Lzh Dg Bi Vb Pc 86The Dark of the Night

– FOUR-PART VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

RULE 86

A. ORIGIN STORY

At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling in the park of Anāthapiṇḍika, in the Jeta Grove, in the country of Śrāvastī. At that time, a group of six bhikkhunīs entered a dark room together with a man. Householders who saw this were displeased and said: "These bhikkhunīs have no sense of shame or remorse; they engage in impure conduct. Outwardly they declare, 'We know the true Dharma.' What Dharma is there in this? Why do these bhikkhunīs enter a dark room together with a man — no different from prostitutes or women of ill repute!"

The bhikkhunīs heard of this, and among them those who were of few desires, who knew contentment, who practiced the austere dhūta qualities, who delighted in training in the precepts, and who had a sense of shame, rebuked the group of six bhikkhunīs: "Why did you enter a dark room together with a man?"

The bhikkhunīs came and reported the matter to the bhikkhus. The bhikkhus came and reported it to the Blessed One. The Blessed One, on account of this cause and condition, assembled the Saṅgha of bhikkhus and rebuked the group of six bhikkhunīs:

"What you have done is wrong — it is not proper conduct, not the behavior of a samaṇa, not pure conduct, not befitting comportment; it is something that should not be done. Group of six bhikkhunīs, why did you enter a dark room together with a man?"

The Blessed One, having rebuked the group of six bhikkhunīs by means of countless skillful means, then said to the bhikkhus:

"This group of six bhikkhunīs is a field that produces many seeds of the āsavas; they are the first to commit this offense. From this day forward, I will establish the precept for the bhikkhunīs, encompassing ten principles of meaning, up to and including the phrase 'so that the true Dharma may long endure.'"

The precept should be recited as follows:

Whatever bhikkhunī enters a dark room together with a man — a pācittiya.

B. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE OFFENSE

Bhikkhunī: as explained above.

Dark: where there is no lamp or fire, no windows in the walls, and no light.

If a bhikkhunī enters a dark room together with a man — a pācittiya.

For a bhikkhu, a duṣkṛta. For a śikṣamāṇā, a śrāmaṇera, or a śrāmaṇerī, a duṣkṛta. These are called offenses.

Non-offense: if there is a lamp or fire, if there are windows in the walls, or if there is light; or if one is taken inside by force; or if there is danger to one's life or danger to one's brahmacarya — 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 mad, of disturbed mind, or afflicted with pain and overwhelmed by it.

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 Publications Committee, 2002