1. Now when the Blessed One had remained at Benares as long as he thought fit, he set out on his journey towards Bhaddiya. And wandering from place to place he came to Bhaddiya: and there, at Bhaddiya, he stayed in the Gâtiyâ Grove.
Now at that time the Bhikkhus at Bhaddiya were accustomed to the use of various kinds of foot coverings for the sake of ornament. They made,
or had made for themselves foot coverings of tina-grass, of muñga-grass, of babbaga-grass, of the leaves of the date-palm 1, of kamala-grass 2, and of wool 3. And they neglected 4 instruction, enquiry, morality, self-concentration, and wisdom 5.
2. The moderate Bhikkhus were annoyed, murmured, and became angry, thinking, 'How can they [do so]?' And those Bhikkhus told this thing to the Blessed One.
'Is it true' (&c., as in chap. 4. 2)?
'It is true, Lord.'
The Blessed Buddha rebuked them, saying, 'How can they [do so]?' This will not conduce (&c., as in chap. 4. 2, down to:) becoming estranged.
3. Having thus rebuked them, and having delivered a religious discourse, he thus addressed the Bhikkhus: 'Shoes, O Bhikkhus, made of tina-grass are not to be worn, or made of muñga-grass, or of babbaga-grass, or of leaves of the date-palm, or of kamala-grass, or of wool, nor [ornamented with] gold, or silver, or pearls, or beryls, or crystal, or copper, or glass, or tin, or lead, or bronze. Whosoever does so, is guilty of a dukkata offence.
'And clogs, O Bhikkhus, that are taken away 1, are not to be worn. Whosoever does so, is guilty of a dukkata offence.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of three kinds of clogs, that are fixed to the ground, and are not taken away 2, privy-clogs, urinal-clogs, and rinsing-clogs 3.'
23:1 Hintâla-pâdukâ ’ti khaggûra- (MS. khaggari) pattehi katapâdukâ: hintâla-pattehi pi na vattati yeva (B.).
23:2 Kamala-pâdukâ ’ti kamala-tinam nâma atthi, tena kata-pâdukâ. Ussîra-pâdukâ ’ti pi vadanti. Childers only gives lotus as the meaning of kamala. At Gâtaka I, 119, 149, 178; IV, 42, it must be kamala, and not kambala as printed by Fausböll, that is meant.
23:3 Kambala-pâdukâ ’ti unnâhi kata-pâdukâ.
23:4 On riñkanti (Sanskrit rik, rinakti), compare the verses in Milinda Pañha, p. 419 (ed. Trenckner).
23:5 The adhisîlâdi-sikkhâ-ttayam mentioned at Dhp. p. 358 is explained in the Samgiti Sutta as training in adhisîla, adhikitta, and adhipaññâ. On the first, compare the note on Mahâvagga I, 36, 8.
24:1 See next clause.
24:2 Asamkamaniyâyo ’ti bhûmiyam supatitthâ nikkalâ asamhariyâ (sic), (B. here). Compare Pâtimokkha, pp. 106, 113 (ed. Minayeff), and Childers's interpretation of those passages under samkamati.
24:3 On vakka-pâdukâ, see Kullavagga V, 35, 2, at the end; and VIII, 10, 3, at the beginning. On the other two, Kullavagga V, 35; 1, 4, and VIII, 10, 3; and see also VIII, 9. The use of them was part of the sanitary arrangements enjoined upon the Order. A very ancient pair of stone vakka-pâdukâ, forming part of a slab of stone, was discovered at Anurâdhapura by Rhys Davids, and is now in the Colombo Museum. As they were dug up in one of the palaces there, they were probably for the use of the king, or some high official. These ruins are among the most ancient in Ceylon, and are certainly pre-Christian in date.