Lzh Dg Bi Vb Pc 162Leaving Monastery Towards Sunset

– FOUR-PART VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

RULE 162

A. ORIGIN

At one time, the Bhagavān was staying in the garden of Anāthapiṇḍika, in the Jeta Grove, in the country of Śrāvastī. At that time, one among the group of six bhikkhunīs, at dusk, opened the door of the saṅghārāma and departed without informing anyone. A thief, upon seeing this, thought: "I shall seize the valuables of this monastery." Having thought thus, they entered through the door and plundered all the valuables. The bhikkhunīs then asked one another:

"At dusk, who opened the door and left without informing anyone?" It was then discovered that one among the group of six bhikkhunīs had opened the door and gone out.

Among the bhikkhunīs who heard of this, those who were of few desires and contentment, who lived the ascetic practices, who delighted in training in the precepts, who knew shame and remorse, reproved the group of six bhikkhunīs: "At dusk, why did you open the door and leave without informing anyone at all?"

The bhikkhunīs then reported the matter to the bhikkhus. The bhikkhus went and informed the Blessed One. The Blessed One, on account of this incident, assembled the Saṅgha of bhikkhus and reproached the group of six bhikkhunīs:

"What you have done is wrong, not in accordance with proper conduct, not in accordance with the Dharma of a śramaṇa, not in accordance with pure practice, not in accordance with proper behavior—this is something that should not be done. Why did the bhikkhunīs open the door and leave at dusk without informing anyone?"

Having reproached them with numerous means, the Buddha said to the bhikkhus:

"This bhikkhunī is a field that produces many seeds of defilement, and is the first to commit this offense. From this day forward, I shall lay down a precept for the bhikkhunīs, comprising ten principles of meaning, up to and including the phrase 'so that the true Dharma may long endure.'"

The precept should be proclaimed as follows:

Whatever bhikkhunī opens the door of a saṅghārāma and goes out at dusk—pācittiya.

The Blessed One having thus laid down the precept for the bhikkhunīs, those bhikkhunīs who had matters pertaining to the Buddha, the Dharma, or the Saṅgha, or who were caring for the sick, were uncertain and did not dare open the door and leave. The Buddha instructed:

"From now on, it is permitted to make a formal delegation."

From now on, the precept is to be recited as follows:

Whatever bhikkhunī opens the door of a saṅghārāma and goes out at dusk without instructing the other bhikkhunīs—pācittiya.

B. ANALYSIS OF THE PRECEPT

Bhikkhunī: as explained above.

Whatever bhikkhunī opens the door of a saṅghārāma and goes out at dusk without giving instructions—pācittiya. If one foot is inside and one foot is outside, or if one intends to leave but does not leave, or if one makes an arrangement but does not go—all such cases are duṣkṛta.

For a bhikkhu—duṣkṛta. For a śikṣamāṇā, a śrāmaṇera, a śrāmaṇerī—duṣkṛta. These are called transgressions.

Non-transgression: if it is for a matter pertaining to the Buddha, the Dharma, or the Saṅgha, or for caring for the sick, and one gives instructions before departing; or if the saṅghārāma is being destroyed; or if there is a venomous snake, bandits, wild beasts; or if one is taken away by force; or if one is bound and led away; or if there is danger to one's life or to one's pure practice, and one departs without giving instructions—none of these constitute a transgression.

Those who are free from transgression: one who commits the act for the first time before the precept has been laid down; one who is mad, of disturbed mind, or tormented by 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 Publication Committee, 2002