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V, 11, 5. ON THE DAILY LIFE OF THE BHIKKHUS.
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their robes, held the stuff with their fingers, and their fingers were hurt.
They told this matter to the Blessed One.
I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of a thimble?!
Now at that time the Khabbaggiya Bhikkhus used various kinds of thimbles,-gold ones, and silver ones.
People murmured, &c. The Bhikkhus heard, &c. They told this matter to the Blessed One.
You are not, O Bhikkhus, to use various kinds of thimbles. Whosoever does so, shall be guilty of a dukkata. I allow you, O Bhikkhus, thimbles made of bone, or ivory, or horn, or of the nala reed, or of bamboo, or of hard wood, or of lac, or of the shells of fruit, or of bronze, or of the centre of the chank-shell ?.'
Now at that time the needles, and scissors, and thimbles got lost.
They told this matter to the Blessed One. 'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of a box or drawers in the workshop.'
They got crowded together in the workshop box. They told this matter to the Blessed One.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of a thimble bag (to carry the thimbles about in).'
They had no shoulder-strap.
i Pariggaho, receptacle' for the finger. See our note above on V, 10, 3, where the same word means a waste-tub. For other secondary uses of the word, see Gataka I, 146, II, 9, 26. Buddhaghosa says here, paliggahan ti anguli-kosakam.
* So of ointment-boxes, Mahavagga VII, 12, 1; and of scissors, above, V, 11, 1.
o Âsevana-(sic)vitthakam nama yam kiñki pâtî-kangolakadi
(B.).
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