Lzh Dg Bu Vb Sk 40Scattering Rice

– DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA

– ŚAIKṢA RULES

RULE 40

At one time the Buddha was dwelling in the Anāthapiṇḍika Garden, Jeta's Grove, in the city of Śrāvastī. At that time, a householder invited the bhikkhus to come and partake of fine and nourishing food on the following morning. Having made full preparations during the night, he came early in the morning to invite the Saṅgha to receive the meal.

The bhikkhus put on their robes, took up their bowls, and went to the householder's home, where they took their seats. The householder personally served food to the Saṅgha with his own hands. The group of six bhikkhus received the food in an improper manner: they took a lump of rice in their hands, bit off half of it to eat, and left the other half. The householder saw this and reproached them, saying: "These Śākyan monastics have no sense of shame. They receive without being sated and know no moderation. They eat like pigs, dogs, camels, donkeys, oxen, birds, and crows!"

The bhikkhus heard this. Among them were those of few desires, who were content, who practiced the ascetic rules, were fond of training in the precepts, and knew a sense of shame. They reproached the group and then went to the Blessed One, paid homage at his feet, and sat to one side. They reported this matter fully to the Blessed One.

The Blessed One, on account of this matter, convened an assembly of bhikkhus and rebuked the group of six bhikkhus with countless skillful means — as described above, up through the first transgression of this rule — and then addressed the bhikkhus:

"From this day forward, I shall establish a rule for the bhikkhus, comprising ten bases of meaning, up through the clause that the true Dharma may long endure."

The rule should be stated as follows:

One should not scatter rice while eating — this is a śaikṣa rule.

Here, "scattering" means that half enters the mouth and half remains in the hand. A bhikkhu who intentionally takes a lump of rice in his hand, eats half, and leaves the other half, 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, and on down to novice monks and novice nuns — duṣkṛta. This is called an offense.

Non-offense: if one has an illness of such a nature; or if one is eating flatbread, eating meat, eating melon, eating sugarcane, eating vegetables and fruits — such as āmra fruit, jambū fruit, grapes, hearts, leaves, or stamens of plants — in all such cases there is no offense.

Those who do not commit an offense: one who transgresses for the first time before the rule has been established, one who is insane, one whose mind is disturbed, or one who is overcome by extreme pain and affliction.

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

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka master Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian.

Edited and annotated by: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng

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

Buddhist Publication Committee, 2002