Lzh Mg Bu Vb Np 10Excessive Prompting for Robe Funds

– MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

– NIḤSARGIKA RULES

– EXPLAINING Part Two of THE THIRTY NIḤSARGIKA PĀYATTIKA RULES.

10. RULE: EXCESSIVE DEMANDING OF ROBE FUNDS.

When the Buddha was residing at the city of Śrāvastī, a certain bhikkhu, at the time for alms-round, put on his customary robe, took his bowl, and entered the city to collect alms in order. At that time a laywoman spoke to the bhikkhu as described above. However, that was a case of one lay person speaking.

Here, there are two lay families whose intentions differ, and when the bhikkhu has heard, he must also hear it again clearly. If both lay families—husband and wife—discuss together the price of a robe and speak as follows: "We will provide such-and-such a robe, at such-and-such a price, for bhikkhu so-and-so." But if beforehand they had not voluntarily invited him, and the bhikkhu, desiring a fine robe, goes to both lay households and says: "Both of you should combine your resources and provide me with such a robe, at such a value"—this one, because of fondness for fine things, if he receives the robe, commits a Niḥsargika Pāyattika offense.

In this matter, the case of one lay person has been explained above, but the case of two lay persons is different.

When the Buddha was residing at the city of Śrāvastī, King Bimbisāra had two great ministers: the first was named Nidhi, and the second was named Vāriṣa. In the autumn, when the people had finished the harvest and were transporting grain into the city, snow fell and it was cold. The two great ministers reflected: "Every year we have customarily invited the Venerable Nanda and Upananda to our homes to offer meals and robes—we wonder where they are now." Someone said: "They are residing at the city of Śrāvastī."

At that time, the two great ministers sent a messenger bearing a letter and eight hundred old coins to Nanda and Upananda, instructing the messenger to bring back a reply letter. The messenger went to the Jetavana monastery and asked the guest-reception monk: "Where are the rooms of Nanda and Upananda?"

At that time the bhikkhus pointed and said: "Here is the room."

The messenger entered the room, paid homage, and asked: "Are you the Venerable Upananda?"

The Venerable replied: "Yes. What do you wish to ask?"

The messenger answered: "The two great ministers of King Bimbisāra—Nidhi and Vāriṣa—have sent me to bring you this letter and eight hundred old coins, and they request a reply letter."

At that time there was an upāsaka named Dharmapradāna. Upananda then said to him: "Please count and see whether this robe fund matches what is stated in the letter."

He counted it and found that the amount matched the letter. He then wrote a reply letter and had the messenger carry it back. Thereafter, Dharmapradāna was about to depart and reported to Upananda: "Venerable Sir, where should this robe fund be kept?"

Upananda replied: "It should be kept with you."

The upāsaka took it home, but after waiting one day, two days, three days, he did not see Upananda come to collect it. The Venerable had been occupied with many matters and had forgotten to come. At that time, the upāsaka's household was short of money, so he borrowed that amount for temporary use, intending to repay it afterward. He had just spent it when, that very same day, Nanda urged Upananda to go and reclaim the robe fund. The upāsaka said: "When I took the money home and waited for the Venerable one day, two days, three days without his coming to collect it, since the household was a little short of funds, I borrowed it temporarily and will repay it."

Upananda then spoke angrily, saying: "You are someone not to be trusted! That is my money—how dare you use it as you pleased!"

Then Nanda said to Upananda: "That matter cannot be settled by direct demand," and reported it to the authorities to have the man arrested and taken away.

When the people saw this, they criticized them with every manner of reproach, saying: "The ascetics, sons of the Śākyas, consider themselves pure and virtuous, yet this donor who regularly provided for them—they could bring such hardship upon him. How much worse might they treat others! Truly they have utterly lost the conduct of ascetics. Acting so evilly, what morality do they still possess!"

Upananda, hearing this, felt ashamed and released the man.

The bhikkhus heard of this matter and went to report it to the Blessed One. The Buddha thereupon ordered Upananda to be summoned. When the Venerable arrived, the Buddha asked: "Upananda, did you truly do this?"

The Venerable answered: "It is truly so, Blessed One."

The Buddha then rebuked Upananda: "That is an evil deed. Have you not heard that I, by countless skillful means, have censured excessive desire and praised fewness of desire? This is contrary to the Dharma, contrary to the Vinaya, contrary to my teaching, and cannot be used to nurture wholesome qualities. From this day forward, I do not permit such demanding."

Furthermore, when the Buddha was residing at the city of Śrāvastī, the upāsaka Dharmapradāna regularly invited bhikkhus in rotation to receive meals. When it came time for a bhikkhu to receive a meal at that household, Dharmapradāna asked: "Why has Upananda not come to collect his money? When I had not yet had the money, he demanded it urgently in the midst of everyone; now that I have the money, he does not come to collect it."

The bhikkhus said: "The Buddha has established a rule prohibiting such demanding."

Dharmapradāna said: "If demanding is not permitted, why does he not come and stand here in silence? I would understand his intention."

That bhikkhu, after finishing his meal and returning, told the other bhikkhus. The bhikkhus then brought the matter to the Blessed One. The Buddha spoke to the bhikkhus: "This upāsaka Dharmapradāna is intelligent, wise, and resourceful with skillful means. From now on I permit bhikkhus to go and ask three times, and to go and stand in silence six times."

The Buddha then ordered all the bhikkhus dwelling at Śrāvastī to assemble together, and for the sake of ten benefits, he established this rule for the bhikkhus—which, even if one has already heard it, must be heard again:

"If a King or great minister sends a messenger bearing robe funds to a bhikkhu, and the messenger comes to the bhikkhu and says: 'Venerable Sir, this is the robe fund that the King, or that great minister, has sent to you. Please accept it.' This bhikkhu should say to the messenger as follows: 'It is not in accordance with the practice of bhikkhus to receive robe funds. When I am in need of a pure (lawfully obtained) robe, I will personally accept the means to procure one.' The messenger should ask the bhikkhu: 'Venerable Sir,

is there a designated steward who regularly handles such affairs for the bhikkhus?' This bhikkhu should point out to the messenger the designated steward—such as a gardener or a lay resident at the monastery—and say: 'Those people regularly assist the bhikkhus in such matters.' Thereupon the messenger goes to the steward and says: 'Good steward, this amount of robe funds is here to be used to procure such-and-such a robe for bhikkhu so-and-so.

Whenever that bhikkhu needs a robe and comes to receive it, you should give the robe to him.' This messenger, having himself conveyed the matter, or having had it conveyed through another, returns to the bhikkhu and reports: 'Venerable Sir, the steward whom you indicated to me has been engaged to have a robe made for you. Whenever you need a robe, please go and collect it, and he will give the robe to you.'

"When the bhikkhu needs a robe, he should go to the steward and request the robe, saying: 'I need a robe.' He may request it a second time and a third time in the same manner. If the robe is obtained, well and good. If not, he may again go to the steward and stand in silence a fourth time, a fifth time, a sixth time; if the robe is obtained, well and good. If it is not obtained and yet he continues to go and demand more than six times, then when the robe is obtained, he will have committed a Niḥsargika Pāyattika offense.

"If the robe is not obtained, he should—either going himself or sending a messenger—go to the person who provided the robe funds and say: 'You provided robe funds for bhikkhu so-and-so, yet in the end bhikkhu so-and-so did not receive a robe. Therefore you should go and reclaim the robe funds lest they be lost.' The matter should be handled in this way."

Explanation

—King: As explained in the rule on theft.

—Ministers of the King: Including even the minor functionaries who know how to manage official affairs are all called ministers.

—Messenger: Whether male or female, elder or young, lay or ordained.

—Robe: As explained above.

—Robe funds: Money, gold and silver, jewels, beryl, cowrie shells, coral, amber, mother-of-pearl, agate, red gems, copper, iron, white wax, lead, and so forth. These are called robe funds.

—Gardener: A pure attendant (净人) who serves the monastic community is called a gardener.

—Upāsaka: One who has taken the Three Refuges, who observes some portion of the precepts, a few precepts, many precepts, or the complete precepts, and practices them with ease and fluency. One such as this is called an upāsaka.

—Speaking three times: This does not mean making three statements in a single trip, but rather making three separate trips to demand—this is called speaking three times.

—Or 4, 5, 6 times of going and standing in silence: it is not a matter of going once and standing in silence and then returning, but of going six times and standing in silence before returning. That is to say: going oneself once to make a demand, sending a messenger once to stand in silence; going oneself once to make a demand, sending a messenger twice to stand in silence; going oneself once to make a demand, sending a messenger three times to stand in silence; going oneself once to make a demand, sending a messenger four times to stand in silence; going oneself once to make a demand, sending a messenger five times to stand in silence; going oneself once to make a demand, sending a messenger six times to stand in silence.

Going oneself twice to inquire, and going oneself three times to inquire, follow the same pattern. Or: sending a messenger once to make a demand, going oneself once to stand in silence; sending a messenger once to make a demand, going oneself twice to stand in silence; sending a messenger once to make a demand, going oneself three times to stand in silence; sending a messenger once to make a demand, going oneself four times to stand in silence; sending a messenger once to make a demand, going oneself five times to stand in silence; sending a messenger once to make a demand, going oneself six times to stand in silence.

Likewise, sending a messenger twice to inquire and sending a messenger three times to inquire follow the same pattern. Going oneself twice to make a demand and going oneself three times to inquire follow the same pattern. Sending a messenger to make a demand and sending a messenger to stand in silence three times likewise follow the same pattern.

That is to say: going three times to make a demand and six times to stand in silence. The time period may be either extended or urgent.

—What is meant by extended?

If a monk goes to the donor's house to request the robe funds and asks: "Venerable layman, please give me the money for the robe." And the donor replies: "Venerable One, come again in one month." The monk waits a full month and then returns to make the request.

If the donor again says: "Come again in one month," the monk waits a full month and returns to make the request. At that point, if the donor again says: "Venerable One, come again in one month," the monk waits a full month and returns to make the request. Once three months have passed in this way, he may not return to make the request again.

Or if they say: "Come to collect in half a month," then after more than three half-months have passed, he may not return to make the request again.

Or if they say: "In ten days, five days, four days, three days, two days, one day, a moment…" — if more than three such moments have passed, he may not return to make the request again.

When this monk has gone six times to stand in silence and the donor says: "I already know why the Venerable One comes and stands — please come again in one month," then the monk waits a full month and goes to stand in silence. Continuing in this way, after he has gone to stand in silence for a full six months, he may not come again.

Or if they say: "Half a month, ten days, five days, four days, three days, two days, one day, a moment" — once more than six such moments have passed, he may no longer come to stand in silence. So how long is the duration of standing in silence? — That period of time is equal to the time it takes for a person to enter a room, take a hat, and put it on their head, or the time it takes to put on a robe and then depart. If a monk contrives to show a visible sign by carrying his robe, bowl, staff, and water vessel, and walks past the house of the person with whom he had previously deposited the money, and that person asks: "Venerable One,

where are you going?" — and he replies: "I intend to go to the person who holds the deposited funds to tell them to take back the money lest it be lost" — and then the one holding the deposit says: "I have had the money ready for a long time; there is no need to go there" — and thereupon gives the money to the monk, and the monk accepts it, then he commits a Nisaggiya Pācittiya.

However, if there is no such intention, and the monk simply happens to pass by on the road, and they ask: "Venerable One, where are you going?" — and the monk replies: "I intend to go to the person who holds the deposited funds to tell them to take back the money lest it be lost" — and the one holding the deposit says: "I have had the money ready for a long time; there is no need to go there" — and gives the money, and the monk accepts it, then there is no offence.

On the other hand, if the one holding the deposit says: "Go wherever you wish. Even if you were to cut my flesh as one cuts a palm tree, I would not give you a single coin" — then at that point the monk should go to the person who originally gave the funds and tell them to take back the money lest it be lost. If the donor then says: "Previously I made an offering to the Venerable One; the Venerable One may use whatever means are appropriate to reclaim it" — then the monk is permitted to proceed as before: going three times to make a demand and six times to stand in silence.

Therefore the Blessed One has said:

"Whether it is a king or a great minister who gives money for robes… up to: do not let it be lost. The matter should be handled in this way."

END OF THE FIRST PART OF THE NISAGGIYA.

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