Lzh Dg Bu Vb Pc 27Travelling by Arrangement

– DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

27. TRAVELLING BY ARRANGEMENT WITH A BHIKKHUNĪ

A. ORIGIN OF THE RULE

At one time, the Blessed One was staying in the Anāthapiṇḍika Park, Jeta's Grove, in the city of Sāvatthī. At that time, the group of six bhikkhus was travelling through the human world in Kosala together with the group of six bhikkhunīs. The lay people saw them and together criticized them, saying: "The Śākyan monastics have no sense of shame or remorse; they do not cultivate the holy life. Outwardly they proclaim, 'We cultivate according to the true Dharma.' Yet what kind of true Dharma is this? While travelling through the human world together with bhikkhunīs, if desire should arise, they would simply step off the road right there and then, would they not?"

The bhikkhus heard this, and among them were those who were of few desires, content, practicing the ascetic disciplines, fond of training in the precepts, and possessed of shame and remorse. They rebuked the group of six bhikkhus: "Why do you travel through the human world together with the group of six bhikkhunīs?"

The bhikkhus went to the Blessed One, paid homage at his feet, and sat to one side. They then fully reported this matter to the Blessed One. The Blessed One thereupon used this occasion to convene an assembly of the Saṅgha of bhikkhus and rebuked the group of six bhikkhus:

"What you have done is wrong, not in accordance with proper conduct, not in accordance with the practice of a śramaṇa, not the pure conduct, not the practice of compliance—it is something that should not be done. Why did you travel through the human world together with the group of six bhikkhunīs?"

After the Blessed One had rebuked the group of six bhikkhus with countless skillful means, he addressed the bhikkhus:

"These foolish men are a field for planting many seeds of defilement; they are the first to violate this precept. From this day forward, I shall set forth a rule for the bhikkhus, comprising ten principles of meaning, up to the phrase: 'so that the true Dharma may long endure.'"

The rule to be recited shall be as follows:

Whatever bhikkhu travels together with a bhikkhunī from one village to another village: pācittiya.

The Blessed One thus established the rule for the bhikkhus. At that time, bhikkhus who had made no prior arrangement with bhikkhunīs happened to meet them along the road and, out of fear of transgressing, did not dare to travel together.

The Buddha instructed:

"If there was no prior arrangement, there is no offense."

From this day forward, the rule shall be recited as follows:

Whatever bhikkhu makes an arrangement and then travels together with a bhikkhunī from one village to another village: pācittiya.

The Blessed One thus established the rule for the bhikkhus. At that time, a large number of bhikkhus in Sāvatthī wished to travel to Vesālī. At that same time, a large number of bhikkhunīs in Sāvatthī also wished to travel to Vesālī, and the bhikkhunīs asked the bhikkhus:

"Venerable Sirs, where do you intend to go?"

The bhikkhus replied:

"We intend to go to Vesālī."

The bhikkhunīs said:

"We also wish to go there."

The bhikkhus said:

"Sisters, if you wish to go there, then either you go ahead and we shall follow behind, or you follow behind and we shall go ahead. Why so? Because the Blessed One has established a rule by which we are not permitted to travel the same road together with bhikkhunīs."

The bhikkhunīs then said:

"In that case, Venerable Sirs, you are those who are revered by us. Please go ahead, and we shall follow behind."

The bhikkhunīs went behind and were robbed of all their robes and bowls by bandits. The bhikkhus reported this matter fully to the Blessed One. The Blessed One instructed:

"From this day forward, traveling together when in the company of merchants, or when in a place where there is danger and fear, constitutes no offense."

From this day forward, the rule shall be recited as follows:

Whatever bhikkhu makes an arrangement and then travels the same road together with a bhikkhunī from one village to another village, except in certain circumstances: pācittiya. The certain circumstances are: traveling in the company of merchants, or when there is danger and fear. These are the certain circumstances.

B. ANALYSIS OF THE RULE

Bhikkhu: as explained above.

Arrangement: mutually agreeing to travel to a certain village, a certain town, or a certain country.

A place with danger: a place suspected of having bandits.

Fear: a place where there are bandits.

Road: the distance between two villages, with boundaries demarcating the path.

If a bhikkhu makes an arrangement and travels the same road with a bhikkhunī up to the boundary between two villages, for each assembly of persons and for each boundary crossed, whether many or few, he commits a pācittiya for each. If it is not a village but open country that is traversed, up to ten leagues, he commits a pācittiya. If he has not yet reached one village or travels less than ten leagues, he commits a dukkaṭa. If he travels within a single common boundary encompassing multiple villages, he commits a dukkaṭa. If he is in the process of planning to travel and makes an arrangement and prepares his traveling provisions, he commits a dukkaṭa for each.

A bhikkhunī: dukkaṭa. A sikkhamānā, a sāmaṇera, a sāmaṇerī: dukkaṭa. These are called offenses.

Non-offense: if there was no prior arrangement; if there are many companions traveling together; if there is fear and danger; if upon arrival the place proves to be safe; if one is taken by force, or is bound, or there is danger to one's life, or danger to the holy life—in all such cases there is no offense.

Those who do not commit an offense: one who commits an act before the rule has been established for the first time; one who is insane; one whose mind is disturbed; one who is afflicted and overwhelmed with pain.

---

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, volumes 1 and 2)

Buddhist Editorial Board, 2002