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194
MAHÂVAGGA.
I, 40, 1.
O Bhikkhus, who is affected with the five diseases, receive the pabbaggâ ordination. He who confers the pabbaggâ ordination (on such a person), is guilty of a dukkata offence.'
40. 1. At that time the border provinces (of the kingdom) of the Magadha king Seniya Bimbisâra were agitated. Then the Magadha king Seniya Bimbisâra gave order to the officers who were at the head of the army: 'Well now, go and search through the border provinces?' The officers who were at the head of the army accepted the order of the Magadha king Seniya Bimbisâra (by saying), 'Yes, Your Majesty.' :
2. Now many distinguished warriors thought : "We who go (to war) and find our delight in fighting, do evil and produce great demerit. Now what shall we do that we may desist from evil-doing and may do good ?'
Then these warriors thought: ‘These Sakyaputtiya Samanas lead indeed a virtuous, tranquil, holy life; they speak the truth; they keep the precepts of morality, and are endowed with all virtues. If we could obtain pabbaggâ with the Sakyaputtiya Samanas, we should desist from evil-doing and do good.'
Thus these warriors went to the Bhikkhus and
1 On ukkinatha, compare the use of u kkhekkhâmi at Mahaparinibbâna Sutta I, 1 (p. 1), which Buddhaghosa rightly explains by ukkhin dissâmi. But we think it better to adhere here to the reading ukkinatha, in accordance with the MSS.
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