The Chapter on Lifting Restrictions is the third of The Chapters on Monastic Discipline’s seventeen chapters. It recounts the origins, timing, and procedures for a rite—held at the end of the rains retreat as an adjunct to the Rite of Restoration (poṣadha)—known as the Rite of Lifting Restrictions (pravāraṇa). During this rite, monastics invite other monastics who have passed the rainy season with them to speak of any unconfessed offenses they have seen, heard, or suspected the inviting monastic of committing during the rains retreat. If a monk thus prompted recalls an offense, he must make amends before the members of the saṅgha can communally verify their purity. This rite helps to ensure harmony in the saṅgha by providing monks with a forum in which they may air and address concerns about their fellow monks’ conduct before they disperse, either to wander the countryside or go to another monastery. This semi-public affirmation of the saṅgha’s purity would also help preserve its reputation among the laypeople. At the conclusion of the rite, goods that have been offered to the saṅgha during the rains are distributed to those monastics who are entitled to a share, that is, those who stayed on site for the duration of the rains.
The Rite of Lifting Restrictions is the second of the “Three Rites,” along with the Rite of Restoration and the Rite of Pledging to Settle for the Rains, as set out in The Chapter on the Restoration Rite and The Chapter on the Rains respectively. The regular observance of the “Three Rites” at an officially demarcated monastic site is considered a crucial component in ensuring the integrity of the monastics living there and nearby.
This text was translated from Tibetan and checked against the Sanskrit original and Yijing’s Chinese translation by Robert Miller. Matthew Wuethrich served as style and editorial consultant to the translator. Paul Thomas reviewed the translation against the extant Sanskrit. Ven. Hejung Seok, Dr. Alex von Rospatt, and Dr. Sally Sutherland Goldman all provided useful insight into the term pravāraṇā.
The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. Nathaniel Rich and John Canti edited the translation and the introduction, and Ven. Konchog Norbu copyedited the text. André Rodrigues was in charge of the digital publication process.
The Chapter on Lifting Restrictions is the third of the seventeen chapters in The Chapters on Monastic Discipline. It recounts the origins, timing, and procedures for the rite of pravāraṇa or “lifting restrictions,” held at the end of the rains retreat as an adjunct to the Rite of Restoration, or poṣadha. Although in practice the rite of lifting restrictions is performed at the end of the rains, months after the rite in which monastics pledge to undertake the rains retreat, the chapters on these two rites appear in reverse order in The Chapters on Monastic Discipline,1 with The Chapter on Lifting Restrictions first, followed by The Chapter on the Rains.2
During the rite of lifting restrictions each monk “invites” the other monks to “prompt” his recollection of any offenses he has not confessed. If one of the monks has seen, heard, or suspects the first monk of an unconfessed offense, the second monk may prompt the first’s memory by narrating the circumstances in which the offense allegedly occurred. The proper procedures for conducting this delicate affair—accusations of improper conduct may easily cause a schism in the saṅgha—provide the main content of the present chapter. The Chapter on Lifting Restrictions does not, however, explain how to deal with disputes that arise from these invitations and the responses they prompt. A complete picture of the Mūlasarvāstivādin protocols for handling denials, disputes, punishments, and their rescissions must be pieced together from at least seven of The Chapters on Monastic Discipline’s seventeen chapters.3 The rite of lifting restrictions described here proceeds from the premise that participating monks either willingly confess their offenses from the start or willingly acknowledge them when their memory is prompted.
Like the other chapters of The Chapters on Monastic Discipline, The Chapter on Lifting Restrictions starts with a “global summary” or piṇḍoddāna.4 In this case, the global summary groups the contents of the text into five sections. The first section sets out the procedures by which restrictions are lifted, and the remaining four describe the contingencies that may bear on how the rite is performed.
The first section, after its own summary (uddāna), opens with a nidāna, or “narrative introduction” in which we learn the reputed origins of the rite of lifting restrictions. We join the Buddha as he is making a pledge to pass the rainy season at Prince Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park in Śrāvastī. Elsewhere, somewhere off in the countryside, a group of monks pledge to spend the rains at a site some days’ distance. These monks adopt a rule of silence, and under the conditions of this ad hoc agreement, the monks have neither discussed nor thought about the others’ offenses in conduct, view, propriety, or livelihood. When they later tell the Buddha about their arrangement, the Buddha rebukes them. We are largely left to infer the significance of this criticism of silence. The monastic logic, however, is not so hard to parse: offenses are to be confessed, not concealed. Thus, before parting ways at the end of the monsoon, monks should gather together and observe the rite of lifting restrictions, inviting their fellow monks to prompt their memory of unconfessed misconduct. Thus, when the community disperses, the monks can leave one another, and the lay people too, with the assurance that they and their fellow monks are pure.
One or two weeks before the rains retreat ends,5 the monks should inform the people in nearby towns and cities of the upcoming rite of lifting restrictions. On the eve of the ceremony, the local populace gathers at the monastery to hear learned monks teach the Dharma. Then, before sunrise the next morning, the monks withdraw into the inner circle to perform the rite of lifting restrictions.6 First, a “monk who directs the lifting of restrictions” must be appointed. A monk may serve as a director of lifting restrictions provided that he knows what constitutes a proper “lifting of restrictions”—i.e., knows how an invitation for an accusation should be extended—and is not driven by caprice, anger, confusion, or fear. If a community has a large number of monks, several officiants may be appointed.
Grass for seating is then distributed to the saṅgha before the saṅgha elder makes a motion, asking the saṅgha to allow the rite of lifting restrictions to proceed. While the monk director of lifting restrictions stands before him, the saṅgha elder invites the other monks to speak of any offenses they have seen, heard, or suspected him to have incurred by repeating the following formula one, two, or three times:7
“Honorable saṅgha, please listen. Today is the saṅgha’s lifting of restrictions, the fifteenth. Today is also my, the monk so-and-so’s, lifting of restrictions and the fifteenth. I, the monk so-and-so, lift restrictions regarding the three grounds: what has been seen, heard, or suspected by the honorable saṅgha. I ask the venerable ones to admonish me. I ask the venerable ones to instruct me. I ask the venerable ones to guide me. The venerable ones extend their compassion, so I ask them to extend their compassion toward me. If I know of or see an offense, I will properly make amends in accord with the Vinaya.”8
So long as the saṅgha is not in any danger, each monk, in order of seniority, then invites others to remind him of any offenses he may have forgotten to confess by repeating the same formula. The procedures for handling any resulting disputes over offenses are laid out in chapter 16, The Chapter on Disputes.9 Once all of the monks have extended invitations to their brethren, the monk director of lifting restrictions then does so, followed by nuns, nun postulants, male novices, and female novices.10 The monk officiant then proceeds to “lift restrictions on materials” that the saṅgha has received during the rains before inviting the public in to present the saṅgha with further offerings. Khenpo Shenga explains the reasoning for this: giving to a saṅgha freshly affirmed in its purity, pure in intent, loving, and meritorious bears great fruit.11
This first section (“Lifting Restrictions”), which is signaled by key words in the chapter’s global summary, closes with a brief explanation of how a sick monk unable to attend the rite of lifting restrictions should send his invitation to recollect offenses. The protocols are similar to those described in chapter 2, The Chapter on the Restoration Rite, in which an ill monk sends his profession of purity and consent for the restoration rite.
The remaining topics mentioned in the chapter’s global summary describe several contingencies that affect how and when the rite of lifting restrictions is performed.
The second section (“Improper”) states that the lifting of restrictions can be repeated once, twice, or three times, but stipulates that if the lifting of restrictions is suspended before the entire ceremony is completed, it is an improper lifting of restrictions. The Buddha also provides for a “collective lifting of restrictions,” when appropriate.
In the third section (“Monk”), the circumstances in which one may recite the lifting of restrictions once or as an assembly are spelled out. Each of the reasons, given in the summary verse that heads the chapter, relates to the welfare of the monks. The section concludes with an exchange between Upāli and the Buddha about whether monks who arrive late during the rains should be invited to participate in the rite. In an exchange with Upāli, the Buddha consents to their participation but declares that, because they have arrived late, any accusations they may make should not be accepted, that is, taken into consideration.
The fourth section (“Repetition”) enumerates the proper protocols to follow in the event that a monk incurs an offense or is accused of having done so on the day leading up to the rite of lifting restrictions. Following the pattern established in the previous chapter, The Chapter on the Restoration Rite, scheming to exclude others from the rite of lifting restrictions and then “inviting” recollections of offenses in their absence is deemed to be improper. The reason for this would seem obvious—such an exclusive “invitation” is not to be mistaken for a truly transparent invitation for fellow monks to address the lingering unease they have about specific incidents.
In the fifth section (“Rains”), a group of resident monks is faced with a group of quarrelsome visiting monks, who make it difficult for the saṅgha to invite each other to recollect offenses. The tension between the resident and visiting monks threatens the traditional closure of the rains retreat, where the saṅgha’s purity is affirmed and the collective offerings are dispersed to the monks. The atmosphere is so charged that the monks fear their invitations will become weaponized, inviting only accusations that will then be used as a wedge to exert influence or control over a monastery and its resources. In such fraught circumstances, the advice, in brief, is as follows: Do not take action immediately against the quarrelsome monks; instead, delay the rite of lifting restrictions for two or three fortnights, as marked by the restoration rite. If the visitors’ hostility has not dissipated by then, the resident monks may convene in a special boundary established for such hostile situations. If that does not work, the resident monks are instructed to extend to the visiting monks conciliatory gestures similar to those that The Chapter on the Restoration Rite stipulates should be made to visiting monks who uphold the sūtras, the vinaya, or the mātṛkā: welcome them with friendly words, wash their begging bowls, mend their ceremonial robes, offer them baths and oils, offer them rich foods, and give them the opportunity to explain the Dharma.
In The Chapters on Monastic Discipline, it is males who form both audience and performers in the rites of ordination, restoration, lifting restrictions, and pledging to settle for the rains—the respective subjects of chapters 1 through 4. The gendering here reflects a gendered binary in the Buddhist saṅgha as encapsulated by the story of Mahāprajāpatī’s extended campaign to secure the Buddha’s consent for the ordination of women, which is told in The Chapter on Minor Matters of Monastic Discipline.12 Eventually the Buddha relents and stipulates the wording for the nuns’ ordination and entrustment to her monastic mentor or “support”:
“From this day forth, (state her name) shall regard her preceptress as her mother. And her preceptress will regard her as her daughter. From this day, so long as you live, you must honor your preceptress. And your preceptress will honor you so long as she lives.”13
Dharmamitra, who wrote an authoritative commentary on Guṇaprabha’s sūtra digest of the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, explains how the ritual language of the Mūlasarvāstivādin texts can be easily adapted for the participation of nuns:
“For ordination, everywhere that [the monks’ rite] says ‘monk’ [the monk officiant] should say ‘nun.’ Here, ‘the officiant [who performs] the motion, and so forth,’ is the monk officiant [who performs] the motion for ordination. Apart from this monk officiant, for the other positions such as instructor confidante and preceptor, the word ‘nun’ should be said instead of ‘monk.’ ”14
Butön Rinchen Drup, the remarkable fourteenth-century Tibetan bibliographer and historiographer, says that translating the going forth and ordination rites for females is simply a matter of swapping out male-gendered terms for female ones.15 In the case of the rites of restoration, lifting restrictions, and pledging to settle for the rains, those pronouns are easily swapped in contemporary Tibetan practice, while textually, The Chapter on Lifting Restrictions emphasizes not gender but the ability of someone on site to lead The Prātimokṣa Sūtra recitation.
The Sanskrit word pravāraṇa is derived from the root vṛ, which can mean “to prevent,” “to restrain,” or “to restrict,” as well as “to choose,” “to ask for,” or “to beg.” It assumes a wide range of meanings depending on context and the grammatical transformations it undergoes. In Epic Sanskrit, pravāraṇa may imply “satisfaction,” while in other cases it means “invitation,” as in “to invite gifts,” as we see here in the “invitation for material goods.”
Pavāraṇā, the Pāli Vinaya’s parallel to the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya’s pravāraṇā,16 is generally translated as “invitation,” which captures the meaning of “lifting restrictions” in the present chapter. In The Chapter on Lifting Restrictions, “to lift restrictions” means “to invite” and the two translations can be used interchangeably; for instance, Kalyāṇamitra’s gloss of pravāraṇa might be translated as:
“ ‘To invite,’ to give the opportunity to monks with whom one has pledged to settle for the rains to prompt [one’s recollection of an offense] with what they have seen, heard, or suspected.”17
The Indic sources preserved in the Kangyur and Tengyur, however, suggest the Sanskrit pravāraṇāṃ pravārayitum had a specific and technical meaning to ears trained in the Vinaya, which presumably led to pravāraṇa being translated into Tibetan as dgag dbye. The entry on dgag dbye written for the Mahāvyutpatti, a ninth-century Sanskrit-Tibetan lexicon, glosses pravāraṇa with pramuktavāraṇa, meaning “a restraint that has been released,” and then offers the following definition: “to give an opportunity for disagreements and disputes about what was heard, seen, or suspected, which is otherwise prohibited while pledged to settle for the rains retreat.”18
The present translation is based on the Tibetan text of the version of the chapter in the Degé Kangyur, with reference to versions in other Kangyurs as detailed in the endnotes. The text was originally translated into Tibetan by Palgyi Lhünpo under the guidance of the Kaśmīri abbot Sarvajñādeva, the Indian abbot Vidyākaraprabha, and the Kaśmīri abbot Dharmākara. Their work was later proofread and finalized by Vidyākaraprabha and the translator-editor Paltsek.
The Chapter on Lifting Restrictions was translated into Chinese by the Chinese monk Yijing in the late seventh to early eighth century
In Sanskrit, The Chapter on Lifting Restrictions is not extant in full, but four of its six manuscript folios were recovered at Gilgit.20 All but the righthand side of the first of these four folios is missing, but the remaining three folios are in relatively good condition, having sustained only slight losses or damage to the individual characters, or akṣaras.21 Editions based on these manuscripts have been published by Dutt (1950), Bagchi (1970), and Chung (1998). Despite these scholars’ efforts, numerous textual problems remain,22 so the Sanskrit reader would be advised to consult the facsimile edition of the manuscripts published in Clarke (2014), along with complete textual concordances.
We have read the translation against the Sanskrit input version of Chung and Wille as well as against Yijing’s Chinese translation, and have also consulted Chung (1998), who provides relevant Sanskrit parallels drawn from other texts and compares Yijing’s Chinese and the Tibetan translation. See also the Japanese yomikudashi of Yijing’s text.23
The translation of Vinaya technical terms given here has benefitted greatly from discussion with the 84000 Vinaya Team. But these choices remain provisional and may require revision as work on the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya progresses.
[F.221.b]A global summary24 of The Chapter on Lifting Restrictions:25
A summary:
The Blessed Buddha pledged to settle for the rains28 in Śrāvastī, in Prince Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park. Meanwhile, a great many monks adopted the following rule as they pledged to settle for the rains elsewhere:29 “Venerable ones,[F.222.a] during the rains no monk among us should prompt or remind30 a monk about an offense of pure conduct,31 lapse of view,32 lapse of observance,33 or lapse of livelihood.34 If one among us sees that a water jug or a wash bucket is empty, dry, or without water, he should fill it if he can do so on his own, and then leave it where it belongs. If he cannot do so on his own, he should signal with his hands35 to another monk and, joining hands, put it where it belongs. Then, while keeping silent, they should leave without speaking to one another.”
The monks, having adopted such a rule, then pledged to settle for the rains there.
After the three months of the rains had passed, the great many monks mended their robes. After mending their robes, they took up their begging bowls and robes and, without speaking to one another, set out on the journey to Śrāvastī. Traveling in stages, they eventually arrived in Śrāvastī where, having stored their begging bowls and robes and washed their feet, the great many monks went to the Blessed One. After bowing their heads at the Blessed One’s feet, they sat off to one side.
It is natural for blessed buddhas to welcome those monks who come to visit them with the welcoming words, “Monks, where have you come from? Where did you pledge to settle for the rains?” And so the Blessed One welcomed the monks who had come, asking, “Monks, where have you come from? Where did you pledge to settle for the rains?”
“Honorable One, we have just now come from such and such a place.36 We pledged to settle for the rains there.”[F.222.b]
“Monks, were you at ease in pledging to settle for the rains there? Were you not wearied by seeking alms?”37
“No, Honorable One. We were at ease in pledging to settle for the rains. We were not wearied by seeking alms.”
“Monks, how is it that you were at ease in pledging to settle for the rains and were not even wearied by seeking alms?”
“Honorable One, we, the great many monks here, adopted the following rule as we pledged to settle for the rains there: ‘Venerable ones, during the rains no monk among us should prompt or remind a monk about an offense of pure conduct, lapse of view, lapse of observance, or lapse of livelihood. If one among us sees that a water jug or a wash bucket is empty, dry, or without water, he should fill it if he can do so on his own, and then leave it where it belongs. If he cannot do so on his own, he should signal with his hands to another monk and, joining hands, put it where it belongs. Then, while keeping silent, they should leave without speaking to one another.’
“Honorable One, after adopting such a rule, we pledged to settle for the rains there. Honorable One, that is how we were at ease in pledging to settle for the rains and were not even wearied by seeking alms.”
“Deluded beings! Do you think that those who live with the enemy38 can be at ease while pledged to settle for the rains?39 Deluded beings! Not speaking is the tīrthikas’ standard. Therefore, a monk should not pledge silence.40[F.223.a] A monk will be guilty of a breach if he pledges silence. Moreover, a monk who has pledged to settle for the rains should lift restrictions on the saṅgha regarding the three grounds of what has been seen, heard, or suspected.”
The Blessed One had declared, “A monk who has pledged to settle for the rains should lift restrictions on the saṅgha regarding the three grounds of what has been seen, heard, or suspected,” but the monks did not know how to lift restrictions. So, the Blessed One said, “If a lifting of restrictions is to be performed in seven or eight days,41 those in the surrounding towns should be informed that on such and such a day the restrictions on the saṅgha will be lifted.
“Those monks who have taken a support42 should energetically prepare ceremonial offerings at the stūpa and the circumambulation path around the stūpa; they should clean and decorate the perfumed sanctuary.43 Boarding and resident monks44 should sweep, sprinkle water over, and spread a fresh paste of dung over the floor of the monastery. Rich goods should be offered to the saṅgha.45 Monks who uphold the sūtras, the vinaya, or the mātṛkā should explain the Dharma throughout the night.46 If they know they will not be able to perform the lifting of restrictions until dawn, they should note the time and do as they please.
“Then47 one, two, or several monks should be appointed to direct the lifting of restrictions.48 For a monk who is to direct the lifting of restrictions, there are five factors that may pertain such that someone not already appointed should not be appointed, and if already appointed should be relieved of that position. What are those five factors? To be driven by desire, driven by aggression, driven by ignorance, driven by fear, and not to know a proper from an improper lifting of restrictions. If these five factors pertain to someone not already appointed to direct the lifting of restrictions, he should not be appointed, and if already appointed should be relieved of that position.[F.223.b]
“For a monk who is to direct the lifting of restrictions, there are five other factors that may pertain such that someone not already appointed should be appointed, and if already appointed should not be relieved of that position. What are these five factors? Not to be driven by desire, driven by aggression, driven by ignorance, or driven by fear, and to know a proper from an improper lifting of restrictions. If these five factors pertain to someone not already appointed to direct the lifting of restrictions, he should be appointed, and if already appointed should not be relieved of that position.
“He should be appointed in the following way: After setting out a seat, strike the gaṇḍī beam and inform the monks of the matter at hand. Once the entire saṅgha is seated and has a quorum, his willingness should be secured first.
“ ‘Are you, so-and-so, willing to direct the lifting of restrictions for the saṅgha settled for the rains?’49
“He should reply:
“ ‘I am willing to do so.’
“Then one monk should make a motion and then perform the act:
“ ‘Honorable saṅgha, please listen. This monk, so-and-so, is willing to direct the lifting of restrictions for the saṅgha settled for the rains. If the time is right and the saṅgha can accept it, I ask that the saṅgha give their consent. Once the saṅgha appoints this monk to direct the lifting of restrictions, this monk so-and-so who directs the lifting restrictions will become the director of lifting restrictions for the saṅgha settled for the rains.’
“That is the motion. The act should be performed in the following way:
“ ‘Honorable saṅgha, please listen. The monk so-and-so is willing to direct the lifting of restrictions for the saṅgha settled for the rains. Therefore, should the saṅgha appoint the monk so-and-so to direct the lifting of restrictions for the saṅgha settled for the rains for that purpose, those venerable ones who can accept the appointment of the monk so-and-so to direct the lifting of restrictions should remain silent. Those who cannot accept it should speak now.’
“Once the saṅgha has accepted and given consent for the appointment,[F.224.a] the saṅgha has appointed the monk so-and-so to direct the lifting of restrictions for the saṅgha. By thus remaining silent, they assent to the proposed act.50
“I will formulate the rules of customary conduct for the monk who directs the lifting of restrictions: The monk who directs the lifting of restrictions should set out grass51 for the saṅgha and then distribute it. If there is only one monk who directs the lifting of restrictions, he should distribute the grass from most senior to most junior. If there are two, one should distribute the grass from most senior while the other does so from the most junior. If there are several of them, one should distribute the grass from most senior, one from the middle, and one from the most junior.52
“After that, the saṅgha elder should perform an act by motion alone:53
“ ‘Honorable saṅgha, please listen. Today is the fifteenth, the saṅgha’s lifting of restrictions. If the time is right and the saṅgha can accept it, I ask that the saṅgha give their consent. Today the saṅgha will lift restrictions.’
“That is the motion.
“Then, the monk who directs the lifting of restrictions should stand54 in front of the saṅgha elder, who should say:
“ ‘Honorable saṅgha, please listen. Today is the fifteenth, the saṅgha’s lifting of restrictions. As today is also my, the monk so-and-so’s, fifteenth and my lifting of restrictions, I, the monk so-and-so, lift restrictions upon the honorable saṅgha regarding the three grounds of what they have seen, heard, or suspected of me. Venerable ones, please admonish me.55 Venerable ones, please instruct me.56 I ask the venerable ones to care for me. May the saṅgha show compassion and have compassion for me.[F.224.b] If I know of or see an offense, I will properly make amends for that offense in accord with the Vinaya.’
“He should repeat this a second and a third time. The saṅgha, down to the newest member, should lift restrictions in the same way, after which the monks who direct the lifting of restrictions should lift restrictions. If there are two monks who direct the lifting of restrictions, they should lift restrictions to one another. If there is only one, he should lift restrictions in front of another monk. Nuns, nun postulants, male novices, and female novices should be made to lift restrictions after that.
“After that, the monk who directs the lifting of restrictions should sit57 in front of the most senior and say:
“ ‘The saṅgha has lifted restrictions.’
“Then everyone should say:
“ ‘The restrictions have been properly lifted. The restrictions have been perfectly lifted.’
“If this is said, then all is well. If they do not say this, they will be guilty of a breach.
“After that, the monk who directs the lifting of restrictions should take a needle (a blade is also acceptable), sit in front of the senior monk, and say:58
“ ‘Honorable ones, let this small thing be admitted in the lifting of restrictions on the saṅgha who have settled for the rains.’
“All should say:
“ ‘It is well admitted, perfectly admitted.’
“Then all of the goods that have been received, no matter how small, should be distributed in their entirety among the saṅgha.”59
The venerable Upāli asked the Blessed Buddha, “Honorable One, how many acts of lifting restrictions are there?”
“Upāli, there are four: they are liftings of restrictions without a quorum done improperly, those with a quorum done improperly, those without a quorum done properly, and those with a quorum done properly. Upāli, among these, there is one act of lifting restrictions that is proper and with a quorum—that is the lifting of restrictions with a quorum done properly.”[F.225.a]
On the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, the Blessed One sat on a seat that had been arranged before the saṅgha of monks. The Blessed One then said to the monks, “Monks, the night is fading. Perform the lifting of restrictions.”60
Then a monk rose from his seat, took his upper robe from one shoulder, and, bowing with palms pressed together in the direction of the Blessed One, said to him, “There is a monk, sick, suffering, and tormented by illness, on site. What shall we do about him?”
The Blessed One replied, “His lifting of restrictions should be received.” Since the monks did not know how to receive the lifting of restrictions the Blessed One spoke of when he said, “His lifting of restrictions should be received,” the Blessed One said, “One monk may receive the lifting of restrictions from one, two, or even many, so long as he is able to state each of their names.61
“I will formulate the rules of customary conduct for a monk offering his lifting of restrictions. A monk offering his lifting of restrictions, having taken his upper robe from one shoulder and removed his sandals, should pay his respects in order of seniority, and then squat. With palms pressed together, he should say:
“ ‘Venerable ones, please listen. Today is the fifteenth, the saṅgha’s lifting of restrictions. Today is also the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions for me, the monk so-and-so. I, the monk so-and-so, lift restrictions upon the honorable saṅgha regarding the three grounds of what has been seen, heard, or suspected of me. I, the monk so-and-so, profess that I am pure of hindering qualities. I also profess my purity for the lifting of restrictions.62 Let my profession be known.’
“That is then said a second and a third time. If the monk offering his lifting of restrictions physically communicates his offer to lift restrictions, the lifting of restrictions should be deemed as having been offered. If he verbally communicates his offer to lift restrictions, the lifting of restrictions should be deemed as having been offered.[F.225.b] If he is unable to physically or verbally communicate his offer to lift restrictions, the entire saṅgha should go to him or, alternatively, the monk should be brought among saṅgha. If the entire saṅgha neither goes to him nor brings that monk among the saṅgha,63 and they lift restrictions without a quorum,64 they will be guilty of a breach.
“Monks, I will formulate the rules of customary conduct for a monk who receives a lifting of restrictions. Once he has received a lifting of restrictions, the monk who receives a lifting of restrictions should not run, nor should he rush, jump, jump over partitions, jump over ditches, jump onto verandas, sit in the sky above, go beyond the boundary, climb a ladder two rungs at a time, climb a staircase two steps at a time, spill over onto a causeway,65 fall asleep, or sit in equipoise. To fall asleep or to sit in equipoise are censured for two reasons: because one suggests disrespect and the other absentmindedness.
“Then, when the saṅgha elder says, ‘Venerable ones, profess the consent and purity of those monks who have not come. Let their profession be known,’ the receiving monk says while seated in front of the nearest monk, ‘Venerable one, please listen. There is a monk, sick, suffering, and tormented by illness, at another site. Today is the fifteenth, the saṅgha’s lifting of restrictions. As it is also the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, for that monk, the monk so-and-so lifts restrictions on the saṅgha regarding the three grounds of what has been seen, heard, or suspected of him,66[F.226.a] so his restrictions have been lifted. I also announce his consent for the lifting of restrictions. Let this profession be known.’67
“They will be guilty of a breach if the monk receiving the lifting of restrictions follows the customary rules of conduct but his profession is not accepted after being properly received.”
The venerable Upāli asked the Blessed Buddha, “Honorable One, if the monk who has received a lifting of restrictions were to die immediately after receiving a lifting of restrictions, has the lifting of restrictions been received or not?”
“Upāli, it has not been received and should be received again.”
“If the monk who has received a lifting of restrictions68 were to make an oath professing he is a householder, or makes an oath that he is a novice, a person who has undergone castration, a person labeled a paṇḍaka, someone who has violated a nun, a matricide, a patricide, someone who has killed an arhat, someone who has caused a schism in the saṅgha, someone who has maliciously drawn blood from a tathāgata, a tīrthika, a convert to a tīrthika order, someone living under false pretenses, someone outside the common living, or someone denied the common living, has the lifting of restrictions been received or not?”
“Upāli, it has not been received and should be received again.”
“If the monk who has received a lifting of restrictions were to die on the way, has the lifting of restrictions been received or not?”
“Upāli, it has not been received and should be received again.”
The remaining contingencies should be expressed at length, as in the earlier Chapter on the Restoration Rite.69
The venerable Upāli asked the Blessed Buddha, “Honorable One, what should a monk living alone at a site do on the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions?”
“Upāli, on the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, that monk should sprinkle the temple floor with water, sweep it, spread a fresh paste of dung over it, set up a lion throne, set out a seat,[F.226.b] and announce as best he can the opportunity to listen to the Dharma.70 After that, he should sit in the highest place around and look into the four directions.
“If pure, like-minded monks should come, he should say to them, ‘O venerable ones! Come quickly! It is the fifteenth, the saṅgha’s lifting of restrictions, so let you and I sit together and lift restrictions.’
“If this occurs, then all is well. If it does not, then that monk, having sat upon his seat, should rouse the following intention, and say, ‘Today is the fifteenth, the saṅgha’s lifting of restrictions. As it is also the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, for me, I, the monk named so-and-so, sanction my lifting of restrictions. When I find a saṅgha assembly, I will participate in the lifting of restrictions together with the saṅgha assembly.’71
“It should be sanctioned a second and a third time.
“Where two monks are staying together, they should take turns professing to one another.
“Likewise, where three monks are staying together, they should take turns professing to each other.
“Where four monks are staying together, they should make a motion and perform the lifting of restrictions. A monk who directs the lifting of restrictions should not be appointed.
“Where five monks are staying together, they should make a motion and perform the lifting of restrictions. A monk who directs the lifting of restrictions should be appointed but a sick monk’s lifting of restrictions should not be received.
“Where six or more monks are staying together, they should make a motion and perform the lifting of restrictions. A monk who directs the lifting of restrictions should be appointed and a sick monk’s lifting of restrictions should be received.”
An intervening summary:72
“There is the one proper suspension of the lifting of restrictions and the one improper suspension of the lifting of restrictions; the three proper suspensions of the lifting of restrictions[F.227.a] and the one improper suspension of the lifting of restrictions; and the five proper suspensions of the lifting of restrictions and the one improper suspension of the lifting of restrictions.
“What are the one proper suspension and the one improper suspensions of the lifting of restrictions? When the lifting of restrictions is to be recited once, a suspension of the lifting of restrictions before the chanting is finished is a proper suspension of the lifting of restrictions. But a suspension of the lifting of restrictions after the recitation is finished is an improper suspension of the lifting of restrictions. Thus, these are the one proper suspension and the one improper suspension of the lifting of restrictions.
“What are the three proper suspensions of the lifting of restrictions and the one improper suspension of the lifting of restrictions? When the lifting of restrictions is to be recited twice, a suspension of the lifting of restrictions before the recitation of the first repetition is finished is a proper suspension of the lifting of restrictions. A suspension of the lifting of restrictions after the [first] recitation is finished is a proper suspension of the lifting of restrictions. A suspension of the lifting of restrictions before the recitation of the second repetition is finished is a proper suspension of the lifting of restrictions. But a suspension of the lifting of restrictions after the [second] recitation is finished is an improper suspension of the lifting of restrictions. These are the three proper suspensions and the one improper suspension of the lifting of restrictions.
“What are the five proper suspensions of the lifting of restrictions and the one improper suspension of the lifting of restrictions? When the lifting of restrictions is to be recited three times, a suspension of the lifting of restrictions before the recitation of the first repetition is finished is a proper suspension of the lifting of restrictions. A suspension of the lifting of restrictions after the [third] recitation is finished is a proper suspension of the lifting of restrictions. A suspension of the lifting of restrictions before the recitation of the second repetition is finished is a proper suspension of the lifting of restrictions. A suspension of the lifting of restrictions after the second recitation is finished is a proper suspension of the lifting of restrictions. A suspension of the lifting of restrictions before the recitation of the third repetition is finished is a proper suspension of the lifting of restrictions.[F.227.b] But a suspension of the lifting of restrictions after the third recitation is finished is an improper suspension of the lifting of restrictions. These are the five proper suspensions and the one improper suspension of the lifting of restrictions.
“There are liftings of restrictions with a single repetition. There are liftings of restrictions with two repetitions. There are liftings of restrictions with three repetitions. There are liftings of restrictions as an assembly.”74
For what reason is the lifting of restrictions recited once?
An intervening summary:75
“On the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, a great many monks afflicted with hemorrhoids may be seated and have a quorum when the monk who directs the lifting of restrictions thinks, ‘Today is the fifteenth, the saṅgha’s lifting of restrictions, but the great many monks sitting who have a quorum are afflicted with hemorrhoids. If I direct the lifting of restrictions by reciting the lifting of restrictions three times, these venerable ones will be ill at ease! Oh dear! I will direct the lifting of restrictions with the lifting of restrictions recited once.’
“Suppose he then directs the lifting of restrictions with the lifting of restrictions recited once—that is the reason for the lifting of restrictions recited once.”
“Another reason for the lifting of restrictions recited once: On the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, a great many seats may be spread out with no canopy overhead as rain falls or looks as if it will. Considering this, the monk who directs the lifting of restrictions may think, ‘Today is the fifteenth, the saṅgha’s lifting of restrictions, and a great many seats are spread out with no canopy overhead as rain falls or looks as if it will. If I direct the lifting of restrictions by reciting the lifting of restrictions three times, I will not be able to collect the seats without their getting wet! Oh dear! I will[F.228.a] direct the lifting of restrictions with the lifting of restrictions recited once.’
“Suppose he then directs the lifting of restrictions with the lifting of restrictions recited once—that is the reason for the lifting of restrictions recited once.”
“Another reason for the lifting of restrictions recited once: On the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, the king, together with his queens, princes, ministers, armed forces, city folk, and country folk, may come to the park, where the king offers the saṅgha a large quantity of cloth and material goods, and the queens, princes, ministers, armed forces, city folk, and country folk too may offer the saṅgha a large quantity of cloth and material goods, so that the monk crier76 would tire from reciting dedications throughout the night.77 Considering this, the monk who directs the lifting of restrictions might think, ‘Today is the fifteenth, the saṅgha’s lifting of restrictions, and the king, together with his queens, princes, ministers, armed forces, city folk, and country folk, have come to the park. Because the king is offering the saṅgha a large quantity of cloth and material goods, and the queens, princes, ministers, armed forces, city folk, and country folk also is offering the saṅgha a large quantity of cloth and material goods, the monk crier would tire from reciting dedications throughout the night. If I direct the lifting of restrictions by reciting the lifting of restrictions three times, the lifting of restrictions will not be finished before dawn! I should direct the lifting of restrictions with the lifting of restrictions recited once.’
“Suppose he then directs the lifting of restrictions with the lifting of restrictions recited once—that is the reason for the lifting of restrictions recited once.”
The Chapter on Lifting Restrictions is the third of The Chapters on Monastic Discipline’s seventeen chapters. It recounts the origins, timing, and procedures for a rite—held at the end of the rains retreat as an adjunct to the Rite of Restoration (poṣadha)—known as the Rite of Lifting Restrictions (pravāraṇa). During this rite, monastics invite other monastics who have passed the rainy season with them to speak of any unconfessed offenses they have seen, heard, or suspected the inviting monastic of committing during the rains retreat. If a monk thus prompted recalls an offense, he must make amends before the members of the saṅgha can communally verify their purity. This rite helps to ensure harmony in the saṅgha by providing monks with a forum in which they may air and address concerns about their fellow monks’ conduct before they disperse, either to wander the countryside or go to another monastery. This semi-public affirmation of the saṅgha’s purity would also help preserve its reputation among the laypeople. At the conclusion of the rite, goods that have been offered to the saṅgha during the rains are distributed to those monastics who are entitled to a share, that is, those who stayed on site for the duration of the rains.
The Rite of Lifting Restrictions is the second of the “Three Rites,” along with the Rite of Restoration and the Rite of Pledging to Settle for the Rains, as set out in The Chapter on the Restoration Rite and The Chapter on the Rains respectively. The regular observance of the “Three Rites” at an officially demarcated monastic site is considered a crucial component in ensuring the integrity of the monastics living there and nearby.
This text was translated from Tibetan and checked against the Sanskrit original and Yijing’s Chinese translation by Robert Miller. Matthew Wuethrich served as style and editorial consultant to the translator. Paul Thomas reviewed the translation against the extant Sanskrit. Ven. Hejung Seok, Dr. Alex von Rospatt, and Dr. Sally Sutherland Goldman all provided useful insight into the term pravāraṇā.
The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. Nathaniel Rich and John Canti edited the translation and the introduction, and Ven. Konchog Norbu copyedited the text. André Rodrigues was in charge of the digital publication process.
The Chapter on Lifting Restrictions is the third of the seventeen chapters in The Chapters on Monastic Discipline. It recounts the origins, timing, and procedures for the rite of pravāraṇa or “lifting restrictions,” held at the end of the rains retreat as an adjunct to the Rite of Restoration, or poṣadha. Although in practice the rite of lifting restrictions is performed at the end of the rains, months after the rite in which monastics pledge to undertake the rains retreat, the chapters on these two rites appear in reverse order in The Chapters on Monastic Discipline,1 with The Chapter on Lifting Restrictions first, followed by The Chapter on the Rains.2
During the rite of lifting restrictions each monk “invites” the other monks to “prompt” his recollection of any offenses he has not confessed. If one of the monks has seen, heard, or suspects the first monk of an unconfessed offense, the second monk may prompt the first’s memory by narrating the circumstances in which the offense allegedly occurred. The proper procedures for conducting this delicate affair—accusations of improper conduct may easily cause a schism in the saṅgha—provide the main content of the present chapter. The Chapter on Lifting Restrictions does not, however, explain how to deal with disputes that arise from these invitations and the responses they prompt. A complete picture of the Mūlasarvāstivādin protocols for handling denials, disputes, punishments, and their rescissions must be pieced together from at least seven of The Chapters on Monastic Discipline’s seventeen chapters.3 The rite of lifting restrictions described here proceeds from the premise that participating monks either willingly confess their offenses from the start or willingly acknowledge them when their memory is prompted.
Like the other chapters of The Chapters on Monastic Discipline, The Chapter on Lifting Restrictions starts with a “global summary” or piṇḍoddāna.4 In this case, the global summary groups the contents of the text into five sections. The first section sets out the procedures by which restrictions are lifted, and the remaining four describe the contingencies that may bear on how the rite is performed.
The first section, after its own summary (uddāna), opens with a nidāna, or “narrative introduction” in which we learn the reputed origins of the rite of lifting restrictions. We join the Buddha as he is making a pledge to pass the rainy season at Prince Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park in Śrāvastī. Elsewhere, somewhere off in the countryside, a group of monks pledge to spend the rains at a site some days’ distance. These monks adopt a rule of silence, and under the conditions of this ad hoc agreement, the monks have neither discussed nor thought about the others’ offenses in conduct, view, propriety, or livelihood. When they later tell the Buddha about their arrangement, the Buddha rebukes them. We are largely left to infer the significance of this criticism of silence. The monastic logic, however, is not so hard to parse: offenses are to be confessed, not concealed. Thus, before parting ways at the end of the monsoon, monks should gather together and observe the rite of lifting restrictions, inviting their fellow monks to prompt their memory of unconfessed misconduct. Thus, when the community disperses, the monks can leave one another, and the lay people too, with the assurance that they and their fellow monks are pure.
One or two weeks before the rains retreat ends,5 the monks should inform the people in nearby towns and cities of the upcoming rite of lifting restrictions. On the eve of the ceremony, the local populace gathers at the monastery to hear learned monks teach the Dharma. Then, before sunrise the next morning, the monks withdraw into the inner circle to perform the rite of lifting restrictions.6 First, a “monk who directs the lifting of restrictions” must be appointed. A monk may serve as a director of lifting restrictions provided that he knows what constitutes a proper “lifting of restrictions”—i.e., knows how an invitation for an accusation should be extended—and is not driven by caprice, anger, confusion, or fear. If a community has a large number of monks, several officiants may be appointed.
Grass for seating is then distributed to the saṅgha before the saṅgha elder makes a motion, asking the saṅgha to allow the rite of lifting restrictions to proceed. While the monk director of lifting restrictions stands before him, the saṅgha elder invites the other monks to speak of any offenses they have seen, heard, or suspected him to have incurred by repeating the following formula one, two, or three times:7
“Honorable saṅgha, please listen. Today is the saṅgha’s lifting of restrictions, the fifteenth. Today is also my, the monk so-and-so’s, lifting of restrictions and the fifteenth. I, the monk so-and-so, lift restrictions regarding the three grounds: what has been seen, heard, or suspected by the honorable saṅgha. I ask the venerable ones to admonish me. I ask the venerable ones to instruct me. I ask the venerable ones to guide me. The venerable ones extend their compassion, so I ask them to extend their compassion toward me. If I know of or see an offense, I will properly make amends in accord with the Vinaya.”8
So long as the saṅgha is not in any danger, each monk, in order of seniority, then invites others to remind him of any offenses he may have forgotten to confess by repeating the same formula. The procedures for handling any resulting disputes over offenses are laid out in chapter 16, The Chapter on Disputes.9 Once all of the monks have extended invitations to their brethren, the monk director of lifting restrictions then does so, followed by nuns, nun postulants, male novices, and female novices.10 The monk officiant then proceeds to “lift restrictions on materials” that the saṅgha has received during the rains before inviting the public in to present the saṅgha with further offerings. Khenpo Shenga explains the reasoning for this: giving to a saṅgha freshly affirmed in its purity, pure in intent, loving, and meritorious bears great fruit.11
This first section (“Lifting Restrictions”), which is signaled by key words in the chapter’s global summary, closes with a brief explanation of how a sick monk unable to attend the rite of lifting restrictions should send his invitation to recollect offenses. The protocols are similar to those described in chapter 2, The Chapter on the Restoration Rite, in which an ill monk sends his profession of purity and consent for the restoration rite.
The remaining topics mentioned in the chapter’s global summary describe several contingencies that affect how and when the rite of lifting restrictions is performed.
The second section (“Improper”) states that the lifting of restrictions can be repeated once, twice, or three times, but stipulates that if the lifting of restrictions is suspended before the entire ceremony is completed, it is an improper lifting of restrictions. The Buddha also provides for a “collective lifting of restrictions,” when appropriate.
In the third section (“Monk”), the circumstances in which one may recite the lifting of restrictions once or as an assembly are spelled out. Each of the reasons, given in the summary verse that heads the chapter, relates to the welfare of the monks. The section concludes with an exchange between Upāli and the Buddha about whether monks who arrive late during the rains should be invited to participate in the rite. In an exchange with Upāli, the Buddha consents to their participation but declares that, because they have arrived late, any accusations they may make should not be accepted, that is, taken into consideration.
The fourth section (“Repetition”) enumerates the proper protocols to follow in the event that a monk incurs an offense or is accused of having done so on the day leading up to the rite of lifting restrictions. Following the pattern established in the previous chapter, The Chapter on the Restoration Rite, scheming to exclude others from the rite of lifting restrictions and then “inviting” recollections of offenses in their absence is deemed to be improper. The reason for this would seem obvious—such an exclusive “invitation” is not to be mistaken for a truly transparent invitation for fellow monks to address the lingering unease they have about specific incidents.
In the fifth section (“Rains”), a group of resident monks is faced with a group of quarrelsome visiting monks, who make it difficult for the saṅgha to invite each other to recollect offenses. The tension between the resident and visiting monks threatens the traditional closure of the rains retreat, where the saṅgha’s purity is affirmed and the collective offerings are dispersed to the monks. The atmosphere is so charged that the monks fear their invitations will become weaponized, inviting only accusations that will then be used as a wedge to exert influence or control over a monastery and its resources. In such fraught circumstances, the advice, in brief, is as follows: Do not take action immediately against the quarrelsome monks; instead, delay the rite of lifting restrictions for two or three fortnights, as marked by the restoration rite. If the visitors’ hostility has not dissipated by then, the resident monks may convene in a special boundary established for such hostile situations. If that does not work, the resident monks are instructed to extend to the visiting monks conciliatory gestures similar to those that The Chapter on the Restoration Rite stipulates should be made to visiting monks who uphold the sūtras, the vinaya, or the mātṛkā: welcome them with friendly words, wash their begging bowls, mend their ceremonial robes, offer them baths and oils, offer them rich foods, and give them the opportunity to explain the Dharma.
In The Chapters on Monastic Discipline, it is males who form both audience and performers in the rites of ordination, restoration, lifting restrictions, and pledging to settle for the rains—the respective subjects of chapters 1 through 4. The gendering here reflects a gendered binary in the Buddhist saṅgha as encapsulated by the story of Mahāprajāpatī’s extended campaign to secure the Buddha’s consent for the ordination of women, which is told in The Chapter on Minor Matters of Monastic Discipline.12 Eventually the Buddha relents and stipulates the wording for the nuns’ ordination and entrustment to her monastic mentor or “support”:
“From this day forth, (state her name) shall regard her preceptress as her mother. And her preceptress will regard her as her daughter. From this day, so long as you live, you must honor your preceptress. And your preceptress will honor you so long as she lives.”13
Dharmamitra, who wrote an authoritative commentary on Guṇaprabha’s sūtra digest of the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, explains how the ritual language of the Mūlasarvāstivādin texts can be easily adapted for the participation of nuns:
“For ordination, everywhere that [the monks’ rite] says ‘monk’ [the monk officiant] should say ‘nun.’ Here, ‘the officiant [who performs] the motion, and so forth,’ is the monk officiant [who performs] the motion for ordination. Apart from this monk officiant, for the other positions such as instructor confidante and preceptor, the word ‘nun’ should be said instead of ‘monk.’ ”14
Butön Rinchen Drup, the remarkable fourteenth-century Tibetan bibliographer and historiographer, says that translating the going forth and ordination rites for females is simply a matter of swapping out male-gendered terms for female ones.15 In the case of the rites of restoration, lifting restrictions, and pledging to settle for the rains, those pronouns are easily swapped in contemporary Tibetan practice, while textually, The Chapter on Lifting Restrictions emphasizes not gender but the ability of someone on site to lead The Prātimokṣa Sūtra recitation.
The Sanskrit word pravāraṇa is derived from the root vṛ, which can mean “to prevent,” “to restrain,” or “to restrict,” as well as “to choose,” “to ask for,” or “to beg.” It assumes a wide range of meanings depending on context and the grammatical transformations it undergoes. In Epic Sanskrit, pravāraṇa may imply “satisfaction,” while in other cases it means “invitation,” as in “to invite gifts,” as we see here in the “invitation for material goods.”
Pavāraṇā, the Pāli Vinaya’s parallel to the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya’s pravāraṇā,16 is generally translated as “invitation,” which captures the meaning of “lifting restrictions” in the present chapter. In The Chapter on Lifting Restrictions, “to lift restrictions” means “to invite” and the two translations can be used interchangeably; for instance, Kalyāṇamitra’s gloss of pravāraṇa might be translated as:
“ ‘To invite,’ to give the opportunity to monks with whom one has pledged to settle for the rains to prompt [one’s recollection of an offense] with what they have seen, heard, or suspected.”17
The Indic sources preserved in the Kangyur and Tengyur, however, suggest the Sanskrit pravāraṇāṃ pravārayitum had a specific and technical meaning to ears trained in the Vinaya, which presumably led to pravāraṇa being translated into Tibetan as dgag dbye. The entry on dgag dbye written for the Mahāvyutpatti, a ninth-century Sanskrit-Tibetan lexicon, glosses pravāraṇa with pramuktavāraṇa, meaning “a restraint that has been released,” and then offers the following definition: “to give an opportunity for disagreements and disputes about what was heard, seen, or suspected, which is otherwise prohibited while pledged to settle for the rains retreat.”18
The present translation is based on the Tibetan text of the version of the chapter in the Degé Kangyur, with reference to versions in other Kangyurs as detailed in the endnotes. The text was originally translated into Tibetan by Palgyi Lhünpo under the guidance of the Kaśmīri abbot Sarvajñādeva, the Indian abbot Vidyākaraprabha, and the Kaśmīri abbot Dharmākara. Their work was later proofread and finalized by Vidyākaraprabha and the translator-editor Paltsek.
The Chapter on Lifting Restrictions was translated into Chinese by the Chinese monk Yijing in the late seventh to early eighth century
In Sanskrit, The Chapter on Lifting Restrictions is not extant in full, but four of its six manuscript folios were recovered at Gilgit.20 All but the righthand side of the first of these four folios is missing, but the remaining three folios are in relatively good condition, having sustained only slight losses or damage to the individual characters, or akṣaras.21 Editions based on these manuscripts have been published by Dutt (1950), Bagchi (1970), and Chung (1998). Despite these scholars’ efforts, numerous textual problems remain,22 so the Sanskrit reader would be advised to consult the facsimile edition of the manuscripts published in Clarke (2014), along with complete textual concordances.
We have read the translation against the Sanskrit input version of Chung and Wille as well as against Yijing’s Chinese translation, and have also consulted Chung (1998), who provides relevant Sanskrit parallels drawn from other texts and compares Yijing’s Chinese and the Tibetan translation. See also the Japanese yomikudashi of Yijing’s text.23
The translation of Vinaya technical terms given here has benefitted greatly from discussion with the 84000 Vinaya Team. But these choices remain provisional and may require revision as work on the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya progresses.
[F.221.b]A global summary24 of The Chapter on Lifting Restrictions:25
A summary:
The Blessed Buddha pledged to settle for the rains28 in Śrāvastī, in Prince Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park. Meanwhile, a great many monks adopted the following rule as they pledged to settle for the rains elsewhere:29 “Venerable ones,[F.222.a] during the rains no monk among us should prompt or remind30 a monk about an offense of pure conduct,31 lapse of view,32 lapse of observance,33 or lapse of livelihood.34 If one among us sees that a water jug or a wash bucket is empty, dry, or without water, he should fill it if he can do so on his own, and then leave it where it belongs. If he cannot do so on his own, he should signal with his hands35 to another monk and, joining hands, put it where it belongs. Then, while keeping silent, they should leave without speaking to one another.”
The monks, having adopted such a rule, then pledged to settle for the rains there.
After the three months of the rains had passed, the great many monks mended their robes. After mending their robes, they took up their begging bowls and robes and, without speaking to one another, set out on the journey to Śrāvastī. Traveling in stages, they eventually arrived in Śrāvastī where, having stored their begging bowls and robes and washed their feet, the great many monks went to the Blessed One. After bowing their heads at the Blessed One’s feet, they sat off to one side.
It is natural for blessed buddhas to welcome those monks who come to visit them with the welcoming words, “Monks, where have you come from? Where did you pledge to settle for the rains?” And so the Blessed One welcomed the monks who had come, asking, “Monks, where have you come from? Where did you pledge to settle for the rains?”
“Honorable One, we have just now come from such and such a place.36 We pledged to settle for the rains there.”[F.222.b]
“Monks, were you at ease in pledging to settle for the rains there? Were you not wearied by seeking alms?”37
“No, Honorable One. We were at ease in pledging to settle for the rains. We were not wearied by seeking alms.”
“Monks, how is it that you were at ease in pledging to settle for the rains and were not even wearied by seeking alms?”
“Honorable One, we, the great many monks here, adopted the following rule as we pledged to settle for the rains there: ‘Venerable ones, during the rains no monk among us should prompt or remind a monk about an offense of pure conduct, lapse of view, lapse of observance, or lapse of livelihood. If one among us sees that a water jug or a wash bucket is empty, dry, or without water, he should fill it if he can do so on his own, and then leave it where it belongs. If he cannot do so on his own, he should signal with his hands to another monk and, joining hands, put it where it belongs. Then, while keeping silent, they should leave without speaking to one another.’
“Honorable One, after adopting such a rule, we pledged to settle for the rains there. Honorable One, that is how we were at ease in pledging to settle for the rains and were not even wearied by seeking alms.”
“Deluded beings! Do you think that those who live with the enemy38 can be at ease while pledged to settle for the rains?39 Deluded beings! Not speaking is the tīrthikas’ standard. Therefore, a monk should not pledge silence.40[F.223.a] A monk will be guilty of a breach if he pledges silence. Moreover, a monk who has pledged to settle for the rains should lift restrictions on the saṅgha regarding the three grounds of what has been seen, heard, or suspected.”
The Blessed One had declared, “A monk who has pledged to settle for the rains should lift restrictions on the saṅgha regarding the three grounds of what has been seen, heard, or suspected,” but the monks did not know how to lift restrictions. So, the Blessed One said, “If a lifting of restrictions is to be performed in seven or eight days,41 those in the surrounding towns should be informed that on such and such a day the restrictions on the saṅgha will be lifted.
“Those monks who have taken a support42 should energetically prepare ceremonial offerings at the stūpa and the circumambulation path around the stūpa; they should clean and decorate the perfumed sanctuary.43 Boarding and resident monks44 should sweep, sprinkle water over, and spread a fresh paste of dung over the floor of the monastery. Rich goods should be offered to the saṅgha.45 Monks who uphold the sūtras, the vinaya, or the mātṛkā should explain the Dharma throughout the night.46 If they know they will not be able to perform the lifting of restrictions until dawn, they should note the time and do as they please.
“Then47 one, two, or several monks should be appointed to direct the lifting of restrictions.48 For a monk who is to direct the lifting of restrictions, there are five factors that may pertain such that someone not already appointed should not be appointed, and if already appointed should be relieved of that position. What are those five factors? To be driven by desire, driven by aggression, driven by ignorance, driven by fear, and not to know a proper from an improper lifting of restrictions. If these five factors pertain to someone not already appointed to direct the lifting of restrictions, he should not be appointed, and if already appointed should be relieved of that position.[F.223.b]
“For a monk who is to direct the lifting of restrictions, there are five other factors that may pertain such that someone not already appointed should be appointed, and if already appointed should not be relieved of that position. What are these five factors? Not to be driven by desire, driven by aggression, driven by ignorance, or driven by fear, and to know a proper from an improper lifting of restrictions. If these five factors pertain to someone not already appointed to direct the lifting of restrictions, he should be appointed, and if already appointed should not be relieved of that position.
“He should be appointed in the following way: After setting out a seat, strike the gaṇḍī beam and inform the monks of the matter at hand. Once the entire saṅgha is seated and has a quorum, his willingness should be secured first.
“ ‘Are you, so-and-so, willing to direct the lifting of restrictions for the saṅgha settled for the rains?’49
“He should reply:
“ ‘I am willing to do so.’
“Then one monk should make a motion and then perform the act:
“ ‘Honorable saṅgha, please listen. This monk, so-and-so, is willing to direct the lifting of restrictions for the saṅgha settled for the rains. If the time is right and the saṅgha can accept it, I ask that the saṅgha give their consent. Once the saṅgha appoints this monk to direct the lifting of restrictions, this monk so-and-so who directs the lifting restrictions will become the director of lifting restrictions for the saṅgha settled for the rains.’
“That is the motion. The act should be performed in the following way:
“ ‘Honorable saṅgha, please listen. The monk so-and-so is willing to direct the lifting of restrictions for the saṅgha settled for the rains. Therefore, should the saṅgha appoint the monk so-and-so to direct the lifting of restrictions for the saṅgha settled for the rains for that purpose, those venerable ones who can accept the appointment of the monk so-and-so to direct the lifting of restrictions should remain silent. Those who cannot accept it should speak now.’
“Once the saṅgha has accepted and given consent for the appointment,[F.224.a] the saṅgha has appointed the monk so-and-so to direct the lifting of restrictions for the saṅgha. By thus remaining silent, they assent to the proposed act.50
“I will formulate the rules of customary conduct for the monk who directs the lifting of restrictions: The monk who directs the lifting of restrictions should set out grass51 for the saṅgha and then distribute it. If there is only one monk who directs the lifting of restrictions, he should distribute the grass from most senior to most junior. If there are two, one should distribute the grass from most senior while the other does so from the most junior. If there are several of them, one should distribute the grass from most senior, one from the middle, and one from the most junior.52
“After that, the saṅgha elder should perform an act by motion alone:53
“ ‘Honorable saṅgha, please listen. Today is the fifteenth, the saṅgha’s lifting of restrictions. If the time is right and the saṅgha can accept it, I ask that the saṅgha give their consent. Today the saṅgha will lift restrictions.’
“That is the motion.
“Then, the monk who directs the lifting of restrictions should stand54 in front of the saṅgha elder, who should say:
“ ‘Honorable saṅgha, please listen. Today is the fifteenth, the saṅgha’s lifting of restrictions. As today is also my, the monk so-and-so’s, fifteenth and my lifting of restrictions, I, the monk so-and-so, lift restrictions upon the honorable saṅgha regarding the three grounds of what they have seen, heard, or suspected of me. Venerable ones, please admonish me.55 Venerable ones, please instruct me.56 I ask the venerable ones to care for me. May the saṅgha show compassion and have compassion for me.[F.224.b] If I know of or see an offense, I will properly make amends for that offense in accord with the Vinaya.’
“He should repeat this a second and a third time. The saṅgha, down to the newest member, should lift restrictions in the same way, after which the monks who direct the lifting of restrictions should lift restrictions. If there are two monks who direct the lifting of restrictions, they should lift restrictions to one another. If there is only one, he should lift restrictions in front of another monk. Nuns, nun postulants, male novices, and female novices should be made to lift restrictions after that.
“After that, the monk who directs the lifting of restrictions should sit57 in front of the most senior and say:
“ ‘The saṅgha has lifted restrictions.’
“Then everyone should say:
“ ‘The restrictions have been properly lifted. The restrictions have been perfectly lifted.’
“If this is said, then all is well. If they do not say this, they will be guilty of a breach.
“After that, the monk who directs the lifting of restrictions should take a needle (a blade is also acceptable), sit in front of the senior monk, and say:58
“ ‘Honorable ones, let this small thing be admitted in the lifting of restrictions on the saṅgha who have settled for the rains.’
“All should say:
“ ‘It is well admitted, perfectly admitted.’
“Then all of the goods that have been received, no matter how small, should be distributed in their entirety among the saṅgha.”59
The venerable Upāli asked the Blessed Buddha, “Honorable One, how many acts of lifting restrictions are there?”
“Upāli, there are four: they are liftings of restrictions without a quorum done improperly, those with a quorum done improperly, those without a quorum done properly, and those with a quorum done properly. Upāli, among these, there is one act of lifting restrictions that is proper and with a quorum—that is the lifting of restrictions with a quorum done properly.”[F.225.a]
On the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, the Blessed One sat on a seat that had been arranged before the saṅgha of monks. The Blessed One then said to the monks, “Monks, the night is fading. Perform the lifting of restrictions.”60
Then a monk rose from his seat, took his upper robe from one shoulder, and, bowing with palms pressed together in the direction of the Blessed One, said to him, “There is a monk, sick, suffering, and tormented by illness, on site. What shall we do about him?”
The Blessed One replied, “His lifting of restrictions should be received.” Since the monks did not know how to receive the lifting of restrictions the Blessed One spoke of when he said, “His lifting of restrictions should be received,” the Blessed One said, “One monk may receive the lifting of restrictions from one, two, or even many, so long as he is able to state each of their names.61
“I will formulate the rules of customary conduct for a monk offering his lifting of restrictions. A monk offering his lifting of restrictions, having taken his upper robe from one shoulder and removed his sandals, should pay his respects in order of seniority, and then squat. With palms pressed together, he should say:
“ ‘Venerable ones, please listen. Today is the fifteenth, the saṅgha’s lifting of restrictions. Today is also the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions for me, the monk so-and-so. I, the monk so-and-so, lift restrictions upon the honorable saṅgha regarding the three grounds of what has been seen, heard, or suspected of me. I, the monk so-and-so, profess that I am pure of hindering qualities. I also profess my purity for the lifting of restrictions.62 Let my profession be known.’
“That is then said a second and a third time. If the monk offering his lifting of restrictions physically communicates his offer to lift restrictions, the lifting of restrictions should be deemed as having been offered. If he verbally communicates his offer to lift restrictions, the lifting of restrictions should be deemed as having been offered.[F.225.b] If he is unable to physically or verbally communicate his offer to lift restrictions, the entire saṅgha should go to him or, alternatively, the monk should be brought among saṅgha. If the entire saṅgha neither goes to him nor brings that monk among the saṅgha,63 and they lift restrictions without a quorum,64 they will be guilty of a breach.
“Monks, I will formulate the rules of customary conduct for a monk who receives a lifting of restrictions. Once he has received a lifting of restrictions, the monk who receives a lifting of restrictions should not run, nor should he rush, jump, jump over partitions, jump over ditches, jump onto verandas, sit in the sky above, go beyond the boundary, climb a ladder two rungs at a time, climb a staircase two steps at a time, spill over onto a causeway,65 fall asleep, or sit in equipoise. To fall asleep or to sit in equipoise are censured for two reasons: because one suggests disrespect and the other absentmindedness.
“Then, when the saṅgha elder says, ‘Venerable ones, profess the consent and purity of those monks who have not come. Let their profession be known,’ the receiving monk says while seated in front of the nearest monk, ‘Venerable one, please listen. There is a monk, sick, suffering, and tormented by illness, at another site. Today is the fifteenth, the saṅgha’s lifting of restrictions. As it is also the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, for that monk, the monk so-and-so lifts restrictions on the saṅgha regarding the three grounds of what has been seen, heard, or suspected of him,66[F.226.a] so his restrictions have been lifted. I also announce his consent for the lifting of restrictions. Let this profession be known.’67
“They will be guilty of a breach if the monk receiving the lifting of restrictions follows the customary rules of conduct but his profession is not accepted after being properly received.”
The venerable Upāli asked the Blessed Buddha, “Honorable One, if the monk who has received a lifting of restrictions were to die immediately after receiving a lifting of restrictions, has the lifting of restrictions been received or not?”
“Upāli, it has not been received and should be received again.”
“If the monk who has received a lifting of restrictions68 were to make an oath professing he is a householder, or makes an oath that he is a novice, a person who has undergone castration, a person labeled a paṇḍaka, someone who has violated a nun, a matricide, a patricide, someone who has killed an arhat, someone who has caused a schism in the saṅgha, someone who has maliciously drawn blood from a tathāgata, a tīrthika, a convert to a tīrthika order, someone living under false pretenses, someone outside the common living, or someone denied the common living, has the lifting of restrictions been received or not?”
“Upāli, it has not been received and should be received again.”
“If the monk who has received a lifting of restrictions were to die on the way, has the lifting of restrictions been received or not?”
“Upāli, it has not been received and should be received again.”
The remaining contingencies should be expressed at length, as in the earlier Chapter on the Restoration Rite.69
The venerable Upāli asked the Blessed Buddha, “Honorable One, what should a monk living alone at a site do on the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions?”
“Upāli, on the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, that monk should sprinkle the temple floor with water, sweep it, spread a fresh paste of dung over it, set up a lion throne, set out a seat,[F.226.b] and announce as best he can the opportunity to listen to the Dharma.70 After that, he should sit in the highest place around and look into the four directions.
“If pure, like-minded monks should come, he should say to them, ‘O venerable ones! Come quickly! It is the fifteenth, the saṅgha’s lifting of restrictions, so let you and I sit together and lift restrictions.’
“If this occurs, then all is well. If it does not, then that monk, having sat upon his seat, should rouse the following intention, and say, ‘Today is the fifteenth, the saṅgha’s lifting of restrictions. As it is also the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, for me, I, the monk named so-and-so, sanction my lifting of restrictions. When I find a saṅgha assembly, I will participate in the lifting of restrictions together with the saṅgha assembly.’71
“It should be sanctioned a second and a third time.
“Where two monks are staying together, they should take turns professing to one another.
“Likewise, where three monks are staying together, they should take turns professing to each other.
“Where four monks are staying together, they should make a motion and perform the lifting of restrictions. A monk who directs the lifting of restrictions should not be appointed.
“Where five monks are staying together, they should make a motion and perform the lifting of restrictions. A monk who directs the lifting of restrictions should be appointed but a sick monk’s lifting of restrictions should not be received.
“Where six or more monks are staying together, they should make a motion and perform the lifting of restrictions. A monk who directs the lifting of restrictions should be appointed and a sick monk’s lifting of restrictions should be received.”
An intervening summary:72
“There is the one proper suspension of the lifting of restrictions and the one improper suspension of the lifting of restrictions; the three proper suspensions of the lifting of restrictions[F.227.a] and the one improper suspension of the lifting of restrictions; and the five proper suspensions of the lifting of restrictions and the one improper suspension of the lifting of restrictions.
“What are the one proper suspension and the one improper suspensions of the lifting of restrictions? When the lifting of restrictions is to be recited once, a suspension of the lifting of restrictions before the chanting is finished is a proper suspension of the lifting of restrictions. But a suspension of the lifting of restrictions after the recitation is finished is an improper suspension of the lifting of restrictions. Thus, these are the one proper suspension and the one improper suspension of the lifting of restrictions.
“What are the three proper suspensions of the lifting of restrictions and the one improper suspension of the lifting of restrictions? When the lifting of restrictions is to be recited twice, a suspension of the lifting of restrictions before the recitation of the first repetition is finished is a proper suspension of the lifting of restrictions. A suspension of the lifting of restrictions after the [first] recitation is finished is a proper suspension of the lifting of restrictions. A suspension of the lifting of restrictions before the recitation of the second repetition is finished is a proper suspension of the lifting of restrictions. But a suspension of the lifting of restrictions after the [second] recitation is finished is an improper suspension of the lifting of restrictions. These are the three proper suspensions and the one improper suspension of the lifting of restrictions.
“What are the five proper suspensions of the lifting of restrictions and the one improper suspension of the lifting of restrictions? When the lifting of restrictions is to be recited three times, a suspension of the lifting of restrictions before the recitation of the first repetition is finished is a proper suspension of the lifting of restrictions. A suspension of the lifting of restrictions after the [third] recitation is finished is a proper suspension of the lifting of restrictions. A suspension of the lifting of restrictions before the recitation of the second repetition is finished is a proper suspension of the lifting of restrictions. A suspension of the lifting of restrictions after the second recitation is finished is a proper suspension of the lifting of restrictions. A suspension of the lifting of restrictions before the recitation of the third repetition is finished is a proper suspension of the lifting of restrictions.[F.227.b] But a suspension of the lifting of restrictions after the third recitation is finished is an improper suspension of the lifting of restrictions. These are the five proper suspensions and the one improper suspension of the lifting of restrictions.
“There are liftings of restrictions with a single repetition. There are liftings of restrictions with two repetitions. There are liftings of restrictions with three repetitions. There are liftings of restrictions as an assembly.”74
For what reason is the lifting of restrictions recited once?
An intervening summary:75
“On the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, a great many monks afflicted with hemorrhoids may be seated and have a quorum when the monk who directs the lifting of restrictions thinks, ‘Today is the fifteenth, the saṅgha’s lifting of restrictions, but the great many monks sitting who have a quorum are afflicted with hemorrhoids. If I direct the lifting of restrictions by reciting the lifting of restrictions three times, these venerable ones will be ill at ease! Oh dear! I will direct the lifting of restrictions with the lifting of restrictions recited once.’
“Suppose he then directs the lifting of restrictions with the lifting of restrictions recited once—that is the reason for the lifting of restrictions recited once.”
“Another reason for the lifting of restrictions recited once: On the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, a great many seats may be spread out with no canopy overhead as rain falls or looks as if it will. Considering this, the monk who directs the lifting of restrictions may think, ‘Today is the fifteenth, the saṅgha’s lifting of restrictions, and a great many seats are spread out with no canopy overhead as rain falls or looks as if it will. If I direct the lifting of restrictions by reciting the lifting of restrictions three times, I will not be able to collect the seats without their getting wet! Oh dear! I will[F.228.a] direct the lifting of restrictions with the lifting of restrictions recited once.’
“Suppose he then directs the lifting of restrictions with the lifting of restrictions recited once—that is the reason for the lifting of restrictions recited once.”
“Another reason for the lifting of restrictions recited once: On the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, the king, together with his queens, princes, ministers, armed forces, city folk, and country folk, may come to the park, where the king offers the saṅgha a large quantity of cloth and material goods, and the queens, princes, ministers, armed forces, city folk, and country folk too may offer the saṅgha a large quantity of cloth and material goods, so that the monk crier76 would tire from reciting dedications throughout the night.77 Considering this, the monk who directs the lifting of restrictions might think, ‘Today is the fifteenth, the saṅgha’s lifting of restrictions, and the king, together with his queens, princes, ministers, armed forces, city folk, and country folk, have come to the park. Because the king is offering the saṅgha a large quantity of cloth and material goods, and the queens, princes, ministers, armed forces, city folk, and country folk also is offering the saṅgha a large quantity of cloth and material goods, the monk crier would tire from reciting dedications throughout the night. If I direct the lifting of restrictions by reciting the lifting of restrictions three times, the lifting of restrictions will not be finished before dawn! I should direct the lifting of restrictions with the lifting of restrictions recited once.’
“Suppose he then directs the lifting of restrictions with the lifting of restrictions recited once—that is the reason for the lifting of restrictions recited once.”
In his Vinayasūtra, Guṇāprabha digests these two rites in their temporal sequence, giving his summary of the rains retreat pledge first, followed by the rite of lifting restrictions. See Toh 4117 and Toh 4119.
I.e., The Chapters on the Monks of Kauśāmbī (Toh 1, ch. 9), Formal Acts of the Saṅgha (Toh 1, ch. 10), A Group of Troublesome Monks (Toh 1, ch. 11), Types of Persons (Toh 1, ch. 12), Penitents (Toh 1, ch. 13), Suspending the Restoration Rite (Toh 1, ch. 14), and Disputes (Toh 1, ch. 16).
The Degé Kangyur reads seven to eight days (F.223.a.2). Kalyāṇamitra (F.325.a.2) cites the root text as saying “ten days or half a month” but adds that some sources say the period lasts seven or eight days. Like Kalyāṇamitra, Guṇaprabha says there are two positions on when the announcement of the upcoming rite of lifting restrictions is made, one that states seven to eight days beforehand, the other saying ten to fourteen days.
The actual rite begins, and must conclude, before dawn on the fifteenth of the Āśvina month for monks who have settled for the earlier part of the rains, or on the fifteenth of the Kārttika month for those who have settled for the later part of the rains.
This is the “invitation” or “lifting of restrictions” (Tib. dgag dbye bya ba; Skt. pravāraṇam pravārayitum). Other monks may then “prompt” (Tib. gleng ba; Skt. codanā) him with evidence of or well-grounded suspicion for an offense he has failed to confess.
For more on The Chapter on Disputes, see Borgland 2014. Citing the Pāli parallel to The Chapter on Disputes, the Adhikaraṇasamatha Skandhaka, Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu explains how the procedure takes place outside of the pavāraṇā rite, during the uposatha (i.e., poṣadha) rite: “If, when the Community has met for the uposatha, Bhikkhu X suspects Bhikkhu Y of having an unconfessed offense, he may bring up the issue before the Pāṭimokkha is recited. The usual pattern is first to make a formal motion, authorizing oneself or another bhikkhu to ask a question about the Vinaya in the assembly. Similarly, the bhikkhu answering the question must be authorized through a formal motion, made by himself or another bhikkhu” (Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu 2001, p. 11).
This order reflects the Buddhist hierarchy of ordination, in descending order: monks, nuns, nun postulants, male novices, and female novices.
Venerable Jampa Tsedroen (Roloff 2020) has studied and translated the sections of The Chapter on Minor Matters of Monastic Discipline that present this story and the ensuing ordination rites for nuns as related in the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya. The interested reader is encouraged to seek out the volume, which is freely available online through the Hamburg Buddhist Studies series of the Numata Center for Buddhist Studies.
The Chapter on Minor Matters of Monastic Discipline (Toh 6, vol. 11, F.120.a): deng phan chad ming ’di zhes bya ba’i mkhan mo la mar ’du shes gzhag par bya’o/ /mkhan mos kyang de la bu mor ’du shes gzhag par bya’o/ /deng phan chad khyod kyis mkhan mo la nam ’tsho’i bar du bsnyen bkur byos shig/ mkhan mos kyang khyod la nam ’tsho’i bar du bsnyen bkur byos shig/ deng phan chad ming ’di zhes bya ba khyod kyis ’jigs pa’i dbang du byas shing bla ma dang tshangs pa mtshungs par spyod pa dang/ gnas brtan ma dang/ bar ma dang/ gsar bu rnams la ri mo byos shig/ ming ’di zhes bya ba khyod deng phan chad lung nos shig/ lhogs shig/ kha ton gyis shig.
Dharmamitra (Toh 4120, F.77.b): rdzogs par bsnyen pa la yang ji ltar shes par bya zhe na/ de’i phyir rdzogs par bsnyen pa la ni de gsol ba la sogs pa’i las byed pa las gzhan pa’i ’o zhes bya ba smras te/ rdzogs par bsnyen pa ni dge slong zhes bya ba’i gnas thams cad du dge slong ma zhes brjod par bya ste/ ’di ltar de gsol ba la sogs pa’i las byed pa zhes bya ba rdzogs par bsnyen pa gsol ba la sogs pa’i las byed pa’i dge slong smos pa gang yin pa’i dge slong las byed pa de ma gtogs pa de las gzhan pa’i gnas su dper na/ gsang ste ston pa dang/ mkhan po la sogs pa dge slong zhes smos pa der dge slong ma zhes brjod par bya’o.
See Tib. skyes pa’i cho ga nyid bud med la kha spo ba dogs gsal dang bcas pa and sngar skyes pa’i rab byung bsnyen rdzogs kyi cho gar bstan pa de nyid bud med la ’don pa spo ba, respectively, in Butön, vol. 21, F.59.b.1 (p. 258).
This term in the Pāli and Mūlasarvāstivādin Vinayas is given with a long ā (compared to the short a of Classical and Epic Sanskrit), which indicates a technical usage, in this case to denote the rite or the event of lifting restrictions.
Kalyāṇamitra (F.313.a): dgag dbye zhes bya ba ni dbyar gnas par khas blangs pa’i dge slong rnams kyis mthong ba dang/ thos pa dang/ dgos pa’i gnas gsum gyis gleng pa’i skabs ’byed pa’o.
pravāraṇaṃ zhes bya ba pramuktavāraṇa zhes bya ste/ dbyar gnas par dam bcas pa’i tshe thos pa dang mthong ba dang dgos pas rgol zhing rtsod du mi gnaṅ ba las skabs phye bas na dgag dbye zhes bya.
Here, in place of the usual Tibetan translation spyi sdom, or “global summary,” the Tibetan reads bsdus pa’i sdom, or “inclusive summary.” The Sanskrit for this is not extant but bsdus pa’i sdom is presumably an alternative Tibetan translation of the Skt. piṇḍoddāna, or “global summary.”
The extant Sanskrit fragments do not begin until 1.52 (F.225.b). See the Table of Concordance (p. 49) in Chung 1998. The root text cited by Kalyāṇamitra in his commentary diverges at several points from the extant Tibetan versions cited in the Comparative Edition (dpe bsdur ma). There are several cases in which Kalyāṇamitra’s citations expand on what is found in the extant Tibetan texts and a few instances in which the order of sentences differs. These differences may indicate that the translation of Kalyāṇamitra’s commentary was not revised. See, e.g., F.223.a. Another possibility is that the translation and/or composition of Kalyāṇamitra’s commentary may never have been finished; such variants are relatively rare in his comments on The Chapter on Going Forth and The Chapter on the Restoration Rite, and the commentary comes to an abrupt end in this, the third chapter.
The Tibetan here reads zlos though in the corresponding summary below (4.2), it reads mang po bsgre. In both cases, we may take them to mean a “repetition” or “extrapolation” (Skt. peyāla; P. peyyāla), sections whose content is to be repeated or extrapolated from a similar section that precedes it. In this case, the relevant content must be drawn from The Chapter on the Restoration Rite.
The exact referent for the word “latter” (Tib. phyi ma) is not clear. There is no separate section that corresponds to it, Kalyāṇamitra makes no mention of it, and there is no Sanskrit for this first portion of the text to check it against. Most likely it refers to the “later part of the rains.”
The phrase “pledged to settle for the rains” here translates the Tib. dbyar bzhugs par dam bzhes, which also appears in the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya as dbyar gnas par khas blang pa, dbyar gnas dam bcas pa, dbyar gnas par zhal gyis bzhes pa, and dbyar gnas par dam bzhes pa. Although Sanskrit parallels are not available in each instance, we take them all to be translations of varṣā (Tib. dbyar, the “rains” or “rainy season”) plus forms of upa√gam, e.g., varṣopagata, varṣāṃ upagacchati. The Tibetan translations of these forms add gnas, which Kalyāṇamitra (F.271.b) seems to gloss as the “site for the rainy season” (Tib. dbyar gyi gnas; Skt. varṣāvāsa): “pledging to observe the rains retreat, that is, first reciting the formula, then pledging to remain at one rains-retreat site” (dbyar gnas par zhal gyis bzhes so zhes bya ba sngags sngon du btang bas dbyar gnas gcig tu gnas par zhal gyis bzhes pa’o). Thus, a literal translation of the Tibetan dbyar gnas dam bcas pa (Skt. varṣopagata) might read “committed to a rainy season site.” The Tibetan-language sources then suggest that Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya authors understood upa√gam in a specialized sense, meaning “to pledge or commit,” which is closely related to the more common senses of “to enter into” or “undertake.” Thus, the Tibetan translations emphasize the commitment made to undertake the rains retreat, alluded to by Kalyāṇamitra above. The Pali sources generally take upagacchati and its cognates in this context to mean “to undergo,” “to begin,” or “to undertake.” In his translation of the Vassūpanāyikakkhandaka, Bhikkhu Brahmali renders this with admirable economy and accuracy as “enter the rainy-season residence.” We translate dbyar gnas dam bcas pa as “enter the rains retreat,” “observe the rains retreat,” and “commit to observe the rains retreat” according to context. Note that Yijing’s translations also give typically economical forms (Ch. 夏坐 in The Chapter on Lifting Restrictions and 夏安居 in The Chapter on the Rains) that do not reflect the more expansive Tibetan translations.
Translation of the Tib. ljongs zhig tu follows Yijing’s translation “in another place” or 於餘處 (Taishō 1446, 1044c15).
Kalyāṇamitra’s glosses of “prompt” and “remind” read, “ ‘Should not prompt,’ that is, announce a fault,” and, “ ‘Should not remind,’ that is, give assistance while [the confessant] is confessing.” See Kalyāṇamitra (F.319.a): gleng bar mi bya zhes bya ba ni nyes pa bsgrags pas so/ /dran par mi bya zhes bya ba ni bshags pa’i dus dang grogs brjod pas so.
I.e., of having committed a naturally blameworthy act. Kalyāṇamitra (F.324.b): tshul khrims nyams pa zhes bya ba ni rang bzhin gyis kha na ma tho ba dang bcas pa lhag par spyod pa’o.
I.e., of entertaining views of the self. Kalyāṇamitra (F.324.b): lta ba nyams pa zhes bya ba ni bdag tu lta ba la sogs kun tu spyad pa’o.
Kalyāṇamitra cites cho ga in place of spyod pa and glosses it as “i.e., having committed an act blameworthy because of having been proscribed.” (Kalyāṇamitra, F.324.b.3–4): cho ga nyams pa zhes bya ba ni bcas pa’i kha na ma tho ba dang bcas pa lhag par spyod pa’o.
I.e., a wrong livelihood. Kalyāṇamitra (F.324.b.3–4): ’tsho ba nyams pa zhes bya ba ni log par ’tsho ba’o.
While the Tibetan rendering in the versions in all Kangyurs is lag brda’i sgra byas (Degé, F.222.a.2), suggesting that a sound is made with the snap of the fingers or a clapping of the hands, the translation follows Kalyāṇamitra, who gives lag brdas and glosses it with lag pa’i mtshan ma brtan pa (Kalyāṇamitra, F.324.b.5–6). Note that Yijing’s translation reads “to summon with the hands,” 以手喚 (Taishō 1446, 1044c19).
Kalyāṇamitra cites a slightly different wording in the root text here. Where this chapter reads “living with the enemy,” Tib. gnas mal la dgra dang lhan cig gnas pas, Kalyāṇamitra reads “like befriending the enemy,” which he then explains to mean “remaining silent like when with one’s enemy.” See Kalyāṇamitra (F.324.b): dgra bo dang ’grogs pa bzhin du zhes bya ba ni dgra dang lhan cig ’khod pa bzhin du cang mi smra ba’o.
Monks who are not free to confess their offenses cannot be at ease, and since such confessions should not be done publicly, monks who live with non-Buddhists (i.e. without access to a monastic community) cannot be at ease.
The problem with vows of silence here is that, in vowing to be silent, the monks were pledging not to confess their own faults and to ignore those of others. So here “silence” is akin to not confessing and hence concealing offenses. Kalyāṇamitra clarifies that a “pledge of silence” is taken as part of temporary discipline adopted for spiritual or training purposes; (F.324.b): mi smra ba zhes bya ba ni tshig med par ’dug pa’o/ /mi smra ba’i yi dam bca’ bar mi bya’o zhes bya ba ni yi dam bca’ ba sngon du btang ste mi smra ba’i brtul zhugs blang bar mi bya’o.
This is to inform the people who live nearby that there will be an opportunity to gain merit, a reference to what Kalyāṇamitra calls the “lifting of restrictions on material goods” (Tib. rdzas kyi dgag dbye). See Kalyāṇamitra (F.326.a): dgag dbye bgyir rung ngo zhes bya ba ni mchod pa’i phyir mgron du gnyer du rung ba’o/ /’di ni sbyin par byed pa rnams kyi bsod nams kyi ’du ba’i sgo’i bye brag bstan pa’i phyir bcas te ’di ltar dgag dbye byas pa’i dge slong gi dge ’dun ni dge legs kyi bsam pa can yin pa’i phyir shin tu yongs su dag pa dang byams pa’i sems dang ldan pa’i phyir shin tu dang bar ’gyur ba yin pas de’i phyir bsod nams kyi zhing ches khyad par ’phags pa yin pas de la sbyin pa byin na ’bras bu ches mang por ’gyur ro/ /de’i ’og tu dge tshul rnams la dgag dbye bya’o zhes bya ba ni rdzas kyi dgag dbye byas pa’i ’og tu dgag dbye byed pa des dge tshul rnams la dgag dbye ba’o.
Tib. gnas ’cha’ ba’i dge slong; Skt. niśrayagrahaṇo bhikṣuḥ. That is, new monks who are “monk wards” (Tib. dge slong lhan gcig gnas pa; Skt. sārdhaṃvihārī bhikṣuḥ) or “monk apprentices” (Tib. dge slong nye gnas pa; Skt. antevāsiko bhikṣuḥ). For at least five years after ordination, monks and nuns must live with or near a monastic mentor or “support” (Tib. gnas; Skt. niśraya). If a new monk or nun wishes to travel, while their mentor does not, the monk or nun must take a new support at their final destination. See The Chapter on Going Forth (Toh 1, ch. 1, 1.628–1.678). A narrative relayed in The Chapter on Minor Matters of the Discipline describes the rule adopted (Tib. khrims su bca’ ba; Skt. kriyākāra) at one monastery where monks were not allowed to spend even a single night without taking such a support from among the monastery residents or visitors. See The Chapter on Minor Matters of the Discipline (Toh 6, vol. tha; F.72.a): ji tsam na de gnyis gtsug lag khang du dong ba dang/ de na nub gcig kyang mi gnas par ’dug par mi bya ba’i khrims su bya ba yod. Kalyāṇamitra’s gloss (F.325.a) records a different wording (dge slong gnas par bya ba dag gis) that nevertheless means the same thing: dge slong gnas par bya ba dag gis zhes bya ba ni gnas la rag las pa dag gis te/ mkhan po dang slob dpon la brten pa dag gis zhes pa’i tha tshig go.
Tib. dri gtsang khang; Skt. gandhakuṭi. Kalyāṇamitra (F.325.a) elaborates on the preparatory work: mchod pa’i dbang du byas pa zhes bya ba ni mchod pa rtsom pa ste/ gtsug lag khang brgyan pa dang/ khang pa brtsegs pa brtsigs pa dang/ mchod rten dag gso ba dang/ byi dor bya ba la sogs pa’o.
Yijing’s translation omits the previous sentence and here reads that the preceptors and instructors should make all “disciples” 有門徒皆 perform the following cleaning tasks (Taishō 1446, 1045.a11–12).
In commenting on The Chapter on Going Forth (F.106.b, 4.226), Kalyāṇamitra (F.296.b.4) explains “rich goods” (Tib. snum bag gi rnyed pa) to be rich foods like milk, curd, butter, fish, and dried meat: snum bag gi rnyed pa zhes bya ba ni ’o ma dang zho dang mar dang nya sha dang sha skam mo. Note that Kalyāṇamitra thus seems to be reading snigdhalābha rather than snehalābha (“gifts of fondness”) that one sees elsewhere in the Divyāvadāna. Edgerton defines snehalābha as “an acquisition due to affection (of the giver), a loving gift (on the part of laymen to monks),” and cites Divyāvadāna 336.22: saṃghasya ca snehalābhe saṃpanna āgantukā bhikṣava āgatāḥ. Yijing translates only “offer to the saṅgha” (Taishō 1446, 1045a1: 供養僧伽).
Starting on the evening of the fourteenth, the day before the lifting restrictions rite is performed. The upholders of the sūtras, the vinaya, or the mātṛkā should decide what teachings they will discuss based on how much time they have before the act of lifting the restrictions begins before dawn. The act to lift restrictions must be completed before dawn, so they should leave enough time between the end of their talk and dawn to perform the act of lifting restrictions (Kalyāṇamitra, F.325.b.2–3). Note that Kalyāṇamitra (F.325.b) records chos mnyan pa sbyin par bya’o (“should give a Dharma hearing” i.e. a teaching or recitation) in place of chos bshad par bya (“should explain the Dharma”). See Kalyāṇamitra, F.325.a–b: mtshan thog thag tu chos mnyan pa sbyin par bya’o zhes bya ba ni tshes bcu bzhi la seng ge’i khri brgyan pa bshams nas do nub mtshan thog thag chos mnyan pa ’byung bar ’gyur gyi der tshe dang ldan pa dag gis chags pa sbyin par bya’o zhes spyod yul du brjod nas/ mdo sde dang ’dul ba dang/ ma mo ’dzin pa gsol ba gdab pa dag gis tshes bcu bzhi’i mtshan thog thag tu kha ton du ’don par chos mnyan pa sbyin par bya’o.
If one monk is able to carry out the act on his own, one monk should be appointed. If a second or third is needed, a second or third can be appointed but no more than three monks should be appointed, because it is not appropriate for an assembly to carry out an act of the assembly (Kalyāṇamitra, F.325.b.5). For this, the Sanskrit says simply, “Then the restriction-lifter monk should be appointed.”
The extant Sanskrit drops out briefly after this and picks up again at F.225.b. We have consulted Chung 1998, who provides relevant Sanskrit parallels drawn from other texts. For complete textual concordances, see Clarke 2014.
Kalyāṇamitra explains that the monastics are to hold this grass between their two hands while the act and activities of the ceremony proceed. The meaning of the gesture derives from the grass’s association with purity so that, in holding it, the monastic is declaring that they have made amends for any offenses they have committed and are thus pure. See Kalyāṇamitra, F.325.b: de ni dgag dbye go bar byed pa’i dus na dgag dbye bya ba dang/ dgag dbye byed pa gnyis ka’i lag pas phan tshun nas gzung bar bya ba yin te/ de’ang ji ltar rtswa ku sha ’di dag ’dud par byed pa de bzhin du bdag kyang ltung ba chos bzhin du phyir bya ba’i phyir/ dge slong rnams la ’dud par byed do zhes bya ba ni don ’di bstan pa’i phyir bya’o zhes ’dul ba ’dzin pa dag gi man ngang las shes par bya’o.
Here, where the Tibetan reads “should stand” (’greng bar bya), Yijing translates “sit squatting” 蹲 踞而住 (Taishō 1446, 1045b15–16). Later in the text (1.48), the Buddha formulates the rules of customary conduct for a monk offering his lifting of restrictions, stipulating that the monk should squat (Tib. tsog por ’dug; Skt. utkuṭukena niṣadya). Dharmamitra states that the monk who directs the lifting of restrictions is to “sit” in the sense of “squat” before each monk, who in turn squat as they take their turn lifting restrictions. Dharmamitra (vol. yu, F.145.b): dgag dbye byas zin gyi bar du dge slong re re’i mdun du ’dug par bya’o zhes bya ba ni/ dgag dbye byed pas dge slong ji snyed la dgag dbye byed par ’gyur ba de snyed kyi dge slong re re’i mdun du ’dug par bya ba ste/ ji ltar dgag dbye bya ba tsog tsog por ’dug cing l+h+wam bud de/ bla gos phrag pa gcig tu byas te ’dug pa de bzhin du dgag dbye byed pa yang ’dug par bya’o.
That is, “Tell me what actions are appropriate.” Kalyāṇamitra (F.325.b): gdams su gsol zhes bya ba ni bya bar ’os pa nyid du rjod cig pa’o.
That is, “Tell me what actions are inappropriate and not to be done.” Kalyāṇamitra (F.325.b): rjes su bstan pa gsol zhes bya ba ni bya bar mi ’os pa mi bya ba nyid du rjod cig pa’o.
This portion of the rite marks the beginning of “lifting the restrictions on goods” (Tib. rdzas kyi dgag dbye). Here, the monk who directs the lifting of restrictions offers a small object of his own such as a needle or a blade, thereby lifting restrictions on goods offered to the saṅgha. It is during this part of the rite that offerings received by the saṅgha during the rains may be distributed to the individual saṅgha members. See Yijing (Taishō 1446, 1045c09–10) 大徳此等諸物頗得與安居竟 人作隨意施不 and Dharmamitra (vol. yu, F.146.b–147.a): rang gi rdzas gang yang rung ba than khab tsam gyis kyang dge ’dun la rdzas kyi dgag dbye brtsam par bya ste/ de blangs na tshig gis so zhes bya ba ni/ de ltar thams cad kyis legs par dgag dbye mdzad do/ /shin tu dgag dbye med do zhes bsgrubs ma thag tu dgag dbye byed pa des rang gi rdzas kyi dge ’dun la rdzas kyi dgag dbye ba rtsam par bya’o/ /rdzas kyi dgag dbye zhes bya ba ni/ sbyin par bya ba’i rdzas gang la dge ’dun spyan drang ba’o/ /gang yang rung ba zhes bya ba ni/ chung du yang rung ba’o/ /tha na kha ba tsam gyis kyang zhes bya ba ni chung du na khab kyi mtha’ yan chad kyang rung ba’o/ /ji ltar bya zhe na/ de’i phyir de blangs nas tshig gis so zhes bya ba smras te/ dgag dbye byed pa des khab la sogs pa de lag tu blangs nas rgan rims kyi mdun du ’dug ste/ dge ’dun la tshig gis rdzas kyi dgag dbye brtsam par bya’o.
Kalyāṇamitra’s commentary ends abruptly on F.326.a in the midst of comments on the “lifting of restrictions on material goods” (Tib. rdzas kyi dgag dbye). No colophon is given and the text even appears to end on an incomplete sentence (F.326.a): rang gi phyogs ma rdzogs par phyogs gzhan la ’jug par mi rigs pas des na dge slong. The Narthang adds sarvamaṅgalaṃ in Tibetan transliteration. Two further textual variations should be noted. First, Kalyāṇamitra comments on the “lifting of restrictions on goods” before glossing the line “nuns, nun postulants, male novices, and female novices should be made to lift restrictions after that,” thus reversing the order in the Kangyur text, the implication being that the nuns, nun postulants, etc. would not receive a portion of the offerings made to the saṅgha. Yijing’s translation, however, confirms the order given in the Kangyur version of The Chapter on Lifting Restrictions, placing the “lifting of restrictions on goods” after both of the two saṅghas, of monks and of nuns, have lifted restrictions (Taishō 1446, 1045c05): 二部僧伽，已作隨意竟.Kalyāṇamitra (F.326.a): de’i ’og tu dge tshul rnams la dgag dbye bya’o zhes bya ba ni rdzas kyi dgag dbye byas pa’i ’og tu dgag dbye byed pa des dge tshul rnams la dgag dbye ba’o/ /de’i ’og tu dge slong ma rnams la dgag dbye bya ba’o zhes bya ba ni dge tshul rnams la dgag dbye byas pa’i ’og tu dgag dbye byas pa des dge slong ma rnams la dgag dbye bya ba’o. And second, Kalyāṇamitra includes a few comments on lines that do not appear in this portion of the received Kangyurs (F.326.a): de tsam gyis nad pa ngal pa dang/ /gnas mal phan phun du ’gyur ba dang/ dus las yol ba dang/ gnod pa ’byung na lan gnyis bzlas so zhes bya ba ni lan gsum bzlas pa de tsam gyis nad pa la ngal ba ’byung ba’am/ gnas mal phan phun du gyur pa byung ngam/ dus las yol ba byung ngam/ gnod pa ’byung ba lta na dgag dbye go bar bya ba’i sngags lan gnyis bzla bar bya’o.
The translation follows the Sanskrit: nirgacchati bhikṣavo ratriḥ. The nye’i (or nyes, depending on the Kangyur recension) appears to be extraneous.
We insert the lines “I, the monk so-and-so, profess that I am pure of hindering qualities. I also profess my purity for the lifting of restrictions” following the Sanskrit and Chinese. Chung (p. 151): so ’ham evaṃnāmā bhikṣuḥ pariśuddham antarāyikair dharmair ātmānaṃ vadāmi. pravāraṇāyāṃ me pāriśuddhim ārocayāmy. ārocitāṃ ca pravedayāmi. Yijing (Taishō 1446, 1045c27–28): 我苾芻某甲，自陳無諸障法，為病患因緣故。彼如法僧事，我今與欲，此所陳事，當為我說. Note, however, that a corresponding formula that includes the lines missing here can be found in the Tibetan Chapter on the Restoration Rite, where a sick monk offers his purity prior to the restoration rite; see Chapter on the Restoration Rite, 3.16 (vol. ka, F.149.b).
I.e., as a divided saṅgha. Chung suggests the Skt. vyagrāḥ (p. 151) here for the Tib. ma tshogs par.
Though the phrase “spill over onto a causeway” (Tib. chu lkog ma nub tsam la ’bog par mi bya’o) does not appear here in any of the Kangyur recensions we consulted, we have included it for consistency since it appears in an otherwise identical stencil in The Chapter on the Restoration Rite, 3.20 (F.152.b–153.b), where the Buddha formulates the duties for receiving consent from and acting as another monk’s proxy. The exact meaning of the phrase chu lkog ma nub tsam is unclear and it does not appear in the Sanskrit. Kalyāṇamitra (F.317.a.7) notes that this is allowed if there is no other path: chu lkog ma nub tsam la ’bog bar mi bya’o zhes bya ba ni ’gro ba’i lam gzhan yod na ste med na ni nyes pa med do.
The extant Sanskrit fragments begin here with the recto side of folio 69 in the Gilgit Manuscripts and plate 6.1054 in the Facsimile Edition.
This last sentence (Skt. pravāraṇe ’sya chandaṃ ca pravāraṇāṃ cārocayāmi ārocitāṃ ca pravedayāmi) does not appear in Tibetan.
The words “the monk who has received a profession of purity” have been added to the translation here to make the question clear.
In this case, the only remaining contingency would be if the monk who has received another’s lifting of restrictions were to die while among the saṅgha, in which case the lifting of restrictions should be considered “received” and the monks need not be receive it again. See The Chapter on the Restoration Rite, 3.25–3.36 and 4.15–4.26.
Tib. chos bsgrag par bya; Skt. dharmaśravaṇaṃ dātavyam. This same expression is rendered in Tibetan as chos mnyan pa sbyin par bya’o in The Chapter on the Restoration Rite, 3.10 Commenting on that passage, Kalyāṇamitra explains that this expression means that everyone on site should willingly embrace the opportunity to listen to the Dharma, set up a lion’s throne, and not talk so as not to create a clamor (Kalyāṇamitra, F.316.a): chos mnyan par bya’o zhes bya ba ni der thams cad kyi spro ba bskyed par bya zhing seng ge’i khri bshams pa la sogs pa thams cad kyis brjod par mi bya ste ca cor ’gyur ba’i phyir ro.
This part is marked by an “intervening summary” (Tib. bar sdom; Skt. antaroddāna) rather than the expected “summary” (Tib. sdom; Skt. uddāna). Note that this “intervening summary” covers all of the topics in a single section without even a nidāna, or “narrative introduction.”
Our translation is rather uncertain here as the intervening summary speaks of tshig gcig where the body of the text uses brjod pa and lan gcig bzlas pa. Chung 1998, p. 154, gives the Skt. adhārmikaṃ sthāpanīyam | ekavācā pravāraṇā | kasminn ekā hi kā vācā | kriyā upagate hi ca.
Yijing (Taishō 1446, 1046b17) 大衆一時都説. According to Dharmamitra, “a lifting of restrictions as an assembly” occurs when a disturbance in the area around a monastic site forces the monks to leave the site. In that case, before departing, the monks who are intent on leaving should inform the foremost monk among those monks within eyesight that they “collectively” or “as an assembly” lift restrictions. Dharmamitra (vol. yu, F.148.a): gnas par mi nus pa nyid yin na spyod yul du gyur ba’i dge slong la tshogs kyi dgag dbye sa go bar bya’o zhes bya ba ni/ gnas par khas blangs pa’i gnas su yul ’khrug pa la sogs pa’i rgyus gnas par mi nus pa nyid yin na de’i tshe rang gi mig lnga’i spyod yul du gyur pa’i dge slong mdun na gnas pa de la dge slong ’gro bar rtsol ba des tshogs kyis dgag dbyes dgag dbye bgyid do zhes go bar byas te ’gro bar bya’o zhes bya ba’i tha tshig go. Upasak explains the “gaṇa-pavāraṇa” of the Pali Vinaya to be “a pavāraṇa performed by a ‘group’ of monks consisting of two or three or four monks, i.e. by a Gaṇa, not by the Saṅgha. The Saṅgha consists of at least five monks” (Upasak 1975, p. 79). See also Viśeṣamitra (F.173.b): de la tshogs kyi dgag dbye bya ba ni ’jigs pa chen po byung na rnam par bltas la/ phan tshun brjod par bya ste/ tshe dang ldan pa dag deng dge ’dun gyi dgag dbye bco lnga pa ste/ ’di dang ’di lta bu’i ’jig pa byung ste/ gang gi tshe dge ’dun tshogs pa rnyed pa dag de’i tshe dge ’dun dang lhan cig dgag dbye brgya’o.
This is the lone appearance of the term “monk crier” (Tib. sgrogs par byed pa’i dge slong; udghoṣako bhikṣuḥ) in the Tibetan canon. A related term in Pali, anussāvaka bhikkhu, refers to the monk who announces the saṅgha’s acts, which would refer to the “monk who directs the lifting of restrictions” in this text.
The translation follows Yijing who writes that these offerings would require the monk crier to pray for the donors. Yijing (Taishō 1446, 1046b27): 令其呪願。苾芻竟夜呪願極大辛苦.
Tib. snyan pa snyan par smra ba’i dge slong dag gis chos snyan dgu bton pa. A similar phrase (Tib. snyan pa snyan pa’i chos snyan par byed; Skt. madhuramadhuraṃ dharmaṃ deśayati) is found elsewhere in The Chapters on Monastic Discipline (e.g., The Chapter on Schisms in the Saṅgha, Tib. vol. ga, F.233.b; Skt. Gñoli 1978, p. 61) and The Hundred Deeds (Toh 340), 10.382; Yijing does not translate this phrase. It is unclear whether “nine” (Tib. dgu) simply means “many” or refers to a specific list of nine teachings. The Yogācārabhūmi mentions “nine types of speaking sweetly that lead to happiness in this and other lives” (’di dang gzhan du bde bar ’gyur ba’i snyan par smra ba rnam pa dgu: Orgyen Nordrang 2008, bar cha, pp. 1989–90), which, in essence, amount to an exhortation to abandon the ten nonvirtues. We might therefore take this phrase to refer to a monk who teaches the laity.
The “four matters of dispute” (Tib. rtsod pa’i chos bzhi) may simply refer to the four grounds of dispute (Tib. rtsod pa bzhi) discussed in The Chapter on Disputes: disputes over (1) quarrels (Tib. dgyed phyir rtsod pa; Skt. vivādādhikaraṇa); (2) nonadmonishment (Tib. mi gdams pa’i phyir rtsod pa; Skt. anavavādādhikaraṇa); (3) an offense (Tib. ltung ba’i phyir rtsod pa; Skt. āpattyadhikaraṇa), and (4) formal acts of the saṅgha (Tib. bya ba’i phyir rtsod pa; Skt. kriyādhikaraṇa).
The Chapter on Disputes describes the seven means for “quelling” or “settling” a dispute as (1) quell in person (Tib. mngon sum zhi ba; Skt. saṃmukhaṃ śamatha); (2) through recourse to memory (Tib. dran ’dul ’os; Skt. smṛtyāvinaya); (3) dismissing by reason of insanity (Tib. ma myos ’dul ’os; Skt. amūḍhavinaya); (4) by votes (tshul shing dag ni blang ba; Skt. chalākāgrahaṇa); (5) carrying out an investigation into the nature of an issue (Tib. de yi ngo bo tshol gzhug; Skt. tatsvabhāvaiṣīya); (6) by sweeping it under the rug or, more literally, spreading over with grass (Tib. rtswa bkram lta bur ’os pa; Skt. tṛṇaprastāraka); and (7) by taking an oath (Tib. khas blang bar ‘os pa; Skt. pratijñākāraka). See Borgland 2014.
The Skt. grāmaṃ … nagaraṃ vā nigamaṃ goes in ascending order of size from village to town to city. The Tibetan, however, reads “a town, a city, or the countryside” (Tib. grong/ grong khyer/ yul).
Yijing’s translation specifies that these are malevolent spirits lacking faith in the Buddha and his Dharma. Taishō 1446, 1046c24–25: 不信天魔諸惡鬼 神.
Supplying Tib. nyal khri dag kyang sgyur bar byed; Skt. mañcān api saṃparivartayanti to conform with the stock passages that follow.
The Tibetan says the monks made a satchel with their robes (Tib. gtur bu; Skt. visikā, vṛṣikā, elsewhere meaning “cushion”: de nas dge slong rnams kyang gtur bu dag tu chos gos rnams thum po byas te thogs nas). The Sanskrit suggests that the monks tied up their pitchers (Tib. ril ba spyi blugs; Skt. kuṇḍī) and their robes (tatra bhikṣubhir cīvaravisikāsu cīvaraṃ ca kuṇḍīṃ baddhvā).
That is, he should be “invited” to make an accusation against other monks in the rains retreat.
See The Chapter on the Restoration Rite, 4.37–4.72 for these ten, which detail ten different scenarios in which a monastic may confess an offense just prior to the restoration rite. Here, the text is instructing the reader that a monastic may follow these same procedures to confess an offense just prior to the lifting of restrictions.
The Sanskrit here reads nāśayitvā (“having removed”), though this is presumably equivalent to a pravāsanīya, or “should be expelled/expulsion” (Tib. bskrad pa; Ch. 擯出).
Tib. byin gyis brlab nas; Skt. adhiṣṭhāya. That is, the offending monk discloses his offense, resolves to make amends later, and requests to be excused. Yijing renders this as “afterward, [he] should be punished” (Ch. 後當治罪).
Kalyāṇamitra explains that every fortnight before performing the restoration rite, if they have not already done so, monastics should scrutinize themselves for things that should be curbed (Tib. bsdam par bya ba; Skt. saṃvarakaraṇīya), that is, subtle mental faults; things that should be confessed (Tib. bshags par bya ba; Skt. deśanīya), that is, simple atonements, confessable offenses, and misdeeds; and things that should be sanctioned (Tib. byin gyis brlab pa; Skt. adhiṣṭheya), that is, saṅgha remnants and transgressions requiring forfeiture. Kalyāṇamitra (F.244.a): ’di dang snga ma’i byin gyis brlab pa’i skabs dag tu ha cang yun ring na mi mdzes pas sngags lan re bzlas pas chog ste lan gsum ni mi nyes pa de yang gang zhe na/ de’i phyir bsdam par bya ba dang/ bshags par bya ba dang/ byin gyis brlab par bya ba dag ces bya ba gsungs te/ bsdam par bya ba zhes bya ba ni yid kyi nyes byas phra mo’o/ /bshags par bya ba zhes bya ba ni ltung byed dang/ so sor bshags par bya ba dang/ bshags pa’i nyes byas so/ /byin gyis brlab par bya ba dag ces bya ba ni dge ’dun lhag ma dang/ spang ba’i ltung byed dag go/ /de dag la so sor brtag par bya zhing zhes bya ba ni/ bdag la nyes pa de dag gang byung ba la so sor brtag par bya zhing ngo.
The four types of mastery over the Tripiṭaka discussed here and in the next three sentences (uphold, elucidate, skilled in, knowledgeable in) are introduced in the “Support” (Tib. gnas; Skt. niśraya) section of The Chapter on Going Forth, 1.650–1.652. See vol. ka, F.66.b–67.b and sūtra 82 (piṭakābhijñatvam) of Guṇaprabha’s Vinayasūtra.
Gilgit Manuscripts 73.a (6.728). Note that here, in The Chapter on Lifting Restrictions, the third member “experienced in” (Tib. gzo; Skt. kovida) is phrased slightly differently than in The Chapter on Going Forth, where it is given as “knowledgeable in” (Tib. rig pa; Skt. vida) and appears as the fourth member, following “skilled in” (Tib. mkhas pa; Skt. kuśala).
For at least five years after ordination, monks and nuns must live with or near a monastic mentor or “support” (Tib. gnas; Skt. niśraya). Generally, the preceptor (Tib. mkhan po; Skt. upādhyāya) serves as the new monk or nun’s “support,” in which case the newly admitted monastic is called a “ward.” But if the mentored monastic wishes to travel while the mentor does not (or vice versa), the ward must take a new support from among the saṅgha elders. The new support is known as the “support instructor” (Tib. gnas kyi slob dpon; Skt. niśrayācārya) while the new monk or nun is known as their “apprentice” (Tib. nye gnas; Skt. antevāsika). See The Chapter on Going Forth (Toh 1, ch. 1, 1.628–1.678).
A general term applied to spiritual practitioners who live as ascetic mendicants. In Buddhist texts, the term usually refers to Buddhist monastics, but it can also designate a practitioner from other ascetic/monastic spiritual traditions. In this context śramaṇa is often contrasted with the term brāhmaṇa (bram ze), which refers broadly to followers of the Vedic tradition. Any renunciate, not just a Buddhist, could be referred to as a śramaṇa if they were not within the Vedic fold. The epithet Great Śramaṇa is often applied to the Buddha.
A saṅgha at ease is a properly functioning monastic community, where official acts of the saṅgha, but especially the restoration rite, are observed. Kalyāṇamitra twice glosses the phrase “be at ease.” In the first example, he explains that monks are at ease in the knowledge that so long as they are on site, they will never be considered “separated from” their mantle, which would otherwise entail a fault. In a subsequent gloss, he writes that “to be at ease” means “to obtain purity” and hence “the joy felt due to the remission of one’s offenses.” This describes the state of a monastic who has made amends for their offenses. See Kalyāṇamitra (F.313.b–314.a): dge slong rnams bde ba la reg par gnas pa zhes bya ba ni las ’grub pa dang/ kha na ma tho ba med par ’gyur ba‘i phyir ro, and F.318.a: bde ba la reg pa zhes bya ba ni rnam par dag pa thob pa ste/ ltung ba dang bral ba’i rgyus yid yongs su dga’ ba’ o.
See “unatonable.”
In Buddhist literature, this is an epithet applied to buddhas, most often to Śākyamuni. The Sanskrit term generally means “possessing fortune,” but in specifically Buddhist contexts it implies that a buddha is in possession of six auspicious qualities (bhaga) associated with complete awakening. The Tibetan term—where bcom is said to refer to “subduing” the four māras, ldan to “possessing” the great qualities of buddhahood, and ’das to “going beyond” saṃsāra and nirvāṇa—possibly reflects the commentarial tradition where the Sanskrit bhagavat is interpreted, in addition, as “one who destroys the four māras.” This is achieved either by reading bhagavat as bhagnavat (“one who broke”), or by tracing the word bhaga to the root √bhañj (“to break”).
A boarding (or visiting) monk is a short-term occupant who is not familiar with the inner or outer workings of the community. See also “resident monk.”
Brahman is a Sanskrit term referring to what is highest (parama) and most important (pradhāna); the Nibandhana commentary explains brahman as meaning here nirvāṇa, and thus the brahman conduct is the “conduct toward brahman,” the conduct that leads to the highest liberation, i.e., nirvāṇa. This is explained as “the path without outflows,” which is the “truth of the path” among the four truths of the noble ones. Other explanations (found in the Pāli tradition) take “brahman conduct” to mean the “best conduct,” and also the “conduct of the best,” i.e., the buddhas. In some contexts, “brahman conduct” refers more specifically to celibacy, but the specific referents of this expression are many.
Kalyāṇamitra explains that a brigand is a person who seeks to steal another’s belongings (Toh 4113, F.318.a).
The fourth and second least severe class of monastic offense. The Buddha prohibited four such acts for monks.
A monastic absent from any official act of the saṅgha (except the demarcating of a boundary, which is done to establish a monastic site) must first send word they consent to any formal actions taken in their absence. Such consent is sent by proxy. If a monastic cannot attend the Rite of Restoration or the Rite of Lifting Restrictions, they must convey a profession of their purity as well as their consent to the act. A monastic gives consent so that the saṅgha can have a quorum when performing official acts. A profession of purity is required from all monastics within a boundary before the Prātimokṣa Sūtra can be recited during the Rite of Restoration. See Kalyāṇamitra (F.318.a–b).
One of five types of offense a monk can incur. A defeat involves a “complete lapse” (Tib. nyams; Skt. vipatti) of the Prātimokṣa Vow, which might be incurred in one of four ways. Hence, a monk must refrain from each of the four defeats. A monk who incurs a defeat may request and be “given a training” (Tib. bslab pa byin pa; Skt. śikṣādatta), which allows him to continue living among the saṅgha in a position subordinate to monks and nuns. If a defeated monk does not request and receive a training, he forfeits his “common living” (Tib. gnas pa; Skt. saṃvāsa) in the saṅgha, that is, his right to a share of the saṅgha’s resources, beginning with dwellings, food, robes, and medicine.
In The Chapter on the Restoration Rite, the Buddha states that the gaṇḍī beam may be used in five ways: to summon the saṅgha, for formal acts, for the dead, for meditation, and for danger. See also The Gaṇḍī Sūtra (Toh 298), where the Buddha describes the gaṇḍī beam’s use and characteristics.
The Tib. khyams (Skt. prāsāda) is one of many related terms for an assembly “hall” that appears in the Kangyur and Tengyur, such as (1) “meditation hut/hall” (Tib. spong khang; Skt. prahāṇaśālā), (2) “multistoried structure” (Tib. khang pa rtseg ma’i khyams; Skt. kūṭāgāraśālā), (3) “temple” (Tib. khang bzangs; Skt. prāsāda), (4) “steps” (Tib. bang rim; Skt. pariṣaṇḍa), and (5) “courtyard” (Tib. ’khor gyi khyams; Skt. maṇḍalavāṭa).
Kalyāṇamitra explains that monks stored their robes and bowls in specified or individual spots in the dwelling. See F.223.b: lhung bzed dang chos gos mkhos su phab nas zhes bya ba ni so sor des pa’i gnas su rnam par bzhag nas so and F.268.b: mkhos su dbab pa zhes bya ba ni gnas khang du ’jug tu gzhug pa’o.
One of the standard epithets of the Buddha Śākyamuni, and also a term of respect used for Buddhist monks, akin to the modern address “bhante.”
This term refers to those who become monks or nuns after having a family. In ordinary Skt. usage mahallaka is used as a respectful direct address to an elder. In the Vinaya, these monastics are usually addressed as “latecomer” rather than as “venerable,” the customary address for ordained monks and nuns. This may suggest that “latecomers” occupied a special place within the saṅgha somewhat separate from those who joined before having a family.
During the rite of lifting restrictions, each monk extends an “invitation” or “lifts restrictions” (Tib. dgag dbye bya ba; Skt. pravāraṇam pravārayitum) to the other monks with whom he has passed the rains retreat. These other monks may then “prompt” (Tib. gleng ba; Skt. codanā) his memory of an offense he has failed to confess with evidence or well-grounded suspicion. The Pāli parallel pavāraṇā is generally translated with “inviting, invitation.” We generally use the English “lifting of restrictions” to reflect the Sanskrit original pravāraṇāṃ pravārayitum. Nevertheless, in The Chapter on Lifting Restrictions, “to lift restrictions” means “to invite” and the two can be used interchangeably; see, for instance, our translation of Kalyāṇamitra’s gloss of the term: “ ‘To invite,’ to give the opportunity for monks with whom one has pledged to settle for the rains to speak about what they have seen, heard, or suspected.” Kalyāṇamitra (F.313.a): dgag dbye zhes bya ba ni dbyar gnas par khas blangs pa’i dge slong rnams kyis mthong ba dang/ thos pa dang/ dgos pa’i gnas gsum gyis gleng pa’i skabs ’byed pa’o. Here are parallel uses from The Chapter on Lifting Restrictions in Skt., Tib., and Chinese Sanskrit Pravāraṇavastu (2.3.2.2): utsahase tvam evaṃnāmā saṃghasya pravāraṇāṃ pravārayitum iti. Tibetan (F.223.b): ming ’di zhes bya ba khyod dbyar gnas pa’i dge ’dun la dgag dbye byed par spro’am. Chinese (Taishō 1045a34: 汝某甲。頗能爲夏坐僧伽。以三事見聞疑。爲隨意不.
The Buddha’s mother’s sister and his step-mother. She was the mother of Nanda. After the death of the Buddha’s father, She became the first nun.
In the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, mātṛkā (Tib. ma mo, Eng. “mother”) is frequently used as a name for the Basket of Abhidharma.
Before a formal gathering of the saṅgha, the matter at hand requiring the monks’ presence is announced. After this the gaṇḍī is struck to summon the monks to the meeting.
The fifth and least severe of the five kinds of offense monks might incur. The Buddha spoke of 112 such acts for monks.
This may refer to (1) the whole monastic residence, i.e. “monastery,” with one or more “meditation huts” (Tib. spong khang; Skt. prahāṇaśālā) or (2) the main hall or temple, (e.g. Tib. khyams; Skt. prāsāda), As an example of the first, Kalyāṇamitra explains that Senikā Cave is the name of a monastery, named after its founder (Kalyāṇamitra, F.313.a): sde can ma’i bug ces bya ba ni gtsug lag gi ming ste/ sde can mas byed du bcug pa’i phyir ro. As for the second, in The Chapter on the Restoration Rite, the Buddha explains that a solitary monk should sweep and repair the temple floor on the upavasatha (The Chapter on the Restoration Rite, 3.37).
The term bhikṣu, often translated as “monk,” refers to the highest among the eight types of prātimokṣa vows that make one part of the Buddhist assembly. The Sanskrit term literally means “beggar” or “mendicant,” referring to the fact that Buddhist monks and nuns—like other ascetics of the time—subsisted on alms (bhikṣā) begged from the laity.
In the Tibetan tradition, which follows the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, a monk follows 253 rules as part of his moral discipline. A nun (bhikṣuṇī; dge slong ma) follows 364 rules. A novice monk (śrāmaṇera; dge tshul) or nun (śrāmaṇerikā; dge tshul ma) follows thirty-six rules of moral discipline (although in other vinaya traditions novices typically follow only ten).
The monk who makes announcements to the saṅgha. This chapter contains the lone appearance of the term “monk crier” in the Tibetan Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya canon.
Monks and nuns must have a mentor or “support” (Tib. gnas; Skt. niśraya) for five years after ordination. If the preceptor cannot serve as support then the monastic must take support from an elder, who becomes the new monastic’s “support instructor" (Tib. gnas kyi slob dpon; Skt. niśrayācārya).
A formal motion to the saṅgha.
Some heirs to Sarvāstivādin monastic lineages, initially clustered around Mathurā and regions to its northwest, claimed primacy among the Sarvāstivādins in calling themselves the Mūlasarvāstivādin, or “Original Sarvāstivādins” (Fumi Yao, “On the Name ‘Mūlasarvāstivādin,’ ” Journal of Indian and Buddhist Studies 55, no. 2 (2007): 246–47). Their vinaya, the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, which was written and compiled in Sanskrit circa the second through the sixth centuries ᴄᴇ, is the longest of all known vinayas.
Unfortunately, the most accurate description of “Mūlasarvāstvādin” is tautological: the Mūlasarvāstivādins are the upholders of the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, because the only reliable means we have of distinguishing the “Mūlasarvāstivādins” from the Sarvāstivādins is by their respective vinayas—the former contains extensive “settings” and avadāna while the latter does not. (See also the entry on Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya). Furthermore, the Mūlasarvāstivādins seem to have shared much of their sūtra and abhidharma texts with the Sarvāstivādins. Although other ways of distinguishing them from other nikāya or “ordination lineages” are recorded in Indic texts—which were included in the Vinaya section of the Tengyur (Toh 4138–4140)—these are, in fact, extracts from śāstra, and the descriptions they give are not entirely consistent.
A serpent-like creature that is said to have the ability to shapeshift and assume human form, often to hear the Dharma. In the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, nāgas are depicted as generally benign in intentions but noxious in form.
In the Vinaya, a “narrative introduction” explains the who, why, when, and where behind each new monastic rule decreed by the Buddha. In the sūtras, the “narrative introduction” begins, “Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was staying at…”
The translation follows the Sanskrit: nirgacchati ratri. The Tibetan might be rendered “first light.”
The term bhikṣuṇī, often translated as “nun,” refers to the highest among the eight types of prātimokṣa vows that make one part of the Buddhist assembly. The Sanskrit term bhikṣu (to which the female grammatical ending ṇī is added) literally means “beggar” or “mendicant,” referring to the fact that Buddhist nuns and monks—like other ascetics of the time—subsisted on alms (bhikṣā) begged from the laity. In the Tibetan tradition, which follows the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, a bhikṣuṇī follows 364 rules and a bhikṣu follows 253 rules as part of their moral discipline.
For the first few years of the Buddha’s teachings in India, there was no ordination for women. It started at the persistent request and display of determination of Mahāprajāpatī, the Buddha’s stepmother and aunt, together with five hundred former wives of men of Kapilavastu, who had themselves become monks. Mahāprajāpatī is thus considered to be the founder of the nun’s order.
An ārāma was a private citizen’s garden, generally found within the limits of a town or city. In several cases, perhaps most famously of Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park near Śrāvastī, these were offered to the saṅgha as a residence.
A special room or shrine dedicated to a buddha, intended as both residence and reliquary. A common feature especially in rock-cut temples.
The five types of persons labeled a paṇḍaka are intersex persons, rhythm-consecutive persons, sexually submissive persons, persons with a cuckold fetish, and persons with a sexual disability. See the glossary definitions for this term and its subcategories in The Chapter on Going Forth (Toh 1, ch. 1).
One of the five types of persons labeled a paṇḍaka (q.v., see also the definition in The Chapter on Going Forth, Toh 1, ch. 1), all of whom are barred from joining the renunciate order. “Persons who have undergone castration” form a subset of the last of the five groups, “persons with a sexual disability” (Tib. nyams pa’i ma ning). Kalyāṇamitra explains that a “person with a sexual disability” is “one whose [reproductive potency] has been impaired through having his male sex organ cut off, etc.” (Kalyaṇamitra F.349.b: nyams pa’i ma ning zhes bya ba ni pho’i dbang po bcad pa la sogs pas nyams par ’gyur ba gang yin pa’o) while “a person who has undergone castration is one whose potency has diminished or lacks seminal fluid due to having undergone castration” (F.249.b: za ma zhes bya ba ni rlig pa phyung ba’i nyes pas mthu nyams pa’am sa bon med pa’o).
The phrase “pledge to settle for the rains” translates the Tib. dbyar bzhugs par dam bzhes, dbyar gnas dam bcas pa, dbyar gnas par khas blang pa, dbyar gnas par zhal gyis bzhes pa, and dbyar gnas par dam bzhes pa. Although Sanskrit parallels are not available in each instance, we take them all to be translations of varṣā (Tib. dbyar, the “rains” or “rainy season”) plus forms of upa√gam, e.g., varṣopagata, varṣāṃ upagacchati. Kalyāṇamitra (F.271.b) explains that “pledging to observe the rains retreat” involves reciting a formula in which one pledges to remain at one site throughout the rains (dbyar gnas par zhal gyis bzhes so zhes bya ba sngags sngon du btang bas dbyar gnas gcig tu gnas par zhal gyis bzhes pa’o). Thus, the Tibetan dbyar gnas dam bca’ bar bya can also be translated, according to context, as “should undertake a rains retreat,” “should observe the rains retreat,” or “should commit to observe the rains retreat.” See also n.28.
One of the first Buddhist monasteries, located in a park outside Śrāvastī, the capital of the ancient kingdom of Kośala in northern India. This park was originally owned by Prince Jeta, hence the name Jetavana, meaning Jeta’s grove. The wealthy merchant Anāthapiṇḍada, wishing to offer it to the Buddha, sought to buy it from him, but the prince, not wishing to sell, said he would only do so if Anāthapiṇḍada covered the entire property with gold coins. Anāthapiṇḍada agreed, and managed to cover all of the park except the entrance, hence the name Anāthapiṇḍadasyārāmaḥ, meaning Anāthapiṇḍada’s park. The place is usually referred to in the sūtras as “Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍada’s park,” and according to the Saṃghabhedavastu the Buddha used Prince Jeta’s name in first place because that was Prince Jeta’s own unspoken wish while Anāthapiṇḍada was offering the park. Inspired by the occasion and the Buddha’s use of his name, Prince Jeta then offered the rest of the property and had an entrance gate built. The Buddha specifically instructed those who recite the sūtras to use Prince Jeta’s name in first place to commemorate the mutual effort of both benefactors.
Anāthapiṇḍada built residences for the monks, to house them during the monsoon season, thus creating the first Buddhist monastery. It was one of the Buddha’s main residences, where he spent around nineteen rainy season retreats, and it was therefore the setting for many of the Buddha’s discourses and events. According to the travel accounts of Chinese monks, it was still in use as a Buddhist monastery in the early fifth century ᴄᴇ, but by the sixth century it had been reduced to ruins.
dgag dbye’i gzhi (Pravāraṇāvastu). Toh 1, ch. 3, Degé Kangyur vol. 1 (’dul ba, ka), folios 221.b–237.b.
dgag dbye’i gzhi. bka’ ’gyur (dpe sdur ma) [Comparative Edition of the Kangyur], krung go’i bod rig pa zhib ’jug ste gnas kyi bka’ bstan dpe sdur khang (The Tibetan Tripitaka Collation Bureau of the China Tibetology Research Center). Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House), 2006–9, vol. 1, pp. 517–53 and pp. 786–92.
dge slong ma’i ’dul ba rnam par ’byed pa (Bhikṣuṇīvibhaṅga). Toh 5, Degé Kangyur vol. 9 (’dul ba, ta), folios 25.b–328.a.
Kalyāṇamitra. ’dul ba gzhi rgya cher ’grel ba (Vinayavastuṭīkā). Toh 4113, Degé Tengyur vol. 156 (’dul ba, tsu), folios 177.b–326.b.
Śūra. so sor thar pa’i mdo’i gzhung ’grel (Prātimokṣa Sūtrapaddhati). Toh 4104, Degé Tengyur vols. 150–51 (’dul ba, du–nu): vol. du, folios 1.b–239.a; vol. nu, folios 1.b–87.b.
Vimalamitra. so sor thar pa’i mdo’i rgya cher ’grel pa ’dul ba kun las btus pa (Pratimokṣasūtraṭīkāvinayasamuccaya). Toh 4106, Degé Tengyur vols. 152–54 (’dul ba, pu–bu): vol. pu, folios 1.b–312.a; vol. phu, folios 1.b–281.a ; vol. bu, folios 1.b–150.a.
Viśeṣamitra. ’dul ba bsdus pa (Vinayasaṃgraha). Toh 4105, Degé Kangyur vol. 146 (’dul ba, nu), folios 88.a–255.b.
Bagchi, Sitansusekhar. Mūlasarvāstivādavinayavastu, 2 vols. Darbhanga: Mithila Research Institute, 1970.
Chung, Jin-il. Die Pravāraṇā in den kanonischen Vinaya-Texten der Mūlasarvāstivādin und der Sarvāstivādin, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1998.
Chung, Jin-il, and Klaus Wille. Pravaranavastu. Computer input version based on the edition by Jin-il Chung, Die Pravāraṇā in den kanonischen Vinaya-Texten der Mūlasarvāstivādin und der Sarvāstivādin: GRETIL version 2020-07-31.
Dutt, Nalinaksha, ed. Gilgit Manuscripts, Vol. III, Part IV. Calcutta: Calcutta Oriental Press, 1950.
84000. The Chapter on Going Forth (Pravrajyāvastu, rab tu ’byung ba’i gzhi, Toh 1 ch. 1). Translated by Robert Miller. Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2018.
84000. The Chapter on the Rains (Varsāvastu, dbyar gyi gzhi, Toh 1 ch. 4). Translated by Robert Miller. Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2024.
84000. The Chapter on the Restoration Rite (Poṣadhavastu, gso sbyong gi gzhi, Toh 1 ch. 2). Translated by Robert Miller. Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2024.
84000. The Gaṇḍī Sūtra (Gaṇḍīsūtra, gaN+DI’i mdo, Toh 298). Translated by Annie Bien. Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2020.
Brahmali, Bhikkhu, trans. The Chapter on the Invitation Ceremony (Pavāraṇākkhandhaka). SuttaCentral.
Borgland, Jens Wilhelm. “A Study of the Adhikaraṇavastu: Legal Settlement Procedures of the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya.” PhD diss., Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages, University of Oslo, 2014.
Butön Rinchen Drup (bu ston rin chen grub). ’dul ba’i mdo’i rnam par ’byed pa ’dul ba rgya mtsho’i snying po rab tu gsal bar byed pa. In gsung ’bum/ rin chen grub [Delhi reprint of the Zhol xylograph], vol. 21 (zha), pp. 140–730. Delhi: International Academy of Indian Culture, 1965–71. BDRC W22106.
Chung, Jin-il. Die Pravāraṇā in den kanonischen Vinaya-Texten der Mūlasarvāstivādin und der Sarvāstivādin. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1998.
Clarke, Shayne. Vinaya Texts. Gilgit Manuscripts in the National Archives of India: Facsimile Edition. Volume 1. New Delhi and Tokyo: The National Archives of India and the International Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology, Soka University, 2014.
Dungkar Losang Trinlé (dung dkar blo bzang phrin las). dung dkar bod rig pa’i tshig mdzod chen mo [Dungkar’s Dictionary], vols.1–2. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House), 2002.
Geshé Tsewang Nyima (dge bshes tshe dbang nyi ma). dam chos ’dul ba gtso gyur gyi gzhung sne mang las btus pa’i tshig mdzod mun sel sgron me [A Lamp to Dispel Darkness: A Dictionary Drawing on a Variety of Texts but Focusing on the Sublime Vinaya]. Taipei: The Corporate Body of the Buddha Educational Foundation, 2009.
Heirman, Ann. “Indian Disciplinary Rules and the Early Chinese Adepts: A Buddhist Reality.” Journal of the American Oriental Society 128, no. 2 (2008): 257–72.
Hinüber, Oskar von. Untitled review of Die Pravāraṇā in den kanonischen Vinaya-Texten der Mūlasarvāstivādin und der Sarvāstivādin. Journal of the American Oriental Society, vol. 124, no. 4 (Oct.–Dec. 2004): 806–10.
Hu-von Hinüber, Haiyan (1997a). “On the Sources of Some Entries in the Mahāvyutpatti, A Contribution to Indo-Tibetan Lexicography.” In Untersuchungen zur buddhistsichen Literatur II, Gustav Roth zum 80. Geburtstag gewidmet, edited by Heinz Bechert and Petra Kieffer-Pülz, 183–99. Göttingen (Sanskrit-Wörterbuch der buddhistischen Texte aus den Turfan-Funden, Beiheft 8), 1997.
Hu-von Hinüber, Haiyan (1997b). “The 17 Titles of the Vinayavastu in the Mahāvyutpatti. Contribution to Indo-Tibetan Lexicography II.” In Bauddhavidyāsudhākaraḥ Studies in Honour of Heinz Bechert on the Occasion of His 65th Birthday. Edited by Petra Kieffer-Pülz and Jens-Uwe Hartmann, 339–45. Swisttal-Odendorf (Indica et Tibetica, 30), 1997.
Khenpo Shenga (mkhan po gzhan dga’). ’dul ba mdo rtsa ba’i mchan ’grel (Annotated Commentary on the Vinayasūtra). Chauntra: Dzongsar Chokyi Lodroe College of Dialectics, 2007.
Kishino, Ryoji. “A Study of the Nidāna: An Underrated Canonical Text of the Mūlasarvāstivāda-Vinaya.” PhD diss., University of California at Los Angeles, 2013.
Monier-Williams, Monier. Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (digitized version), 2008.
Negi, J. S. Tibetan-Sanskrit Dictionary (bod skad dang legs sbyar gyi tshig mdzod chen mo). 16 vols. Sarnath: Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, 1993–2005.
Orgyan Nordrang (o rgyan nor brang). gangs can rig brgya’i chos kyi rnam grangs mthong tshad kun las btus pa ngo mtshar ’phrul gyi sde mig chen po [A Great and Wondrous Key: A Compendium of All the Enumerations from the Snowy Land’s One Hundred Fields of Knowledge]. Vols. 1–3. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House), 2008.
Roloff, Carola (Bhikṣuṇī Jampa Tsedroen). The Buddhist Nuns’ Ordination in the Tibetan Canon: Possibilities of the Revival of the Mūlasarvāstivāda Bhikṣuṇī Lineage. Hamburg Buddhist Studies 15. Bochum: Projektverlag, 2020.
Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu. Buddhist Monastic Code II: The Khandaka Rules Translated & Explained. Valley Center: Metta Forest Monastery, 2001.
C Choné Kangyur
D Degé Kangyur
H Lhasa (Zhol) Kangyur
K Kangxi Kangyur
L Lithang Kangyur
N Narthang Kangyur
Q Peking Kangyur
Y Yongle Kangyur
