Lzh Dg Bu Pm 2 Sk 47Soiling

Source Status

This item is provided with descriptive information: the number “Lzh Dg Bu Pm 2 Sk 47,” the tradition “Sectarian Canons · Parallel,” the collection “Parallel Vinaya — Chinese,” the Vietnamese title “Làm Dơ Bẩn,” the English title “Soiling,” and the Pali title “Sāmisa.” The old Vietnamese body text was truncated, leaving only the final passage, which speaks of “sāmisa objects,” not keeping things in storage out of greed, regarding objects as tools serving practice, and the principle of repairing torn objects within the limits of necessity.

There is no full source text in the data, so the exact content of the rule, the kind of object discussed, the circumstances of promulgation, or how the term “sāmisa” is used in the original cannot be confirmed. This version is an AI interpretation based on the given data, not a verbatim translation.

Context

In the life of renunciation, minimal requisites such as robes, implements, food, or items serving daily needs are usually placed under the spirit of contentment. A practitioner may need objects to protect the body, maintain health, and continue on the path; but if the mind relies on objects as private belongings, as property to be accumulated, those objects become conditions for bondage. The remaining ending shows that the text was being interpreted in this direction: things are not for adorning the self, nor for keeping as private possessions, but are means within a life organized around precepts, concentration, and wisdom.

The title “Soiling” suggests an act that makes an object or space unclean, improper in deportment, or no longer suitable for a pure purpose. However, because the data does not provide the specific wording of the rule, one should not assert what object is soiled. Nor should one infer that the rule speaks only about cloth, robes, food, or a particular kind of implement, even though the ending mentions a case of torn cloth. What is more certain is that the text places the issue at the meeting point between matter and mental intention: the way objects are handled reveals the degree of freedom or attachment in the practitioner.

Content That Can Be Determined from the Descriptive Information

From the Vietnamese and English titles, the general theme can be determined as an act of “soiling” or “defiling” within the scope of the Parallel Vinaya. From the Pali title “Sāmisa,” it can be seen that the old interpretation understood the term in a direction related to material things, objects, or things having a “material” character. However, because there is no source for collation, it is not possible to determine the exact technical meaning of this term in the present item. One must avoid constructing additional meanings beyond the data.

The truncated ending shows several points that can be determined: objects should not be accumulated out of greed; they are only tools serving practice; if an object is no longer usable, it should be handled properly so as not to cause unfairness to fellow practitioners; if cloth is torn, it may be repaired within the necessary limit. These ideas reflect the spirit of the Vinaya: not an extreme rejection of material things, but also not letting material things rule the mind. Repairing a torn object is reasonable when it is still needed; accumulation or excessive embellishment can become an expression of craving.

The phrase “not to create hardship, but to train the mind” in the ending is an important key. The training rule is not established to make monastic life pointlessly harsh, but so that the practitioner may see clearly the subtle movements of the mind: wanting to keep, wanting to have more, wanting cleanliness as an expression of self, wanting possession, or wanting to conceal carelessness.

Meaning for Practice

The meaning for practice in this item lies in transforming the relationship between the practitioner and objects. A person may live among very few things and still be full of attachment; another may use what is necessary without the mind being enslaved. Therefore what should be learned is not only “may use” or “may not use,” but with what mind one uses. When an object becomes dirty, torn, or no longer suitable, the practitioner should respond with wisdom: repair it if it is still needed and within proper measure, discard it if it can no longer be used, share it if someone else needs it more, and not turn the handling of objects into an occasion for nourishing selfhood.

In the environment of the Sangha, fairness regarding objects plays a role in protecting harmony. If someone privately keeps good objects, pushes damaged objects onto others, or uses rules to justify personal benefit, then formal purity has lost its meaning. Conversely, a community that knows how to repair sufficiently, share properly, and let go at the right time will reduce many unnecessary frictions. Objects then become means supporting the work of the path, not causes for comparison.

For students of Buddhism today, this item reminds us that “soiling” is not only dust and dirt outside. There is a kind of soiling that comes from greed, fear of lack, the wish to keep the better portion, or misuse of what is common. Keeping objects clean is necessary, but keeping the mind clean is more fundamental. When one knows how to use things according to need, repair things without display, and release things without regret, the practitioner is cultivating freedom in everyday life.

Collation Note

The descriptive information has a source link, but the source content is not included in the data. Therefore, this interpretation has not been checked against the Chinese text, the Pali version, or any specific translation. It cannot be confirmed exactly what kind of object “sāmisa” designates in this item, nor what degree of violation the rule discusses. When the full source becomes available, the title, terminology, object being soiled, and the relationship between the passage on torn cloth and the whole training rule should be examined. Before collation, this should be regarded as a restoration of the meaning for practice based on descriptive information and a truncated ending, not as the wording of the original Vinaya.