Monks’ Expiation (Pācittiya) 61

^{Bu-Pc.61.1.1 Vin.4.124 BD.3.1} … at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove in Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at one time the venerable Udāyin^[1] was an archer,^[2] and crows were unpleasant to him. He, having shot crows, having cut off their heads, put them in a row on a stake. Monks spoke thus:

“By whom, your reverence, were these crows deprived of life?’”

“By me, your reverences; crows are unpleasant to me.” Those who were modest monks … spread it about, saying:

“How can the venerable Udāyin intentionally deprive a living thing of life?” …

“Is it true, as is said, that you, Udāyin, intentionally deprived a living thing of life?”

“It is true, lord.”

The enlightened one, the lord, rebuked him, saying:

“How can you, foolish man, intentionally deprive a living thing of life? 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 should intentionally deprive a living thing of life, there is an offence of expiation.”

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^Bu-Pc.61.2.1 Whatever means: … monk is to be understood in this case.

^BD.3.2 Intentionally means: a transgression committed knowingly, consciously, deliberately.^[3]

Living thing means: it is called a living thing that is an animal.^[4]

Should deprive of life means: if he cuts off the faculty of life, destroys it, harms its duration,^[5] there is an offence of expiation. ^Vin.4.125

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^Bu-Pc.61.2.2 If he thinks that it is a living thing when it is a living thing, (and) deprives it of life, there is an offence of expiation. If he is in doubt as to whether it is a living thing, (and) deprives it of life, there is an offence of wrong-doing.^[6] If he thinks that it is not a living thing when it is a living thing, there is no offence. If he thinks that it is a living thing when it is not a living thing, there is an offence of wrong-doing. If he is in doubt as to whether it is not a living thing, there is an offence of wrong-doing. If he thinks that it is not a living thing when it is not a living thing, there is no offence.

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^Bu-Pc.61.2.3 There is no offence if it is unintentional; if (he is) not thinking; if he does not know; if he is not meaning death^[7]; if he is mad, if he is the first wrong-doer.

The First

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Perhaps the same Udāyin as is mentioned at Vin.3.110, Vin.3.119, Vin.3.127, Vin.3.130, Vin.3.135, Vin.3.187, Vin.3.190 (see BD.1), and Vin.4.20, Vin.4.61, Vin.4.68 (see BD.2).

[2]:

issāsa. Cf. MN.iii.1 (issattha); AN.iv.423. Vin-a.864 says when he was a householder he taught archers.

[3]:

= Vin.3.73. See BD.1.126 and n.3.

[4]:

Depriving human beings of life is dealt with in Bu-Pj.3.

[5]:

= Vin.3.73 (BD.1.126).

[6]:

Variant reading āpatti pācittiyassa. See Vin.4.361.

[7]:

Cf. Vin.3.78 (BD.1.136); BD.2.225, BD.2.229, BD.2.262.