Lzh Mg Bi Vb Pc 79Attending a Monk

– MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

– PRECEPTS OF THE BHIKKHUNĪS

– EXPOSITION OF THE FIRST SECTION OF THE 141 PĀCITTIYAS

79. PRECEPT: ATTENDING A BHIKKHU WHO IS EATING.

When the Buddha was residing in the city of Sāvatthī, there was at that time a husband and wife who had gone forth as monastics within the Śākya clan. While the elderly husband was eating, the wife, a bhikkhunī, stood beside him pouring water and fanning him. The old husband brought up matters from the past. The bhikkhunī became angry, splashed water in his face, struck him on the head with the fan, and scolded him: "You ungrateful wretch — what should not be spoken of from the past, you have gone and spoken of." Another bhikkhunī who witnessed this admonished her:

—Noble one, this person is worthy of respect; you must not act in such a way.

—That old man is a wicked person, ungrateful and without a sense of obligation; what should not be spoken of from the past, he has now brought up.

The bhikkhunīs reported the matter to Mahāpajāpatī. Mahāpajāpatī then went and informed the Blessed One. The Buddha immediately had that bhikkhunī summoned. When she arrived, the Buddha asked:

—Did this thing truly happen?

—It truly happened thus, Blessed One.

—That was wrong. Why, while a bhikkhu was eating, did you attend him with water and a fan? This is contrary to the Dhamma, contrary to the Vinaya, contrary to what I have taught; such conduct cannot be used to nurture wholesome states. From this day forward, I do not permit this to be done.

Thereupon the Buddha instructed Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī to convey the order that all the bhikkhunīs then living in the city of Sāvatthī were to assemble together, and that even those who had already heard it were to hear it again:

—If a bhikkhunī attends a bhikkhu with water and a fan while he is eating, she commits a pācittiya offense.

EXPLANATION:

Bhikkhunī: As described above.

A bhikkhu who is eating: This includes the five kinds of staple food and the five kinds of non-staple food.

Attending with water and a fan: Carrying a water vessel, pouring water, holding a fan and fanning — these constitute a pācittiya offense.

Pācittiya: As described above. If a bhikkhunī carries a water vessel but does not hold a fan, she commits a dukkhaṭa offense. If she holds a fan but does not carry a water vessel, she likewise commits a dukkhaṭa offense. If she does both, she commits a pācittiya offense. If she does neither, there is no offense. This offense is constituted in the case of only one bhikkhu and one bhikkhunī. If there are many bhikkhus, attending with water and a fan entails no offense. Or if among the group there is one's father or elder brother, fanning him entails no offense. Therefore the Blessed One has spoken thus (as above).

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