Lzh Dg Bi Vb Pc 99Socializing

– DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

RULE 99

A. ORIGIN STORY

At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling in the Anāthapiṇḍika's park, Jeta's Grove, in the country of Śrāvastī. At that time, a certain bhikkhunī was associating and living together with a householder and the householder's son, conducting herself in an unsuitable manner. Other bhikkhunīs admonished her: "Sister, you should not associate with a householder and the householder's son, conducting yourself in an unsuitable manner. You should live separately. If you live separately, there will be growth and peaceful abiding within the Buddha-Dharma." But she stubbornly refused to live separately.

Those bhikkhunīs who heard of this, among whom were those of few desires and contentment, who practiced the ascetic practices, who delighted in training in the precepts, who knew shame and remorse, criticized that bhikkhunī: "Why do you associate and live together with a householder and the householder's son, conducting yourself in an unsuitable manner?"

The bhikkhunīs went and reported this to the bhikkhus. The bhikkhus went and reported it to the Buddha. The Buddha, on account of this matter, assembled the Sangha of bhikkhus and rebuked that bhikkhunī:

"What you have done is wrong, unbecoming of a monastic, contrary to the Dharma of a śramaṇa, contrary to pure conduct, contrary to suitable behavior—this is something that should not be done. Why do you associate and live together with a householder and the householder's son, conducting yourself in an unsuitable manner?"

Having rebuked her, the Buddha said to the bhikkhus:

From this day forward, I permit the Sangha to carry out a formal act of censure against that bhikkhunī to make her abandon this matter, by means of a motion-with-three-announcements (羯磨, karmavācanā). The censure is to be carried out as follows to make her abandon this matter: Within the assembly, one who is capable of performing the formal act should be appointed, and in accordance with the matter, the motion should be announced as follows:

"Venerable Sisters of the Sangha, please listen! The bhikkhunī named … has been associating and living together with a householder and the householder's son, conducting herself in an unsuitable manner. Other bhikkhunīs admonished her, saying: 'Do not associate with a householder and the householder's son, conducting yourself in an unsuitable manner.

Live separately. If you live separately, there will be growth and peaceful abiding within the Buddha-Dharma.' But that bhikkhunī still, as before, does not live separately. If it is agreeable to the Sangha, the Sangha now confers upon that bhikkhunī the formal act of censure to make her abandon this matter, saying: 'Do not associate with a householder and the householder's son, conducting yourself in an unsuitable manner.

Live separately. If you live separately, there will be growth and peaceful abiding within the Buddha-Dharma.' This is the motion.

"Venerable Sisters of the Sangha, please listen! This bhikkhunī named … has been associating and living together with a householder and the householder's son, conducting herself in an unsuitable manner. Other bhikkhunīs admonished her, saying: 'Do not associate with a householder and the householder's son, conducting yourself in an unsuitable manner.

Live separately. If you live separately, there will be growth and peaceful abiding within the Buddha-Dharma.' But that bhikkhunī has stubbornly refused to change. Now the Sangha confers upon the bhikkhunī named … the formal act of censure to make her abandon this matter, saying: 'Do not associate with a householder and the householder's son, conducting yourself in an unsuitable manner.

Live separately. If you live separately, there will be growth and peaceful abiding within the Buddha-Dharma.' Those venerable sisters who consent to the Sangha conferring upon the bhikkhunī named … the formal act of censure to make her abandon this matter, please remain silent. Those who do not consent, please speak." (The second and third times are said in the same way.)

"The Sangha has consented to conferring upon the bhikkhunī named … the formal act of censure to make her abandon this matter. The Sangha consents and therefore is silent. This matter is thus recorded."

The censure should be carried out in this way.

After the Sangha carried out the formal act of censure against that bhikkhunī by means of a motion-with-three-announcements to make her abandon this matter, the bhikkhunīs went and reported it to the bhikkhus. The bhikkhus went and reported it to the Buddha. The Buddha said to the bhikkhus:

"If there are bhikkhunīs like this, the Sangha shall likewise carry out the formal act of a motion-with-three-announcements to make them abandon this matter. From this day forward, I lay down this 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 associates and lives together with a householder and the householder's son, conducting herself in an unsuitable manner—another bhikkhunī should admonish that bhikkhunī, saying: 'Do not associate with a householder and the householder's son, conducting yourself in an unsuitable manner. Live separately. If you live separately, there will be growth and peaceful abiding within the Buddha-Dharma.' When that bhikkhunī is admonished, if this bhikkhunī still stubbornly refuses to abandon this, that bhikkhunī should admonish her three times to make her abandon this matter. Up to and including the third admonition—if she abandons it, that is good; if she does not abandon it, it is a pācittiya.

B. ANALYSIS OF THE PRECEPT

Bhikkhunī: as explained above.

Associating: frequently conversing, frequently joking, frequently engaging in playful interaction with one another.

Householder's son: the son of one who has not gone forth.

When that bhikkhunī associates and lives together with a householder and the householder's son, conducting herself in an unsuitable manner, a bhikkhunī should admonish that bhikkhunī: "Do not associate with a householder and the householder's son, conducting yourself in an unsuitable manner. Live separately. If you live separately, there will be growth and peaceful abiding within the Buddha-Dharma. You should now abandon this matter; do not let the Sangha have to censure you and thereby incur a grave offense."

If she heeds this, that is good. If not, the motion should be announced. After the motion is announced, one should say: "Sister, I have completed the motion; there are still the formal announcements to follow." The sister should abandon this matter; do not let the Sangha have to censure you and thereby incur a grave offense.

If she heeds this, that is good. If not, the first announcement of the formal act should be made. After the first announcement is made, one should say: "Sister, I have completed the motion and the first announcement; there are still two more formal announcements to follow. You should abandon this matter; do not let the Sangha have to censure you and thereby incur a grave offense."

If she heeds this, that is good. If not, the second announcement should be made. After the second announcement is made, one should say: "I have completed the second announcement; there is still one more formal announcement to follow. You should abandon this matter; do not let the Sangha have to censure you and thereby incur a grave offense."

If she heeds this, that is good. If not, after the third announcement is completed, she incurs a pācittiya. If she abandons it only after the second announcement is completed, she incurs three offenses of duṣkṛta. If she abandons it only after the first announcement, she incurs two offenses of duṣkṛta. After the motion is completed, she incurs one offense of duṣkṛta. Before the motion is completed, before the motion has been announced, associating with a householder and the householder's son, conducting herself in an unsuitable manner—all such instances incur duṣkṛta.

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

Non-offense: if she abandons it at the very first word of admonition; if the censure is carried out by an irregular separate assembly, an irregular harmonious assembly, a regular separate assembly, a quasi-regular separate assembly, a quasi-regular harmonious assembly—what is not Dharma, not Vinaya, not taught by the Buddha; or if no formal act of censure is carried out at all. All such cases are without offense.

Those without offense: one who commits an offense for the first time before the precept has been laid down; one who is insane, of deranged mind, or one who is afflicted and overwhelmed by pain.

Vietnamese translation: Bhikkhu Thích Đỗng Minh and Thích Đức Thắng. DHARMAGUPTAKA 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, volumes 1 and 2)

Buddhist Studies Editorial Committee, 2002.