THE UPOSATHA AND PATIMOKKHA

  WHEN Seniya Bimbisara, the king of Magadha, was advanced in years,

he retired from the world and led a religious life. He observed that

there were Brahmanical sects in Rajagaha keeping sacred certain

days, and the people went to their meeting-houses and listened to

their sermons. Concerning the need of keeping regular days for

retirement from worldly labors and religious instruction, the king

went to the Blessed One and said: "The Parivrajaka, who belong. to the

Titthiya school, prosper and gain adherents because they keep the

eighth day and also the fourteenth or fifteenth day of each

half-month. Would it not be advisable for the reverend brethren of the

Sangha also to assemble on days duly appointed for that purpose?"

  The Blessed One commanded the bhikkhus to assemble on the eighth day

and also on the fourteenth or fifteenth day of each half-month, and to

devote these days to religious exercises.

  A bhikkhu duly appointed should address the congregation and expound

the Dharma. He should exhort the people to walk in the eightfold

path of righteousness; he should comfort them in the vicissitudes of

life and gladden them with the bliss of the fruit of good deeds.

Thus the brethren should keep the Uposatha. Now the bhikkhus, in

obedience to the rule laid down by the Blessed One, assembled in the

vihara on the day appointed, and the people went to hear the Dharma,

but they were greatly disappointed, for the bhikkhus remained silent

and delivered no discourse.

  When the Blessed One heard of it, he ordered the bhikkhus to

recite the Patimokkha, which is a ceremony of disburdening the

conscience; and he commanded them to make confession of their

trespasses so as to receive the absolution of the order. A fault, if

there be one, should be confessed by the bhikkhu who remembers it

and desires to be cleansed, for a fault, when confessed, shall be

light on him.

  And the Blessed One said: "The Patimokkha must be recited in this

way: Let a competent and venerable bhikkhu make the following

proclamation to the Sangha: "May the Sangha hear me Today is Uposatha,

the eighth, or the fourteenth or fifteenth day of the half-month. If

the Sangha is ready, let the Sangha hold the Uposatha service and

recite the Patimokkha. I will recite the Patimokkha.' And the bhikkhus

shall reply: 'We hear it well and we concentrate well our minds on it,

all of us.' Then the officiating bhikkhu shall continue: 'Let him

who has committed an offense confess it; if there be no offense, let

all remain silent; from your being silent I shall understand that

the reverend brethren are free from offenses. As a single person who

has been asked a question answers it, so also, if before an assembly

like this a question is solemnly proclaimed three times, an answer

is expected: if a bhikkhu, after a threefold proclamation, does not

confess an existing offense which he remembers, he commits an

intentional falsehood. Now, reverend brethren, an intentional

falsehood has been declared an impediment by the Blessed One.

Therefore, if an offense has been committed by a bhikkhu who remembers

it and desires to become pure, the offense should be confessed by

the bhikkhu; and when it has been confessed, it is treated duly.'"