Lzh Dg Bi Vb Pc 105Group Robes

– DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

RULE 105

A. ORIGIN STORY

At one time, the Bhagavā was dwelling in the Anāthapiṇḍika Park, Jeta's Grove, in the country of Śrāvastī. At that time, the bhikkhunī Sthūlanandā had a long acquaintance with a certain donor who wished to prepare a meal and offer robes to the Saṅgha. When Sthūlanandā heard of this, she went and asked him: "I have heard that you wish to prepare a meal and offer robes to the Saṅgha — is that so?" The donor replied, "That is so." Sthūlanandā said: "The Saṅgha is of great merit and great spiritual power, and has many donors making offerings. You still have many other occasions to make offerings. You should now only offer the meal; there is no need to offer robes."

The donor complied with her words and did not prepare robes; during the night he made ready only food for the offering. Early the next morning, the donor came to invite the bhikkhunī Saṅgha to receive the meal. The bhikkhunīs put on their robes, took up their bowls, went to the benefactor's home, and sat quietly in their seats.

At that time, the donor observed the bhikkhunīs — their deportment was dignified, and their Dharma robes were neat and proper — and, filled with remorse, he exclaimed: "The Saṅgha is so fine and admirable; why was I prevented from being able to offer robes in their honor?"

The bhikkhunīs, hearing this, asked the donor: "For what reason do you speak such words?" The donor then explained the full circumstances.

Among the bhikkhunīs who heard this, there were those of few desires and contentment, who practiced the austere dhūta qualities, were fond of training in the precepts, and knew shame and remorse. They reproached the bhikkhunī Sthūlanandā: "Why did you obstruct the offering of robes to the Saṅgha?"

The bhikkhunīs reported the matter to the bhikkhus. The bhikkhus went and reported it to the Buddha. The Buddha, using this incident, convened an assembly of the bhikkhu Saṅgha and rebuked Sthūlanandā:

"What you have done is wrong — it is not proper conduct, not the practice of a śramaṇa, not pure conduct, not befitting behavior; it is something that should not be done. Why did you obstruct the offering of robes to the Saṅgha?"

Having rebuked her with countless expedient means, the Buddha said to the bhikkhus:

"This bhikkhunī Sthūlanandā is a field in which many seeds of the āsravas are planted; she is the first to commit this offense. From now on, I shall lay down a rule for the bhikkhunīs comprising ten bases of meaning, up to and including the phrase 'so that the true Dharma may long endure.'"

The rule should be stated thus:

Whatever bhikkhunī obstructs the offering of robes to the Saṅgha, a pācittiya.

B. ANALYSIS OF THE RULE

Bhikkhunī: as defined above.

Saṅgha: also as defined above.

Robes: there are ten kinds, as stated previously.

If a bhikkhunī obstructs the offering of robes to the Saṅgha, it is a pācittiya. If she obstructs an offering to someone other than the Saṅgha, it is a duṣkṛta. If, apart from robes, she obstructs the offering of other articles, it is a duṣkṛta.

For a bhikkhu, it is a duṣkṛta. For a śikṣamāṇā, a śrāmaṇera, or a śrāmaṇerī, it is a duṣkṛta. These are called offenses.

Non-offenses: if a person intends to offer little and she encourages offering more; if a person intends to offer to few people and she encourages offering to more people; if a person intends to offer something coarse and she encourages offering something fine; or if she speaks in jest, speaks in a secluded place, speaks hastily, speaks in a dream, or intends to say one thing but mistakenly says another — in all such cases there is no offense.

Those who do not commit an offense: the first offender before the rule was proclaimed; one who is insane, of deranged mind, or afflicted and overwhelmed by pain.

Vietnamese translation: Bhikkhu Thích Đỗng Minh and Thích Đức Thắng. DHARMAGUPTAKA 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 1–2)

Buddhist Publication Committee, 2002