四分律行事鈔資持記 2.2118

2.2118

Next, in the confession procedure: That one must first petition is because the master of confession has not yet made the motion, so he is still counted within the Saṅgha's quorum. Therefore, the note says 'same as above'. The two characters 'the rest' indicate the six procedures below. Under the second, 'beside the inquiry', one should say: 'Venerable Ones! If the Venerables allow me to receive the confession of the bhikṣu so-and-so, I shall receive it.' (The other persons answer: 'Yes.') The text lists seven procedures, yet takes requesting the master as the first and stops at the sixth: this is either because whether it is retained or omitted makes no difference, or perhaps the intention was not to establish it in order to show the gradual downgrading of the medium and lower grades in succession, or out of fear that the Saṅgha and individual forms might become intermixed; one should consider it in this way.