Lzh Dg Bi Vb Pc 145Abusing Monks

– FOUR-PART VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

RULE 145

A. ORIGIN

At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling in the garden of Anāthapiṇḍika, in the Jeta Grove, in the country of Śrāvastī. At that time, the elder monk Kapila, when the night had passed and it was early morning, put on his robe, took up his bowl, and entered the city of Śrāvastī to collect alms. The bhikkhunīs saw Kapila and immediately reviled him, saying: "You are a wretched and evil man, of low birth and lowly lineage, a craftsman's clan. You have destroyed our stūpa and thrown it outside the monastery grounds."

Among the bhikkhunīs who heard this, there were those of few desires, who were content, who lived the dhūta practices, who delighted in training in the precepts, and who knew shame and remorse. They reproached the others, saying: "Why do you revile the Elder Kapila?"

Having rebuked them, the bhikkhunīs came and reported the matter to the monks. The monks then went and reported it to the Buddha. The Buddha, on account of this incident, convened an assembly of the Saṅgha of monks and rebuked the bhikkhunīs:

"What you have done is wrong; it is not proper conduct, not the practice of a renunciant, not pure conduct, not behavior in accordance with the Dharma—it is something that should not be done. Why did you revile Kapila?"

Having rebuked them with countless skillful means, the Buddha said to the monks:

"These bhikkhunīs are a field where many seeds of the āsavas are sown; they are the first to transgress this rule. From this time forward, I shall establish a precept for bhikkhunīs, comprising ten principles, up to and including the clause for the long abiding of the true Dharma."

The precept should be proclaimed as follows:

Whatever bhikkhunī reviles a monk, there is a pācittiya offense.

B. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE RULE

Bhikkhunī: as defined above.

Revile: such as speaking of low lineage, a lowly family name, a lowly craft, a lowly occupation; or saying that one has committed an offense; or saying that such and such a fetter is present in him; or insulting someone by invoking their taboo personal name.

Whatever bhikkhunī reviles a monk by reference to lineage, up to and including insulting his taboo personal name, if stated explicitly, there is a pācittiya offense; if stated indirectly, there is a dukkaṭa offense.

For a monk, a dukkaṭa offense. For a sikkhāmānā, a sāmaṇera, or a sāmaṇerī, a dukkaṭa offense. These are called transgressions.

Non-transgression: if one speaks in jest, or speaks hastily, or speaks to oneself, or speaks in a dream, or intending to say one thing mistakenly says another—in all such cases there is no transgression.

Those who do not transgress: one who commits the act for the first time before the rule has been established; one who is insane, of disturbed mind, or afflicted with severe pain.

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 by: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng

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

Buddhist Publication Committee, 2002