10: The Book of the Tens
119. Paccorohaṇī (1)
- DG BB TBW © Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi (More copyright information)
1-2Now on that occasion, on the uposatha day, the brahmin Jāṇussoṇī stood to one side not far from the Blessed One, with his head washed, wearing a new pair of linen clothes, holding a handful of wet kusa grass. The Blessed One saw him standing there and said to him:
"Why is it, brahmin, that on the uposatha day you stand to one side with your head washed, wearing a new pair of linen clothes, holding a handful of wet kusa grass? What is happening today with the brahmin clan?"
"Today, Master Gotama, is the brahmin clan's paccorohaṇī festival." [n.2158] PED explains paccorohaṇī as "the ceremony of coming down again (?), approaching or descending to (acc.), esp. the holy fire." SED sv pratyavarohaṇa says: "A particular Gṛhya (householder) festival in the month Mārgaśirṣa" (November –December).
3"But how do the brahmins observe the paccorohaṇī festival?"
"Here, Master Gotama, on the uposatha day, the brahmins wash their heads and put on a pair of new linen clothes. They then smear the ground with wet cow dung, cover this with green kusa grass, and lie down between the boundary and the fire house. In the course of the night, they get up three times, and with reverential salutation pay homage to the fire: ‘We descend in honor of the revered one. We descend in honor of the revered one.’ [n.2159] Paccorohāma bhavantaṁ, paccorohāma bhavantaṁ. It is apparently from this salutation that the paccorohaṇī festival derives its name. SED explains the verb pratyavarohati to mean: "to descend (from a seat, chariot, etc.) in honor of (acc.)." Apparently, here the brahmins are descending in honor of Agni, the god of fire, representing the all-pervasive energy of the universe. They offer abundant ghee, oil, and butter to the fire. When the night has passed, they offer excellent food of various kinds to brahmins. It is in this way, Master Gotama, that the brahmins observe the paccorohaṇī festival."
4"The paccorohaṇī festival in the Noble One's discipline, brahmin, is quite different from the paccorohaṇī festival of the brahmins."
"But how, Master Gotama, is the paccorohaṇī festival observed in the Noble One's discipline? It would be good if Master Gotama would teach me the Dhamma by explaining how the paccorohaṇī festival is observed in the Noble One's discipline."
5"Well then, brahmin, listen and attend closely. I will speak."
"Yes, sir," the brahmin Jāṇussoṇī replied. The Blessed One said this:
6(1) "Here, brahmin, the noble disciple reflects thus: ‘The result of wrong view is bad both in this present life and in future lives.’ Having reflected thus, he abandons wrong view; he descends from wrong view.
7(2) " … ‘The result of wrong intention is bad both in this present life and in future lives.’ Having reflected thus, he abandons wrong intention; he descends from wrong intention.
8(3) " … ‘The result of wrong speech is bad both in this present life and in future lives.’ Having reflected thus, he abandons wrong speech; he descends from wrong speech.
9(4) " … ‘The result of wrong action is bad both in this present life and in future lives.’ Having reflected thus, he abandons wrong action; he descends from wrong action.
10(5) " … ‘The result of wrong livelihood is bad both in this present life and in future lives.’ Having reflected thus, he abandons wrong livelihood; he descends from wrong livelihood.
11(6) " … ‘The result of wrong effort is bad both in this present life and in future lives.’ Having reflected thus, he abandons wrong effort; he descends from wrong effort.
12(7) " … ‘The result of wrong mindfulness is bad both in this present life and in future lives.’ Having reflected thus, he abandons wrong mindfulness; he descends from wrong mindfulness.
13(8) " … ‘The result of wrong concentration is bad both in this present life and in future lives.’ Having reflected thus, he abandons wrong concentration; he descends from wrong concentration.
14(9) " … ‘The result of wrong knowledge is bad both in this present life and in future lives.’ Having reflected thus, he abandons wrong knowledge; he descends from wrong knowledge.
15(10) " … ‘The result of wrong liberation is bad both in this present life and in future lives.’ Having reflected thus, he abandons wrong liberation; he descends from wrong liberation.
"It is in this way, brahmin, that the paccorohaṇī festival is observed in the Noble One's discipline."
16"The paccorohaṇī festival in the Noble One's discipline, Master Gotama, is quite different from the paccorohaṇī festival of the brahmins. And the paccorohaṇī festival of the brahmins is not worth a sixteenth part of the paccorohaṇī festival in the Noble One's discipline.
"Excellent, Master Gotama! Excellent, Master Gotama! Master Gotama has made the Dhamma clear in many ways, as though he were turning upright what had been overthrown, revealing what was hidden, showing the way to one who was lost, or holding up a lamp in the darkness so those with good eyesight can see forms. I now go for refuge to Master Gotama, to the Dhamma, and to the Saṅgha of bhikkhus. Let Master Gotama consider me a lay follower who from today has gone for refuge for life."
1Tena kho pana samayena jāṇussoṇi brāhmaṇo tadahuposathe sīsaṁnhāto navaṁ khomayugaṁ nivattho allakusamuṭṭhiṁ ādāya bhagavato avidūre ekamantaṁ ṭhito hoti.
2Addasā kho bhagavā jāṇussoṇiṁ brāhmaṇaṁ tadahuposathe sīsaṁnhātaṁ navaṁ khomayugaṁ nivatthaṁ allakusamuṭṭhiṁ ādāya ekamantaṁ ṭhitaṁ. Disvāna jāṇussoṇiṁ brāhmaṇaṁ etadavoca:
"Kiṁ nu tvaṁ, brāhmaṇa, tadahuposathe sīsaṁnhāto navaṁ khomayugaṁ nivattho allakusamuṭṭhiṁ ādāya ekamantaṁ ṭhito? Kiṁ nvajja brāhmaṇakulassā"ti?
"Paccorohaṇī, bho gotama, ajja brāhmaṇakulassā"ti.
3"Yathā kathaṁ pana, brāhmaṇa, brāhmaṇānaṁ paccorohaṇī hotī"ti?
"Idha, bho gotama, brāhmaṇā tadahuposathe sīsaṁnhātā navaṁ khomayugaṁ nivatthā allena gomayena pathaviṁ opuñjitvā haritehi kusehi pattharitvā antarā ca velaṁ antarā ca agyāgāraṁ seyyaṁ kappenti. Te taṁ rattiṁ tikkhattuṁ paccuṭṭhāya pañjalikā aggiṁ namassanti: ‘paccorohāma bhavantaṁ, paccorohāma bhavantan’ti. Bahukena ca sappitelanavanītena aggiṁ santappenti. Tassā ca rattiyā accayena paṇītena khādanīyena bhojanīyena brāhmaṇe santappenti. Evaṁ, bho gotama, brāhmaṇānaṁ paccorohaṇī hotī"ti.
4"Aññathā kho, brāhmaṇa, brāhmaṇānaṁ paccorohaṇī hoti, aññathā ca pana ariyassa vinaye paccorohaṇī hotī"ti.
"Yathā kathaṁ pana, bho gotama, ariyassa vinaye paccorohaṇī hoti? Sādhu me bhavaṁ gotamo tathā dhammaṁ desetu yathā ariyassa vinaye paccorohaṇī hotī"ti.
5"Tena hi, brāhmaṇa, suṇāhi, sādhukaṁ manasi karohi; bhāsissāmī"ti.
"Evaṁ, bho"ti kho jāṇussoṇi brāhmaṇo bhagavato paccassosi. Bhagavā etadavoca:
6"Idha, brāhmaṇa, ariyasāvako iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘micchādiṭṭhiyā kho pāpako vipāko diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañcā’ti. So iti paṭisaṅkhāya micchādiṭṭhiṁ pajahati; micchādiṭṭhiyā paccorohati.
7… ‘Micchāsaṅkappassa kho pāpako vipāko – diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañcā’ti. So iti paṭisaṅkhāya micchāsaṅkappaṁ pajahati; micchāsaṅkappā paccorohati.
8… ‘Micchāvācāya kho pāpako vipāko – diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañcā’ti. So iti paṭisaṅkhāya micchāvācaṁ pajahati; micchāvācāya paccorohati.
9… ‘Micchākammantassa kho pāpako vipāko – diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañcā’ti. So iti paṭisaṅkhāya micchākammantaṁ pajahati; micchākammantā paccorohati.
10… ‘Micchāājīvassa kho pāpako vipāko – diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañcā’ti. So iti paṭisaṅkhāya micchāājīvaṁ pajahati; micchāājīvā paccorohati.
11… ‘Micchāvāyāmassa kho pāpako vipāko – diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañcā’ti. So iti paṭisaṅkhāya micchāvāyāmaṁ pajahati; micchāvāyāmā paccorohati.
12… ‘Micchāsatiyā kho pāpako vipāko – diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañcā’ti. So iti paṭisaṅkhāya micchāsatiṁ pajahati; micchāsatiyā paccorohati.
13… ‘Micchāsamādhissa kho pāpako vipāko – diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañcā’ti. So iti paṭisaṅkhāya micchāsamādhiṁ pajahati; micchāsamādhimhā paccorohati.
14… ‘Micchāñāṇassa kho pāpako vipāko – diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañcā’ti. So iti paṭisaṅkhāya micchāñāṇaṁ pajahati; micchāñāṇamhā paccorohati.
15… ‘Micchāvimuttiyā kho pāpako vipāko – diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañcā’ti. So iti paṭisaṅkhāya micchāvimuttiṁ pajahati; micchāvimuttiyā paccorohati.
Evaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa, ariyassa vinaye paccorohaṇī hotī"ti.
16"Aññathā, bho gotama, brāhmaṇānaṁ paccorohaṇī, aññathā ca pana ariyassa vinaye paccorohaṇī hoti. Imissā ca, bho gotama, ariyassa vinaye paccorohaṇiyā brāhmaṇānaṁ paccorohaṇī kalaṁ nāgghati soḷasiṁ.
Abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama … pe … upāsakaṁ maṁ bhavaṁ gotamo dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan"ti.
Sattamaṁ.