Lzh Dg Bi Vb Pc 77Disposing Feces on Plants

– DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

Rule 77

A. ORIGIN

At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling in the Anāthapiṇḍika Park, Jeta's Grove, in the country of Śrāvastī. Not far from the nunnery of the bhikkhunīs there was a flourishing patch of lush grass where laypeople would often come to sit and lie down, to play, sing, dance, and entertain themselves, or at times to lament. These sounds disturbed the bhikkhunīs who were sitting in meditation, and the bhikkhunīs became vexed.

After the laypeople had departed, the bhikkhunīs took filthy matter such as urine and feces and poured it over the grass. When the laypeople returned to that place to enjoy themselves, they were soiled on their bodies and clothing by the impure matter, and the patch of grass gradually withered and died. On account of this, the laypeople all complained, saying: "These bhikkhunīs accept things without any sense of shame. Outwardly they proclaim, 'We know the true Dharma.' But what kind of true Dharma is this? The lush patch of grass where we regularly come to sing, dance, and play — they have poured impure matter, excrement and urine, upon it, soiling our bodies and clothing, and the patch of grass has been ruined."

The bhikkhunīs heard of this, and among them were those of few desires, who were content, who practiced the ascetic qualities, who were fond of training in the precepts, and who had a sense of shame. They rebuked those bhikkhunīs: "In the place where laypeople come to enjoy themselves, how could you pour filthy matter — excrement and urine — over the grass, causing their bodies and clothing to be soiled, and causing the grass to wither, dry up, and be destroyed?"

The bhikkhunīs went and 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 Saṅgha of bhikkhus and rebuked those bhikkhunīs:

"What you have done is wrong, is improper conduct, is not in keeping with the practice of a śramaṇa, is not pure conduct, is not behavior in conformity with the Dharma — it is something that should not be done. How could bhikkhunīs pour impure matter such as excrement and urine upon a place where laypeople regularly come to enjoy themselves, causing their bodies and clothing to be soiled?"

After the Blessed One had rebuked those bhikkhunīs by means of countless skillful means, he said to the bhikkhus:

"These bhikkhunīs are a ground for cultivating many defiled seeds; 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 clause on the long abiding of the true Dharma."

The precept should be stated as follows:

Whatever bhikkhunī defecates or urinates on living grass, [it is] a pācittiya.

B. ANALYSIS OF THE PRECEPT

Bhikkhunī: as explained above.

If a bhikkhunī defecates or urinates on fresh green grass, she commits a 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 one is afflicted with some illness; or if one defecates or urinates in a place without grass and the water flows to a place where there is grass; or if the wind carries it, or a bird carries it in its mouth and drops it on the grass — 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 promulgated; one who is deranged, of disturbed mind, or in severe 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.

Revision and annotation: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng

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

Buddhist Publication Committee, 2002