Lzh Dg Bi Vb Pc 87Complaining About Others

– FOUR-PART VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

RULE 87

A. ORIGIN STORY

At one time, the Bhagavān was dwelling in the garden of Anāthapiṇḍika, in the Jeta Grove, at Sāvatthī. At that time, the bhikkhunī Tissā Nandā was a disciple of the bhikkhunī Sammā. The teacher instructed her to bring the robe, bowl, sitting mat, and needle case. When the bhikkhunī Tissā heard the teacher's instruction but did not hear it clearly, she then went and told the other bhikkhunīs: "My teacher told me to steal the robe, bowl, sitting mat, and needle case."

At that time, the bhikkhunīs who heard this went and asked the bhikkhunī Sammā: "Did you truly tell your disciple to steal the robe, bowl, sitting mat, and needle case?"

Sammā said:

"Sisters, how could I have had such a thought, to tell my disciple to steal the robe, bowl, sitting mat, and needle case? I only told her to fetch the robe, bowl, sitting mat, and needle case and bring them here — I never told her to steal them!"

At that time, among the bhikkhunīs who heard this, there were those of few desires and contentment, who lived the austere practices, were fond of training in the precepts, had a sense of shame, and they reproached the bhikkhunī Tissā Nandā: "Why did you not hear the teacher's instruction clearly, and yet went and told the bhikkhunīs: 'My teacher told me to steal the robe, bowl, sitting mat, and needle case'?"

At that time, 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 the assembly of bhikkhus and rebuked the bhikkhunī Tissā Nandā:

"You have acted wrongly — this is not proper conduct, not the practice of a renunciant, not pure conduct, not fitting behavior; this is something that should not be done. Why did you, having not heard the teacher's words clearly, go and tell the bhikkhunīs: 'My teacher told me to steal the robe, bowl, sitting mat, and needle case'?"

The Blessed One rebuked the bhikkhunī Tissā Nandā by means of countless skillful methods, and then said to the bhikkhus:

"The bhikkhunī Tissā Nandā is a field that cultivates many defiled seeds; she is the first to transgress this rule. From this day forward, I shall lay down a rule for the bhikkhunīs, comprising ten principles of meaning, up to and including the phrase 'so that the true Dharma may long endure.'"

The rule should be stated thus:

Whatever bhikkhunī, having not heard clearly, goes and speaks to another — pācittiya.

B. ANALYSIS OF THE RULE

Bhikkhunī: as explained above.

Whatever bhikkhunī, having not heard clearly, goes and tells the bhikkhunīs: "My teacher told me to steal the robe, bowl, sitting mat, and needle case" — if spoken clearly, it is a pācittiya offense; if spoken unclearly, it is a dukkaṭa offense.

For a bhikkhu, it is a dukkaṭa. For a sikkhāmānā, a sāmaṇera, or a sāmaṇerī, it is a dukkaṭa. These are called offenses.

Non-offense: if such is actually the case — as when someone says: "Come and steal the robe, bowl, sitting mat, and needle case and bring them here" — and the disciple goes to the bhikkhunīs and says: "My teacher told me to steal the robe, bowl, sitting mat, and needle case and bring them." Or if she speaks in jest, speaks hastily, speaks to herself, speaks in a dream, or intends to say one thing and by mistake says another — in all such cases there is no offense.

Those who do not incur an offense: the first transgressor before the rule was promulgated; one who is insane, mentally deranged, or overwhelmed by 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, volumes 1–21; Vietnamese translation, volumes 1–2)

Buddhist Publication Committee, 2002