Lzh Asc 5Wilderness Dwellers

– MAHĀSĀṄGHIKA VINAYA

– PRECEPTS FOR BHIKKHUNĪS

CLARIFYING THE OPENING SECTION ON PROPER CONDUCT

PROPER CONDUCT BETWEEN FOREST-DWELLING AND VILLAGE-DWELLING BHIKKHUS

When the Buddha was residing at the city of Śrāvastī, the village-dwelling bhikkhus and the forest-dwelling bhikkhus would receive meals together at the same place. At that time, the forest-dwelling bhikkhus would arrive at the meal hall at the proper hour, but the village-dwelling bhikkhus would suddenly strike the board early and eat first. When the forest-dwelling bhikkhus arrived at the proper time, they asked the village-dwelling bhikkhus:

—Has the board been struck?

—The meal is already finished.

At that, the forest-dwelling bhikkhus returned to their dwellings. The following day, they came early, took all the food, and carried it away. When the village-dwelling bhikkhus came to claim their food, the attendant said: "The forest-dwelling bhikkhus have already taken it all away."

The village-dwelling bhikkhus then asked the forest-dwelling bhikkhus: "Venerable elders, why did you come early and take away all the food?"

The forest-dwelling bhikkhus replied: "Then why did you rise early, strike the board, eat everything, and not wait for us?"

A quarrel ensued, and both parties went together before the Buddha and presented the full account of these events to the Blessed One. The Buddha then instructed: "Henceforth, forest-dwelling and village-dwelling bhikkhus shall conduct themselves as follows: If forest-dwelling bhikkhus and village-dwelling bhikkhus receive meals together at the same place, the village-dwelling bhikkhus must not rise early and strike the board to announce the first meal, the second meal, or an invited meal before waiting for the forest-dwelling bhikkhus.

And the forest-dwelling bhikkhus must not say, 'I shall take my time coming, and they will have to wait for me,' but should arrive early, or else ask someone to receive their portion, or arrange for their seat to be reserved. Furthermore, the village-dwelling bhikkhus should inquire whether the forest-dwelling bhikkhus have arrived. If someone has received a portion on their behalf or reserved a place, they should point this out.

If a lay male devotee invites the Saṅgha, the village-dwelling bhikkhus should inform the forest-dwelling bhikkhus: 'Venerable elder, please come early tomorrow; so-and-so is offering the first meal and the second meal—do not go on almsround elsewhere.' Upon hearing this, the forest-dwelling bhikkhus should come early the following day. Upon arriving, if the food is not yet cooked, they should not sit and wait, but should pay respects at the stūpa, recite sūtras, or ask about the Dharma.

The village-dwelling bhikkhus should first pour water into the pot, light the fire, and wait for the forest-dwelling bhikkhus to arrive before adding the rice. If the forest-dwelling bhikkhus cannot come due to some danger—from spirits, water, fire, or bandits—and the rice must be put on to cook, or if the food is already cooked and the donor wishes to strike the board, they should advise him: 'Good layman, the sun is still early; let us wait for the forest-dwelling bhikkhus to arrive.' If the sun is near its zenith, then the board should be struck.

The forest-dwelling bhikkhus should use the shadow of a tree or a wall as a marker to gauge whether the sun is early or late, and proceed accordingly. Should the forest-dwelling bhikkhus not yet have arrived, their seats must be reserved. If the meal is prepared at the forest dwelling, the same procedure should be observed.

Forest-dwelling bhikkhus must not look down upon village-dwelling bhikkhus and say: 'You must have sharp tongues with little taste for the Dharma, which is why you live there.' Rather, they should praise them: 'You dwell in the villages, teaching and transforming beings through the Dharma; for the sake of the Dharma, you shelter and protect us.'

Village-dwelling bhikkhus must also not look down upon forest-dwelling bhikkhus and say: 'Those who dwell in the forest have hopes of fame and gain; deer and wild beasts also dwell in the forest. Those who dwell in the forest spend their days from morning to evening merely counting the years and months.' Rather, they should praise them: 'You have left the villages and dwell in the tranquil forest, quietly contemplating the noble path of practice. That is truly a most difficult place to live, yet you are able to dwell there and still your minds.'

Both forest-dwelling and village-dwelling bhikkhus must conduct themselves in this manner. Whoever does not do so transgresses the rules of proper conduct.

PROPER CONDUCT BETWEEN VISITING AND RESIDENT BHIKKHUS

When the Buddha was residing at the city of Śrāvastī, at that time some resident bhikkhus were quarreling with one another when a visiting bhikkhu arrived and prostrated, embracing their feet in homage. Several days later he returned, prostrated again, and the resident bhikkhu asked:

—How many days have you been here?

—About four or five days.

—You have been here that many days, and why did you not come to see me?

—I already came to pay respects and prostrated, but because the venerable elder was occupied in quarreling, you did not notice me.

—Why did you see me quarreling and still prostrate?

—Then why were you so occupied with quarreling that you did not see me prostrate?

Thereupon the two fell to arguing and went together before the Buddha. In the end, the Buddha instructed: "Henceforth, prostrations and inquiries should be conducted as follows: When someone is in the midst of a quarrel or in conversation, one must not prostrate, but should only bow the head as a gesture of reverence. When the quarrel is over, one should then prostrate.

When someone is building a house or plastering a wall, one should not prostrate. Likewise, when someone is engaged in the following tasks—heating a bowl, washing robes, boiling dye-water to dye robes, mending robes, bathing, anointing the body with oil, washing hands and feet, washing the face, washing the bowl, paying respects at a stūpa, when food is in the mouth, when applying medicine to the eyes, when reading sūtras, reciting sūtras, copying sūtras, walking in meditation, when descending from an upper floor or ascending to one, when attending to defecation, when not wearing robes, when wearing only short pants—one should not prostrate in any of these cases.

If someone is in the dark, one should not prostrate. When teaching sūtras, one should not prostrate. When wearing short pants, when in the act of putting on robes, when walking briskly—one should not prostrate in any of these cases.

When prostrating, one must not cover the head, must not wrap the right shoulder, and must not wear sandals or shoes. One must not prostrate at the knee, the shin, or the heel, but must embrace the feet in prostration. If there are boils or sores on the feet, one should take care not to touch them.

The one receiving the prostration must not remain silent like a dumb goat, but should inquire. When asking, one should not ask: 'In what place is there plenty of fine food and drink?' but rather: 'Are you free from illness, free from distress, and at ease? Was the journey not too wearisome?'

As for the visiting bhikkhu, he should ask: 'Who is the Thera of the Saṅgha? Who is the second and third Thera?' He should then prostrate at their feet.

The resident bhikkhu should ask: 'Venerable elder, how many rains have you observed?' If the visiting bhikkhu is junior, one should offer a chair and invite him to sit. If it is within one's means, one should provide the first meal, the second meal, oil for anointing the feet, and water to drink outside of mealtimes.

Visiting and resident bhikkhus must conduct themselves in this manner. Whoever does not do so transgresses the rules of proper conduct.

RULES OF SPEECH

When the Buddha was residing at the city of Śrāvastī, the group of six bhikkhus were addressing one another with worldly terms such as father, mother, elder brother, and younger brother. The bhikkhus brought this matter before the Blessed One. The Buddha then questioned the group of six bhikkhus:

—Did this really occur?

—It truly did, Blessed One.

—Henceforth, when speaking, you should address one another as follows: When speaking with one's father, one must not call him "sir," "father," or "old man," but should address him as Pāroeta. When speaking with one's mother, one must not call her "mother" or "grandmother," but should address her as Pāroetī. When speaking with an elder brother, one must not call him "elder brother" but should address him as Pāroeta.

When speaking with an elder sister, one must not call her "elder sister" but should address her as Pāroetī. When speaking with one's preceptor, one must not call him Bhadanta, but should address him as Upādhyāya. When speaking with one's ācārya, one must not call him Bhadanta, but should address him as Ācārya.

If there are several ācāryas, one should address them as Ācārya so-and-so. When speaking with a junior bhikkhu, one may call him by name, address him as Guptī, or address him by his rains. When speaking with a senior bhikkhu, one should address him as Bhadanta, or as Āyuṣmat, or as Ācārya.

When someone is called, one must not respond curtly: 'What is it? What do you want?' If the preceptor calls, one should respond: 'Yes.' If the ācārya calls, one should respond: 'Yes.' If a Thera calls, one should also respond: 'Yes.' If a junior calls, one should ask: 'What is the reason for calling?' If a layperson or a man calls, one should ask: 'What is the reason for calling?' When someone asks: 'What is the name of your preceptor or ācārya?', one must not speak the name of the preceptor or ācārya directly, but should explain its meaning, saying that by virtue of such-and-such a circumstance, he came to be named so-and-so.

In all matters of speech, one must conduct oneself in this manner. Whoever does not do so transgresses the rules of proper conduct.

RULES FOR ENTERING INTO AN ASSEMBLY OF KṢATRIYAS

When the Buddha was dwelling in the city of Śrāvastī, at that time the assembly of Kṣatriyas had gathered to deliberate, and Nanda and Upananda went and sat down ahead of them in the assembly hall. Because of this, those present reproached them, saying: "Today we have gathered to deliberate, and these śramaṇas have disrupted our deliberations."

The monks then brought this matter and reported it to the Blessed One. Thereupon the Buddha instructed them: "From now on, when entering into an assembly of Kṣatriyas, one must conduct oneself as follows: One should go only if there is a proper reason, and before going one should clearly explain the reason for one's visit to the most senior person in that assembly. If they say that one may come, only then should one go.

Upon arriving, one must not carry an umbrella, parasol, shoes, or sandals. Upon entering, one should set those things aside in one place. One must not ask: 'Are the young men well?' If they indicate a seat, one should sit.

One must not speak disparagingly about military arts and battle formations. If one sees that they shoot well, one must not praise it; rather, one should say: 'The Kṣatriya lineage is an illustrious family. The Tathāgata, Worthy One, Perfectly Enlightened One regularly takes birth in one of these two families: the Kṣatriya family and the Brahmin family.

There are two kinds of wheels: the wheel of the Dharma and the wheel of power. We who have gone forth are able to dwell in peace thanks to the protection of the wheel of power.' If there is any matter to be discussed, one should speak and then depart."

Such are the rules of conduct for entering an assembly of Kṣatriyas. Whoever does not conduct themselves accordingly transgresses the rules of proper deportment.

RULES FOR ENTERING AN ASSEMBLY OF BRAHMINS

When the Buddha was dwelling in the city of Śrāvastī, at that time the assembly of Brahmins had gathered when Nanda and Upananda went and sat down ahead of them in that place. The Brahmins then reproached them: "We have matters to discuss, and these śramaṇas have come and disrupted our affairs." Thereupon the Buddha instructed: "From now on, when entering an assembly of Brahmins, one must conduct oneself as follows: If there is an occasion and one wishes to go there, one should first explain one's reason for wishing to come to the leader among them.

If they agree, then one may go. When about to arrive, one should fold away the parasol and remove one's shoes and sandals — one must not wait until one has already seen them before removing these things. One also must not borrow a parasol or shoes to wear on the way there.

One must not ask: 'Are the young men well?' One must not praise or disparage their shrines and temples. One must not speak disparagingly in concrete terms, saying: 'Because of pride, the Brahmin race must be born into the six kinds of beings: as chickens, pigs, dogs, jackals, camels, or in hell.' Rather, one should say: 'The Tathāgata, Worthy One, Perfectly Enlightened One regularly takes birth in one of two families: either the Kṣatriya family or the Brahmin family.' If there is anything to be discussed, when one has finished speaking one should depart."

Such are the rules of conduct for entering an assembly of Brahmins. Whoever does not conduct themselves accordingly transgresses the rules of proper deportment.

RULES FOR ENTERING AN ASSEMBLY OF LAYPEOPLE

When the Buddha was dwelling in the city of Śrāvastī, and so on until the Buddha instructed: "From now on, one should go to an assembly of laypeople only when there is a proper cause and condition. And when they have indicated a seat for one to sit, one must not say: 'You wash your hands and feet, sit in your shops, use light scales and short measures to deceive people — you are worse than thieves and robbers.' Rather, one should say: 'There are two kinds of wheels: the wheel of the Dharma and the wheel of food.

It is only with the wheel of food that the wheel of the Dharma can turn, just as the Blessed One said to the monks: "Brahmins and laypeople who provide robes, food, bedding, and medicine render very great benefit — this is a difficult thing to do." It is through you that I am able to practice the holy life in the teaching of the Tathāgata and cross over the stream of birth and death. All of this is owing to your kindness and your faith.'" If there is anything to be discussed, one should speak and then depart.

When entering an assembly of laypeople, one should conduct oneself in this way. Whoever does not do so transgresses the rules of proper deportment.

RULES FOR ENTERING AN ASSEMBLY OF NON-BUDDHISTS

When the Buddha was dwelling in the city of Śrāvastī, and so on until the Buddha said: "When entering an assembly of non-Buddhists, one should conduct oneself as follows: When they have indicated a seat, one should sit. One must not praise or disparage their views. Nor must one disparage them in concrete terms, saying: 'You hold wrong views, you have no faith, you have no sense of shame.' Rather, one should praise what is genuinely praiseworthy: 'That you are able to go forth, to loosen your bonds, to cast aside the ornaments of the worldly life, to dwell in a secluded place, and to engage in deep contemplation — this is truly a very difficult thing to do.' One may thus praise all that is genuinely praiseworthy, but one must not speak of their faults.

If one wishes to discuss any matter, one should speak and then immediately depart."

Such are the rules of conduct for entering an assembly of non-Buddhists. Whoever does not conduct themselves accordingly transgresses the rules of proper deportment.

RULES FOR ENTERING THE ASSEMBLY

When the Buddha was dwelling in the city of Śrāvastī, and so on until the Buddha said: "From now on, the rules for entering the assembly must be observed as follows: If one wishes to discuss any matter in the midst of the Saṅgha, one should reach a clear and definite conclusion while still outside — one must not enter the Saṅgha and only then reach a conclusion. If the matter is difficult, one should consult one's preceptor or ācārya.

If the matter does not require resolution by the Saṅgha, one should encourage the parties to bring it to an end. If the matter must be brought before the Saṅgha, and the one raising the issue is trustworthy, then one should resolve it in a way that is harmonious, in accordance with the Dharma, and in accordance with the Vinaya. Once one has been granted permission by one's preceptor or ācārya, one should approach the senior elder of the Saṅgha and ask: 'I have a matter I wish to speak about — does the Venerable Elder grant permission?' Thereupon the elder should consider the person's words.

When entering the assembly, one must not wear shoes or sandals, cover one's head, or cover one's right shoulder; rather, one should remove one's shoes and sandals and bare one's right shoulder before entering."

Such are the rules for entering the assembly. Whoever does not conduct themselves accordingly transgresses the rules of proper deportment.

Summary verses:

"The forest hermitage and the village,

Paying homage at the feet, asking after one another.

Addressing one another, the Kṣatriya lineage,

Brahmins, and laypeople.

Non-Buddhists, the assembly of the worthy and noble —

Here ends the fifth chapter."

Vietnamese translation: Thích Phước Sơn. MAHĀSĀṄGHIKA VINAYA

Chinese translation: THE TRIPIṬAKA MASTER BUDDHABHADRA OF INDIA

TRANSLATED TOGETHER WITH THE ŚRAMAṆA FAXIAN DURING THE EASTERN JIN DYNASTY

DOCTRINAL VERIFICATION: THÍCH ĐỖNG MINH