Lzh Mg Bi Vb Pd 1–8Acknowledgment

– MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

– RULES OF TRAINING FOR BHIKKHUNĪS

EXPLAINING THE BEGINNING SECTION OF THE EIGHT PĀṬIDESANĪYA RULES.

When the Buddha was residing at Sāvatthī, he spoke to Mahāpajāpatī: "Once upon a time, the Tathāgata was dwelling at Sāvatthī, when the group of six bhikkhunīs, upon encountering a milk shop would beg for milk, upon encountering an oil shop would beg for oil, upon encountering a honey shop would beg for honey, upon encountering a sugar shop would beg for sugar, upon encountering a meat shop would beg for meat, upon encountering a fish shop would beg for fish, upon encountering a fresh milk shop would beg for fresh milk, upon encountering a frozen milk shop would beg for frozen milk to eat, and so they were criticized by people in the world,

saying: 'Why does the Samaṇa Gotama praise fewness of desires and condemn many desires,' and so forth" (as was explained fully in the chapter on the bhikkhus' causes and conditions).

"Bhikkhunī Gotamī must also train in the same way.

Furthermore, Gotamī, once upon a time I was residing at the Sakyan monastery in the city of Kapilavatthu, and I had permitted bhikkhus who were ill to beg for delicious food."

Thereupon the Buddha instructed Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī to issue a command to all the bhikkhunīs residing at Sāvatthī to assemble together, so that even those who had already heard it would hear it again:

—If a bhikkhunī who is not ill, out of a desire to gratify her body, herself goes to a householder's dwelling to beg for milk, or sends another to beg for it and then eats or drinks it, then that bhikkhunī must go to another bhikkhunī and confess as follows: "Venerable, I have committed an offense worthy of blame; I wish to confess this Pāṭidesanīya offense."

EXPLANATION:

The eight kinds of delicious food: 1. Cream; 2. Oil; 3. Honey; 4. Sugar; 5. Fresh milk; 6. Frozen milk; 7. Fish; 8. Meat.

Out of a desire to gratify her body: Meaning solely for one's own personal indulgence.

Illness: If one is ill and makes use of these foods, the Blessed One says there is no offense. What is meant by illness?—Such as being elderly and weak, or when taking a purgative, or when blood flows from lancing the head, and other such ailments of this kind.

Dwelling: That is, the homes of the four castes.

Cream: Such as cow's cream, buffalo's cream, goat's cream.

To beg: Going oneself to beg, or sending another to beg.

Eats or drinks: That bhikkhunī must go to another bhikkhunī and confess as follows: "Venerable, I have committed an offense worthy of blame; I wish to confess before the venerable one." The receiving bhikkhunī should ask:

—Do you see this offense?

—Yes, venerable, I see it.

—You should not commit it again.

—I bow my head and respectfully accept this admonition.

Pāṭidesanīya: This offense must be disclosed; it is also called acknowledging a transgression.

If a bhikkhunī has a fever and requires milk, she is permitted to beg for it; but she should not go to a household without faith to beg, but should go to a household with faith to beg. When going on almsround and encountering a seller of milk, she should greet him:

—Are you well, good sir?

—What does the venerable one need?

—I wish to beg for food.

—I have no food, only milk; if you need milk, I will give it to you.

In such a case, it is permitted to receive a full bowl, and at that time one may also encourage them to offer it to others.

If one encounters a seller of oil, one may act in the same way. If one has a wind ailment, one is also permitted to beg for oil, but one should not go to an oil-pressing household to beg; rather, one should go to a household with faith to beg. If going on almsround and encountering a seller of oil, one should greet him:

—Are you well, good sir?

—What does the venerable one need?

—I need to beg for food.

—I have no food, only oil; if the venerable one needs it, I will offer it.

In such a case, it is permitted to receive a full bowl without offense. At that time one may also encourage them to offer to a companion, such as honey, or water. When ill, one is permitted to beg for honey; but one should not go to the homes of honey-gatherers to beg; rather, one should go to a household with faith to beg. At that time one may also encourage them to offer to a companion, such as sugar.

If one is ill and a physician instructs one to drink sugar water, then one is permitted to beg for sugar; but one should not go to a sugar-making household to beg; rather, one should go to a household with faith to beg. If while on almsround one sees a person weighing sugar, and so forth, one may likewise encourage them to offer to a companion.

If one is ill and a physician instructs one to drink fresh milk, then one is permitted to beg for fresh milk. If while going on almsround one sees a cattle-raising household in the process of milking, one should greet them:

—Are you well, good sir?

—Does the venerable one need anything?

—I wish to beg for food.

—I have no food, only fresh milk; if the venerable one needs it, I will give it.

If it is so, one is permitted to receive it. Or if one begs for frozen milk and they say they have no frozen milk but only fresh milk, it is also permitted to receive it.

If one is ill and a physician instructs one to drink frozen milk, then one is permitted to beg for frozen milk.

If while going on almsround one sees a person measuring out frozen milk, one should greet them:

—Are you well, good sir?

—Does the venerable one need anything?

—I wish to beg for food.

—I have no food, only frozen milk.

In such a case, one is permitted to receive it. At that time one may also encourage them to offer to a companion. If one goes to beg for frozen milk that has been processed into liquid form and they give frozen milk, it is also permitted to receive it.

If a bhikkhunī has taken a purgative and a physician instructs her to drink fish broth, she is permitted to beg for fish. If while going on almsround one begs for frozen milk and encounters fish, it is also permitted to receive it.

If when blood flows from lancing the head a physician instructs one to eat meat, one is permitted to beg for meat; but one should not go to a slaughterhouse to beg; rather, one should go to a household with faith to beg.

When going on almsround and begging for vegetable broth, if the donor says: "I have no vegetable broth, only meat broth," and one has a need for it, one is permitted to receive it.

If one knows that at certain times illness tends to arise and that medicine is difficult to find at such times, it is permitted to beg in advance and store it without offense. However, if one begs when not ill and then eats it when one is ill, this constitutes an offense of transgressing the Vinaya. If one begs when ill and eats when not ill, there is no offense. If one begs when ill and eats when ill, there is likewise no offense. If one begs when not ill and eats when not ill, this constitutes a Pāṭidesanīya offense.

If one cooks food without regard to illness and then eats it in accordance with illness, there is no offense. If one cooks food in accordance with illness and eats it without regard to illness, this constitutes a transgression of the Vinaya. If one cooks food in accordance with illness and eats it in accordance with illness, there is no offense. If one cooks food without regard to illness and eats it without regard to illness, there is also no offense; for the reason that those who have gone forth from the world depend upon others for their sustenance. Therefore the Blessed One spoke of the eight kinds of delicious food: cream, oil, honey, sugar, fresh milk, frozen milk, meat, and fish.

The Pāṭidesanīya rules of the bhikkhunīs are concluded here.

Regarding the Sekhiyā rules, with the sole exception of the case of the group of six bhikkhunīs defecating and urinating on green grass and in water, all the other rules are entirely the same as the rules for bhikkhus already explained above.

THE SEVEN METHODS OF SETTLING DISPUTES:

1. Sammukhāvinaya (In settling disputes, the presence of the parties concerned is required).

2. Sativinaya (Allowing the accused to recall their own transgressions).

3. Amūḷhavinaya (Determining that the accused has recovered from madness).

4. Paṭiññātakaraṇa (Allowing the accused to propose the degree of penalty for themselves).

5. Yebhuyyasikā (Seeking evidence regarding the offense).

6. Tassapāpiyasikā (Settling the matter according to the vote of the majority).

7. Tiṇavatthāraka (Both parties are reconciled as grass is spread upon the ground to extinguish the dispute).

The Dhamma and what is in accordance with the Dhamma are as already explained fully in the section on bhikkhus above.

The section on the distinctive rules of the bhikkhunī Pātimokkha is concluded here.

Vietnamese translation: Thích Phước Sơn. MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

Chinese translation: TRIPIṬAKA BUDDHABHADRA OF INDIA

TOGETHER WITH SAMAṆA FAXIAN, TRANSLATED DURING THE EASTERN JIN DYNASTY

VERIFICATION OF MEANING: THÍCH ĐỖNG MINH