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གསོ་སྦྱོང་གི་གཞི།

The Chapter on the Restoration Rite
Introduction

Poṣadhavastu

འདུལ་བ་གཞི་ལས། གསོ་སྦྱོང་གི་གཞི།

’dul ba gzhi las/ gso sbyong gi gzhi

“The Chapter on the Restoration Rite” from The Chapters on Monastic Discipline

Vinayavastu Poṣadhavastu

Toh 1-2

Degé Kangyur, vol. 1 (’dul ba, ka), folios 131.a–221.b

First published 2024

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Summary

s.1

The Chapter on the Restoration Rite is the second of The Chapters on Monastic Discipline’s seventeen chapters. In it, the Buddha describes a seated yoga, formal protocols, and a rite of restoration that can be observed on the upavasatha (or poṣadha) holiday. After explaining how monks should practice seated yoga, the Buddha consents first to the building of small clusters of meditation residences and later to gradually larger settlements that come to include multistoried meditation halls with scented shrine rooms and rooftop verandas. This chapter also explains how all monks at a monastery must gather fortnightly in the hall or in a place that has been specially demarcated for such purposes within the monastery site’s larger boundary. There, they observe the poṣadha or “restoration rite” by listening to The Prātimokṣa Sūtra recitation and making the appropriate amends for their offenses.

s.2

The present chapter together with The Chapter on Lifting Restrictions and The Chapter on the Rains present the “Three Rites” that are considered central to monastic common living: the Rite of Restoration, the Rite of Lifting Restrictions, and the Rite of Pledging to Settle for the Rains. 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.

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Acknowledgements

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This text was translated from Tibetan and checked against the Sanskrit by Robert Miller. Under Dr. Haiyan Hu-von Hinüber’s direction, Maurice Ozaine read a draft of the English translation against Dr. Hu-von Hinüber’s German translation which accompanies her extensive study of the present chapter. Ven. Hejung Seok offered useful comments on the term poṣadha and Pāṇini’s grammar. Matthew Wuethrich served as style and editorial consultant to the translator. Special thanks are due to Dr. Shayne Clarke for the many suggestions and corrections he made to an early draft of the introduction. Thanks also to the 84000 Vinaya team for help in translating key technical terms.

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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. Sameer Dhingra was in charge of the digital publication process.

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The generous sponsorship of Dakki and Lanita, which helped make the work on this translation possible, is most gratefully acknowledged.

Introduction

Overview

i.1

The Chapters on Monastic Discipline narrates the history of the Buddhist saṅgha as a frame story for its record of rulings on the communal life of Buddhist monks and nuns.1 This grand narrative, as remembered by the compilers of the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, begins in The Chapter on Going Forth with the early life of the Buddha and the growth of his community. At first, ascetic seekers were simply invited to join the Buddha in living a holy life conducive to liberation. This early saṅgha was still peripatetic and unorganized by any hierarchy. Monks, or more properly “mendicants,”2 wandered the countryside, and as they did so people from faraway places began to seek out the Buddha. When the Buddha heard of one aspirant who had died while on the way to see him to get ordained, he formulated a simple rite by which those who wanted to live the holy life according to the Dharma and Vinaya he had taught could be ordained by monks other than himself.

i.2

Once ordained, though, new monks were left to find their own way, with no monastic mentor or spiritual director to tutor and teach them. Not surprisingly, with no one to instruct the newly admitted, some Buddhist monks began to gain a reputation for bad behavior among the influential householders and the other ascetic orders of the day.3 In response, the Buddha required that the newly admitted live and train under a monastic elder or “support” for at least five years. The Chapter on Going Forth depicts monks living both sedentary and itinerant lives, the former staying in huts and even multistoried buildings built in parks near the main urban and trading centers of the day, while the latter traveled the countryside, staying on the outskirts of villages and begging alms as they went. Different preferences for these diverging lifestyles must have led to a dilemma for many monastic mentors and those they were mentoring. A narrative in The Chapter on Going Forth tells us that when the summer rains came to an end, some monks whose elderly preceptors did not want to travel the countryside were torn between their obligation to stay with their support and their wish to travel the countryside like other wandering mendicants. This prompts the Buddha to allow monks in training to seek a new support, whose lifestyle or instruction better suits them.4

i.3

In this second chapter, The Chapter on the Restoration Rite, the monastic mentor or support is never explicitly mentioned. But the chapter does emphasize that a proper monastery has on site at least one upholder of the sūtras, the vinaya, and the abhidharma‍—most specifically, someone who knows how to recite The Prātimokṣa Sūtra‍—so that every two weeks the monks can gather there, listen to the elder recite The Prātimokṣa Sūtra, and make amends for their offenses. Since this knowledge of the sūtras, the vinaya, and the abhidharma, including knowing how to recite The Prātimokṣa Sūtra, is a quality attributed to the mentor in The Chapter on Going Forth,5 it seems clear that the elder at a restoration rite site described in this chapter would also have at least one or two wards or apprentices living with and training under him on site.

i.4

The Chapter on the Restoration Rite opens on the upavasatha‍—a holiday fast undertaken during the full or new phase of the moon‍—with the Buddha staying in a park within the boundary of a monastic site known as the Kalandakanivāpa. A group of Buddhist lay vow holders wish to pay respect to the Buddhist saṅgha6 but, knowing that the monks will be meditating at that early hour, decide to visit a different park. There, they find a group of wandering mendicants from a non-Buddhist order with a threefold upavasatha observance consisting of seated meditation, formal protocols, and a rite to mark the holiday. Impressed, the lay vow holders return to the Kalandakanivāpa, where they enjoin the Buddha to institute a formal upavasatha observance for Buddhists. The Buddha’s response to this request takes up the remainder of The Chapter on the Restoration Rite as the Buddha articulates a threefold observance consisting of “a seated practice, a protocol, and a restoration rite.”7

i.5

In The Chapter on Going Forth, the Buddha defines the range of acceptable shelter for monks, praising the foot of a tree as best but also allowing monks to live in multistoried buildings, halls, large estate buildings, and so on.8 Here, in The Chapter on the Restoration Rite, we are given the backstory of how itinerant Buddhist mendicants encouraged to live at the foot of trees came to live in increasingly elaborate settlements supported by permanent endowments. According to The Chapter on the Restoration Rite, the monks’ need for a place to practice meditation undisturbed is what drives the growth of Buddhist monastic settlements. Monks try but fail to practice meditation in several places before the Buddha consents to the construction of small meditation residences. Small clusters of huts give way to larger clusters until the Buddha allows a community meditation hall to be built with monastic dwellings in a three-sided ring around the hall. Eventually, when the monks do not fit even into single-story halls, the Buddha consents to the building of a second story, and so on. And, since such facilities require management, the Buddha also consents to the appointment of five kinds of caretakers, who serve as a monastery administrative committee, each with individual responsibility over the site, the residences and hall, the work roster, the monastery resources and supplies, and the attendants on site, respectively.

i.6

The distinction between preceptor/ward and instructor/apprentice that is introduced in The Chapter on Going Forth is here augmented with distinctions between resident and occupant monks, as well as resident and visiting monks. These designations speak to a mobile Buddhist saṅgha and suggest that the freedom of movement promised after five years to qualified monks was eagerly embraced. Such movement is well documented in both medieval China and Tibet, where monks traveled for business, pilgrimage, study, and more. The Chapter on the Restoration Rite picks up from The Chapter on Going Forth, as Buddhist monks living in parks form communities united around a shared restoration rite site. There, they meet fortnightly to restore their training through meditation and confession. The compilers of the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya cite numerous difficulties that interfere with the monks’ ability to meditate as the pretext for the increasingly complex monastic settlements.

Structure and Contents

i.7

Like the other chapters of The Chapters on Monastic Discipline, The Chapter on the Restoration Rite includes a “global summary” or piṇḍoddāna. In this case, the global summary groups the contents of The Chapter on the Restoration Rite into five sections under the headings Tīrthika, Kapphiṇa, Site, The King,9 and Several Repetitions.

Tīrthika: The Seated Practice of Yoga

i.8

In this first section, Tīrthika, the Buddha prescribes a “seated practice” called “yoga” that is to be done on the upavasatha:10

i.9

“Not knowing what a seated practice, a protocol, or a restoration rite ought to be, the monks appealed to the Blessed One, who replied, ‘Come, monks. The seated practice is called yoga.’ ”11

i.10

Nowadays, yoga is generally associated with haṭhayoga or one of its derivatives, which emphasize bodily postures and breath control. But the aṣṭāṅgayoga or “eight-limbed yoga” taught by Patāñjali in the Yogasūtra includes much more, such as vows, social duties, and obligations.12 Here, in The Chapter on the Restoration Rite, yoga refers to the seated practice of meditation or samādhi. Kalyāṇamitra explains that yoga here refers to samādhi and includes under its umbrella of meditations the practice of smṛtyupasthāna or “application of mindfulness”:

i.11

“Yoga: samādhi, the close placement of mindfulness on the body and so on.”13

i.12

For the upavasatha yoga, the practice that the Buddha prescribes in this chapter is a “contemplation of the repulsive”:14

i.13

“ ‘Reflect on this: No matter how you sit or what you do, the whole of this body, from the soles of the feet up to the hair on the crown and all the skin in between, is filled with all sorts of impurities‍—the hair on the head and face, the nails and teeth, the dirt, the grime, and the skin, flesh, bones, sinews, veins, kidneys, heart, spleen, lungs, intestines, colon, stomach, guts, bladder, liver, feces, tears, mucus, oils, lymph, marrow, fat, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, brains, meninges, and urine.’ ”15

i.14

Bhikkhu Anālayo explains how contemplating the repulsive helps nurture attention and insight, as Ācārya Śūra and other (Mūla-)sarvāstivādin 16 commentators maintain:

i.15

“The purpose of contemplating the nature of the body is to bring its unattractive aspects to the forefront of one’s attention, thereby placing the attractive aspects previously emphasized in a more balanced context. The aim is a balanced and detached attitude towards the body. With such a balanced attitude, one sees the body merely as a product of conditions, a product with which one need not identify.”17

i.16

Various versions of the contemplation of the repulsive and other yogas are known to have been practiced in northwest India and Central Asia, including areas populated by Mūlasarvāstivādin monastics.18 Scholarship has also shown that meditation, and visualization in particular, was often regarded as a key component of Buddhist repentance practices in these northerly regions.19

i.17

It is in this section that (as mentioned above) the Buddha takes mercy on the monks‍—as they struggle with the absence of a dedicated place to practice yoga, encountering interruptions as they try to meditate in front of the monastery gates, on the outskirts of town, and then in the jungles and forests‍—and allows the building of meditation residences, where yoga can be cultivated free of disturbance. Since facilities need managing, the Buddha then stipulates the duties of a meditation residence manager.

Kapphiṇa: A Narrative on the Need for Quorum

i.18

The second and third components of the Buddhist upavasatha observance‍—the “protocol” for agreeing on a “restoration rite site” and the “restoration rite” itself‍—are introduced in the second section, denoted in the chapter’s global summary by “Kapphiṇa.”

i.19

One upavasatha day, the monk Kapphiṇa, who reckons himself to be pure of all wrongdoing and offenses, wonders whether he should join the saṅgha in observing the restoration rite. The Buddha intuits Kapphiṇa’s thoughts and appears before him to remind him that:

i.20

“ ‘The pure always observe the fast.

The pure always observe the restoration rite.

The pure whose behavior is pure

Indeed fulfill their observance.’ ”20

i.21

The Buddha insists that Kapphiṇa attend, which Kalyāṇamitra interprets as rebuking Kapphiṇa.21 In Kalyāṇamitra’s interpretation, the Buddha is putting the abstemious but proud monk in line and reminding him of his responsibility to listen to the The Prātimokṣa Sūtra recitation every two weeks. For the Buddha had already declared:

i.22

“ ‘What is the restoration rite? Monks, it is the recitation of The Prātimokṣa Sūtra that I have taught. From now on, you should recite it every two weeks.’ ”22

i.23

Kapphiṇa’s story seems to be a narrative about the need for a quorum‍—the presence or consent of all monks on site‍—during the restoration rite.23 The need for a quorum reflects an important function of the restoration rite, which is to affirm the purity of the saṅgha on a regular basis. Here, for a monk or nun to be “pure” means either (1) that they have not incurred any offenses or (2) that they have confessed and made amends for them. Many scholars have observed that the saṅgha’s reputation for upstanding moral conduct was inextricably tied to patronage, that the saṅgha’s purity was the form of currency famously described by the French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu as “symbolic” and “cultural capital.”24 That the saṅgha communally affirms its members’ monastic purity every fortnight assures the laity that the saṅgha is the proper recipient of alms‍—that giving to the saṅgha will yield desirable karmic fruits‍—which helps to ensure continued lay support. This was a pressing social concern for Buddhist monastics, as can be discerned in the narrative that begins this chapter, which portrays a group of laypeople admiring the upavasatha observances of non-Buddhist ascetic communities.

i.24

After the Buddha convinces Kapphiṇa to attend the restoration, the two of them go together to where the other monks have gathered. There, the Buddha teaches the assembled monks how to demarcate the boundaries of a monastic “site” or precinct. Once the matter of sites and boundaries has been thoroughly clarified through a series of prescriptions and supplementary prescriptions, prohibitions, and consents,25 the Buddha explains that the entire Prātimokṣa Sūtra does not need to be recited during the restoration rite. Instead, the reciter must recite the opening narrative to The Prātimokṣa Sūtra.26 After that, the reciter can choose whether to communicate the heading‍—that is, to name only the class, e.g., the four defeats, the thirteen saṅgha remnants, and so on‍—or to individually recite each offense in a class. Once the reciter has begun to recite the individual offenses that comprise a class, he must continue reciting to the end of that class or the recitation will be considered improper.27 In short, The Prātimokṣa Sūtra must be recited in one of five ways, whether reciting classes simply by heading or in full. At its simplest, a proper recitation of The Prātimokṣa Sūtra may therefore be a very abbreviated recitation in which the opening narrative is recited in full followed by the recitation only of the classes’ names, with no mention of individual offenses.

The Prātimokṣa Sūtra

i.25

The commentator Ācārya Śūra28 tells us that the early saṅgha committed no offenses during the first twelve years of the Buddha’s ministry. There was thus nothing to confess or amend for, and so no formal rules‍—that is, no Prātimokṣa Sūtra as we know it‍—to recite on the upavasatha.29 Instead, the Buddha would recite two now-famous verses when the community gathered on the upavasatha. As Śūra recounts:

i.26

“The Blessed One’s śrāvaka saṅgha had no faults or ruptures for twelve years after the Blessed One had perfectly awakened and amassed a following of śrāvaka disciples. The Blessed One would recite the śrāvaka saṅgha’s prātimokṣa concisely as:

“ ‘Commit not a single misdeed. Gather an abundance of virtue.

Discipline your mind. This is the Buddha’s teaching.

Restraint of the body is noble, restraint of speech is noble, restraint of mind is noble‍—restraint in all things is noble.

The monk who is fully restrained is freed from all suffering.

“ ‘Having guarded one’s words and also restrained the mind,

One does not commit bodily nonvirtues.

If these three paths of action are fully mastered,

One will attain the path spoken of by seers.’

“And thus, no śrāvaka training precepts30 were decreed for the Vinaya.”31

i.27

Then, in the thirteenth year, Sudinna left the household life and joined the Buddha’s order. Śūra continues:

i.28

“While staying in a grass hut in the forest, Sudinna was misled by his own mother to resort to the unchaste act of intercourse with his former wife. Seeing that Kalandakaputra Sudinna’s engaging in sex would be the first of many incidents that could spill over,32 the Blessed One gathered the saṅgha of monks on account of this occurrence, this situation, and this circumstance. He, who saw ten benefits to decreeing training precepts, decreed the śrāvaka training precepts in the Vinaya and from that point forward presented the five classes of offense by decreeing a training precept for every cause of each situation.”33

i.29

Prior to this, Ācārya Śūra tells us, the Prātimokṣa Vow (prātimokṣasaṃvara) did not consist of specific prohibitions. With the decreeing of training precepts, the generic exhortation to restraint urged by the Buddha becomes a formal Rule with offenses organized into five classes, and Sudinna’s act becomes the first of 253 specific offenses that Mūlasarvāstivādin monks are to restrain themselves from.

i.30

The exact meaning of the word prāti- in the title Prātimokṣa Sūtra and the related term prātimokṣasaṃvara (“Prātimokṣa Vow”) has been the subject of debate for centuries.34 Ācārya Śūra relates the three (Mūla-)sarvāstivādin interpretations in his Guide to The Prātimokṣa Sūtra.35 The first interpretation reads prati (with a short a) to mean “first.” Mokṣa here, as in the next two interpretations, means “liberated,” so pratimokṣa means “first liberated.” Ācārya Śūra explains that Buddhist vow holders first obtain a vow or saṃvara after repeating a pledge three times.36 Thus, a prātimokṣasaṃvara is the “vow” by which one is “first liberated” from not having that vow. Here, the Sanskrit prefix prati is apparently used in its sense of “in opposition to, against, counter,”37 as suggested by Ācārya Śūra’s opposition of vow-holding and not vow-holding.

i.31

The second interpretation reads prati (with a short a) to mean “individual,” as in “an individual person,” while mokṣa again means “liberation.” This yields the most familiar interpretation of pratimokṣa, meaning “individually liberated.” Importantly, however, Ācārya Śūra does not suggest that the Buddhist vow holder cares only for their own “individual liberation.” He appeals rather to the basic principles of karmic cause and effect; observance of a vow liberates only the individual vow holder and not others.

i.32

The third interpretation reads prāti as a compound prefix (pra+ati) with a long ā, which yields the meaning “on account of” and hence, “method.” Here, mokṣa or “liberation” refers to “freedom,” that is, niryāna or nirvāṇa. Thus, in the third interpretation, prātimokṣa means that the prātimokṣa is the “method” by which a vow holder is “liberated” from saṃsāra.

i.33

Tshonawa Sherab Zangpo, the thirteenth-century Tibetan authority on the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, records the same three etymologies:

i.34

“Fourth, regarding etymology, there are three [interpretations] of pratimokṣa [in the compound pratimokṣasaṃvara]: (1) the vow of individual liberation, (2) the vow of initial liberation, and (3) the vow that is a method for liberation. Of those three, [the first takes] prati as “individual” and mokṣa as “liberation,” thus yielding “individually liberated” in the sense that the person who safeguards pure conduct will themselves, as an individual, be liberated from the lower realms and saṃsāra; the safeguarding of pure conduct by another [person] does not liberate some other [person]. [The second takes] prati as “initial” and mokṣa as “liberation,” thus yielding “initial liberation” in the sense that one is liberated from one’s former state without the vow from the first moment that one obtains the vow.38 [The third takes] prāti grammatically to mean “method” and mokṣa to mean “liberation,” thus yielding “method of liberation.” Hence, [pratimokṣasaṃvara], in its turn, can be read as “the vow that is the method of liberation.” These three etymologies are given in the text of The Fifty Fascicles.”39

The Etymology of Poṣadha

i.35

After The Prātimokṣa Sūtra’s narrative introduction or nidāna has been recited, a motion is made to recite the remainder.40 Then, the saṅgha elder charged with reciting The Prātimokṣa Sūtra asks whether any monk present has incurred a fault to which he has not yet confessed. Remaining silent at that point is taken to be a profession of purity. Monks are again called upon to profess their purity after each class of offense has been recited.41 If a monk has an offense to confess, at the appropriate juncture he says:42

i.36

“ ‘Venerable, please listen. I, the monk named so-and-so, have incurred this offense. I, the monk named so-and-so, confess and disclose each and every one of those offenses before you, venerable; I do not conceal them. If I confess and disclose them, I will be at ease. If I do not confess and disclose them, I will not be at ease.’

“That should be repeated verbatim a second and third time.

“He is then asked, ‘Do you recognize the offense?’

“The monk should reply, ‘I do.’

“He is then asked, ‘From now on, will you refrain from it?’

“He replies, ‘I will.’

“That should be repeated verbatim a second and third time.

“The confessor should then say, ‘That is proper.’

“The confessant should then reply, ‘Excellent.’ ”43

i.37

For this reason, the present chapter is sometimes described as “the chapter on confession,”44 though confession must be followed with a pledge of restraint.45 This pattern of confession and restraint is found also in other classic confession practices like the “Three Sections” (triskandhaka) rite46 and tantric Vajrasattva practices. According to the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, the monastic should confess to a particular class of offense, acknowledge it to have been wrong, and declare their intention to restrain themselves from the offense in the future.47

i.38

In translating the Sanskrit poṣadha (Tib. gso sbyong) as “restoration rite,” we have tried to capture both (1) the term’s origins in the wider Indian upavasatha observance and (2) the unique interpretations of poṣadha advanced by Mūlasarvāstivādin authorities. The Vedas, for instance, prescribe daylong purificatory fasts that culminate in sacrifices on the upavasatha.48 During the fast, the sacrificer refrains from eating, sexual activity, and polluting behaviors in the hopes that the gods will “dwell near” during the ensuing sacrifice. To wit, the Śatapata Brāhamaṇa derives upavasatha from the prefix upa (“near”) and the verbal root √vas (“dwell”):

i.39

“Therefore all the gods betake themselves to his house, and abide near [him or the fires], in his house; whence this [day] is called upavasatha.”49

i.40

The Mahāvyutpatti, a ca. ninth-century Sanskrit-Tibetan lexicon, does indeed record this sense of upavasatha, but under the entry upoṣadham, which is defined as “either observing a fast or doing the restoration.”50 More commonly, Mūlasarvāstivādin sources give poṣadha. Other Buddhist Vinayas give similar variants: Sarvāstivādin sources give poṣatha, the Mahāsaṃghīka-Lokottaravāda Vinaya has upoṣadha, while the Pāli Vinaya has uposatha.51 Linguistically speaking, the Mūlasarvāstivādin term poṣadha is almost certainly derived from the Sanskrit upavasatha through a process of translation between Sanskrit, Prakrit, and Middle Indic vernaculars.52 To reach the Mūlasarvāstivādin form of poṣadha, the u- prefix from upavasatha must be dropped, the -ava becomes -o, and the unvoiced -tha becomes the voiced -dha. (Mūla-)sarvāstivādin exegetes explain poṣadha via the root √puṣ (“to nurture, to grow”) rather than upa+√vas (“dwell near”), which would account for the final change, from sa to ṣa.

i.41

Vasubandhu, whose work is closely associated with Sarvāstivādin traditions,53 explains the term poṣadha as it is used in the eightfold observance undertaken by Buddhists on the upavasatha.54 He acknowledges the derivation from upavasatha as above, and also proffers a hypothetical derivation of poṣadha from √puṣ (“to nurture, to grow”) and √dhā (“to foster”):

i.42

“Some say it is called upavāsa in imitation of their fast because by it one dwells near to arhats. Or, because by it one dwells near to lifelong restraint.55 Or, it is called poṣadha because of the nurturing of roots of virtue from trifling roots of virtue and thus one fosters the growth of mental virtue. That is why the Buddha said, ‘This is assuredly poṣadha.’ ”56

i.43

Vasubandhu’s etymological explanation or nirukti echoes Pāṇini’s Dhātupāṭha (Recital of Verbal Roots). In commenting on sūtra 17 of the Aṣṭādhyāyī (Collection of Eight Chapters), the author’s list of verbal roots, Pāṇini records that the verbal root √dhā has the sense of dhāraṇapoṣaṇayoḥ, that is, “fostering or nurturing.”

i.44

The authors of The Two-Volume Lexicon (sgra sbyor bam po gnyis pa), a late eighth-century commentary on the contemporaneous Mahāvyutpatti, give a slightly different etymology. They derive poṣadha from √puṣ, “to nurture,” and √dhāv, “to purify,”57 which give us the Tibetan gso and sbyong, respectively:

i.45

“Poṣadha from poṣa, as in puṣṇate, meaning ‘to nurture virtue and cause it to grow’; and dha as in dhava gatiśuddhau, meaning ‘to run’ or ‘purify.’58 Generally speaking, gso sbyong is a word that means to take the eight vows at the six times or to nurture and purify those parts of a monk’s rule that have lapsed.”59

i.46

Thus, (Mūla-)sarvāstivādin commentators recognize poṣadha as a term for the eightfold upavasatha observance and the monastic restoration rite. And in both cases, the poṣadha observance is understood to be a rite that “nurtures and purifies,” that is, a “restoration rite” for Buddhists training in pure conduct. As the prolific Mūlasarvāstivādin commentator Kalyāṇamitra writes:

i.47

“Poṣadha, to nurture and purify pure conduct, ‘to cause to nurture.’ ”60

i.48

As discussed earlier, The Chapter on the Restoration Rite prescribes a twofold upavasatha observance, beginning with the seated practice of yoga and concluding with recitation of The Prātimokṣa Sūtra. (Mūla-)sarvāstivādin commentators, including Guṇaprabha, Kalyāṇamitra, and Vimalamitra, describe these two poṣadha observances as (1) śamatha-poṣadha or restoration through meditation, and (2) sāmagrī-poṣadha or restoration through quorum. They tell us that the first nurtures the training in attention and insight while the second purifies the training in pure conduct. The two poṣadha observances are thus understood to be an exercise in “restoration” via the three trainings. As Vimalamitra records in his Compendium of the Vinaya:

i.49

“Poṣadha is what nurtures and purifies the three trainings. There are two types: restoration through quorum and restoration through meditation. The restoration through quorum concerns pure conduct; a quorum is reached through site, assembly, and rite. The restoration through meditation concerns attention and insight; it is the cultivation of the limbs of meditation.”61

Restoring the Prātimokṣa Vow

i.50

It is unclear when this twofold poṣadha rubric was introduced but it is widespread in the materials translated from Indic languages into Tibetan during the eighth through tenth centuries ᴄᴇ.62 As far as we are aware, the Indic (Mūla-)sarvāstivādin commentators cite no textual precedent for this, in which case it may be considered to be of novel Mūla- or Sarvāstivādin coinage. It is worth noting, however, that the upavasatha observance described in the present chapter reflects wider Indian ideas about penance and expiation. In the Dharmaśāstras, Brahmanical texts on custom and law that date from roughly the same period as the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, sins are understood to have both soteriological and social effects. For example, a single negative act may both impede a favorable rebirth and also entail loss of caste or ostracism.63

i.51

Similarly, the seated yoga and The Prātimokṣa Sūtra recitation purify two different kinds of transgression: offenses and wrongdoings.64 Offenses are violations of a decree, while wrongdoings are acts that are wrong for moral reasons: killing and stealing, for example. Offenses and wrongdoings are not mutually exclusive since the Buddha decreed against many acts that are also wrong on moral grounds. In the case of an act that qualifies as both an offense and a wrongdoing, the offending monk must purify both, but through distinct methods. The restoration through meditation neutralizes the karmic effects of wrongdoing. The restoration through quorum removes the offense, and the attendant impediments to the monk or nun’s full participation in saṅgha affairs.65 Ratnākaraśānti, the prolific late tenth–early eleventh-century commentator on all things Buddhist, writes:

i.52

“An offense is the transgression of a decree, so called because it causes a fall and impedes. [An offense] is an impediment because it impedes formal acts of the saṅgha and paths. The rest are to be regretted, that is, to be rued.”66

i.53

An offense can be expunged and good status restored by making amends appropriate to the class of offense and participating in the restoration rite.67 The Mūlasarvāstivādin Prātimokṣa Sūtra records 253 offenses for monks, which are grouped into five classes of decreasing degrees of severity:68

four defeats;69

thirteen saṅgha remnants;70

two types of transgressions:71

thirty transgressions requiring forfeiture,72 and

ninety simple atonements;73

four confessable offenses;74 and

112 misdeeds.75

i.54

In The Chapter on Going Forth, the Buddha groups faults into three categories according to how one makes amends for them:

i.55

“When the monks are seated and have a quorum, they should each individually investigate whether they have incurred any faults in the past half a month that need to be restrained, confessed, or sanctioned. Recognizing those faults, they should make amends by resolving to restrain themselves, confessing them, or sanctioning them before taking their places.”76

i.56

Commenting on this passage, Kalyāṇamitra maps faults that must be “restrained, confessed, or sanctioned” onto the familiar classification of five classes of offense:77

i.57

“Every fortnight before performing the restoration rite, if they have not already done so, monastics should scrutinize themselves for things that should be restrained, that is, subtle mental faults; things that should be confessed, that is, simple atonements, confessable offenses, and misdeeds; and things that should be sanctioned, that is, saṅgha remnants and transgressions requiring forfeiture.”78

i.58

Simple atonements, confessable offenses, and misdeeds‍—classes 3b, 4, and 5 in the list above‍—do not require the saṅgha’s intervention. They can be expunged by confessing them “as a class” prior to, immediately before, or, as the present chapter states, during the restoration rite. Misdeeds do not even need to be confessed out loud, in fact. Resolving to refrain from them in the future is sufficient to expunge the offense.

i.59

Saṅgha remnants and transgressions requiring forfeiture‍—classes 2 and 3a‍—must be sanctioned, either by issuing a probation, penance, and recission, or forfeiting a surplus item, respectively. Since these offenses require a multi-step expiation, they ought to be confessed immediately or as soon as possible, so as to allow the saṅgha sufficient time to impose the appropriate probation or penance, etc. That is why, Kalyāṇamitra says, they should be confessed at least one day prior to an ordination, the restoration rite, or the rite of lifting restrictions.79 Probations, penances, and recissions for saṅgha remnants are described in The Chapter on Penitents.80

i.60

No amendments can be made for defeats‍—class 1. One can, however, be given a training and continue living among the saṅgha as a śikṣadāttaka penitent, as discussed in The Chapter on Penitents and The Chapter on Persons.81 Yet none of this is discussed in The Chapter on Restoration.

Site

i.61

The Chapter on the Restoration Rite’s third section is denoted by the term “Site” in the chapter’s global summary. The material in this section emphasizes that every monastic community, as defined by its members’ sharing of a restoration rite site, should include a saṅgha elder who is able to recite The Prātimokṣa Sūtra.82 In the event that there is no saṅgha elder, one must be invited to preside over the restoration. Thus, this section also describes the protocol for receiving an upholder of the sūtras, the vinaya, or the mātṛkā. Next, instructions are given on receiving the consent and profession of purity from sick monastics unable to attend the restoration rite, which allows the saṅgha to proceed with a quorum. The section concludes with instructions for monastics who cannot make it to a restoration site on upavasatha.

The King

i.62

The fourth section, included under “The King” in the global summary, details the various circumstances‍—apart from illness, which is dealt with in the previous section‍—that may legitimately prevent a monastic or even a whole community from performing the restoration rite. As above, the Buddha explains how consent should be sought from those monastics who are absent, whether because they are being detained by a king or have some business elsewhere. The Buddha then explains how a standing exemption from participating in the restoration rite may be given to monastics who are mentally unfit. This section concludes with instructions for handling confessions on the day of the restoration rite and what to do if an entire saṅgha has incurred the same offense and therefore cannot expiate it.

Several Repetitions

i.63

The fifth and final section, “Several Repetitions,” takes its name from the many paryāya, stock passages that are repeated with slight permutations, that collectively establish the criteria for a proper restoration rite, namely, the presence of all monks on site.83 The text discusses several scenarios in which monks perform the restoration rite‍—knowingly or unknowingly‍—before all the monks have gathered. Through the many repetitions, a simple principle becomes clear: if the restoration rite is started with the intention of excluding others who have not yet arrived, the result is a violation, and those who so start it will be guilty of a breach. The Tibetan text enumerates each of these scenarios individually, leading to extensive repetition.

Translations & Other Studies

i.64

The present translation is based on the Tibetan text of the version of the chapter in the Degé Kangyur with emendations based on the annotations in the Comparative Edition (dpe bsdur ma) of the Kangyur. We consulted the Sanskrit edition prepared by Dr. Haiyan Hu-von Hinüber and published in her 1994 study and German translation, Das Poṣadhavastu: Vorschriften für die buddhistische Beichtfeier im Vinaya der Mūlasarvāstivādavinaya, which remains the foremost academic study of the present chapter. See Clarke 2014 for the extant Sanskrit manuscripts and a concordance of the Sanskrit and Tibetan. There is no extant Chinese translation of this chapter, though relevant material can be found in Genben shuo yiqie you bu bai yi jiemo (根本説一切有部百一羯磨, Taishō 1453), Yijing’s translation of the Ekottarakarmaśataka, a compendium of monastic procedure, and his travelogue Nanhai jigui neifa zhuan (南海寄歸內法傳, Taishō 2125), though neither is referred to in our notes. 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.

The Translation

From The Chapters on Monastic Discipline
The Chapter on the Restoration Rite

Tīrthika

1.1

A summary:

1.2

Tīrthika, the motion,

Consent, seated practice,

Meditation residence, manager,

Acts, and the restoration rite site.85

Tīrthika

1.3

The Blessed Buddha was staying at the Kalandakanivāpa in the Bamboo Grove near Rājagṛha when a great number of lay vow holders from Rājagṛha, who endeavored to see and pay their respects to the Blessed One every morning,86 thought, “The Blessed One has withdrawn into seclusion, as have the dedicated monks, so it is still too early for a visit to see and pay our respects to the Blessed One. Therefore, let us visit the park of another group of wandering mendicant tīrthikas.”

The Motion

Consent

Seated Practice

Meditation Residence

Manager

Acts

Agreeing on the Restoration Rite Site

Kapphiṇa

2.1

A summary:

2.2

Kapphiṇa; consent for robes;

To undo; the small boundary; the large boundary;

To shrink, expand, and undo;

Demarcate; in possession of; and undemarcated,

Villages, the forest, and acts

Are included in this section.148

Kapphiṇa

2.3

The Blessed Buddha was staying at the Kalandakanivāpa in the Bamboo Grove near Rājagṛha.149 The brahmin Kapphiṇa was staying at Senikā Cave near Rājagṛha, in a quorum with the saṅgha with whom he had pledged to share a restoration rite site.150 On the fifteenth, a great many monks were seated and had a quorum at the restoration rite site. The majority were seated and waiting for the venerable brahmin Kapphiṇa. Then Kapphiṇa thought, “Today the saṅgha’s restoration rite falls on the fifteenth. If today, the fifteenth, is also my, the monk Kapphiṇa’s, restoration rite, should I or should I not go to the site of the saṅgha’s restoration rite? Should I or should I not participate in the restoration rite with the saṅgha? Should I or should I not attend the saṅgha’s acts and activities? [F.138.a] Should I or should I not participate with the saṅgha in its acts and activities? The Blessed One has even said:

Robes

Consent to Undo

Consent for the Small Boundary

Consent for the Large Boundary

Consent to Shrink, Expand, and Undo

Demarcate

In Possession Of

Undemarcated

Villages

The Forest

Acts

Site

3.1

A summary:

3.2

Site, the earlier and later part of the rains,

Visiting, travel the countryside,

The night has passed, perform the restoration rite,

And rouse the intention for the restoration rite.172

Site

3.3

A great many monks living at one site assumed the monk so-and-so or the monk so-and-so would lead the Prātimokṣa. But at their restoration rite on the following fifteenth, no monk stepped forth to lead the Prātimokṣa, so the Blessed One said, “The site caretaker, residence caretaker, work caretaker, supplies caretaker, and attendant caretaker, respectively,173 should seek a monk to lead the Prātimokṣa. If they find a monk to lead the Prātimokṣa, then all is well. If they do not, those monks should not stay for another restoration rite at that site.174 They will be guilty of a breach if they stay on.”

The Early Part of the Rains

The Later Part of the Rains

Visiting

Traveling the Countryside

The Night Has Passed, Perform the Restoration Rite

Rouse the Intention for the Restoration Rite

The King

4.1

A summary:

4.2

The king apprehends a monk,

There is business so do not rise,

Giving exemptions to the deranged,

And the ten recollections.

The King Apprehends a Monk

4.3

“If a king, bandit, murderer, brigand, or enemy apprehends a monk on the fifteenth, the day of the restoration rite, the monks should, on behalf of that monk, either go in person or send a messenger to say, ‘As this monk is our fellow brahmacārin, we ask that you release him.’ If he is released, then all is well. If he is not released, a second messenger should be sent to say, ‘As we have some business with this monk, we ask that you please release him.’ If he is released, then all is well. If he is not released, the monks should proceed to an inner circle and perform the restoration rite there.194 Then, the following day, they should endeavor to secure the monk’s freedom. If they so endeavor, then all is well. They will be guilty of a breach if they do not.”

There Is Business So Do Not Rise

Giving Exemptions to the Deranged

The Ten Recollections

Several Repetitions

5.1

A summary:

5.2

Several repetitions:212 lack of a quorum,

Numbers, going, and

The restoration rite of professed purity.

Lack of a Quorum

5.3

“When four or more resident monks are seated and have a quorum on the fifteenth, the day of the restoration rite, they might think, ‘If there are monks who have not yet arrived, it is valid for us to make a motion, perform the restoration rite, and recite The Prātimokṣa Sūtra recitation without those monks who have not yet arrived.’213

Numbers

Going

The Restoration Rite of Professed Purity

Notes

n.1

In the present translation and notes, we often refer to “monks”; this is for textual accuracy, not to exclude nuns from these descriptions. The exact timeline of the foundation of the nuns’ order in relation to the material discussed here is not entirely clear. Nevertheless, it is important to point out that much of this material applies equally to nuns; Tibetan commentators like Butön Rinchen Drup use the verb kha spo ba or spo ba to describe how material for males can be “transferred” to females, for instance. The Indic commentator Dharmamitra even says that, apart from the role of officiant, which must be filled by a monk in the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, nuns may serve in all positions during the nuns’ ordination ceremony, including preceptress or instructor, that is, support or niśraya‍—this last a term which is rendered in Tibetan as gnas mo, the feminine form of gnas. Dharmamitra Toh 4120, F.77.a: 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 bya ste/ 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. The material on nuns is concentrated in the sixth and seventh sections (Tib. sgo) of The Chapter on Minor Matters of Monastic Discipline (Toh 6), e.g., the ordination of nuns on folios 104.b–120.b. See Ven. Jampa Tsedroen’s translation of the main parts of the manual for the nun’s ordination rite on pp. 177–272 of Tsedroen 2020.

n.2

The Sanskrit bhikṣu, or “monk,” has been related to the verbal roots √bhakṣ (“to eat”) and √bhaj (“to accept, partake of, share in, to eat”).

n.3

The Chapter on Going Forth depicts six tīrthika teachers who led large communities of non-Vedic mendicants around the time of the historical Buddha. See The Chapter on Going Forth, 1.226–1.251.

n.4

The “preceptor” (Tib. mkhan po; Skt. upādhyāya) is in charge of a “ward” (Tib. lhan gcig gnas pa; Skt. sārdhaṃvihārin). In the event that the new monk takes a new support, the mentor is called the “support instructor” (Tib. gnas kyi slob dpon; Skt. niśrayācārya) and he is in charge of the “apprentice” (Tib. nye gnas; Skt. antevāsika).

n.5

See The Chapter on Going Forth, 1.648–1.660.

n.6

The late-eighth-century paṇḍita Kalyāṇamitra clarifies that in paying respect, the lay people would pay homage and practice the ascetics’ instructions, i.e., perform a religious observance. Toh 4113, F.308.b: lta dang bsnyen bkur bya ba’i phyir/ zhes bya ba ni phyag bya ba dang/ de’i lung rjes su bsgrub pa’i phyir ro. Kalyāṇamitra is credited as author of six Vinaya commentaries included in the Degé Tengyur: Toh 4110, 4113, 4116, 4130, 4134, and 4135. In his Overview of the Vinaya, Butön Rinchen Drup (F.57.a.6) credits “Kalyāṇamitra, the great Vinayadhara of the Middle Period” (Tib. bar gyi ’dul ba ’dzin pa chen po dge legs bshes bsnyen) as the author of Toh 4110.

n.7

Skt. niṣadyāṃ kriyāṃ poṣadhaṃ ca; Tib. mchis pa dang/ bgyi pa dang/ gso sbyong and also ’dug pa dang/ bya ba dang/ gso sbyong. The formal acts of the saṅgha (Tib. dge ’dun gyi las; Skt. saṅghakarman) are introduced under the heading “protocol” (Tib. bgyi pa and bya ba; Skt. kriyā). The Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya presents these formal acts in greater detail in the Karmavastu (The Chapter on Formal Acts of the Saṅgha), chapter 10 of the Vinayavastu. For more, see Toh 4118, Guṇaprabha’s Ekottarakakarmaśataka (Tib. las brgya rtsa gcig), and Yijing’s translation of a related Mūlasarvāstivādin Ekottarakakarmaśataka, Taishō 1453 (根本説一切有部百一羯磨). Though sharing similar content, the two texts are structured differently and Yijing’s translation is considered a canonical rather than a commentarial work. We would like to thank Dr. Shayne Clarke for his observations on Yijing’s translation and for pointing out that the passage here reads Tib. bgyi pa and bya ba; Skt. kriyā, and not Tib. las; Skt. karman.

n.8

See The Chapter on Going Forth, 1.598.

n.9

The Sanskrit gives bhikṣu or “monk” where the Tibetan translation gives rgyal po or “king.”

n.10

Kalyāṇamitra says the Buddha explained the seated yoga‍—i.e. śamathapoṣadha, “restoration through meditation”‍—first because it is the main poṣadha and also because there is less to explain. Toh 4113, F.308.b: bcom ldan ’das kyis gso sbyong ni rnam pa gnyis su gsungs te/ zhi gnas kyi gso sbyong dang/ mthun pa’i gso sbyong ngo/ /de la gtso bo yin pa’i phyir dang/ brjod par bya ba nyung ba’i phyir je dang por zhi gnas kyi gso sbyong rnam par bshad par bya’o.

n.11

See 1.9.

n.12

The “eight limbs” are (1) yama or inner restraints such as vows; (2) niyama or outer restraints such as obligations and priorities; (3) āsana or postures; (4) prāṇāyāma or breath control; (5) pratyāhāra or withdrawal of the senses; (6) dhāraṇa or focus; (7) dhyāna or absorption; and, finally, (8) samādhi. See White 2014.

n.13

Toh 4113, F.308.a: rnal ’byor zhes bya ba ni ting nge ’dzin te lus dran pa nye bar gzhag pa la sogs pa’o. For the use of yoga in the Pāli Tipiṭaka, see Paravahera Vajirañāṇa Mahāthera 2022, p. 22.

n.14

Tib. mi sdug pa bsgom pa; Skt. aśubhabhāvanā; P. asubhabhāvanā.

n.15

See 1.9.

n.16

Fumi Yao has argued that “Sarvāstivādin” was most likely an umbrella term encompassing many heirs to Sarvāstivādin lineages, including those who self-identified as Mūlasarvāstivādins or the “Original Sarvāstivādins” (Yao 2007, pp. 246–47). The phrase “(Mūla-)sarvāstivādin” is thus meant to include both the wider Sarvāstivādin traditions and those that identify as the “Original Sarvāstivādins,” i.e., the Mūlasarvāstivādins.

n.17

Anālayo 2003, p. 122.

n.18

See, for example, the discussion of the Yogalehrbuch in Nobuyoshi Yamabe’s 1999 dissertation, “The Sutra on the Ocean-Like Samādhi of the Visualization of the Buddha: The Interfusion of the Chinese and Indian Cultures in Central Asia as Reflected in a Fifth Century Apocryphal Sūtra.”

n.19

On the role of visions and visualization in repentance practices that spread to China, see Greene 2021. See also Yamabe 1999 and Vignato et al. 2022.

n.20

See 2.4: rtag tu dag pa snying po ste/ / rtag tu dag pa gso sbyong yin/ /gtsang ma’i las ni dag gyur pa/ /de yi brtul zhugs ’grub par ’gyur. Kalyāṇamitra comments (Toh 4113, F.313.b): snying po ste zhes bya ba ni snying po dang ldan pa ste/ tshul khrims yongs su dag pa zhes bya ba’i tha tshig go/ /rtag tu dag pa gso sbyong yin/ /zhes bya ba ni rtag tu rgyud dag pa ni gso sbyong yin no/ /gtsang ma’i las ni dag gyur pa/ /zhes bya ba ni tshul khrims la kha na ma tho ba med pa’o/ /de yin brtul zhugs ’grub par ’gyur/ /zhes bya ba ni spong ba’i mtshan nyid bdun gyi tshul khrims ’grub par ’gyur zhes bya ba ni tha tshig go.

n.21

Kalyāṇamitra (F.313.b): mi ’gro bar ma byed par zhes bya ba ni mnan pa’i phyir dgag pa gnyis smos so.

n.22

See 1.99. Guṇaprabha (fl. sixth–seventh c. ᴄᴇ) states in his digest of the present chapter, “The restoration should be observed on the fifteenth, every fortnight, with The Prātimokṣa Sūtra recitation.” Vin 2.2498: poṣadhaṃ kurvīran pañcadaśyām anvarddhamāsaṃ prātimokṣasūtroddeśena.

n.23

The idea of “quorum” is also found in The Chapter on Saṅgha Schisms under the phrase “a saṅgha in which [all] are present” (Tib. dge ’dun mngon sum; Skt. saṃmukhībhūtasaṃgha). See The Chapter on Saṅgha Schisms in Toh 1, ch. 17, vol. ga, F.237.b: dge ’dun mngon sum gang zhe na/ mtshams na gnas pa’i dge slong bya bar ’os pa ji snyed pa de dag thams cad ’dus shing mngon sum du gyur pa dang/ ’dun pa blang bar ’os pa rnams las ’dun pa blangs pa dang/ dge slong rnams ’dus shing mngon sum du gyur kyang mi btub cing gshe ba gang dag gis gshe bar ’os pa rnams mi btub pa med cig mi gse la las dag byed pa ’di ni dge ’dun mngon sum zhes bya’o.

n.24

See, e.g., Prebish 2003, p. 57. Prebish, citing Charles Wei-hsun Fu, explains how this social-embeddedness informs but does not comprise the whole of the saṅgha’s moral philosophy: “[T]he Vinaya was as much concerned with the pariśuddhi or complete purity of the community, individually and organizationally, as it was with the specifics of ethical conduct. Under no circumstances should we presume that ethical concerns were superseded in the Vinaya; rather, they were included in a series of tiered concerns that focused on institutional, but not exclusively ethical conduct.”

n.25

These categories reflect the way a ruling may require further elaboration or adaptation after it has been adopted, as the present chapter well illustrates. Guṇaprabha discusses these in sūtra 95 of his Sūtras on Monastic Discipline (Toh 4117 Vinayasūtra): utpatti-prajñapti-anuprajñaptiḥ-pratikṣepa-abhyanujñābhijñatvam. Tib. byung ba dang bcas pa dang rjes su bcas pa dang bkag pa dang gnang ba mngon par shes pa nyid do.

n.26

This opening narrative begins on F.2.b of Toh 3, immediately following Dharmaśreṣṭhin’s In Praise of Monastic Discipline, and ends with the section on the four defeats on F.3.b.

n.27

See Dharmamitra, Toh 4120, vol. yu, F.109.b: brtsams pa’i sde tshan ni rdzogs par bya dgos so zhes bya ba ni/ ་pham par ’gyur ba dang dge ’dun lhag ma dang ma nges pa’i sde tshan ni yang na ni thos pa bsgrags pas bsgrub po.

n.28

In their respective catalogs that include the titles of the śāstras available to the authors in fourteenth-century central Tibet, Butön Rinchen Drup (1290–1364) and Tshalpa Mönlam Dorjé (1284–1347) both attribute the authorship of The Guide to The Prātimokṣa Sūtra (Toh 4104) to Lopön Pawo (Tib. slob dpon dpa bo) or Ācārya Śūra, a.k.a. Aśvaghoṣa (Tib. rta dbyangs). See Butön’s bstan ’gyur gyi dkar chag yid bzhin nor bu dbang gi rgyal po’i phreng ba, F.105.b, and bstan ’gyur gyi dkar chag (sna tshogs) nor bu’i phung po. It is not clear which of the two Indian Buddhist authors named Aśvaghoṣa authored the Vinaya commentaries. The ca. second ᴄᴇ poet Aśvaghoṣa is remembered as the author of two long verse masterpieces, the Buddhacarita and the Saundarananda, hailed as early exemplars of the kāvya style. The second Aśvaghoṣa wrote a manual on guru devotion (Skt. Gurupañcāśikā; Tib. bla ma lnga bcu pa). Śūra’s Guide to The Prātimokṣa Sūtra (Toh 4104) glosses key terms in The Prātimokṣa Sūtra in mixed verse and prose. As is not uncommon, Vimalamitra repeats Śūra on F.40.b–41.b of Toh 4106 (Skt. Prātimokṣa Sūtraṭīkā-vinayasamuccaya; Tib. so sor thar pa’i mdo’i rgya cher ’grel pa ’dul ba kun las btus pa). The latter text is Vimalamitra’s three-volume compendium of comments on The Prātimokṣa Sūtra.

n.29

According to the narrative given in The Chapter on Going Forth discussed above, the Buddha introduced the system of monastic apprenticeship to address the problem of monks who comported themselves badly or rudely, in a manner not becoming of a mendicant. These behaviors are to be distinguished from those that were deemed actual offenses against the Prātimokṣa Vow. See Prebish 2003 on the growth of The Prātimokṣa Sūtra.

n.30

Tib. bslab pa’i gzhi; Skt. śikṣāpada.

n.31

See Śūra (Toh 4104, vol. du, F.37.b–38.a): de la bcom ldan ’das mngon par rdzogs par sangs rgyas te/ nyan thos kyi ’khor brnyes nas lo bcu gnyis kyi bar du ni bcom ldan ’das kyi nyan thos kyi dge ’dun la skyon med cing chu bur med de/ bcom ldan ’das kyi nyan thos dge ’dun rnams kyis so sor thar pa’i mdo gdon pa yang mdor bsdus te/ ’di skad ces/ /sdig pa thams cad mi bya ste/ /dge ba phun sum tshogs par bya/ /rang gi sems ni yongs su gdul/ /’di ni sangs rgyas bstan pa yin/ /lus kyi sdom pa legs pa yin/ /ngag gi sdom pa’ang legs pa yin/ /yid kyi sdom pa’ang legs pa ste/ /thams cad du ni sdom pa legs/ /kun tu bsdams pa’i dge slong ni/ /sdug bsngal kun las rab tu ’grol/ /ngag rnams bsrung zhing yid kyis rab bsdams te/ /lus kyis mi dge ba dag mi byed cing/ /las la ma gsum po ’di dag rab sbyangs na/ /drang srong gsungs pa’i lam ni thob par ’gyur/ /zhes bton par gyur pas/ ’dul ba la nyan thos rnams kyi bslab pa’i gzhi bcas pa med do.

n.32

Skt. āśravasthānīya; Tib. zag pa’i gnas. This term implies something like a “bad apple” that spoils the bunch.

n.33

Śūra (Toh 4104, vol. du, F.38.a):lo bcu gsum pa la bab pa na/ sangs rgyas bcom ldan ’das yul spong byed dag na/ ka lan da ka’i grong na bzhugs pa’i tshe ka lan da ka’i bu bzang byin bcom ldan ’das kyis legs par gsungs pa’i chos ’dul ba la skra dang kha spu bregs te/ gos dur smrig dag bgos nas/ yang dag pa kho nar dad pas khyim nas khyim med par rab tu byung ste/ dgon pa’i spyil bu na ’dug pa rang gi mas bslus nas/ des sngon gyi chung ma dang lhan cig mi tshangs par spyad pa ’khrig pa’i chos bsten te/ zag pa’i gnas lta bu’i chos mang po rnams kyi dang po ka lan da ka’i bu bzang byin gyis mi tshangs par spyad pa’i rkyen gyis byas par gyur nas/ bcom ldan ’das kyis byung ba ’di dang/ gleng gzhi ’di dang/ skabs ’di la dge slong gi dge ’dun bsdu ba mdzad de/ bslab pa bca’ ba’i phan yon bcu yang dag par gzigs pas/ ’dul ba la nyan thos rnams kyi bslab pa’i gzhi bca’ ba mdzad nas/ de phyin chad gleng gzhi re re’i rgyu las bslab pa’i gzhi re re bcas pa’i sgo nas/ ltung ba sde lnga rnam par gzhag pa mdzad nas/ da de dag ji ltar bcas pa bzhin du bshad par bya’o/ /de la gdon par gtogs pa bslab pa’i gzhi thams cad kyi mtshan nyid ni/ gleng gzhi dang/ bslab pa bcas pa dang/ ltung ba rnam par gzhag pas rgyas par ston te.

n.34

The following discussion reflects the (Mūla-)sarvāstivādin exegetical tradition’s interpretations. Charles Prebish surveys a variety of etymological explanations of the term prātimokṣa in his 1974 study and translation of The Prātimokṣa Sūtras of the Mahāsāṃghikas and the Mūlasarvāstivādins. Prebish credits Sukumar Dutt with suggesting that the Sanskrit prātimokṣa “lends itself to interpretation as something serving as a bond, the prefix Prati meaning ‘against’ and the root Mokṣa meaning ‘scattering’ ” (Prebish 2002, p. 18). Prebish critically examines the socio-historical evidence for Dutt’s suggestion on pp. 17–24. He concludes that The Prātimokṣa Sūtra may have served in some senses as a bond but finds Dutt’s etymological argument dubious. Note though that the Sanskrit saṃvara reads more readily than prātimokṣa as “bond” or “rule.” Tshonawa, p. 25: bzhi pa sgra bshad pa la gsum ste/ so sor thar pa’i sdom pa/ dang po thar pa’i sdom pa/ thar pa’i thabs kyi sdom pa zhes bya ste/ pra ti so sor thar pa zhes pa ’di la rgya gar skad du/ mok+Sha zhes so.

n.35

The following explanation draws on this passage by Śūra (Toh 4104, vol. du, F.2.a–3.a): de la rnam grangs gcig tu na dang por thar pa zhes bya bar ston te/ so sor zhes bya ba ni dang po ste/ dang po sdom pa yang dag par len pa’i tshe na/ gsum la skyabs su ’gro ba’i tshig bzlas nas/ sdom pa yang dag par blang ba’i tshig brjod pa gsum pa’i tha ma la/ sdom pa thob pa ni/ thog mar sdom pa thob pa’i gnas skabs yin pas dang po zhes bya’o/ /thar pa zhes bya ba ni grol ba ste/ de ltar sdom pa dang po thob pa de nyid kyi tshe na sdom pa ma yin pa’i mtshan nyid las grol te/ sdom pa’i mtshan nyid kyis bsdus pa’i rnam par rig byed ma yin pa’i gzugs thob pa ni thar pa zhes bya’o/ /de ltar dang po thar pa’i don de las bstan bcos ’di byung ba’am/ don der bstan bcos ’dir bsdus pas bstan bcos ’di’i ming yang dang por thar pa zhes bya bar sbyar ro/ /yang rnam grangs gzhan du na so sor thar pa zhes bya ba ston to/ so sor zhes bya ba ni rgyud tha dad pa’o/ /thar pa zhes bya ba ni rnam par grol ba ste/ gang zag rgyud tha dad pa gang zhig gis sdom pa yang dag par blangs te/ bslab pa’i gzhi rjes su sgrub par byed pa de nyid ngan ’gro dang ’khor ba las rnam par grol bar ’gyur gyi/ gzhan gyis sdom pa yang dag par blangs te/ bslab pa’i gzhi rjes su bsgrubs pas gzhan rnam par grol bar mi ’gyur bas so sor thar pa zhes bya’o/ /de ltar so sor thar pa’i don de las bstan bcos ’di byung ba’am/ don de bstan bcos ’dir bsdus pas bstan bcos ’di’i ming yang so sor thar pa zhes bya’o/ /yang rnam grangs gzhan du na thar pa’i thabs zhes bya bar ston to/ /so sor zhes bya ba ni phyir zhes bya ste/ thabs kyi don to/ /thar pa zhes bya ba ni nges par ’byung ba ste/ mya ngan las ’das pa’o/ /des na so sor thar pa’i mdo ’di ni nges par ’byung ba thob pa’i thabs kyi phyir gsungs pa ste/ lhag pa’i tshul khrims la brten nas lhag pa’i sems skye la/ lhag pa’i sems la brten nas lhag pa’i shes rab skye ba’i rim gyis nges par ’byung ba thob pa’i thabs su gyur pa’i phyir/ so sor thar pa’i mdo ’di ni nges par ’byung ba’i tshul khrims yin pas thar pa’i thabs zhes bya’o/ /de ltar thar pa’i thabs kyi don de las bstan bcos ’di byung ba’am/ don de bstan bcos ’dir bsdus pas bstan bcos ’di’i ming yang thar pa’i thabs zhes bya ba’o/ /mdo zhes bya ba ni/ don tsam zhig ston pas mdo zhes bya ste/ de ltar na bstan bcos ’di ni dang por thar pa’i mdo zhes bya ba dang/ so sor thar pa’i mdo zhes bya ba dang/ thar pa’i thabs kyi mdo zhes bya ba dag tu ston to.

n.36

See, for instance, the rite for receiving the Buddhist lay vow in The Chapter on Going Forth (Toh 1.1, 1.436): de’i ’og tu slob dpon la phyag ’tshal du bcug nas mdun du tsog tsog por ’dug tu bcug ste/ thal mo sbyor du bcug nas des ’di skad ces brjod par bya ste/ btsun pa dgongs su gsol/ bdag ming ’di zhes bgyi ba dus ’di nas bzung ste/ ji srid ’tsho’i bar du rkang gnyis rnams kyi mchog sangs rgyas la skyabs su ’chi’o [mchi’o]/ /’dod chags dang bral ba rnams kyi mchog chos la skyabs su mchi’o/ /tshogs rnams kyi mchog dge ’dun la skyabs su mchi’o/ /bdag ji srid ’tsho’i bar du dge bsnyen du btsun pas gzung du gsol/ de bzhin du lan gnyis lan gsum du bzlas/ tshig gsum pa la slob dpon gyis zhes brjod par bya’o/ /slob dpon gyis thabs yin no zhes brjod par bya’o/ /dge bsnyen gyis legs so zhes brjod par bya’o/ /de ni dge bsnyen gyi sdom pa sbyin pa’o.

n.37

See Apte 1957, vol. 2, p. 1067.

n.38

The Commentary on the Words of the Vibhaṅga, by Vinītadeva, explains pratimokṣa to mean “initial liberation.” See Toh 4114, F.62.b (’dul ba rnam par ’byed pa’i tshig rnam par bshad pa; Skt. Vinayavibhaṅgapadavyākhyāna).

n.39

The Fifty Fascicles refers to Vimalamitra’s three-volume compendium of comments on The Prātimokṣa Sūtra. The discussion of prātimokṣa’s etymology is found on F.3.a-b of Toh 4106. Tshonawa pp. 25–26: bzhi pa sgra bshad pa la gsum ste/ so sor thar pa’i sdom pa/ dang po thar pa’i sdom pa/ thar pa’i thabs kyi sdom pa zhes bya ste/ pra ti (so sor thar pa zhes pa ’di la rgya gar skad du)/ mok+Sha zhes so/ /de la sgra bshad gsum ste/ pra ti zhes pa so so yin la/ mok+Sha zhes pa thar pa yin pas so sor thar pa zhes bya ste/ tshul khrims bsrung ba’i gang zag so so ngan ’gro dang ’khor ba las thar bar ’gyur gyi/ gzhan gyis tshul khrims bsrungs pas gzhan thar par mi ’gyur ba’i phyir ro/ /pra ti zhes pa dang po yin la/ mok+Sha zhes pa thar pa yin pas dang po thar pa zhes kyang bya ste/ sdom pa thob pa’i skad cig dang po de nyid kyi tshe na/ sngar rang rang gi skabs kyi sdom min yin pa de las thar pa’i phyir ro/ /pra ti zhes pa ni sgra’i rkyen gyis thabs kyi don to/ /mok+Sha zhes pa thar pa yin pas thar pa’i thabs zhes pa ste/ des na thar pa’i thabs kyi sdom pa zhes kyang bya’o/ /sgra bshad de gsum ni bam po lnga bcu pa las bshad do. See Toh 4106, F.3.a–b.

n.40

The Prātimokṣa Sūtra’s narrative introduction incorporates a portion of Dharmaśreṣṭhin’s In Praise of the Vinaya Toh 4136, F. 133.b–134.a). Tibetan monastic communities have developed their own liturgies around The Prātimokṣa Sūtra recitation. For an eighteenth-century example, see Paṇchen Sönam Drakpa’s gso sbyong ji ltar bya ba’i tshul la sbyor ba dngos gzhi mjug gsum dang dmigs bsal dang bcas pa rim par bshad pa (pp. 405–15), from his so thar tshul khrims kyi rgyas byed ’dul ba’i legs bshad lung rigs kyi nyi ma.

n.41

See Prebish 2002, pp. 52, 53, 63, 65, 75, 93, 95, 107, and 109.

n.42

Guṇaprabha explains these preparatory steps: “During the rite of quorum restoration, in front of where they will gather for the restoration rite, monks should make amends by scrutinizing themselves for any offenses they have incurred in the two weeks since the last quorum restoration rite and either confess, pledge to refrain from, or sanction that offense they recognize” (Guṇaprabha, Toh 4119, F. 210.a.1–2). The textual precedent for this statement by Guṇaprabha can be found in the “King” section of the present chapter, 4.37-4.45.

n.43

See 4.37-4.45

n.44

See, e.g., the entries on “Monasticism” and “Repentance and Confession” in the Encyclopedia of Buddhism (Buswell 2004). Some offenses, however, must be sanctioned (Tib. byin gyis brlab par bya ba; Skt. adhiṣṭheya) through a formal act, and thus are to be confessed before the rite. Such acts are, specifically, saṅgha remnants and transgressions requiring forfeiture. See Kalyāṇamitra (F.244.a–b): byin gyis brlab par bya ba dag ces bya ba ni dge ’dun lhag ma dang/ spang ba’i ltung byed dag go.

n.45

Tib. bshags sdom.

n.46

See Determining the Vinaya: Upāli’s Questions (Toh 68), i.5.

n.47

These three components seem to correspond to the last three of the four remedial forces of support, rejection, recommitment, and remedy (Tib. rten gyi stob, rnam par sun ’byin pa’i stobs, nyes pa las slar sdog pa’i stobs, and gnyen po kun tu spyod pa’i stobs). In tantric circles and among later Kadampa (Tib. bka’ gdams pa) teachers of mind training (Tib. blo sbyong), these “four remedial powers” or “four antidotes” (Tib. gnyen po stobs bzhi) were taught to neutralize past karma and mitigate the effects of wrongdoing and offenses.

n.48

According to Dutt, “The days of the Full Moon and the New Moon were from the earliest times in India regarded as sacred for sacrificial purposes. The Full Moon and the New Moon are effusively greeted in two hymns of the Atharva-veda. The Vedic sacrifices of Paurnamāsa and Darśa used to be offered on these days. As preliminary to these sacrifices, the preceding days had to be kept holy by the intending sacrificer by fasting or partial abstention from food, as well as by retirement at night into the house in which the sacrificial fire was kept” (Dutt 1924, p. 101).

n.49

Śatapatha Brāhamaṇa 1.1.1.7: te ’sya viśve devā gṛhān āgacchanti te ’sya gṛheṣūpavasanti sa upavasathaḥ. English translation by Julius Eggeling (1882), courtesy of the Wisdom Library, Satapatha-brahmana [Sanskrit]. See also Dutt 1924, p. 101.

n.50

Entry 7137 reads: bsnyung bar ’dugs pa’am nye bar gso spyong byed, i.e., Skt. upavāsa and, apparently, upoṣadha, where Tib. nye bar renders the Skt. prefix upa while the Tib. gso and sbyong render √puṣ and √dhāv, as explained by the authors of The Two-Volume Lexicon or sgra sbyor bam po gnyis pa. But see also upoṣadhaḥ/gso sbyong ’phags (entry 3556) as the name of a king.

n.51

Hu-von Hinüber 1994, p. 1.

n.52

Vernacular terms were translated into literary languages such as Sanskrit, Pāli, and different Prakrits, leading to differing results with differing implications. Prakrits are written forms of vernacular language.

n.53

Vasubandhu’s Abhidharmakośa and his autocommentary (a.k.a. the Bhāṣya) are said to report the positions on abhidharma issues of Kaśmiri Vaibhāṣika and Sautrāntika monastic scholars, generally affiliated with Sarvāstivādin vinaya lineages.

n.54

Here the Skt. poṣadha is rendered in Tibetan as bsnyen gnas: Tib. yan lag brgyad dang ldan pa’i bsnyen gnas; Skt. aṣṭāṅgapoṣadha (or Skt. poṣadhaṃ vratam).

n.55

This may mean that those eight precepts are observed for only one day at a time and so can only approach monastic restraint, which in the Mūlasarvāstivādin tradition entails a life-long commitment.

n.56

Abhidharmakośabhāṣya (Pradhan 1967, 213.25–214.2): arhatāṃ samīpe vasanty anenety upavāsas teṣām anuśikṣaṇāt | yāvaj jīvikasaṃvarasamīpe vasanty anenety apare | alpakuśalamūlānāṃ kuśalamūlapoṣaṇāt poṣadha iti vā | poṣaṃ dadhāti manasaḥ kuśalasya yasmād uktas tato bhagavatā kila poṣadho ’yam iti. In Tibetan translation, chos mngon pa’i mdzod kyi bshad pa (Toh 4090, F.182.a): ’dis dgra bcom pa dag dang nye bar gnas par byed pas na bsnyen gnas te/ de dag gi rjes su slob pa’i phyir ro/ /gzhan dag na re/ ’dis ji srid ’tsho’i bar gyi sdom pa dang nye bar gnas par byed pa’i phyir ro zhes zer ro/ yang na dge ba’i rtsa ba chung ngu rnams kyi dge ba’i rtsa ba gsos ’debs pa’i phyir te/ /gang phyir yid kyi dge ba gsos ’debs de yi phyir/ ’di ni bcom ldan ’das kyis gso sbyong bshad ces grag/ zhes ’byung bas na gso sbyong yin no.

n.57

Rather than √dhā, “to foster.”

n.58

We take dhava gatiśuddhau to be a mis-citation of sūtra 386 of Pāṇini’s Dhātupāṭha, which reads dhāvu gatiśuddhyoḥ. Our thanks to Ven. Hejung Seok for his assistance with these Pāṇini citations.

n.59

poṣadha zhes bya ba poṣa ni puṣṇate dge ba gso zhing rgyas par byed pa la bya/ dha ni dhava gatiśuddhau zhes bya ste/ rgyug pa’am dag par byed pa lta bu la bya/ spyir na dus drug tu khrims brgyad nod pa dang/ dge slong khrims kyi yan lag las nyams pa rnams gso zhing sbyong ba’i ming ste gso sbyong zhes bya (Stok Palace Kangyur, sna tshogs vol. co, F.154.b.6–155.a.2).

n.60

gso sbyong zhes bya ba ni tshul khrims gso zhing sbyong ba ste gso bar byed ces bya ba’i tha tshig go (Kalyāṇamitra, F.312.b2–3).

n.61

See Vimalamitra, vol. du, F.27.b: gso sbyong zhes bya ba ni bslab pa gsum po dag gso zhing sbyong bar byed pa gnas ste/ de yang rnam pa gnyis te/ mthun pa’i gso sbyong dang/ zhi gnas kyi gso sbyong ngo/ /de la mthun pa’i gso sbyong ni lhag pa’i tshul khrims kyi dbang du byas te/ gnas dang tshogs pa dang cho gas mthun par bya’o/ /zhi gnas kyi gso sbyong ni lhag pa’i sems dang lhag pa’i shes rab kyi dbang du byas te spong ba’i yan lag bsgom pa’o. The text continues: “Furthermore, the quorum restoration acts to restrain since it restrains future karma with a dam against improper action, while the śamatha restoration acts to nurture since it is a purification of past karma through meditation. Thus, [these two] are understood to be the quorum restoration and śamatha restoration because the Three Trainings are nurtured and purified through the arising of adhicitta on the foundation of adhiśīla and the arising of adhiprajñā on the foundation of adhicitta.” de yang las phyi ma rnams ni mi bya ba’i chu lon gyis bsdams pa yin pas de ni mthun pa’i gso sbyong gis sdom par byed do/ /las snga ma rnams ni bsgom pa’i rnam pas sbyangs pa yin pas de ni zhi gnas kyi gso sbyong gis gso bar byed de des na lhag pa’i tshul khrims la brten te lhag pa’i sems skye la/ lhag pa’i sems la brten te lhag pa’i shes rab skye bas bslab pa gsum po dag gso zhing sbyong ba ni mthun pa’i gso sbyong dang zhi gnas kyi gso sbyong yin par shes par bya’o. Since participation in this rite is mandatory and all participants must first make amends for any offenses they have incurred, the restoration rite serves to purify monastic precepts in support of the training in discipline (Vimalamitra, Toh 4106, vol. pu, F.30.b.3–5).

n.62

We have not found any evidence for the restoration through meditation in the Vinayapiṭaka, Aṭṭhakathā, or Ṭīkā preserved in Pāli. Nor have we found any explicit mention of a twofold poṣadha rubric including restoration through meditation in the vinayas in Chinese translation. The role of meditation in repentance rites, however, was well established among medieval Chinese Buddhist communities, on which see, e.g., Greene 2021.

n.63

See Brick 2017, p. 315.

n.64

Tib. sdig pa, Skt. pāpa; and Tib. ltung ba, Skt. āpatti, respectively.

n.65

And also attaining a path to liberation, as explained by Ratnākaraśānti.

n.66

Toh 3276 (Skt. Sūtrasamuccayabhāṣyaratnālokālaṃkāra; Tib. mdo kun las btus pa’i bshad pa rin po che snang ba’i rgyan), F.327.b: ltung ba ste ltung bar byed pa dang sgrib par byed pa’i phyir te/ sgrib pa ni las dang lam gyi gegs byed pa’i phyir ro/ /lhag ma ni ’gyod pa ste yid la gcags pa’o.

n.67

Kalyāṇamitra (F.326.a): chos bzhin zhes bya ba ni ltung ba’i ngo bo nyid las mi ’da’ bar ro/ /’dul ba bzhin zhes bya ba ni ’dul ba bzhin phyir bcos pa las mi ’da’ bar ro.

n.68

The following is not an exhaustive enumeration of all the types of offense mentioned in the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya though it would seem that all other offenses can ultimately be classed into one of the following five classes of offense. For example, there are offenses that may temporarily be “undetermined” (Tib. ma nges pa; Skt. aniyata), but ultimately are classed either as saṅgha remnants or transgressions. Furthermore, Mūlasarvāstivādin monastics may also incur a “breach” (Tib. ’gal tshabs; Skt. atisāra), which is a transgression, according to Kalyāṇamitra (F.241.b): ’gal tshabs can zhes bya ba ni nyes pa dang bcas pa ste/ nyes byas kyi ltung ba dang ldan zhes bya ba’i tha tshig go. Śīlapālita, however, records a variety of opinions, including those that consider a “breach” to be a saṅgha remnant, a grievous fault, a simple atonement, and even a misdeed, and concludes that context determines which class a breach belongs to; (Toh 4115, F.183.b): ’gal tshabs can du ’gyur ro zhes bya ba ni ’ga’ zhig tu dge ’dun lhag ma’i gnas ngan len smra ba la sogs pa dang/ ’ga’ zhig tu ji ltar gos kyis bar du chod pa’i bud med kyi yul gyi lus la reg pa bdag gir byed pa’i nyes pa sbom po dang/ kha cig tu myos par byed pa ’thung ba la sogs pa ltung byed ’ba’ zhig pa dang/ kha cig tu gar la sogs pa’i nyes byas dag la ’dir ci rigs par ’gal tshabs can gyi don du blta bar bya’o. There is also a type of offense called a “grievous fault” (Tib. nyes pa sbom po; Skt. sthūlātyaya), as mentioned by Śīlapālita in the previous quote. A “grievous fault” is an “incomplete” sexual act, which would otherwise be classed as a defeat or saṅgha remnant. See Śīlapālita (Toh 4115, F.147.a): nyes pa sbom por ’gyur ro zhes bya ba ’di ni mi tshangs par spyod pa’i pham par gyur pa gcod par byed pa yin no.

n.69

Tib. pham pa; Skt. pārājika.

n.70

Tib. dge ’dun lhag ma; Skt. saṃghāvaśeṣa. Kalyāṇamitra (F.292.a): dge ’dun lhag ma zhes bya ba ni khu ba ’byin pa la sogs pa ste/ ltung ba de gso ba’i lhag ma dge ’dun tsam zhig la las pa ste/ de sbyar ba’i phyir chad pa’i las dge ’dun las ’thob ces bya ba’i tha tshig go.

n.71

Tib. ltung byed; see Skt. pāyantika, pātayantika, prāyaścittika.

n.72

Tib. spang ba’i ltung byed; Skt. naiḥsargikā-pātayantika.

n.73

Tib. ltung byed ’ba’ zhig pa; Skt. śuddha-prāyaścittika.

n.74

Tib. sor bshags; Skt. pratideśanīya.

n.75

Tib. nyes byas; Skt. duṣkṛta. The Prātimokṣa Sūtra (Toh 2) describes these as “principles of training” (Tib. bslab pa’i chos; Skt. śaikṣadharma).

n.76

For the complete English translation, see The Chapter on Going Forth (1.472): dge slong gang dag de’i las kyi gnas su ’jug par ’gyur ba de dag gis kyang der ’du bar ’gyur ba’i tshe zla ba phyed ’das pa’i nyes pa bsdam par bya ba dang/ bshags par bya ba dang/ byin gyis brlab par bya ba dag la so sor brtag par bya zhing nyes pa shes pa bsdam pa’am/ bshags pa’am/ byin gyis brlabs pas phyir bcos te ’dug par bya’o.

n.77

Tib. ltung ba sde lnga; Skt. pañcāpattinikāya. Note though that this rubric does not appear explicitly in The Prātimokṣa Sūtras (Toh 2 and 4).

n.78

Kalyāṇamitra (F.244.a–b): nyes pa de yang gang zhe na/ de’i phyir bsdam par ad ag 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.

n.79

Kalyāṇamitra (F.244.a–b): ’dir ltung byed la sogs pa bshags par gsungs pa ni nyi ma de nyid la phyir bcos par nus pa yin pas de dag ni byin gyis brlabs pas dag pa nyid du mi ’gyur ro zhes bstan te/ dge ’dun lhag ma dang spang ba dag byin gyis brlabs par gsungs pa ni nyi ma de nyid la phyir bcos pa mi nus pa yin pas byin gyis brlabs pas dag pa nyid du ’gyur ro zhes bstan to.

n.80

Pārivāsikavastu, Toh 1, ch. 13. Punishments meted out on intransigent community members are the subject of three chapters within The Chapters on Monastic Discipline (Toh 1): The Chapter on the Monks of Kauśāmbī (Kauśāmbakavastu, Toh 1-9), The Chapter on a Group of Troublesome Monks (Pāṇḍulohitakavastu, Toh 1, ch. 11), and The Chapter on Types of Persons (Pudgalavastu, Toh 1, ch. 12).

n.81

Tib. bslab pa byin pa; Skt. śikṣādattaka. For more on the origin of the rehabilitative trainee, or śikṣādattaka, as recounted in The Chapter on Minor Matters of the Discipline (Kṣudrakavastu, Toh 6), see Clarke 2009.

n.82

The Pāli Vinaya’s The Chapter on the Restoration Rite‍—the Uposathakkhandaka‍—identifies five types of lena or “residence” (Tib. gnas; Skt. layana) that can serve as a restoration site (Pāli uposathāgāra). These five are vihāra, aḍḍhayoga, pāsāda, hammiya, and guhā (Hu-von Hinüber 1994, p. 189). These “five residences” correspond to the five “allowable places” (Skt. kalpikaśālā, Tib. rung ba’i gnas) discussed in The Chapter on Medicines (Toh 1 ch. 6), 10.14 ff. See also Prebish 1974, p. 9.

n.83

The text concludes with several lengthy formulaic repetitions (Tib. sbyar ba, Skt. paryāya, P. peyāla). According to Hu-von Hinüber, Sanskrit and Pāli texts generally elide such repetitions, reflecting the oral tradition of old India and Ceylon, whereas Tibetan translators generally chose not to abridge the material (personal communication, June 19, 2016). For a discussion of formulaic repetitions, see Hu-von Hinüber 1994, p. 157. For deviations between the Sanskrit and Tibetan versions of the Poṣadhavastu associated with these, see Hu-von Hinüber 1994, pp. 239–47.

n.84

The Sanskrit reads “monk” in place of “king.”

n.85

The Sanskrit for this index translates as: “Tīrthikas offer poṣadha. / Why does he not observe poṣadha? / They don’t sit if there is division on a site. / May you describe a poṣadha.” In her study of the Poṣadhavastu, Hu-von Hinüber analyzes the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya’s system of uddāna and the ways in which it differs from those of other Vinaya schools. See Hu-von Hinüber 1994, pp. 155–67 and Hu-von Hinüber 2016, p. 101, n. 177. This discrepancy appears to reflect a general pattern for the present text, in which the Sanskrit uddāna read as prose summaries while the Tibetan translations of these indices are lists that do not form complete sentences. Though its relevance to the present textual discrepancy is uncertain, the Tibetan tradition preserves at least two ways of organizing the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya: a canonical tradition of the Kangyur and a commentarial tradition that follows Guṇaprabha’s Vinayasūtravṛtti, in which the canonical tradition’s material is rearranged and presented according to topic. See Hu-von Hinüber 1997a and 1997b and Emms 2012.

n.86

The Sanskrit reads “every day” (divādivam).

n.148

The Sanskrit for this summary translates as: “The boundary is created on account of Kapphiṇa; there [the rule for] robes is agreed upon./ At a site in which no boundary has been demarcated, there occurs expansion and shrinkage,/ Acts, and the five [ways to recite] the Prātimokṣa.”

n.149

The Sanskrit phrase rājagṛhe nidānam, missing in Tibetan, indicates that this portion of the text relates the narrative introduction (Tib. gleng gzhi, Skt. nidāna) of the boundary (Tib. mtshams, Skt. sīmā), which the Buddha first prescribed while resident at the Senikā Cave vihara near Rājagṛha.

n.150

That is, pledge to gather as one saṅgha and perform the restoration rite at the same place (Kalyāṇamitra, F.313.a).

n.172

Hu-von Hinüber notes the last phrase cittotpādena (Tib. sems bskyed pa) does not appear in the Sanskrit and suggests emending it to adhiṣṭhāna, or “resolution.” Hu-von Hinüber’s suggestion captures the purpose of this section, where monks who cannot perform the restoration rite because they lack the necessary quorum of four monks state that they are “making a resolution” (Tib. byin gyis brlab pa; Skt. adhiṣṭhāna) that they will perform the restoration rite when circumstances allow. Note, however, that sems bskyed pa, the Tibetan correlate to cittotpāda, does appear in the relevant place on 3.40, the corresponding Sanskrit folios for which (61, 62, and 63) have been lost.

n.173

“Caretaker” (Tib. bstabs pa; Skt. parihāra): (1) “site caretaker” (Tib. gnas bstabs pa; Skt. vastuparihāra); (2) “residence caretaker” (Tib. gnas mal bstabs pa; Skt. śayanāsanaparihāra); (3) “work caretaker” (Tib. las bstabs pa; Skt. karmaparihāra); (4) “supplies caretaker” (Tib. rnyed pa bstabs pa; Skt. lābhaparihāra); and (5) “attendant caretaker” (Tib. bsnyen bkur ba bstabs pa; Skt. upasthāyakaparihāra). Silk does not record the Sanskrit parihāra or this list of five positions in his excellent study of Buddhist monastic administration. He does, however, note the form Tib. gnas mal stobs pa’i dge slong; Skt. śayanāsanagrāhako bhikṣuḥ; and Ch. fenyoju bichu 分臥具苾芻 from Yijing (Taishō 1445), which is attested in the Tib. and Skt. parallels of The Chapter on the Rains (Toh 1-4) (Silk 2008, p. 201 and p. 201, n. 15). Schopen translates Tib. gnas mal stobs pa’i dge slong; Skt. śayanāsanagrāhako bhikṣuḥ from Toh 1-4 as the “monk holder of bedding and seating” (Schopen 2002, p. 364). Silk notices the Skt. and Tib. Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya’s mention of the position again in the Kauśāmbakavastu (The Chapter on the Monks of Kauśāmbī, Toh 1-9), and the Śayanāsanavastu (The Chapter on Residences, Toh 1, ch. 15), where the Skt. śayanāsanagrāhako bhikṣuḥ is translated into Tibetan as gnas mal ’gyed pa’ dge slong, lit. “monk residence distributor.” Silk observes that the Pāli Samantapāsādikā distinguishes between the senāsana-gāhāpaka who distributes “bedding and seating” for the rains retreat and the senāsana-paññapaka, a temporary post filled by resident monks (Silk 2008, p. 108, n. 24). In his comments on Toh 1-4, Kalyāṇamitra explains that the “monk residence caretaker” must not lose the “bedding and seating” (Tib. mal cha and stan; Skt. śayana and āsana), hence this position may also be translated “monk bedding and seating caretaker” as Schopen and Silk do. See Kalyāṇamitra (F.316.a): gnas mal bstabs pa zhes bya ba ni mal cha dang stan la sogs pa las mi dbral ba’o. Note though that this monk is also in charge of distributing keys to individual “dwellings” (Tib. gnas khang; Skt. layana, but see also vihāra; Ch. 房) and, furthermore, the Tib. gnas mal; Skt. śayana is used to mean “residence” elsewhere in the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, e.g. “remote residence” (Tib. bas mtha’ gnas mal; Skt. prāntaśayana).

n.174

That is, they should move to another site before the next restoration rite.

n.194

Protocol demands that all monks within the boundary must be in a quorum with the saṅgha’s acts by either attending in person or giving their consent. If an apprehended monk is within the boundary, for instance at a monastic site within a town, an inner circle is formed so that the saṅgha can convene without securing a quorum from the apprehended monk who, given his detainment, is unable to give it (Kalyāṇamitra, F.318.a.6).

n.212

This final section does not contain a “summary” (Tib. sdom; Skt. uddāna) like the previous four. Instead, each section concludes with an “intervening summary” (Tib. bar sdom; Skt. antaroddāna).

n.213

Kalyāṇamitra explains that “monks who have not yet arrived” refers to monks who live within the site boundary but have not yet arrived at the restoration rite site. See F.319.a: dge slong gang dag ma lhags pa zhes bya ba ni mtshams kyi nang na gnas pa gang dag las kyi gnas der ma lhags pa dag go.

Bibliography

Kangyur and Tengyur Sources

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gso sbyong gi 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. 308–517 and pp. 767–86.

dgag dbye’i gzhi (Pravāraṇāvastu). Toh 1, ch. 3, Degé Kangyur vol. 1 (’dul ba, ka), folios 221.b–237.b.

dbyar gyi gzhi (Varṣāvastu). Toh 1, ch. 4, Degé Kangyur, vol. 1 (’dul ba, ka), folios F.237.b–251.b.

sgra sbyor bam po gnyis pa (Nighaṇṭu) [The Two-Volume Lexicon]. Toh 4347, Degé Tengyur vol. 204 (bstan bcos sna tshogs, co), folios 131.b–160.a.

bye brag tu rtogs par byed pa chen po (Mahāvyutpatti). Toh 4346, Degé Tengyur vol. 204 (sna tshogs, co), folios 1.b–131.a.

Dharmamitra. ’dul ba’i mdo’i rgya cher ’grel pa (Vinayasūtraṭīkā). Toh 4120, Degé Tengyur vols. 162–63 (’dul ba, ’u–yu): vol. ’u, folios 1b–388.a; vol. yu, folios 1.b–390.a.

Guṇaprabha. las brgya rtsa gcig pa (Ekottarakarmaśataka). Toh 4118, Degé Tengyur vol. 159 (’dul ba, wu), folios 100.b–259.a.

‍—‍—‍—. ’dul ba mdo’i ’grel pa mngon par brjod pa rang gi rnam par bshad pa zhes bya ba (Vinayasūtravṛttyabhidhānasvavyākhyāna-nāma). Toh 4119, Degé Tengyur vols. 160–61 (’dul ba, zhu–zu): vol. zhu, folios 1.b–278.a; vol. zu, folios 1.b–274.a.

‍—‍—‍—. ’dul ba’i mdo’i ’grel pa (Vinayasūtravṛtti). Toh 4122, Degé Tengyur vol. 165 (’dul ba, lu), folios 1.a–344.a.

Kalyāṇamitra. ’dul ba gzhi rgya cher ’grel ba (Vinayavastuṭīkā). Toh 4113, Degé Tengyur vol. 156 (’dul ba, tsu), folios 177.b–326.b.

Ratnākaraśānti. mdo kun las bdus pa’i bshad pa rin po che snang ba’i rgyan (Sūtrasamuccayabhāṣyaratnālokālaṃkāranāma). Toh 3935, Degé Tengyur vol. 115 (mdo ’grel, chi), folios 1b1-61a7.

Śīlapālita. lung phran tshegs kyi rnam par bshad pa (Āgamakṣudrakavyākhyāna). Toh 4115, Degé Tengyur vol. 158, (’dul ba, dzu), folios 1.b–232.a.

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.

Vinītadeva. ’dul ba rnam par ’byed pa’i tshig rnam par bshad pa (Vinayavibhaṅgapadavyākhyāna). Toh 4114, Degé Tengyur vol. 157 (’dul ba, tshu), folios 1.b–207.a.

Sanskrit Sources

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Guṇaprabha. Vinayasūtra. GRETIL input by Yoshiyasu Yonezawa et al.

Pradhan, K. P. Abhidharma Samuccaya of Asaṅga. Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan Press, Santiniketan, 1950.

Pradhan, Prahlad, and Aruna Haldar, eds. Abhidharmakośabhāṣyam of Vasubandhu. Tibetan Sanskrit Works Series 8. Patna: K. P. Jayaswal Research Institute, 1967.

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Glossary

Types of attestation for names and terms of the corresponding source language

Attested in source text

This term is attested in a manuscript used as a source for this translation.

Attested in other text

This term is attested in other manuscripts with a parallel or similar context.

Attested in dictionary

This term is attested in dictionaries matching Tibetan to the corresponding language.

Approximate attestation

The attestation of this name is approximate. It is based on other names where the relationship between the Tibetan and source language is attested in dictionaries or other manuscripts.

Reconstruction from Tibetan phonetic rendering

This term is a reconstruction based on the Tibetan phonetic rendering of the term.

Reconstruction from Tibetan semantic rendering

This term is a reconstruction based on the semantics of the Tibetan translation.

Source unspecified

This term has been supplied from an unspecified source, which most often is a widely trusted dictionary.

g.1

accept

bzod pa

བཟོད་པ།

kṣam

g.2

act by motion and resolution

gsol ba dang gnyis kyi las

གསོལ་བ་དང་གཉིས་ཀྱི་ལས།

jñāptidvitīyakarman

g.3

act by motion and triple resolution

gsol ba dang bzhi’i las

གསོལ་བ་དང་བཞིའི་ལས།

jñāpticaturthakarman

g.5

agree

blo mthun par byed pa

བློ་མཐུན་པར་བྱེད་པ།

saṃman

g.6

apprentice

nye gnas

ཉེ་གནས།

antevāsika

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 new admit is called a “ward.” But if the mentee wishes to travel while their 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).

g.7

attendant

bsnyen bkur

བསྙེན་བཀུར།

upasthāyaka

g.8

Bamboo Grove

’od ma’i tshal

འོད་མའི་ཚལ།

veṇuvana

g.10

be at ease

bde ba la reg par gnas pa

བདེ་བ་ལ་རེག་པར་གནས་པ།

sukhasparśaviharaṇa

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.

g.12

boundary

mtshams

མཚམས།

sīmā

A monastic “site” (Tib. gnas; Skt. āvāsa) is demarcated by boundaries set by the saṅgha. Such boundaries are set when first establishing a permanent monastic residence or when demarcating an ad hoc site, where forest-dwelling monks may gather every two weeks to recite The Prātimokṣa Sūtra, for example. A gathering of all the monks within a site’s boundaries constitutes a “quorum,” which is necessary for enacting formal acts of the saṅgha.

g.13

breach

’gal tshab

འགལ་ཚབ།

atisāra

In the first chapters of The Chapter on Monastic Discipline, Kalyāṇamitra explains “breach” to mean a “misdeed” (Tib. nyes byas; Skt. duṣkṛta) (Toh 4113, F.324.b–325.a). In his comments on The Chapters on Minor Matters of Discipline, however, Śīlapālita cites instances or opinions in which a “breach” refers variously to a saṅgha remnant, a grievous fault, a simple atonement, or a misdeed, before concluding that a breach’s class of offense must be determined according to context: (Toh 4115, F.183.b).

g.14

brigand

phyir rgol ba

ཕྱིར་རྒོལ་བ།

pratyarthika

g.15

caretaker

bstabs pa

བསྟབས་པ།

parihāra

The Chapter on the Restoration Rite introduces five types of caretakers who manage and administer the saṅgha’s movable and immovable property at a monastic site. The five kinds of caretaker (Tib. bstabs pa; Skt. parihāra) are called: (1) “site caretaker” (Tib. gnas bstabs pa; Skt. vastuparihāra), (2) “residence caretaker” (Tib. gnas mal bstabs pa; Skt. śayanāsanaparihāra), (3) “work caretaker” (Tib. las bstabs pa; Skt. karmaparihāra), (4) “supplies caretaker” (Tib. rnyed pa bstabs pa; Skt. lābhaparihāra), and (5) “attendant caretaker” (Tib. bsnyen bkur ba bstabs pa; Skt. upasthāyakaparihāra). (3.3-3.10).

g.18

confessable offense

so sor bshags pa

སོ་སོར་བཤགས་པ།

pratideśanīya

g.19

confessor

len pa

ལེན་པ།

g.20

consent

’dun pa

འདུན་པ།

chanda

Monastics 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 that they consent to any formal actions taken in their absence. Such consent is sent by proxy. If monastics cannot attend the restoration rite 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 restoration rite. See Kalyāṇamitra (F.318.a–b).

g.21

created

byas pa

བྱས་པ།

g.24

dedicated

yid du ’thad pa

ཡིད་དུ་འཐད་པ།

manorama

g.25

defeat

phas pham pa

ཕས་ཕམ་པ།

pārājika

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.

g.27

dwelling

gnas khang

གནས་ཁང་།

layana

g.32

fellow brahmacārin

tshangs pa mtshungs par spyod pa

ཚངས་པ་མཚུངས་པར་སྤྱོད་པ།

sabrahmacārin

g.36

global summary

spyi’i sdom

སྤྱིའི་སྡོམ།

piṇḍoddāna

The content of The Chapters on Monastic Discipline is condensed into metered lists called “summaries” (Tib. sdom; Skt. uddāna) or “verse summaries” (Tib. sdom gyi tshigs su bcad pa; Skt. uddānagāthā). Each chapter has a “global summary,” composed of several topics, which form the basis of subsequent “summaries.” Very occasionally, specific elements of a chapter will be recapitulated in “intervening summaries” (Tib. bar sdom; Skt. antaroddāna).

g.37

grievous fault

nyes pa sbom po

ཉེས་པ་སྦོམ་པོ།

sthūlātyaya

g.38

hall

khyams

ཁྱམས།

prāsāda

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 residence” (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. pariṣaṇḍā), and (5) “courtyard” (Tib. ’khor gyi khyams; Skt. maṇḍalavāṭa).

g.40

holy life

tshangs par spyod pa

ཚངས་པར་སྤྱོད་པ།

brahmacarya

Śīlapālita explains that here “holy” (Tib. tshangs pa; Skt. brahman) refers to nirvāṇa, and so, for Buddhists, a life or practice (Tib. spyod pa; Skt. carya) oriented to that end amounts to a “holy life.” See Śīlapālita (Toh 4115, F.43.b): tshangs pa ni mya ngan las ’das pa yin la/ de’i rgyu mtshan du spyod pa ni tshangs par spyod pa ste/ de dang ’gal ba ni mi tshangs par spyod pa’o.

g.41

inner circle

dkyil ’khor

དཀྱིལ་འཁོར།

maṇḍalaka

g.43

Kalandakanivāpa

ka lan da ka’i gnas

ཀ་ལན་ད་ཀའི་གནས།

kalandakanivāpa

g.44

Kapphiṇa

ka bi na

ཀ་བི་ན།

kapphiṇa

g.45

key

lde mig kyog po

ལྡེ་མིག་ཀྱོག་པོ།

kuñcikā

g.48

lay vow holder

dge bsnyen

དགེ་བསྙེན།

upāsaka

g.51

lock

lde mig

ལྡེ་མིག

tāḍaka

g.52

make amends

phyir bya

ཕྱིར་བྱ།

prati√kṛ

Lit. “should make amends.” Monks and nuns must confess offenses and “make amends” for them. The proper procedure for making amends for offenses is described in The Chapter on the Restoration Rite (Toh 1-2, 4.47), where the monastic acknowledges the fault and then resolves to refrain from such behavior in the future. In the Tengyur, the Tibetan verb is usually given as phyir bcos pa. In The Chapter on Lifting Restrictions, the Skt. pratikartavyā is rendered in Tibetan as slar bgyi’o, as in the oft-repeated statement, “If I know of or see an offense, I will properly make amends for that offense in accord with the Vinaya” (Toh 1-3, 1.32: ltung ba shes zhing mthong na chos bzhin ’dul ba bzhin slar bgyi’o; Skt. jānaṃ paśyann āpattiṃ yathādharmaṃ yathāvinayaṃ pratikariṣye).

g.54

mātṛkā

ma mo
ma mo lta bu

མ་མོ།
མ་མོ་ལྟ་བུ།

mātṛkā

g.57

meditation residence

spong khang

སྤོང་ཁང་།

prahāṇaśālā

This term refers both to the dwellings and communal structures like a meditation hall at a monastic site. More literally “shelter for exertion”, Kalyāṇamitra describes this as a “place for the cultivation of samādhi” (F.309.a: spong khang zhes bya ba ni bsam gtan sgom pa’i gnas so). Asaṅga’s Abhidharmasamuccaya uses the Skt. prahāṇa (Tib. spong ba) as “meditation” in the phrase samyakprahāṇa; Tib. yang dag par spong ba. On the Pāli correlate, padhāna, see Paravahera Vajirañāṇa Mahāthera 2022, p. 22.

g.59

misdeed

nyes byas

ཉེས་བྱས།

duṣkṛta

g.60

monastery

gtsug lag khang

གཙུག་ལག་ཁང་།

vihāra

This may refer to (1) the whole monastic residence, i.e. “monastery,” with one or more “meditation residences” (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, 3.38).

g.62

motion

gsol ba

གསོལ་བ།

jñapti
jñāpti

g.63

Mūlasarvāstivāda

gzhi thams cad yod par smra ba’i sde

གཞི་ཐམས་ཅདསྨྲ་བའི་སྡེ།

mūlasarvāstivāda

Literally the “original Sarvāstivāda,” a term thought to have been used as a self-identification by a group within the wider Sarvāstivādin tradition initially clustered around Mathurā and regions to its northwest. If this really was a sub-school, little else is known of it apart from its distinct corpus of vinaya literature‍—the largest of the several vinaya corpora still extant and the only one that has been preserved in Tibetan. See also n.16.

g.64

narrative introduction

gleng gzhi

གླེང་གཞི།

nidāna

g.65

natural

grub pa

གྲུབ་པ།

g.66

offense

ltung ba

ལྟུང་བ།

āpatti

g.68

park

kun dga’ ra ba

ཀུན་དགའ་ར་བ།

ārāma

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Generally found within the limits of a town or city, an ārāma was a private citizen’s park, a pleasure grove, a pleasant garden‍—ārāma, in its etymology, is somewhat akin to what in English is expressed by the term “pleasance.” The Buddha and his disciples were offered several such ārāmas in which to dwell, which evolved into monasteries or vihāras. The term is still found in contemporary usage in names of Thai monasteries.

g.71

path

ལམ།

mārga

g.72

penance

spo ba

སྤོ་བ།

parivāsa

g.77

pledged to share a restoration rite site

gso sbyong gcig pa’i gnas kyi sdom pa

གསོ་སྦྱོང་གཅིག་པའི་གནས་ཀྱི་སྡོམ་པ།

g.79

probation

mgu ba

མགུ་བ།

mānapya

A probation is a remedial act imposed on a monk for having committed a saṅgha remnant. A “penance” (Tib. spo ba; Skt. parivāsa) is imposed, in addition to the probation, if the offense is concealed. The offending monk must ask the saṅgha to give him a penance and/or probation, during which the monk loses five privileges and must perform five menial chores. After completing the penance and/or probation, the saṅgha may “rescind” (Tib. dbyungs ba; Skt. āvarhaṇa) the punishments, thus restoring the monk’s privileges.

g.81

proper

chos dang ldan pa

ཆོས་དང་ལྡན་པ།

dhārmika

g.82

properly

chos bzhin du

ཆོས་བཞིན་དུ།

yathādharmam

g.83

pure conduct

tshul khrims

ཚུལ་ཁྲིམས།

śīla

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Morally virtuous or disciplined conduct and the abandonment of morally undisciplined conduct of body, speech, and mind. In a general sense, moral discipline is the cause for rebirth in higher, more favorable states, but it is also foundational to Buddhist practice as one of the three trainings (triśikṣā) and one of the six perfections of a bodhisattva. Often rendered as “ethics,” “discipline,” and “morality.”

g.84

purity

yongs su dag pa

ཡོངས་སུ་དག་པ།

pariśuddhi

A monk’s “purity” is lost when he incurs an offense, but he can restore his purity by confessing and making amends appropriate to that class of offense. All monks on site must profess their purity before The Prātimokṣa Sūtra is recited during the restoration rite. If a monk cannot attend, he must profess his purity through a proxy, who conveys it to the saṅgha. See Kalyāṇamitra (F.318.a–b).

g.85

quorum

mthun pa

མཐུན་པ།

sāmagrī

A gathering of all of the monks present within a boundary for an official act of the saṅgha, such as an ordination ceremony. As in, “having secured a quorum” (Tib. mthun par gyur pa; Skt. sāmagrīm prāpya). The Tibetan translation of Kalyāṇamitra’s The Ṭīkā on the Chapters on Monastic Discipline glosses sāmagrī or mthun pa with tshang ba, meaning “complete” (Toh 4113, F.264.b): mthun pa zhes bya ba ni tshang ba’o. Here, the Tibetan term tshang ba presumably renders the Sanskrit samagra, for which Apte gives “all, whole, entire, complete” (Apte 1957, vol. 3, p. 1629). However, according to Edgerton, in Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit usage, samagra is closer in meaning to the Pāli samagga, or “united, harmonious.” (See samagra in Edgerton p. 560, col. 2). The word translated here as “quorum” has also been translated by Edgerton as “concord,” “communion,” and “meeting (of monks).” Pāli dictionaries give meanings such as “completeness,” “quorum,” and “unanimity.”

g.87

Rājagṛha

rgyal po’i khab

རྒྱལ་པོའི་ཁབ།

rājagṛha

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The ancient capital of Magadha prior to its relocation to Pāṭaliputra during the Mauryan dynasty, Rājagṛha is one of the most important locations in Buddhist history. The literature tells us that the Buddha and his saṅgha spent a considerable amount of time in residence in and around Rājagṛha‍—in nearby places, such as the Vulture Peak Mountain (Gṛdhrakūṭaparvata), a major site of the Mahāyāna sūtras, and the Bamboo Grove (Veṇuvana)‍—enjoying the patronage of King Bimbisāra and then of his son King Ajātaśatru. Rājagṛha is also remembered as the location where the first Buddhist monastic council was held after the Buddha Śākyamuni passed into parinirvāṇa. Now known as Rajgir and located in the modern Indian state of Bihar.

g.88

recission

dbyung ba

དབྱུང་བ།

āvarhaṇa

A probation is a remedial act imposed on a monk for having committed a saṅgha remnant. A “penance” (Tib. spo ba; Skt. parivāsa) is imposed, in addition to the probation, if the offense is concealed. The offending monk must ask the saṅgha to give him a penance and/or probation, during which the monk loses five privileges and must perform five menial chores. After completing the penance and/or probation, the saṅgha may rescind the punishment, lit. give a “recission” (Tib. dbyungs ba; Skt. āvarhaṇa), thus restoring the monk’s privileges.

g.89

repetition

sbyar ba

སྦྱར་བ།

paryāya

g.90

residence

gnas mal

གནས་མལ།

śayanāsana

The compound term Tib. gnas mal; Skt. śayanāsana comprises the words “dwelling” or “bed” (see Tib. gnas and mal cha; Skt. śayana) and “seating” (Tib. stan; Skt. āsana). In Vinaya usage, it refers to a monastic residence and its furnishings. The “residence caretaker” (Tib. gnas mal bstabs pa; Skt. śayanāsanaparihāra) is in charge of distributing keys for the individual “dwellings” (Tib. gnas khang; Skt. layana) on site. The term “dwelling/residence” (Tib. gnas mal; Skt. śayana) also appears in terms like bas mtha’ gnas mal, Skt. prāntaśayana (“remote residence”) and Tib. dben pa’i gnas mal (“isolated residence”).

g.91

resident monk

dge slong gnyug mar gnas pa

དགེ་སློང་གཉུག་མར་གནས་པ།

naivāsiko bhikṣuḥ

g.92

restoration rite

gso sbyong

གསོ་སྦྱོང་།

poṣadha

A bi-weekly ritual performed on the upavasatha holiday, from which the term poṣadha derives. Monastics are expected to confess most types of offenses without delay and so confessions are generally done prior to the start of the restoration rite. During the rite, monastics affirm that they have confessed and amended for offenses, thereby affirming their “purity,” and thus that of the saṅgha as a whole.

g.93

restoration rite site

gso sbyong gi gnas

གསོ་སྦྱོང་གི་གནས།

poṣadhāmukha

The Sanskrit compound poṣadha-āmukham (lit. “restoration commencement”) was translated into Tibetan as gso sbyong gi gnas (lit. “restoration rite site”). Kalyāṇamitra’s gloss of poṣadhāmukhaṃ clarifies the Tibetan translation gso sbyong gi gnas: “ ‘should agree on a restoration rite site’; that site where the restoration rite will commence is called the ‘restoration rite site.’ The saṅgha should, through a twofold act and motion, agree to hold the restoration rite at that site.” Toh 4113, (F.312.b): gso sbyong gi gnas la blo mthun par bya’o zhes bya ba ni gnas gang du gso sbyong mngon du byed pa’i gnas de ni gso sbyong gi gnas zhes bya ste/ gnas der gso sbyong bya bar dge ’dun gyis gsol ba dang gnyis kyi las kyis blo mthun par bya ba’o.

g.98

sanction

byin gyis brlabs te

བྱིན་གྱིས་བརླབས་ཏེ།

adhiṣṭhāya

When a monk cannot participate in a proper restoration rite, he must sanction it. This is only a temporary “excusal” though, since the monk pledges to attend the next restoration rite he can. See Kalyāṇamitra F.318.a.2: byin gyis brlab po zhes bya ba ni dus gzhan du bya ba’i phyir dang/ gzhan par bya ba’o. Certain items (such as the three robes and the begging bowl) must also be “sanctioned” by the preceptor at ordination or later by the monastic if they have left them elsewhere overnight. And, citing a passage from The Chapter on the Restoration Rite (Toh 1-2, 1.99), Kalyāṇamitra (Toh 4113, F.244.a) 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.

g.99

saṅgha remnant

dge ’dun lhag ma

དགེ་འདུན་ལྷག་མ།

saṅghāvaśeṣa

One of five types of offense a monk can incur. Second only to a defeat in severity, there are thirteen such offenses. After a monastic incurs a saṅgha remnant, they must complete a “probation” (Skt. mānāpya; Tib. mgu ba) or, if the offense was initially concealed, a “penance” (Skt. parivāsa; Tib. spo ba) followed by probation. During this time, the offending monk loses certain privileges and must perform menial tasks. Upon completion of this period of probation and penance, the saṅgha may then rescind the punishment with an “act of recission” (Tib. dbyung ba’i las; Skt. āvarhaṇa / āvarhaṇakarman).

g.101

seated practice

’dug pa

འདུག་པ།

niṣadyā

g.102

Senikā Cave

sde can ma’i phug

སྡེ་ཅན་མའི་ཕུག

senikāguhā

g.105

simple atonement

ltung ba ’ba’ zhig pa

ལྟུང་བ་འབའ་ཞིག་པ།

śuddha-prāyaścittika

g.106

site

gnas

གནས།

āvāsa

A “site” is an area for monastic residence demarcated from surrounding land by a boundary (Tib. mtshams; Skt. sīmā), which is adopted in an official act of the saṅgha who are to reside there. The act along with the different natural and adopted boundaries used to mark the perimeter of a monastic residential site are described in The Chapter on the Restoration Rite. Once a site has been demarcated, other formal acts of saṅgha (such as the rites of restoration, lifting restrictions, and pledging to settle for the rains) may be performed there. Thus, an officially sanctioned monastic “site” is also described as an “allowable place” (Tib. rung ba’i gnas; Skt. kalpikaśālā) in The Chapter on Medicines (Toh 1-6, 10.14 ff). In secondary scholarship, the Sanskrit āvāsa or “site” has also been translated as “monastic district” and “colony.”

g.108

śrāvaka

nyan thos

ཉན་ཐོས།

śrāvaka

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The Sanskrit term śrāvaka, and the Tibetan nyan thos, both derived from the verb “to hear,” are usually defined as “those who hear the teaching from the Buddha and make it heard to others.” Primarily this refers to those disciples of the Buddha who aspire to attain the state of an arhat seeking their own liberation and nirvāṇa. They are the practitioners of the first turning of the wheel of the Dharma on the four noble truths, who realize the suffering inherent in saṃsāra and focus on understanding that there is no independent self. By conquering afflicted mental states (kleśa), they liberate themselves, attaining first the stage of stream enterers at the path of seeing, followed by the stage of once-returners who will be reborn only one more time, and then the stage of non-returners who will no longer be reborn into the desire realm. The final goal is to become an arhat. These four stages are also known as the “four results of spiritual practice.”

g.110

Sudinna

bzang byin

བཟང་བྱིན།

sudinna

g.111

summary

sdom

སྡོམ།

uddāna

g.112

support

gnas

གནས།

niśraya

A “support” is the preceptor (Tib. mkhan po; Skt. upādhyāya) of a new renunciant or ordained person, who is called the preceptor’s “ward” (Tib. lhan gcig gnas pa; Skt. sārdhaṃvihārin). For at least five years after ordination, new admits to the saṅgha must live with or near a monastic mentor or “support.” If a new monk or nun wishes to travel while their mentor does not (or vice versa), the monk or nun must take a new support from among the saṅgha elders at their final destination. 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 pa; Skt. antevāsika). See The Chapter on Going Forth (Toh 1, ch. 1, 1.628–1.678).

g.114

tīrthika

mu stegs can

མུ་སྟེགས་ཅན།

tīrthika

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Those of other religious or philosophical orders, contemporary with the early Buddhist order, including Jains, Jaṭilas, Ājīvikas, and Cārvākas. Tīrthika (“forder”) literally translates as “one belonging to or associated with (possessive suffix –ika) stairs for landing or for descent into a river,” or “a bathing place,” or “a place of pilgrimage on the banks of sacred streams” (Monier-Williams). The term may have originally referred to temple priests at river crossings or fords where travelers propitiated a deity before crossing. The Sanskrit term seems to have undergone metonymic transfer in referring to those able to ford the turbulent river of saṃsāra (as in the Jain tīrthaṅkaras, “ford makers”), and it came to be used in Buddhist sources to refer to teachers of rival religious traditions. The Sanskrit term is closely rendered by the Tibetan mu stegs pa: “those on the steps (stegs pa) at the edge (mu).”

g.115

transgression requiring forfeiture

spong ba’i ltung byed

སྤོང་བའི་ལྟུང་བྱེད།

naiḥsargikā-pātayantika

g.116

travel the countryside

ljongs rgyur ’dong ba

ལྗོངས་རྒྱུར་འདོང་བ།

janapadacāra

g.118

upavasatha

bsnyen gnas

བསྙེན་གནས།

upavasatha

g.120

visiting monk

dge slong glo bur du ’ongs pa

དགེ་སློང་གློ་བུར་དུ་འོངས་པ།

āgantuko bhikṣuḥ

g.122

wandering mendicant

kun du rgyu

ཀུན་དུ་རྒྱུ།

parivrājaka

According to the Āpastamba Dharmasūtra (ca. fourth–fifth c. ʙᴄᴇ), someone who has completed the Brahmanical studentship (Skt. brahmacarya) may go on to live as a wandering mendicant. According to The Chapter on Going Forth, Śāriputra’s brother, Koṣṭhila, became a wandering mendicant among the Lokāyata ascetics of the south where he was known as Dīrghanakha. Later, on returning to Magadha, he went to see his brother and the Buddha, who gave a discourse on nonself that served as the catalyst for the awakening of both Śāriputra and Koṣṭhila. See The Chapter on Going Forth (Toh 1, ch. 1), 1.332-1.363.

g.123

ward

lhan cig gnas pa

ལྷན་ཅིག་གནས་པ།

sārdhaṃvihārin

The Chapter on the Restoration Rite Introduction

Toh 1-2

Imprint

Text Body

The Chapter on the Restoration Rite
Introduction