Lzh Dg Bu Vb Pc 53Tickling

– FOUR-PART VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

53. TICKLING

A. ORIGIN

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling in the Anāthapiṇḍika Garden, Jeta's Grove, in the country of Śrāvastī. At that time, one of the group of six monks tickled one of the group of seventeen monks, to such a degree that it caused that monk's death.

Among the monks who heard of this matter, there were those who were of few desires, contented, who practiced the ascetic disciplines, were fond of learning the precepts, and knew shame and remorse; they reproached the group of six monks, saying: "Why did you tickle the group of seventeen monks to the point of death?"

The monks went to where the Blessed One was, prostrated themselves at his feet, then sat to one side and reported this matter in full to the Blessed One. The Blessed One thereupon, on account of this matter, convened an assembly of the Saṅgha of monks and rebuked the group of six monks:

"What you have done is wrong, is not proper conduct, is not the practice of a śramaṇa, is not pure conduct, is not befitting behavior — it is something that ought not to be done. Group of six monks! Why did you tickle the group of seventeen monks to the point of death?"

After rebuking them with countless skillful means, the Blessed One addressed the monks:

"These foolish men are a field for planting many seeds of the defiled outflows; they are the first offenders of this precept. From this day forward, I shall lay down a precept for the monks, encompassing ten meanings, up to and including the purpose of causing the true Dharma to endure long."

The precept should be stated as follows:

Whatever monk tickles another with his fingers — pācittiya.

B. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PRECEPT

Monk: as explained above.

Fingers: The hands have ten fingers; the feet have ten toes.

If any monk tickles another using fingers or toes — pācittiya. Apart from fingers and toes, if one uses a staff, a door-peg, a whisk, or any other object whatsoever to tickle another, all such cases constitute a duṣkṛta offense.

For a bhikṣuṇī — pācittiya. For a śikṣamāṇā, a śrāmaṇerī — duṣkṛta. These are called offenses.

Non-offense: If one tickles without intent; or if, while another is sleeping, one touches them to wake them; or if, while moving back and forth or sweeping the ground, one accidentally makes contact; or if a staff inadvertently catches on someone — in all such cases there is no offense.

Those who do not offend: one who offends for the first time before the precept was established; one who is insane; one whose mind is disturbed; one who is afflicted with pain and overcome by 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, fascicles 1–2)

Buddhist Studies Editorial Board, 2002