Dear friends,

the word this week bhikkhave is the plural vocative form of bhikkhu -
monk.

Please see Warder Lesson 19, Declension of Masculine and Neuter Nouns
in u,
or http://www.tipitaka.net/pali/paliload.php?page=nounsu for more
details.


Here are four example sentences for bhikkhave:

1. DN2 Sama~n~naphala Sutta CSCD253/PTS1.86
Khataaya.m, bhikkhave, raajaa, upahataaya.m, bhikkhave, raajaa.

khata (p.p. of khanati) dug up, uprooted.
upahata (p.p. of upahanti) injured, spoilt, destroyed.
khata+upahata: deeply affected and touched in heart.
[see PED upahata]

O monks, the king (was) deeply affected, the king (was) touched in
heart.

2. DN22 Mahasatipatthana Sutta CSCD374/PTS2.291
Katha~nca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kaaye kaayaanupassii viharati?
and how / O monks / monk / on body / one who contemplates the body /
maintains
And, O monks, how (does) a monk who contemplates the body maintains
(contemplating) on the body?

katha.m adv. how.
pana ind. see PED.
kaaye - loc. body.
kaayaanupassii = kaaya (body) + anupassii (one who contemplates with
awareness and understanding).
viharati - [Vibhanga Ch.12 para.540] dwells: assumes the four
postures, exists, protects, keeps going, maintains, turns about,
dwells

3. DN22 Mahasatipatthana Sutta CSCD374/PTS2.291
Evam pi kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kaaye kaayaanupassii viharati.
in this way / O monks / monk / on body / one who contemplates the
body / maintains
In this way, O monks, a monk who contemplates the body maintains
(contemplating) on the body.

evam pi - just so.
evam pi kho - in this way.

4. DN22 Mahasatipatthana Sutta CSCD393/PTS2.306
Katama~nca, bhikkhave, dukkha.m?
and what / O monks / pain
And what, O monks, (is) pain?

katama adj. what