Lzh Dg Bu Vb Sk 28Receiving in Proportion

– FOUR-PART VINAYA

– SEKHIYA RULES

RULE 28

At one time, the Buddha was staying in the garden of Anāthapiṇḍika, in the Jeta Grove, in the country of Śrāvastī. At that time, a householder invited the Saṅgha to receive a meal the following morning. During the night he prepared a full array of foods, and early in the morning he went to inform the monks that the time for the meal had come.

When the time arrived, the monks put on their robes, took up their bowls, and went to the householder's home, where they took their seats. The householder, with his own hands, served food to the Saṅgha. The group of six monks received so much rice that there was no room left to receive the soup. Seeing this, the householder reproached them, saying: "These Śākya monastics have no sense of shame. They receive without knowing restraint. They outwardly claim to know the true Dharma — yet what Dharma is there in this? They take so much food that there is no room to receive the soup. They are like hungry and thirsty people consumed by greed!"

The monks heard this, and among them were those of few desires and contentment, who practiced the austere practices, were fond of training in the precepts, and had a sense of shame. They admonished the group of six monks: "Why did you receive so much rice that there was no room left to receive the soup?"

The monks went to the Blessed One, paid homage at his feet, and sat to one side. They presented the matter in full to the Blessed One. The Blessed One used this circumstance to convene the assembly of monks and rebuked the group of six monks:

"What you have done is wrong — it is not proper conduct, not the way of a monastic, not pure practice, not befitting behavior; it is something that should not be done. Why did you receive so much rice that there was no room left to receive the soup?"

At that time, the Blessed One, having rebuked them with countless skillful means, addressed 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 this day forward, I shall set forth a rule for the monks, for ten reasons, up to and including the reason that the true Dharma may long endure."

The rule should be proclaimed as follows:

When receiving soup, one should receive an amount level with the bowl — this is a sekhiya rule.

Monk: as explained above.

If a monk intentionally receives soup in an amount not level with the bowl, he commits a duṣkṛta offense 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 bhikṣuṇī: duṣkṛta. A śikṣamāṇā, a śrāmaṇera, a śrāmaṇerikā: duṣkṛta. These are called offenses.

Non-offenses: if one is ill in such a way, or if the bowl is small and food is placed on the table, or if one receives an amount level with the bowl — 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 established; one who is deranged, mentally disturbed, afflicted with pain, or under duress.

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

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka masters Buddhayaśas and竺佛念 (Zhu Fo Nian).

Revision and annotation: Bhikṣu Thích Nguyên Chứng

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

Buddhist Studies Editorial Board, 2002