Vinaya Pitaka (1): Bhikkhu-vibhanga (the analysis of Monks’ rules)
by I. B. Horner | 2014 | 345,334 words | ISBN-13: 9781921842160
The English translation of the Bhikkhu-vibhanga: the first part of the Suttavibhanga, which itself is the first book of the Pali Vinaya Pitaka, one of the three major ‘baskets’ of Therevada canonical literature. It is a collection of rules for Buddhist monks. The English translation of the Vinaya-pitaka (first part, bhikkhu-vibhanga) contains many...
Monks’ Expiation (Pācittiya) 43
Bu-Pc.43.1.1 BD.2.354 … at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove in Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time the venerable Upananda, the son of the Sakyans, going to a friend’s house, sat down[1] in a sleeping-room[2] together with his wife. Then that man approached the venerable Upananda, the son of the Sakyans, and having approached, having greeted the venerable Upananda, the son of the Sakyans, he sat down at a respectful distance. As he was sitting down at a respectful distance, that man spoke thus to his wife:
“Give alms-food to the master.”
Then that woman gave alms-food to the venerable Upananda, the son of the Sakyans. Then that man spoke thus to the venerable Upananda, the son of the Sakyans:
“You may go, honoured sir, inasmuch as alms-food has been given to the master.”
Then that woman, observing, ‘This man is obsessed,’[3] spoke thus to the venerable Upananda, the son of the Sakyans:
“Sit down, honoured sir, do not go away.”
A second time that man … A third time that man spoke thus to the venerable Upananda, the son of the Sakyans:
“You may go, honoured sir, inasmuch as alms-food has been given to the master.”
BD.2.355 A third time did that woman say to the venerable Upananda, the son of the Sakyans:
“Sit down, honoured sir, do not go away.” Then that man, going out, made monks look down upon[4] (Upananda), saying:
“Honoured sirs, this master Upananda is sitting in the sleeping-room together with my wife; he, being dismissed by me, does not wish to go. We are very busy, there is much to be done.”
Those who were modest monks … spread it about, saying:
“How can the venerable Upananda, the son of the Sakyans, intruding upon[5] a family with food,[6] Vin.4.95 sit down?” …
“Is it true, as is said, that you, Upananda, intruding upon … sat down?”
“It is true, lord.”
The enlightened one, the lord, rebuked him, saying: “How can you, foolish man, intruding … sit down? It is not, foolish man, for pleasing those who are not (yet) pleased … And thus, monks, this rule of training should be set forth:
“Whatever monk, intruding upon a family with food, should sit down, there is an offence of expiation.”
Bu-Pc.43.2.1 BD.2.356 Whatever means: … is monk to be understood in this case.
Family with food means: there is a woman and also a man, and both the woman and the man are not gone out, both are not without passion.
Intruding means: forcing a way into.[7]
Should sit down means: if he sits down in a large house, having left (the space of) a reach of the hand[8] from door-posts and lintel,[9] there is an offence of expiation; if he sits down in a small house, having gone beyond the beam,[10] there is an offence of expiation.
Bu-Pc.43.2.2 If he thinks that it is a sleeping-room when it is a sleeping-room (and), intruding upon a family with food, sits down, there is an offence of expiation. If he is in doubt as to whether it is a sleeping-room … If he thinks that it is not a sleeping-room when it is a sleeping-room … an offence of expiation. If he thinks that it is a sleeping-room when it is not a sleeping-room, there is an offence of wrong-doing. If he is in doubt as to whether it is not a sleeping-room, there is an offence of wrong-doing. If he thinks that it is not a sleeping-room when it is not a sleeping-room, there is no offence.
Bu-Pc.43.2.3 There is no offence if he sits down in a large house, not having left (the space of) a reach of the hand from door-posts and lintel; if he sits down in a small house, not having gone beyond the beam; if there comes to be a second monk; if both have gone out[11]; if both are with-out passion; if it is not in a sleeping-room; if he is mad, if he is the first wrong-doer.
The Third
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
nisajjaṃ kappeti.
[3]:
[6]:
sabhojane kule. Vinaya Texts i.41, “into a house where a meal is going on.” Editor, Vinaya Texts i.41, n.3, remarks that the Vin-a, doubtless to justify the Old Commentary’s definition (see below) with its “suggested implication,” makes sabhojanaṃ equal to saha ubhohi janehi(!); or, in the alternative, to sabhogaṃ, since the wife is the bhoga (property) “of a man still given to passion, and the husband the bhoga of a wife …; it is just possible we should translate, ‘a household still given to pleasure” (cf. Kd.18.5.1), or ‘fond of good food’ (Mil.76).” , J.Bu-As., Nov, “dans une maison ou on ‘mange.’” Pali-English Dictionary suggests very tentatively “sharing food (?).” Sabhojana at Snp.102 means “with food.” At Vin.2.216 (= Kd.18.5.2), a monk who has entered a dwelling for food should cover up his bowl with his robe when he has received the alms, and turn away.
[10]:
piṭṭhivaṃsa. Vin-a.856 says that if such a sleeping-room is among four large rooms, then piṭṭhivaṃsaṃ atikkamitvā means going beyond the middle (of the house), iminā majjhātikkamaṃ dasseti. The word piṭṭhivaṃsa occurs at Dhp-a.1.52 (translated, Buddhist Legends 1.174, as “the central rafter of the hut”) and at MN-a.3.167.