Lzh Mg Bi Pn 40Forty

– MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

– PRECEPTS OF THE BHIKKHUNĪS

– ON THE OPENING SECTION OF THE MISCELLANEOUS RULES

THE ARRANGEMENT OF ORDER.

When the Buddha was dwelling on the bank of the Akilā River at the city of Śrāvastī, a patron invited both communities of the Saṅgha for an offering of food. The bhikkhus and the bhikkhunīs all wished to cross the river. The bhikkhus said: "The Blessed One has established a rule not permitting the two sides to travel in the same boat." So the bhikkhus, two or three at a time, sat in small boats and crossed the river with ease.

Only after they had crossed were the bhikkhunīs allowed to cross. When they arrived on the other side, it was necessary to inquire about seniority in order to arrange the seating, and by then the sun had already passed noon. As a result, the Venerable Mahāprajāpatī missed the meal and fainted from hunger.

The abbess went to the Blessed One, bowed her head in reverence at his feet, and stood to one side. The Buddha saw this, knew the reason, yet still asked: "Why does your countenance appear so famished?" The abbess then fully reported the matter to the Blessed One. The Buddha thereupon instructed: "From this time forward, among the first eight senior elders, seating must be arranged in the proper order according to the Dharma, while for the others it is as convenient—whoever arrives first sits first.

On the occasion of the great assembly held once every five years, when many have gathered, the first eight senior elders among the bhikkhunīs must sit in order of seniority, while the others may sit as they wish. If the first eight do not sit in the proper order, it constitutes an offense of transgressing the Vinaya." Finally, the Blessed One taught a summary verse:

Among the miscellaneous rules for bhikkhus, these nine matters—"separate dwelling, garlic, parasols, carriages, using a knife for medical treatment, footwear, sharing a seat, sharing a bed, music and song"—should be set aside and not discussed here. Of the remaining thirteen matters, they differ for bhikkhunīs. Among the five sections of miscellaneous rules pertaining to proper conduct, these matters—"dwelling in an āraṇya, entering the bathhouse, constructing a latrine, mending robes, weaving mats"—should be set aside and not mentioned here. Beyond these, the same applies to bhikkhunīs.

The two divisions of Sūtra and the five hundred training rules were explained in sequence by the Blessed One: the preface of the precept scripture; 8 Pārājikas, 19 Saṃghāvaśeṣas; 30 Niḥsargika-pāyattikas; 141 Pāyattikas; 8 Pratideśanīyas; 64 Śaikṣadharmas, 7 Adhikaraṇaśamathas; and finally the verse on the Dharma and that which accords with the Dharma.

The Prātimokṣa of the bhikkhunīs ends here.

A SEPARATE NOTE ON THE MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA.

In former times in Central India, a wicked king came temporarily to power, and the śramaṇas were compelled to flee in all directions; those bhikkhus proficient in the Tripiṭaka became very few. When the wicked king passed away and a virtuous king ascended the throne, he invited the śramaṇas back to the kingdom and made offerings to them. At that time, in the city of Pāṭaliputra, five hundred members of the Saṅgha wished to settle a matter of business but had no Vinaya master, nor any Vinaya text, and had nothing on which to base themselves. They therefore sent someone to the Jetavana monastery to copy a version of the Vinaya, which has been transmitted down to the present day—that is, this very Vinaya collection.

I, Faxian, obtained this Vinaya text in Sanskrit at the Devarāja monastery, to the south of the stūpa of King Aśoka, in the city of Pāṭaliputra in the kingdom of Magadha, and brought it back to Yangzhou. I then, together with the Chan master (Buddhabhadra), translated it from Sanskrit into the Qin (Chinese) language at Douchang Monastery, beginning in the eleventh month of the bingchen year, the twelfth year of the Yixi era of the Jin dynasty, and completing it at the end of the second month of the fourteenth year of Yixi. This note is therefore recorded so that it may be known.

After the Nirvāṇa of the Buddha, the Venerable Mahākāśyapa assembled the great masters proficient in the eighty thousand teachings of the Dharma treasury to compile the Vinaya Piṭaka. Then, after the passing of Mahākāśyapa, the Venerable Ānanda in turn preserved the eighty thousand teachings of the Dharma treasury in their entirety. After him, the Venerable Madhyāntika also preserved the eighty thousand teachings of the Dharma treasury in their entirety.

After him, the Venerable Śāṇavāsa also preserved the eighty thousand teachings of the Dharma treasury in their entirety. After him, the Venerable Upagupta—who was prophesied by the Blessed One to be the Buddha Without Form, as explained in the account of the subjugation of Māra—was unable to preserve the eighty thousand teachings of the Dharma treasury in their entirety, and from this arose the names of the five schools.

First, Dharmagupta established a separate school. Next, Mahīśāsaka established a separate school. Next, Kāśyapīya established yet another school.

Next came the Sarvāstivāda—Sarvāstivāda being translated in the Jin (Chinese) as "Proclaiming That All Exists"—meaning that the doctrinal intentions and principles of the above schools all maintained different positions. This school held that the intermediate existence (antarābhava) in the three periods of past, present, and future each has a distinct character, and for this reason it is called "All Exists."

Thereupon these five schools [only four are named here—a note by the translator] each established their own doctrines, each claiming that their own position was correct. At that time, King Aśoka thought: "How am I now to know who is right and who is wrong?" He then asked the monks how Buddhist doctrine should be adjudicated, and they informed him that the principle of the majority must be followed. The king said: "If that is so, then lots must be drawn to determine which side has more people." Thereupon the king proceeded with the drawing of lots, and as a result those who held the traditional view were the most numerous. Because they were the majority, they were called Mahāsāṃghika, meaning "the Great Assembly" or "the Great Community."

THE BUDDHA EXPOUNDS THE SŪTRA ON THE HEAVY AND LIGHT KARMIC RETRIBUTIONS OF PRECEPT VIOLATIONS.

Thus have I heard: At one time the Buddha was dwelling in the city of Rājagṛha. In the late afternoon, the Venerable Maudgalyāyana arose from meditation, went to the Blessed One, bowed his head in reverence at his feet, stood to one side, and said to the Buddha:

—Blessed One! My mind has a doubt, and I now wish to ask the Blessed One. I pray that the Blessed One will grant permission.

—I permit you to ask, and I shall then answer you.

—Blessed One! If bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs have no sense of shame, hold the Buddha's teachings in contempt, and violate the Śaikṣadharmas, the Pratideśanīyas, the Pāyattikas, the Sthūlātyayas, the Saṃghāvaśeṣas, and the Pārājikas, how many harmful offenses do they incur? I respectfully pray that the Blessed One make this clear.

—Maudgalyāyana, listen, listen! I shall explain it clearly so that you may know. If bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs have no sense of shame, hold the Buddha's teachings in contempt, and violate the Śaikṣadharmas, it is as though the lifespan of the Four Heavenly Kings is five hundred years; they fall into hell, and reckoned by human measure this amounts to nine hundred thousand years.

Maudgalyāyana, if bhikkhus… have no sense of shame, hold the Buddha's teachings in contempt, and violate the Pratideśanīyas, it is as though the devas of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three have a lifespan of one thousand years; they fall into hell, and reckoned by human measure this amounts to three hundred and sixty thousand koṭis of years.

Maudgalyāyana, if bhikkhus… have no sense of shame, hold the Buddha's teachings in contempt, and violate the Pāyattikas, it is as though the devas of the Yāma Heaven have a lifespan of two thousand years; they fall into hell, and reckoned by human measure this amounts to two billion four hundred thousand years.

Maudgalyāyana, if bhikkhus… have no sense of shame, hold the Buddha's teachings in contempt, and commit Sthūlātyaya offenses, it is as though the devas of the Tuṣita Heaven have a lifespan of four thousand years; they fall into hell, and reckoned by human measure this amounts to five billion six hundred thousand years.

Maudgalyāyana, if bhikkhus… have no sense of shame, hold the Buddha's teachings in contempt, and violate the Saṃghāvaśeṣas, it is as though the devas of the Nirmāṇarati Heaven have a lifespan of eight thousand years; they fall into hell, and reckoned by human measure this amounts to twenty-three billion four hundred thousand years.

Maudgalyāyana, if bhikkhus… have no sense of shame, hold the Buddha's teachings in contempt, and violate the Pārājikas, it is as though the devas of the Paranirmitavaśavartin Heaven have a lifespan of sixteen thousand years; they fall into hell, and reckoned by human measure this amounts to ninety-two billion one hundred and sixty thousand years.

At that time, the Venerable Maudgalyāyana, having heard the Buddha proclaim this, was filled with joy and received it with reverence. He then recited a verse:

MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

End of the Fortieth Fascicle.

Vietnamese translation: Thích Phước Sơn. MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

Chinese translation: TRIPIṬAKA MASTER BUDDHABHADRA OF INDIA

TOGETHER WITH ŚRAMAṆA FAXIAN, TRANSLATED DURING THE EASTERN JIN DYNASTY

Doctrinal verification: Thích Đỗng Minh