Lzh Mg Bi Vb Ss 6Ekarattivippavāsa

– MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

– RULES OF DISCIPLINE FOR BHIKKHUNĪS

– EXPLAINING THE FIRST PART OF THE 19 SAṂGHĀVAŚEṢA RULES

6. RULE: DWELLING ALONE.

When the Buddha was residing at Rājagaha, at that time in the city of Rājagaha there was a man named Kammāraputta who had taken a Kammāra woman as his wife. She was incomparably virtuous and was at that moment bringing food to her husband. When the time for alms-round arrived, the Blessed One donned his robe, took his bowl, and entered the city to collect alms in due order, arriving at that household. At that moment, the wife thought: "If my husband sees the Buddha, he will certainly rise to look and will neglect his meal; I should stand blocking the doorway." Because that man had a karmic connection with the Buddha, the Blessed One emitted a ray of light that shone into the house, causing the husband to look outward and behold the Buddha. He then said to his wife:

—You truly have not a shred of good heart; you only wish to do me harm.

—It was not my wish to harm you; I was afraid that if you saw the Blessed One you would neglect your meal.

The husband became angry and said:

—Women are shallow in their intentions—wishing to render a small benefit, you have caused far greater harm.

—Please, master, give me permission to go forth.

—What path do you wish to go forth into?

—To go forth in the Buddha-Dharma.

—I consent.

Thereupon she went to the bhikkhunī Uppalavaṇṇā and requested to go forth. The elder nun then received her into the order and gave her the full ordination. From the first watch of the night to the last watch she was diligent and without sloth, and on the eighth day she had severed all the āsavas, knew for herself that she had attained realization, and had obtained the three knowledges and the six abhiññās, with a mind entirely at ease, and she sat resting at the foot of a tree. At that time, Śakra, Lord of the Devas, came to where she was sitting and recited a verse:

This bhikkhunī had a clear and pure voice and was skilled in chanting the scriptures, and a male lay devotee invited her to his home to chant. After hearing the chanting, he was greatly pleased and offered her a large and beautiful piece of silk cloth. At that moment, the devas in the sky above recited a verse of praise:

At that time, people and households everywhere invited her to chant; after hearing the chanting they were greatly pleased and gave rise to the aspiration to make offerings, and thus she received very abundant offerings. Seeing this, the other bhikkhunīs gave rise to jealousy and said: "These are merely flattering praises that beguile and confuse people's minds."

The bhikkhunīs then went and reported the matter to the Blessed One. The Buddha instructed that the bhikkhunī be summoned. When she arrived, the Buddha asked:

—Is it true that you chant praises in the manner of the world?

—I do not know how to chant praises in the manner of the world.

The Buddha then said to the bhikkhunīs: "This bhikkhunī is not chanting praises in the manner of the world. In the distant past there was a king who ruled the city of Bārāṇasī named Kali. He had seven daughters: the first was named Samaṇā; the second, Samaṇāhitā; the third, Bhikkhunī; the fourth, Bhikkhunīdevā; the fifth, Dhammajā; the sixth, Sudhamā; the seventh, Saṃghā. These women had formerly made vows before the Buddha Kassapa, as is set forth in the Sutta of the Seven Daughters."

At that time, there was a bhikkhunī who wished to separate herself from the community of bhikkhunīs and dwell alone, and another bhikkhunī reported this matter to Mahāpajāpatī. Mahāpajāpatī then reported it to the Blessed One. The Buddha instructed that the bhikkhunī be summoned. When she arrived, the Buddha asked:

—Is it true that you intend to separate yourself from the community of bhikkhunīs and dwell alone?

—It is true, Blessed One.

—From this time forward, I do not permit separation from the community to dwell alone.

Furthermore, when King Virūḍhaka launched a campaign against the Sakyan country of Kapilavatthu—this should be set forth in full—at that time the bhikkhunīs who were dwelling alone outside the city walls... except in the case of royal danger.

Furthermore, at that time, among bhikkhunīs traveling on the road, there were some who were old or ill and could not keep pace with their companions and had to rest alone. Uncertainty arose in their minds, and they went to ask Mahāpajāpatī. Mahāpajāpatī then brought the matter before the Blessed One. The Buddha instructed: "One who has no lustful intention incurs no offense." Thereupon the Buddha instructed Mahāpajāpatī Gautamī to transmit the ruling to all the bhikkhunīs residing at Sāvatthī, who were all to assemble together, and even those who had already heard it were to hear it again:

—If a bhikkhunī dwells apart from other bhikkhunīs for a single night—except in exceptional circumstances; exceptional circumstances meaning when there is illness or when bandits have risen up and surrounded the city, that is called an exceptional circumstance—she commits the initial offense.

EXPLANATION:

Spending one night: From the time before sunset until the dawn of the following morning appears.

Except in exceptional circumstances: Having no lustful intention, living in seclusion, old age and illness, bandits having risen up and surrounded the city—if one is at that time inside the city, one should not go out; if one is outside the city, one should not go in. That is called an exceptional circumstance. This is the initial saṃghāvaśeṣa offense.

Saṃghāvaśeṣa: As stated above. If a bhikkhunī separates herself from another bhikkhunī and sleeps from before sunset until the dawn appears, she commits a saṃghāvaśeṣa offense.

If she separates herself from the community of bhikkhunīs from after sunset until the dawn appears, she commits a thullaccaya offense.

If bhikkhunīs are sleeping together in a room at a monastery, they should lie within one arm's reach of each other, and during the night they should reach out and check on one another three times; however, they must not check three times all at once, but once during the first watch, once during the middle watch, and once during the last watch. If during the first watch one does not reach out to check on the other, one commits a dukkaṭa offense; if during the middle watch one does not check, one also commits a dukkaṭa offense; if during the last watch one does not check, one also commits a dukkaṭa offense. If one has checked during all three watches, there is no offense.

If one person sleeps upstairs and another sleeps downstairs in different places, they must go back and forth to look after one another three times during the night. If one sleeps in such circumstances at a monastery, one commits a thullaccaya offense. 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

DOCTRINAL VERIFICATION: THÍCH ĐỖNG MINH