Lzh Dg Bi Vb Pc 82Dismissing a Companion

– FOUR-PART VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

RULE 82

A. ORIGIN

At one time, the Bhagavān was dwelling in the Anāthapiṇḍika garden, Jeta's Grove, in the country of Śrāvastī. At that time, the group of six bhikkhunīs, in an alleyway within a village, in a secluded place, stood speaking with a man, or dismissed their companion to go far away, so as to stand alone with the man and speak in whispers. Laypeople who saw this criticized them, saying: "These bhikkhunīs have no sense of shame or remorse; they violate the holy life while outwardly claiming to know the true Dharma.

What sort of Dharma is this? How can bhikkhunīs stand and converse with a man in an alleyway in a secluded place within a village, or dismiss their companion to go far away so as to stand alone with a man and speak in whispers? They are no different from prostitutes or women of ill repute!"

The bhikkhunīs heard of this, and among them those who were of few desires, who were content, who practiced the austere dhūta qualities, who were fond of training in the precepts, and who had a sense of shame and remorse, rebuked the group of six bhikkhunīs: "Why do you speak in whispers with a man in an alleyway, in a secluded place, within a village?"

The bhikkhunīs then went and reported this to the bhikkhus. The bhikkhus went and reported it to the Blessed One. The Blessed One used this as an occasion to assemble the Sangha of bhikkhus and rebuked the group of six bhikkhunīs:

"What you have done is wrong, unbefitting, unworthy of a recluse, not in accord with pure conduct, not a proper action, and something that should not be done. How could bhikkhunīs speak in whispers with a man in an alleyway, in a secluded place, within a village?"

The Blessed One rebuked the group of six bhikkhunīs with countless skillful means, and then addressed the bhikkhus:

"This group of six bhikkhunīs is a ground in which many defiled seeds are planted; they are the first to commit this offense. From now on, I shall lay down a rule for the bhikkhunīs, based on ten principles, up to the principle of causing the true Dharma to endure long."

To set forth the rule, it should be stated thus:

Whatever bhikkhunī, upon entering an alleyway within a village, dismisses her companion to go far away, and in a concealed and secluded place stands and speaks in whispers with a man — pācittiya.

B. ANALYSIS OF THE RULE

Bhikkhunī: as explained above.

Village: a place where the homes of laypeople are found.

Alleyway in a concealed and secluded place: concealed with respect to sight and concealed with respect to hearing.

—Concealed with respect to sight: on account of smoke, clouds, mist, dust, or darkness, such that one cannot be seen.

—Concealed with respect to hearing: at a distance at which ordinary speech cannot be heard.

Speaking in whispers: bringing one's mouth close to the ear of another to speak.

If a bhikkhunī enters an alleyway within a village, dismisses her companion to a place where she cannot be seen and cannot be heard, and in that secluded place stands with a man and speaks softly with him — pācittiya. If she goes to a place where she cannot be seen yet can be heard, the offense is a dukkaṭa. If she goes to a place where she cannot be heard yet can be seen, the offense is likewise a dukkaṭa.

For a bhikkhu — dukkaṭa. For a śikṣamāṇā, a sāmaṇera, or a sāmaṇerī — dukkaṭa. These are called offenses.

Non-offense: if there are two bhikkhunīs serving as companions; or if there is a familiar woman serving as a companion; or if there is another person serving as a companion; or if the companion is neither blind nor deaf; or if one fainted from illness; or if one was seized by force; or if one was bound and led away; or if there is a danger to one's life or a danger to the holy life; or if there is a matter that requires dismissing the companion to a distance; or if the companion is ill; or if, because the companion lacks propriety, one must say: "Please go elsewhere; I will bring food to you"; or if the companion has broken the precepts, broken right view, or broken proper conduct; or if one has been found guilty, expelled, or is deserving of expulsion;

or if by reason of this a danger to one's life or a danger to the holy life would arise — in all these cases there is no offense.

Those who do not commit an offense: one who commits it for the first time before the rule has been laid down; one who is insane, of a distracted mind, or afflicted and overwhelmed by pain.

Vietnamese translation: Bhikkhu Thích Đỗng Minh and Thích Đức Thắng. FOUR-PART VINAYA, PART ONE

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian.

Revised and annotated by: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng

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

Buddhist Studies Editorial Board, 2002