Lzh Dg Bi Vb Pc 147Medical Treament Below the Navel

– DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

RULE 147

A. ORIGIN

At one time, the Bhagavā was dwelling in the Nigrodha Park at Kapilavatthu in the land of the Sakyas. At that time, the bhikkhunī Bhadda Kapilā had a boil on her body, and she had a man lance and drain it. The body of this bhikkhunī was as smooth as the body of a heavenly maiden, with no difference. When the man's hand touched her smooth body, his mind became inflamed with desire, and he embraced her, wishing to destroy her chastity. She immediately cried out loudly: "Do not do this! Do not do this!" The bhikkhunīs who were nearby heard her and all came to ask: "Why are you crying out so?" The bhikkhunī recounted the matter from beginning to end.

The bhikkhunīs heard this, and among them those who were of few desires, who were content, who practiced the dhutaṅga practices, who were fond of training in the precepts, and who knew shame, criticized Bhadda Kapilā: "How could a bhikkhunī have a man lance and drain a boil?"

The bhikkhunīs reported the matter to the bhikkhus. The bhikkhus went and reported it to the Blessed One. The Blessed One used this occasion to assemble the Sangha of bhikkhus and reproached Bhadda Kapilā:

"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. How could a bhikkhunī have a man lance and drain a boil?"

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

"This bhikkhunī is a field that cultivates many seeds of the āsravas; she is the first to commit this offense. From now on, I shall lay down a precept for bhikkhunīs, comprising ten principles of meaning, up to and including the phrase 'for the long duration of the true Dharma.'"

The precept to be recited shall be as follows:

Whatever bhikkhunī has a boil on her body, or various kinds of sores, and without reporting to the community or to another person, hastily has a man lance and drain it, or bandage it, commits a pācittiya.

B. ANALYSIS OF THE PRECEPT

Bhikkhunī: the meaning is as above.

Sangha: also as above.

Whatever bhikkhunī has a boil or other sores arise on her body, and without reporting to the community, has a man lance it—each time the knife descends is one pācittiya. If she has it bandaged, each knot of the binding is one pācittiya.

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

Non-offense: if she has first reported to the Sangha and then has a man lance the boil or sores; or if she is seized by force. In all such cases there is no offense.

Those who do not commit an offense: one who commits the act for the first time before the precept has been laid down; one who is insane, of disturbed mind, or afflicted with acute pain and distress.

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, fascicles 1–2)

Buddhist Publication Committee, 2002