Vinaya (2): The Mahavagga
by T. W. Rhys Davids | 1881 | 156,382 words
The Mahavagga (part of the Vinaya collection) includes accounts of Gautama Buddha鈥檚 and the ten principal disciples鈥� awakenings, as well as rules for ordination, rules for reciting the Patimokkha during uposatha days, and various monastic procedures....
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Mahavagga, Khandaka 3, Chapter 2
1. Now the Bhikkhus thought: 'When are we to enter upon Vassa?'
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
鈥淚 prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that you enter upon Vassa in the rainy season.鈥�
2. Then the Bhikkhus thought: 'How many periods are there for entering upon Vassa?'
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
鈥淭here are two periods, O Bhikkhus, for entering upon Vassa, the earlier and the later. The earlier time for entering (upon Vassa) is the day after the full moon of 膧s膩lha (June-July); the later, a month after the full moon of 膧s膩lha[1]. These, O Bhikkhus, are the two periods for entering upon Vassa..鈥�
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Very probably this double period stands in connection with the double period prescribed in the Br膩hmanas and S奴tras for most of the Vedic festivals. Thus the sacrifice of the varu峁嘺pragh膩s膩s, with which the Brahmans began the rainy season, was to be held either on the full moon day of 膧峁Ｄ佱笉ha or on the full moon day of the following month, 艢r膩va峁嘺, quite in accordance with the Buddhistical rules about the vassupan膩yik膩. The Br膩hma峁嘺 texts begin the year with the full moon day of the (uttar膩) Ph膩lgun墨; the S奴tras mention, besides the Ph膩lguni, another new-year's day, the Caitri paur峁嘺m膩s墨, which falls one month later. It was in connection with this dislocation of the beginning of the year that the annual festivals could be postponed accordingly. See Weber, Die vedischen Nachrichten von den Naxatra, II, p. 329 seq.