Lzh Dg Bu Vb Sk 22Not Noisy

– FOUR-PART VINAYA

– ŚIKṢĀKARAṆĪYA

RULE 22

At one time, the Buddha was staying in the garden of Anāthapiṇḍika, in the Jeta Grove, in the country of Śrāvastī. At that time, the group of six bhikkhus called out loudly when entering the homes of laypeople. The laypeople who heard this expressed their reproach, saying: "These Śākyan monastics have no sense of shame. They receive without knowing satisfaction. They outwardly claim, 'I know the true Dharma.' Yet what true Dharma is there in this? They shout and cry out loudly, just like brahmins!"

The bhikkhus heard this, and among them were those of few wishes and contentment, who lived the ascetic practices, were fond of training in the precepts, had a sense of shame, and reproached the group of six bhikkhus: "Why do you call out loudly when entering the homes of laypeople?"

The bhikkhus went to where the Blessed One was, paid homage at his feet, and sat to one side, then reported this matter fully to the Blessed One. The Blessed One used this occasion to assemble the community of bhikkhus and reproached the group of six bhikkhus:

"What you have done is wrong, not in accordance with proper conduct, not in accordance with the Dharma of monastics, not in accordance with pure conduct, not in accordance with fitting behavior — it is something that should not be done. Why do you raise your voices and call out loudly when entering the homes of laypeople?"

At that time, the Blessed One, having reproached them with countless skillful means, addressed 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, composed of ten clauses of meaning, up to and including the clause for the long endurance of the true Dharma."

The rule should be stated as follows:

One should be silent when entering the homes of laypeople — śikṣākaraṇīya.

Bhikkhu: the meaning is as above.

Here, not being silent means calling out loudly and raising one's voice — whether giving instructions or distributing food in a loud voice. If a bhikkhu intentionally raises his voice and calls out loudly, he commits a duṣkṛta requiring confession. Because it is done intentionally, he commits a duṣkṛta of improper conduct. If it is not done intentionally, he commits a duṣkṛta.

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

Non-offense: if one is afflicted with such an illness; or if one is deaf and cannot hear speech and must call out loudly; or if one gives instructions loudly; or if one distributes food loudly; or in a situation of danger to life or danger to the pure conduct, one calls out loudly in order to escape — there is no offense.

Those who do not commit an offense: one who commits the act for the first time before the rule has been laid down; one who is insane, mentally disturbed, or overcome and oppressed by acute pain.

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

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka master Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian.

Revised and annotated: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng

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

Buddhist Publication Committee, 2002