Vol. 11 · pages 466–470

447 THE DUTIES OF THE BHIKKHU ‘He abstains from cheating with scales or bronzes or measures. ‘He abstains from the crooked ways of bribery, cheating and fraud. ‘He abstains from maiming, murder, putting in bonds, highway robbery, dacoity and violence.’ 20. “Such are the things, brethren, which an unconverted man, when speaking in praise of the Tathagata, might say. But you should not even on that account, be filled with pleasure or gladness, or be lifted up in heart. Were you to be so, that also would stand in the way of your self-conquest. When outsiders speak in praise of me, or of the Doctrine, or of the Order, you should acknowledge what is right to be the fact, saying: ‘For this or that reason this is the fact, that is so, such a thing is found among us, is in us.’ ” § 4. A Bhikkhu Must Fight to Spread Virtue (Dhamma) 1. Addressing the Bhikkhus the Lord once said: 2. “It is not I,O disciples, that quarrel with the world,” said the Lord, “ but the world that quarrels with me. A teacher of the truth does not quarrel with anyone in the world.” 3. “Warriors, warriors, Lord, we call ourselves. In what way then are we warriors ?” 4. “We wage war, O disciples, therefore we are called warriors.” 5. “Wherefore, Lord, do we wage war?” 6. “For lofty virtues, for high endeavour, for sublime wisdom—for these things do we wage war: therefore we are called warriors.” 7. Where virtue is in danger do not avoid fighting, do not be mealy-mouthed. V

PART IV The Bhikkhu and the Laity 1. The Bond of Alms. 2. Mutual Influence. 3. Dhamma of the Bhikkhu and the Dhamma of the Upasaka.

451 THE BHIKKHU AND THE LAITY § 1. The Bond of Alms 1. The Sangh was an organized body the membership of which was not open to all. 2. To be a mere Parivrajaka was not enough to give the Parivrajaka a membership of the Sangh. 3. It is only after the Parivrajaka had obtained Upasampada that he could become a member of the Sangh. 4. The Sangh was an independent body. It was independent even of its founder. 5. It was autonomous. It could admit anyone it liked to its membership. It could dismember any member provided it acted in accordance with the rules of the Vinaya Pitaka. 6. The only cord which bound the Bhikkhu to the Laity was alms. 7. The Bhikkhu depended upon alms and it is the laity who gave alms. 8. The laity was not organized. 9. There was a Sangha-Diksha or a ceremony for marking the initiation of a person in the Sangh. 10. Sangha-Diksha included both initiation into the Sangh as well as into the Dhamma. 11. But there was no separate Dhamma-Diksha for those who wanted to be initiated into the Dhamma but did not wish to become members of the Sangh, one of the consequences of which was to go from home into homelessness. 12. This was a grave omission. It was one of the causes which ultimately led to the downfall of Buddhism in India. 13. For, this absence of the initiation ceremony left the laity free to wander from one religion to another and, worse still, follow at one and the same time. § 2. Mutual Influence 1. However, the bond of alms was enough for a Bhikkhu to reform an erring member of the laity. 2. In this connection the following rules mentioned in the Anguttara Nikaya are worthy of attention. V