..续本文上一页 a free man; have no debts; and not be a criminal or deformed or in the royal service.

　　263. Q. As a novice what is he called

　　A. Samanera, a pupil. *

　　264. Q. At what age can a Samanera be ordained as Sranrana—monk

　　A. Not before his twentieth year.

　　265. Q. When ready for ordination what happens

　　A. At a meeting of Bhikkhus he is presented by a Bhikkhu as his proposer, who reports that he is qualified, and the candidate says: "I ask the Sangha, reverend Sirs, for the Upasampada (ordination) ceremony, etc." His introducer then recommends that he be admitted. He is then accepted.

　　266. Q. What then

　　A. He puts on the robes and repeats the Three Refuges (Tisaraṇa) and Ten Precepts (Dasa Sîla).

　　267. Q. What are the two essentials to be observed

　　p. 80

　　A. Poverty and Chastity. A Bhikkhu before ordination must possess eight things, viz., his robes, a girdle for his loins, a begging-bowl, water-strainer, razor, needle, fan, sandals. Within limitations strictly specified in the Vinâya, he may hold certain other-properties.

　　268. Q. What about the public confession of faults

　　A. Once every fortnight, a Patimokka (Disburdenment) ceremony is performed, when every Bhikkhu confesses to the assembly such faults as he has committed and takes such penances as may be prescribed.

　　269. Q. What daily routine must he follow

　　A. He rises before daylight, washes, sweeps the vihâra, sweeps around the Bo-tree that grows near every vihâra, brings the drinking-water for the day and filters it; retires for meditation, offers flowers before the dagoba, or relic-mound, or before the Bo-tree; then takes his begging-bowl and goes from house to house collecting food—which he must not ask for, but receive in his bowl as given voluntarily by the householders. He returns, bathes his feet and eats, after which he resumes meditation.

　　270. Q. Must we believe that there is no merit in

　　p. 81

　　the offering of flowers (mala pûja) as an act of worship

　　A. That act itself is without merit as a mere formality; but if one offers a flower as the sweetest, purest expression of heartfelt reverence for a holy being, then, indeed, is the offering an act of ennobling worship.

　　271. Q. What next does the Bhikkhu do

　　A. He pursues his studies. At sunset he again sweeps the sacred places, lights a lamp, listens to the instructions of his superior, and confesses to him any fault he may have committed.

　　272. Q. Upon what are his four earnest meditations (Sati-patthânâ) made

　　A. 1. On the body, Kayânapassânâ.

　　2. On the feeling, Vedanânupassanâ.

　　3. On the mind, Chittânupassanâ.

　　4. On the doctrine, Dhammânupassanâ.

　　278. Q. What is the aim of the four Great Efforts (Samanappadhânâ)

　　A. To suppress one”s animal desires and grow in goodness.

　　274. Q. For the perception by the Bhikkhu of the highest truth, is reason said to be the best, or intuition

　　A. Intuition—a mental state in which any desired truth is instantaneously grasped.

　　275. Q. And when can that development be reached

　　p. 82

　　A. When one, by the practice of Jñâna, comes to its fourth stage of unfolding.

　　276. Q. Are we to believe that in the final stage of Jñâna, and in the condition called Samâdhi, the mind is a blank and thought is arrested

　　A. Quite the contrary. It is then that one”s consciousness is most intensely active, and one”s power to gain knowledge correspondingly vast.

　　277. Q. Try to give me a simile.

　　A. In the ordinary waking state one”s view of knowledge is as limited as the sight of a man who walks on a road between high hills; in the higher consciousness of Jñâna and Samâdhi it is like the sight of the eagle poised in the upper sky and overlooking a whole country.

　　278. Q. What do our books say about the Buddha”s use of this faculty

　　A. They tell us that it was his custom, every morning, to glance over the world and, by his pine (clairvoyant) sight, see where there were persons ready to receive the truth. He would then contrive, if possible, that it should reach them. When persons visited him he would look into their minds, read their secret motives, and then preach to them according to their needs.

　　--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

　　Footnotes

　　76:* The Upûsakâ and Upâsika observe these on the Buddhist Uposatha (Sabbath) days (In Sk. Upavasatha). They are the 8th, 14th and 15th days of each half lunar month.

　　79:* The relationship to his Guru, or teacher, is almost like that of godson to godfather among Christians, only more real, for the teacher becomes father, mother, family and all to him.

《Part III· The Sangha》全文阅读结束。