[443] Bhikkhus, a pupil (antevāsika) should conduct himself properly toward his teacher (ācariya). This is the proper conduct therein:
Having risen early and removed his sandals, having arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, he should give the tooth-wood, give the water for rinsing the mouth, and prepare the seat. If there is rice-gruel, having washed the vessel, the gruel should be offered. When he has drunk the gruel, having given water and received the vessel, holding it low, he should wash it well without scraping it, and put it away. When the teacher has risen, the seat should be taken up. If that place is soiled, that place should be swept.
If the teacher wishes to enter the village, the inner robe should be given him, the spare inner robe received in return, the waistband given; having folded them together, the outer robes (saṅghāṭi) should be given; having rinsed it, the bowl should be given with water in it. If the teacher expects an attendant monk (pacchāsamaṇa), then, having dressed evenly all around covering the three circles, having tied the waistband, having folded the outer robes together and put them on, having fastened the fastener, having washed the bowl and taken it, he should be the teacher's attendant monk. He should not walk too far behind; he should not walk too close. He should receive the contents of the bowl. He should not break in with talk in the midst of the teacher's speaking. If the teacher's speech borders on an offense, he should be checked.
When returning, he should come back first and prepare the seat; he should set out water for washing the feet, a footstool, and a foot-wiper; having gone to meet him, he should receive his bowl and robe; he should give the spare inner robe and receive the inner robe. If the robe is damp, it should be sunned for a while in the warmth, but the robe should not be left out in the warmth. The robe should be folded. When folding the robe, he should fold it offsetting the edges by four fingerbreadths, (with the thought,) "Let there be no crease in the middle." The waistband should be placed in the fold.
If there is almsfood and the teacher wishes to eat, having given water, the almsfood should be offered. The teacher should be asked about drinking water. When he has eaten, having given water and received the bowl, holding it low, he should wash it well without scraping it, remove the water, and sun it for a while in the warmth; but the bowl should not be left out in the warmth. The bowl and robe should be put away. When putting away the bowl, having taken the bowl in one hand and felt under the bed or under the chair with the other hand, the bowl should be put away; and the bowl should not be put away on bare ground. When putting away the robe, having taken the robe in one hand and wiped the robe-rail or robe-line with the other hand, having placed the edge on the far side and the fold on the near side, the robe should be put away. When the teacher has risen, the seat should be taken up; the water for washing the feet, the footstool, and the foot-wiper should be put away. If that place is soiled, that place should be swept.
If the teacher wishes to bathe, a bath should be prepared. If cold water is needed, cold should be prepared; if hot is needed, hot should be prepared. If the teacher wishes to enter the sauna (jantāghara), the bath-powder should be kneaded and the clay moistened; taking the sauna bench and following close behind the teacher, having given him the sauna bench and received his robe, he should lay it to one side. The powder should be given, the clay given. If he is able, he should enter the sauna. When entering the sauna, having smeared his face with clay and covered himself in front and behind, he should enter the sauna. He should not sit crowding the elder bhikkhus, nor should junior bhikkhus be kept from a seat. In the sauna he should perform services for the teacher. When leaving the sauna, taking the sauna bench, having covered himself in front and behind, he should leave the sauna. In the water too he should perform services for the teacher. When he has bathed, he should come out of the water first, dry his own body, put on his inner robe, and then wipe the water from the teacher's body. He should give the inner robe and give the saṅghāṭi; taking the sauna bench, he should come back first and prepare the seat, and set out water for washing the feet, a footstool, and a foot-wiper. The teacher should be asked about drinking water.
If he wishes to have (the text) recited to him, he should request the recitation. If he wishes to ask questions, he should question.
In whatever dwelling the teacher lives, if that dwelling is soiled, it should be cleaned, if he is able. When cleaning the dwelling: first taking out the bowl and robe, he should lay them to one side; taking out the sitting cloth and sheet, he should lay them to one side; taking out the mattress and pillow, he should lay them to one side. Keeping it low, the bed should be taken out well, without scraping it, without knocking it against the door or door-frame, and laid to one side. Keeping it low, the chair should be taken out well, without scraping it, without knocking it against the door or door-frame, and laid to one side. Taking out the bed-supports, he should lay them to one side. Taking out the spittoon, he should lay it to one side. Taking out the leaning-board, he should lay it to one side. Having noted how the ground-covering was laid, taking it out, he should lay it to one side. If there are cobwebs in the dwelling, they should first be removed from the ceiling; the areas around the window-openings and the corners should be wiped. If a wall finished with red ochre has become stained, it should be wiped with a cloth that has been moistened and wrung out. If a floor finished with blacking has become stained, it should be wiped with a cloth that has been moistened and wrung out. If the floor is unfinished, it should be sprinkled with water and swept, (with the thought,) "Let not the dwelling be sullied with dust." Having gathered up the rubbish, it should be discarded to one side.
Having sunned the ground-covering, cleaned it, and beaten it out, having brought it back, it should be laid as it was laid before. Having sunned the bed-supports and wiped them, having brought them back, they should be placed where they stood. Having sunned the bed, cleaned it, and beaten it out, keeping it low, it should be brought in well, without scraping it, without knocking it against the door or door-frame, and laid as it was laid before. Having sunned the chair, cleaned it, and beaten it out, keeping it low, it should be brought in well, without scraping it, without knocking it against the door or door-frame, and laid as it was laid before. Having sunned the mattress and pillow, cleaned them, and beaten them out, having brought them back, they should be laid as they were laid before. Having sunned the sitting cloth and sheet, cleaned them, and beaten them out, having brought them back, they should be laid as they were laid before. Having sunned the spittoon and wiped it, having brought it back, it should be placed where it stood. Having sunned the leaning-board and wiped it, having brought it back, it should be placed where it stood.
The bowl and robe should be put away. When putting away the bowl, having taken the bowl in one hand and felt under the bed or under the chair with the other hand, the bowl should be put away; and the bowl should not be put away on bare ground. When putting away the robe, having taken the robe in one hand and wiped the robe-rail or robe-line with the other hand, having placed the edge on the far side and the fold on the near side, the robe should be put away.
If dusty winds blow from the east, the eastern windows should be closed. If dusty winds blow from the west, the western windows should be closed. If dusty winds blow from the north, the northern windows should be closed. If dusty winds blow from the south, the southern windows should be closed. If it is the cold season, the windows should be opened by day and closed by night. If it is the hot season, the windows should be closed by day and opened by night.
If the cell-yard is soiled, the cell-yard should be swept. If the gatehouse is soiled, the gatehouse should be swept. If the attendance hall is soiled, the attendance hall should be swept. If the fire hall is soiled, the fire hall should be swept. If the privy is soiled, the privy should be swept. If there is no drinking water, drinking water should be set out. If there is no water for washing, water for washing should be set out. If there is no water in the rinsing-pot, water should be poured into the rinsing-pot.
If dissatisfaction has arisen in the teacher, the pupil should allay it or have it allayed, or a talk on the Dhamma should be given him. If remorse has arisen in the teacher, the pupil should dispel it or have it dispelled, or a talk on the Dhamma should be given him. If a wrong view has arisen in the teacher, the pupil should dissuade him from it or have him dissuaded from it, or a talk on the Dhamma should be given him.
If the teacher has committed a grave offense and deserves probation (parivāsa), the pupil should make an effort, (thinking,) "How indeed may the Saṅgha grant the teacher probation?" If the teacher deserves to be sent back to the beginning, the pupil should make an effort, (thinking,) "How indeed may the Saṅgha send the teacher back to the beginning?" If the teacher deserves mānatta, the pupil should make an effort, (thinking,) "How indeed may the Saṅgha grant the teacher mānatta?" If the teacher deserves rehabilitation (abbhāna), the pupil should make an effort, (thinking,) "How indeed may the Saṅgha rehabilitate the teacher?"
If the Saṅgha wishes to carry out a formal act against the teacher — censure, demotion, banishment, reconciliation, or suspension — the pupil should make an effort, (thinking,) "How indeed may the Saṅgha not carry out the act against the teacher, or commute it to a lighter one?" But if a formal act — censure, demotion, banishment, reconciliation, or suspension — has been carried out against him by the Saṅgha, the pupil should make an effort, (thinking,) "How indeed may the teacher conduct himself properly, become subdued, and behave so as to merit release, so that the Saṅgha may revoke that act?"
If the teacher's robe needs to be washed, the pupil should wash it, or an effort should be made, (thinking,) "How indeed may the teacher's robe be washed?" If a robe needs to be made for the teacher, the pupil should make it, or an effort should be made, (thinking,) "How indeed may the teacher's robe be made?" If dye needs to be boiled for the teacher, the pupil should boil it, or an effort should be made, (thinking,) "How indeed may the teacher's dye be boiled?" If the teacher's robe needs to be dyed, the pupil should dye it, or an effort should be made, (thinking,) "How indeed may the teacher's robe be dyed?" When dyeing the robe, he should dye it well, turning it over and over again, and he should not go away while the drips have not ceased.
Without asking the teacher's leave, he should not give a bowl to anyone, nor receive anyone's bowl; he should not give a robe to anyone, nor receive anyone's robe; he should not give a requisite to anyone, nor receive anyone's requisite; he should not cut anyone's hair, nor have his hair cut by anyone; he should not perform a service for anyone, nor have a service performed by anyone; he should not do chores for anyone, nor have chores done by anyone; he should not be anyone's attendant monk, nor take anyone as an attendant monk; he should not carry back almsfood for anyone, nor have almsfood carried back by anyone. Without asking the teacher's leave, he should not enter the village, he should not go to a charnel ground, he should not depart for another district. If the teacher is ill, he should be attended for as long as his life lasts; his recovery should be awaited.
This, bhikkhus, is the duty of pupils toward teachers, according to which pupils should conduct themselves properly toward teachers.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.