Lzh Dg Bu Vb Pc 7Announcing a Grave Offense

– DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

7. ANNOUNCING A GRAVE OFFENSE

A. ORIGIN

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling on Gṛdhrakūṭa Mountain. At that time, in the city of Rājagṛha, there was a bhikkhu who was undergoing pārivāsika and mānatta, and so he sat in the lowest position. The group of six bhikkhus asked the laypeople:

"Do you know why that person sits at the very bottom?"

The laypeople replied:

"We do not know."

The group of six bhikkhus said:

"That person committed such-and-such an offense. Because he committed such an offense, the Sangha penalized him so that he must sit at the very bottom."

The offending bhikkhu heard this and felt ashamed, and other bhikkhus who heard these words also felt ashamed. Among them were those of few desires and contentment, who practiced the ascetic disciplines, who delighted in training in the precepts, who knew conscience and shame, and they reproached the group of six bhikkhus: "How could you disclose a bhikkhu's grave offense to laypeople?"

The bhikkhus 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 matter to convene the Sangha of bhikkhus and reproached the group of six bhikkhus:

"How could you disclose a bhikkhu's grave offense to laypeople?" At that time, the Blessed One used countless skillful means to reproach the group of six bhikkhus, and then said to the bhikkhus:

"These are foolish men; they are a field for planting many seeds of defilement; they are the first to transgress this precept. From this day forward, I shall establish a precept for the bhikkhus, for ten reasons, up to the purpose of causing the true Dharma to endure long."

Wishing to recite the precept, it should be recited thus:

Whatever bhikkhu, knowing that a bhikkhu has committed a grave offense, discloses it to one who has not received the higher ordination, it is a pācittiya.

After the Blessed One had thus established the precept for the bhikkhus, there were bhikkhus who did not know whether an offense was grave or not grave, and only later came to know it was grave; or there were those who had already performed the rite of confession for the pācittiya, or there were those who were anxious. The Buddha taught: "If one did not know, there is no offense."

From this day forward, the precept shall be recited thus:

Whatever bhikkhu, knowing that a bhikkhu has committed a grave offense, discloses it to one who has not received the higher ordination, it is a pācittiya.

Thus the Blessed One established the precept for the bhikkhus.

At that time, the Venerable Śāriputra was dispatched by the Sangha to go among the ministers of the King and among the people to clearly announce the wrongdoings of Devadatta—that whatever Devadatta did should not be attributed to the Buddha, the Dharma, or the Sangha, but should be known as the doing of Devadatta. The Venerable Śāriputra, upon hearing this, arose with a feeling of caution and anxiety. The bhikkhus, knowing this, went and reported it to the Blessed One. The Blessed One taught:

"If the Sangha has formally authorized it, there is no offense."

From this day forward, the precept shall be recited thus:

Whatever bhikkhu, knowing that another bhikkhu has committed a grave offense, discloses it to one who has not received the higher ordination, except by a formal act of the Sangha, it is a pācittiya.

B. ANALYSIS OF THE PRECEPT

Bhikkhu: as explained above.

One who has not received the higher ordination: (other than bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs) as in the preceding precept.

Grave offense: pārājika, saṅghāvaśeṣa.

Sangha: those who are of one and the same formal act, one and the same recitation of the Prātimokṣa.

If a bhikkhu knows that another has committed a grave offense and goes to disclose it to one who has not received the higher ordination, except by a Sangha formal act, it is a pācittiya. If the disclosure is explicit, it is a pācittiya; if it is not explicit, it is a duṣkṛta.

Disclosing offenses other than grave offenses to one who has not received the higher ordination is a duṣkṛta.

Disclosing one's own grave offense to one who has not received the higher ordination is a duṣkṛta. Disclosing the grave offense of another—except to bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs—to one who has not received the higher ordination is a duṣkṛta.

Perceiving a grave offense as a grave offense: pācittiya. Being in doubt about a grave offense: duṣkṛta. Perceiving what is not a grave offense as a grave offense: duṣkṛta. Being in doubt about what is not a grave offense: duṣkṛta.

For a bhikkhunī, it is a pācittiya; for a śikṣamāṇā, a śrāmaṇera, or a śrāmaṇerī, it is a duṣkṛta. This is called an offense.

Non-offense: if one did not know; or if the Sangha has formally authorized it; if one perceived a grave offense as not being a grave offense; or if the layperson already knew of this grave offense beforehand, there is no offense.

Those who do not commit an offense: one who transgresses 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 suffering.

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

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka master Buddhayaśas and Zhú Fóniàn.

Revised and annotated by: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng

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

Buddhist Studies Publication Committee, 2002