Lzh Dg Bu Vb Pc 44Sitting in a Concealed Place

– DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

44. SITTING WITH A WOMAN IN A CONCEALED PLACE

A. ORIGIN

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling in the garden of Anāthapiṇḍika, in the Jeta Grove, in the country of Śrāvastī. At that time, the Venerable Kāḷudāyin, when he had still been a layman, had been acquainted with the wife of a white-robed friend. Her name was Jai, and she was of beautiful appearance. Kāḷudāyin also had handsome features. Kāḷudāyin paid attention to the upāsikā Jai. The upāsikā Jai also paid attention to Kāḷudāyin.

At the time of the alms round, Kāḷudāyin donned his robe, took up his bowl, and went to the house of the upāsikā Jai. He thought to himself: "The Blessed One has forbidden sitting in a room where there is food and valuables, but one may sit where, by stretching out one's arm, one can touch the door." So he sat behind the door panel.

While Kāḷudāyin was speaking with the upāsikā Jai, a bhikkhu came for the alms round. He heard the voice of Kāḷudāyin speaking but could not see where Kāḷudāyin was. He then reproached Kāḷudāyin:

"Why, when in a room where there is food and valuables, do you sit in a concealed place, so that we do not know what you are doing?"

The alms-round bhikkhu left the city of Śrāvastī, returned to the monastery, and recounted this matter to the other bhikkhus. Among them were those of few desires, contentment, who practiced the ascetic observances, were fond of training in the precepts, and who knew shame and remorse. They reproached Kāḷudāyin:

"Why, when in a room where there is food and valuables, do you sit in a concealed place?"

The bhikkhus went to the place where the Blessed One was, paid homage at his feet, sat to one side, and reported this matter fully to the Blessed One. The Blessed One, on account of this matter, convened an assembly of the Bhikkhu Saṅgha. Knowing yet still he asked Kāḷudāyin:

"Is it true that, in a room where there is food and valuables, you sat in a concealed place?"

Kāḷudāyin replied:

"Venerable Blessed One, it is true that it was so."

The Blessed One used countless skillful means to rebuke Kāḷudāyin:

"What you have done is wrong, not in accordance with proper conduct, not in accordance with the Dharma of a śramaṇa, not in accordance with pure conduct, not in accordance with following virtue—it is something that should not be done. Why, in a room where there is food and valuables, did you sit in a concealed place?"

Having rebuked Kāḷudāyin, the Buddha said to the bhikkhus:

"This foolish person is a field that plants many seeds of the āsavas; he is the first to commit this offense. From this day forward, I shall lay down a precept for the bhikkhus, consisting of ten principles of meaning, up to and including the principle that the true Dharma shall endure long."

Wishing to speak the precept, it should be spoken thus:

Whatever bhikkhu, in a room where there is food and valuables, sits in a concealed place—pācittiya.

B. ANALYSIS OF THE PRECEPT

Bhikkhu: the meaning is as above.

Food: a woman is food for a man, and a man is food for a woman.

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

Concealed place: whether by a tree, a wall, a partition, a fence, or by a robe, or other objects that obstruct and screen.

A bhikkhu who enters a room where there is food and valuables, and sits in a concealed place, with his arm stretched out touching the door, so that bhikkhus on the alms round can see. Whatever bhikkhu, in a room where there is food and valuables, sits in a concealed place—pācittiya. If blind but not deaf—duṣkṛta. If deaf but not blind, standing but not sitting—duṣkṛta.

For a bhikkhunī—pācittiya. For a śikṣamāṇā, a śrāmaṇera, a śrāmaṇerī—duṣkṛta. This is called an offense.

Non-offense: If, in a room where there is food and valuables, one sits where by stretching out one's arm one can touch the door, so that bhikkhus on the alms round can see; or if there are two bhikkhus as companions; or if there is an acquaintance nearby; or if one is in the same place as a guest and neither is blind nor deaf; or if one merely passes through without stopping; or if one is suddenly struck by illness and falls down, or is seized by a powerful force; or if one is bound and imprisoned; or if there is danger to one's life; danger to one's celibate life—in all these cases there is no offense.

Those who do not commit an offense: one who commits the offense for the first time before the precept was established; one who is mentally deranged; one whose mind is disturbed; one who is afflicted and tormented by pain.

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

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian.

Revised and annotated: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng

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

Buddhist Studies Editorial Board, 2002