by Donald Lopez
‘Venerable, you must hear! That which I have now asked you, that very same thing learned co-religionists will also ask you in the midst of the community. There too you must not be ashamed! In regard to what is, you must say “It is so.” In regard to what is not, you must deny it saying “It is not so.”
‘Until you are called you must not come, but stay here!’ That is the instruction in private.
Then the Monk-Who-Instructs-the-Candidate-in-Private must stand at the seniors’ end of the assembly and with a bow say these words: ‘May the community, the reverends, please hear! Since I have instructed in private the one named so-and-so, with so-and-so as Preceptor, in regard to those things which are obstacles, and since he has declared himself to be completely pure of the things that are obstacles, should he come?’ All, if he is completely pure must say ‘Yes.’
If the monk says these words, it is good. If he does not say them, he comes to be guilty of an offence. That is the request for the candidate to come.
Then, when the one who is to be fully ordained has been summoned into the ritual space, he does reverence at the seniors’ end of the assembly, and the Monk-Who-Performs-the-Ritual must have him beg for full ordination. The begging must be done in this way: First, reverence must be done to the Teacher [the Buddha].
Then, having paid reverence at the seniors’ end of the assembly, having squatted with both heels firmly planted on a tile spread with grass and cupped his hands, the candidate must say these words: ‘May the community, the reverends, please hear! I named so-and-so, with – although I say his name only for this purpose – so-and-so as Preceptor, look for full ordination from the community. Since I named so-and-so, with – although I say his name only for this purpose – so-and-so as Preceptor, beg for full ordination from the community, may the community, the reverends, raise me up! May the community, the reverends, receive me! May the community, the reverends, instruct me! May the compassionate community, the reverends, for the sake of compassion, show compassion to me!’ Thus for a second and a third time is this said. That is the begging for full ordination.
Then the Monk-Who-Performs-the-Ritual must, for the purpose of asking about the obstacles in the midst of the community, institute an action that requires only a motion. It must be done in this way: To those who are seated these words must be said: ‘May the community, the reverends, please hear! This one named so-and-so, with so-and-so as Preceptor, looks for full ordination from the community. Since this one named so-and-so, with so-and-so as Preceptor, begs for full ordination from the community, if for the community the proper time has come and they would allow it, the community must authorize it! And I will ask this one named so-and-so, with so-and-so as Preceptor, about the obstacles in the midst of the community.’ This is the motion. That is the action for the motion to ask about the obstacles in the midst.
Then the Monk-Who-Performs-the-Ritual must ask about the obstacles in the midst of the community. He must ask about them in this way: When the candidate has done reverence to the Monk-Who-Performs-the-Ritual, has squatted facing him with both heels firmly planted on a tile spread with grass and cupped his hands, these words must be said: ‘You, Venerable, must hear this! This for you is a time for truth, this is a time for what is so. I am going to ask you some things. You must not be ashamed! And in regard to what is, you must say “It is so.” In regard to what is not so, you must deny it saying “It is not so.”
‘Are you a man?’ – He must say ‘I am a man.’
‘Do you have a male organ?’ –… [exactly as before, up to]…
‘Are you not a magically created phantom? Not an animal?’
The candidate must in each case say ‘I am not.’
‘Do you not have some debt, however large or small, a bond to someone?’ If he says ‘I am bound by debt’, he must be asked: ‘Are you able to repay it, after you have been fully ordained?’… [exactly as before, up to]…
‘Venerable, you must hear! These sorts of bodily illness arise in the body of men,… [exactly as before, up to]… do you not have some of these sorts of illness or others like them?’ He must say: ‘I do not.’ That is the asking about the obstacles in the midst.
Then the Monk-Who-Performs-the-Ritual must make a motion and institute an action. It must be done in this way: To those who are seated these words must be said: ‘May the community, the reverends, please hear! This one named so-and-so, with so-and-so as Preceptor, having looked for full ordination from the community, this one named so-and-so, with so-and-so as Preceptor, begs full ordination from the community and he is also a man, has a male organ, has passed twenty years, his three robes and bowl are complete, and he has declared himself completely pure of the things that are obstacles. Since this one named so-and-so, with so-and-so as Preceptor, has begged for full ordination from the community, if for the community the proper time has come and they would allow it, the community must authorize it! The community must fully ordain this one named so-and-so, with so-and-so as Preceptor.’ This is the motion.
In regard to the action it must be done in this way: ‘May the community, the reverends, please hear! This one named so-and-so, with so-and-so as Preceptor, having looked for full ordination from the community, this one named so-and-so, with so-and-so as Preceptor, begs for full ordination from the community, and is also a man, has a male organ, has passed twenty years, his three bowls and robe are complete, and he has declared himself completely pure of the things that are obstacles. Since this one named so-and-so, with so-and-so as Preceptor, begs full ordination from the community, therefore, if the community fully ordains this one named so-and-so, with so-and-so as Preceptor, those venerables that allow that this one named so-and-so, with so-and-so as Preceptor, be fully ordained, they must say nothing! Those that do not allow it, they must speak!’ This is the first declaration of the action, and thus for a second and a third time is this said.
‘The community, having allowed and authorized it, the community has fully ordained this one named so-and-so, with so-and-so as Preceptor – just so, through their silence, do I hold it to be so.’ That is the putting into effect of full ordination.
Then the sundial must be measured [to determine the exact moment of the ordination and therefore the new monk’s seniority].
When the Blessed One had said ‘the sundial must be measured’, and when the monks measured the sundial with long sticks, the Blessed One said: ‘The sundial must not be measured with long sticks!’ But when, in making the measurement with their feet, the monks fixed it at too much, the Blessed One said: ‘The measurement must not be made by feet, but it thus must be measured with pegs!’ But when, in making the measurement, the monks used long pegs and so again fixed it at too much, the Blessed One said: ‘It must be measured with a peg measuring four fingers and as many pegs as there are, that number should be called his “stature”.’ That is the measuring of the sundial.
Then the portion of the day must be declared [also for the purpose of exactly establishing his seniority]: Morning, midday, afternoon, the first watch of the night, mid-point of the first watch, the middle watch, mid-point of the middle watch, the last watch, mid-point of the last watch, before the appearance of dawn, at the appearance of dawn, before sunrise, at sunrise, when an eighth of the sun has arisen, when a fourth of the sun has arisen, when meal time has passed, when a fourth of the sun remains, when an eighth of the sun remains, when the sun has not yet set, when the sun has set, when the constellations have not yet arisen, and when the constellations have arisen. That is the declaration of the part of the day.
Then the season must be declared [for the same purpose]. There are five seasons: Winter, summer, the rains, the short rains and the long rains. There winter is four months. Summer is four months. The rains are one month. The short rains are a day and a night. The long rains are three months minus a day and a night. That is the declaration of the season.
Then the four supports must be declared: ‘Venerable so-and-so you must hear! By the knowing a
nd seeing Blessed One, the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the completely and perfectly Awakened One, these four have been proclaimed thus as the supports for a monk who has entered the religious life and is fully ordained and, by relying on these, a monk has the true rank of one who has entered the religious life and is a fully ordained monk in this well-spoken teaching (dharma) and discipline (vinaya). What are the four?
‘In regard to cloth, refuse rag is suitable and easy to get, and, by relying on that, a monk has the true rank of one who has entered the religious life and is a fully ordained monk in this well-spoken teaching and discipline.
‘Are you named so-and-so able to subsist, for as long as you live, with the cloth of refuse rag?’
The newly ordained must say: ‘I am able.’
‘When the supernumerary is acquired – woven silk or a bolt of cotton or napped cotton or muslin or frost cloth of fine silk fabric or Himalayan silk or deep napped cotton or red napped cotton or fine napped cotton or red wool or fine Banares cloth or evenly dyed three-coloured cloth or one-coloured cloth or fine spun hemp or linen or plain cotton or fine Dukula fabric or fine cloth from Koṭumbara or cloth imported from the western border or any other suitable cloth that is acquired from the community or an individual – there again, in regard to your acceptance, due measure should be practised.
‘Will you be fully and completely cognizant of such a condition?’
The newly ordained must say: ‘I will be fully and completely cognizant.’
‘You named so-and-so must hear! In regard to food, alms is suitable and easy to get, and, by relying on that, a monk has the true rank of one who has entered the religious life and is a fully ordained monk in this well-spoken teaching and discipline.
‘Are you named so-and-so able to subsist, for as long as you live, with alms food?’
The newly ordained must say: ‘I am able.’
‘When the supernumerary is acquired – boiled rice or porridge made from flour, water, melted butter and Nepalese pomegranate, etc., or made from milk, or soup made from milk, etc., or food given on the fifth-day festival or the eighth- or the fourteenth- or the fifteenth-day festivals or food regularly and permanently provided by donors or a meal by special invitation or food from an unexpected invitation or food that is left or any other suitable food that is acquired from the community or an individual – there again, in regard to your acceptance, due measure should be practised.
‘Will you be fully and completely cognizant of such a condition?’
The newly ordained must say: ‘I will be fully and completely cognizant.’
‘You named so-and-so must hear! In regard to places for one’s bedding and seat, the root of a tree is suitable and easy to get, and, by relying on that, a monk has the true rank of one who has entered the religious life and is a fully ordained monk in this well-spoken teaching and discipline.
‘Are you named so-and-so able to subsist, for as long as you live, with your bedding and seat at the root of a tree?’
The newly ordained must say: ‘I am able.’
‘When the supernumerary is acquired – a cell or hall or upper room or cabana or enclosed arbour or a parapet or palatial residence or a cabana over a gate-house or a latticed arbour on a roof-top or a latticed arbour or a wooden house or an underground cave or a rock-shelter or a mountain cave or a thatch hut or a leaf hut or a constructed ambulatory or a natural ambulatory or a constructed over-hang or a natural over-hang or any other suitable place for one’s bedding and seat that is acquired from the community or an individual – there again, in regard to your acceptance, due measure should be practised.
‘Will you be fully and completely cognizant of such a condition?’
The newly ordained must say: ‘I will be fully and completely cognizant.’
‘You named so-and-so must hear! In regard to medicines, a herbal decoction is suitable and easy to get, and, by relying on that, a monk has the true rank of one who has entered the religious life and is a fully ordained monk in this well-spoken teaching and discipline.
‘Are you named so-and-so able to subsist, for as long as you live, with medicine from herbal decoction?’
The newly ordained must say: ‘I am able.’
‘When the supernumerary is acquired – clarified butter or sesamum oil or honey or treacle or seasonable medicine or limited medicine or medicine to be taken for a week or medicine to be used for life or medicine made from roots or stalks or leaves or flowers or fruits or any other suitable medicine that is acquired from the community or an individual – there again, in regard to your acceptance, due measure should be practised.
‘Will you be fully and completely cognizant of such a condition?’
The newly ordained must say: ‘I will be fully and completely cognizant.’
Then the things which lead to falling must be declared: ‘You named so-and-so must hear! By the knowing and seeing Blessed One, the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the completely and perfectly Awakened One, these four have been proclaimed thus as those things which lead to a fall for one who has entered the religious life and is a fully ordained monk. And if a monk has done these, immediately upon doing so he comes to be one who is not a monk, not an ascetic, not a son of the Buddha, and has perished from the state of a monk. For him the character of an ascetic is destroyed, perished, disrupted, fallen, defeated, and for him the character of an ascetic cannot be restored – like a palmyra tree with its top lopped off is incapable of becoming green again, incapable of again sprouting growth or gaining fullness.
‘What are the four?
‘The Blessed One has in many ways condemned sexual pleasure and attachment to sexual pleasure and longing for sexual pleasure and obsession with sexual pleasure. He has praised giving up sexual pleasure, has commended, revered, praised and extolled its abandonment, removal, dissipation, the separation from passion, its uprooting, abatement and decline. Since, Venerable, from this day forward, you must avert your eyes in regard to a woman with lascivious thoughts and not even look at her, how much more must you not couple and engage in unchaste intercourse! Venerable, the knowing and seeing Blessed One, the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the completely and perfectly Awakened One has said: “If a monk who is in conformity with the rules of training together with the other monks engages in unchastity and intercourse without having given back the rules of training, removed the rules of training – even if it is with an animal – that monk, because he is defeated, is one denied the right of living with a community.” If a monk has done such a thing, immediately upon doing so he is not a monk, not an ascetic, not a son of the Buddha, and has perished from the state of a monk. For him the character of an ascetic is destroyed, perished, disrupted, fallen, defeated, and for him the character of an ascetic cannot be restored – like a palmyra tree with its top lopped off is incapable of becoming green again, incapable of again sprouting growth or gaining fullness. You, from this day forward must make effort to carefully guard your thought by remembering and attending to what is not to be practised, and not to be done, and to the abstention from what is not to be practised.
‘Are you not going to practise such a thing?’
The newly ordained must say: ‘I am not going to practise it.’
‘Venerable, you must hear! The Blessed One has in many ways condemned taking what has not been given. He has commended giving up taking what has not been given, has revered, praised and extolled that. Since, venerable, from this day forward, you must not take, with the intention to steal, even a bit of sesamum chaff that belongs to another, how much more must you not take what is worth five grains (māṣaka) or more than five. Venerable, the knowing and seeing Blessed One, the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the completely and perfectly awakened One has said: “If a monk who is in a village or in a forest were to take from another what was not given, and were to do what would be counted as theft, by that definition of theft on account of which a king or high officer, having seized the perpetrator, would say to him: ‘You, man, are indeed a thief! You are
a fool! You are an idiot! You are a robber!’, and would execute, fetter or banish him, when a monk has taken in that way what has not been given, since that monk is defeated he is one denied the right of living with a community.” If a monk has done such a thing, immediately upon doing so he is not a monk, not an ascetic, not a son of the Buddha, and has perished from the state of a monk. For him the character of an ascetic is destroyed, perished, disrupted, fallen, defeated, and for him the character of an ascetic cannot be restored – like a palmyra tree with its top lopped off is incapable of becoming green again, incapable of again sprouting growth or gaining fullness. You, from this day forward, must make effort to carefully guard your thought by remembering and attending to what is not to be practised, and not to be done, and to the abstention from what is not to be practised.
‘Are you not going to practise such a thing?’
The newly ordained must say: ‘I am not going to practise it.’
‘Venerable, you must hear! The Blessed One has in many ways condemned taking life. He has commended giving up the taking of life, has revered, praised and extolled it. Since, Venerable, from this day forward, you must not intentionally kill even a small red ant, how much more must you not kill a man or one having human form. Venerable, the knowing and seeing Blessed One, the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the completely and perfectly Awakened One has said: “That monk who would intentionally himself, and using his own hand, kill a man or one having human form, or would give him a knife, or procure for him a hit man, or encourage him to die, or if while praising death to him and saying ‘Hey, fellow, are you undone by this evil, impure, unfortunate life? Hey, fellow, dying is surely better than this kind of life!’, and by encouraging him to die in many ways – with what pleases his mind and persuades it – if, while that monk is praising death, that man dies on account of that enterprise, then since that monk is defeated he is one denied the right of living with a community.” If a monk has done such a thing, immediately upon doing so he is not a monk, not an ascetic… [exactly as before, up to]… like a palmyra tree with its top lopped off…’ [exactly as before, up to]… ‘I am not going to practise it.’