Lzh Dg Bu Vb Pc 72Annoyance

– DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

72. DISPARAGING THE TRAINING RULES

A. ORIGIN

Once, the Buddha was dwelling in the Anāthapiṇḍika Garden, Jeta's Grove, in the country of Śrāvastī. At that time, a large number of bhikkhus had gathered together in one place to recite the true Dharma and to recite the Vinaya. The group of six bhikkhus said to one another: "These bhikkhus have gathered together in one place to recite the true Dharma and to recite the Vinaya.

Those bhikkhus who are thoroughly versed in the Vinaya will surely censure our offenses regularly. Now we should go to where those bhikkhus are and say: 'Venerable Elders, what is the use of reciting these minor and miscellaneous rules? If you wish to recite, you should recite the four matters.

If you absolutely must recite more, then recite the four matters and the thirteen matters. The rest should not be recited. Why?

Because if the Venerable Elders recite these rules, it causes people to have doubts and distress.'"

Then the group of six went and said to those bhikkhus:

"Venerable Elders, what is the use of reciting these minor and miscellaneous rules? If you wish to recite, you should recite the four matters. If you absolutely must recite more, then recite the four matters and the thirteen matters. The rest should not be recited. Why? Because if the Venerable Elders recite these rules, it causes people to have doubts and distress."

The bhikkhus, upon reflection, understood that the group of six bhikkhus had spoken thus because they wished to destroy the Dharma.

The bhikkhus who heard this, among whom were those of few desires and contentment, who lived the ascetic practices, who were fond of training in the precepts, who knew shame and remorse, reproached the group of six bhikkhus: "How could you, wishing to destroy the Dharma, speak in such a way?"

The bhikkhus went to the place of the Blessed One, paid homage at his feet, and sat to one side. They then reported this matter to the Blessed One in full. The Blessed One, on account of this matter, convened the Sangha of bhikkhus and rebuked 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 śramaṇa, not in accordance with pure conduct, not in accordance with proper comportment — you have done what ought not to be done. How could you, wishing to destroy the Dharma, speak in such a way?"

After the Blessed One had rebuked the group of six bhikkhus by means of countless skillful means, he said to the bhikkhus:

"These foolish men are a field that cultivates many seeds of the āsavas; they are the first to commit this offense. From now on, I shall lay down a rule for the bhikkhus, comprising ten principles of meaning, up to and including the principle that the true Dharma may long endure."

The rule should be stated thus:

Whatever bhikkhu, when the precepts are being recited, speaks thus: 'Venerable, what is the use of reciting such minor and miscellaneous rules? When these rules are recited, it causes people to develop doubts, distress, and embarrassment' — disparaging the precepts in such a way — commits a pācittiya.

B. ANALYSIS OF THE RULE

Bhikkhu: as defined above.

That bhikkhu, whether reciting the precepts himself, or when another is reciting the precepts, or when the precepts are being chanted, says: "Venerable Elders, what is the use of reciting these minor and miscellaneous rules? If you wish to recite, you should recite the four matters; if you absolutely must recite more, you should recite only the four matters and the thirteen matters. Why? Because when these rules are recited, it causes people to develop doubts, affliction, and embarrassment." If spoken thus clearly, a pācittiya is committed; if spoken unclearly, a dukkaṭa is committed.

Disparaging the Vinaya: pācittiya. Disparaging the Abhidharma: dukkaṭa. Disparaging the various other canonical scriptures: dukkaṭa.

A bhikkhunī: pācittiya. A śikṣamāṇā, a śrāmaṇera, a śrāmaṇerī: dukkaṭa. These are called offenses.

Non-offense: If one says to first recite the Abhidharma and then recite the Vinaya, or to first recite the canonical scriptures and then recite the Vinaya; or if there is illness, and one waits until recovery before reciting the Vinaya; or if, within the Buddha-Dharma, one must seek skillful means to attain the four fruits of arhatship, and only thereafter recite the Vinaya; or if one speaks with the sincere intention of not allowing the true Dharma to be destroyed; or if one speaks in jest, or speaks hastily, speaks in a dream, speaks to oneself, or intends to speak of one matter but mistakenly speaks of another — there is no offense.

Those who do not commit an offense: one who commits it for the first time before the rule was promulgated; one who is insane or mentally disturbed; one who is suffering and in acute distress.

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

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka Master Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian.

Revised and annotated: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng

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

Editorial Board of Buddhist Studies 2002