Lzh Mg Bi Vb Np 16Niḥśṛjāti

– MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

– PRECEPTS FOR BHIKKHUNĪS

– CONCLUSION OF THE SAṂGHĀVAŚEṢA PRECEPTS.

16. PRECEPT: TAKING BACK A ROBE ONE HAS DISCARDED.

When the Buddha was residing in the city of Śrāvastī, the bhikkhunī Sthūlanandā had a saṃghāṭī robe that had become torn. Without washing, dyeing, or repairing it, she threw it down at the foot of a wall and announced: "Whoever wishes to take it may do so." At that time, the bhikkhunī Śodhinī was wearing a torn robe. The other bhikkhunīs, seeing this, said to her: "Venerable, you may take that robe, wash and dye it, mend it, and then use it." She accordingly took it, mended it, washed and dyed it, and wore it.

When Sthūlanandā saw this, she said: "Give that robe back to me." Śodhinī then complained to the other bhikkhunīs: "Just look at this — how strange! Surely one is not permitted to throw things down on the ground for a moment and then abandon them. Has your room run out of space?" Sthūlanandā then seized back the saṃghāṭī robe.

The bhikkhunīs, upon seeing this, reported the matter to Mahāprajāpatī. Mahāprajāpatī then went and presented the matter to the Blessed One. The Buddha ordered that Sthūlanandā be summoned. When she had arrived, the Buddha asked:

—Is it true that you did this?

—It is true, Blessed One.

—That is a wrongful act.

Thereupon the Buddha instructed Mahāprajāpatī Gautamī to issue an order for all the bhikkhunīs living in Śrāvastī to assemble — and even those who had already heard it were to hear it again:

—If a bhikkhunī throws away her old saṃghāṭī robe at a dwelling place and announces, "Whoever wishes to take it may do so," and afterwards — when someone has taken and made use of it — she seizes it back, she commits the offense of niḥsṛjāti-pātayantika.

EXPLANATION:

Dwelling place: That is, within the monastery.

Throws away: To cast down upon the ground. If someone has taken and made use of it and she then seizes it back, she commits the offense of niḥsṛjāti-pātayantika.

Niḥsṛjāti-pātayantika: As explained above. If a bhikkhunī discards an object and someone has taken and made use of it, she may not seize it back. If no one has taken it and she subsequently has need of it, she may take it back without offense.

If a bhikkhunī, within the monastery, discards a robe, a bowl, footwear, or other miscellaneous articles, and someone takes them, and she afterwards seizes them back, she commits the offense of violation of the Vinaya. However, if no one has taken them and she subsequently takes them back, there is no offense. Therefore the Blessed One has spoken thus (as above).

Vietnamese translation: Thích Phước Sơn. MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

Chinese translation: THE TRIPIṬAKA MASTER BUDDHABHADRA OF INDIA

TOGETHER WITH THE ŚRAMAṆA FAXIAN, TRANSLATED DURING THE EASTERN JIN DYNASTY

VERIFICATION OF MEANING: THÍCH ĐỖNG MINH