Lzh Mg Bi Pn 29Twenty Nine

– MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

– PRECEPTS FOR BHIKKHUNĪS

– CONCERNING THE OPENING SECTION OF MISCELLANEOUS RULES

ONE MUST NOT DESTROY DEPORTMENT.

When the Buddha was residing in the city of Śrāvastī, at that time Sudinna passed away, and his wife thereupon left the household life and became a bhikkhunī. Her uncle constantly hoped she would give up the monastic life. One day, she entered the village to beg for alms, and her uncle, seeing her, intended to seize her and bring her back. She quickly ran into the home of a wealthy family and said to the woman of the household:

—Something urgent has arisen; there is someone who wishes to destroy my pure practice.

—Why is that?

—My uncle wants me to abandon the Path.

—Do not be afraid; I will protect you.

—I wish to return to the place of my preceptor.

—If you wish to go, you must disguise yourself in lay clothing in order to escape.

So she put bracelets on her wrists, hung golden rings in her ears, dressed in lay clothing, and set out accompanied by four or five attendants. At that moment, her uncle was standing outside and, seeing this, thought: "This is not a bhikkhunī but a laywoman."

When she returned to her dwelling, the bhikkhunīs saw her and immediately reproached her:

—Why are you dressed in such a manner?

—My uncle intended to seize me, and in order to protect myself I had to resort to this expedient means of disguise.

The bhikkhunīs then reported the matter to Mahāprajāpatī. Mahāprajāpatī in turn went and reported the matter fully to the Blessed One. The Buddha thereupon instructed that that bhikkhunī be summoned. When she had arrived, the Buddha asked:

—Did this matter truly occur?

—It truly did, Blessed One!

—Why did you destroy your deportment? From this time forward, I do not permit the destruction of deportment. If anyone deliberately destroys deportment, she is not a bhikkhunī. If anyone destroys deportment as an expedient means of self-protection, she commits a Vainaika offense, but she is still a bhikkhunī. If any bhikkhunī deliberately destroys deportment, she commits a Sthūlātyaya offense. However, if it is done as an expedient means of self-protection, there is no offense.

Summary verse:

Vietnamese translation: Thích Phước Sơn. MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

Chinese translation: TRIPIṬAKA BUDDHABHĀDRA OF INDIA

TOGETHER WITH ŚRAMAṆA FAXIAN, TRANSLATED DURING THE EASTERN JIN DYNASTY

Doctrinal verification: Thích Đổng Minh