Summary
s.1“The Chapter on Going Forth” is the first of seventeen chapters in The Chapters on Monastic Discipline, a four-volume work that outlines the statutes and procedures that govern life in a Buddhist monastic community. This first chapter traces the development of the rite by which postulants were admitted into the monastic order, from the Buddha Śākyamuni’s informal invitation to “Come, monk,” to the more elaborate “Present Day Rite.” Along the way, the posts of preceptor and instructor are introduced, their responsibilities defined, and a dichotomy between elders and immature novices described. While the heart of the chapter is a transcript of the “Present Day Rite,” the text is interwoven with numerous narrative asides, depicting the spiritual ferment of the north Indian region of Magadha during the Buddha’s lifetime, the follies of untrained and unsupervised apprentices, and the need for a formal system of tutelage.
s.1「出家根本」是《律分》四卷本中的第一個根本，《律分》詳細規定了佛教僧團的法規和程序。本章追溯了沙彌入僧團的儀式發展過程，從釋迦牟尼佛簡單的邀請「來吧，比丘」，到更為詳細的「當今儀式」。在此過程中，介紹了和尚和教誡師的職位，界定了他們的責任，並描述了長老和未成熟沙彌之間的區別。本章的核心是「當今儀式」的完整記錄，但文中穿插了許多敘述性的旁白，描繪了佛陀時代印度北部摩竭陀國的靈性氛圍、未經訓練和無人監督的弟子所犯的過失，以及建立正式教導體系的必要性。