Lzh Mg Bi Vb Ss 11Receiving Food With Lust

– MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

– PRECEPTS OF THE BHIKKHUNĪS

– DETAILED EXPOSITION OF THE FIRST PART OF THE 19 SAṂGHĀVAŚEṢA RULES

11. PRECEPT: RECEIVING GOODS FROM ONE WITH LUSTFUL INTENT.

When the Buddha was residing in the city of Rājagṛha, at that time a householder, out of lustful desire, invited the bhikkhunī Śrotī to accept an offering of robes, bowls, food and drink, and medicine, saying:

—Holy one, do you know why I am making this offering?

—I know.

—How do you know?

—Because you wish to gain merit.

—That is so, of course, but it also includes lustful desire.

At that time, Śrotī was one who had already abandoned sensual desire, so upon hearing those words her mind remained unperturbed and indifferent; because of this, she did not refuse. The bhikkhunīs then reported the matter to Mahāprajāpatī. Mahāprajāpatī in turn reported it to the Blessed One. The Buddha immediately instructed that Śrotī be summoned. When she arrived, the Buddha questioned her fully concerning the matter:

—Did this truly happen?

—It truly happened thus, Blessed One!

—That was a bad thing. Are you not setting an example for those who come after? This is contrary to the Dharma, contrary to the Vinaya, and contrary to my teaching; such conduct cannot be used to cultivate wholesome states.

Thereupon the Buddha instructed Mahāprajāpatī to transmit the order that all bhikkhunīs living in the city of Rājagṛha were to assemble without exception, even those who had already heard were to hear it again:

—If a bhikkhunī who has no defiled mind accepts robes, bowls, food and drink, or medicine from a man who has a defiled mind, she commits a first offense of Saṃghāvaśeṣa.

EXPLANATION:

Bhikkhunī: Such as the bhikkhunī Śrotī.

Has no defiled mind: Has no mind of sensual desire.

Bowl: There are three kinds — superior, middling, and inferior.

Robes: These include the saṃghāṭī, uttarāsaṅga, antaravāsaka, saṃkakṣikā, and the robe for bathing in the rain.

Food and drink: Such as the foods khādanīya and bhojanīya.

Medicine: Honey, rock sugar, fresh butter, and fat — these pertain to the first offense.

If someone offers robes, bowls, food and drink, or medicine to a bhikkhunī and says: "I am making this offering for that reason," she should not accept it, but should say: "I have no need of this; there are already other households that provide for me." If she does accept, she commits an offense of Saṃghāvaśeṣa.

If they do not speak but make gestures with their hands and feet, glance with their eyes, snap their fingers, write on the ground, or make such signs as these, and she knows they harbor lustful desire toward her, she should not accept. If she does accept, she commits an offense of Sthūlātyaya. If they have pure faith and sincere intentions, then accepting is without offense.

If a woman with lustful desire, when making an offering to a bhikkhu, gestures with her hands and feet and glances at him, and he knows she harbors lustful desire, he should not accept. If he does accept, he commits an offense of Vinayātikrama. Conversely, if she has pure faith and sincere intentions, then accepting is without offense.

Therefore the Blessed One spoke thus (as above).

End of the thirty-sixth fascicle.

Vietnamese translation: Thích Phước Sơn. MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

Chinese translation: THE TRIPIṬAKA MASTER BUDDHABHADRA FROM INDIA

TOGETHER WITH THE ŚRAMAṆA FAXIAN, TRANSLATED DURING THE EASTERN JIN DYNASTY

DOCTRINAL VERIFICATION: THÍCH ĐỖNG MINH