Vassūpanāyika Khandhaka — Introduction & Main Allowance

Introduction

All Buddhas practice spending vassāvāsa

Places the Buddha spent Vassāvāsa

Paṭhamabodhi (20 vassas)
- 1st vassa: Isipatane, Migadāye
- 2nd, 3rd, 4th vassa: Rājagahe, Veḷuvane
- 5th: Vesālī
- 6th:
- 7th: Tāvatiṁsa
- 8th:
- 9th: Kosambī
  - disputes
- 10th: Palileyya forest
- 11th: Nālanda
- 12th: Verañja
  - brahmin did not offer food, māra
- 13th: Sāvatthi, Jetavana
- 14th:
- 15th: Kapilavatthu,
- 16th: Aggālava
  - Alavaka yakkha
- 17th: Rājagaha, Veluvana
- 18th & 19th:
- 20th: Besakala forest
remaining 25 years
- 19: Jetavana, Sāvatthi (total: 20)
- 6: Pubbārāma, Sāvatthi

Main Allowance

Background and Allowance

monks travelled during the vassa
people criticized them for
- hemantampi gimhampi vassampi cārikaṃ carissanti: travelling on all 3 seasons
- haritāni tiṇāni sammaddantā: trampling crops and grass
- ekindriyaṃ jīvaṃ viheṭhentā: harming one-facultied life (plants thought of as living)
- bahū khuddake pāṇe saṅghātaṃ āpādentā: harming many small animals
people compared them with other ascetics and birds, who did not do so
allowance: Anujānāmi, bhikkhave, vassaṃ upagantuṃ

Purpose

criticism: avoid public criticism, protect reputation of the Saṅgha
harm: prevent harm to living beings
discipline: promote disciplined monastic living through stability and continuous practice
strengthen relations with lay supporters, who could regularly associate monks

Period of Observance

Background: monks inquired about the period of entrance
Anujānāmi, bhikkhave, vassāne vassaṃ upagantuṃ: allowed to observe it during the rainy season

2 Vassūpanāyikā

Vassāvāsa:
- time for the rains residence
- the rains residence itself
Vassūpanāyika / Vassūpagamana: the entering of the rains residence by means of determination
Background: monks inquired the number of entrances
Dvemā, bhikkhave, vassūpanāyikā – purimikā, pacchimikā.: 2 entrances to the rains-residence: the early and the late entry
- Aparajjugatāya āsāḷhiyā purimikā upagantabbā: the early entry is to be undertaken on the day after Āsāḷhī puṇṇamā (normally in July)
  - this is the standard observance
  - aparajjugatā: when the next day has arrived, after the passing of a day, on the pāṭipadika
- māsagatāya āsāḷhiyā pacchimikā upagantabbā: the late entry is to be undertaken the day after a month has passed since Āsāḷhī Puṇṇamā (usually in August)
  - māsagatāya: when a month has passed (after the completion of a month) on the pāṭipadika
  - allowed when unable to enter the first for valid reasons
  - entering the second without valid reason: dkṭ
- Imā kho, bhikkhave, dve vassūpanāyikā

Valid Reasons for Pacchimikā Vassūpanāyikā

khds-p-ṭ: chinnavassonupāgato

Chinnavasso: one who has broken the purimikā within the first month
Anupagato: one who has not entered the purimikā
- vnv: antarāyena vassaṁ nopagato: dangers prevent one from entering the purimikā: anāpatti
  - vnv-ṭ: any, including rājantarāya, etc.
- khds: jānaṁ anupagacchato: knowingly not entering: dkṭ
  - even if one remains sitting in the monastery
- note: includes any case in which one has not entered

khds: Nopetukāmo āvāsaṃ, tadahūtikkameyya vā, bhaveyya dukkaṭāpatti, jānaṃ vānupagacchato should one who does not intend to enter let that day pass, or knowingly not entering, there is a dukkaṭa offense

khds-p-ṭ: Dutiyaṃ upagaccheyya, chinnavassonupāgato, na pakkameyya temāsaṃ, avasitvāna cārikaṃ. he should enter the second, one whose rains is broken or unentered; he should not depart wandering about without having stayed for the three months

Consequences of not Entering

khds: bhaveyya dukkaṭāpatti: dkṭ offense khds-p-ṭ: dutiyaṃ upagaccheyya: should enter the second

Procedure for Entering

V-a:

āsāḷhīpuṇṇamāya anantare pāṭipadadivase: day after āsāḷha full moon
- if entering the second residence, that respective day
inside the vihāra / vajādi
vihāraṃ paṭijaggitvā: prepare and clean the monastery
pānīyaṃ paribhojanīyaṃ upaṭṭhapetvā: arrange drinking and washing water
sabbaṃ cetiyavandanādisāmīcikammaṃ niṭṭhāpetvā: complete respective duties, such as paying homage at the cetiya
enter by ālaya or vacībheda

Ālaya & Vacībheda & When to use them

Ālaya / Ābhoga: the arising of the thought (cittuppādamattaṃ): “idha vassaṃ vasissāmi”
- ālayapariggāha: the establishment of intention (khds-p-ṭ)
Vacībheda: vācaṃ nicchāretvā – breaking into speech; saying out loud
- in vihāra: “imasmiṁ vihāre imaṁ temāsaṁ vassaṁ upemi”
- in vajādi with kavāṭasenāsana: “idha vassaṁ upemi”
- repetitions:
  - sakiṃ vā dvattikkhattuṃ vā vācaṃ nicchāretvā
  - “Idha vassaṃ upemī”ti tikkhattuṃ vattabbaṃ
Note: this is the proper procedure

When to use them

in a senāsana: vacībheda should be made
- imasmiṃ vihāre imaṃ temāsaṃ vassaṃ upemi
  - some also say idha vassaṁ upemi
- khds-p-ṭ: if ālaya is present, but vacībheda is forgotten: no chinnavassa; can perform Pavāraṇā
in vajādi: if in a
- vaja (a dwelling place of cowherds)
- sattha (caravan)
- nāvā (boat)
- with kavāṭabandhasenāsana (lockable dwelling): vacībheda – “idha vassaṁ upemi” (because it is not vihāra)
- without kavāṭabandhasenāsana: ālaya – “idha vassaṁ vasissāmi”
  - tattha senāsanaṃ alabhantassa labbhati
- upagacchantena ca senāsane asati “Idha vassaṃ vasissāmī”ti cittuppādamattaṃ vā kātabbaṃ, senāsane sati “Imasmiṃ vihāre imaṃ temāsaṃ vassaṃ upemī”ti ca “Idha vassaṃ upemī”ti ca vacībhedo vā kātabboti attho.”
without dwelling: not proper to enter the rains, leading to dkṭ

Dwelling	Entering Method	Notes
vihāra	ālaya + vacībheda	"Imasmiṁ vihāre imaṁ temāsaṁ vassaṁ upemi"

		if only ālaya:
		- due to forgetfulness: ok
		- intentionally: unspecified
vajādi w/ kavāṭabandha	ālaya + vacībheda	"Idha vassaṁ upemi"
vajādi w/o kavāṭabandha	ālaya	"Idha vassaṁ vasissāmi"
no dwelling	no	dkṭ

Purimā pacchimā cāti, duve vassūpanāyikā, ālayo vā vacībhedo, kattabbo upagacchatā (vnv) the observance of the rains retreat is of two kinds: the earlier and the later; either through the mental intention or by formal verbal declaration, one who enters upon the rains residence should enter it

Purimikā pacchimikā, duve vassūpanāyikā, tatthālayapariggāho vacībhedo ca ediso, (khds) the earlier and the later are the two kinds of rains-entry; in this regard, the establishment of intention and the verbal declaration are of such a nature

Imasmiṃ vihāre imaṃ, temāsaṃ vassaṃ upemi, idha vassaṃ upemī’ti, cittuppādettha ālayo (khds)

edisa adj.: such; with such qualities (eta > e + ādisa) ✓

Vassūpanāyika Khandhaka – all parts: