Hello all,
In a post some weeks ago to Ven. Sujato I referred to the
four mahaapadesaa:
> For example, the Vinaya contains a great many prohibitions
> that apply to bhikkhuniis, but with no corresponding
> prohibition for bhikkhus (e.g. employing slaves). We are not
> *on that basis alone* to infer that these things are
> permitted to bhikkhus, for the mere absence of a prohibition
> does not in itself amount to an allowance, just as the mere
> absence of an allowance does not in itself amount to a
> prohibition. (If it were otherwise, then two of the four
> Great Standards would be completely redundant).
It appears from an e-mail I have received that this allusion
was misunderstood. I should like to point out that I was not
referring to the well-known mahaapadesaa of the
Mahaaparinibbaana Sutta but to the less often quoted one
from the Vinaya:
"ya.m, bhikkhave, mayaa 'ida.m na kappatii'ti
appa.tikkhitta.m, ta.m ce akappiya.m anulometi;
kappiya.m pa.tibaahati, ta.m vo na kappati.
"Bhikkhus, that which has not been prohibited by
me, [saying], 'This is not allowable', if it
conforms with what is not allowable, if it
conflicts with what is allowable, that is not
allowable to you."
ya.m, bhikkhave, mayaa 'ida.m na kappatii'ti
appa.tikkhitta.m, ta.m ce kappiya.m anulometi;
akappiya.m pa.tibaahati, ta.m vo kappati.
"Bhikkhus, that which has not been prohibited by
me, [saying], 'This is not allowable', if it
conforms with what is allowable, if it conflicts
with what is not allowable, that is allowable to
you."
ya.m, bhikkhave, mayaa 'ida.m kappatii'ti
ananuaata.m, ta.m ce akappiya.m anulometi,
kappiya.m pa.tibaahati; ta.m vo na kappati.
"Bhikkhus, that which has not been permitted by
me, [saying], 'This is allowable', if it conforms
with what is not allowable, if it conflicts with
what is allowable, that is not allowable to you."
ya.m, bhikkhave, mayaa 'ida.m kappatii'ti
ananuaata.m, ta.m ce kappiya.m anulometi,
akappiya.m pa.tibaahati; ta.m vo kappatii"ti.
"Bhikkhus, that which has not been permitted by
me, [saying], 'This is allowable', if it conforms
with what is allowable, if it conflicts with what
is not allowable, that is allowable to you."
(Vin. i. 250-1)
Best wishes,
Dhammanando