Lzh Mg Bi Vb Ss 5Walking Alone to the Next Village

– MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

– PRECEPTS FOR BHIKKHUNĪS

– EXPLAINING THE FIRST SECTION OF THE 19 SAṂGHĀVAŚEṢA RULES

5. PRECEPT: WALKING ALONE.

When the Buddha was residing in the city of Sāvatthī, at that time the younger sister of the bhikkhunī Laitrā had married in another village and fell ill, so she sent word to Laitrā saying: "Sister, please come quickly before I die, so that we may still see one another." Laitrā set out at once to visit her, but before she arrived, her younger sister had already passed away. When she arrived there, the brother-in-law said to her: "Your younger sister has died. Who will care for the household and look after the children? Please, sister, take her place and tend to these matters for me."

Upon hearing this, the bhikkhunī thought to herself: "This man has spoken loathsome words; he may forcibly violate me," and she became frightened. She then pretended to go outside, and thereupon returned to the city of Sāvatthī and said to the other bhikkhunīs: "How dreadful! That man would have destroyed my holy life!" The bhikkhunīs asked: "What happened?" She then recounted the entire matter to them.

The bhikkhunīs, upon hearing this, reported it to Mahāpajāpatī. Mahāpajāpatī then went and reported the matter in full to the Blessed One. The Buddha immediately had the bhikkhunī Laitrā summoned. When she arrived, the Buddha asked:

—Did this truly happen?

—It truly happened thus, Blessed One!

—Why did you travel the road alone? From this day forward, I do not permit traveling the road alone.

Furthermore, when a group of bhikkhunīs was traveling along the road, a young bhikkhunī needed to relieve herself and so fell behind the others. Then some merchants came along, and seeing that she was beautiful and graceful, they stopped her and asked:

—You are young and comely; you ought to be enjoying sensual pleasures. Why have you gone forth into homelessness? Please tell us your reason.

—What concern is it of yours that I have gone forth? Why do you ask?

—That is not so! It seems you have something on your mind—why not tell us?

She answered as before. The merchants teased her for a while and then let her go. When she arrived at the village settlement, doubt arose in her mind that she had committed an offense, so she told Mahāpajāpatī. Mahāpajāpatī then went and reported the matter in full to the Blessed One. The Buddha said: "There was no lustful intent, therefore there is no offense."

Furthermore, when a group of bhikkhunīs was traveling together along the road, one bhikkhunī fell ill and could not keep pace with her companions, and had to walk behind alone. When she arrived, doubt arose in her, so she told Mahāpajāpatī. Mahāpajāpatī then went and reported the matter in full to the Blessed One. The Buddha said: "She was ill, therefore there is no offense."

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

—If a bhikkhunī has no other bhikkhunī as a companion with whom to travel, she is not permitted to go beyond the boundary of a village or settlement, except under other circumstances; other circumstances means when there is no lustful intent and when one is ill—these are called other circumstances. This is the first saṃghāvaśeṣa offense.

EXPLANATION:

Without a companion bhikkhunī: Means traveling alone as explained above.

Except under other circumstances: When there is no lustful intent, or when one is ill, the Blessed One declares there is no offense.

Saṃghāvaśeṣa: As explained above.

If a bhikkhunī is walking along the road but has not yet passed beyond the boundary, there is no offense. If she is walking toward the boundary of a village, hamlet, or town, the companions should remain within the distance of one outstretched arm of each other. If they are more than one outstretched arm apart and she takes more than one step beyond that distance, she commits a thullaccaya offense; more than two steps, she commits a saṃghāvaśeṣa offense. If one person stands at the intermediate boundary, she commits a thullaccaya offense. Likewise, others who are more than the permitted distance apart also commit a thullaccaya offense. Therefore the Blessed One has spoken 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

Doctrinal verification: Thích Đỗng Minh