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Mv I 16
PTS: Mv I 26 | CS: vin.mv.01.16
Saddhivihārikavattakathā
The Discussion of Duties Toward a Student[1]
by
Ven. Khematto Bhikkhu
Alternate translations/layout: 'line by line' Pāḷi - English

(Mv.I.26.1) [82] “Monks, a preceptor should behave rightly toward his student.

“Here, this is the proper behavior:

“A preceptor should support and encourage his student by teaching him, counter-questioning him, teaching him, and admonishing him.

“If the preceptor has a bowl and the student doesn’t, the preceptor should give the student the bowl or make an effort, (thinking,) ‘How can my student get a bowl?’[2]

“If the preceptor has robe-cloth and the student doesn’t, the preceptor should give the student the robe-cloth or make an effort, (thinking,) ‘How can my student get robe-cloth?’

“If the preceptor has a requisite and the student doesn’t, the preceptor should give the student the requisite or make an effort, (thinking,) ‘How can my student get the requisite?’[3]

(Mv.I.26.2) “If the student is sick, (the preceptor) should provide tooth wood[4] and water for washing the face/rinsing the mouth. He should lay out a seat.

“If there is conjey, then having washed a shallow bowl, he should offer the conjey to (the student).[5]

“When he has drunk the conjey, then having given him water, having received the bowl, having lowered it (so as not to let the washing water wet one’s robes), (the preceptor) should wash it carefully without scraping it and then put it away.

“When the student has gotten up, (the preceptor) should take up the seat. If the place is dirty, (the preceptor) should sweep it.

(Mv.I.26.3) “If the student wishes to enter the village (for alms), (the preceptor) should give him his lower robe, receiving the spare lower robe (he is wearing) from him in return.

“(The preceptor) should give him his waistband and, making (the upper robe) a lining (for the outer robe), give him the joined robes.

“Having rinsed out the bowl, (the preceptor) should give it to him while it is still wet (i.e., pour out as much of the rinsing water as possible, but don’t wipe it dry).

(Mv.I.26.4 ??) “(Thinking,) ‘He’ll be returning about now,’ (the preceptor) should lay out a seat, put out washing water for the feet, a foot stand, and a pebble foot wiper.

“Having gone to meet him, (the preceptor) should receive his bowl and robe. He should give him his spare lower robe and receive the lower robe (that he has been wearing) in return.

“If the (upper and outer) robes are damp with perspiration, (the preceptor) should dry them for a short time in the (sun’s) warmth, but should not leave them in the (sun’s) warmth (for long).

“He should fold up the robes {SC: separately}, keeping the edges four fingerbreadths apart so that neither robe becomes creased in the middle.

“He should place the waistband in the fold of the robe.

“If there is almsfood, and the student wishes to eat, (the preceptor) should give him water and offer the almsfood to him.

(Mv.I.26.5) “(The preceptor) should ask if he wants drinking water.

“When he has finished his meal, then having given him water, (the preceptor) should receive the bowl, lower it, and wash it carefully without scraping it. Then, having dried it, he should set it out for a short time in the (sun’s) warmth, but should not leave it in the (sun’s) warmth (for long).

“(The preceptor) should put away his bowl and robes. When putting away the bowl, he should take the bowl in one hand, run his hand under the bed or bench with the other hand (to check for things on the floor that would harm the bowl), and put away the bowl (there), but should not put it away on the bare ground.

“When putting away the robe, he should take the robe with one hand, stroke the other hand along the rod or cord for the robes, and put away the robe (over the cord or rod) with the edges away from him and the fold toward him.

“When the student has gotten up, (the preceptor) should take up the seat, put away the washing water for the feet, the foot-stand, and the pebble foot wiper.

“If the place is dirty, (the preceptor) should sweep it.

(Mv.I.26.6) “If the student wishes to bathe, he should prepare a bath. He should prepare a cold bath if he wants a cold one, a hot bath if he wants a hot one.

“If the student wishes to enter the sauna, he should knead the powder for bathing, moisten the bathing clay, take a sauna-bench, and go in.

“(The preceptor) should give him the bench, receive his robe in return, and lay it to one side.

“(The preceptor) should give him the (moistened) powder for bathing and clay.

“If he is able to, (the preceptor) should enter the sauna.

“When entering the sauna, he should do so having smeared his face with the bathing clay and covered himself front and back.

“He should sit so as not to encroach on the senior monks, at the same time not preempting the junior monks from a seat.

“(The preceptor) should perform services for the student in the sauna.

“When leaving the sauna, he should do so taking the sauna-bench and having covered oneself front and back.

“(The preceptor) should perform a service for the student even in the bathing water.

“Having bathed, he should come out of the water first, dry himself, and put on his lower robe.

“Then he should rub the water off the student, give him his lower robe, and give him his outer robe.

“Taking the sauna-bench, (the preceptor) should return first, lay out a seat, put out washing water for the feet, a foot stand, and a pebble foot wiper.

“He should ask the student if he wants drinking water.

(Mv.I.26.7) “If the dwelling where the student is staying is dirty, (the preceptor) should clean it if he is able to.

“When cleaning the dwelling, first taking out the bowl and robes, he should lay them to one side.

“Taking out the sitting cloth and sheet, he should lay them to one side.

“Taking out the mattress and pillow, he should lay them to one side.

(Mv.I.26.8) “Having lowered the bed, he should take it out carefully, without scraping it or knocking it against the door or doorposts [doorframe], and then lay it to one side.

“Having lowered the bench, he should take it out carefully, without scraping it or knocking it against the door or doorposts, and then lay it to one side.

“Taking out the supports for the bed, he should lay them to one side.

“Taking out the spittoon, he should it them to one side.

“Taking out the leaning board, he should lay it to one side.

“Having taken note of where the ground-covering was laid out, he should take it out and lay it to one side.

“If there are cobwebs in the dwelling, he should remove them, starting first with the ceiling covering-cloth (and working down).

“He should wipe areas around the window frames and the corners (of the room).

“If the wall has been treated with ochre and has become moldy, he should moisten a rag, wring it out, and wipe it clean.

“If the floor of the room is treated with blackening [i.e. polished] and has become moldy, he should moisten a rag, wring it out, and wipe it clean.

“If the floor is untreated, he should sprinkle it all over with water before sweeping it, (with the thought,) ‘May the dust not fly up and soil the room.’

“He should look for any rubbish and throw it away to one side.

(Mv.I.26.9) “Having dried the ground-covering in the sun, he should clean it, shake it out, bring it back in, and lay it out as it was laid out (before).

“Having dried the supports for the bed in the sun, he should wipe them, bring them back in, and set them in their proper places.

“Having dried the bed in the sun, he should clean it, shake it out, lower it, bring it back in carefully without scraping it [along the floor] or knocking it against the door or doorposts, and lay it out it as it was laid out (before).

“Having dried the bench in the sun, he should clean it, shake it out, lower it, bring it back in carefully without scraping it [along the floor] or knocking it against the door or doorposts, and lay it out it as it was laid out (before).

“Having dried the mattress and pillow, he should clean them, shake them out, bring them back in, and lay them out them as they were laid out (before).

“Having dried the sitting cloth and sheet in the sun, he should clean them, shake them out, bring them back in, and lay them out as they were laid out (before).

“Having dried the spittoon in the sun, he should wipe it, bring it back in, and set it in its proper place.

“Having dried the leaning board in the sun, he should wipe it, bring it back in, and set it in its proper place.

(Mv.I.26.10) “He should put away the robes and bowl.

“When putting away the bowl, he should take the bowl in one hand, run his hand under the bed or bench with the other hand (to check for things on the floor that would harm the bowl), and put away the bowl (there), but should not put it away on the bare ground.

“When putting away the robe, he should take the robe with one hand, stroke the other hand along the rod or cord for the robes, and put away the robe (over the cord or rod) with the edges away from him and the fold toward him.

“If dusty winds blow from the east, he should close the eastern windows.

“If dusty winds blow from the west, he should close the western windows.

“If dusty winds blow from the north, he should close the northern windows.

“If dusty winds blow from the south, he should close the southern windows.

“If the weather is cool, he should open the windows by day and close them at night.

“If the weather is hot, he should close them by day and open them at night.

“If the surrounding area is dirty, he should sweep it.

“If the porch is dirty, he should sweep it.

“If the assembly hall is dirty, he should sweep it.

“If the fire-hall is dirty, he should sweep it.

“If the restroom is dirty, he should sweep it.

“If there is no drinking water, he should set it out.

“If there is no washing water, he should set it out.

“If there is no water in the pot for rinsing (in the restroom), he should pour it into the pot.

“If dissatisfaction (with the holy life) arises in the student, the preceptor should allay it or get someone else to allay it or one should give him a Dhamma talk.

“If anxiety (over his conduct with regard to the rules) arises in the student, the preceptor should dispel it or get someone else to dispel it or one should give him a Dhamma talk.

“If a viewpoint[6] arises in the student, the preceptor should pry it away or get someone else to pry it away or one should give him a Dhamma talk.

“If the student has committed an offense against a heavy rule (saṅghādisesa) and deserves probation, the preceptor should make an effort, (thinking,) ‘How can the Saṅgha grant my student probation?’[7]

“If the student deserves to be sent back to the beginning, the preceptor should make an effort, (thinking,) “How can the Saṅgha send my student back to the beginning?”

“If the student deserves penance, the preceptor should make an effort, (thinking,) “How can the Saṅgha grant my student penance?”

“If the student deserves rehabilitation, the preceptor should make an effort, (thinking,) “How can the Saṅgha grant my student rehabilitation?”

“If the Saṅgha wants to carry out a transaction against the student — censure, demotion, banishment, reconciliation, or suspension — the preceptor should make an effort, (thinking,) ‘How can the Saṅgha not carry out that transaction against my student or else change it to a lighter one?’[8]

“But if the transaction — censure, demotion, banishment, reconciliation, or suspension — is carried out against him, the preceptor should make an effort, (thinking,) ‘How can my student behave properly, lower his hackles, mend his ways, so that the Saṅgha will rescind that transaction?’

(Mv.I.26.11) “If the student’s robe should be washed, the preceptor should explain to him, ‘Here is how you should wash it,’ or make an effort, (thinking,) ‘How can my student’s robe be washed?’

“If the student’s robe should be made, the preceptor should explain to him, ‘Here is how you should make it,” or make an effort, (thinking,) ‘How can my student’s robe be made?’

“If the student’s dye should be boiled, the preceptor should explain to him, ‘Here is how the dye should be boiled,” or make an effort, (thinking,) ‘How can my student’s dye be boiled?’

“If the student’s robe should be dyed, the preceptor should explain to him, ‘Here is how you should dye it,” or make an effort, (thinking,) ‘How can my student’s robe be dyed?’

“In dyeing the robe, he should carefully let it take the dye properly (while drying), turning it back and forth (on the line), and shouldn’t leave while the drips have not stopped.

“If the student is sick, he (the preceptor) should tend to him as long as life lasts; he should stay with him until he recovers.”

The Discussion of Duties Toward a Student is finished.

Notes

1.
See also BMCI Chap. 2: Duties toward a pupil.
2.
Commentary: “If the preceptor has a bowl”: if he has an extra bowl. This is the pattern everywhere.
3.
Commentary: “Requisite”: another requisite of a contemplative. Making an effort, here, means a method of searching, in accordance with the Dhamma, so that it arises. After this, the duties, starting from providing tooth wood up to pouring water into the rinsing pot, should only be done for a student who is sick. But he should perform (the duties of) allaying dissatisfaction (with the holy life), etc. even when (the student) is not sick.
4.
See BMCI: Pc 40.
5.
See Mv.VI.24.5: Benefits of Conjey
6.
Usually a fixed opinion with regard to a question not worth asking — see (MN 72).
7.
See also BMCI Chap. 19: Penance & Probation.
8.
See also BMCI Chap. 20: Disciplinary Transactions.
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