Dighanikaya 34.350

34.350

Evaṃ me sutanti dasuttarasuttaṃ. Tatrāyaṃ apubbapadavaṇṇanā – āvuso bhikkhaveti sāvakānaṃ ālapanametaṃ. Buddhā hi parisaṃ āmantayamānā ‘bhikkhave’ti vadanti. Sāvakā satthāraṃ uccaṭṭhāne ṭhapessāmāti satthu ālapanena anālapitvā āvusoti ālapanti. Te bhikkhūti te dhammasenāpatiṃ parivāretvā nisinnā bhikkhū. Ke pana te bhikkhūti? Anibaddhavāsā disāgamanīyā bhikkhū. Buddhakāle dve vāre bhikkhū sannipatanti – upakaṭṭhavassūpanāyikakāle ca pavāraṇakāle ca. Upakaṭṭhavassūpanāyikāya dasapi vīsatipi tiṃsampi cattālīsampi paññāsampi bhikkhū vaggā vaggā kammaṭṭhānatthāya āgacchanti. Bhagavā tehi saddhiṃ sammoditvā kasmā, bhikkhave, upakaṭṭhāya vassūpanāyikāya vicarathāti pucchati. Atha te ‘‘bhagavā kammaṭṭhānatthaṃ āgatamha, kammaṭṭhānaṃ no dethā’’ti yācanti.

"Thus have I heard" introduces the Dasuttara Sutta. Herein, this is the explanation of the unfamiliar words: "Reverend friends, bhikkhus" is a form of address used by disciples. For the Buddhas, addressing an assembly, say: "Bhikkhus." Disciples, thinking: "We will place the Teacher in an exalted position," do not address each other with the form of address used by the Teacher, but address each other saying: "Reverend friends." "Those bhikkhus": those bhikkhus who were seated surrounding the general of the Dhamma. Who then were those bhikkhus? Bhikkhus who had no fixed residence and travelled about the countryside. In the Buddha's time, bhikkhus assembled on two occasions: when the entry into the rains retreat drew near, and at the time of the Pavāraṇā invitation. When the entry into the rains retreat drew near, bhikkhus came in groups of ten, twenty, thirty, forty, or fifty for the sake of a meditation subject. The Blessed One, having exchanged greetings with them, asked: "Why, bhikkhus, do you wander about when the entry into the rains retreat is so near?" Then they begged: "Blessed One, we have come for the sake of a meditation subject; please give us a meditation subject."