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the end of each fortnight, or - in the absence of qualified religious, at the end of four months, or of a year, or of twelve years (a period which must not be exceeded under any circumstances; one must com it means a long journey). The chief of the little group of religious who are making the journey (phaddaga-pati, spardhaka-pali)1 must also be present :
pakkhiya cau samvacchara ukkosam bārasaņha varisāņam
samaņunnā āyariyā phaddaga-patiya ya vijadenti (Bh 1, 51; cf, Nis C IV 284, ad Nis Bh 6 313).
Cuncerning "global” confession, it is said only that it is followed by a meal “in the circle" (supra).
If it is made in detail, it takes place when the religious have gone off to beg alms or to find a place for meditation. How should one proceed ? Already Bh speaks of two traditions ; either the head of the group confesses to the teacher thus left on his own, in secret; or he does this in the presence of the religious who have come with him, who recall anything he might have forgotten :
bhikkhâdi-niggaesum rahite viyadanti phaddaga -pat u
savva-samakkham kei te visariyam nusārenti (Bh 1, 56 = N:s Bh 6 317).
The uvasampayâloyaņā is a very complex ceremony. The formalities which seem to be the necessary introduction to the confession proper give rise to a rather long exposition in the Vav Bh Ţ (Bh 1, 61-119 = Nis Bh 6 322-6 376). :
The ceremony is, in some ways, the exa nination either 1) for readmission or 2) for the admission of a religious into the company in : which he desires to perfect his knowledge, his faith, and (in the second
case) his conduct, .: Before admitting him, a check is made to ascertain whether his
motives are pure. He is asked how and why he came. Then the correct. ...ness of his manner of acting on essential points is checked (Bh 1, 62 p. 148 b = Nis Bh 6 323 b). On the motives of the religious, the commentaries
give many details - providing as many pictures of contemporary customs – which have been summarised previously (79 n. 2). .
The interrogation, conducted by the ayariya of the company which the monk wishes to join, takes place, theoretically, on the day of his 1. 1. For phadda(ga), see Lehre 8 139: the technical name of a small subdivision of the .. . community of monks (cf. Gujrati phad).
