Lzh Dg Bu Vb Pc 9Teaching Someone of the Opposite Gender Alone

– FOUR-PART VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

9. TEACHING THE DHARMA MORE THAN FIVE OR SIX WORDS

A. ORIGIN

At one time, the Buddha was staying in the garden of Anāthapiṇḍika, in the Jeta Grove, in the city of Sāvatthī. At that time, the Venerable Kāḷudāyin, at a suitable hour, put on his robe, took up his bowl, and went to the house of a householder. In the presence of his mother-in-law, he leaned close to the ear of the daughter-in-law and taught the Dharma to her. The mother-in-law saw this and asked the daughter-in-law:

"What did the bhikkhu just say to you?"

The daughter-in-law replied:

"The bhikkhu taught me the Dharma."

The mother-in-law said to the daughter-in-law:

"If he is teaching the Dharma, he should speak aloud so that we can all hear. Why did he lean close to your ear and speak only to you?"

The daughter-in-law said:

"Just now the bhikkhu spoke as though between brother and sister; there was nothing different about it. What fault could there be in that?"

At that time, a bhikkhu who was on almsround heard this and immediately rebuked Kāḷudāyin: "Why did the Venerable One lean close to the ear of the daughter-in-law and teach her Dharma in the presence of her mother-in-law?"

The bhikkhu then finished his almsround and returned to the monastery, and related this matter in full to the other bhikkhus. Among them were those who were of few desires, who were content, who practiced the ascetic disciplines, who were fond of training in the precepts, and who had a sense of shame and remorse. They reproached Kāḷudāyin: "Why did you lean close to the ear of the daughter-in-law and teach her Dharma in the presence of her mother-in-law?"

The bhikkhus went to the place of the Blessed One, bowed down at his feet, sat to one side, and related this matter in full to the Blessed One. The Blessed One, using this matter as occasion, assembled the Saṅgha of bhikkhus, and though he already knew, he deliberately asked Kāḷudāyin:

"Did you in fact lean close to the ear of the daughter-in-law and teach her Dharma in the presence of her mother-in-law?"

He replied:

"It is indeed so."

At that time, the Blessed One rebuked Kāḷudāyin with numerous skillful means:

"What you have done is wrong — it is not proper conduct, not the behavior of a samaṇa, not pure practice, not suitable behavior, and it is something that should not be done. Why did you lean close to the ear of the daughter-in-law and teach her Dharma in the presence of her mother-in-law?"

Having rebuked Kāḷudāyin with numerous skillful means, the Blessed One said to the bhikkhus:

"This Kāḷudāyin is a foolish person; he is a field for sowing many seeds of defilement, and he is the first to commit this offense. From now on, I shall lay down a rule for the bhikkhus, with ten purposes, up to and including the purpose of causing the true Dharma to endure long."

The rule should be stated thus:

Whatever bhikkhu teaches the Dharma to a woman — a pācittiya.

The Blessed One thus laid down this rule for the bhikkhus.

At that time, some women requested the bhikkhus: "We beseech the Venerables to teach us the Dharma."

At that time, the bhikkhus were apprehensive because the Blessed One had laid down a rule that bhikkhus were not to teach the Dharma to women.

The bhikkhus reported this matter in full to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said:

"From now on, I permit bhikkhus to teach the Dharma to women up to five or six words."

From now on the rule should be stated thus:

Whatever bhikkhu teaches the Dharma to a woman and speaks more than five or six words — a pācittiya.

The Blessed One thus laid down this rule for the bhikkhus. The bhikkhus were again apprehensive, and because no knowledgeable man was present, they refrained from teaching the Dharma to women. The Buddha said to the bhikkhus:

"From now on, if a knowledgeable man is present, I permit teaching the Dharma to women beyond five or six words."

From now on the rule should be stated thus:

Whatever bhikkhu teaches the Dharma to a woman beyond five or six words, except in the presence of a knowledgeable man — a pācittiya.

At that time, some women requested the bhikkhus: "Venerable Sir, please confer the five precepts upon us."

The bhikkhus were apprehensive because no knowledgeable man was present, and so they did not confer the five precepts upon the women. The Buddha instructed:

"From now on, I permit the conferring of the five precepts upon women even when no knowledgeable man is present."

At that time, some women requested the bhikkhus: "Venerable Sir, please explain to us the Dharma of the five precepts."

At that time, no knowledgeable man was present, and the bhikkhus were apprehensive and did not explain the Dharma of the five precepts to the women. The Buddha said to the bhikkhus:

"From now on, I permit bhikkhus, even when no knowledgeable man is present, to explain the Dharma of the five precepts to women."

At that time, some women wished to receive the practice of the Uposatha of the Eight Precepts. The bhikkhus were apprehensive, and because no knowledgeable man was present, they did not dare to confer this practice upon them. The Buddha said to the bhikkhus:

"From now on, I permit bhikkhus, even when no knowledgeable man is present, to confer upon women the practice of the Uposatha of the Eight Precepts."

At that time, some women requested the bhikkhus: "Venerable Sir, please explain to us the Dharma of the Uposatha of the Eight Precepts."

At that time, no knowledgeable man was present, and the bhikkhus were apprehensive and did not explain the Dharma of the Uposatha of the Eight Precepts. The Buddha said to the bhikkhus:

"From now on, I permit bhikkhus, even when no knowledgeable man is present, to explain the Dharma of the Uposatha of the Eight Precepts to women."

At that time, some women said to the bhikkhus: "Venerable Sir, we wish to hear the Dharma of the Noble Eightfold Path."

At that time, no knowledgeable man was present, and the bhikkhus were apprehensive and did not explain the Dharma of the Noble Eightfold Path. The Buddha said to the bhikkhus:

"From now on, I permit bhikkhus, even when no knowledgeable man is present, to explain the Dharma of the Noble Eightfold Path to women."

At that time, some women said to the bhikkhus: "Venerable Sir, please explain to us the ten unwholesome actions."

At that time, no knowledgeable man was present, and the bhikkhus were apprehensive and did not explain the Dharma of the ten unwholesome actions. The Buddha said to the bhikkhus:

"From now on, I permit bhikkhus, even when no knowledgeable man is present, to explain the Dharma of the ten unwholesome actions to women."

At that time, some women said to the bhikkhus: "Venerable Sir, please explain to us the ten wholesome actions."

At that time, no knowledgeable man was present, and the bhikkhus were apprehensive and did not explain the ten wholesome actions. The Buddha said to the bhikkhus:

"From now on, I permit bhikkhus, even when no knowledgeable man is present, to explain the ten wholesome actions to women."

At that time, some women came to ask the bhikkhus about the meaning of the teachings. The bhikkhus were apprehensive and did not explain the Dharma of the ten unwholesome actions. The Buddha said to the bhikkhus:

"From now on, I permit bhikkhus, even when no knowledgeable man is present, to answer women's questions about meaning. If they do not understand, one may explain at length for them."

From now on, the rule should be stated thus:

Whatever bhikkhu teaches the Dharma to a woman beyond five or six words, except in the presence of a knowledgeable man — a pācittiya.

B. ANALYSIS OF THE RULE

Bhikkhu: the meaning is as above.

Woman: the meaning is also as above.

Five words: form is non-self; feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness are non-self.

Six words: the eye is impermanent; the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind are impermanent.

Knowledgeable man: one who clearly understands what constitutes a grave offense and what does not.

If a bhikkhu teaches the Dharma to a woman beyond five or six words, except in the presence of a knowledgeable man — if he speaks distinctly, he commits a pācittiya; if indistinctly, he commits a dukkhaṭa.

With regard to a girl, a female asura, a female nāga, a female yakkha, a female gandhabba, a female hungry ghost, or a female animal capable of transformation — if one teaches the Dharma to any of them beyond five or six words, whether distinctly or indistinctly, one commits a dukkhaṭa.

Among animals, those incapable of transformation — if one teaches them beyond five or six words, one commits a dukkhaṭa.

For a bhikkhunī — a pācittiya. For a sikkhamānā, a sāmaṇera, or a sāmaṇerī — a dukkhaṭa. These are called offenses.

Non-offense: speaking only five or six words; or if speaking more, doing so in the presence of a knowledgeable man. Even without a knowledgeable man present: conferring the five precepts upon an upāsikā, explaining the Dharma of the five precepts, conferring the Uposatha of the Eight Precepts, explaining the Dharma of the Uposatha of the Eight Precepts, explaining the Noble Eightfold Path, explaining the Dharma of the ten unwholesome actions, and when a woman asks about meaning — one may answer even without a knowledgeable man present; if she does not understand, one may explain at length for her. Or if one speaks in jest, speaks hastily, speaks to oneself, speaks in a dream, or intending to say one thing says another — in all these cases there is no offense.

Those who do not commit an offense: the first offender at the time before the rule was established, one who is insane, one whose mind is disturbed, one who is tormented by pain and afflicted by suffering.

Vietnamese translation: Bhikkhu Thích Đỗng Minh and Thích Đức Thắng. FOUR-PART 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, fascicles 1 and 2)

Buddhist Studies Editorial Board, 2002