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1. Now when the Blessed One had remained at Âlavî as long as he thought fit, he set out on his journey towards Râgagaha. And proceeding straight on, he arrived in due course at Râgagaha. And there, at Râgagaha, the Blessed One stayed at the Veluvana in the Kalandaka Nivâpa.
Now at that time there was a scarcity of food at Râgagaha 1. The people were unable to provide food for the (whole) Samgha and they were desirous of providing food 2 (to be sent to the Vihâra) for the use of a special Bhikkhu (designated by the donor) 3 or for special Bhikkhus invited (by the donor in his own house) 4 or for (single Bhikkhus) appointed by ticket (issued by the Samgha) 5, or of providing food during a fortnight 6, or on Uposatha
days (that is, on the last days of each fortnight) or on the first days of each fortnight.
They told this matter to the Blessed One.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, each of three ways of obtaining food.'
Now at that time the Khabbaggiya Bhikkhus having received good food for themselves, gave over the worse food (which they had also received) to the other Bhikkhus.
They told this matter to the Blessed One.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to appoint as apportioner of rations 1 a Bhikkhu who is possessed of the following five qualifications--(&c., as in IV, 9, down to the end of the Kammavâkâ):
Now the Bhikkhus who were apportioners of rations, thought: 'How then are the rations to be apportioned?'
They told this matter to the Blessed One.
'I allow you. O Bhikkhus, to apportion them by arranging the food in small heaps, and fastening tickets or marks upon them 2.'
2. Now at that time the Samgha had no distributor
of lodging-places--no overseer of stores--no receiver of robes--no distributor of robes, of congey, or of fruits--and no distributor of dry foods, and through not being distributed it went bad.
They told each of these matters 1 to the Blessed One.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to appoint as distributor of lodging-places, &c., a Bhikkhu who has (&c., as in § 1, down to the end of the Kammavâkâ, inserting throughout the appropriate variations in the fifth qualification).
3. Now at that time articles of trifling value had accumulated in the storehouse of the Samgha.
They told this matter to the Blessed One.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to appoint as disposer of trifles a Bhikkhu who has (&c., as before, down to the end of the Kammavâkâ). Each separate needle, and pair of scissors, and pair of sandals, and girdle, and pair of braces, and filtering cloth, and regulation strainer 2, and plait 3, and half-plait 3, and gusset 3, and half-gusset 3, and binding 4, and braiding 4, is to be given away. If the Samgha has any ghee, or oil, or honey, or molasses, he is to give it away for personal consumption only, and if it be wanted, he is to give it a second and a third time 5.'
Now at that time the Samgha had no receiver of under-garments 1, or of bowls,--no superintendent of those who kept the grounds in order (the Ârâmikas), and the Ârâmikas not being looked after, the necessary work was not done,--no superintendent of sâmaneras, and the sâmaneras not being looked after did not perform their duties.
They told each of these matters to the Blessed One.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to appoint as receiver of under-garments, &c., a Bhikkhu who has (&c., as before, down to the end of the Kammavâkâ).'
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End of the Sixth Khandhaka, on Sleeping Arrangements, &c,
220:1 Other special rules for times of scarcity will be found at Mahâvagga VI, 17, 7; 18, 4; 19, 2; 20, 4 (repealed for times of plenty in VI, 32). Compare also Pârâgika IV, 1, 1.
220:2 The above modes of receiving food (instead of collecting in a bowl morsels of food given in alms) are the dispensations allowed by Mahâvagga I, 30, 4.
220:3 Uddesa-bhattam kâtum. Compare the story of Upananda at Mahâvagga VI, 19, I.
220:4 Nimantanam kâtum. The word is only used in this special technical sense. Compare the whole story of Kulla-panthaka at Gâtaka I, 116, and especially the last line.
220:5 Salâka-bhattam kâtum. See especially above, Kullavagga IV, 9; IV, to.
220:6 Pakkhikam kâtum. Both Childers sub voce and Frankfurter p. 221 ('Pali Handbook,' p. 165), in interpreting the passage at Mahâvagga I, 30, 4, take this to mean a feast given on the eighth day of the month. But paksha is the half-month. The expression much more probably means, therefore, to provide food either during the whole of a half-month for one or more specially invited Bhikkhus, or for a larger number on any one day of the half-month to be chosen by the Samgha.
221:1 Compare above, Kullavagga IV, 4, 1.
221:2 Buddhaghosa says, Salâkâya vâ patikâya vâ upanibandhitvâ opuñkhitvâ uddisitun ti vakanato rukkhasâramayâya salâkâya vâ veluvilivatâlapannâdinayâya patikâya vâ asukassa nâma salâkabhattan ti evam akkharâni upanibandhitvâ pakkhiyam vâ kîvarabhoge vâ katvâ sabbâ salâkâyo omuñkhitvâ [sic] punappunam hetthâ-vasena âloletvâ . . . dâtabbâ.
222:1 There is another officer (âsana-paññâpaka) mentioned at Kullavagga XII, 2, 7, whose omission from the list here is worthy of notice.
222:2 Dhamma-karako. See V, 13, I.
222:3 On these words, see Mahâvagga VIII, 12, 2.
222:4 On these two words, see Mahâvagga VIII, 1, 5.
222:5 These things were to be used only as medicines, according to Mahâvagga VI, 1, 1-5, where butter is also added. That would be under the charge of the distributor of dry foods (§ 2), as if kept it would go bad. According to VI, 15, 10, none of these five p. 222 kinds of medicine were to be kept for a period exceeding seven days, but that was a rule that was not very probable to be strictly followed.
223:1 Sâtiya; no doubt the same as is spelt elsewhere sâtikâ or sâtakâ, and is used for such purposes as bathing in.