17. Upāli-Pentads (PLI-TV-PVR17)

Its Summary

Offence, legal question, partiality,
and one who has heard little,
And matter, and unskilled,
individual, and on worldly things,
Is split, both dissension in an Order,
and so too schism in an Order.

Division 11: a Schismatic in the Order

“If he is possessed of how many qualities, revered sir, is a schismatic in the Order doomed to the Downfall, to Niraya Hell, staying there for an aeon, incurable?”

“If he is possessed of five qualities, Upāli, … incurable. Of what five? As to this, Upāli, a monk explains non- dhamma as Dhamma, he explains Dhamma as non-dhamma … non-discipline as Discipline, … Discipline as non-discipline and he is one misrepresenting view as to formal act. If he is possessed of these five qualities, Upāli … incurable.

And if he is possessed of five further qualities … incurable. Of what five? As to this, Upāli, a monk explains non-dhamma as Dhamma … and he is one misrepresenting view as to recitation. If he is possessed …

And if he is possessed of five further qualities … incurable. Of what five? As to this, Upāli, a monk explains non-dhamma as Dhamma … and he is one who, talking, misrepresents view. If he is possessed …

And if he is possessed of five further qualities … incurable. Of what five? As to this, Upāli, a monk explains non-dhamma as Dhamma … and he is one misrepresenting view by speaking out. If he is possessed …

And if he is possessed of five further qualities … incurable. Of what five? As to this, Upāli, a monk explains non-dhamma as Dhamma … and he is one misrepresenting view by offering a voting-ticket. If he is possessed …

And if he is possessed of five further qualities … incurable. Of what five? As to this, Upāli, a monk explains non-dhamma as Dhamma … and is one misrepresenting approval as to a formal act … as to the recitation … (by) talking … by proclamation … by offering a voting ticket. If he is possessed …

And if he is possessed of five further qualities … incurable. Of what five? As to this, Upāli, a monk explains non-dhamma as Dhamma … and is one misrepresenting pleasure as to a formal act … by offering a voting ticket. If he is possessed …

And if he is possessed of five further qualities … incurable. Of what five? of these five qualities, Upāli, a schismatic in the Order is doomed to the Downfall, to Niraya Hell, staying there for an aeon, incurable.”

Concluded is the Eleventh Division: on a Schismatic in the Order

Its Summary

Misrepresenting view as to formal act,
as to recitation and (by) talking,
By speaking out, by a voting-ticket:
these five are dependent on view.
Approval, and pleasure, and intention:
these three contexts are fivefold.

Division 12: a Second Schismatic in the Order

“If he is possessed of how many qualities, revered sir, is a schismatic in the Order not doomed to the Downfall, not (doomed) to Niraya Hell, not staying there for an aeon, not incurable?”

“If he is possessed of five qualities, Upāli, … not incurable. Of what five? As to this, Upāli, a monk explains non-dhamma as Dhamma, he explains Dhamma as non-dhamma, he explains non-discipline as Discipline, he explains Discipline as non-discipline, but is not one misrepresenting view as to a formal act. If he is possessed of these five qualities … not incurable.

And if he is possessed of five further qualities … not incurable. Of what five? As to this, Upāli, a monk explains non-dhamma as Dhamma … misrepresenting view as to recitation … misrepresenting intention by offering a voting ticket. If he is possessed of these five qualities, Upāli, a schismatic in the Order is not doomed to the Downfall, not (doomed) to Niraya Hell, not staying there for an aeon, not incurable.”

Concluded is the Twelfth Division: on a Second Schismatic in the Order

Its Summary

Not misrepresenting view as to formal act,
as to recitation, and by talking,
By speaking out, by a voting ticket:
these five are dependent on view.
Approval, and pleasure, and intention:
these three contexts are fivefold. /
As above are twenty forms exactly on the dark side,
You must know likewise the twenty exactly on the bright side.

Division 13: Resident

“If he is possessed of how many qualities, revered sir, is a resident monk consigned to Niraya Hell just as a burden is set aside?”

“If he is possessed of five qualities, Upāli, a resident monk is consigned to Niraya Hell just as a burden is set aside. Of what five? If he follows a wrong course from partiality, if he follows a wrong course from hatred, if he follows a wrong course from confusion, if he follows a wrong course from fear, if he makes use of something belonging to an Order, belonging to an individual. If he is possessed of these five …

If he is possessed of five qualities, Upāli, a resident monk is consigned to heaven just as a burden is set aside. Of what five? If he does not follow a wrong course from partiality … if he does not make use of something belonging to an Order, belonging to an individual. If he is possessed of these five … consigned to heaven … ”

“How many expositions of Vinaya are there, revered sir, that are not legally valid?”

“These five expositions of Vinaya, Upāli, are not legally valid. What five? As to this, Upāli, a monk speaks saying non-dhamma is Dhamma, he speaks saying Dhamma is non-dhamma, he speaks saying non-Vinaya is Vinaya, he speaks saying Vinaya is non-Vinaya, he lays down what has not been laid down and abrogates what has been laid down. These five expositions of Vinaya, Upāli, are not legally valid.

These five expositions of Vinaya, Upāli, are legally valid. What five? As to this, Upāli, a monk speaks saying non- dhamma is non-dhamma … he speaks saying Vinaya is Vinaya, he does not lay down what has not been laid down and does not abrogate what has been laid down. These five expostions of Vinaya, Upāli, are legally valid.”

“If he is possessed of how many qualities, revered sir, is an issuer of meals consigned to Niraya Hell just as a burden is set aside?”

“If he is possessed of five qualities, Upāli, an issuer of meals is consigned to Niraya Hell just as a burden is set aside. Of what five? If he follows a wrong course from partiality … hatred … confusion … fear, if he does not know what has been issued and what has not been issued. If he is possessed of these five …

If he is possessed of five qualities, Upāli, an issuer of meals is consigned to heaven just as a burden is set aside. Of what five? If he does not follow a wrong course from partiality fear, if he knows what has been issued and what has not been issued. If he is possessed of these five … consigned to heaven … ”

“If he is possessed of how many qualities, revered sir, is an assigner of lodgings … a store-room keeper … an accepter of robes … a distributor of robe-material … a distributor of conjey … a distributor of fruit … a distributor of solid food … a disposer of trifles … an accepter of outer cloaks … an accepter of bowls … a superintendent of monastery attendants … a superintendent of novices consigned to Niraya Hell just as a burden is set aside?”

“If he is possessed of five qualities, Upāli, a superintendent of novices … see Prv.17.13.3; instead of what has been issued and what has not been issued read who has been superintended and who has not been superintended … consigned to Niraya Hell … consigned to heaven just as a burden is set aside.”

Concluded is the Thirteenth Division: on Resident (Monk)

Its Summary

Resident, expositions,
issuer of meals, and lodgings,
Store-room, and accepter of robes,
and distributor of robe-material, /
Conjey, fruit, and solid food,
trifles, accepter of outer cloaks,
Bowls, and monastery attendants too,
superintendent for a novice.

Division 14: the Formal Making of Kaṭhina Cloth

“How many advantages are there, revered sir, in formally making kaṭhina cloth?”

“There are these five advantages, Upāli, in formally making kaṭhina cloth. What five? Going (to families for alms) without having asked for permission, walking (for alms) not taking the three robes, a group-meal, as much robe-material as is required, and whatever robe-material accrues there, that will be for them. These, Upāli, are the five advantages in formally making the kaṭhina cloth.”

“How many perils are there, revered sir, for one of muddled mindfulness, not clearly conscious, when he has fallen asleep?”

“There are these five perils, Upāli, for one of muddled mindfulness … when he has fallen asleep. What five? He sleeps uneasily, he wakes uneasily, he sees an evil dream, devatās do not guard him, impurity is emitted. These are the five perils … when he has fallen asleep.

“There are these five advantages, Upāli, for one of raised up mindfulness, who is clearly conscious, when he has fallen asleep. What five? He sleeps easily, he wakes easily, he does not see an evil dream, devatās guard him, impurity is not emitted. These are the five advantages … when he has fallen asleep.”

“How many, revered sir, are not to be greeted?”

“These five, Upāli, are not to be greeted. Which five? One who has entered amid the houses is not to be greeted, one who is on a carriage-road is not to be greeted, one who is in the (partial) darkness is not to be greeted, one who is not considering (his duties) is not to be greeted, one who is asleep is not to be greeted. These five, Upāli, are not to be greeted.

“And a further five, Upāli, are not to be greeted. Which five? One who is drinking conjey is not to be greeted, one in a refectory … one who has turned away alone … one who is thinking about something else … one who is naked is not t be greeted. These five, Upāli, are not to be greeted.

“And a further five, Upāli, are not to be greeted. Which five? One who is eating solid food is not to be greeted, one who is eating soft food … one who is defecating … one who is urinating … one who is suspended is not to be greeted. These five, Upāli, are not to be greeted.

“And a further five, Upāli, are not to be greeted. Which five? One ordained later is not to be greeted by one ordained earlier, one not ordained is not to be greeted, one belonging to a different communion (even) if he is more senior (yet) is a speaker of non-dhamma is not to be greeted, a woman is not to be greeted a eunuch is not to be greeted. These five, Upāli, are not to be greeted.

“And a further five, Upāli, are not to be greeted. Which five? One under probation is not to be greeted, one who deserves to be sent back to the beginning … one who deserves mānatta … one undergoing mānatta … one who deserves rehabilitation is not to be greeted. These five, Upāli, are not to be greeted.”

“How many, revered sir, are to be greeted?”

““These five, Upāli, are to be greeted. Which five? One ordained earlier is to be greeted by one ordained later, one belonging to a different communion if he is more senior and is a speaker of Dhamma is to be greeted, a teacher is to be greeted, a preceptor is to be greeted, a Tathāgata, arahant, perfect Buddha is to be greeted by the world with its devas, with its Māras, with its Brahmās, by creatures with recluses and brahmins, with devas and mankind. These five, Upāli, are to be greeted.”

“If a more newly ordained monk, revered sir, is honouring the feet of a more senior monk, when he has caused how many states to be set up within himself should he honour the feet?”

“If a more newly ordained monk, Upāli, is honouring the feet of a more senior monk, having caused five states to be set up within himself he should honour the feet. What five? When a more newly ordained monk, Upāli, is honouring the feet of a more senior monk, having arranged his outer cloak over one shoulder, holding out his joined palms in salutation, stroking his feet on all sides with the palms of his hands, having caused regard and esteem to be set up, he should honour his feet. When a more newly ordained monk, Upāli, is honouring the feet of a more senior monk, having caused these five states to be set up within himself, he should honour his feet.”

Concluded is the Fourteenth Division: on the Formal Making of Kaṭhina Cloth

Its Summary

Formal making of kaṭhina cloth,
and asleep, amid, conjey, when eating,
And earlier, and one under probation,
one to be greeted, one who should honour.

Concluded are the Upāli-Pentads

The summary of these Divisions:

Independently, and (formal) act,
remain, and as to an explanation,
And reproof, and ascetic practices,
lying, and to a nun also, /
Referendum, legal question, schismatics,
the fifth in the preceding,
Resident (monks), and kaṭhina cloth:
the fourteen are well proclaimed. /

The Book of the Discipline was translated by I.B. Horner.

Digital edition prepared for SuttaCentral by Bhikkhu Sujato

A complete digital edition can be downloaded here.

Published in 2014 by SuttaCentral.

Originally published by the Pali Text Society in the following years:

Vol. 1: 1938

Vol. 2: 1940

Vol. 3: 1942

Vol. 4: 1951

Vol. 5: 1950

Vol. 6: 1966

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