Lzh Mg Bi Vb Ss 4Litigious

– MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

– PRECEPTS FOR BHIKKHUNĪS

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

4. PRECEPT: QUARRELING WITH OTHERS.

When the Buddha was dwelling in the city of Sāvatthī, at that time the wall separating the monastery of the bhikkhunīs from the nunnery of the non-Buddhist ascetics collapsed. Bhikkhunī Sthūlanandā said to the non-Buddhist nuns:

—You must repair it; you are shameless people, your community goes about entering and leaving naked. The nuns of our community here are virtuous and good, they know shame, and when they see you they become further afflicted with distress.

—It is now the rainy season and we cannot build; we must wait until the rainy season has passed before we can build.

—You must send someone to do it right now; you must not wait until later to do it.

—I am not able to do it.

The bhikkhunī grew angry and scolded:

—You wretch who die young! You donkeys who eat wine dregs. Do you dare not do it, you shameless ones, with wrong views, without faith? You must repair it at once.

The non-Buddhist nun also grew angry and scolded back:

—You pot-bellied śramaṇa nuns who bear many children — even if you were to kill me, in the end I still will not do it.

The bhikkhunī then went to the magistrate and presented the full account of the matter: "Your Honor! Please issue an order on my behalf commanding that person to rebuild the dividing wall."

The magistrate at that time was a person of faith in the Buddha-Dharma, and so he immediately sent soldiers to arrest the non-Buddhist nun and bring her before him. When she was brought in, he scolded her:

—You non-Buddhist person of wrong views! You wretched wretch who die young, you donkey who eats wine dregs. Why have you not rebuilt the wall? You people are shameless, going about naked entering and leaving; if these holy practitioners of the pure life were to see you, it would only increase their distress. You must rebuild it at once. If you do not rebuild it, I will impose punishment upon you.

The non-Buddhist nun then rebuilt it; but what was built during the day was destroyed by rain at night; and so, throughout the three months of the Rains, the rebuilding was not completed. Because of this, the non-Buddhists complained to the upāsakas:

—Just look at your field of merit! Relying on the power of the authorities, they forced our nuns to work throughout the three months.

The wives of the upāsakas heard this and told the bhikkhunīs. The bhikkhunīs then told Mahāpajāpatī. Mahāpajāpatī then went and reported the full matter to the Blessed One. The Buddha immediately ordered that Bhikkhunī Sthūlanandā be summoned. When she arrived, the Buddha asked:

—Sthūlanandā! Did this matter truly occur?

—It is true, Blessed One!

—That is a wrongful act. Why did you quarrel with others? This is against the Dharma, against the Vinaya, contrary to my teaching; one cannot use such conduct to cultivate and grow wholesome Dharma.

Thereupon, the Buddha instructed Mahāpajāpatī to command all the bhikkhunīs residing in Sāvatthī to assemble together, and for the sake of ten benefits he established this precept for the bhikkhunīs — even those who have already heard it must hear it again:

—If a bhikkhunī engages in litigation with a layperson or a renunciant, by day, even for a moment, even quarreling with a gardener or a śrāmaṇera, this is a primary offense of Saṃghāvaśeṣa.

EXPLANATION:

Litigation: Quarreling by means of speech.

Layperson: That is, a householder.

Renunciant: Those of non-Buddhist renunciant orders, up to jaṭila ascetics.

By day: From dawn until sunset.

Even for a moment: Even for an instant. If a bhikkhunī provokes a dispute — even with a śrāmaṇera or a gardener — (she commits an offense of Saṃghāvaśeṣa).

Primary offense: One does not wait until the third admonition.

Saṃgha: Referring to the eight Pārājika (offenses) (?).

Vaśeṣa: Because this offense still has a remainder, and the Saṃgha must perform a karmavācanā act of discipline, it is called Saṃghāvaśeṣa.

Furthermore, because this offense requires confession of faults in the midst of the Saṃgha for repentance, it is called Saṃghāvaśeṣa.

If a bhikkhunī goes to denounce another person before a royal magistrate, she commits an offense of Saṃghāvaśeṣa.

If she speaks to him about matters of right and wrong, she commits an offense of Sthūlātyaya.

If a bhikkhunī goes to the home of an upāsaka or the home of a person of faith and speaks with them about matters of right and wrong, she commits an offense of transgressing the Vinaya.

If she does so with a mind of enmity toward them, she commits an offense of transgressing the Vinaya with a troubled conscience.

If a bhikkhunī goes to denounce another person before the king, she commits an offense of transgressing the Vinaya.

If she speaks to the king with words of resentment and hatred, she commits an offense of transgressing the Vinaya with a troubled conscience.

Therefore the Blessed One spoke (as above).

Vietnamese translation: Thích Phước Sơn. MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

Chinese translation: TRIPIṬAKA BUDDHĀBHADRA OF INDIA

TOGETHER WITH ŚRAMAṆA FAXIAN, TRANSLATED DURING THE EASTERN JIN DYNASTY

Verification of meaning: Thích Đỗng Minh