Lzh Dg Bi Vb Pc 98Within Their Own Country

– DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

RULE 98

A. ORIGIN STORY

At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling in the Anāthapiṇḍika's Park, Jeta's Grove, at Sāvatthī. At that time, the people within the territory of King Pasenadi rose up in rebellion. At that time, within the territory where that rebellion was occurring, there was fear and danger, yet the group of six bhikkhunīs continued to travel about. The bandits saw them and said: "These six bhikkhunīs are all supported and provided for by King Pasenadi. We should harass them."

The laypeople who saw this were critical, saying: "These bhikkhunīs have no shame; they have all violated the holy life. Outwardly they declare, 'We practice the true Dharma.' But what kind of true Dharma is this? How can they travel to a place of danger, within the territory, just like female thieves and prostitutes—there is no difference!"

The bhikkhunīs who heard this, among whom were those of few wishes and contentment, who lived the austere practices, who delighted in training in the precepts, and who had a sense of shame, reproached the group of six bhikkhunīs: "How could you travel through the human realm in a place of danger?"

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 matter, assembled the Sangha of bhikkhus and rebuked the group of six bhikkhunīs:

"What you have done is wrong, not in keeping with proper conduct, not in keeping with the practice of a recluse, not in keeping with pure conduct, not in keeping with proper behavior—this is something that should not be done. How could you travel through the human realm within the territory in a place of danger?"

After rebuking them with numerous expedient means, the Blessed One said to the bhikkhus:

"This group of six bhikkhunīs is a field that gives rise to many defiled tendencies; they are the first to commit this offense. From this day forward, I shall lay down a precept for the bhikkhunīs for ten reasons, up to the phrase 'for the long abiding of the true Dharma.'"

The precept should be stated thus:

Whatever bhikkhunī travels in a place of terror within the territory—pācittiya.

B. ANALYSIS OF THE PRECEPT

Bhikkhunī: as explained above.

Within the territory: surrounded on four sides by a city wall.

Place of doubt: where there is suspicion of bandits and robbers.

Place of terror: a place where there are bandits and robbers.

Whatever bhikkhunī travels through the human realm in a place of doubt and terror within the territory—for each time she enters a village, for each boundary she crosses, she incurs one pācittiya. Traveling in an uninhabited area without a village, for every ten li she incurs one pācittiya. For less than one village or less than ten li, she incurs a dukkaṭa. Traveling within a village, for each boundary she crosses, she incurs one dukkaṭa.

If she makes preparations to go but does not go, if she makes an appointment to go but does not go, all such cases incur a dukkaṭa.

A bhikkhu: dukkaṭa. A sikkhāmānā, a sāmaṇera, a sāmaṇerī: dukkaṭa. These are called offenses.

Non-offense: if there is a matter requiring it to be reported; or if she is summoned or invited; or if she is taken by force or bound; or if there is danger to life or danger to the holy life; or if she arrived there first and the doubt and terror arose afterward—in all such cases there is no offense.

Those who do not commit an offense: one who commits it for the first time before the precept has been laid down; one who is insane, one of deranged mind, one in 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 by: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng.

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

Buddhist Studies Editorial Committee, 2002.