Chapter 4

4.

1. 'There are five kinds of Samghas: the Bhikkhu Samgha consisting of four persons, the Bhikkhu Samgha consisting of five persons . . . . of ten persons . . . . of twenty persons . . . . of more than twenty persons.

'In case, O Bhikkhus, the Bhikkhu Samgha consist of four persons, and acts lawfully, and is complete, it is entitled to perform all official acts except three acts, that is, the upasampadâ ordination, pavâranâ, and abbhâna 1.

'In case, O Bhikkhus, the Bhikkhu Samgha consist of five persons, and acts lawfully, and is complete, it is entitled to perform all official acts except

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two acts, that is, the upasampadâ ordination in the central countries 1 and abbhâna.

'In case, O Bhikkhus, the Bhikkhu Samgha consist of ten persons, and acts lawfully, and is complete, it is entitled to perform all official acts except one, namely, abbhâna.

'In case, O Bhikkhus, the Bhikkhu Samgha consist of twenty persons, and acts lawfully, and is complete, it is entitled to perform all official acts.

'In case, O Bhikkhus, the Bhikkhu Samgha consist of more than twenty persons, and acts lawfully, and is complete, it is entitled to perform all official acts.

2. 'An official act, O Bhikkhus, which requires the presence of four persons, if performed by a congregation in which a Bhikkhunî is the fourth, is no real act, and ought not to be performed. An official act, O Bhikkhus, which requires the presence of four persons, if performed by a congregation in which a sikkhamânâ is the fourth, . . . . in which a sâmanera, &c. 2, is the fourth, . . . . in which a person belonging to another communion is the fourth, . . . . in which a person staying within a different boundary 3 is the fourth, . . . . in which a person poised in the air by supernatural power is

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the fourth, . . . . in which a person against whom the Samgha institutes a proceeding is the fourth--is no real act and ought not to be performed.'

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End of the regulations about acts performed by four persons.

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3-5. 'An official act, O Bhikkhus, which requires the presence of five (. . . . ten, . . . . twenty) persons, if performed by a congregation in which a Bhikkhunî, &c. 1, is the fifth ( . . . . tenth, . . . . twentieth), is no real act and ought not to be performed.'

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End of the regulations about acts performed by five, (ten, twenty) persons.

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6. 'If, O Bhikkhus, a congregation in which a person sentenced to the parivâsa discipline 2 is the fourth, institutes the proceedings of parivâsa, of mûlâya patikassanâ, and of mânatta, or if a congregation in which such a person is the twentieth, confers abbhâna, this is no real act and ought not to be performed.

'If, O Bhikkhus, a congregation in which a person that ought to be sentenced to mûlâya patikassanâ . . . . that ought to be sentenced to mânatta . . . . that is subject to the mânatta discipline . . . .

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on whom the abbhâna sentence ought to be conferred 1, institutes the proceedings of parivâsa, of mûlâya patikassanâ, and of mânatta, or if a congregation in which such a person is the twentieth, confers abbhâna, this is no real act and ought not to be performed.

7. 'Of some persons, O Bhikkhus, the protest 2 raised in the assembly is effectual, of some persons it is ineffectual.

'And which are the persons, O Bhikkhus, whose protest raised in the assembly is ineffectual?

'The protest, O Bhikkhus, raised in the assembly by a Bhikkhunî is ineffectual. The protest, O Bhikkhus, raised in the assembly by a sikkhamânâ (&c. 3, down to:) by a person against whom the Samgha institutes a proceeding, is ineffectual. These are the persons, O Bhikkhus, whose protest raised in the assembly is ineffectual.

8. 'And which are the persons, O Bhikkhus, whose protest raised in the assembly is effectual?

'The protest, O Bhikkhus, of a Bhikkhu who is healthy (in mind), who belongs to the same communion 4, who stays within the same boundary 5, even

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if he have committed a sin which brings about immediate punishment in hell,--if he give notice of his protest at the meeting,--is effectual. This is the person, O Bhikkhus, whose protest raised in the assembly is effectual.

9. 'There are, O Bhikkhus, two cases of expulsion 1 (pronounced against, a person). If expulsion, O Bhikkhus, had not been pronounced (before) against a person, and the Samgha pronounces expulsion against him, there are some against whom such expulsion has been pronounced duly, and others against whom it has been pronounced unduly.

'And which is a person, O Bhikkhus, against whom, if expulsion had not been pronounced before, and the Samgha pronounces expulsion against him, expulsion has been pronounced unduly? In case, O Bhikkhus, there be a pure, guiltless Bhikkhu,--if the Samgha pronounces expulsion against him, expulsion has been pronounced unduly. This, O Bhikkhus, is called a person against whom, if expulsion had not been pronounced before, and the Samgha pronounces expulsion against him, expulsion has been pronounced unduly.

'And which is a person, O Bhikkhus, against whom, &c., expulsion has been pronounced duly? In case, O Bhikkhus, there be an ignorant, unlearned Bhikkhu, a constant offender, who is unable to discern what is an offence 2, who lives in lay society, unduly

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associating himself with lay people,--if the Samgha pronounces expulsion against him, expulsion has been pronounced duly. This, O Bhikkhus, is called a person, &c.

10. 'There are, O Bhikkhus, two cases of restoration (of an expelled Bhikkhu). If restoration, O Bhikkhus, had not been granted before to a person, and the Samgha grants restoration to him, there are some to whom such restoration will have been granted duly, and others to whom it will have been unduly granted.

'And which is a person, O Bhikkhus, to whom, &c., restoration has been granted unduly? A eunuch, O Bhikkhus, to whom restoration had not been granted before, and whom the Samgha restores, has been restored unduly. A person who has furtively attached himself (to the Samgha), &c. 1, to whom restoration had not been granted before, and whom the Samgha restores, has been restored unduly.

'This, O Bhikkhus, is called a person to whom, &c., restoration has been granted unduly. These, O Bhikkhus, are called persons to whom, &c., restoration has been granted duly.

11. 'And which is a person, O Bhikkhus, to whom, &c., restoration has been granted duly?' &c. 2

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End of the first Bhânavâra, called the Vâsabha-gâma Bhânavâra.

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