Lzh Dg Bi Vb Pc 157Jewellery

– FOUR-PART VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

RULE 157

A. ORIGIN STORY

At one time, the Bhagavā was dwelling in the garden of Anāthapiṇḍika, in the Jeta Grove, at the city of Śrāvastī. At that time, the group of six bhikkhunīs kept various articles used by women for adorning the body, such as bangles, bracelets, and articles used for the private parts. The laypeople who saw this all reproached them: "These bhikkhunīs have no sense of shame or remorse, and they engage in impure conduct. Outwardly they claim to know the true Dharma. But what kind of true Dharma is this? They keep ornaments and accessories of women such as bangles and bracelets, and articles for the private parts — just like prostitutes and thieves' women!"

The bhikkhunīs heard this, and among them those who were of few desires and contentment, who lived by the ascetic practices, who delighted in training in the precepts, and who possessed a sense of shame and remorse, reproached the group of six bhikkhunīs: "Why do you keep women's ornaments such as bangles and bracelets, and articles for the private parts?"

The bhikkhunīs then reported the matter to the bhikkhus. The bhikkhus went and reported it to the Blessed One. The Blessed One, on account of this matter, convened an assembly of the Bhikkhu Saṅgha and rebuked the group of six bhikkhunīs:

"What you have done is wrong, not in keeping with proper conduct, not in keeping with the practice of a renunciant, not in keeping with pure conduct, not in keeping with proper deportment — this is something that should not be done. How can bhikkhunīs keep women's ornaments such as bangles and bracelets, and articles for the private parts?"

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

"These bhikkhunīs are a field where many seeds of the āsavas are planted; they are the first to commit this offense. From now on, I shall lay down a rule for the bhikkhunīs, comprising ten principles of meaning, up to and including the phrase 'for the long endurance of the true Dharma.'"

The rule should be stated as follows:

Whatever bhikkhunī keeps women's ornaments, [it is] a pācittiya.

The Blessed One laid down the rule for the bhikkhunīs in this way. At that time, bhikkhunīs who encountered danger to life or danger to the holy life were uncertain and did not dare to put on such ornaments in order to flee. The Buddha instructed:

"From now on, if there is danger to life or danger to the holy life, it is permitted to put on ornaments in order to escape."

From now on the rule should be laid down as follows:

Whatever bhikkhunī keeps women's ornaments, [it is] a pācittiya. Except in special circumstances.

B. ANALYSIS OF THE RULE

Bhikkhunī: as defined above.

Whatever bhikkhunī keeps women's ornaments such as bangles, bracelets, and articles used for the private parts — even to the point of using tree bark as hair — all of it is a pācittiya.

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

Non-offense: if one has an illness of some kind, or in case of danger to life or danger to the holy life, one puts them on in order to flee, or one is seized by force. In all such cases there is no offense.

Those who do not commit an offense: the first offender before the rule was established; one who is insane, mentally disturbed, or in extreme pain and distress.

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 fascicles 1–2)

Buddhist Studies Publication Committee, 2002