Lzh Dg Bi Vb Ss 6Reinstating One Ejected

– FOUR-PART VINAYA

– SAṄGHĀDISESA

6. REINSTATING ONE EJECTED ON ONE'S OWN AUTHORITY

A. ORIGIN

At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling in the Anāthapiṇḍika Park, the Jeta Grove, in the country of Sāvatthī. At that time, the bhikkhunī Uttarā had been formally suspended by the Saṅgha in accordance with the Dharma, in accordance with the Vinaya, in accordance with the Buddha's teaching, yet she had not complied, and though she had an offense, she had not confessed it; the Saṅgha had not yet performed the act for readmission to communal living. Nevertheless, the bhikkhunī Thullanandā, without informing the bhikkhunī Saṅgha and without being appointed by the bhikkhunī Saṅgha, hastily went outside the boundary on her own authority and performed a formal act of reinstatement for Uttarā.

The bhikkhunīs heard of this, and among them those who were of few desires, who were content, who lived the ascetic practices, who loved the training, and who felt a sense of shame, rebuked the bhikkhunī Thullanandā, saying: "Why, when the bhikkhunī Saṅgha had suspended the bhikkhunī Uttarā in accordance with the Dharma, in accordance with the Vinaya, in accordance with the Buddha's teaching, and she had not complied, and having an offense had not confessed it, and the Saṅgha had not yet performed the act for communal living, and the bhikkhunī Saṅgha had not appointed you—why did you hastily go outside the boundary on your own authority and reinstate her?"

The bhikkhunīs reported the matter to the bhikkhus. The bhikkhus went and reported it to the Blessed One. The Blessed One, on account of this, assembled the bhikkhus and rebuked Thullanandā:

"What you have done is wrong, unbecoming, not the conduct of a renunciant, not a pure practice, not proper behavior, something that should not have been done. Thullanandā, why, when the bhikkhunī Saṅgha had suspended the bhikkhunī Uttarā in accordance with the Dharma, in accordance with the Vinaya, in accordance with the Buddha's teaching, and she had not complied, and having an offense had not confessed it, and the Saṅgha had not yet performed the act permitting communal living, and the bhikkhunī Saṅgha had not appointed you—why did you hastily go outside the boundary on your own authority and perform a formal act of reinstatement for her?"

The Blessed One said to the bhikkhus:

"Thullanandā is a source from which many defiled seeds arise; she is the first to commit this offense. From this time forward, I shall lay down a rule for bhikkhunīs, comprising ten bases 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, knowing that another bhikkhunī has been suspended by the Saṅgha in accordance with the Dharma, in accordance with the Vinaya, in accordance with the Buddha's teaching, and that she has not complied, has not yet confessed her offense, and the Saṅgha has not yet performed the formal act permitting her to live together—out of affection for her, without asking the Saṅgha and without being appointed by the Saṅgha, goes outside the boundary and performs a formal act of reinstatement: a bhikkhunī who commits this offense for the first time incurs a saṅghādisesa and must be put aside from knowledge.

B. THE NATURE OF THE OFFENSE

Bhikkhunī: the meaning is as above.

Saṅgha: the meaning is also as above.

Suspension: the Saṅgha performs a formal motion-and-three-proclamations act of suspension.

In accordance with the Dharma: in accordance with the Dharma, in accordance with the Vinaya, in accordance with the Buddha's teaching.

Does not comply: does not follow and carry out the disciplinary procedure established by the Buddha.

Has not confessed: having an offense, has not come before another person to express remorse.

Has not yet had the act performed permitting communal living: has been suspended by the Saṅgha and has not yet been reinstated.

Out of affection, without asking the Saṅgha and without being appointed by the Saṅgha, going outside the boundary and performing a formal act of reinstatement: upon completion of the three formal proclamations, saṅghādisesa; upon completion of the motion-and-two-proclamations, three thullaccaya offenses; upon completion of the motion-and-one-proclamation, two thullaccaya offenses; upon completion of the motion alone, one thullaccaya offense; if the motion is not yet completed, a dukkaṭa offense; before the motion has been stated, upon assembling the community, and with the full assembly present, all incur dukkaṭa offenses.

A bhikkhus incurs a dukkaṭa. A sikkhamānā, a sāmaṇera, and a sāmaṇerī each incur a dukkaṭa. This is called committing an offense.

Non-offense: if one has informed the Saṅgha, or has been appointed by the Saṅgha; or if the offending party, with a humbled mind, confesses the original offense. Or if the Saṅgha, out of anger, refuses to reinstate that person, then reinstating her is not an offense. Or if the Saṅgha had previously performed the formal act, and that Saṅgha subsequently moved away, or died, or went far away, or ceased training, or was captured and taken away by bandits, or was swept away by floodwaters—then reinstating her in such circumstances is not an offense.

Those who do not commit an offense: one who commits the first offense before the rule has been laid down; one who is insane, of deranged mind, or afflicted and overcome by pain.

Vietnamese translation: Bhikkhu Thích Đỗng Minh and Thích Đức Thắng. FOUR-PART 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 1–2)

Buddhist Studies Publication Committee, 2002