Lzh Dg Bu Vb Pc 24Giving Robes

– FOUR-PART VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

24. GIVING ROBES TO A BHIKKHUNĪ

A. ORIGIN STORY

At one time, the Buddha was staying in the Anāthapiṇḍika Garden, Jeta's Grove, in the country of Sāvatthī.

At that time, there was a bhikkhu who went on almsround with full deportment. A bhikkhunī encountered him and immediately gave rise to a wholesome mind, and on several occasions invited that bhikkhu, but he did not accept.

Some time later, the Saṅgha of Jetavana was distributing robe-cloth. That bhikkhu took his share of robe-cloth and was leaving through the gate of Jetavana when he again met this bhikkhunī, who had just arrived. The bhikkhu thought: "This bhikkhunī has invited me many times, but I have not accepted. I should now offer this share of robe-cloth in return for those invitations. But she will surely not accept it. This will be sufficient to balance accounts between us." Having thought this, the bhikkhu said to the bhikkhunī:

"Elder Sister, this is my share of robe-cloth. If you need it, you may take and use it."

The bhikkhunī immediately accepted it. The bhikkhu then reproached the bhikkhunī, saying: "I have already said to others many times: 'This bhikkhunī has invited me many times. She set aside food for me, but I did not accept it. Because of this, I thought: this bhikkhunī has invited me many times and set aside food for me, but I did not accept it; so now I offer this share of robe-cloth to this bhikkhunī with the thought that she would not accept it either, which would be sufficient to balance accounts between us. But she actually accepted it.'"

At that time, the bhikkhus heard of this, and among them were those of few desires, contentment, who practiced the ascetic observances, who delighted in training in the precepts, and who were endowed with a sense of shame and remorse. They reproached that bhikkhu, saying: "How can a bhikkhu give robe-cloth to a bhikkhunī without a mind of relinquishment, and then go and speak of it to others?"

The bhikkhus went to the World-Honored One, paid homage at his feet, and sat to one side. They then reported this matter in full to the World-Honored One. The World-Honored One thereupon used this matter to convene an assembly of bhikkhus and rebuked that bhikkhu:

"What you have done is wrong, unbecoming, not in accord with the conduct of a samaṇa, not pure conduct, not proper behavior—it is something that should not be done. How can a bhikkhu give robe-cloth to a bhikkhunī without a mind of relinquishment, and then go and speak of it to others?"

At that time, having rebuked him with countless expedient means, the World-Honored One said to the bhikkhus:

"This foolish person is a field where many seeds of the āsavas are planted, and is the first to commit this offense. From now on, I shall establish a precept for the bhikkhus, encompassing ten meanings, up to and including the phrase: so that the true Dharma may long endure."

The precept should be stated thus:

Whatever bhikkhu gives robe-cloth to a bhikkhunī, it is a pācittiya.

The World-Honored One having thus established the precept for the bhikkhus, there were bhikkhus who were cautious and did not dare to give robe-cloth to bhikkhunīs who were their relatives. They reported this to the Buddha. The Buddha instructed:

"From now on, it is permitted to give robe-cloth to a bhikkhunī who is a relative. If one gives robe-cloth to a bhikkhunī who is not a relative, it is a pācittiya."

The World-Honored One having thus established the precept for the bhikkhus, at that time in Jetavana the two assemblies were jointly distributing robe-cloth, and the share of robe-cloth belonging to a bhikkhu was received by a bhikkhunī, while the share belonging to a bhikkhunī was received by a bhikkhu.

When a bhikkhunī had mistakenly received the wrong share of robe-cloth, she brought it to the monastery and said to the bhikkhus:

"Venerable Sirs, is it permissible to exchange this robe-cloth?"

The bhikkhus replied:

"Sisters, we are not permitted to give robe-cloth to bhikkhunīs who are not relatives."

At that time, the bhikkhus reported this to the Buddha. The Buddha instructed:

"From now on, if it is an exchange, it is permitted to give robe-cloth to a bhikkhunī who is not a relative."

From now on, this precept should be stated thus:

Whatever bhikkhu gives robe-cloth to a bhikkhunī who is not a relative, except by way of exchange, it is a pācittiya.

B. ANALYSIS OF THE OFFENSE

Bhikkhu: the meaning is as above.

Relative, non-relative: as explained previously.

Robe-cloth: there are ten kinds, as stated before.

Exchange: exchanging robe-cloth for robe-cloth, robe-cloth for non-robe-cloth, non-robe-cloth for robe-cloth, gold for a knife or sewing thread, down to a single blade of medicinal grass.

If a bhikkhu gives robe-cloth to a bhikkhunī who is not a relative, except by way of exchange, it is a pācittiya.

For a bhikkhunī, it is a dukkaṭa. For a sikkhāmānā, a sāmaṇera, or a sāmaṇerī, it is a dukkaṭa. This is called an offense.

Non-offense: giving robe-cloth to a relative; mutual exchange; or giving to a stūpa, to the Buddha, or to the Saṅgha—none of these constitute an 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 pain and suffering.

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

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka masters Buddhayaśas and Zhú Fóniàn.

Revised and annotated by: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng

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

Buddhist Editorial Board, 2002