Indian Antiquary Vol 48

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 13

JANUARY, 1919
IDENTIFICATION OF ABOKA'S VINAYASAMUKASE
9
which the Buddhist emperor enumerated his other passages, we are led to think that the Dammacakkapavattanasutta would hardly justify his meaning: for this particular sermon no more represents the Vinaya as a whole than a detached sutta taken at random from the canon.
Prof. Oldenberg's gonjecture is that Asoka probably had in contemplation the Pâtimokkha, the criminal code of the Buddhist Order. It is still a matter of dispute if the Patimokkha rules, as we now have them, were put together in the form of a code at or before the time of Asoka, considering that the Pâtimokkha was not included amongst the texts recited in the first Buddhist Council. The word pâtimokkcha ocorrring in such stock phrases of the canon as påtimokkhada nivara sa sivuta, is of course old enough, probably older than the Patimokkha itself, and certainly much older than the time of Asoka, but we must remember that the word, although a technical term, connoted quite a different mewung from that of a book or a formal code as is now denoted by Patimokkha. In the later texts, notably the Milinda, we have an adjectival form of the word qualified and proceded by another adjective (vara-pâtimokkhiya). Here, too, we must note that the term does not denote the formal code called the Pdtimokkha, but signifies a wider meaning, tentatively, discipline. In this connexion we are reminded of an important passage in the Anguttara, (where the Thera Upâli distinguishes between.sikkhapada (moral precepts) and pâtimokkha (disciplinary code), both of which he regards as auxiliary to vinaya in its widest senne (vinyanuggahaya). We can imagine that with the progress of time, especially after the death of Buddha, the need of a formal code made itself felt strongly enough, when schism after schism broke out within the community threatening its existence as an organized Association. Therefore, the Patimokkha, judging from its main object, has little bearing on the religious ethical system upheld by Asoka.
Dealing with the list of recommended passages in the Bhabra Edict, Prof. Rhys Davids says. "There is a word at the commencement of this list, which may either be an adjective applied to the whole list, or the name of another passage ". (Buddhist India, p. 170). Of these two suggestions brought forward by so learned a scholar as Prof Rhys Davids, the latter, viz. that Vinayasamukase may be the title of a separate passage, would seem, judging from the manner of Asoka's enumeration of the Dhammapariyayas, more acceptable and true.
The Rathavinita Sutta (Majjhima-N., I, pp. 146-151 ), rightly identified by Dr. Neumann (Buddhist Reden, I, p. 152) with Asoka's Upatisa-Pasine contains two
1 Buddhaghona, in his enumeration of the texts recited in the First Buddhist Council, does not mention the Patimokkha as a work by itself. The texts recited were Mahdvibhanga, Ubhatovibhanga, Khandala, and Parivdra (Sumangalavilásint, pp. 12-13). He further points out that some of the texts included in his time in the Vinaya pifaka were not recited in the first Council and his remark, judging from the above list, applies exclusively to the Patimokkha. Cf. Sumaigalavilasini, I, p. 17:-Tattha pathamasangitiyati sangitaña Agangitanca abbam pi samodhanetva ubhayani pâtimokkhani dve vibhangani dvåvisati khandakâ solasa parivarati idari vinayapitakan nama
There is occasional mention of ubhaydni patimokkhani in a few passages on Vinaya in the Angutiara Nikdya. But, the date of the passages being disputed, we are not justified in fixing the date of the pâtimokkhani on the evidenoe of the Angutana alone.
Milindapafho, p. 34. Anguttara-N, part V,p 70. Viz., Vinaya-Samukașe.