First of all, thanks all for having some rational discussion here!
The keyword that is being ambiguous is Anupasampannassa.
Lal wrote:
– Anupasampannassa comes from “na + upasampannassa” or “not attained”, just like Anāgāmi comes from “na + āgāmi” or “not coming back (to kāma loka)”.
Indeed, after some research, it is true that upasampannassa actually did mean attained, processed of. However, it also have another meaning base on 3 Pali dictionary, which is ordained. Thus, Anupasampannassa can also means NOT ordained, which can be a layman or a sāmaṇera. Check out meaning of upasampannassa from 3 Pali dictionary.
Here are the list of Anupasampannassa and upasampannassa used in the Vinaya/Sutta which we can see their meaning in different context.
Ok, now back to the Vinaya rule.
pācittiya 8 explanied by Lal:
In the Pali version, this is how that particular section is: “Atha kho te bhikkhū bhagavato etamatthaṃ ārocesuṃ. “Kacci pana vo, bhikkhave, bhūtan”ti? “Bhūtaṃ, bhagavā”ti.”
The first part “Atha kho te bhikkhū bhagavato etamatthaṃ ārocesuṃ” does mean “And they (bhikkhus) told the Master what had happened”.However, the correct translation of the rest “Kacci pana vo, bhikkhave, bhūtan”ti?” “Bhūtaṃ, bhagavā”ti SHOULD BE:
“Bhikkhus, was that a lie? (meaning the attainments that they claimed)”. And the bhikkhus replied that indeed they had lied (“Bhūtaṃ, bhagavā”ti.).
Interestingly, let us look at pārājika 4.
And the Master said to those monks,
Atha kho bhagavā vaggumudātīriye bhikkhū etadavoca—
“In what way, monks, did you spend the rains at ease, without having any trouble getting almsfood?”
“yathā kathaṃ pana tumhe, bhikkhave, samaggā sammodamānā avivadamānā phāsukaṃ vassaṃ vasittha na ca piṇḍakena kilamitthā”ti?Then those monks told the Master.
Atha kho te bhikkhū bhagavato etamatthaṃ ārocesuṃ.“But had you really achieved those superhuman qualities?”
“Kacci pana vo, bhikkhave, bhūtan”ti?“No, Master.”
“Abhūtaṃ, bhagavā”ti.
It seem to have a similar story, but instead of “Bhūtaṃ, bhagavā”ti., the Bhikkhu replied “Abhūtaṃ, bhagavā”ti. So, base on Lal explaination, it will be “Bhikkhus, was that a lie? (meaning the attainments that they claimed)”. And the bhikkhus replied that indeed they had NOT lied (“Abhūtaṃ, bhagavā”ti.).
Question:
1. Bhikkhu who had not lied regarding their attainment committed pārājika and expel from the community and Bhikkhu who lied regarding their attainment committed only pācittiya?
2. Meaning of bhūta indeed included ghost, but is has other meaning as well, why we should choose ghost in this context and not just “existed” ?
With Metta