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1, 28, 4. ADMISSION TO THE ORDER OF BHIKKHUS.
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When he had spoken thus, the venerable Sâriputta said to the Blessed One: 'I remember something, Lord, about this Brâhmana.'
And what is it you remember, Sâriputta, about this Brâhmana ?'
This Brahmana, Lord, one day, when I went through Râgagaha for alms, ordered a spoonful of food to be given to me; this is what I remember, Lord, about this Brahmana.'
3. 'Good, good, Sâriputta; pious men, Sâriputta, are grateful and remember what has been done to them. Therefore, Sâriputta, confer you the pabbaggâ and upasam padâ ordinations on that Brâhmana.'
'Lord, how shall I confer the pabbaggâ and upasampa dâ ordinations on this Brâhmana ?'
Then the Blessed One on this occasion, after having delivered a religious discourse, thus addressed the Bhikkhus: 'I abolish, O Bhikkhus, from this day the upasampada ordination by the threefold declaration of taking refuge", which I had prescribed. I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that you confer the upasampadâ ordination by a formal act of the Order in which the announcement (ñatti) is followed by three questions?
4. 'And you ought, О Bhikkhus, to confer the
i See chap. 12 and the note on chap. I. I.
2 The form for bringing a formal motion before the Order is the following: The mover first announces to the assembled Bhikkhus what resolution he is going to propose ; this announcement is called ñatti (see, for instance, $ 4). After the ñatti follows the question put to the Bhikkhus present if they approve the resolution. This question is put either once or three times; in the first case we have a ñattidutiya kamma (see, for instance, II, chap. 6); in the second case, a ñattikatuttha kamma (as in this chapter).
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