SBE 20: Fifth Khandhaka: Chapter 3

3.

1. Now at that time the Khabbaggiya Bhikkhus used to sing the Dhamma with the abrupt transitions of song-singing.

The people murmured, were annoyed, and became indignant, saying, 'How can the Sakyaputtiya Samanas [do so]?' The Bhikkhus heard (&c., as usual, down to) he addressed the Bhikkhus, and said:

'These five dangers, O Bhikkhus, befall him who sings the Dhamma with the abrupt 1 transitions of song-singing.--He himself becomes captivated with respect to the sound thereof.--Other people become captivated with respect to the sound thereof.--The laymen are shocked.--The meditation of one who strains after accuracy in the sound is broken.--The common people fall into heresy 2.--These five dangers, O Bhikkhus, befall him who sings the Dhamma with the abrupt transitions of song-singing. The Dhamma is not, O Bhikkhus, to be sung [in that manner]. Whosoever does so, shall be guilty of a dukkata.'

2. Now at that time the Bhikkhus were afraid to make use of intoning 3. They told this matter to the Blessed One.

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to intone.'

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Footnotes

72:1 Âyatakena gîta-ssarena. Compare âyataken’ eva papâto at Kullavagga IX, 1, 3.

72:2 Probably this is supposed to result because dhamma being sung and not said is not intelligible to them--a complaint often made against the singing of prayers among Protestant Christians. On pakkhimâ ganatâ, compare the closing words of V, 21, 2; and on the rest of the phrase, Puggala III, 10, 14 The translation of sarakuttim is also very doubtful.

72:3 Sara-bhaññam. So in the Mahâvagga we hear that Sona