Lzh Dg Bi Vb Pc 173Annoying a Resident Who Arrives Later

– FOUR-PART VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

RULE 173

A. ORIGIN STORY

At one time, the Bhagavān was dwelling in the garden of Anāthapiṇḍika, in the Jeta Grove, at the city of Śrāvastī. At that time, the group of six bhikkhunīs — those who had arrived earlier acting against those who had arrived later, and those who had arrived later acting against those who had arrived earlier — wishing to cause annoyance to the other, would walk in meditation, stand, sit, and lie down in front of them.

The bhikkhunīs heard of this, and among them were those of few desires, who were content, who practiced the austere qualities, who delighted in training in the precepts, who knew shame, and they reproached the group of six bhikkhunīs: "Why do you, whether you arrived earlier or later, walk in meditation, stand, sit, and lie down in front of another bhikkhunī, wishing to cause her annoyance?"

The bhikkhunīs 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 the assembly of bhikkhus and reproached the group of six bhikkhunīs:

"What you have done is wrong, unbecoming, not in accordance with the deportment of a monastic, not in accordance with the Dharma of a śramaṇa, not in keeping with pure conduct, not in accordance with proper behavior — this should not have been done. Why do you, whether you arrived earlier or later, walk in meditation, stand, sit, and lie down in front of another bhikkhunī, wishing to cause her annoyance?"

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

"These bhikkhunīs are fields in which many defiled seeds are sown; they are the first to commit this offense. From this day forward, I shall establish a precept for the bhikkhunīs, comprising ten principles of meaning, up to and including the phrase 'for the long abiding of the true Dharma.'"

The precept should be stated as follows:

Whatever bhikkhunī, whether she who arrived earlier acts against one who arrived later, or one who arrived later acts against one who arrived earlier, wishing to cause annoyance to the other, walks in meditation, stands, sits, or lies down before that person — pācittiya.

The Blessed One thus established this precept for the bhikkhunīs. There was then a certain bhikkhunī who did not know whether the other had arrived earlier or not, or had arrived later or not; she learned of this only afterward, and performed confession for the pācittiya, or was in doubt. The Buddha instructed:

"If she did not know, there is no offense."

From this day forward, the precept should be stated as follows:

Whatever bhikkhunī, knowing that one arrived earlier and another arrived later, or that one arrived later and another arrived earlier, wishing to cause annoyance to that person, then walks in meditation, stands, sits, or lies down before her — pācittiya.

B. ANALYSIS OF THE PRECEPT

Bhikkhunī: the meaning is as above.

Whatever bhikkhunī, knowing that one arrived earlier and another arrived later, or that one arrived later and another arrived earlier, wishing to cause annoyance to that person, walks in meditation, stands, sits, or lies down in front of her — pācittiya.

For a bhikkhu — duṣkṛta. For a śikṣamāṇā, a śrāmaṇera, a śrāmaṇerī — duṣkṛta. This is called committing an offense.

Non-offense: If she did not know beforehand; or if she asks; or if permission is given to walk in meditation; or if she is a senior elder; or if they walk in meditation together as a mutual observance; or if she simply wishes to do walking meditation; or if they are acquainted; or if an acquaintance says: "You may go ahead and walk in meditation — I will speak on your behalf;" or if she falls down due to illness; or if she is seized by force; or if she is bound and tied; or if there is danger to her life; or if there is danger to her pure conduct. 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 established; one who is mentally deranged, of disordered mind, or who acts under the affliction of severe 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, volumes 1–2)

Buddhist Publishing Committee, 2002