Lzh Dg Bi Vb Pc 97Outside Their Own Country

– FOUR-PART VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

RULE 97

A. ORIGIN STORY

At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling in the garden of Anāthapiṇḍika, in the Jeta Grove, at the city of Śrāvastī. At that time, the people on the border regions of King Prasenajit's territory had risen in rebellion. The group of six bhikkhunīs traveled to a place where there was such danger and threat. The bandits saw them and said: "These six bhikkhunīs are all supported by King Prasenajit. Let us harass them." The laypeople who saw this criticized them, saying: "These bhikkhunīs have no sense of shame; they have all violated the pure conduct. Outwardly they claim to practice the true Dharma. What then is proper about their conduct? Why do they travel through the border regions of the human world to a place of danger—they are no different from prostitutes and thieves' women!"

The bhikkhunīs heard about this, and among them were those of few desires and contentment, who practiced the ascetic rules, were fond of training in the precepts, and felt a sense of shame. They reproached the group of six bhikkhunīs: "Why did you travel through the human world to a place of danger?"

The bhikkhunīs went and reported this to the bhikkhus. The bhikkhus reported it to the Buddha. The Buddha, on account of this matter, convened an assembly of bhikkhus and reprimanded the group of six bhikkhunīs:

"What you have done is wrong, improper in conduct, not in accordance with the śramaṇa's Dharma, not pure practice, not proper behavior—it is something that should not be done. Why did you travel through the human world to such a place of danger?" The Blessed One, having reprimanded them by means of countless skillful methods, then said to the bhikkhus:

"These bhikkhunīs are a field for the growth of many defiled seeds; they are the first to transgress this precept. From now on, I shall establish a precept for the bhikkhunīs comprising ten principles, up to and including the phrase 'so that the true Dharma may long endure.'"

The precept should be stated as follows:

Whatever bhikkhunī travels through the human world to a border region where there is danger and threat, commits a pācittiya.

B. ANALYSIS OF THE PRECEPT

Bhikkhunī: as explained above.

Border region: far from cities and towns.

Where there is danger: where there is suspicion of bandits and robbers.

Threat: harassment by bandits and robbers.

Whatever bhikkhunī travels to a border region where there is danger and threat—for each village boundary she passes through, she commits one pācittiya. In a desolate area without villages, for every ten li traveled she commits one pācittiya; for less than one village or less than ten li, she commits a duṣkṛta. If within a village, for each boundary she commits one duṣkṛta.

If she makes the effort to go, or makes an arrangement to go but then does not go, all such cases incur a duṣkṛta.

For a bhikkhu: duṣkṛta. For a śikṣamāṇā, a śrāmaṇera, or a śrāmaṇerikā: duṣkṛta. These are called transgressions.

Non-transgressions: if she is summoned or invited; if there is an urgent matter requiring her presence; if she is taken by force; if she is bound; if there is danger to life; if there is danger to the pure conduct; or if she arrived there first and afterward the danger and threat arose—in all such cases there is no transgression.

Those who do not transgress: the one who first committed the offense before the precept was established; one who is insane, mentally disturbed, or afflicted and overcome by pain.

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

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka Master 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 Committee, 2002