Lzh Dg Bu Vb Pc 69Living With an Ejected Monastic

– DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

69. SUPPORTING A BHIKKHU WHO HAS BEEN SUBJECTED TO THE UKKHEPANĪYA-KAMMA

A. ORIGIN

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling in the Anāthapiṇḍika Garden, Jeta's Grove, in the city of Sāvatthī. At that time, the bhikkhu Arittha gave rise to a wrong view, and the Sangha admonished him, yet he stubbornly refused to abandon it.

The bhikkhus heard of this, and among them were those who were of few desires and contentment, who practiced the dhutaṅga, who delighted in the training, and who had a sense of shame; they criticized the bhikkhu Arittha: "Why have you given rise to a wrong view, and when the Sangha admonishes you, you refuse to abandon it?"

The bhikkhus went to the Blessed One, paid homage at his feet, sat to one side, and reported this matter fully to the Blessed One. On account of this matter, the Blessed One convened an assembly of the Sangha of bhikkhus and reprimanded the bhikkhu Arittha:

"What you have done is wrong, not in accordance with proper conduct, not in accordance with the Dharma of a contemplative, not in accordance with pure practice, not in accordance with harmonious conduct—it is something that should not be done. Arittha! Why have you given rise to a wrong view, and when the Sangha admonishes you, you stubbornly refuse to abandon it?"

Having reprimanded the bhikkhu Arittha with many expedient means, the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus:

"From this time forth, the Sangha shall, in the case of the bhikkhu Arittha, perform the formal act of censure for his refusal to abandon a wrong view, by means of a formal act proclaimed three times. The Sangha should perform the act of censure for the bhikkhu Arittha. Having performed the act of censure, the act of recollection is performed. Having performed the act of recollection in this way, the offence is then assigned. Among the assembly, one who is capable of performing the formal act should be chosen, and the motion should be made as follows:

"'Venerable Sangha, please listen. This Arittha has given rise to a wrong view. The Sangha has admonished him, yet he stubbornly refuses to abandon it. If it is suitable to the Sangha, the Sangha gives its consent. Now the Sangha performs the formal act against Arittha for not abandoning his wrong view. This is the motion.

"'Venerable Sangha, please listen. This bhikkhu Arittha has given rise to a wrong view. The Sangha has admonished him, yet he deliberately refuses to abandon it. Now the Sangha performs the formal act against the bhikkhu Arittha for not abandoning his wrong view. Those elders who consent to the Sangha performing the formal act against the bhikkhu Arittha for not abandoning his wrong view should remain silent. Those who do not consent should speak. This is the first formal act.' (The second and third are spoken in the same way.)

"'The Sangha has consented to performing the formal act against the bhikkhu Arittha for not abandoning his wrong view. The Sangha consents and therefore is silent. This is so recorded.'"

When the Sangha performed the formal act against the bhikkhu Arittha for not abandoning his wrong view, the group of six bhikkhus still provided him with necessities, joined him in the formal act, shared lodging with him, and conversed with him.

The bhikkhus heard of this, and among them were those who were of few desires and contentment, who practiced the dhutaṅga, who delighted in the training, and who had a sense of shame; they criticized the group of six bhikkhus: "The bhikkhu Arittha has been subjected by the Sangha to the formal act of censure for not abandoning his wrong view. Why do you still provide him with necessities, share lodging with him, and converse with him?"

The bhikkhus went to the Blessed One, paid homage at his feet, sat to one side, and reported this matter fully to the Blessed One. On account of this matter, the Blessed One convened an assembly of the Sangha of bhikkhus and reprimanded the group of six bhikkhus:

"What you have done is wrong, not in accordance with proper conduct, not in accordance with the Dharma of a contemplative, not in accordance with pure practice, not in accordance with harmonious conduct—it is something that should not be done. Group of six bhikkhus, the bhikkhu Arittha has been subjected by the Sangha to the formal act of censure for not abandoning his wrong view. Why do you provide him with necessities, share lodging with him, and converse with him?"

Having reprimanded the group of six bhikkhus with many expedient means, the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus:

"These foolish ones are a field in which many defiled seeds are planted; they are the first to commit this offense. From this time forth, I shall lay down a rule of training for the bhikkhus, comprising ten bases of meaning, up to the phrase: so that the true Dharma may long endure."

The precept should be proclaimed as follows:

Whatever bhikkhu, with one who has not yet had the formal act performed (or resolved), who holds such a wrong view and has not yet abandoned it, then provides him with necessities, participates in the formal act with him, shares lodging with him, or converses with him—pācittiya.

Having thus laid down the rule of training for the bhikkhus, at that time certain bhikkhus did not know whether such words had been spoken or not; later they came to know that such words had indeed been spoken, and so some performed the act of confession for the pācittiya, while others were in doubt. The Buddha taught:

"One who does not know does not commit an offense."

From this time forth the precept should be proclaimed as follows:

Whatever bhikkhu, knowing that a person has spoken such words, who has not yet had the formal act performed (or resolved), who holds such a wrong view and has not yet abandoned it, then provides him with necessities, participates in the formal act with him, shares lodging with him, or converses with him—pācittiya.

B. ANALYSIS OF THE PRECEPT

Bhikkhu: as explained above.

Having spoken such words: that is, having said: "I have heard the Blessed One teach the Dharma—that engaging in sexual intercourse is not an obstacle to the path."

Not yet had the formal act resolved: if one has been subjected to the censure act, and it has not yet been lifted.

Holding such a view: understanding thus that the Dharma as taught by the Blessed One is not an obstacle to the path.

Has not yet abandoned the wrong view: the Sangha has admonished him, yet he has not abandoned the wrong view.

Providing necessities: there are two kinds—Dharma and material goods.

—Dharma: teaching the cultivation of the higher virtue, the higher mind, the higher wisdom, learning, and recitation of sūtras.

—Material goods: providing robes, food and drink, beds, bedding, and medicine for the sick.

Participating in the formal act together: that is, reciting the Pātimokkha together.

Sharing lodging: a dwelling with four walls, fully roofed and fully enclosed; or fully roofed with partial enclosure; or fully enclosed but not fully roofed; or neither fully roofed nor fully enclosed. Whether the bhikkhu enters the dwelling first and the person who has spoken such words arrives afterward; or the person who has spoken such words enters first and the bhikkhu arrives afterward; or both enter to sleep together—in every case, depending on whether their sides touch the bedding, a pācittiya is incurred.

Bhikkhunī: pācittiya. Sikkhāmāṇā, sāmaṇera, sāmaṇerī: dukkaṭa. This is called committing an offense.

Non-offense: A bhikkhu who, not knowing, enters to sleep; a bhikkhu who is already in the dwelling and the person who has spoken such words arrives afterward, entering without the bhikkhu's knowledge; or the dwelling is fully roofed but not enclosed on four sides; or fully roofed but only half enclosed; or fully roofed but enclosed only a little; or fully enclosed but not roofed; or fully enclosed but only half roofed; or fully enclosed but roofed only a little; or half roofed and half enclosed; or roofed only a little; or neither roofed nor enclosed; or open ground—in all such cases where there is no knowledge, there is no offense.

Or if one falls to the ground due to illness; or turns over due to illness; or is seized by force; or is bound and confined; or one's life is in danger; or the brahmacarya is threatened—there is no offense.

Those who do not commit an offense: one who commits an offense 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 and overwhelmed by pain.

Vietnamese translation: Bhikkhu Thích Đỗng Minh and Thích Đức Thắng. DHARMAGUPTAKA 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 Board, 2002.