Lzh Mg Bi Pn 34Thirty Four

– MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

– PRECEPTS FOR BHIKKHUNĪS

– ON THE FIRST PART OF THE MISCELLANEOUS RULES

NOT PERMITTED TO DWELL IN THE FOREST WILDERNESS.

When the Buddha was residing in the city of Śrāvastī, at that time he had not yet laid down this rule, and the bhikkhunīs were living in the forest wilderness, as there were no dwelling places in the village. Because of this, five hundred bhikkhunīs with Mahāprajāpatī as their head had to live in the royal garden. These women were daughters of the Śākya clan and the Malla clan, still young and of fine appearance, so young men would lurk about in the early part of the night to abduct them.

When the bhikkhunīs saw them, they rose up into the air and fled to safety. At midnight the men returned, and they escaped again. Then, in the last part of the night, the men returned once more; among the bhikkhunīs there were some who were slow, who had fallen asleep without entering meditative concentration and could not flee, and they were violated.

Mahāprajāpatī then brought the matter before the Blessed One. The Buddha instructed: "From this time forth, I do not permit bhikkhunīs to live in the forest wilderness. However, if in such a place the fourfold assembly gathers to expound the Dharma throughout the night, then dwelling there is permitted, but at such times one must not remain in darkness.

If a bhikkhunī lives in the forest wilderness, she commits an offense of transgressing the Vinaya. This is called dwelling in the forest wilderness."

Vietnamese translation: Thích Phước Sơn. MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

Chinese translation: TRIPIṬAKA BUDDHABHADRA OF INDIA

TOGETHER WITH ŚRAMAṆA FAXIAN, TRANSLATED DURING THE EASTERN JIN DYNASTY

Doctrinal verification: Thích Đỗng Minh