Vol. 11 · pages 441–445

PART II The Bhikkhu—The Buddha’s Conception of Him 1. Buddha’s conception of what a Bhikkhu should be. 2. The Bhikkhu and the Ascetic. 3. The Bhikkhu and the Brahmin. 4. The Bhikkhu and the Upasaka.

425 THE BHIKKHU-THE BUDDHA’S CONCEPTION OF HIM § 1. Buddha’s Conception of What a Bhikkhu Should Be 1. The Buddha has himself told the Bhikkhus what he expected of them as Bhikkhus. This is what he has said. 2. “He who wishes to put on the yellow dress without having cleansed himself from sin, who disregards also temperance and truth, is unworthy of the yellow dress. 3. “But he who has cleansed himself from sin, is well grounded in all virtues, and endowed also with temperance and truth, he is indeed worthy of the yellow dress. 4. “A man is not a mendicant (Bhikkhu) simply because he asks others for alms; he who adopts the whole law is a Bhikkhu, not he who only begs. 5. “He who is above evil, who is chaste, who with care passes through the world, he indeed is called a Bhikkhu. 6. “Not only by discipline and vows, not only by much learning, not by entering into a trance not by sleeping alone, do I earn the happiness of release which no worldling can know. O Bhikkhu, he who has obtained the extinction of desires, has obtained confidence. 7. “The Bhikkhu who controls his mouth, who speaks wisely and calmly, who teaches the meaning of the law, his word is sweet. 8. “He who dwells in the law, delights in the law, meditates on the law, recollects the law, that Bhikkhu will never fall away from the true law. 9. “Let him not despise what he has received, nor ever envy others; a mendicant who envies others does not obtain peace of mind. 10. “A Bhikkhu who, though he receives little, does not despise what he has received, even the gods will praise him, if his life is pure, and if he is not slothful. 11. “He who never identifies himself with name V

426 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES and form, and does not grieve over what is no more, he indeed is called a Bhikkhu. 12. “The Bhikkhu who behaves with kindness, who is happy in the doctrine of Buddha, will reach Nibbana—happiness arising from the cessation of natural inclinations. 13. “O Bhikkhu, empty this boat! If emptied, it will go quickly, having cut off passion and hatred, thou wilt go to Nibbana. 14. “Cut off the five (fetters), leave the five, rise above the five. A Bhikkhu who has escaped from the five fetters, he is called Oghatinna, ‘saved from the flood.’ 15. “Meditate, O Bhikkhu, and be not heedless ! Do not direct thy thought to what gives pleasure. 16. “Without knowledge there is no meditation, without meditation there is no knowledge: he who has knowledge and meditation is near unto Nibbana. 17. “A Bhikkhu who has entered his empty house, and whose mind is tranquil, feels a more than human delight when he sees the Dhamma clearly. 18. “And this is the beginning here for a wise Bhikku; watchfulness over the senses, contentedness, restraint under the Dhamma; keep noble friends whose life is pure, and who are not slothful. 19. “Let him live on charity, let him be perfect in his duties; then in the fulness of delight he will make an end of suffering. 20. “Rouse thyself by thyself, examine thyself by thyself, thus self-protected and attentive wilt thou live happily, O Bhikkhu. 21. “For self is the lord of self, self is the refuge of self; therefore curb thyself as the merchant curbs a noble horse. 22. “A Bhikkhu (mendicant) who delights in earnestness, who looks with fear on thoughtlessness, moves about like fire, burning all his fetters, small or large. 23. “A Bhikkhu (mendicant) who delights in reflection, who looks with fear on thoughtlessness, V