Lzh Dg Bu Vb Pc 57Lighting a Fire

– DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

57. LIGHTING A FIRE

A. ORIGIN

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling at the city of Vāraṇā. At that time, a group of six bhikkhus said to one another, "In the presence of the Elder, we cannot speak freely." They then went outside the room together to an open area, gathered grass and wood at the foot of a great tree, and lit a fire to warm themselves. At that moment, a venomous snake was inside the hollow of that tree; driven out by the heat of the fire, it came crawling out. The bhikkhus, upon seeing it, were all terrified and cried out, "A venomous snake! A venomous snake!" They then hurled the burning pieces of firewood in all directions. Sparks flew and the fire spread, burning the Buddha's teaching hall.

The bhikkhus who heard of this matter — among them those who were of few desires, who were content, who practiced the ascetic disciplines, who were fond of training in the precepts, and who knew shame and remorse — reproached the group of six bhikkhus, saying, "How could you say to one another that you could not speak freely in the presence of the Elder, and then go outside the room to an open area, gather grass and wood at the foot of a great tree, and light a fire to warm yourselves, thereby causing the venomous snake inside the hollow of the tree to come out, so that you panicked and hurled the burning firewood in all directions, with sparks flying and the fire burning down the Buddha's teaching hall?"

The bhikkhus went to the place where the Blessed One was, paid homage at his feet, and then sat to one side. They presented this matter in full to the Blessed One. The Blessed One thereupon, on account of this matter, convened an assembly of the Sangha of bhikkhus and reproached the group of six bhikkhus:

"What you have done is wrong, unbefitting of proper conduct, not in accordance with the Dhamma of a recluse, not pure practice, not proper behavior — you have done what should not be done. Group of six bhikkhus, how could you say to one another that you could not speak freely in the presence of the Elder, and then go outside the room to an open area, gather grass and wood at the foot of a great tree, and light a fire to warm yourselves, thereby causing the venomous snake inside the hollow of the tree to come out, so that you panicked and hurled the burning firewood in all directions, with sparks flying and the fire burning down the Buddha's teaching hall?"

After the Blessed One had reproached the group of six bhikkhus with numerous skillful means, he said to the bhikkhus:

"These foolish men are a source of planting many defiled seeds; they are the first to commit this offense. From this day forward, I shall lay down a rule for the bhikkhus, encompassing ten points of meaning, up to and including the purpose of causing the true Dharma to endure for a long time."

The rule should be stated as follows:

Whatever bhikkhu, for his own sake, himself kindles a fire in the open air, or causes another to kindle one — a pācittiya.

The Blessed One thus laid down this rule for the bhikkhus. At that time, there were bhikkhus who were ill; being careful and apprehensive, they did not dare to kindle a fire themselves nor to ask others to kindle one. The bhikkhus informed the Buddha, and the Buddha instructed:

"I allow a bhikkhu who is ill to himself kindle a fire in the open air or to have another kindle one."

From this time forward, the rule should be stated as follows:

Whatever bhikkhu, not being ill, for his own sake, himself kindles a fire in the open air, or causes another to kindle one — a pācittiya.

The Blessed One thus laid down this rule for the bhikkhus. At that time, there were bhikkhus who wished to cook porridge for ill bhikkhus, or to cook broth, or to cook rice; or in the warming room, the kitchen, or the bathhouse; or to fumigate bowls, to dye robes, or to light lamps, or to burn incense — in all such cases the bhikkhus were careful and apprehensive and did not dare to do so. The Buddha instructed:

"In the above-mentioned cases, kindling a fire is permitted."

From this time forward, the rule should be stated as follows:

Whatever bhikkhu, not being ill, for his own sake, himself kindles a fire in the open air, or causes another to kindle one — a pācittiya, except in cases where there is a special reason.

B. ANALYSIS OF THE RULE

Bhikkhu: the meaning is as above.

Ill: being in need of fire for warmth.

If a bhikkhu who is not ill, for his own sake, himself kindles a fire in the open air — whether by burning grass, wood, branches, leaves, thorns, brambles, soma grass, cow dung, husks, or anything whatsoever — in all cases he commits a pācittiya.

If he places fire upon grass, wood, branches, leaves, thorns, brambles, cow dung, husks, or the like, and they catch fire — a pācittiya.

If he takes a piece of wood that is half-burned and throws it into the fire — a dukkaṭa; burning charcoal — a dukkaṭa.

If he does not say to the person nearby, "Watch out! Be aware!" — a dukkaṭa.

For a bhikkhunī — a pācittiya. For a sikkhāmānā, a sāmaṇera, or a sāmaṇerī — a dukkaṭa. These are called offenses.

Non-offense: If one says to the person nearby, "Watch out!" Or if a sick person kindles fire himself or has another kindle it; if there is a special reason for caring for the sick, such as cooking porridge, cooking broth, cooking rice for a sick person; or if one is in a kitchen, a warming room, or a bathhouse; or if one is fumigating bowls, cooking dye for robes, lighting a lamp, or burning incense — in all such cases there is no offense.

Those who do not commit an offense: one who commits the act for the first time before the rule has been laid down, one who is mentally deranged, one whose mind is disturbed, one who is afflicted with pain and oppressed by suffering.

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 Publication Committee, 2002