Lzh Dg Bu Vb Pc 43Intruding on a Couple Enjoying Themselves

– FOUR-PART VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

43. SITTING IN A HOUSE WHERE THERE IS FOOD

A. ORIGIN

At one time the Buddha was dwelling in the garden of Anāthapiṇḍika, the Jeta Grove forest, in the country of Śrāvastī. At that time the Venerable Kāḷudāyī, while still living as a layman, had been acquainted with the wife of a lay companion of his. Her name was Zhai, and she was of beautiful appearance. Kāḷudāyī also had a handsome countenance. At that time Kāḷudāyī took notice of the upāsikā Zhai, and the upāsikā Zhai likewise took notice of Kāḷudāyī.

On that day, at the time for alms-going, Kāḷudāyī put on his robe, took up his bowl, went to the house of the upāsikā Zhai, and sat down in a seat. Meanwhile the upāsikā Zhai had bathed and adorned herself, and because her husband cherished her with wholehearted devotion, they were never apart from one another.

The husband asked Kāḷudāyī:

"What do you need?"

Kāḷudāyī replied:

"I need food."

The husband then told his wife to bring food. In accordance with her husband's words, the wife brought food and gave it to Kāḷudāyī. When Kāḷudāyī had finished eating, he remained sitting in place and did not leave. The husband asked Kāḷudāyī:

"Just now you said you needed food. You have eaten; why do you not leave?"

At that moment the upāsikā Zhai made a sign to Kāḷudāyī not to go. Her husband became angry and said to Kāḷudāyī:

"The bhikkhu is obstructing my affairs. You said you needed food; you have been fed — why do you not leave? What more do you want? I hand the house over to you and will go. Stay here and do as you please!"

The husband, speaking in anger thus, abandoned the house and departed.

At that time a bhikkhu who was going on alms-round happened to arrive at that house. Hearing what had occurred, he reproached Kāḷudāyī:

"Why did you sit obstinately in a house where there was food?"

When the alms-going bhikkhu left the city of Śrāvastī and returned to the monastery, he reported this matter in full to the other bhikkhus. Among them were those of few desires and contentment, who practised the austere qualities (dhūtaguṇa), delighted in training in the precepts, and possessed a sense of shame and remorse; these reproached Kāḷudāyī:

"Why did you sit obstinately in a house where there was food?"

The bhikkhus then went to where the World-Honoured One was, paid homage at his feet, and sat to one side. They reported this matter to the World-Honoured One in full. The World-Honoured One, on account of this matter, convened the assembly of bhikkhus. Knowing already, he nonetheless asked Kāḷudāyī:

"Is it true that you sat obstinately in a house where there was food?"

Kāḷudāyī replied:

"World-Honoured One, it is as stated."

The World-Honoured One rebuked Kāḷudāyī with many expedient words:

"What you have done is wrong; it is not in accordance with proper conduct, not the way of a śramaṇa, not pure conduct, not conduct of conformity — it is acting in a way that should not be done. Why did you sit obstinately in a house where food was offered, in the presence of valuables?"

Having rebuked Kāḷudāyī with many expedient words, the World-Honoured One said to the bhikkhus:

"This foolish person is a field for the planting of many defiling seeds; he is the first to commit this offence. From this day forward I shall establish a rule for the bhikkhus, comprising ten principles of meaning, up to the phrase 'so that the true Dharma may long endure.'"

The precept is to be recited thus:

Whatever bhikkhu, in a house where there is food and there are valuables, deliberately remains seated — a pācittiya.

B. ANALYSIS OF THE PRECEPT

Bhikkhu: meaning as stated above.

Food: a man who uses a woman as food, a woman who uses a man as food — that is why it is called "food."

House: as stated above.

Valuables: mother-of-pearl, agate, genuine pearls, amber, gold and silver.

If a bhikkhu in a house where there is food and valuables can reach out his arm and touch the doorway, he may sit. If a bhikkhu in a house where there is food and valuables deliberately remains seated — a pācittiya. If blind but not deaf — a dukkaṭa. If deaf but not blind — likewise a dukkaṭa. If standing but not sitting — a dukkaṭa.

For a bhikkhunī — a pācittiya. For a śikṣamāṇā, a sāmaṇera, a sāmaṇerī — a dukkaṭa. These are called offences.

Non-offence: If one enters a house where there is food and valuables but sits with one's arm outstretched touching the doorway; or if two bhikkhus are present as companions; or if there is an acquaintance there; or if there is a visitor present in that place who is neither blind nor deaf, neither deaf nor blind; or if one passes through without stopping; or if one is suddenly struck by illness and falls to the ground; or if seized by force; or if bound and confined; or in a case of danger to life or danger to the holy life — in all these cases there is no offence.

Those who do not commit an offence: one who commits the act for the first time before the rule has been established, one who is mentally deranged, one of confused mind, one who is overwhelmed by painful affliction.

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

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka masters 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.