Dighanikaya 0.59

0.59

Evaṃ āgate pana tasmiṃ āyasmante mahākassapatthero bhikkhū āmantesi – ‘‘āvuso, kiṃ paṭhamaṃ saṅgāyāma, dhammaṃ vā vinayaṃ vā’’ti? Bhikkhū āhaṃsu – ‘‘bhante, mahākassapa, vinayo nāma buddhasāsanassa āyu. Vinaye ṭhite sāsanaṃ ṭhitaṃ nāma hoti. Tasmā paṭhamaṃ vinayaṃ saṅgāyāmā’’ti. ‘‘Kaṃ dhuraṃ katvā’’ti? ‘‘Āyasmantaṃ upāli’’nti. ‘‘Kiṃ ānando nappahotī’’ti? ‘‘No nappahoti’’. Api ca kho pana sammāsambuddho dharamānoyeva vinayapariyattiṃ nissāya āyasmantaṃ upāliṃ etadagge ṭhapesi – ‘‘etadaggaṃ, bhikkhave, mama sāvakānaṃ bhikkhūnaṃ vinayadharānaṃ yadidaṃ upālī’’ti (a. ni. 1.228). ‘Tasmā upālittheraṃ pucchitvā vinayaṃ saṅgāyāmā’ti.

When that venerable one had arrived in this manner, Mahākassapa Thera addressed the bhikkhus: “Reverend sirs, what shall we rehearse first—the Dhamma or the Vinaya?” The bhikkhus said: “Venerable Mahākassapa, the Vinaya is the life of the Dispensation of the Buddha. When the Vinaya stands firm, the Dispensation stands firm. Therefore let us rehearse the Vinaya first.” “Making whom the leader?” “The Venerable Upāli.” “Is Ānanda not capable?” “It is not that he is not capable. But while still living, the fully awakened Buddha, on account of mastery of the Vinaya, placed the Venerable Upāli in the foremost position: ‘This is the foremost, bhikkhus, of my disciples among the bhikkhus who are Vinaya-bearers, namely Upāli.’ Therefore, having questioned Upāli Thera, let us rehearse the Vinaya.”