The University of Nalanda c8.42

c8.42

Apart from meditation, the Buddhist *Saṅgha* had certain other ceremonies to perform, in accordance with the rules laid down by Buddha.¹ They,—the *Bhikkhus*—met on the 8th, 14th and 15th of the month to recite *Dhamma*.² Then they also met to perform the *Uposatha* ceremony. But the most common meeting of the *Bhikkhus* was for admission of guilt that was committed by a *Bhikkhu* or *Bhikkhus*, since their last meeting. For all these ceremonies, Buddha had laid down certain rules. *Uposatha* could only be performed by the complete fraternity of the *Bhikkhus*.³ Again, it could be performed in a *vihāra*, a cave, or a house, but not in succesive cells of the *Bhikkhus*.⁴ Another of Buddha’s regulation was that for every official act to be done by the *saṅgha*, consent of all the *Bhikkhus* was necessary, so much so that, even a sick *Bhikkhu* was asked to declare his views, while seeing his *pariśuddhi*, *i.e.*, his purity.⁵