Lzh Dg Bu Vb Pc 26Sitting in Private

– FOUR-PART VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

26. SITTING IN A SECLUDED PLACE WITH A BHIKKHUNĪ

A. ORIGIN OF THE RULE

At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling in the Anāthapiṇḍika Park, Jeta's Grove, in the country of Śrāvastī. At that time, the Venerable Kālodāyin was handsome in appearance, and the bhikkhunī Sthūlanandā was likewise possessed of exceptional beauty. Both Kālodāyin and the bhikkhunī Sthūlanandā harbored sensual feelings toward each other.

One morning, Kālodāyin put on his robe, took up his bowl, and went to where Sthūlanandā was. The two of them sat together in the same place outside the door. Householders who saw this criticized them, saying to one another: "Look at these two, sitting together like a husband and wife—just like a pair of mandarin ducks."

At that time the bhikkhus heard of this. Among them were those of few desires, contentment, who practiced the ascetic virtues, were fond of training in the precepts, and who knew a sense of shame. They reproached Kālodāyin: "How could you sit together with the bhikkhunī Sthūlanandā in the same place outside the door?"

The bhikkhus then went to the Blessed One, paid homage at his feet, and sat to one side, and reported this matter in full to the Blessed One. The Blessed One therefore assembled the community of bhikkhus on account of this matter. Knowing already what had happened, he nonetheless asked Kālodāyin:

"Did you truly sit together with the bhikkhunī Sthūlanandā in the same place outside the door?"

Kālodāyin replied:

"Blessed One, it is true."

The Blessed One rebuked Kālodāyin by means of countless skillful means:

"What you have done is wrong, not in accordance with proper conduct, not in accordance with the practice of a śramaṇa, not a pure act, not an act of conformity; you have done what ought not to be done. How could you sit together with the bhikkhunī Sthūlanandā in the same place outside the door?"

Having rebuked Kālodāyin, the Buddha said to the bhikkhus:

"This foolish man is a field for the planting of many defiled seeds; he is the first to commit this offense. From now on I shall set forth a precept for the bhikkhus, comprising ten principles of meaning, up to and including the purpose of the long endurance of the true Dharma."

The precept should be stated thus:

Whatever bhikkhu sits alone with a bhikkhunī in a secluded and concealed place commits a pācittiya.

B. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE OFFENSE

Bhikkhunī: as defined above.

One place: a place where there is only one bhikkhu and one bhikkhunī.

Secluded and concealed place: a place obstructed and concealed both from sight and from hearing.

Concealed from sight means that one cannot be seen due to bushes, mist, smoke, clouds, or darkness.

Concealed from hearing means a place where even speech at a normal volume cannot be heard.

Obstructed: whether by trees, a wall, a fence, a curtain, or other objects that obstruct and prevent one from being seen.

If a bhikkhu alone in a secluded and concealed place sits together with a bhikkhunī, he commits a pācittiya. If he is blind but not deaf, or deaf but not blind, he commits a duṣkṛta. Sitting standing together commits a duṣkṛta.

A bhikkhunī commits a duṣkṛta. A śikṣamāṇā, a śrāmaṇera, or a śrāmaṇerikā commits a duṣkṛta. This is called an offense.

Non-offense: if at that time the bhikkhu has a companion, or there is a person of discernment, and both of the following conditions are present: he is neither blind nor deaf, or is neither deaf nor blind; or if while traveling along a road he faints and falls, or falls due to illness, or is seized by force, or is bound and detained, or faces a threat to his life, or faces a threat to his religious practice—in all such cases there is no offense.

Those who do not commit an offense: one who commits an offense for the first time before the precept has been established; one who is mentally deranged, of disturbed mind, or afflicted and overwhelmed by pain.

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

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian.

Revised and annotated: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng

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

Buddhist Studies Editorial Committee, 2002