Lzh Mg Bi Vb Pc 75Bathing Robes

– MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

– RULES OF TRAINING FOR BHIKKHUNĪS

– EXPOSITION OF THE FIRST SECTION OF THE 141 PĀCITTIYAS

75. RULE: SEWING A BATHING ROBE LARGER THAN THE PRESCRIBED SIZE.

When the Buddha was residing at Vesālī, the bhikkhunī Bhaddrā went down to bathe in the river Su, and five young Licchavi men standing on the bank saw her and aroused lustful minds. The bhikkhunī said:

—Gentlemen, please go away.

—We will not go. We prefer to stay here and look at the body of the holy one.

—What do you wish to see in this body with its nine foul openings?

—That is not how it is. We are very pleased to look.

They remained there for a long time and would not leave. The bhikkhunī thought to herself: "These are foolish, shallow worldlings," and then using both hands to cover herself front and back, she came up onto the bank. Seeing this, those men were overwhelmed with passion; blood poured from their mouths, and they fell rolling on the ground.

The bhikkhunīs then brought this matter to Mahāpajāpatī. Mahāpajāpatī in turn reported it to the Blessed One. Thereupon the bhikkhunīs asked the Buddha:

—Blessed One, why was it that those five young Licchavi men, overcome by lust, fell into a swoon and rolled upon the ground?

—Not only today do they harbor such lust; in times past they were likewise so.

—Please, Blessed One, relate it to us; we wish to hear.

—In the distant past there was a beautiful and supremely lovely young woman. At that time there were also five devas: the first was named Śakarā, the second Mādāri, the third Jasaṃgyadeti, the fourth Bijayadeti, and the fifth Mātra. When they saw the heavenly woman, each and every one of them aroused a mind of lust, and they thought: "This is not something that can be shared; let her go to whichever of us has the strongest desire." Then they all said in unison: "Agreed." Thereupon Śakarā recited a verse:

Then Mādāri recited a verse:

Jasaṃgyadeti also recited a verse:

Then Bijayadeti recited a verse:

Then Mātra recited a verse:

At that, the devas said: "You are the most ardent of all," and with one accord they yielded the heavenly woman to him.

Then the Buddha said to the bhikkhunīs:

—Those five devas of former times are now precisely these five young Licchavi men.

—Blessed One, through what deed and practice did that bhikkhunī come to be so lovely in form? And how did she come to be born into a distinguished family, to have faith and go forth, and to attain the state free from all āsavas?

—Bhikkhunīs, in times past there was a city called Bārāṇasī. In that city there was a householder who had taken a wife. When this woman first came to the household, there was a person who attended to her hair-dressing and provided her meals. At that time a Paccekabuddha named Sunanda-Hī came to her door begging for alms. Seeing that he was not particularly dignified in appearance, she had no feeling of reverence for him, and so she neither offered him food nor told him to depart. The hair-dresser, observing this, said:

—Mistress, you should offer food to this mendicant.

—He is unattractive and unbecoming; I will not make an offering.

—Then let my portion of food be given so that I may offer it to him.

—Take it as you wish; you might as well cast it into the water.

That person, having received the food, thereupon offered it to the Paccekabuddha. When the meal was finished, the Paccekabuddha rose up into the sky and departed. Seeing him fly away, the one who had made the offering was filled with great joy and made this vow: "May I in my next life be born into a noble family, with a beautiful form, behold a Buddha, hear the Dharma, and extinguish all āsavas." That person then passed away and was reborn in the heavenly realm, surpassing a hundred thousand heavenly women in five respects: length of life, beauty of form, strength, fame, and eloquence.

After passing away from the heavenly realm, birth occurred in a brāhmaṇa family in the city of Bārāṇasī. At that time the Buddha Kāśyapa had appeared in the world. He entered the city for alms and came in due order to that household, where he arrived to find the parents away on an excursion and the young woman alone at home.

By reason of the merit sown in a former life, when she saw him she was filled with great joy. She washed a bronze vessel clean, filled it with excellent food, and offered a robe of Kauśeya silk to the Blessed One Kāśyapa, then recited a verse:

This young woman was later given in marriage to a brāhmaṇa family, but because her parents-in-law were exceedingly stern and difficult to serve, she finally said aloud: "What use is it to go on living in this body? Better to end my life!" She then took up her jeweled garlands, her ointments, and a noose, and set out to find a place to hang herself. But when she caught sight of the stūpa of the Buddha Kāśyapa, she brought all those ornaments and offered them to the stūpa of the Buddha before hanging herself. After passing away, she was reborn into a brāhmaṇa family, and eventually recited this verse herself:

The Buddha instructed: From now on, bathing robes should be sewn. Furthermore, even those who have heard this before must hear it again:

—If a bhikkhunī sews a rain-bathing robe, she should measure and sew it in proper proportion: four spans of a Sugata in length and two spans in width. If she sews it beyond these dimensions, she must cut it down and then confess the Pācittiya offense, as has been explained in the case of the saṃkacchika robe.

Vietnamese translation: Thích Phước Sơn. MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

Chinese translation: THE TRIPIṬAKA MASTER BUDDHABHADRA OF INDIA

TOGETHER WITH ŚRAMAṆA FAXIAN, TRANSLATED DURING THE EASTERN JIN DYNASTY

VERIFICATION OF MEANING: THÍCH ĐỖNG MINH