furniture and wooden articles (although furniture would seem to come under category
(3)), with the exception of a water flask—whether made of real wood, bamboo, goat
leather, or leaves. Allowable leather goods (such as sandals) are not included here. Also
not included are: unfinished furniture parts, canes/staffs, shoes, fire-generating sticks,
filters, water jugs/flasks, small horn flasks, ointment boxes, and buttons. As for clay
goods, the Commentary says that this sub-category covers dishes, pottery, bricks, tiles,
chimney tiles, and water or drain pipes. Alms bowls and small clay vessels of the sort
designed to be carried on one’s person are not included here, and so are all right to
distribute.
Reasoning from the Great Standards, we can say that all construction materials
donated to the Community would come under category (5).
For purposes of generalization, the Commentary divides these five categories into
two major classes:
th›vara-vatthu (permanent items), categories (1) and (2); and
garubha˚˜a (heavy or expensive goods), categories (3), (4), and (5).
Although none of the items in either of these two classes may be given away, they
may be exchanged for other items in the same class. Thus, a dwelling may be
exchanged for the site of a monastery. Taking a loss in the trade is permissible if a good
reason justifies it (although this would seem to contradict the Commentary’s own
interpretation of Cv.VI.19). If the trade will turn a profit for the Community, the
bhikkhus making the trade must point this out to the other side. If the other side still
wants to go ahead with the trade, fine and good. It is also permissible to trade one
expensive item for a larger number of inexpensive items in the same class; and to trade
items inappropriate for the bhikkhus’ use—such as goods made of gold, silver, gold
alloys, or crystal—for appropriate items.
The Sub-commentary gives permission to exchange garubha˚˜a for th›vara-vatthu.
The Commentary adds that during a famine, the bhikkhus in a monastery may sell
off garubha˚˜a for food, so that enough bhikkhus will be able to stay there to look
after the remaining property, but there is nothing in the Canon to support this.
Cetiya property. The Commentary to Pr 2 makes a clear distinction between
belongings of the Community and belongings given to a cetiya. Under no
circumstances should items given to a cetiya—this includes stÒpas and Buddha
images—be treated as Community property.

Rules
“Bhikkhus, I allow a park (monastery).”—Mv.I.22.18
“I allow a monastery attendant.”—Mv.VI.15.2
Assembly Hall

“ I allow an assembly hall” .… “I allow that it be made high off the ground” .… “I allow
three kinds of pilings to be put up: made of brick, made of stone, made of wood” .… “I
allow three kinds of staircases: a staircase made of brick, made of stone, made of wood”
.… “I allow a stair railing” .… “I allow that, having lashed on (a roof), it be plastered
inside and out with plaster—white, black, or ochre (§)—with garland designs, creeper
designs, dragon-teeth designs, five-petaled designs (§), a pole for hanging up robes, a
cord for hanging up robes” .… “I allow a pole for hanging up robes, a cord for hanging
up robes in the open air.”—Cv.VI.3.6
Drinking Water Hall
“I allow a hall for drinking water, a pavilion for drinking water” .… “I allow that it be
made high off the ground” .… “I allow three kinds of pilings to be put up: made of
brick, made of stone, made of wood” .… “I allow three kinds of staircases: a staircase
made of brick, made of stone, made of wood” .… “I allow a stair railing” .… “I allow
that, having lashed on (a roof), it be plastered inside and out with plaster—white, black,
or ochre—with garland designs, creeper designs, dragon-teeth designs, five-petaled
designs, a pole for hanging up robes, a cord for hanging up robes” .… “I allow a conchshell cup for drinking water [C: this includes a ladle and a tumbler or bowl], a small
dipper for drinking water.”—Cv.VI.3.7
Fire Hall
“I allow a fire-hall off to one side (of the monastery)” …. “I allow that it be made high
off the ground” … “I allow three kinds of pilings to be put up: made of brick, made of
stone, made of wood” …. “I allow three kinds of staircases: a staircase made of brick,
made of stone, made of wood” .… “I allow a stair railing” …. “I allow a door, a door
post and lintel, a hollow like a mortar (for the door to revolve in), a small upper dowel
(on the door), a post for the bolt, a ‘monkey’s head (a hole to receive the bolt?),’ a pin
(to secure the bolt), a bolt, a keyhole, a hole for pulling (a cord) through, a cord for
pulling through” …. “I allow that, having lashed on (a roof), it be plastered inside and
out with plaster—white, black, or ochre—with garland designs, creeper designs,
dragon-teeth designs, five-petaled designs, a pole for hanging up robes, a cord for
hanging up robes.”—Cv.VI.3.9
Storage for Food
“In that case, finanda, the Community, having authorized the backmost building as a
proper (storage) place, let it (food) be kept there—wherever the Community desires: a
dwelling, a barrel-vaulted building, a multi-storied building, a gabled building, a cell.”
Transaction statement—Mv.VI.33.2
“One should not make use of an authorized proper storage place. Whoever makes use
of one: an offense of wrong doing. I allow three types of proper storage places:
conterminous with the proclamation, a cattle-resting (place), a lay-person’s (place).”—
Mv.VI.33.4

“I allow that an authorized proper storage place be used. I allow four types of proper
storage places: conterminous with the proclamation, a cattle-resting (place), a layperson’s (place), and authorized.”—Mv.VI.33.5
Walking Meditation Path
“I allow a walking meditation path.”—Cv.V.14.1
“I allow that it (the walking meditation path) be made level” .… “I allow that it be made
high off the ground” .… “I allow three kinds of pilings to be put up: made of brick,
made of stone, made of wood” .… “I allow three kinds of staircases: a staircase made of
brick, made of stone, made of wood” .… “I allow a stair railing” .… (Bhikkhus fell off
the high path) “I allow a railing around the walking meditation path” .… (Bhikkhus
were bothered by the cold and heat while doing walking meditation ) “I allow a
walking meditation hall” … “I allow that, having lashed on (a roof), it be plastered
inside and out with plaster—white, black, or ochre—with garland designs, creeper
designs, dragon-teeth designs, five-petaled designs, a pole for hanging up robe
material, a cord for hanging up robe material.”—Cv.V.14.2
Well
“I allow a well” .… “I allow that it be lined with three kinds of lining: a lining of bricks, a
lining of stones, a lining of wood” .… (Too low) “I allow that it be made high off the
ground” .… “I allow three kinds of pilings to be put up: made of brick, made of stone,
made of wood” .… “I allow three kinds of staircases: a staircase made of brick, made of
stone, made of wood” .… “I allow a stair railing” .… “I allow a rope for drawing water”
.…“ I allow a well-sweep … a pulley … a water-wheel” .… “I allow three kinds of
buckets: metal, wooden, and made from strips of hide” .… “I allow a hall for the well”
.… “I allow that, having lashed on (a roof), it be plastered inside and out with plaster—
white, black, or ochre—with garland designs, creeper designs, dragon-teeth designs,
five-petaled designs, a pole for hanging up robes, a cord for hanging up robes” .… “I
allow a lid (for the well)” .… “I allow a trough for keeping water, a basin for keeping
water.”—Cv.V.16.2
Sauna
“I allow a sauna (§).”—Cv.V.14.1
“I allow that the sauna be made high off the ground” .… “I allow three kinds of pilings
to be put up: made of brick, made of stone, made of wood” .… “I allow three kinds of
staircases: a staircase made of brick, made of stone, made of wood” .… “I allow a stair
railing” .… “I allow a door, a door post and lintel, a hollow like a mortar (for the door
to revolve in), a small upper dowel (on the door), a post for the bolt (crossbar), a
‘monkey’s head,’ a pin (to secure the bolt), a bolt, a keyhole, a hole for pulling (a cord)
through, a cord for pulling through” ….
“I allow a facing (see Pc 19)” .… “I allow a chimney (§)” .… “I allow that a fireplace be
built to one side in a small sauna, and in the middle of a large one” .… (Fire scorched
the face) “I allow clay for the face” .… “I allow a small trough for the clay” .… (The clay

smelled foul) “I allow that it be cured [C: with perfumed substances]” .… (Fire scorched
their bodies) “I allow that water be brought in” .… “I allow a tank for the water, a
dipper (without a handle) for the water” .… (A sauna with a grass roof didn’t make
them sweat) “I allow that, having lashed on (a roof), it be plastered inside and out” .…
(It became muddy) I allow it to be floored with three kinds of flooring: a flooring of
bricks, a flooring of stones, a flooring of wood” .… “I allow that it be washed” .… “I
allow a water drain” .… (Sitting down on the floor, bhikkhus got numb in their limbs)
“I allow a chair for the sauna” .… “I allow it to be fenced in with three kinds of fence: a
fence of bricks, a fence of stones, a fence of wood.”—Cv.V.14.3
“I allow a sauna with a projecting gable (§).”—Cv.V.17.2
“I allow a porch” .… “I allow that the porch be made high off the ground” .… “I allow
three kinds of pilings to be put up: made of brick, made of stone, made of wood” .… “I
allow three kinds of staircases: a staircase made of brick, made of stone, made of wood”
.… “I allow a stair railing” .… “I allow a door, a door post and lintel, a hollow like a
mortar (for the door to revolve in), a small upper dowel (on the door), a post for the
bolt, a ‘monkey’s head,’ a pin (to secure the bolt), a bolt, a keyhole, a hole for pulling (a
cord) through, a cord for pulling through” …. “I allow that, having lashed on (a roof), it
be plastered inside and out with plaster—white, black, or ochre—with garland designs,
creeper designs, dragon-teeth designs, five-petaled designs.”—Cv.V.14.4
(The area (§) around the sauna became muddy) “I allow that it be strewn with gravel”
.… “I allow that flagstones be laid down” .… “I allow a water drain.”—Cv.V.14.5
(In the sauna): “I allow in the sauna a pole for hanging up robes, a cord for hanging up
robes” .… (Robes got wet in rain) “I allow a sauna-hall” .… “I allow that it be made
high off the ground” .… “I allow three kinds of pilings to be put up: made of brick,
made of stone, made of wood” .… “I allow three kinds of staircases: a staircase made of
brick, made of stone, made of wood” .… “I allow a stair railing” .… “I allow that,
having lashed on (a roof) it be plastered inside and out with plaster—white, black, or
ochre—with garland designs, creeper designs, dragon-teeth designs, five-petaled
designs, a pole for hanging up robes, a cord for hanging up robes.”—Cv.V.16.1
Ka˛hina Hall
“I allow a hall for the ka˛hina-frame, a pavilion for the ka˛hina-frame” .… “I allow that
it be made high off the ground” .… “I allow three kinds of pilings to be put up: made of
brick, made of stone, made of wood” .… “I allow three kinds of staircases: a staircase
made of brick, made of stone, made of wood” .… “I allow a stair railing” .… “I allow
that, having lashed on (a roof), it be plastered inside and out with plaster—white, black,
or ochre—with garland designs, creeper designs, dragon-teeth designs, five-petaled
designs, a pole for hanging up robes/robe-cloth, a cord for hanging up robes/robecloth.”—Cv.V.11.6
Bathing & Restroom Facilities (see also: Protocols, Chapter 9)
“I allow a showering place (§)” .… “I allow it to be fenced in with three kinds of fence: a
fence of bricks, a fence of stones, a fence of wood” .… “I allow it to be floored with

three kinds of flooring: a flooring of bricks, a flooring of stones, a flooring of wood” .…
“I allow a water drain.”—Cv.V.17.1
“I allow a bathing tank” .… “I allow that it be lined with three kinds of lining: a lining of
bricks, a lining of stones, a lining of wood” .… (Too low) “I allow that it be made high
off the ground” …. “I allow three kinds of pilings to be put up: made of brick, made of
stone, made of wood” .… “I allow three kinds of staircases: a staircase made of brick,
made of stone, made of wood” .… “I allow a stair railing” …. (The water became stale)
“I allow an aqueduct, I allow a water drain.”—Cv.V.17.2
“I allow that you urinate off to one side (of the monastery)” .… (The place smelled foul)
“I allow a urine pot” .… “I allow urinal footrests (see Mv.V.8.3)” .… “I allow it to be
fenced in with three kinds of fence: a fence of bricks, a fence of stones, a fence of wood”
.… “I allow a lid (for the pot).”—Cv.V.35.1 (see Cv.VII.9-10)
“I allow that you defecate off to one side (of the monastery)” .… (The place smelled
foul) “I allow a cesspool” .… (The wall of the cesspool caved in) “I allow that it be lined
with three kinds of lining: a lining of bricks, a lining of stones, a lining of wood” .…
(Too low) “I allow that it be made high off the ground” .… “I allow three kinds of
pilings to be put up: made of brick, made of stone, made of wood” .… “I allow three
kinds of staircases: a staircase made of brick, made of stone, made of wood” .… “I allow
a stair railing.” (Defecating as they sat on the edge (§) (of the cesspool), they fell in) … “I
allow that you defecate having covered (the cesspool) and put a hole in the middle” .…
“I allow restroom footrests.”—Cv.V.35.2
“I allow a urine trough (in the restroom (§))” .… “I allow wood for wiping” .… “I allow
a receptacle for wiping wood” .… “I allow a lid (for the cesspool opening)” .… “I allow
a restroom hut” .… “I allow a door, a door post and lintel, a hollow like a mortar (for
the door to revolve in), a small upper dowel (on the door), a post for the bolt, a
‘monkey’s head,’ a pin (to secure the bolt), a bolt, a keyhole, a hole for pulling (a cord)
through, a cord for pulling through” …. “I allow that, having lashed on (a roof), it be
plastered inside and out with plaster—white, black, or ochre—with garland designs,
creeper designs, dragon-teeth designs, five-petaled designs, a pole for hanging up
robes, a cord for hanging up robes” .… “I allow a sling (to pull oneself up with) (§)” ….
“I allow it to be fenced in with three kinds of fence: a fence of bricks, a fence of stones, a
fence of wood.”—Cv.V.35.3
“I allow a porch” … “I allow that the porch be made high off the ground” .… “I allow
three kinds of pilings to be put up: made of brick, made of stone, made of wood” …. “I
allow three kinds of staircases: a staircase made of brick, made of stone, made of wood”
…. “I allow a stair railing” …. “I allow a door, a door post and lintel, a hollow like a
mortar (for the door to revolve in), a small upper dowel (on the door), a post for the
bolt, a ‘monkey’s head,’ a pin (to secure the bolt), a bolt, a keyhole, a hole for pulling (a
cord) through, a cord for pulling through” …. “I allow that, having lashed on (a roof), it
be plastered inside and out with plaster—white, black, or ochre—with garland designs,
creeper designs, dragon-teeth designs, five-petaled designs” …. (The area (§) around
the restroom hut became muddy) “I allow that it be strewn with gravel” .… “I allow

that flagstones be laid down” .… “I allow a water drain” .… “I allow a pot for rinsing
water” …. “I allow a dipper for rinsing water” …. “I allow rinsing footrests” …. “I allow
it to be fenced in with three kinds of fence: a fence of bricks, a fence of stones, a fence of
wood.” “I allow a lid for the pot for rinsing water.”—Cv.V.35.4
Enclosures
“I allow three kinds of enclosures: an enclosure (hedge) of bamboo, an enclosure
(hedge) of thorns, a moat (§)” .… “I allow a gatehouse, a gate of thorns and brambles, a
double door (§), an archway, a bar connected to a pulley” .… “I allow that, having
lashed on (a roof), it be plastered inside and out with plaster—white, black, or ochre—
with garland designs, creeper designs, dragon-teeth designs, five-petaled designs” .…
(The area (§) around the monastery became muddy) “I allow that it be strewn with
gravel” .… “I allow that flagstones be laid down” .… “I allow a water drain.”—
Cv.VI.3.10
Communal Belongings
“The furnishings of one place are not to be used in another place. Whoever should do
so: an offense of wrong doing” …. “I allow that things be taken temporarily” …. “I
allow that they be taken for the sake of protecting (them).”—Cv.VI.18
(A costly woolen blanket, the appurtenance of a lodging, accrued to the Community …
a costly woven cloth) “I allow that it be traded for something profitable” …. (A bear
hide … a wheel-like foot wiper covered with wool (§) … a rag accrued to the
Community) “I allow that it be made into a foot mat.”—Cv.VI.19
“When seed of the Community has been planted in the land of an individual, it may be
consumed after having given (the individual) a portion. When seed of an individual has
been planted in the land of the Community, it may be consumed after having given
(the individual) a portion.”—Mv.VI.39
“These five things not-to-be-given-out should not be given out by a Community, a
group, or an individual. Even when they have been given out, they are not (to be
considered as) given out. Whoever should give them out: a grave offense. Which five?
1) A monastery, the land of a monastery (a site for a monastery). This is the first thing
not to be given out ….
2) A dwelling, the land of a dwelling (a site for a dwelling). This is the second thing not
to be given out ….
3) A bed, bench, mattress, pillow. This is the third thing not to be given out ….
4) A metal pot, a metal vessel, a metal jar/bottle, a metal frying pan/wok, a
knife/machete, an axe, an adze, a hoe, a drill/chisel. This is the fourth thing not to
be given out ….
5) Vines, bamboo, coarse grass, reeds, ti˚a-grass, clay (all of which can be used as
building materials), wooden goods, clay goods. This is the fifth thing not to be given
out ….

These are the five things not-to-be-given-out that should not be given out by a
Community, a group, or an individual. Even when they have been given out, they are
not (to be considered as) given out. Whoever should give them out: a grave offense.”—
Cv.VI.15.2
“These five things not-to-be-divided-up (not-to-be-distributed) (as above).”—
Cv.VI.16.2

C HA P TE R E IG HT

Respect
An attitude of proper respect is a sign of intelligence. As SN 6.2 indicates, it is a requisite
condition for gaining knowledge and skill, for it creates the atmosphere in which
learning can take place. This is especially true in a bhikkhu’s training, where so little can
be learned through impersonal means such as books, and so much must be learned
through personal interaction with one’s teachers and fellow bhikkhus. AN 8.2 notes
that the first prerequisite for the discernment basic to the holy life is living in
apprenticeship to a teacher for whom one has established a strong sense of respect. This
attitude of respect opens the heart to learn from others, and shows others one’s
willingness to learn. At the same time, it gives focus and grounding to one’s life. SN 6.2
reports the Buddha as saying, “One suffers if dwelling without reverence or deference.”
This was why, after his Awakening—when he had nothing further to learn in terms of
virtue, concentration, discernment, release, or knowledge and vision of release—he
decided to honor and respect the Dhamma to which he had awakened.
However, an attitude of respect benefits not only the individual who shows respect,
but also the religion as a whole. AN 7.56 maintains that for the true Dhamma to stay
alive, the bhikkhus, bhikkhunıs, male lay followers, and female lay followers must
show respect and deference for the Buddha, Dhamma, and Saºgha; for the training,
concentration, heedfulness, and the duties of hospitality. If the proper respect and
deference were lacking, how would the true Dhamma survive?
In response to these reflections, the Saºgha has developed an etiquette of respect
that is quite elaborate, with many variations from country to country, and Community
to Community. A wise policy is to become fluent in the “respect vocabulary” of one’s
Community, even in areas not covered by the Vinaya, for the sake of the Community’s
smooth functioning. It is also wise to know which aspects of respect are required by the
Vinaya and which are open to variation, so that one will learn tolerance for those
variations wherever they occur.
Some of the Vinaya’s rules concerning respect—such as duties toward one’s
mentors, the proper hospitality to show to bhikkhus newly-arrived in one’s monastery,
and the etiquette for showing respect for Saºgha property—are included in the
protocols discussed in the following chapter. Here we will cover the rules concerning
respect that lie outside of those protocols. These rules cover five areas: paying homage,
respect for the Dhamma, seniority, the proper response to criticism, and prohibitions
against improper jokes.
Paying homage. A regular bhikkhu should pay homage to three sorts of people: the
Buddha, a bhikkhu senior to him, and a senior bhikkhu of a separate affiliation (see
Appendix V) who speaks (teaches) what is Dhamma. Homage here means bowing
down, rising up to greet, doing añjali (placing the hands palm-to-palm over the heart),
and performing other forms of respect due to superiors. At the same time, a regular

bhikkhu is prohibited from paying homage to ten sorts of people: a bhikkhu junior to
him, an unordained person, a woman, a pa˚˜aka, a senior bhikkhu of a separate
affiliation who speaks (teaches) what is not Dhamma; a bhikkhu undergoing probation;
a bhikkhu deserving to be sent back to the beginning; a bhikkhu deserving penance; a
bhikkhu undergoing penance; a bhikkhu deserving rehabilitation. (These last five are
bhikkhus in various stages of undergoing the procedures for rehabilitation from a
saºgh›disesa offense. For the duties of respect incumbent on them, see Chapter 19.)
However, it is the custom in Thailand for a senior bhikkhu to do añjali to a junior
bhikkhu when the latter is bowing down to him. This is an area where the wise policy is
to follow the standards of one’s own Community.
The Vinaya-mukha questions the propriety of bhikkhus’ not paying homage to
people outside of their own group, but this misses the symbolism of this simple act: that
bhikkhus have renounced the benefits and responsibilities that come from the normal
give-and-take of lay society in favor of the freedom that comes from living on society’s
edge.
Teaching Dhamma. Sk 57-72 prohibit one from teaching the Dhamma to a person
whose attitude shows disrespect, and other rules also demand respect for the Dhamma.
For instance, when in the midst of the Community, the only bhikkhus allowed to teach
Dhamma are the most senior bhikkhu or any bhikkhu he has invited to teach. If a
junior bhikkhu has been invited to teach the Dhamma, he should sit on a seat no lower
than that of the most senior bhikkhu; the senior bhikkhu may sit on a seat equal to that
of the bhikkhu teaching the Dhamma or on a lower one.
One is not allowed to deliver the Dhamma with a drawn-out singing voice (sara, the
word for “voice” here, also means “vowel” and “sound”). The disadvantages to such a
delivery are that one becomes impassioned with one’s voice; others become
impassioned with it; householders look down on one; as one desires to contrive the
sound of one’s voice, one’s concentration lapses; and people coming after will take it as
an example. However, there is an allowance for “sarabhañña”—translated as vowelreciting. The Commentary notes here that “all 32 techniques of vowel-reciting—such as
‘waves’ (trills? vibrato?) ‘pulling the cow’s teat (!),’ and ‘rough’—are allowable as long as
they don’t ‘lose’ the consonants, distort the meaning, or deviate from the etiquette of a
contemplative.” What precisely this means is hard to decipher. Many of the sarabhañña
chanting styles that have developed in Asia are quite song-like. Different Communities
have different ways of drawing the line between drawn-out singing voice and vowelintoning, and a wise policy for the individual bhikkhu is to hold to an interpretation no
less strict than that of the Community to which he belongs.
Cv.V.33.1 reports the efforts of two brahman bhikkhus who set the Buddha’s
teachings to meter after objecting to the fact that bhikkhus who had gone forth from
different clans, different nationalities, different families were spoiling the Buddha’s
words by putting it in “own dialect.” The Buddha however forbade that his teachings
be set to meter, and allowed that they be learned by each in “own dialect.”
There are two controversies surrounding these two rules. The first is over the
meaning of own dialect. The Commentary insists that it means the Buddha’s own dialect,

and that therefore the Dhamma must be memorized in Pali. The context of the story,
however, suggests that own dialect means each bhikkhu’s own native dialect. The
original reference to bhikkhus of different clans, etc., was a snobbish one (the same
phrase shows up in the snobbish comments of Ven. Channa in the origin story to Sg
12), and the two brahman bhikkhus were objecting to the lowly nature of some of the
dialects spoken by their fellow bhikkhus. Otherwise, their reference to bhikkhus of
different clans, etc., would make no sense in the context of the origin story: The other
bhikkhus would have been just as likely to mangle the Buddha’s teachings in metrical
form as they would had they tried to memorize them in the Buddha’s own dialect. Also,
it is hard to imagine them making a sneering reference to “own dialect” in the Buddha’s
presence if, by that, they meant his own dialect. There is epigraphic evidence showing
that Pali was not the Buddha’s original dialect—it was instead related to the dialect of
Avanti, the area from which Ven. Mahinda left on his mission to Sri Lanka. If the
bhikkhus were required to memorize the Buddha’s teachings in the latter’s own dialect,
those teachings would never have been put into Pali. So the allowance must have been
for bhikkhus to memorize the Buddha’s teachings each in his own dialect. In showing
respect for the Dhamma, there is thus no need to state it in Pali.
The second controversy centers on what is meant by setting the teachings to meter.
The Commentary states that it means translating them into a Sanskrit text “like a
Veda,” and here the Commentary seems on more solid ground. However, its
explanation needs to be further refined for the Buddha’s prohibition to make sense.
Meter (chandas) was a Sanskrit term for the Vedas. Thus, to set (literally, “raise”) the
Buddha’s teaching into meter meant turning it not just into a text like a Veda, but into
an actual Veda, with all the long-term limitations that that would have entailed. After
the passage of a few generations, only specialists would be in a position to understand
and interpret it. Because the brahmans had made a specialty of mastering the Vedas,
the “Buddha-veda” most likely would have become their exclusive possession, subject
to interpretations that would have favored their caste. Also, the Buddha’s words would
not have easily spread outside of India. Thus, to avoid these limitations, the Buddha
forbade that his teachings be turned into a Veda, and instead allowed his followers to
memorize the Dhamma each in his own language.
Seniority. A formal hierarchy exists within the Community, in which senior
bhikkhus not only receive homage from junior bhikkhus but are also granted other
privileges as well. This is one aspect of communal life that Westerners find most difficult
to adjust to, largely because they interpret it through assumptions and attitudes picked
up from hierarchies in Western institutions.
The Community hierarchy does not entail total obedience. This point is illustrated in
the duties of a pupil to his mentor: If the pupil feels that the mentor does not have his
(the pupil’s) best interests in mind, he is free to leave his mentor. At the same time,
position in the hierarchy is not an expression of personal worth. In fact, the Buddha
explicitly made it dependent on a totally neutral factor. This is clear from the origin
story to the relevant rule: