the recitation of the pātimokkha

Preparation of the uposatha

In Pali, the procedure of verbal presentation of the pātimokkha to the assembly of all the saṃgha is called the uposatha. This takes place on every full moon and every new moon.

Before starting to observe the uposatha, four jobs must be carried out; the four pubbakaraṇa ("pubba" = in advance; "karaṇa" = job, duty).

At the time of doing the uposatha, when all the assembly of the saṃgha meets in the sīmā, there are five things that must be reported before reciting the pātimokkha; the five "pubbakicca " ("pubba" = in advance; "kicca" = thing, duty).

The four pubbakaraṇas

Sweeping the floor (or the ground) of the sīmā.
Lighting the sīmā with oil lamps (or electric lights).
Setting out water (clean) at the entrance of the sīmā (the water is used for drinking and eventually to pour on one's feet. In northern India at the time of Buddha, it was customary to wash the feet before entering in buildings).
Arranging mats or rugs to sit in the sīmā.

The five pubbakiccas

Report of the chanda. If because of illness or any other reason a bhikkhu cannot attend the sīmā, he must convey his chanda (his consent) by informing a bhikkhu who attends the sīmā, so that the assembled members of the saṃgha can take the necessary decisions. In turn, once he is in the sīmā, the latter will convey this information to the assembly of bhikkhus.
Report of the pārisuddhi. When the uposatha is about to take place, if there is in the monastery a bhikkhu who has already done the uposatha in another monastery, he must convey his pārisuddhi. This is to insure that every bhikkhu's mind is cleansed of all moral impurities.
Report of the date. This allows everybody to know the date, especially those bhikkhus who are doing long term retreats.
Report of the number of bhikkhus present in the sīmā. The uposatha is the only certain occasion when all the bhikkhus are assembled.
Report of what the bhikkhunīs require in terms of teaching. In the times when there were still bhikkhunīs, they could, during the uposatha, request a teaching from a bhikkhu. To do this, the assembled saṃgha, after discussion, assigned a qualified and accomplished bhikkhu to go and impart a teaching to the bhikkhunīs on the day following the uposatha.

Once the uposatha has finished, the bhikkhus, having given their pārisuddhi, have already done the uposatha and the bhikkhus, having given their chanda, have reached agreement in advance on their position for the eventual decisions to be taken by the saṃgha. These points must always be respected because they contribute to offer and maintain perfect agreement between all the members of the community. Only in this way, whatever the saṃgha undertakes cannot but be beneficial to all.

Before doing the uposatha, every bhikkhu must have pure sīla. The saṃghādisesa must have been expiated in conformity with the due procedure. The pāṭidesanīya must have been confessed to at least four bhikkhus. Concerning the other four kinds of fault (thullaccaya, pācittiya, dukkaṭa and dubbhāsita), everybody must perform desanā so as to be completely purified morally. It is only then that the recitation of the 227 rules of the pātimokkha can be heard.

Once the rules of the pātimokkha have been announced, the bhikkhu who has announced them asks if any of them have been breached, if such is the case, by confessing his fault (or faults), the bhikkhu must separate from the community. Having assumed his offence, he must purify it. If everyone remains silent, this indicates that none of the rules has been transgressed, and then the bhikkhu who has presented the pātimokkha can declare:

"Having given their silence, we may consider that the saṃgha is pure".

The meeting of the saṃgha to announce the pātimokkha at each new moon and each full moon (about twice a month), is a way to control regularly the purity of sīla in all the members of the community.

The different types of uposathas

The uposatha with four or more bhikkhus

Once the chanda and the pārisuddhi have been conveyed, and the desanā, the four pubbakaraṇa and the five "pubbakicca" carried out, the recitation of the pātimokkha rules can take place. In certain cases, the pātimokkha can only be partially recited (for example, only the pārājika, the saṃghādisesa and the aniyata).

When the bhikkhu has finished announcing the rules, it is customary for all the bhikkhus present in the sīmā to recite some suttas.

The uposatha with one, two or three bhikkhus

During the uposatha, to assemble the bhikkhus in the sīmā in order to present the pātimokkha, there must be a saṃgha. At least four bhikkhus are required to consider that the saṃgha is assembled. Thus, on the uposatha day, if there are less than four bhikkhus present in the vihāra, the procedure is rather different: the four pubbakaraṇa and the five "pubbakicca" cannot be carried out and the pātimokkha is not presented. After having performed the desanā, the bhikkhus simply recite a short formula.

If there are three bhikkhus in the vihāra

After having performed the desanā, one of the three bhikkhus announces to the other two:

"suṇātu me āyasmanto, ajjuposatho pannaraso (catuddaso) yadāyasdhantānaṃ pattakallaṃ, mayaṃ aññmaññaṃ pārisuddhi uposathaṃ kareyyāma."

"Venerables, listen attentively to what I say to you: today, we are on the fifteenth (fourteenth) lunar day, the uposatha day. The time when the uposatha must be done has arrived. Together let us purify ourselves and do the uposatha".

Next, the most senior says (three times in succession):

"parisuddho ahaṃ āvuso, parisuddhoti maṃ dhārehi".

"avuso, I am purified of all faults. I inform you that I am pure of conduct.".

In turn, the more junior addresses himself to the most senior:

"sādhu bhante, sādhu sādhu".

"Good bhante, very good".

(three times in succession):

"parisuddho ahaṃ bhante, parisuddhoti maṃ dhāretha".

"bhante, I am purified of all faults. I inform you that I am pure of conduct.".

The senior then concludes:

"sādhu avuso, sādhu sādhu".

"Good avuso, very good ".

Remarks: Whatever the number of bhikkhus, the uposatha must be done in the sīmā (even by a bhikkhu who is alone in the vihāra).

If there are two bhikkhus in the vihāra

Soon as the desanā has been done, the most senior addresses the most junior saying (three times in succession):

"parisuddho ahaṃ āvuso, parisuddhoti maṃ dhārehi".

"avuso, I am purified of all faults. I inform you that I am pure of conduct.".

In turn, the most junior addresses himself to the most senior:

"sādhu bhante, sādhu sādhu".

"Good bhante, very good".

(three times in succession):

"parisuddho ahaṃ bhante, parisuddhoti maṃ dhāretha".

"bhante, I am purified of all faults. I inform you that I am pure of conduct.".

The senior concludes:

"sādhu avuso, sādhu sādhu".

"Good avuso, very good ".

If there is only one bhikkhu in the vihāra

On the fourteenth lunar day (three times in succession):

"ija me uposato catuddasī adhiṭṭhāmi".

"Today, the fifteenth lunar day, I do the uposatha "

On the fifteenth lunar day (three times in succession):

"ajja me uposatho pannarasoti adhiṭṭhāmi".

"Today, the fifteenth lunar day, I do the uposatha"

Remarks: Given that the lunar calendar is based on the moon phases, the month sometimes has twenty-nine days and sometimes thirty. Months are divided into two "pakkha" (parts); the first running from the new moon to the full moon, and the next from the full moon to the new moon. The uposatha days fall on the last day of "pakkha", corresponding either to the fourteenth day or to the fifteenth day.