Lzh Dg Bu Vb Pd 4Receiving Food in a Dangerous Region

– DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA

– PĀṬIDESANĪYA

4. RECEIVING FOOD INSIDE THE MONASTERY IN A WILDERNESS DWELLING

A. ORIGIN

At one time, the Buddha was staying in the Nyagrodha Park at Kapilavatthu, among the Sakyans. The women of the town of Sādi and the women of the Koliyans together brought food to the monastery to make offerings.

At that time, a band of brigands learned of this and blocked the road, harassing them. The bhikkhus heard of it and went to report the matter to the Blessed One. The Blessed One instructed them:

"From now on, the bhikkhus should tell the women, 'Do not go out. The road is threatened by brigands.' If they have already left the town, then say: 'Do not come to the monastery, for along the road there are brigands causing terror.' From now on I shall lay down a rule for the bhikkhus, comprising ten points of meaning, up to the point of the true Dharma enduring long."

Wishing to proclaim the rule, one should speak thus:

Whatever bhikkhu, dwelling in a wilderness dwelling, a place of suspicion and fear, does not receive food outside the monastery but only inside the monastery accepts food to eat, must go before another bhikkhu and confess: "Venerable Sir, I have committed a blameworthy offense. I now confess it before the Venerable One." This is the rule for confession.

The Blessed One thus laid down this rule for the bhikkhus. At that time, some donors, knowing in advance that there was danger, nonetheless brought food. The bhikkhus, being uncertain, did not dare accept it to eat. The Buddha instructed:

"From now on, the bhikkhus are permitted to receive food in such circumstances."

Then, sick bhikkhus also were uncertain and did not dare receive food in such circumstances. The Buddha said:

"From now on, sick bhikkhus are permitted to receive food in such circumstances."

At that time, some donors made offerings by placing food on the ground, or by having someone else hand it over; the bhikkhus, being uncertain, did not dare receive it. The Buddha instructed:

"From now on, the bhikkhus are permitted to receive food in such circumstances."

From now on the rule should be recited thus:

Whatever bhikkhu, dwelling in a wilderness dwelling, remote and secluded, a place of suspicion and fear — a bhikkhu dwelling in such a wilderness dwelling, without having previously informed the donors, does not receive food outside the monastery, yet, while not ill, inside the monastery receives food with his own hands to eat — that bhikkhu must go before another bhikkhu and confess: "Venerable Sir, I have committed a blameworthy offense. I now confess it before the Venerable One." This is the rule for confession.

B. ANALYSIS OF THE RULE

Bhikkhu: as explained above.

Wilderness dwelling: a place five hundred bows distant from a village. The bow is a unit of measurement of the country of Cāmara.

Suspicion of danger: suspicion that there are thieves or bandits causing terror.

Ill: as stated above.

If a bhikkhu in a wilderness dwelling in such a remote and secluded place, without having previously spoken to the donors, does not receive food outside the monastery but receives it inside the monastery, while not ill, and with his own hands accepts the food to eat — for each mouthful he commits a pāṭidesanīya offense.

A bhikkhunī: a dukkaṭa. A sikkhāmānā, a sāmaṇera, a sāmaṇerī: a dukkaṭa. These are called offenses.

Non-offense: if he has previously spoken to the donors; or if he is ill; or if the food is placed on the ground and handed over in that manner; or if someone else is instructed to hand it over; or when coming to receive instruction and guidance, or when listening to the Dharma, and a bhikkhu has his own separate food which he now gives over — in all such cases there is no offense.

Non-offenders: one who commits the first offense before the rule has been laid down; one who is insane, of deranged mind, or afflicted and overwhelmed by pain.

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

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian.

Edited and annotated: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng

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

Buddhist Publication Committee, 2002