Lzh Dg Bu Vb Pc 5Lying Down With One Not Fully Ordained

– FOUR-PART VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

5. SLEEPING IN THE SAME ROOM WITH ONE NOT FULLY ORDAINED

A. ORIGIN

1. THE INCIDENT OF THE GROUP OF SIX MONKS

At one time, the Blessed One was staying in the city of Vaiśālī. At that time, the group of six monks was sleeping together with laymen in a lecture hall.

On that occasion, one among the group of six, while sleeping with a distracted mind and unaware, rolled over, exposing his body completely unclothed. A monk then covered him with a robe. He rolled over again, becoming uncovered as before. Another monk also covered him with a robe. After a short while, he kept rolling about and his body became fully exposed. The laymen, upon seeing this, gave rise to contempt, laughed loudly, and ridiculed him.

At that time, the monk who had been sleeping woke up, feeling ashamed, his face pale. The other monks also felt ashamed. Among them were some of few desires and contentment, who knew conscience and shame, practiced the austere way of life, and delighted in training in the precepts; these censured that monk, saying, "Why did these six monks sleep together with laymen?"

The monks went to where the Blessed One was, paid homage at his feet, sat to one side, and reported this matter in full to the Blessed One. The Blessed One then used this occasion to assemble the community of monks and reproved the group of six monks:

"What you have done is wrong, not in accordance with proper deportment, not in accordance with the conduct of a recluse, not in accordance with pure conduct, not in accordance with proper behavior; it is something that should not be done. Group of six monks, why did you sleep together with laymen?" At that time, the Blessed One reproved the group of six monks with countless means, and then said to the monks:

"These six monks are foolish persons; they are a field for planting many seeds of the influxes; they are the first offenders of this precept. From now on, I shall lay down a precept for the monks, for ten purposes, and up to the sentence: so that the true Dharma may long endure."

Those who wish to recite the precept should recite it thus:

Whatever monk sleeps in the same room with one not yet fully ordained—pācittiya.

2. THE INCIDENT OF RĀHULA

The Blessed One laid down the precept for monks in this way.

At one time, the Buddha was staying in the land of Kauśāmbī. The monks said thus: "The Buddha has not permitted us to sleep in the same room with one not yet fully ordained. Therefore, let Rāhula go elsewhere."

At that time, Rāhula had no room in which to sleep and had to go sleep in the outhouse. The Buddha, knowing this, went to the outhouse and cleared his throat. Rāhula cleared his throat in return. The Blessed One, knowing full well, still deliberately asked:

"Who is in there?"

Rāhula answered:

"I am Rāhula."

He was asked again:

"What are you doing here?"

He answered:

"The monks said that one may not sleep in the same room with one not yet fully ordained, so they drove me out."

The Blessed One then said:

"How could these monks be so foolish, without compassion, to drive a child out of the room? This is the son of the Buddha—did they not understand my intention?"

The Buddha then extended his finger, told Rāhula to grasp it, and led him into the room, allowing him to sleep there that night. Early the next morning, he assembled the monks and said to them:

"You have no compassion, and that is why you drove the child away. This is the son of the Buddha—did you not understand my intention? From now on, I permit monks to sleep two nights together with one not yet fully ordained. If, before dawn of the third night, one has not yet risen, one should rise and depart. If the fourth night arrives, either one goes oneself or one directs the one not yet fully ordained to go."

From now on the precept should be recited thus:

Whatever monk sleeps in the same room with one not yet fully ordained for more than two nights, on the third night—pācittiya.

B. ANALYSIS OF THE PRECEPT

Monk: as explained above.

One not yet (fully) ordained: excepting monks and nuns; all others are persons not yet fully ordained.

Sleeping in the same room: as explained above.

If the monk arrives first and the one not yet fully ordained arrives later; if the one not yet fully ordained arrives first and the monk arrives later; or if both arrive at the same time—if the hip touches the ground, it is an offense; even leaning slightly to one side is an offense. If one sleeps for more than two nights—three nights—together with a male deity, a male asura, a male gandharva, a male yakṣa, a male hungry ghost, or with beings of the animal realm who can or cannot transform themselves, it is a duṣkṛta offense.

For a nun, it is a pācittiya; for a śikṣamāṇā, a novice monk, or a novice nun, it is a duṣkṛta. These are called offenses.

Non-offense: If a monk does not know beforehand that someone is staying there, and the one not yet ordained arrives afterward; or the one not yet ordained arrives first and the monk arrives afterward; or if the building has a roof but no walls on any of the four sides; or if it has a complete roof but the walls cover only half; or if the walls are complete but the roof covers only part; or if the walls cover half and the roof covers half; or if the walls cover part and the roof covers part; or if the place is open ground; or if one is sitting or walking in meditation—in all these cases there is no offense.

Or if one falls to the ground due to dizziness; or if one is lying down due to illness; or if one is seized by force; or if one is bound and imprisoned; or if there is a threat to one's life or a threat to one's chastity—then there is no offense.

Persons who do not incur an offense: the original offender at the time before the precept was laid down; one who is mad, mentally deranged, or afflicted with severe pain and distress.

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, volumes 1–2)

Buddhist Studies Editorial Committee, 2002