Chapter 11
11.
1. Now at that time the Bhikkhus sewed their robes together after tearing the cloth with their hands 2; and the robes became jagged.
They told this matter to the Blessed One.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of a blade and of a sheath (for the blade) made of felt 3.'
Now at that time a blade with a haft to it 4 had come into the possession of the Samgha.
They told this matter to the Blessed One.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of a blade with a haft to it.'
Now at that time the Khabbaggiya Bhikkhus used various kinds of long handles to their blades, made of silver, and made of gold.
People murmured (&c., as usual, down to) They told this matter to the Blessed One.
'You are not, O Bhikkhus, to use various kinds of handles to your blades. Whosoever does so, shall be guilty of a dukkata. I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of handles to your blades made of bone, or ivory. or horn, or of the na la reed, or of bamboo, or hard wood, or of lac, or of the shells of fruit, or of bronze, or of the centre of the chank-shell 1:
2. Now at that time the Bhikkhus sewed their robes with quills or bits of bamboo rind, and the robes were badly sewn.
They told this matter to the Blessed One.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of needles.'
The needles got blunted 2.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of a needle-case made of bamboo 3.'
Even in the needle-cases the needles became blunt.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to fill the cases with chunam 1.
Even in the chunam the needles became blunt.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to fill the cases with barley-meal 2.'
Even in the barley-meal the needles became blunt.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of powdered stone 3.'
Even in the powdered stone the needles became blunt.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to mix (the powder) with beeswax 4.'
The powder still did not cohere.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to mix sipâtika gum 5 with the powder 6.'
3. Now at that time the Bhikkhus sewed their robes together by planting stakes here and there, and uniting them (with strings). The robes became out of shape 7.'
They told this matter to the Blessed One.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of a Kathina 8,
and that you are to sew the robes together after tying down Kathina-strings here and there.'
They spread out the Kathina on uneven (ground), and the Kathina fell to pieces 1.
'You are not, O Bhikkhus, to spread out the Kathina on uneven (ground). Whosoever does so, shall be guilty of a dukkata.'
They spread out the Kathina on the ground, and the Kathina became dirty.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of a grass-mat.'
The edge of the Kathina decayed through age.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to strengthen it by a doubling or a binding along the edge 2.
The Kathina was not large enough 3.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of a
danda-kathina 1, of a pidalaka 1, of a ticket, of binding strings, and of binding threads 2; and that you sew your robes together after binding them therewith.'
The interstices between the threads became irregular in length 3.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of little marks (of the leaf of the talipot palm, or such-like things) 4.'
The threads became crooked.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of false threads (laid along the cloth to show where it is to be cut or sewn) 5.'
4. Now at that time the Bhikkhus got on to the Kathina with unwashen feet, or wet feet, or with their shoes on 6, and the Kathina was soiled.
They told this matter to the Blessed One.
'You are not, O Bhikkhus, to get on to the Kathina with unwashen feet, or with wet feet, or with your shoes on. Whosoever does so, shall be guilty of a dukkata.'
5. Now at that time the Bhikkhus, when sewing
their robes, held the stuff with their fingers, and their fingers were hurt.
They told this matter to the Blessed One.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of a thimble 1.'
Now at that time the Khabbaggiya Bhikkhus used various kinds of thimbles; gold ones, and silver ones.
People murmured, &c. The Bhikkhus heard, &c. They told this matter to the Blessed One.
'You are not, O Bhikkhus, to use various kinds of thimbles. Whosoever does so, shall be guilty of a dukkata. I allow you, O Bhikkhus, thimbles made of bone, or ivory, or horn, or of the na la reed, or of bamboo, or of hard wood, or of lac, or of the shells of fruit, or of bronze, or of the centre of the chank-shell 2.'
Now at that time the needles, and scissors, and thimbles got lost.
They told this matter to the Blessed One.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of a box or drawer 3 in the workshop.'
They got crowded together in the workshop box. They told this matter to the Blessed One.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of a thimble bag (to carry the thimbles about in).'
They had no shoulder-strap.
They told this matter to the Blessed One.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of a shoulder-strap, or of a piece of string, to tie the bags on with 1.'
6 2. Now at that time the Bhikkhus, when sewing their robes in the open air, were distressed by heat and by cold.
They told this matter to the Blessed One.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of a hall or of a shed for the Kathina:
The Kathina hall had too low a basement, and it was inundated with water.
They told this matter to the Blessed One.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to make it with a high basement 3.'
The facing (of the basement) fell in.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to line the basement with facing of three kinds 4--brick facing, stone facing, or wooden facing.'
They found difficulty in getting up into it.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of stairs of three kinds--brick stairs, stone stairs, or wooden stairs.'
As they were going up them they fell off.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of a balustrade 5.'
Straw and plaster fell (from the walls and roof) into the Kathina-hall.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to first cover over (the walls and roof with skins 1), and then plaster them within and without. (And I allow the use of) whitewash, and blacking, and red colouring 2, and wreath-work, and creeper-work, and bone hooks, and cupboards 3, and bamboos to hang robes on, and strings to hang robes on.'
7. Now at that time the Bhikkhus, when they had sewn the robes together, left the Kathina as it was, and went away; and the robes were eaten by rats and white ants.
They told this matter to the Blessed One.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to fold up the Kathina.
The Kathina came to pieces.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to fold up the Kathina in a cow-hide (?) 1.'
The Kathina got uncovered.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of strings to tie it up with.'
Now at that time the Bhikkhus went away, putting the Kathina up against the wall or a pillar; and the Kathina, falling over, was broken.
They told this matter to the Blessed One.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to hang it on a stake of the wall,. or on a hook 2.'
Footnotes
- 90:2
- 90:3
Namatakan ti satthaka-vethanakam pilotika-khandam (B.). The word occurs again below at V, 19, I, V, 27, I, and X, 10, 4 (where the nuns are forbidden to use it). Namata is felt; and nâmatika-aṅga, the wearing of felt, is inserted by some Sanskrit Buddhist writers in the list of Dhutaṅgas. (Burnout, Introduction, &c., p. 306.)
- 90:4
- 91:1
- 91:2
Kannakitâ hontî ti malagga-kitâ (B.). Mala may probably here. mean 'rust,' if the needles were made of iron. Kannakitâ, 'spoiled,' is used of plastered walls and the floors of a Vihâra at Mahâvagga I, 25, 15 = Kullavagga VIII, 1, 3; and pamsu-kitâ occurs just below in our present passage. Compare also the note on vikannam in the following section.
- 91:3
- 92:1
- 92:2
- 92:3
- 92:4
- 92:5
- 92:6
- 92:7
- 92:8
What Kathina may meats in this connection is not exactly p. 93 clear to us, but it is evidently a sort of framework, or bench, for the tailors to lay out their work upon. Our notes above on the 1st Nissaggiya and on Mahâvagga VII, 1, 3, refer to a different and secondary use of the word in the Kathina ceremonies--so-called doubtless because the Kathina-dussa (the supply of cloth to be dyed, sewn, and made up into robes, and distributed, on one and the same day) was to be so sewn with the aid of the Kathina here referred to. Buddhaghosa says here, Kathinan ti nisseni pi tattha attharita-katasâraka-kilañkanam aññataram pi kathinam vukkati yâya dupatta-kîvaram sibbenti kathine kîvaram pi bandhanti. On Dupatta, see Mahâvagga VIII, 14, I.
The use of obandhitvâ (in reference to the Kathina), in opposition to sambandhitvâ (in reference to the mere stakes), is worthy of notice.
- 93:1
- 93:2
- 93:3
- 94:1
- 94:2
- 94:3
- 94:4
- 94:5
- 94:6
- 95:1
- 95:2
- 95:3
- 96:1
- 96:2
- 96:3
- 96:4
- 96:5
Âlambana-bâham. At Mahâ-sudassana Sutta I, 59, there is p. 97 a description of flights of stairs (sopânâ), each of which had thambhâ, evidently posts or banisters; sûkiyo, apparently cross-bars let in to these banisters; and unhîsam, either a head-line running along the top of the banisters, or a figure-head at the lower end of such a head-line. (See Rh. D.'s 'Buddhist Suttas,' p. 262.) This and the previous paragraphs are repeated below, V, 14, 2, of the Kaṅkama.
- 97:1
- 97:2
- 97:3
Pañka-patikam or -patthikam, a term of doubtful signification which recurs, together with all the previous words, in the Old Commentary on the 19th Pâkittiya. Compare pañka-prastha in BR. The word is perhaps however connected with Sanskrit pattikâ, as kela-pattikam at V, 21, 2 undoubtedly is. It occurs below, in a similar connection, at VI, 3, 1.
- 98:1
- 98:2