Page:Sacred Books of the East - Volume 20.djvu/31

IV, 4, 10. forth his hands with the palms joined together, and let him say, "These Bhikkhus, Sirs, the followers of Mettiya and Bhummagaka, are harassing me by a groundless charge of breach of morality. But I, Sirs, in respect thereof have a clear conscience, and I ask the Samgha for the acquittal to be accorded to those who are conscious of innocence." Then some able and discreet Bhikkhu is thus to lay the resolution before the Samgha. " Let the venerable Samgha hear me. These Bhikkhus, Sirs, the followers of Mettiya and Bhummagaka, are harassing the venerable Dabba the Mallian with a groundless charge of a breach of morality, and the venerable Dabba the Mallian has in respect thereof a conscience that is clear, and asks the Samgha for the acquittal of those who are conscious of innocence. If the time is convenient to the Samgha, let the Samgha accord to the venerable Dabba the Mallian the acquittal of those who are conscious of innocence. This is the resolution. Let the venerable Samgha hear me. These Bhikkhus (&c, as before, down to) asks the Samgha for the acquittal of those who are conscious of innocence. The Samgha accords to the venerable Dabba the Mallian the acquittal of those who are consciously innocent. Whosoever of the venerable ones approves of the grant to Dabba the Mallian of the acquittal of those who are conscious of innocence, let him keep silence. Whosoever approves not thereof, let him speak. And a second time I say the same thing. And a third time I say the same thing. Let the venerable Samgha hear me. These Bhikkhus (&c, as before, down to) let him speak. The acquittal of those who are conscious of innocence has been [20]