Lzh Dg Bu Vb Pc 75Leaving Without Giving Consent

– DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

75. LEAVING WITHOUT GIVING CONSENT

A. ORIGIN

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling in the Anāthapiṇḍika Garden, Jeta's Grove, in the city of Śrāvastī. At that time, a large number of bhikkhus had assembled together in one place to discuss matters of Vinaya.

Then the group of six bhikkhus said among themselves: "Look at these bhikkhus assembling together in one place — it seems they intend to perform a formal act against us." Immediately, the group of six rose and departed. The bhikkhus said:

"Please remain, Venerables; do not leave. The Sangha has business to attend to, yet you deliberately walk away and refuse to stay."

Among the bhikkhus, there were those of few desires, contentment, who practiced the ascetic virtues, who delighted in training in the precepts, and who knew shame and remorse. They censured the group of six bhikkhus: "The Sangha has assembled to deliberate on Dharma matters. Why do you rise and walk away?"

The bhikkhus went to where the Blessed One was, paid homage at his feet, sat to one side, and reported this matter to the Blessed One in full. The Blessed One thereupon, on account of this matter, assembled the Sangha of bhikkhus and rebuked the group of six bhikkhus:

"What you have done is wrong, unbecoming, not in accordance with the deportment of a monastic, not the practice of a contemplative, not pure conduct, not proper behavior — it is something that should not have been done. Why, when the Sangha had assembled to deliberate on Dharma matters, did you rise and walk away?"

Having rebuked the group of six with numerous means, the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus:

"These foolish men are a field for the sowing of many defiled seeds; they are the first to commit this offense. From this time forward, I shall lay down a precept for the bhikkhus, comprising ten bases of meaning, up to and including the establishment of the true Dharma for a long time to come."

The precept should be proclaimed as follows:

Whatever bhikkhu, while the Sangha's deliberation of a matter is not yet concluded, rises and departs — a pācittiya.

The Blessed One having laid down this precept for the bhikkhus, some bhikkhus had affairs concerning the Sangha, or affairs concerning a stūpa, or the care of a sick bhikkhu, and were uncertain. The Buddha instructed:

"From this time forward, it is permitted to give consent."

From this point forward, the precept is proclaimed as follows:

Whatever bhikkhu, while the Sangha's deliberation of a matter is not yet concluded, departs without giving consent — a pācittiya.

B. THE ANALYSIS OF THE PRECEPT

Bhikkhu: as explained above.

Sangha: sharing the same recitation of the Pātimokkha, sharing the same formal act.

Matter: there are eighteen matters causing schism in the Sangha — Dhamma, non-Dhamma, and so forth, up to what is to be proclaimed and what is not to be proclaimed. If a bhikkhu, while a matter has not yet been decided, rises and departs — when his foot steps beyond the threshold, it is a pācittiya; if one foot is outside the threshold and one foot is inside, or if he intends to leave but does not leave, or if he arranges to leave but does not leave — in all such cases it is a dukkaṭa.

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

Non-offense: if one has affairs concerning the Sangha, affairs concerning a stūpa, affairs concerning the monastery, or the care of a sick person, and one gives consent — there is no offense.

Or if one is mute and unable to speak to give consent.

Or if the formal act is non-Dhamma, or the formal act is contrary to the Vinaya.

Or if, in the course of performing a formal act, the place of residence is not established, is diminished, without benefit, connected with matters of the Sangha or of a monastery and stūpa; or if it concerns one's preceptor, a fellow student of the same preceptor, one's instructor, a fellow student of the same instructor, or a close and dear acquaintance — in such circumstances, if one departs without giving consent, there is no offense.

Those who do not incur an offense: one who commits an offense for the first time before the precept was laid down; one who is mentally deranged; one whose mind is disturbed; one who is afflicted with extreme pain and distress.

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 by: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng

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

Buddhist Studies Editorial Board, 2002