Vinaya Texts

Author(s): T W Rhys Davids, Hermann Oldenberg
Publisher: Oxford

Page 37

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VINAYA TEXTS FROM THE PÂLI.
much less of inks, or pens, or styles, or leaves, or other writing materials.
And we do find, on the contrary, passages which show the difficulties which arose every time that the memorial tradition by word of mouth of any of the sacred texts was interrupted, or threatened to be interrupted.
So, for instance, we find the case discussed of no one Bhikkhu, among all the Brethren dwelling in some particular place, knowing the Pâtimokkha. There was no other way out of the difficulty, save that of one of the Bhikkhus being sent out to some neighbouring fraternity, with the commission there to learn the Pâtimokkha by heart, either in its full extent (that is, as we take it, all the rules being learnt in full) or at least in abstract
And again, in a passage already quoted, we hear of the case of an Upasaka, who knows some important Suttanta, and is afraid that the knowledge of it will fade away. So he sends to a fraternity of Bhikkhus, and invites the Brethren to come over to him; and in that case an exception is made to the Rule forbidding the Brethren to travel in the rainy season, provided only that they do not stay away from home longer than seven days.
We may quote in this connection a passage of the same tendency from the Anguttara Nikâya, in which, among the circumstances hurtful to the security and the propagation of the Buddhist faith, the possibility is mentioned of the well-instructed Bhikkhus neglecting to take pains to hand on to others the Suttantas which they know. Then, when they have passed away, 'the root of that Suttanta is cut off, and it finds no place of refuge.'
It is very plain from these last passages that the Buddhist community in its earliest days did not think of the
Mahâvagga II, 17, 5. 6. On this meaning of vitthârena and samkhittena see also Mahâvagga II, 15, 1. 2.
Mahâvagga III, 5, 9. 9 Katukka-Nipata (Phayre MS. vol. i. fol. nâ); and repeated in the PañkakaNipâta (ibid. vol. ii. fol. nâh): Ye te bhikkhû bahussutâ âgatâgamâ dhammadharâ vinayadharâ mâtikâdharâ te na sakkakkam suttantam param yâkenti tesam akkayena khinnamülako suttanto hoti apatisarano.
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