Lzh Dg Bu Vb Pc 12Evasive Speech

– DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

12. EVASIVE SPEECH

A. ORIGIN

At one time, the Blessed One was staying in the Ghositārāma park at Kosambi.

At that time, the Venerable Bhikkhu Channa committed an offense. The bhikkhus asked him:

"Do you yourself know that you have committed an offense?"

Channa responded to the bhikkhus with other matters:

"Whom are you speaking to? What are you speaking about? What reasoning are you discussing? Are you speaking to me or to someone else? Who has committed an offense? From where did the offense arise? I do not see any offense. Why do you say I have committed an offense?"

The bhikkhus heard this. Among them were those of few desires and contentment, who lived the austere practices, who delighted in training in the precepts, who knew shame and remorse, and they reproached Bhikkhu Channa:

"Why, knowing that you have committed an offense, when the bhikkhus ask you, do you respond to the bhikkhus with other matters, saying: 'Whom are you speaking to? What are you speaking about? What reasoning are you discussing? Are you speaking to me or to someone else? Who has committed an offense? From where did the offense arise? I do not see any offense. Why do you say I have committed an offense?'"

The bhikkhus went to where the Blessed One was, paid homage at his feet, sat to one side, and reported this matter fully to the Blessed One. The Blessed One then used this occasion to assemble the community of bhikkhus and reproached Bhikkhu Channa:

"What you have done is wrong, not in accordance with proper conduct, not in accordance with the Dharma of a recluse, not in accordance with pure practice, not in accordance with dutiful behavior — you have done what should not be done. Bhikkhu Channa, why is it that when you have committed an offense and the bhikkhus asked, 'Do you yourself know that you have committed an offense?' you responded to the bhikkhus with other matters, saying: 'Whom are you speaking to? What are you speaking about? What reasoning are you discussing? Are you speaking to me or to someone else? Who has committed an offense? From where did the offense arise? I do not see any offense. Why do you say I have committed an offense?'"

At that time, after rebuking Bhikkhu Channa with countless skillful means, the Blessed One said to the bhikkhus:

From this time forth, I allow the Sangha, after making a formal motion, to summon the person concerned and apply the procedure of evasive speech. The formal motion should be made as follows:

"Venerable Sangha, please listen! This Bhikkhu Channa has committed an offense. The bhikkhus asked him, 'Do you yourself know that you have committed an offense?' Channa responded to the bhikkhus with other matters: 'Whom are you speaking to? What are you speaking about? What reasoning are you discussing? Are you speaking to me or to someone else? Who has committed an offense? From where did the offense arise? I do not see any offense. Why do you say I have committed an offense?' If it is an appropriate time for the Sangha, may the Sangha approve of summoning Bhikkhu Channa to apply the procedure of evasive speech. This is the formal motion."

"Such a motion being made is called the procedure of evasive speech."

"From this time forth, I will establish a rule for the bhikkhus, comprising ten bases of meaning, up to the phrase: so that the true Dharma may long endure."

The precept should be stated as follows:

Whatever bhikkhu speaks evasively: pācittiya.

Thus the Blessed One established this precept for the bhikkhus.

At that time, the Venerable Bhikkhu Channa, having been restrained by the Sangha and prohibited from speaking evasively, subsequently continued to disturb the Sangha by: when called to come, not coming; when not called, coming; when he should rise, not rising; when he should not rise, rising; when he should speak, not speaking; when he should not speak, speaking.

The bhikkhus heard this. Among them were those of few desires and contentment, who lived the austere practices, who delighted in training in the precepts, who knew shame and remorse, and they reproached Bhikkhu Channa: "Why, after the Sangha has applied the procedure of evasive speech, do you deliberately disturb the Sangha by: when called to come, not coming; when not called, coming; when you should rise, not rising; when you should not rise, rising; when you should speak, not speaking; when you should not speak, speaking?"

The bhikkhus went to where the Blessed One was, paid homage at his feet, sat to one side, and reported this matter fully to the Blessed One. The Blessed One then used this occasion to assemble the community of bhikkhus and reproached Bhikkhu Channa:

"What you have done is wrong, not in accordance with proper conduct, not in accordance with the Dharma of a recluse, not in accordance with pure practice, not in accordance with dutiful behavior — you have done what should not be done. Bhikkhu Channa, why is it that after the Sangha has applied the procedure of evasive speech and prohibited you, you deliberately disturb the Sangha by: when called to come, not coming; when not called, coming; when you should rise, not rising; when you should not rise, rising; when you should speak, not speaking; when you should not speak, speaking?"

After rebuking Bhikkhu Channa with countless skillful means, the Blessed One said to the bhikkhus:

"From this time forth, after making a formal motion, summon Bhikkhu Channa and apply the procedure of harassment as follows:

"'Venerable Sangha, please listen! Bhikkhu Channa, after the Sangha summoned him and applied the procedure of evasive speech, has continued to harass the Sangha by: when called to come, not coming; when not called, coming; when he should rise, not rising; when he should not rise, rising; when he should speak, not speaking; when he should not speak, speaking. If it is an appropriate time for the Sangha, may the Sangha approve of prohibiting Bhikkhu Channa — this is called the application of the procedure of harassment. This is the formal motion.

"'After making the motion thus, it is called the application of the procedure of harassment.'"

From this time forth, the precept should be stated as follows:

Whatever bhikkhu speaks evasively and harasses others: pācittiya.

B. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE OFFENSE

Bhikkhu: as explained above.

Evasive speech: When the Sangha has not yet made a formal motion and one speaks irrelevantly, such as: "Whom are you speaking to? What are you speaking about? What are you discussing? Are you speaking to me or to someone else? I do not see this offense." All such speech constitutes a dukkaṭa. If the formal motion has already been made and one speaks in such a way, all instances constitute a pācittiya.

Harassing: If before the formal motion has been made, one does not come when called, comes when not called; does not rise when one should rise, rises when one should not rise; does not speak when one should speak, speaks when one should not speak — all such conduct constitutes a dukkaṭa. If the formal motion has been made and one still behaves thus, all instances constitute a pācittiya. If a senior elder calls one to come and one does not come, it constitutes a dukkaṭa.

For a bhikkhunī: pācittiya. For a sikkhāmānā, a sāmaṇera, or a sāmaṇerī: dukkaṭa. These are called offenses.

Non-offense: If one hears the previous statement and does not understand it due to ambiguity, and therefore asks: "Whom are you speaking to? … I do not see this offense."

If it is because an unlawful kammavācā or a non-Vinaya kammavācā is being conducted — whether concerning the Sangha, a monastery or shrine, one's preceptor, a co-preceptee, one's ācārya, a co-student under the same ācārya, or an old acquaintance — and one wishes to prevent a kammavācā that is not beneficial and does not promote harmony; if called to come at that time and one does not come, there is no offense.

If it is because an unlawful kammavācā or a non-Vinaya kammavācā is being conducted — whether concerning the Sangha, a monastery or shrine, one's preceptor, a co-preceptee, one's ācārya, a co-student under the same ācārya, or an old acquaintance — and one wishes to prevent a kammavācā that is not beneficial; if, wishing to hear the instruction, one goes even though told not to come, there is no offense.

If one is observing the one-seat meal practice, or if one has not applied the procedure for the remnant-food practice and continues eating, or if one is ill — if told to rise but one does not rise, there is no offense.

If the house is collapsing, or there is a fire, or a poisonous snake has entered the house, or one encounters bandits, tigers, wolves, or lions, or one is seized and led away by force, or one is bound by others, or there is danger to life, or there is danger to the holy life — if told not to rise but one rises, there is no offense.

If one is questioned with malicious intent, or is asked concerning superhuman Dharma, and is told, "You, speak on this matter" — if one does not speak at that time, there is no offense.

If an unlawful kammavācā or a non-Vinaya kammavācā is being conducted — whether concerning the Sangha, a monastery or shrine, one's preceptor, a co-preceptee, one's ācārya, a co-student under the same ācārya, or an old acquaintance — and one wishes to prevent a kammavācā that is not beneficial; if told not to speak but one speaks, there is no offense.

If one speaks softly, or speaks hastily, or speaks in a dream, or speaks to oneself, or intending to say one thing mistakenly says another, there is no offense.

Those who do not offend: one who offends for the first time before the precept was established; one who is insane; one whose mind is disturbed; one who is in pain and torment.

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

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka masters Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian.

Revised and annotated: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng.

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

Buddhist Studies Editorial Board, 2002.