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Mv VI 08
PTS: Mv VI 22 | CS: vin.mv.06.08
Satthakammapaṭikkhepakathā
'Line by Line'
The Discussion of the Prohibition Against Surgery
by
Ven. Khematto Bhikkhu
Alternate translations/layout: 'read-friendly' layout

167. satthakammapaṭikkhepakathā (Mv.VI.22.1)
The Discussion of the Prohibition Against Surgery

[57] athakho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ yathābhirantaṁ viharitvā yena rājagahaṁ tena cārikaṁ pakkāmi anupubbena cārikaṁ caramāno yena rājagahaṁ tadavasari.

Then the Blessed One, having stayed at Sāvatthī as long as he liked, set out on a wandering tour toward Rājagaha, and traveling by stages, arrived at Rājagaha.

tatra sudaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.

There at Rājagaha he stayed in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrel’s Feeding Ground.

tena kho pana samayena aññatarassa bhikkhuno bhagandalābādho hoti.

Now at that time a certain bhikkhu had a hemorrhoid.

ākāsagotto vejjo satthakammaṁ karoti.

A doctor of the Ākāsa clan was performing surgery on it.

athakho bhagavā senāsanacārikaṁ āhiṇḍanto yena tassa bhikkhuno vihāro tenupasaṅkami.

Then the Blessed One, on a tour of the lodgings, went to that bhikkhu’s dwelling.

(Mv.VI.22.2) addasā kho ākāsagotto vejjo bhagavantaṁ dūrato va āgacchantaṁ disvāna bhagavantaṁ etadavoca āgacchatu bhavaṁ gotamo imassa bhikkhuno vaccamaggaṁ passatu seyyathāpi godhāmukhanti.

The doctor of the Ākāsa clan saw the Blessed One coming from afar and, on seeing him, said, “Come, Master Gotama. Look at this bhikkhu’s anus. It’s like an iguana’s mouth.”

athakho bhagavā mamaṁ khvāyaṁ moghapuriso uppaṇḍetīti tato va paṭinivattitvā etasmiṁ nidāne etasmiṁ pakaraṇe bhikkhusaṅghaṁ sannipātāpetvā bhikkhū paṭipucchi atthi bhikkhave amukasmiṁ vihāre bhikkhu gilānoti.

Then the Blessed One, (knowing,) “This worthless man is making fun of me,” having turned back right there, had the monks assembled and — with regard to this cause, to this incident — asked them: “Monks, is there a sick monk in that dwelling over there?”

atthi bhagavāti.

“There is, O Blessed One.”

kintassa bhikkhave bhikkhuno ābādhoti.

“Monks, what is the monk’s illness?”

tassa bhante āyasmato bhagandalābādho ākāsagotto vejjo satthakammaṁ karotīti.

“Lord, that venerable one has a hemorrhoid. A doctor of the Ākāsa clan is performing surgery on it.”

(Mv.VI.22.3) vigarahi buddho bhagavā ananucchavikaṁ bhikkhave tassa moghapurisassa ananulomikaṁ appaṭirūpaṁ assāmaṇakaṁ akappiyaṁ akaraṇīyaṁ

The Buddha, the Blessed One, rebuked them, “Monks, it is unseemly, unbecoming, unsuitable, unworthy of a contemplative, improper, and not to be done.

kathaṁ hi nāma so bhikkhave moghapuriso sambādhe satthakammaṁ kārāpessati sambādhe bhikkhave sukhumā chavi duropayo vaṇo dupparihāraṁ satthaṁ

“How can this worthless man have surgery done in the crotch? In the crotch the skin is tender, a wound is hard to heal, the knife hard to guide.

netaṁ bhikkhave appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya .pe.

“Monks, this neither inspires faith in the faithless ...”

vigarahitvā dhammiṁ kathaṁ katvā bhikkhū āmantesi na bhikkhave sambādhe satthakammaṁ kārāpetabbaṁ yo kārāpeyya āpatti thullaccayassāti.

Having rebuked them and given a Dhamma talk, he addressed the monks: “One should not have surgery done in the crotch. Whoever should have it done: a grave offense.”

(Mv.VI.22.4) tena kho pana samayena chabbaggiyā bhikkhū bhagavatā satthakammaṁ paṭikkhittanti vatthikammaṁ kārāpenti.

Now at that time the Group-of-six monks, (thinking,) “Surgery has been prohibited by the Blessed One,” had hemorrhoid removal performed (using string).

ye te bhikkhū appicchā .pe. te ujjhāyanti khīyanti vipācenti

Those bhikkhus who were modest … criticized and complained and spread it about:

kathaṁ hi nāma chabbaggiyā bhikkhū vatthikammaṁ kārāpessantīti.

“How can the Group-of-six monks have hemorrhoid removal performed?”

athakho te bhikkhū bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ.

Then the monks reported the matter to the Blessed One.

saccaṁ kira bhikkhave chabbaggiyā bhikkhū vatthikammaṁ kārāpentīti.

“It it true, as they say, monks, that the Group-of-six monks have hemorrhoid removal performed?”

saccaṁ bhagavāti .pe.

“It’s true, O Blessed One.”

vigarahitvā dhammiṁ kathaṁ katvā bhikkhū āmantesi na bhikkhave sambādhassa sāmantā dvaṅgule satthakammaṁ vā vatthikammaṁ vā kārāpetabbaṁ yo kārāpeyya āpatti thullaccayassāti.

Having rebuked them and given a Dhamma talk, he addressed the monks: “Surgery and hemorrhoid removal should not be done within the area two inches around the crotch. Whoever should do it (have it done): a grave offense.” [BMC]

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