Aggāḷavacetiya untranslated

Aggāḷavacetiya. The chief shrine at Āḷavī (Snp-a.i.344; SN­a.i.207) (hence probably the name), originally a pagan place of worship, but later converted into a Buddhist vihāra. The Buddha stopped here on many occasions during his wanderings, and this was the scene of several Vinaya rules, e.g. against monks digging the ground (Vin.iv.32) and cutting trees (Vin.iv.34), using unfiltered water for building purposes (Vin.iv.48), sleeping in the company of novices (Vin.iv.16), giving new buildings in hand (Vin.ii.172f).

The Chabbaggiyā are censured here for a nissaggiya offence (Vin.iii.224). The Vaṅgīsasutta was preached there to Vaṅgīsa, on the occasion of the death of his preceptor, Nigrodhakappa (Sn.59f). In the early years of Vaṅgīsa’s novitiate he stayed at the shrine with his preceptor, and disaffection arose within him twice, once because of women, the second time because of his tutor’s solitary habits (SN.i.185-6), and later, again, through pride in his own powers of improvisation (paṭibhāna) (SN.i.187). Here, again, the Buddha utters the praises of Hatthaka Āḷavaka, who visits him with a large following, whose fealty has been won (according to Hatthaka) by observing the four characteristics of sympathy (saṅgahavatthūni) learnt from the Buddha (AN.iv.216-20).

Many lay-women and nuns flocked there by day to hear the Buddha preach, but none were there when he preached in the evenings (Ja.i.160). It was here that the Maṇikaṇṭhajātaka was related (Ja.ii.282), also the Brahmadattajātaka (Ja.iii.78), and the Aṭṭhisenajātaka (Ja.iii.351), all in connection with the rules for building cells. See also Āḷavī.