Lzh Dg Bu Vb Pc 67Travelling With Thieves

– DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

67. TRAVELLING TOGETHER WITH ROBBERS

A. ORIGIN

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling in the Anāthapiṇḍika Garden, Jeta's Grove, in the country of Śrāvastī. At that time, a number of bhikkhus wished to travel from Śrāvastī to Vaiśālī. At that time, there was a party of merchants travelling the same way. This party of merchants intended to find a means of secretly passing through the customs post to evade the King's taxes. The merchants asked the bhikkhus:

"Venerable Ones, where do you wish to go?"

The bhikkhus replied:

"We wish to go to Vaiśālī."

The merchants said:

"May we travel together with you?"

The bhikkhus said:

"Yes."

At that time, the bhikkhus travelled together with the merchants and secretly passed through the customs post. But the customs guards caught them and escorted them before King Prasenajit, reporting:

"These people attempted to pass through the customs post secretly in order to evade taxes."

The King asked:

"These merchants wished to pass through the customs post secretly and evade taxes. But what business do these śramaṇas have in this matter?"

The customs officials replied:

"They were travelling together with these people."

The King asked the bhikkhus:

"Did you Venerable Ones truly travel together with these merchants?"

The bhikkhus replied:

"It is true that we did."

The King further asked:

"Did you know that these merchants were evading taxes?"

The bhikkhus said:

"We did know."

The King declared:

"If you truly knew, then according to the law, the offense is punishable by death."

At that time, the King reflected to himself: "I am an anointed King — how could I put to death śramaṇas who are sons of the Śākyas!" The King rebuked the bhikkhus by means of many reproaches, and then, before the assembly, ordered the bhikkhus released. In accordance with the King's command, they immediately set the bhikkhus free. At that time, among the King's retinue all spoke loudly saying:

"The śramaṇas, the sons of the Śākyas, have violated a grave law of the King, an offense punishable by death, yet the King merely gave them a light reprimand and released them!"

The bhikkhus heard of this, and among them those who had few desires and contentment, who lived the ascetic practices, who delighted in training in the precepts, who had a sense of shame, reproved those bhikkhus: "Why did you travel together with a party of merchants?"

The bhikkhus went to where the Blessed One was, paid homage at his feet, and sat to one side. They then presented this matter in full to the Blessed One. The Blessed One, on account of this matter, assembled the Saṅgha of bhikkhus and rebuked those bhikkhus:

"Why did you travel together with those merchants?"

Having rebuked those bhikkhus by means of many reproaches, he then said to the bhikkhus:

"These foolish men — they are a field in which many defiled seeds are sown; they are the first to commit this offense. From now on, I shall set forth the precept for the bhikkhus, for ten reasons, up to and including the reason that the true Dharma may long endure."

The precept is to be recited thus:

Whatever bhikkhu travels together on the same road with a band of robbers and thieves, even for the distance between two villages — pācittiya.

The Blessed One having thus laid down this precept for the bhikkhus, the bhikkhus did not know whether certain persons were companions of robbers or not, and only later came to know that they were companions of robbers. As a result, some performed the act of confession for pācittiya, and some were doubtful. The Buddha instructed:

"If one did not know, there is no offense."

From now on the precept is to be recited thus:

Whatever bhikkhu, knowing them to be companions of robbers and thieves, travels together with them on the same road, even for the distance between two villages — pācittiya.

The Blessed One having thus laid down this precept for the bhikkhus, there were bhikkhus who travelled together without having made a prior arrangement, and they were doubtful. The Buddha instructed:

"If there was no prior arrangement, there is no offense."

From now on the precept is to be recited thus:

Whatever bhikkhu, knowing them to be companions of robbers and thieves, makes a prior arrangement and travels together with them on the same road, even for the distance between two villages — pācittiya.

B. ANALYSIS OF THE PRECEPT

Bhikkhu: as explained above.

Band of robbers: whether returning from having committed robbery, or just setting out.

Prior arrangement: mutually agreeing to travel to a certain city or a certain village.

Road: the roads that run through the interval between two villages.

If a bhikkhu, knowing them to be robbers, makes a prior arrangement and travels together on the same road, through the interval between villages, on each such road he commits one pācittiya. In a place where there are no villages — in open wasteland with no village boundaries — upon travelling ten leagues, he commits a pācittiya.

If he makes a prior arrangement to travel together for half the interval between two villages, he commits a duṣkṛta; for less than ten leagues, he commits a duṣkṛta. Travelling within the boundaries of a single village, he commits a duṣkṛta.

Intending by expedient means to go but not going, making the arrangement but not going — all such cases constitute a duṣkṛta.

For a bhikkhunī — pācittiya. For a śikṣamāṇā, a śrāmaṇera, or a śrāmaṇerī — duṣkṛta. These are called offenses.

Non-offense: if one did not know beforehand; if one did not make a prior arrangement to travel together; if one went there for reasons of safety. Or if one was seized by force, or was bound and led away, or if there was danger to one's life or danger to one's brahmacarya — in all such cases there is no offense.

Those who do not incur an offense: one who commits the act for the first time before the precept was laid down, one who is insane, one whose mind is disturbed, one who is afflicted with pain and torment.

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

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka masters Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian.

Edited and annotated by: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng.

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

Buddhist Studies Editorial Board, 2002.