Lzh Dg Bi Vb Pc 90Lying on the Same Bed

– DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

RULE 90

A. ORIGIN STORY

At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling in the land of Vāgīdha. At that time, a group of six bhikkhunīs — two of them — were lying together on one bed. Other bhikkhunīs saw them and supposed they were lying together with a man. When the two stood up, the others realized they were not men.

At that time, there was a general — valiant, wise, versed in all arts, and skilled in warfare. Not long after marrying his wife, he received orders to go on a military campaign and thought: "Now I must go on a distant expedition. To whom should I entrust my wife? If I entrust her to a householder's family, there are many men in such households, so that will not do."

The general had previously been acquainted with the bhikkhunī Bhadda Kāpilānī, and so he thought: "I can entrust my wife to the bhikkhunī Kāpilānī before I depart." He thereupon brought his wife there and left her in her care.

The bhikkhunī Kāpilānī accepted the wife who had been entrusted to her. In order to keep watch over her, the two slept together in one bed. Because the bhikkhunī Kāpilānī's body was soft and supple, the woman, upon coming into contact with it, gave rise to a mind of attachment and desire. After the general had completed his campaign and returned, he came to take his wife home. But the wife, owing to her attachment to the soft body of the bhikkhunī, fled from the general and returned to dwell with the nun.

The general then thought: "I intended to do something good, and it has turned out badly. Why does my wife no longer love me, but instead has developed an attachment to the bhikkhunī, fleeing from me to dwell with her?"

The bhikkhunīs heard of this. Among them were those of few desires, who were content, who practiced the dhutaṅga observances, delighted in training in the precepts, had a sense of shame, and who reproached the group of six bhikkhunīs and the bhikkhunī Bhadda Kāpilānī: "How could you — two persons — lie together on one bed?"

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 Saṅgha of bhikkhus and rebuked the group of six bhikkhunīs and the bhikkhunī Kāpilānī:

"What you have done is wrong, not in accordance with proper conduct, not in accordance with the Dharma of renunciants, not in accordance with pure practice, not in accordance with appropriate behavior — you have done what ought not to be done. How could you — two persons — lie together on one bed?"

The Blessed One rebuked the group of six and the bhikkhunī Kāpilānī by means of countless expedient teachings, and then said to the bhikkhus:

"The group of six and the bhikkhunī Kāpilānī are a field that cultivates many tainted seeds; they are the first to commit this offense. From this day forward, I shall lay down a rule for the bhikkhunīs, comprising ten principles of meaning, up to and including the phrase 'for the long endurance of the true Dharma.'"

The rule should be stated as follows:

Whatever bhikkhunī, two persons, lies together on one bed — pācittiya.

The Blessed One laid down the rule for the bhikkhunīs in this way. At that time, some bhikkhunīs, out of doubt, did not dare to lie on one bed together with a sick bhikkhunī, and also did not dare to take turns sitting or lying down in alternation. The Buddha instructed:

"It is permitted to lie on one bed together with a sick person; it is permitted to take turns sitting and take turns lying down."

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

Whatever bhikkhunī, not being ill, lies together with another person on one bed — pācittiya.

B. ANALYSIS OF THE RULE

Bhikkhunī: as explained above.

Bed: there are five kinds, as stated above.

If a bhikkhunī who is not ill lies with another person on one bed, for each contact of her side with the bedding spread upon the bed, she commits a pācittiya in each instance; for each turning of the body, she commits one pācittiya.

For a bhikkhu — a dukkaṭa. For a sikkhāmānā, a sāmaṇera, or a sāmaṇerī — a dukkaṭa. This is called an offense.

Non-offense: lying on one bed together with a sick person; or taking turns sitting and taking turns lying down; or fainting from illness; or being taken by force, or being bound, or when there is danger to life, or danger to the holy life — in all such cases, there is no offense.

Those who do not commit an offense: one who commits such an act for the first time before the rule has been laid down; one who is insane, of deranged mind, or afflicted with 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.

Revised and annotated: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng

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

Buddhist Studies Editorial Committee, 2002