Mahāvibhaṅga
The Great Analysis
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Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.
At one time when the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery,
Tena kho pana samayena aññataro puriso pavāsaṁ gacchanto pajāpatiṁ etadavoca—“suttaṁ dhārayitvā amukassa tantavāyassa dehi, cīvaraṁ vāyāpetvā nikkhipa,
a man who was going away said to his wife, “Please weigh some thread, take it to the weavers, get them to weave robe-cloth, and put the robe-cloth aside.
āgato ayyaṁ upanandaṁ cīvarena acchādessāmī”ti.
When I return, I’ll give it to Venerable Upananda.”
Assosi kho aññataro piṇḍacāriko bhikkhu tassa purisassa imaṁ vācaṁ bhāsamānassa.
An alms-collecting monk heard that man speaking those words.
Atha kho so bhikkhu yenāyasmā upanando sakyaputto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ upanandaṁ sakyaputtaṁ etadavoca—“mahāpuññosi tvaṁ, āvuso upananda,
He then went to Upananda the Sakyan and said, “Upananda, you have much merit.
amukasmiṁ okāse aññataro puriso pavāsaṁ gacchanto pajāpatiṁ etadavoca—‘suttaṁ dhārayitvā amukassa tantavāyassa dehi, cīvaraṁ vāyāpetvā nikkhipa, āgato ayyaṁ upanandaṁ cīvarena acchādessāmī’”ti.
In such-and-such a place I heard a man, as he was going away, tell his wife to get robe-cloth woven so that he could give it to you when he returned.”
Sopi kho tantavāyo āyasmato upanandassa sakyaputtassa upaṭṭhāko hoti.
And the weaver was Upananda’s supporter too.
Atha kho āyasmā upanando sakyaputto yena so tantavāyo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā taṁ tantavāyaṁ etadavoca—
Upananda then went to that weaver and said,
“idaṁ kho, āvuso, cīvaraṁ maṁ uddissa viyyati; āyatañca karohi vitthatañca. Appitañca suvītañca suppavāyitañca suvilekhitañca suvitacchitañca karohī”ti.
“This robe-cloth that you’re weaving for me, make it long and wide. And make it closely woven, well-woven, well-stretched, well-scraped, and well-combed.”
“Ete kho me, bhante, suttaṁ dhārayitvā adaṁsu;
“Venerable, they’ve already weighed the thread and given it to me,
“Na, bhante, sakkā āyataṁ vā vitthataṁ vā appitaṁ vā kātuṁ.
I won’t be able to make it long, wide, or closely woven.
Sakkā ca kho, bhante, suvītañca suppavāyitañca suvilekhitañca suvitacchitañca kātun”ti.
But I’m able to make it well-woven, well-stretched, well-scraped, and well-combed.”
“Iṅgha tvaṁ, āvuso, āyatañca karohi vitthatañca appitañca.
“Just make it long, wide, and closely woven.
Atha kho so tantavāyo yathābhataṁ suttaṁ tante upanetvā yena sā itthī tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā taṁ itthiṁ etadavoca—“suttena, ayye, attho”ti.
Then, when all the thread had been used up, that weaver went to that woman and said, “Ma’am, I need more thread.”
“Nanu tvaṁ ayyo mayā vutto—‘iminā suttena cīvaraṁ vināhī’”ti.
“But didn’t I tell you to weave the robe-cloth with that thread?”
Api ca maṁ ayyo upanando evamāha—‘iṅgha tvaṁ, āvuso, āyatañca karohi vitthatañca appitañca,
But Venerable Upananda told me to make it long, wide, and closely woven.
Atha kho sā itthī yattakaṁyeva suttaṁ paṭhamaṁ adāsi tattakaṁ pacchā adāsi.
That woman then gave him as much thread again as she had done the first time.
Assosi kho āyasmā upanando sakyaputto—“so kira puriso pavāsato āgato”ti. Atha kho āyasmā upanando sakyaputto yena tassa purisassa nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi.
When Upananda heard that the husband had returned from his travels, he went to his house and sat down on the prepared seat.
Atha kho so puriso yenāyasmā upanando sakyaputto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ upanandaṁ sakyaputtaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.
That man approached him, bowed, and sat down.
Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so puriso pajāpatiṁ etadavoca—“vītaṁ taṁ cīvaran”ti?
He then said to his wife, “Has the robe-cloth been woven?”
“Āhara, ayyaṁ upanandaṁ cīvarena acchādessāmī”ti.
“Please bring it. I’ll give it to Venerable Upananda.”
Atha kho sā itthī taṁ cīvaraṁ nīharitvā sāmikassa datvā etamatthaṁ ārocesi.
She then got the robe-cloth, gave it to her husband, and told him what had happened.
Atha kho so puriso āyasmato upanandassa sakyaputtassa cīvaraṁ datvā ujjhāyati khiyyati vipāceti—
After giving the robe-cloth to Upananda, he complained and criticized him,
“mahicchā ime samaṇā sakyaputtiyā asantuṭṭhā.
“These Sakyan monastics have great desires; they’re not content.
Kathañhi nāma ayyo upanando mayā pubbe appavārito tantavāye upasaṅkamitvā cīvare vikappaṁ āpajjissatī”ti.
How could Venerable Upananda go to the weavers and say what kind of robe-cloth he wanted without first being invited by me?”
Assosuṁ kho bhikkhū tassa purisassa ujjhāyantassa khiyyantassa vipācentassa.
The monks heard the complaints of that man,
Ye te bhikkhū appicchā …pe… te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—
and the monks of few desires complained and criticized Upananda,
“kathañhi nāma āyasmā upanando sakyaputto pubbe appavārito gahapatikassa tantavāye upasaṅkamitvā cīvare vikappaṁ āpajjissatī”ti.
“How could Venerable Upananda go to a householder’s weavers and say what kind of robe-cloth he wants without first being invited?”
Atha kho te bhikkhū āyasmantaṁ upanandaṁ sakyaputtaṁ anekapariyāyena vigarahitvā bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ …pe…
After rebuking him in many ways, they told the Buddha. Soon afterwards he had the Sangha gathered and questioned Upananda:
“saccaṁ kira tvaṁ, upananda, pubbe appavārito gahapatikassa tantavāye upasaṅkamitvā cīvare vikappaṁ āpajjī”ti?
“Is it true, Upananda, that you did this?”
“Aññātako, moghapurisa, aññātakassa na jānāti patirūpaṁ vā appatirūpaṁ vā santaṁ vā asantaṁ vā.
“Foolish man, people who are unrelated don’t know what’s appropriate and inappropriate, what’s good and bad, in dealing with each other.
Tattha nāma tvaṁ, moghapurisa, pubbe appavārito aññātakassa gahapatikassa tantavāye upasaṅkamitvā cīvare vikappaṁ āpajjissasi.
And still you did this.
evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—
“And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:
“Bhikkhuṁ paneva uddissa aññātako gahapati vā gahapatānī vā tantavāyehi cīvaraṁ vāyāpeyya, tatra ce so bhikkhu pubbe appavārito tantavāye upasaṅkamitvā cīvare vikappaṁ āpajjeyya—
‘If a male or female householder is having robe-cloth woven by weavers for an unrelated monk and, without first being invited, that monk goes to those weavers and specifies the kind of robe-cloth he wants, saying,
‘idaṁ kho, āvuso, cīvaraṁ maṁ uddissa viyyati. Āyatañca karotha vitthatañca. Appitañca suvītañca suppavāyitañca suvilekhitañca suvitacchitañca karotha.
‘This robe-cloth that you are weaving for me, make it long and wide; make it closely woven, well-woven, well-stretched, well-scraped, and well-combed,
Appeva nāma mayampi āyasmantānaṁ kiñcimattaṁ anupadajjeyyāmā’ti.
and perhaps I will even give you a small gift,’
Evañca so bhikkhu vatvā kiñcimattaṁ anupadajjeyya antamaso piṇḍapātamattampi, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyan”ti.
then, in saying that and afterwards giving them a small gift, even a bit of almsfood, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.’”
bhikkhussatthāya bhikkhuṁ ārammaṇaṁ karitvā bhikkhuṁ acchādetukāmo.
for the benefit of a monk; making a monk the object of consideration, one wants to give to him.
mātito vā pitito vā yāva sattamā pitāmahayugā asambaddho.
anyone who is not a descendant of one’s male ancestors going back eight generations, either on the mother’s side or on the father’s side.
channaṁ cīvarānaṁ aññataraṁ cīvaraṁ vikappanupagaṁ pacchimaṁ.
one of the six kinds of robe-cloth, but not smaller than what can be assigned to another.
pubbe avutto hoti— “kīdisena te, bhante, cīvarena attho, kīdisaṁ te cīvaraṁ vāyāpemī”ti?
without it first being said, “Venerable, what kind of robe-cloth do you need? What kind of robe-cloth should I get woven for you?”
gharaṁ gantvā yattha katthaci upasaṅkamitvā.
having gone to their house, having gone up to them wherever.
“idaṁ kho, āvuso, cīvaraṁ maṁ uddissa viyyati, āyatañca karotha vitthatañca.
“This robe-cloth that you are weaving for me, make it long and wide;
Appitañca suvītañca suppavāyitañca suvilekhitañca suvitacchitañca karotha.
make it closely woven, well-woven, well-stretched, well-scraped, and well-combed;
Appeva nāma mayampi āyasmantānaṁ kiñcimattaṁ anupadajjeyyāmā”ti.
and perhaps I will even give you a small gift.”
Evañca so bhikkhu vatvā kiñcimattaṁ anupadajjeyya antamaso piṇḍapātamattampīti.
Then in saying that and afterwards giving them a small gift, even a bit of almsfood—
yāgupi bhattampi khādanīyampi cuṇṇapiṇḍopi dantakaṭṭhampi dasikasuttampi, antamaso dhammampi bhaṇati.
congee, a meal, fresh food, a bit of bath powder, a tooth cleaner, a piece of string, and even if he gives a teaching.
Tassa vacanena āyataṁ vā vitthataṁ vā appitaṁ vā karoti, payoge dukkaṭaṁ.
If the weaver makes it long or wide or closely woven because of the monk’s statement, then for the effort there is an act of wrong conduct.
Paṭilābhena nissaggiyaṁ hoti.
When he gets the robe-cloth, it becomes subject to relinquishment.
Nissajjitabbaṁ saṅghassa vā gaṇassa vā puggalassa vā.
The robe-cloth should be relinquished to a sangha, a group, or an individual.
…pe…
(To be expanded as in <a href='https://suttacentral.net/pli-tv-bu-vb-np1#3.2.5'>Bu NP 1:3.2.5</a>–3.2.29, with appropriate substitutions.)
“idaṁ me, bhante, cīvaraṁ pubbe appavārito aññātakassa gahapatikassa tantavāye upasaṅkamitvā cīvare vikappaṁ āpannaṁ nissaggiyaṁ.
‘Venerables, this robe-cloth, for which I went to the weavers of an unrelated householder and said what kind of robe-cloth I wanted without first being invited, is to be relinquished.
Aññātake aññātakasaññī pubbe appavārito gahapatikassa tantavāye upasaṅkamitvā cīvare vikappaṁ āpajjati, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ.
If the householder is unrelated and the monk perceives them as such and, without first being invited, he goes to their weavers and specifies the kind of robe-cloth he wants, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.
Aññātake vematiko pubbe appavārito gahapatikassa tantavāye upasaṅkamitvā cīvare vikappaṁ āpajjati, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ.
If the householder is unrelated, but the monk is unsure of it and, without first being invited, he goes to their weavers and specifies the kind of robe-cloth he wants, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.
Aññātake ñātakasaññī pubbe appavārito gahapatikassa tantavāye upasaṅkamitvā cīvare vikappaṁ āpajjati, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ.
If the householder is unrelated, but the monk perceives them as related and, without first being invited, he goes to their weavers and specifies the kind of robe-cloth he wants, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.
Ñātake añātakasaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa.
If the householder is related, but the monk perceives them as unrelated, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.
Ñātake vematiko, āpatti dukkaṭassa.
If the householder is related, but the monk is unsure of it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.
Ñātake ñātakasaññī, anāpatti.
If the householder is related and the monk perceives them as such, there is no offense.
mahagghaṁ vāyāpetukāmassa appagghaṁ vāyāpeti,
if someone wants to have expensive robe-cloth woven, but he has them weave inexpensive robe-cloth instead;
Mahāpesakārasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ sattamaṁ.
The long training rule on weavers, the seventh, is finished.