Lzh Dg Bu Vb Ss 4Encouraging Someone to Serve One’s Desires

– FOUR-PART VINAYA

– SAṄGHĀDISESA

4. DEMANDING AN OFFERING

A. ORIGIN STORY

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling in the country of Śrāvastī. At that time, Kāḷudāyī, having heard that the Blessed One had laid down rules — "one must not manipulate the genitals to cause emission of semen," "one must not touch a woman," "one must not speak coarse and evil words to a woman" — took up a door-bar and stood outside the door, waiting for women, the wives of lay householders, and young girls to arrive, and said to them:

"You may come into my room and have a look."

Having led them into the room, Kāḷudāyī praised his own person, saying:

"Do you know, among those who are learned, I am foremost. I am one who practises the holy life, keeps the precepts, and cultivates wholesome qualities. You may offer sexual service to me."

At that time, those women who were agreeable were pleased at hearing such words, while those who were not agreeable became angry, reviled him, left the room, and spoke to the bhikkhus:

"Venerable Ones, you should know that today I have witnessed something wrong, something unwholesome, something unlawful, something improper, something untimely! I had always thought that this was a place of peace, free from troubles, free from calamities, free from fear. Yet now it is here that I have encountered calamity and fear. It has always been said that water has the power to extinguish fire; yet now fire has arisen within the water. Even when I was at home and my husband spoke such words, I could not accept them — how much less can I accept them now from one who has gone forth and yet speaks in such a manner."

The bhikkhus heard this; among them were those of few desires, who practised the austere dhūtaṅga practices, who delighted in training in the precepts, who knew shame and remorse, and they rebuked Kāḷudāyī: "Have you not heard that the Blessed One has laid down the rules: 'one must not manipulate the genitals to cause emission of semen,' 'one must not touch a woman,' 'one must not speak coarse and evil words to a woman' (stated in full as before)…" They then went to the Blessed One, prostrated themselves at his feet, sat to one side, and reported this matter to the Blessed One in full detail. The Blessed One, on account of this matter, assembled the bhikkhus. Seated in the midst of the assembly, the Blessed One, though knowing the answer, deliberately asked Kāḷudāyī:

"Is it true that you have done this thing?"

Kāḷudāyī replied:

"Venerable Blessed One, it is indeed as reported."

The Blessed One rebuked him:

"What you have done is wrong, lacking in proper conduct, not in accordance with the way of a samaṇa, not in keeping with purity of practice, not in accord with proper behavior — it is something that should not have been done."

After rebuking him with numerous expedient means, the Blessed One said to the bhikkhus:

"This foolish man is a field that has sown many seeds of the defiled; he is the first to commit this offence. From this day forward, for the sake of the bhikkhus, I shall establish this rule, encompassing the ten bases of meaning, and so forth, that the true Dharma may long endure."

Wishing to recite the rule, it should be recited as follows:

B. THE RULE

Should any bhikkhu, with lustful intent, in the presence of a woman praise his own person, saying: "Sister, I practise the holy life, keep the precepts with diligence, and cultivate wholesome qualities; you should offer sexual service to me — that is the highest offering" — this is a saṅghādisesa.

C. EXPLANATION OF TERMS

Bhikkhu: meaning as above.

Lustful intent: as stated above.

Woman: as stated above.

Praising his own person: praising the uprightness of his body and the beauty of his appearance; "I am of the kṣatriya class, a wealthy patron, a householder, a brahmin."

Holy life: diligently cultivating separation from defilement.

Keeping the precepts: without breach, without gap, without stain.

Wholesome qualities: delighting in dwelling in quiet and secluded places; going for alms at the proper time; wearing rag-robes; performing the act of declaring food as surplus and yet not eating it; eating one meal per sitting; eating only one portion; sitting in charnel grounds, open grounds, or at the foot of trees; always remaining seated, only sitting; maintaining only three robes; wearing the outer robe; being learned, being skilled in teaching the Dharma; maintaining the Vinaya; practising meditation.

C. ANALYSIS OF OFFENCES

Having praised oneself in such a manner and then saying, "Come, make an offering to me," if in doing so no mention is made of sexual intercourse, the offence is a thullaccaya; if mention is made of sexual intercourse, the offence is a saṅghādisesa. If, in the presence of a woman, one praises oneself once, the offence is one saṅghādisesa. According to whether the self-praise is more or less, and whether it is spoken clearly, each and every instance constitutes a saṅghādisesa offence. If spoken unclearly, the offence is a thullaccaya. If by means of gestures, written letters, messengers, or signs one causes the other party to understand, the offence is a saṅghādisesa. If the other party does not understand, the offence is a thullaccaya.

Except for the two natural orifices, if service in another place is demanded, the offence is a thullaccaya.

With respect to a female deity, a female asura, a female nāga, a female yakṣa, a female hungry ghost, or a female animal capable of transformation, if one praises oneself and those females understand, the offence is a thullaccaya; if they do not understand, the offence is a duṣkṛta. If by means of gestures, written letters, messengers, or signs one praises oneself and the other party understands, the offence is a thullaccaya. If the other party does not understand, the offence is a duṣkṛta.

With respect to an animal incapable of transformation, if one praises oneself, the offence is a duṣkṛta.

If the person is a human woman and one perceives her as a human woman, the offence is a saṅghādisesa. If the person is a human woman and one is uncertain, the offence is a thullaccaya. If the person is a human woman but one perceives her as a non-human woman, the offence is a thullaccaya. If the person is a non-human woman and one is uncertain, the offence is a thullaccaya.

For a bhikkhunī, the offence is a thullaccaya. For a sikṣamāṇā, a śrāmaṇera, or a śrāmaṇerī, the offence is a duṣkṛta. These constitute offences.

Non-offence: If a bhikkhu says to a woman, "This is a most excellent and supreme place. This bhikkhu is diligent in keeping the precepts and cultivating wholesome qualities; you should make offerings with kindly bodily action, kindly verbal action, and kindly mental action — with the harmony of bodily action, with the harmony of verbal action, with the harmony of mental action." If the intention of those women is that the bhikkhu is praising himself for their sake; or when reciting the Vinaya, the words happen to sound similar, and the other party says that it is self-praise; or when reciting or chanting a sūtra; or when two people are reciting and chanting together; or when engaging in question and answer; or when chanting together; or when speaking in jest;

or when speaking rapidly, or speaking in a dream; or when intending to say one thing but mistakenly saying another — in all such cases there is no offence.

Those not guilty of an offence: the first offender at the time before the rule was established; one who is mentally deranged, of distracted mind, or afflicted with extreme pain.

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

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka masters Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian.

Revision and annotation: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng

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

Buddhist Publication Committee, 2002