Lzh Dg Bu Vb Pc 87Sitting Mats

– DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

87. NISĪDANA EXCEEDING THE MEASURE

A. ORIGIN

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling in the Anāthapiṇḍika garden, Jeta's Grove, in the city of Śrāvastī. On that day, the Blessed One had not gone out to accept an invitation, and a donor brought food to offer to him.

As is the customary practice of the Buddhas, on days when they do not go out to accept invitations they go to inspect the dwelling rooms. On that day, the Buddha went to the various rooms and, in many different places, saw the bedding of the Saṅgha spread on the ground soiled by impurities. At that moment, heavy rain was about to fall. The Blessed One thereupon used his supernormal power to prevent the bedding of the Saṅgha from being soaked by the rainwater. When the monks returned, the Blessed One, on account of this matter, assembled the community of monks and said:

"Just now I went to inspect the various rooms and saw in many different places the bedding of the Saṅgha spread on the ground soiled by impurities. At that time rain was about to fall, and I used my supernormal power to prevent the bedding from being soaked by the rainwater. You should know that this defilement belongs to one who has desires, not to one who is free from desires; to one who has hatred, not to one who is free from hatred; to one who has delusion, not to one who is free from delusion.

Even those who have left desire, even non-Buddhist ascetics who have renounced desire, do not have such things—how much less so an arhat. If a monk maintains right mindfulness without distraction, even during sleep such things do not occur—how much less so with an arhat. From now on I permit monks, for the sake of covering their bodies, covering their robes, and covering their bedding, to obtain a nisīdana."

When the Blessed One permitted the obtaining of a nisīdana, the group of six monks immediately obtained many nisīdanas, both wide and long. Other monks who saw them asked:

"The Blessed One has laid down the precept permitting the keeping of three robes and no more—whose robes are these?"

The group of six monks said:

"These are our nisīdanas."

When the monks heard this, those among them who were of few desires, contented, who lived the dhūta practices, were fond of studying the precepts, and knew shame and remorse, reproved the group of six monks: "How could you obtain so many nisīdanas, both wide and long?"

The monks went to where the Blessed One was, bowed down at his feet, sat to one side, and reported this matter fully to the Blessed One. The Blessed One, on account of this, assembled the community of monks and rebuked the group of six monks:

"What you have done is wrong, not proper conduct, not the practice of a śramaṇa, not pure conduct, not fitting behavior—this should not be done. Why have you sewn nisīdanas that are both wide and large?"

The Blessed One, having rebuked the group of six monks in many ways, said to the monks:

"These foolish men are a field for planting many seeds of the āsravas, and they are the first to commit this offense. From now on I shall lay down a precept for the monks, for ten reasons, including the reason that the true Dharma may long endure."

The precept should be stated as follows:

Whatever monk makes a nisīdana, he must make it to the proper measure. The proper measure here is two spans in length and one and a half spans in width according to the Buddha's span. If it exceeds this, a pācittiya; it must be cut down.

The Blessed One having thus laid down the precept for the monks, at that time the Venerable Kāḷudāyī had a large body, and the nisīdana was too small; it was not sufficient for him to sit on. Knowing that the Blessed One would pass along that road, he stood by the side of the road and pulled at the nisīdana with his hands, wishing to make it longer and wider. The Blessed One saw Kāḷudāyī pulling at the nisīdana with his hands; knowing this, the Buddha nonetheless deliberately asked:

"Why are you pulling at the nisīdana like that?"

The Venerable One replied:

"I wish to make it longer and wider, and so I am pulling it in this way."

At that time, the Blessed One, on account of this matter, taught the Dharma to the monks in accordance with the situation, praising the dhūta practices, few desires, contentment, and the joy of renunciation, and said to the monks:

"From now on I permit monks to sew the nisīdana longer and wider, adding a half-span on each side as a border."

From now on the precept should be stated as follows:

Whatever monk makes a nisīdana, he must make it to the proper measure. The proper measure here is two spans in length and one and a half spans in width according to the Buddha's span, with an additional half-span added on one side as a border. If it exceeds this, a pācittiya; it must be cut down.

B. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE OFFENSE

Monk: as explained above.

Nisīdana: a cloth spread down for sitting upon. If a monk makes a nisīdana in which the length exceeds the set measure but the width does not; or the width exceeds but the length does not; or both the width and the length exceed, and he sews it himself and it is completed—a pācittiya. If it is not completed—a duṣkṛta. If he has another person sew it and it is completed—a pācittiya; if not completed—a duṣkṛta. If he sews it for another person, whether completed or not completed—a duṣkṛta in both cases.

A bhikṣuṇī: a duṣkṛta. A śikṣamāṇā, a śrāmaṇera, a śrāmaṇerī: a duṣkṛta. These are called offenses.

Non-offense: sewing it to the proper measure or smaller; or receiving from another person an article already made and cutting it down to the set measure; or folding it over to make two layers—in these cases there is no offense.

Those who do not commit an offense: one who commits a violation for the first time before the precept has been laid down; one who is insane; one whose mind is disturbed; one who is afflicted and overwhelmed by suffering.

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

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka Master Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian.

Revised and annotated: Bhikṣu Thích Nguyên Chứng.

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

Buddhist Publication Committee, 2002.