Lzh Dg Bu Vb Pc 22Instructing Nuns After Sunset

– DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

22. INSTRUCTING NUNS AFTER SUNSET

A. ORIGIN

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling in the Anāthapiṇḍika Garden, the Jeta Grove, in the city of Sāvatthī. At that time, Venerable Nanda had been appointed by the Sangha to instruct the bhikkhunīs. Having finished instructing the bhikkhunīs, the Venerable sat in silence.

At that time, Mahāpajāpatī said:

"Venerable Nanda, we wish to hear the Dharma. Please speak further for our sake."

Venerable Nanda taught them the Dharma, and then again sat in silence.

Mahāpajāpatī made her request once more:

"We wish to hear the Dharma. Please speak for our sake."

Venerable Nanda taught them the Dharma in such a pleasing voice that the listeners were delighted to hear it. For this reason, he did not stop until the sun had set.

When the bhikkhunīs left the Jetavana monastery to return to the city of Sāvatthī, the city gates had already been closed and they could not enter; they had to spend the night resting by the moat outside the city gate. Early the next morning, as soon as the city gates were opened, the nuns entered first. The householders who saw this all said: "These Sakyan monastics have no shame and no sense of modesty, and no pure conduct. They claim to practice the true Dharma—what true Dharma is there in this? Look at these bhikkhunīs: they spent the whole night sleeping together with the bhikkhus, and only in the morning were they allowed to return."

The bhikkhus heard this, and among them those who were of few desires and contentment, who lived the austere practices, who were fond of training in the precepts, and who had a sense of shame and remorse, censured Nanda, saying: "Why did you teach the Dharma to the bhikkhunīs all the way until sunset, causing the householders to reproach us?"

The bhikkhus went to the Blessed One, paid homage at his feet, and sat to one side. They reported this matter to the Blessed One in full. The Blessed One thereupon used this occasion to convene the Sangha of bhikkhus. Knowing yet still asking, he questioned Venerable Nanda:

"Did you in fact instruct the bhikkhunīs until the sun set?"

The Venerable replied:

"Blessed One, it is indeed so."

The Blessed One rebuked Venerable Nanda with numerous skillful means:

"What you have done is wrong, not in accordance with proper deportment, not in accordance with the practice of a monastic, not in accord with pure conduct, not in accord with proper behavior—it is something that should not have been done. Nanda, why did you teach the Dharma and instruct the bhikkhunīs all the way until sunset?"

Having rebuked him, the Buddha said to the bhikkhus:

"This foolish Nanda is a source of planting many seeds of the defiled; he is the first to commit this offense. From this day forward, I shall establish a precept for the bhikkhus, comprising ten aims, up to and including the aim that the true Dharma may long endure."

The precept should be proclaimed as follows:

Whatever bhikkhu, though appointed by the Sangha, instructs bhikkhunīs until the sun sets—pācittiya.

B. ANALYSIS OF THE PRECEPT

Bhikkhu: as explained above.

Sangha: as in the preceding precept.

Instruct: appointed within the Sangha by a formal act of the Sangha through a motion and one announcement (ñattidutiyakamma).

A bhikkhu appointed by the Sangha to instruct bhikkhunīs should return before the sun sets. If any bhikkhu instructs bhikkhunīs until the sun sets—pācittiya. Apart from formal instruction, if he teaches suttas, recites suttas, or discusses various other matters with them until the sun sets—dukkaṭa. Apart from bhikkhunīs, if he recites suttas, teaches suttas, or discusses other matters for other women until the sun sets—dukkaṭa.

If the sun has set and he perceives it as having set—pācittiya. If he is uncertain whether the sun has set—dukkaṭa. If the sun has set and he perceives it as not having set—dukkaṭa. If the sun has not yet set and he perceives it as having set—dukkaṭa. If he is uncertain whether the sun has not yet set—dukkaṭa.

For a bhikkhunī—dukkaṭa. For a sikkhamānā, a sāmaṇera, or a sāmaṇerī—dukkaṭa. These are called offenses.

Non-offense: if he instructs bhikkhunīs and stops before the sun sets, there is no offense. Apart from women, if he teaches suttas, receives suttas, or discusses other matters for others, there is no offense.

If he is teaching the Dharma on a boat and bhikkhunīs hear it while traveling along with merchants during the night; or if he goes to a bhikkhunī monastery and teaches the Dharma there; or if on the day of the Uposatha recitation the nuns come to the Sangha to request an instructor, and while the Dharma is being taught the nuns happen to listen—in all such cases there is no offense.

Those who do not commit an offense: the first offender at the time before the precept was established; one who is insane; one whose mind is disturbed; one who is afflicted with acute pain and suffering.

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 by: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng.

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

Buddhist Studies Editorial Board, 2002.