1. Now at that time there were two brothers, Bhikkhus, by name Yameḷu and Tekula[1], Brāhmans by birth, excelling in speech, excelling in pronunciation. These went up to the place where the Blessed One was, and when they had come there, they saluted the Blessed One, and took their seats on one side. And so sitting those Bhikkhus spake to the Blessed One thus:

‘At the present time, Lord, Bhikkhus, differing in name, differing in lineage, differing in birth, differing in family, have gone forth (from the world). These corrupt the word of the Buddhas by (repeating it in) their own dialect. Let us, Lord, put the word of the Buddhas into (Sanskrit) verse[2].’

‘How can you, O foolish ones, speak thus, saying, “Let us, Lord, put the word of the Buddhas into verse?” This will not conduce, O foolish ones, either to the conversion of the unconverted, or to the increase of the converted; but rather to those who have not been converted being not converted, and to the turning back of those who have been converted.’

And when the Blessed One had rebuked those Bhikkhus, and had delivered a religious discourse[3], he addressed the Bhikkhus, and said:

‘You are not, O Bhikkhus, to put the word of the Buddhas into (Sanskrit) verse. Whosoever does so, shall be guilty of a dukkaṭa. I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to learn the word of the Buddhas each in his own dialect[4].’

2. Now at that time the Chabbaggiya Bhikkhus learnt the Lokāyata system[5].

People murmured, &c., saying, ‘Like those who still enjoy the pleasures of the world!’

The Bhikkhus heard of the people thus murmuring; and those Bhikkhus told the matter to the Blessed One.

‘Now can a man who holds the Lokāyata as valuable reach up, O Bhikkhus, to the full advantage of, or attain to full growth in, to full breadth in this doctrine and discipline[6]?’

‘This cannot be, Lord.’

‘Or can a man who holds this doctrine and discipline to be valuable learn the Lokāyata system?’

‘This cannot be, Lord.’

‘You are not, O Bhikkhus, to learn the Lokāyata system. Whosoever does so, shall be guilty of a dukkaṭa.’

Now at that time the Chabbaggiya Bhikkhus taught the Lokāyata system.

People murmured, &c., saying, ‘Like those still enjoying the pleasures of the world!’

They told this matter to the Blessed One.

‘You are not, O Bhikkhus, to teach the Lokāyata system. Whosoever does so, shall be guilty of a dukkaṭa.’

[Similar paragraphs to the last, ending]

‘You are not, O Bhikkhus, to learn—to teach—the low arts[7] (of divination, spells, omens, astrology, sacrifices to gods, witchcraft, and quackery).’

3. Now at that time the Blessed One when, surrounded by a great assembly, he was preaching the Dhamma, sneezed. The Bhikkhus raised a great and mighty shout, ‘Long life to our Lord the Blessed One! Long life to the Happy One!’ and by the sound thereof the discourse was interrupted. Then the Blessed One said to the Bhikkhus:

‘Now if when a man has sneezed, O Bhikkhus, some one says, “Long life to you,” can he live or die on that account?’

‘Not so, Lord.’

‘You are not, O Bhikkhus, when one has sneezed, to call out, “Long life to you.” Whosoever does so, shall be guilty of a dukkaṭa[8].’

Now at that time people said to the Bhikkhus when they sneezed, ‘Long life to your reverence!’ and the Bhikkhus, fearing to offend, gave no reply. The people murmured, were annoyed, and were indignant, saying, ‘How can the Sakya-puttiya Samaṇas omit to reply when people say, “Long life to your reverence?”’

They told this matter to the Blessed One.

‘Laymen, O Bhikkhus, are given to lucky phrases[9]. I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to reply, “May you live long!” to laymen who say to you, “Long life to your reverence!”’

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Yameḷutekulā. It is possible that this compound should be dissolved into Yameḷa and Utekula. Compare the word Yameḷe at verse 35 of the Uddāna (which stands where a nominative should stand, judging by the form of the other words in the Uddāna). A comma has there been omitted by misprint after Yameḷe.

[2]:

We think that in these words (chandaso āropema) there does lie a reference to the earlier Sanskrit. And this especially for four reasons: firstly, this is required by the antithesis to ‘their own dialect;’ secondly, the use of the word chandasi in Pāṇini, where it always means precisely ‘in the Veda-dialect,’ requires it; thirdly, it is difficult to understand otherwise the mention of ‘Brāhmans by birth;’ and fourthly, this is in accordance with the traditional interpretation of the passage handed down among the Bhikkhus. Buddhaghosa says, chandaso āropemā ti Vedaṃ viya sakkaṭa-bhāsāya vācanā-maggaṃ āropema. Sakkaṭa is of course Saṃskṛta.

[3]:

See the substance intended at Cullavagga I,1, 3.

[4]:

On the historical conclusions which may be drawn from this tradition, see H.O.’s introduction to the text of the Mahāvagga, pp. xlix and following.

[5]:

This is mentioned also in the Assalāyana Sutta (at the beginning), and in the same terms in the Milinda Paṇha, p. 10, as one of the branches of learning distinctive of well-educated Brāhmans. It is condemned among other ‘low arts’ in the very ancient Mahā Sīla, § 5. (See Rh. D.’s ’Buddhist Suttas from the Pāli; p. 199, and his note on the age of this work, ibid. p. 188.) Among later works, the Nepalese Buddhists refer to it as one of the things with which a Bodhisattva will not condescend to occupy himself (Lotus of the Good Law, ch. xiii, Burnouf’s version, p. 168), and in which good disciples will take no pleasure (ibid. p. 280). Buddhaghosa has a note on the passage in the Mahā Sib. (quoted by Childers sub voce), which shows that it was understood in his time to be, or rather to have been, a system of casuistry.

[6]:

So also in the Cetokhila Sutta 2 (translated in Rh. D.’s ‘Buddhist Suttas from the Pāli,’ p. 223).

[7]:

Tiracchāna-vijjā. Literally, ‘brutish, or beastly, wisdom.’ These are set out in full in the seven sections of the Mahā Sīla (translated in Rh. D.’s ‘Buddhist Suttas from the Pāli,’ pp. 196-200). As noticed above, the Lokāyata system is there mentioned (§ 5) as one of them. Learning or teaching these things are forbidden in almost identical terms to the Bhikkhunīs in the Bhikkhunī-vibhaṅga, Pācittiyas XLIX and L.

[8]:

This story forms the Introductory Story also to the Gagga Jātaka (No. 155 in Fausböll’s edition). On the superstition here condemned, see Dr. Morris’s remarks in the ‘Contemporary Review’ for May, 1881.

[9]:

Gihī bhikkhave maṅgalikā.