[260]
"When duties of the Saṅgha, consultations,
matters that have arisen, and decisions [are at hand],
what manner of man here is of great service?
How does a bhikkhu here become worthy of esteem?
"First, he is blameless in respect of virtue;
his conduct is scrutinized, his faculties well restrained;
adversaries cannot reproach him in accordance with Dhamma,
for there is nothing in him of which they might speak.
"Such a one, established in purity of virtue,
is confident and speaks with assurance;
gone into an assembly he is not alarmed, he does not tremble;
speaking coherent words, he does not diminish the meaning.
Likewise, when asked a question in the assemblies,
he neither falls to brooding nor is abashed.
"Discerning, with timely words worthy of an answer,
he delights the assembly of the wise;
respectful toward the more senior bhikkhus,
confident in his own teacher's tradition,
capable of assessing, accomplished in speaking,
and adept at the failings of adversaries—
whereby adversaries meet with refutation
and the great multitude comes to be convinced;
and he does not forsake his own received tradition,
answering a question without causing injury.
"Capable of undertaking the duties of an envoy,
and in the tasks of the Saṅgha [accepting them] as one would an offering (āhuna),
when sent by the company of bhikkhus, carrying out their word,
he does not on that account conceive, 'It is I who do it.'
"On however many grounds one commits an offense (āpatti),
and how emergence from an offense comes about—
these analyses of both [Vibhaṅgas] have come down well to him;
he is skilled in the section on emergence from offenses.
"Doing which deeds one comes to a sending away (nissāraṇa),
and on what ground one is sent away,
and the restoration (osāraṇa) of a person who has completed that [conduct]—
this too he knows, being skilled in the Vibhaṅga.
"Respectful toward the more senior bhikkhus—
the newly ordained, the elders, and those of middle standing—
wise, acting here for the welfare of the great multitude:
such a bhikkhu here is worthy of esteem."
The Kosambaka Khandhaka, the tenth, is concluded.
________
The summary thereof:
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.