Lzh Mg Bi Vb Pc 85Sitting Without Permission

– MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

– PRECEPTS OF THE BHIKKHUNĪS

– EXPLANATION OF THE FIRST SECTION OF THE 141 PĀYANTIKA RULES

85. PRECEPT: ENTERING A HOUSEHOLD WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE.

When the Buddha was residing in the city of Śrāvastī, at that time a certain husband and wife, in the quiet of midday, thinking the house was empty and no one was about, wished to engage in intercourse, when the bhikkhunī Sthūlanandā entered abruptly without any prior announcement. The husband, seeing this, was enraged, as his act of pleasure had been interrupted, and furthermore his male organ was still erect; he therefore gave chase, intending to seize the bhikkhunī. The bhikkhunī, in great alarm, fled in haste back to her dwelling and said to the other bhikkhunīs: "Today I nearly had my pure conduct destroyed."

The bhikkhunīs, upon hearing this, reported it to Mahāprajāpatī. Mahāprajāpatī then brought the matter before the Blessed One. The Buddha immediately ordered Sthūlanandā to be summoned. When she had arrived, the Buddha asked:

—Did this thing truly happen?

—It did indeed happen thus, Blessed One.

—That is a grave wrong. Why did you, knowing it to be a household, enter without prior announcement? From now on, I do not permit this to be done.

Thereupon, the Buddha instructed Mahāprajāpatī Gautamī to issue a decree that all the bhikkhunīs residing in the city of Śrāvastī must assemble together, and that even those who had already heard it must hear it again:

—If a bhikkhunī, knowing it to be a household, enters without prior announcement, she commits a pāyantika offence.

EXPLANATION:

Knowing: Either knowing by oneself or knowing through having heard from another.

Household: Women are the sustenance of men, and men are the sustenance of women.

House: Such as a Kṣatriya household, a Brāhmaṇa household, a Vaiśya household, a Śūdra household—households of these kinds in general: if one enters abruptly without prior announcement, one commits a pāyantika offence.

Pāyantika: As stated above. If a bhikkhunī has not given prior notice, she must not enter. If she wishes to enter, she should say to the doorkeeper that she wishes to enter. If the doorkeeper reports this to the master of the house and he bids her enter, then she may enter. If the doorkeeper does not come back to report, she must not enter. If voices are heard within the room, one must snap one's fingers or stamp one's feet to make a sound. If they remain silent, she must not enter. If they come out to receive her, she may enter.

If a bhikkhu enters a household without prior notice to the householder, he commits a duṣkṛta offence. Therefore the Blessed One spoke 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

CERTIFICATION OF MEANING: THÍCH ĐỖNG MINH