Lzh Dg Bi Vb Pc 104Moving Robes

– FOUR-PART VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

RULE 104

A. ORIGIN STORY

At one time, the Bhagavān was dwelling in the Gabled Hall on the bank of the Monkey River at Vesālī. At that time the Sangha was receiving many offerings. A bhikkhunī left her saṅghāṭi in her room without attending to it or airing it out, and it was eaten by insects and worms, causing its color to be ruined. Later, when the offerings to the Sangha were interrupted, that bhikkhunī did not inspect the saṅghāṭi before bringing it into the village; only when she took it to use did she discover that the saṅghāṭi had been eaten by insects and worms and its color ruined.

The bhikkhunīs heard of this, and among them were those of few desires and contentment who practiced the ascetic observances, who were devoted to training in the precepts, who were possessed of a sense of shame and remorse, and they reproached that bhikkhunī: "Why did you leave the saṅghāṭi in your room without attending to it or airing it out, allowing insects and worms to eat it and ruin its color?"

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 Sangha of bhikkhus and rebuked that bhikkhunī:

"You have done what is wrong and improper; it is not in accordance with proper conduct, not in accordance with the way of a śramaṇa, not in accordance with pure practice, not in accordance with right behavior — you have done what should not be done. Why did you leave the saṅghāṭi in your room without attending to it or airing it out, allowing insects and worms to ruin its color?"

Having rebuked her with countless skillful means, the Blessed One said to the bhikkhus:

"This bhikkhunī is a field for planting many defiled seeds, and she is the first to commit this offense. From now on, I shall lay down a rule of training for the bhikkhunīs, for ten reasons, up to and including the reason of establishing the True Dharma long."

The precept should be stated as follows:

Whatever bhikkhunī does not inspect her saṅghāṭi for more than five days, it is a pācittiya.

B. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE OFFENSE

Bhikkhunī: as explained above.

Whatever bhikkhunī keeps her saṅghāṭi in her room must go to inspect it once every five days; failing to inspect it is a pācittiya. With respect to robes other than the saṅghāṭi, failing to inspect them every five days is a dukkaṭa. With respect to requisites other than robes, failing to inspect them every five days, such that they are lost or eaten by insects and worms and their color is ruined, is a dukkaṭa.

For a bhikkhu, it is a dukkaṭa. For a sikkhāmānā, a sāmaṇera, or a sāmaṇerī, it is a dukkaṭa. This is called an offense.

Non-offense: if she keeps the saṅghāṭi in her room and goes to inspect it every five days; or if she stores it in a secure place; or if she entrusts it to another person and that person accepts custody of it, saying: "Please be at ease; I will take care of it for you"; or if she does not necessarily inspect it every five days out of fear of it being lost — in all such cases there is no offense.

Those who do not commit an offense: one who commits an offense for the first time before the rule has been laid down; one who is insane, one whose mind is disturbed, one who is afflicted with pain and oppressed by suffering.

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

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka masters Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian.

Revised and annotated: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng

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

Buddhist Publication Committee, 2002