Lzh Dg Bu Vb Pc 13Complaining

– DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

13. SPEAKING ILL OF ONE APPOINTED BY THE SANGHA

A. ORIGIN STORY

At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling on Vulture Peak Mountain, near the city of Rājagaha.

At that time, the Venerable Dabba Mallaputta had been appointed by the Sangha to be in charge of distributing sleeping mats to the Sangha and inviting the Sangha to go to receive meals. Then the bhikkhus Metta and Bhūmija, standing at a place within sight but out of earshot of the Venerable, spoke to each other, saying: "Dabba Mallaputta shows favoritism, acts out of anger, acts out of fear, and acts out of ignorance."

The other bhikkhus said:

"Dabba Mallaputta has been entrusted by the community with the responsibility of distributing sleeping mats to the Sangha and inviting the Sangha to go to receive meals. You should not say that the Venerable is one who shows favoritism, acts out of anger, acts out of fear, and acts out of ignorance."

The bhikkhus Metta and Bhūmija replied:

"We did not speak in front of him; we criticized him in a concealed place."

When the bhikkhus heard this, among them those who were of few wishes, who were content, who practiced the austere practices, who delighted in training in the precepts, who knew shame and remonstrance, rebuked the bhikkhus Metta and Bhūmija:

"The Venerable Dabba Mallaputta has been entrusted by the community with the responsibility of distributing sleeping mats to the Sangha and inviting the Sangha to go to receive meals. How could you say that the Venerable is one who shows favoritism, acts out of anger, acts out of fear, and acts out of ignorance?"

Those bhikkhus went to the place where the Blessed One was, paid homage at his feet, then sat to one side, and reported this whole matter to the Blessed One. The Blessed One thereupon used this matter as the occasion to convene the assembly of bhikkhus and rebuked the bhikkhus Metta and Bhūmija:

"What you have done is wrong, not in accord with proper conduct, not in accord with the practice of a samaṇa, not in accord with pure conduct, not in accord with dutiful behavior — it is something that should not be done. How could you, Metta and Bhūmija — when Dabba Mallaputta has been entrusted by the community with the responsibility of distributing sleeping mats to the Sangha and inviting the Sangha to go to receive meals — say that he is one who shows favoritism, acts out of anger, acts out of fear, and acts out of ignorance?"

The Blessed One rebuked the bhikkhus Metta and Bhūmija with many skillful means and then said to the bhikkhus:

"These bhikkhus Metta and Bhūmija are foolish persons who have planted many seeds of the defiled, and this is the first time this precept has been transgressed. From this day forward, I shall lay down a precept for the bhikkhus, bringing together ten bases of meaning, up to and including the enduring of the true Dharma."

Wishing to recite the precept, it should be recited as follows:

Whatever bhikkhu disparages another, it is a pācittiya.

The Blessed One laid down the precept for the bhikkhus in this way. Thereafter the bhikkhus Metta and Bhūmija devised another means. Standing in a place within earshot but out of sight of Dabba Mallaputta, they said to each other: "This Dabba Mallaputta is one who shows favoritism, acts out of anger, acts out of fear, and acts out of ignorance."

The bhikkhus said to Metta and Bhūmija:

"Has the Buddha not laid down a precept that disparaging another is an offense of pācittiya?" The bhikkhus Metta and Bhūmija replied:

"We are not disparaging him; we are reviling him."

The bhikkhus heard this, and among them those who were of few wishes, who were content, who practiced the austere practices, who delighted in training in the precepts, who knew shame and remonstrance, criticized the bhikkhus Metta and Bhūmija:

"The Venerable Dabba Mallaputta has been entrusted by the community with the responsibility of distributing sleeping mats to the Sangha and inviting the Sangha to go to receive meals — how could you revile the Venerable?"

After rebuking them, those bhikkhus went to the place where the Blessed One was, paid homage at his feet, then sat to one side, and reported this whole matter fully to the Blessed One. The Blessed One thereupon used this matter as the occasion to convene the assembly of bhikkhus and rebuked the bhikkhus Metta and Bhūmija:

"What you have done is wrong, not in accord with proper conduct, not in accord with the practice of a samaṇa, not in accord with pure conduct, not in accord with dutiful behavior — it is something that should not be done. Dabba Mallaputta has been entrusted by the community with the responsibility of distributing sleeping mats to the Sangha and inviting the Sangha to go to receive meals — how could you revile him?"

The Blessed One rebuked the bhikkhus Metta and Bhūmija with many skillful means and then said to the bhikkhus:

"From this day forward, I shall lay down a precept for the bhikkhus:

Whatever bhikkhu disparages or reviles another, it is a pācittiya.

B. THE ANALYSIS OF THE PRECEPT

Bhikkhu: as explained above.

Whether disparaging in front, or reviling behind one's back.

—Disparaging in front: standing in a place where one can be seen but not heard, and saying, "He shows favoritism, acts out of anger, acts out of fear, and acts out of ignorance."

—Reviling behind one's back: standing in a place where one can be heard but not seen, and saying, "He shows favoritism, acts out of anger, acts out of fear, and acts out of ignorance."

A bhikkhu who disparages and reviles a bhikkhu — if the words are clear and explicit, it is an offense of pācittiya; if the words are not clear and explicit, it is a dukkaṭa. If a senior monk instructs another to disparage and revile, and if one accepts the commission to disparage and revile, it is a dukkaṭa.

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

Non-offenses: if the matter is truly as stated — that is, if the person truly does show favoritism, act out of anger, act out of fear, and act out of ignorance — and out of concern that remorse may arise later one speaks in order to cause the person to make proper disclosure in accordance with the Dharma; in that case, saying "He shows favoritism, acts out of anger, acts out of fear, and acts out of ignorance" is not an offense. Or if one speaks in jest, speaks to oneself, speaks in a dream, or intends to say one thing but mistakenly says another — these are not offenses.

Non-offenders: one who commits the offense for the first time before the precept was laid down; one who is insane, of disturbed mind, or afflicted with 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.

Collation and annotations: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng

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

Buddhist Studies Editorial Board, 2002