BUDDHIST MONASTIC CODE I

Buddhist Monastic Code 1sat to one side. As he was sitting there, Ven. Pilindavaccha addressed him: 'Forwhat reason, great king, has the monastery attendant's family been imprisoned?'"'Venerable sir, in the monastery attendant's house was a garland of gold: beautiful,attractive, exquisite. There is no garland of gold like it even in our own harem, sofrom where did that poor man (get it)? It must have been taken by theft.'"Then Ven. Pilindavaccha willed that the palace of King Seniya Bimbisāra be gold.And it became made entirely of gold. 'But from where did you get so much of thisgold, great king?'"(Saying,) 'I understand, venerable sir. This is simply the master's psychic power' (§— reading ayyass'ev'eso with the Thai edition of the Canon) he had the monasteryattendant's family released."The people, saying, 'A psychic wonder, a superior human feat, they say, wasdisplayed to the king and his retinue by the master Pilindavaccha,' were pleasedand delighted. They presented Ven. Pilindavaccha with the five tonics: ghee, freshbutter, oil, honey, and sugar."Now ordinarily Ven. Pilindavaccha was already a receiver of the five tonics (§), sohe distributed his gains among his company, who came to live in abundance. Theyput away their gains, having filled pots and pitchers. They hung up their gains inwindows, having filled water strainers and bags. These kept oozing and seeping,and their dwellings were crawling and creeping with rats. People, engaged in a tourof the dwellings and seeing this, criticized and complained and spread it about,'These Sakyan-son monks have inner storerooms like the king...'"Thus it seems more likely that the Vibhaṅga's non-offense clauses should beinterpreted like this: A bhikkhu is no longer held responsible for a tonic if heabandons it or gives it away — no matter to whom he gives it, or what his state ofmind — but he may receive it in return and use it another seven days only if withinthe first seven days he has given it to an unordained person, having abandoned allpossession of it in his mind.Summary: Keeping any of the five tonics — ghee, fresh butter, oil, honey, orsugar/molasses — for more than seven days, unless one determines to use themonly externally, is a nissaggiya pācittiya offense.24. When a month is left to the hot season, a bhikkhu may seek arains-bathing cloth. When a half-month is left to the hot season, (thecloth) having been made, may be worn. If when more than a month isleft to the hot season he should seek a rains-bathing cloth, (or) whenmore than a half-month is left to the hot season, (the cloth) havingbeen made should be worn, it is to be forfeited and confessed.214