Sambhūta Sāṇavāsī then said to Yasa, “Revata is learned and a master of the tradition; he’s an expert on the Teaching, the Monastic Law, and the Key Terms; he’s knowledgeable and competent, has a sense of conscience, and is afraid of wrongdoing and fond of the training. If we ask Revata a question, he would be capable of spending the whole night answering just that one. Now, soon he will ask a pupil monk to chant. Once the chanting is finished, go up to Revata and ask him about these ten practices.” “Yes, sir.” Soon afterwards, when the chanting was finished, Yasa went up to Revata, bowed, sat down, and said, “Sir, is the salt-in-horn practice allowable?” “What’s the salt-in-horn practice?” “Is it allowable to carry salt in a horn and then eat it whenever the food is unsalted?” “No, it’s not allowable.” “Is the two-fingerbreadths practice allowable?”—“What’s the two fingerbreadths practice?”—“Is it allowable to eat at the wrong time, so long as the shadow of the sundial is within two fingerbreadths of midday?”—“No.” “Is the next-village practice allowable?”—“What’s the next-village practice?”—“When you have finished your meal and refused an invitation to eat more, is it allowable to eat non-leftover food if you intend to go to the next village?”—“No.” “Is the many-monasteries practice allowable?”—“What’s the many-monasteries practice?”—“When there are a number of monasteries within the same monastery zone, is it allowable for them to do the observance-day ceremony separately?”—“No.” “Is the consent practice allowable?”—“What’s the consent practice?”—“Is it allowable to do a legal procedure with an incomplete Sangha, with the intention of getting consent from the absent monks afterwards?”—“No.” “Are customary practices allowable?”—“What are customary practices?”—“Is it allowable to follow the practices of one’s preceptors or teachers?”—“Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn’t.” “Is the unchurned practice allowable?”—“What’s the unchurned practice?”—“When you have finished your meal and refused an invitation to eat more, is it allowable to drink that which is halfway between milk and curd, if it’s not left over?”—“No.” “Is palm-juice drinking allowable?”—“What’s palm juice?”—“Is it allowable to drink that which has started to ferment, but which hasn’t yet become a proper alcoholic drink?”—“No.” “Are sitting mats without borders allowable?”—“No.” “Is gold, silver, or money allowable?”—“No.” “The Vajjian monks of Vesālī proclaim these ten practices. Venerable, let’s take on this legal issue—before what’s contrary to the Teaching shines forth and the Teaching is obstructed; before what’s contrary to the Monastic Law shines forth and the Monastic Law is obstructed; before those who speak contrary to the Teaching become strong and those who speak in accordance with it become weak; before those who speak contrary to the Monastic Law become strong and those who speak in accordance with it become weak.” Saying, “Yes,” he consented to Yasa’s request. The first section for recitation is finished.

Both sides gathering supportersThe Vajjian monks of Vesālī heard: “It seems Yasa wants to take on this legal issue and is looking for supporters. And it seems he is gaining support.” They said, “This legal issue is going to be contentious and difficult. How can we get supporters to strengthen our side?” It occurred to them, “Venerable Revata is learned and a master of the tradition; he’s an expert on the Teaching, the Monastic Law, and the Key Terms; he’s knowledgeable and competent, has a sense of conscience, and is afraid of wrongdoing and fond of the training. If we get Revata to support us, we’ll be stronger.”