Lzh Dg Bu Vb Sk 5Not Enter With Robes Around Neck

– DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA

– ŚAIKṢA-KARAṆĪYA

RULE 5

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 wrapped their robes around their necks and entered the houses of laypeople. The householders who saw this criticized them, saying: "These Śākyan monastics have no sense of shame, wrapping their robes around their necks to enter the homes of laypeople, just like kings, great ministers, elders, and householders."

The bhikkhus heard of this, and among them were those of few desires, who were content, who lived the ascetic practices, who delighted in training in the precepts, and who had a sense of shame. They censured the group of six bhikkhus: "Why do you wrap your robes around your necks when entering the homes of laypeople?"

The bhikkhus then went to the Blessed One, paid homage at his feet, and sat to one side. They fully reported this matter to the Blessed One. The Blessed One, on account of this matter, assembled the Saṅgha of bhikkhus and rebuked the group of six bhikkhus:

"What you have done is wrong — it is not proper conduct, not the way of a śramaṇa, not pure practice, not conforming behavior, it is something that should not be done. Why do you wrap your robes around your necks when entering the homes of laypeople?"

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

"These foolish men are a field for planting many seeds of defiled existence, and they are the first to transgress this precept. From this day forward, I shall lay down a rule for the bhikkhus, comprising ten principles of meaning, up to and including the principle that the true Dharma may long endure."

The rule should be stated thus:

One should not wrap the robe around the neck when entering the homes of laypeople — this is a śaikṣa-karaṇīya.

Bhikkhu: the meaning is as stated above.

Wrapping around the neck: grasping both ends of the robe and wrapping them over the left shoulder.

If one intentionally wraps the robe around the neck and enters the home of a laypeople, one commits an offense requiring confession — a duṣkṛta. Because it is done intentionally, one commits a duṣkṛta of improper conduct. If it is done unintentionally, one commits only a duṣkṛta.

For a bhikkhunī: duṣkṛta. For a śikṣamāṇā, a śrāmaṇera, or a śrāmaṇerikā: duṣkṛta. This is called an offense.

Non-offense: if one is ill in such a way, has a sore on the shoulder, or if one is within the monastic grounds or outside a village, or when working or traveling — there is no offense.

Those who do not offend: one who transgresses for the very first time before the rule has been laid down, one who is mentally deranged, one whose mind is disturbed, or one who is afflicted and in distress.

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

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka masters Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian.

Revised and annotated by: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng.

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

Buddhist Publication Committee, 2002.