Lzh Dg Bi Vb Ss 7Walking Alone to the Next Village

– FOUR-PART VINAYA

– SAṄGHĀDISESA

7. WALKING ALONE

A. ORIGIN

1. At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling in the Anāthapiṇḍika Garden, Jeta's Grove, in the country of Sāvatthī. At that time, a bhikkhunī, alone, lifted her robe high and waded across a river from one bank to the other. This bhikkhunī was of beautiful appearance.

At that time, a bandit had been watching; when the bhikkhunī had finished wading across the river, he seized her and molested her. The laypeople saw this and criticized her together, saying: "This bhikkhunī has no sense of shame or remorse; she practices impure conduct. She claims to herself that she knows the true Dharma. Alone, she lifted her robe high and waded through the river—no different from a licentious woman. Where is the true Dharma in that?"

2. At that time, the bhikkhunī Kṣemā had many disciples. Not far from the monastery there was a familiar village. On account of some need, she left her companions and went alone into the village. The laypeople saw this and said to one another: "This bhikkhunī Kṣemā is going into the village alone—she must be seeking men."

3. That bhikkhunī stayed overnight alone in the village and did not return. The laypeople again said: "The reason the bhikkhunī stays alone in the village overnight is precisely because she desires men."

4. At that time, a group of six bhikkhunīs and Sthūlanandā, along with a great number of bhikkhunīs, were on the road between Kosala and the wilderness. The group of six bhikkhunīs and the bhikkhunī Sthūlanandā habitually walked alone at the very rear. The other bhikkhunīs, seeing this, said:

"Sisters, why do you not walk together with us, but keep walking behind?" The group of six replied:

"You go your own way. What business is it of yours to interfere with us?"

The community of bhikkhunīs then said:

"Have you not heard that the Buddha has laid down the rule that one should travel together with companions?"

The group of six bhikkhunīs and Sthūlanandā replied:

"Do you not know who we are?"

The bhikkhunīs said:

"We do not."

Sthūlanandā said:

"The reason we walk at the rear is because we want to meet men."

When the bhikkhunīs heard this, among them those who were of few desires and contentment, who lived the ascetic practices, who delighted in training in the precepts, who were possessed of shame and remorse, reproached those bhikkhunīs, saying: "How could bhikkhunīs lift their robes high and wade across a river alone? Enter a village alone? Stay overnight alone? Walk with companions yet fall behind alone?"

The bhikkhunīs reported this to the bhikkhus. The bhikkhus went and reported it to the Blessed One. The Blessed One, on account of this matter, assembled the community of bhikkhus and, using countless skillful means, reproached those bhikkhunīs, saying:

"What you have done is wrong—it is not proper conduct, not the practice of a renunciant, not pure behavior, not befitting conduct; you have done what ought not be done. How could bhikkhunīs lift their robes high and wade across a river alone? Enter a village alone? Stay overnight alone? Walk with companions yet fall behind alone?"

Having reproached those bhikkhunīs with countless skillful means, the Blessed One said to the bhikkhus:

"These bhikkhunīs are a field in which many seeds of the āsavas are sown; they are the first offenders of this precept. From this day forward, I shall lay down the precept for bhikkhunīs, encompassing ten meanings, up to and including the phrase 'so that the true Dharma may long endure.'"

The precept should be stated thus:

Whatever bhikkhunī wades through water alone, enters a village alone, stays overnight alone, or walks behind alone—a bhikkhunī who violates this rule for the first time commits a saṅghādisesa and must be subject to mānatta.

B. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PRECEPT

Bhikkhunī: the meaning is as above.

Water: river water—one must not wade through it alone.

1. That bhikkhunī should find another bhikkhunī to wade through together. The bhikkhunī should slowly lift her robe upon entering the water and wait for her companion. If a bhikkhunī goes ahead and hastily enters the water so that her companion cannot keep up—saṅghādisesa. When descending into the water, she should lift her robe according to the depth of the water and wait for her companion following behind. If she hastily enters the water without waiting for her companion following behind—a thullaccaya offense. Having reached the other bank, she should slowly let her robe down and wait for her companion following behind; if she goes hastily, does not slowly let her robe down, and upon ascending the bank does not wait for her companion following behind—a thullaccaya offense.

2. That bhikkhunī should find another bhikkhunī to enter the village together. If a bhikkhunī enters a village alone, she commits a saṅghādisesa for each place she arrives at. If she crosses an open plain alone, beyond the distance at which a single drumbeat cannot be heard—saṅghādisesa. If alone she has not yet reached the village—thullaccaya. If within the range where a drumbeat cannot be heard—thullaccaya. If she enters a village alone within the same boundary—a duṣkṛta offense. If she seeks a means to go but does not go; or if she arranges a companion to go but does not go—in all such cases, a duṣkṛta offense.

3. When bhikkhunīs sleep together, they should lie within the reach of each other's outstretched hands. If that bhikkhunī sleeps alone—at the moment her side touches the ground, saṅghādisesa. Each time she turns from side to side—saṅghādisesa. When bhikkhunīs staying together in a village lie down to sleep, they must lie within reach of each other's outstretched hands. If their outstretched hands do not touch, each time she turns from side to side—one saṅghādisesa.

4. When bhikkhunīs travel together on the same road, they must not be separated beyond the range of seeing and hearing one another. If a bhikkhunī walking on the same road goes beyond the range of hearing and seeing her companion—saṅghādisesa. If beyond the range of seeing but not beyond the range of hearing—thullaccaya. If beyond the range of hearing but not beyond the range of seeing—thullaccaya.

For a bhikkhu—duṣkṛta. For a śikṣamāṇā, a sāmaṇera, or a sāmaṇerī—duṣkṛta. These are called offenses.

Non-offenses:

1. Two bhikkhunīs wade through water together; when descending into the water, according to the depth, they slowly lift their robes and wait for the companion following behind; upon entering the water they do not walk quickly but wait for their companion; upon ascending the bank they slowly let down their robes and wait for their companion; or they cross by means of supernormal power, by vehicle, by boat, or by bridge. Or if the bhikkhunī companion dies, disrobes, falls behind, is taken away by bandits, faces a threat to life, a threat to the brahmacariyā, a threat from dangerous animals, is seized by force, bound and led away, or is swept away by the current—in all such cases, there is no offense.

2. If two bhikkhunīs enter a village, and while inside the village one of the companion bhikkhunīs dies, or disrobes, or goes far away, or is taken away by bandits, up to and including being swept away by the current, as above—there is no offense.

3. If two bhikkhunīs sleep overnight together, within reach of each other's outstretched hands; or if one bhikkhunī goes outside to relieve herself, or receives or recites the scriptures; or because she enjoys solitary walking meditation; or because a bhikkhunī is ill and she is cooking broth, porridge, or rice; or if the companion dies, disrobes, goes far away, is taken away by bandits, up to and including being swept away by the current, as above—there is no offense.

4. Two bhikkhunīs walking together who are not separated beyond the range of seeing and hearing—no offense; or if one bhikkhunī goes outside to relieve herself, or dies, disrobes, or is seized and led away by bandits, up to and including being swept away by the current, as above—there is no offense.

Those who do not incur an offense: those who offend for the first time before the rule was established; those who are insane, of deranged mind, or afflicted and overwhelmed 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.

Edited and annotated: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng

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

Buddhist Studies Editorial Committee 2002