Vol. 11 · pages 436–440

417 THE SANGH to a Bhikkhu and spends his time in the service of the Bhikkhu. He is not a person who has taken Parivraja. 24. The status of a Bhikkhu has to be reached in two stages. The first stage is called Parivraja and the second stage is called Upasampada. It is after Upasampada that he becomes a Bhikkhu. 25. A candidate who wishes to take Parivraja with a view ultimately to become a Bhikkhu has to seek a Bhikkhu who has the right to act as an Uppadhya. A Bhikkhu can become an Uppadhya only after he has spent at least 10 years as a Bhikkhu. 26. Such a candidate if accepted by the Uppadhya is called a Parivrajaka and has to remain in the service and tutelage of the Uppadhya. 27. After the period of tutelage ends it is his Uppadhya who has to propose the name of his student to a meeting of the Sangh specially called for the purpose for Upasampada and the student must request the Sangh for Upasampada. 28. The Sangh must be satisfied that he is a fit and a proper person to be made a Bhikkhu. For this purpose there is a set of questions which the candidate has to answer. 29. Only when the Sangh grants permission that Upasampada is granted and the person becomes a Bhikkhu. 30. The rules regulating entry into the Bhikkhuni Sangh are more or less the same as the rules regulating the entry into the Bhikkhu Sangh. § 3. The Bhikkhu and His Vows 1. A layman or a Shramanera takes precepts. His obligation is to follow them. 2. A Bhikkhu besides taking precepts takes them also as vows which he must not break. If he breaks them he becomes liable to punishment. 3. A Bhikkhu vows to remain celebate. 4. A Bhikkhu vows not to commit theft. 5. A Bhikkhu vows not to boast. 6. A Bhikkhu vows not to kill or take life. V

418 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES 7. A Bhikkhu vows not to own anything except what the rules allow. 8. No Bhikkhu is to possess more than the following eight articles :— (1) Three pieces of cloth to cover his body: (i) lower garment called Antarvaska. (ii) upper garment called Uttarasang. (iii) covering garment against cold called Sanghati. (2) A girdle for the loins. (3) An alms-bowl. (4) A razor. (5) A needle. (6) A water-strainer. 9. A Bhikkhu takes the vow of poverty. He must beg for his food. He must live on alms. He must sustain himself only on one meal a day. Where there is no Vihar built for the Sangh, he must live under a tree. 10. A Bhikkhu does not take a vow of obedience. Outward respect and courtesy to his superiors is expected from the novice. His own salvation and his usefulness as a teacher depend on his self-culture. He is to obey not his superior but the Dhamma. His superior has no supernatural gift of wisdom or of absolution. He must stand or fall by himself. For that he must have freedom of thought. 11. Any breach of a vow taken by a Bhikkhu results in an offence of Parajika. The punishment for Parajika is expulsion from the Sangh. § 4. The Bhikkhu and Ecclesiastical Offences 1. Any breach of the vows taken by a Bhikkhu is an offence against the Dhamma. 2. In addition to these offences there were certain other offences to which he was also liable. They were called Sanghadisesa—ecclesiastical offences. 3. The list of such offences included in the Vinaya Pitaka are thirteen. 4. They are allied to the Parajika. V

419 THE SANGH § 5. The Bhikkhu and Restraints 1. Besides sailing clear of offences a Bhikkhu must observe certain restrictions and cannot be as free as others. 2. One set of such restrictions are called NISSAGIYAPACITTIYA. It contains 26 restrictions to be observed by the Bhikkhu. 3. They relate to accepting gifts of robes, woollen mats, bowl and medical requisites. 4. They also relate to the acceptance of gold and silver Engagement of a monk in buying and selling and appropriation of property given to the Sangh to himself. 5. The punishment for breach of these restrictions is restoration (nissagiya) and expression of repentance (pacittiya). 6. Besides these restrictions there are other restrictions which a Bhikkhu has to observe. They are called PACITTIYA. They number ninety-two. § 6. The Bhikkhu and Good Conduct Rules 1. A Bhikkhu must behave well. He should be a model person in his mode and manner of behaviour. 2. In order to secure this purpose the Blessed Lord framed a number of Good Conduct Rules. 3. These Good Conduct Rules were called Sekhiya Dhamma. They number seventy-five. § 7. The Bhikkhu and the Trial of Offences 1. The enactment of these acts and omissions were not a mere formality. They were legal in substance involving a definite charge, trial and punishment. 2. No Bhikkhu could be punished without a trial by a regularly constituted Court. 3. The Court was to be constituted by the Bhikkhus resident at the place where an offence had taken place. V

420 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES 4. No trial could take place without a proper number of Bhikkhus required to constitute a Court. 5. No trial would be legal without a definite charge. 6. No trial could be legal if it did not take place in the presence of the accused. 7. No trial could be legal if the accused had not been given the fullest opportunity to defend himself. 8. The following punishments could be awarded against a guilty Bhikkhu: (i) Tarjaniya Karma (warn and discharge). (ii) Niyasha Karma (declaring insane). (iii) Pravrajniya Karma (expulsion from the Sangh). (iv) Utskhepniya Karma (boycott). (v) Parivasa Karma (expulsion from Vihar). 9. Expulsion may be followed by ABBANA KARMA Abbana Karma means annulment of dismemberment. It may be followed after granting of Pardon granted by the Sangh after being satisfied with the proper performance of Parivasa Karma. § 8. The Bhikkhu and Confession 1. The most original and unique institution created by the Blessed Lord in connection with the organization of the Bhikkhus was the introduction of Confession, called UPOSATH. 2. The Blessed Lord realized that it was possible to enforce what he had laid down as offences. But he had laid down certain restrictions which were not offences. He said that the restrictions were most intimately connected with building up of character and maintaining character; and that there was equal necessity to see that they were observed. 3. But the Lord could find no effective way of enforcing them. He therefore thought of Confession in open as a means of organizing the Bhikkhu’s conscience and making it act as a sentinel to guard him against taking a wrong or false step. V

421 THE SANGH 4. The Confession was confined to the transgressions of restrictions (which were called Patimokha). 5. For a Confession there was to be a meeting of the Bhikkhus of a given locality. There were to be three such meetings in a fortnight, one each on CHATURDASHI, PANCHADASI and ASHATAMI. On that day the Bhikkhus may fast. That is why the day is also called UPOSATH. 6. At the meeting a Bhikkhu reads the restrictions one by one contained in the Patimokha. After reading a restriction he says to the assembled Bhikkhus, “I take it that none of you have transgressed this Rule, that is why you are silent.” He says this three times. Then deals with the next restriction. 7. A similar Confessional meeting is required of the Bhikhhuni Sangh. 8. On a Confession a charge and trial may follow. 9. On a failure to Confess, any Bhikkhu may report a transgression if he was a witness to it and then a charge and trial may follow. V