Lzh Dg Bi Vb Np 23Exchanging Group Property (2nd)

– DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA

– NIḤSARGIKA PĀCITTIYA

RULE 23

A. ORIGIN STORY

At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling in the Anāthapiṇḍika Garden, Jeta's Grove, in the country of Śrāvastī. At that time, a number of bhikkhunīs, needing to build dwelling quarters, went throughout the land soliciting various goods and materials. As a result, they gathered a great quantity of goods.

Afterward, those bhikkhunīs thought to themselves: "If we use these materials to build dwelling quarters, it will bring about much trouble. Meanwhile, it is very difficult for bhikkhunīs to have a full set of five robes. We could use these goods to exchange for robes and distribute them among ourselves." Having thought thus, they exchanged the goods for robes and distributed them.

Some time later, certain lay people asked:

"Previously we offered goods for the construction of dwelling quarters. Were they eventually built or not?"

The bhikkhunīs said:

"They were not built."

The lay people asked:

"Why were they not built?"

The bhikkhunīs replied:

"We thought to ourselves that building dwelling quarters would bring much trouble. Meanwhile, it is very difficult for bhikkhunīs to have a full set of five robes. So we exchanged those goods for robes and distributed them among ourselves. Having so thought, we exchanged them for robes and distributed them."

Upon hearing this, the lay people all reproached them, saying:

"These bhikkhunīs receive without knowing satisfaction. Outwardly they claim to know the true Dharma. Yet where is the true Dharma in this? They took the money we offered to build dwelling quarters and exchanged it for robes to distribute among themselves. It is not that we are unaware of how difficult it is for bhikkhunīs to have a full set of five robes! But we have heard the Blessed One teach that the foremost field of merit, surpassing all others, is the building of dwelling quarters to offer to the fourfold Sangha from the four directions."

The bhikkhunīs who heard this—among them those of few desires and contentment, who practiced the ascetic virtues, who delighted in training in the precepts, and who knew shame and remorse—reproached those bhikkhunīs: "How could you take money donated for the construction of a house and exchange it for robes to distribute among yourselves?"

The bhikkhunīs went and reported this to the bhikkhus. The bhikkhus went and reported it to the Blessed One. The Blessed One, on account of this matter, assembled the community of bhikkhus and rebuked those bhikkhunīs:

"What you have done is wrong, not in accordance with proper conduct, not in accordance with the practice of a monastic, not in accordance with pure conduct, not in accordance with right behavior—it is something that ought not to be done. How could you take money donated for the construction of a house and exchange it for robes to distribute among yourselves?"

Having rebuked the bhikkhunīs by means of numerous skillful means, the Buddha said to the bhikkhus:

"Those bhikkhunīs are foolish persons; they are a ground in which many seeds of the āsavas are planted; they are the first to commit this offense. From this day forward, I shall lay down a precept for the bhikkhunīs, comprising ten principles of meaning, up to and including the purpose of the long endurance of the true Dharma."

To set forth the precept, it should be stated thus:

Whatever bhikkhunī, with goods donated by a benefactor for a particular purpose, which she herself has sought on behalf of the Sangha, diverts to another purpose—niḥsargika pācittiya.

B. ANALYSIS OF THE RULE

Bhikkhunī: as explained above.

Goods donated for a particular purpose: goods donated for the construction of a Sangha dwelling that are used to make robes; goods donated for the making of robes that are used for the construction of a Sangha dwelling; goods donated for one purpose that are used for another purpose.

Sought by herself: she herself personally going to various places to beg.

Goods for the Sangha: that is, property belonging to the Sangha, as stated above.

If a bhikkhunī takes goods donated by a benefactor for the Sangha and uses them for a different purpose—niḥsargika pācittiya.

This niḥsargika offense must be forfeited to the Sangha. The procedure for forfeiture, and the confession to be made after forfeiture, are as stated above.

The Sangha should return the forfeited robes by means of a single-motion-and-second-announcement formal act, as stated previously. If they are not returned, and one receives them to make any of the five robes, or even to make something that is not a robe, or wears them regularly—in all such cases one commits a dukkaṭa, as stated above.

For a bhikkhu: dukkaṭa. For a śikṣamāṇā, a śrāmaṇera, or a śrāmaṇerī: dukkaṭa. This is called an offense.

Non-offense: if one inquires of the donor and uses the goods according to their wish; or if at the time of donation they say, "Use it as you see fit"; or if a relative says, "Use it according to the Sangha's wishes—I will speak to the donor about it"—in such cases there is no offense.

Those who do not commit an offense: one who commits the offense for the first time before the precept has been laid down; one who is insane, mentally disturbed, or in extreme pain and suffering.

Vietnamese translation: Bhikkhu Thích Đỗng Minh and Thích Đức Thắng. DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA, PART ONE

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka masters Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian.

Edited and annotated by: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng

(Chinese translation, fascicles 1–21; Vietnamese translation, fascicles 1 and 2)

Buddhist Studies Editorial Committee, 2002