. Abstain from doing so as long as your life lasts.
5 ' "A Bhikkhu who has received the upasampadâ ordination, ought not to attribute to himself any superhuman condition, and not to say even: 'I find delight in sojourning in an empty place.' A Bhikkhu who with bad intention and out of covetousness attributes to himself a superhuman condition, which he has not, and which he is not possessed of, a state of ghâna (mystic meditation), or one of the vimokkhas ["deliverances," eight stages of meditation different from the four ghânas], or one of the samâdhis (states of self-concentration), or one of the samâpattis (the attainment of the four ghânas and four of the eight vimokkhas), or one of the Paths (of sanctification), or one of the Fruits thereof, is no Samana and no follower of the Sakyaputta. As a palm tree of which the top sprout has been cut off, cannot grow again, thus a Bhikkhu who with bad intention, &c. Abstain from doing so as long as your life lasts." '
End of the four Interdicts.
79
1 At that time a certain Bhikkhu against whom expulsion [i.e. ukkhepaniyakamma, temporary expulsion] had been pronounced for his refusal to see an offence (committed by himself), returned to the world. Afterwards he came back to the Bhikkhus and asked them for the upasampadâ ordination.
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
'In case, O Bhikkhus, that a Bhikkhu against whom expulsion has been pronounced for his refusal to see an offence (committed by himself), returns to the world, and afterwards comes back to the Bhikkhus and asks them for the upasampadâ ordination, let them say to him: "Will you see that offence?" If he replies: "I will see it," let him be admitted to the pabbaggâ ordination; if he replies: "I will not see it," let him not be admitted to the pabbaggâ ordination.
2 'When he has received the pabbaggâ ordination let them say to him: "Will you see that offence?" If he says: "I will see it," let him be admitted to the upasampadâ ordination; if he says: "I will not see it," let him not be admitted to the upasampadâ ordination.
'When he has received the upasampadâ ordination (&c., as before). If he says: "I will see it," let him be restored; if he says: "I will not see it," let him not be restored.
'When he has been restored, let them say to him: "Do you see that offence?" If he sees it, well and good; if he does not see it, let them expel him again, if it is possible to bring about unanimity (of the fraternity for the sentence of expulsion); if that is impossible, it is no offence to live and to dwell together (with such a Bhikkhu).
3 'In case, O Bhikkhus, that a Bhikkhu against whom expulsion has been pronounced for his refusal to atone for an offence (committed by himself), &c. [as in 1st Khandhaka 79:1, 2, except with "atone for" in place of "see"]. When he has been restored, let them say to him: "Atone now for that offence." If he atones for it, well and good, &c.
4 'In case, O Bhikkhus, that a Bhikkhu against whom expulsion has been pronounced for his refusal to renounce a false doctrine, &c. [as in 1st Khandhaka 79:1, 2, except weth "renounce that false doctrine" in place of "see that offence"]. When he has been restored, let them say to him: "Renounce now that false doctrine." If he renounces it, well and good, &c.'
End of the first Khandhaka, which is called the Great Khandhaka.