Lzh Dg Bi Vb Ss 12Difficult to Correct

– DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA

– SANGHAVASESA

12. Difficult to Correct

At one time, the Buddha was staying in the Anāthapiṇḍika's Park, Jeta's Grove, in the land of Śrāvastī. At that time, the Blessed One, on account of this matter, assembled the community of bhikkhus and addressed them:

"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 abiding of the true Dharma.'"

The rule should be stated thus:

If any bhikkhunī, dwelling in dependence upon a village or a town, defiles households and is of bad conduct — the defilement of households is seen and heard by all, the bad conduct is seen and heard by all — then a bhikkhunī should admonish that bhikkhunī as follows: 'Sister, you are defiling households and are of bad conduct; the defilement of households is seen and heard by all, the bad conduct is seen and heard by all. Sister, you are defiling households and are of bad conduct; you should now depart from this village and should no longer remain here.'

That bhikkhunī then says to the other bhikkhunīs: 'Sisters, the bhikkhunīs act with partiality, with enmity, with fear, and with lack of discernment. For among those bhikkhunīs guilty of the same offense, some are expelled and some are not.'

The bhikkhunīs should reply to that bhikkhunī: 'Sister, do not say: "The bhikkhunīs act with partiality, with enmity, with fear, and with lack of discernment; for among those bhikkhunīs guilty of the same offense, some are expelled and some are not." Why so? The bhikkhunīs do not act with partiality, do not act with enmity, do not act with fear, and do not act with lack of discernment. Among bhikkhunīs guilty of the same offense, there is no one who is expelled and no one who is not expelled;

rather, it is because, Sister, you are the one who defiles households and is of bad conduct, and the defilement of households is seen and heard by all.' If the bhikkhunīs admonish her and that bhikkhunī stubbornly refuses to desist, the bhikkhunīs should admonish her three times so that she will abandon this matter.

Up to three times of admonition — if she desists, that is good; if she does not desist, that bhikkhunī commits three saṅghādisesa offenses requiring relinquishment with knowledge.

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

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka masters Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian.

Edited and annotated by: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng

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

Buddhist Studies Editorial Board, 2002