Lzh Mg Bi Vb Pc 141Gaṇalābha

– MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

– PRECEPTS OF THE BHIKKHUNĪS

– EXPLANATION OF THE FIRST SECTION OF THE 141 PĀCITTIYAS

141. PRECEPT: DIVERTING THE SAṄGHA'S GAINS TO A PARTICULAR GROUP.

When the Buddha was residing at Śrāvastī, at that time the group of six bhikkhunīs went on a touring alms-collection and said to a laywoman: "Please donate provisions so that I may prepare food for the bhikkhus." The laywoman then gave the provisions and added: "On the day of the offering, please let me know so that I may come and cook." They then invited the Venerable Śāriputra, Mahāmaudgalyāyana, Revata, Kapphinā, and the Venerable Rāhula; and at the same time they invited the group of six bhikkhus.

They arranged two rows of seats—one row for the elder bhikkhus and one row for the group of six bhikkhus. When the time came, the elder bhikkhus put on their robes, took their bowls, and went to the donor's house, seating themselves in order. They then served the Venerable Śāriputra white rice, bean soup, and various dairy dishes, and so on, gradually passing down to coarser food.

They served the Venerable Maudgalyāyana coarse rice, māṣa broth, oil, and dairy. As for the other bhikkhus, they were served red rice and māṣa broth; in some cases there was rice but no broth, or broth but no rice. Finally, when it came to the Venerable Rāhula, they served him red rice and mixed vegetable broth.

When the women brought the fine foods and asked the group of six bhikkhunīs, "For whom shall we serve these?" the bhikkhunīs used their own bodies to block the elder bhikkhus from view, pointed toward the group of six bhikkhus, and directed that the white rice and fine soup and dairy dishes be served to them; they also served them with their own hands in abundant portions.

When the bhikkhus had finished their meal and returned, the Buddha, though knowing, asked Śāriputra:

—Śāriputra, did you eat your fill of fine food?

—I have eaten, Blessed One!

The Buddha asked this three times and each time received the same reply. The Buddha then asked each of the elder bhikkhus in the same way, and they all answered likewise. Finally, the Buddha asked Rāhula:

—Why is it that your complexion and strength appear deficient? Did you eat fine food to your fill?

—Blessed One, eating oil gives strength, eating dairy gives a good complexion, but eating vegetable broth gives neither complexion nor strength.

Then the Buddha asked the group of six bhikkhus:

—Did you eat well?

—Blessed One, we received white rice, fine soup, dairy dishes, and all manner of delicious food, all reverently offered by our faithful sisters.

—Who was seated at the head?

—The Venerable Śāriputra.

The Buddha then asked Śāriputra:

—Did this truly happen?

—It truly did, Blessed One.

—This is an unlawful manner of eating. Why did you sit and watch the bhikkhu Saṅgha being disrupted and remain entirely indifferent?

—If the Blessed One declares that to be an unlawful meal, then even if a whole kalpa or more than a kalpa were to pass, it would not be digested.

So the Venerable took a feather and thrust it into his throat to vomit up the food. At the same time, the Buddha had the group of six bhikkhunīs summoned. When they arrived, the Buddha asked:

—Did this truly happen?

—It truly did, Blessed One.

—This is wrong conduct. Why, knowing that those were gains belonging to the entire Saṅgha, did you divert them to a particular group? Henceforth I do not permit this.

The Buddha then taught: even those who have already heard it must hear again:

—If a bhikkhunī, knowing that something is a gain belonging to the entire Saṅgha, diverts it to a particular group, she commits a pācittiya offense.

EXPLANATION:

Knowing: Either knowing by oneself or knowing through hearing from another.

Saṅgha: That is, the community of bhikkhus or the community of bhikkhunīs.

Gains: These comprise the following eight kinds: medicine to be used at the proper time, medicine to be used at night, medicine to be used within seven days, medicine to be used for life, personal requisites, heavy goods, impure goods, and goods that are partly pure and partly impure.

Diverts: If a donor has already designated an offering for one place and one maneuvers them into offering it elsewhere, a pācittiya offense is committed.

Pācittiya: As explained above.

If someone comes and asks: "I wish to make an offering—where should I offer?" one should reply: "As you wish; offer wherever you like." If they ask: "Where is the merit greatest?" one should reply: "In offering to the Saṅgha." If they ask: "Where is there a Saṅgha that maintains the precepts purely?" one should reply: "There is no Saṅgha that transgresses the precepts." If they ask: "Where are there bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs who keep the precepts, have few affairs, practice meditation, recite the sutras, and travel little, so that I may regularly see this offering being used?" then one may say: "You should offer to such-and-such a place."

If a bhikkhunī knows that the donor intends to offer something to the Saṅgha and maneuvers them into offering it to herself instead, she commits a niḥsargika-pācittiya offense. If she maneuvers them into offering it to another person, she commits a pācittiya offense. If she knows they intend to offer to this community and maneuvers them into offering to another community, she commits a pācittiya offense. If they intend to offer to this group of relatives and she maneuvers them into offering to another group of relatives, she likewise commits a pācittiya offense. If what they intend to offer to this person is maneuvered into being offered to another person, she commits a duṣkṛta offense.

If a bhikkhu knows that what a donor intends to offer to this community is maneuvered by him into being offered to another community, he commits a duṣkṛta offense. Therefore the Blessed One spoke as above.

Summary verse:

Of the 141 pācittiya precepts of the bhikkhunīs, 70 precepts are the same as the precepts of bhikkhus, and 71 precepts are different. The exposition of the pācittiya precepts is herewith concluded.

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

DOCTRINAL VERIFICATION: THÍCH ĐỖNG MINH