Lzh Dg Bu Vb Pd 2Letting a Nun Order Food

– DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA

– PĀṬIDESANĪYA

2. RECEIVING FOOD DIRECTED BY A NUN

A. ORIGIN STORY

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling in the Anāthapiṇḍika Garden, Jeta's Grove, in the country of Śrāvastī. At that time, a large number of bhikkhus and the group of six bhikkhus were sitting and eating together in the house of a layperson. The group of six bhikkhunīs was demanding food and broth for the group of six bhikkhus, saying: "Bring broth to this one! Bring rice to that one." They passed over the other bhikkhus in between and brought food only to these six bhikkhus.

The bhikkhus heard of this, and among them were those of few desires, who were content, who practiced the ascetic virtues, who were fond of training in the precepts, who had a sense of shame, and they reproached the group of six bhikkhus: "Why do you eat food solicited by the group of six bhikkhunīs?"

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 thereupon, on account of this matter, convened an assembly of the Bhikkhu Saṅgha and rebuked the group of six bhikkhus:

"What you have done is wrong, unbecoming, not in accordance with the conduct of a samaṇa, not pure conduct, not proper behavior—it is something that should not be done. Why do you eat food solicited by bhikkhunīs, while other bhikkhus receive none?"

Having rebuked the group of six bhikkhus with numerous means, the Buddha said to the bhikkhus:

"These foolish men are a field where many seeds of defilement are sown; they are the first to commit this offense. From now on, I shall lay down a rule for the bhikkhus, based on ten grounds of meaning, up to and including the ground that the true Dharma may long endure."

The rule should be stated as follows:

Whatever bhikkhu, when eating in the house of a layperson, in which there is a bhikkhunī directing: 'Bring broth to this one, offer rice to that one'—that bhikkhu should say to that bhikkhunī: 'Sister, please stop! Wait until the bhikkhus have finished eating!' If not a single bhikkhu says to that bhikkhunī: 'Sister, please stop! Wait until the bhikkhus have finished eating!'—that bhikkhu must disclose it before another bhikkhu, saying: 'Venerable Sir, I have committed a blameworthy act, something that should not have been done. I now disclose and confess it before you, the Venerable One.' This is called a Dharma of confession.

B. ANALYSIS OF THE RULE

Bhikkhu: as explained above.

House: a place where men and women reside.

Food: as stated above.

When that bhikkhu receives food in the house of a layperson, in which there is a bhikkhunī directing: "Bring broth to this one! Bring rice to that one"—that bhikkhu should say: "Sister, please stop! Wait until the bhikkhus have finished eating." If not a single bhikkhu says: "Sister, please stop! Wait until the bhikkhus have finished eating"—for each mouthful eaten, one pāṭidesanīya offense is incurred.

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

Non-offense: if one says, "Sister, please stop! Wait until the bhikkhus have finished eating." If the bhikkhunī herself is the donor, or the donor has entrusted a bhikkhunī to manage the meal offering; or if there is no partiality shown toward any of the bhikkhus—in such cases there is no offense.

Those not guilty of an offense: one who commits it for the first time before the rule has been promulgated; one who is mentally deranged; one whose mind is disturbed; one who is afflicted and oppressed by pain.

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 by: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng

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

Buddhist Studies Editorial Board, 2002