Lzh Mg Bu Vb Np 24Taking Back Robe-Cloth

– MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

– NIḤSARGIKA RULES FOR MONKS

– EXPLANATION OF PART THREE (ORIGINALLY CALLED PART FOUR) OF THE THIRTY NIḤSARGIKA-PĀYATTIKA RULES.

24. RULE: GIVING A ROBE AND THEN TAKING IT BACK.

When the Buddha was residing in the city of Śrāvastī, as described in detail above. At that time, the Elder Nanda and Upananda, during winter when the weather was quite cold, put on thick garments, spread warm blankets and bedding, wrapped their heads in Pūra cloths, and lit a brazier in front of them. At that time, a dark-skinned, blue-eyed non-Buddhist ascetic came along, shivering and trembling with cold, and stood before the two monks.

The non-Buddhist ascetic, seeing this, felt glad at heart, and said to the monks: "How comfortable it is for you who have gone forth! Then their minds gave rise to delight toward the Buddha-Dharma, and they said: "We too bear the name of those who have gone forth, but Pūraṇa Kāśyapa teaches us to live naked, to pull out our hair, to climb mountains, to leap into ravines, to allow the five kinds of heat to burn our bodies while we go begging for alms—we suffer pain in vain and have no comfort whatsoever."

The monks then said: "If you are fond of this teaching, come here and go forth, and then you will live in ease and happiness just as we do."

The non-Buddhist ascetic said: "I do not have a saṃghāṭī robe of a śramaṇa."

The monk said: "Just come, and I will give you one."

Thereupon the non-Buddhist ascetic came, and the monks gave him the going-forth and conferred upon him the complete precepts. They then said: "Now that I have given you the going-forth and conferred the complete precepts, you must perform the following necessary duties: Early in the morning when I rise from sleep, you must ask, 'Did you sleep well?', carry away the spittoon and the chamber pot and empty them, then wash them clean and return them to their proper places; hand me water for washing my face, a tooth-cleaning stick, and carry the bowl to fetch gruel.

When I have finished my morning meal, you must wash the bowl, wipe it dry, and return it to its proper place. If there is an invitation somewhere for a meal, you must go there and receive the food. When I wish to enter the village, you must bring the robe worn when entering the village and hand it to me, then take the robe I have just changed out of, fold it neatly, and put it away in its proper place.

When I return from the village, you must spread a small seat for me to sit upon, hand me water and tooth-cleaning leaves. While I am eating, you must hold a fan and fan me. When I have finished eating, you must wash the bowl, wipe it dry, put it away in its proper place, then remove the robe I wore into the village, fold it and put it away, and hand me my ordinary robe.

When you have finished your own meal, you must go and gather firewood and kindling, wash robes, take them to be dyed, sweep the room clean, and mop the floor. When I wish to enter the forest to sit in meditation, you must carry the sitting mat and follow me; when I return, you follow back, and then hand me water to wash my hands. After you have offered incense and flowers in worship, you must spread the bed, bring water for washing my feet, then apply oil and massage, spread out the bedding, put up the mosquito net, bring the spittoon and chamber pot, light the lamp, and so forth—only after you have fully provided all these things for me may you attend to your own needs."

At that time the newly ordained monk (the former non-Buddhist ascetic) replied to his teacher: "These are not the ways of one who has gone forth, but the duties of a servant."

The teacher said: "If you cannot do these things, you must return the saṃghāṭī robe to me."

The man then removed the robe, laid it on the ground, and departed.

Furthermore, when the Buddha was residing in the city of Śrāvastī, as described in detail above. At that time, the Venerable Nanda was the elder brother of Upananda. Upananda then said to his brother's attendant disciple as follows: "Come with me into the village; I will give you some goods. If I do anything contrary to proper conduct, do not speak of it to others, for I am your uncle."

The disciple said: "If I saw my own father doing something unlawful, I would still tell others—how much more so an uncle."

Upananda said further: "If you are like that, I will teach you a lesson," and led him to the house of a wealthy nobleman. The patron of that house then invited them to stay and take a meal.

Not wishing the disciple to eat, Upananda made a show of deliberating and waited until the sun was nearly at noon, so that the disciple could no longer beg for alms and it would also be too late if he returned to the dwelling, and then said to him: "You go back to the monastery."

The disciple then returned. Fearing that he would be late for the meal, he walked hurriedly, watching the sun as he went, but by the time he arrived at the monastery he saw that the monks had already finished eating and were walking in kinhin before the gate.

The monks, seeing from afar that the teacher was walking hurriedly, suspected something unusual had occurred, and asked: "Today you went out teaching in various places together with a monk who has many acquaintances—what delicious food did you receive that you look so pleased?"

He replied: "Today I missed my meal entirely—where would I get any delicious food!"

After Upananda sent him back, he then ate and drank various things, and when he had finished eating, fearing that the matter would be disclosed, he hurried back—only to find a large gathering of monks assembled and discussing matters. He thought: "People are gathered and talking; surely that monk has already spoken to the brethren about my misbehavior." He then said to Nanda: "Elder, your disciple has gone to the brethren and spoken of my wrongdoing."

Nanda thereupon became angry and said to his disciple: "Today, why have you spoken about the faults of my younger brother? You must return the saṃghāṭī robe to me."

The monks, hearing this, said to one another: "This monk today has encountered two sufferings: first, the loss of his meal; second, the loss of his robe."

The Buddha, having heard of this matter, though already knowing, still asked the monks: "Which monk is this who speaks so loudly and at such a high pitch?"

The monks then reported to the Buddha: "Blessed One, it is Nanda who has seized back the robe from his attendant disciple, and that is why there is such an uproar."

The Buddha instructed that Nanda be summoned. When he arrived, the Buddha questioned Nanda in detail: "Is it true that, desiring to have someone attend upon you, you gave the going-forth to someone, gave him a robe, and then, when the disciple was resentful and unwilling to perform the role of a servant, you seized back the robe from your attendant disciple?"

He replied: "It is exactly as stated."

At that time the Buddha said to Nanda: "Why did you give someone the going-forth without teaching him the Dharma and the Vinaya, but only set him to work and provide service for yourself?"

The Buddha rebuked him fully, and then said to the monks: "From now on, one must not harbor the intention of securing service for oneself as a reason for giving someone the going-forth. Whoever does so commits an offense of transgression of the Vinaya. Instead, one should think thus: 'May that person, through my guidance, cultivate wholesome qualities and attain the fruit of the path.'"

Thereupon the Buddha commanded all the monks residing in the city of Śrāvastī to assemble together, and for the sake of ten benefits he established the rule for the monks, which all must hear, even those who have already heard it:

"If a monk gives a robe to another monk, and then afterward, in anger and displeasure, either seizes it back himself or has another seize it back, saying: 'Monk, return the robe to me; I no longer give it to you'—when the robe is recovered, he commits a Niḥsargika-Pāyattika offense."

Explanation

(Some terms have already been explained)

—Seizing back: Either seizing back oneself, or having another seize it back, saying: "Return the robe to me; I no longer give it to you." When it is recovered, one commits a Niḥsargika-Pāyattika offense.

—Niḥsargika-Pāyattika: As explained above.

In summary, there are the following cases: Either one gives it oneself and then has another seize it back; or one has another give it and then seizes it back oneself; or one gives it oneself and seizes it back oneself; or one has another give it and has another seize it back; or one gives collectively and seizes back individually; or one gives individually and seizes back collectively; or one gives collectively and seizes back collectively; or one gives individually and seizes back individually.

—Giving collectively, seizing back individually: A monk gives three robes at one time, and afterward seizes each one back individually, saying: "Return my saṃghāṭī to me, return my uttarāsaṅga to me, return my antarvāsa to me." Seizing back in this manner incurs multiple Pāyattika offenses. This is called giving collectively and seizing back individually.

—Giving individually, seizing back collectively: A monk gives the saṃghāṭī, the uttarāsaṅga, and the antarvāsa not all at the same time, but demands them back all at once, saying: "Return all the robes to me." Seizing back in this manner incurs one Pāyattika offense. This is called giving individually and seizing back collectively.

—Giving collectively, seizing back collectively: A monk gives the robes all at one time, and afterward says: "Return all the robes to me." Seizing back in this manner incurs one Pāyattika offense.

—Giving individually, seizing back individually: A monk gives the saṃghāṭī, the uttarāsaṅga, and the antarvāsa not all at the same time, and afterward demands them back gradually, saying: "Return my saṃghāṭī to me, return my uttarāsaṅga to me, return my antarvāsa to me." If such words result in recovery, multiple Pāyattika offenses are incurred.

If a monk, when giving a robe to another monk, says: "If you stay close by me, I will give you the robe; if you do not stay, I will take it back"—then when he takes it back, there is no offense.

If a monk, when giving a robe to another monk, says: "If you stay here, I will give it; if you do not stay, I will take it back"—then when he takes it back, there is no offense.

If a bhikkhu gives robe-cloth to another bhikkhu, saying, "If you please me, I will give it to you," and afterward that bhikkhu does not please him, and he takes it back, there is no offense.

If he gave it so that the person would read the scriptures, and afterward that person does not read them, and he takes it back, there is no offense.

If a bhikkhu has sold robe-cloth but has not yet received payment, or has received only partial payment, he should take back the robe-cloth; there is no offense.

If a bhikkhu gives robe-cloth to a student-attendant, and that student relies upon him yet cannot be taught and disciplined, and wishing to subdue him he takes back the robe-cloth, and after having subdued him returns it, there is no offense.

If one forcibly takes away the robe of a bhikkhu, the offense is Nissaggiya Pācittiya; if one forcibly takes the robe of a bhikkhunī, the offense is Thullaccaya; if one forcibly takes the robe of a Sikkhāmānā, a Sāmaṇera, or a Sāmaṇerī, the offense is a Vinaya transgression; if one forcibly takes the robe of a lay person, the offense is a Vinaya transgression to be confessed through mental recollection. Therefore it is said (as above).

Vietnamese translation: Thích Phước Sơn. MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

Chinese translation: TRIPIṬAKA BUDDHABHADRA OF INDIA

TOGETHER WITH ŚRAMAṆA FAXIAN, TRANSLATED DURING THE EASTERN JIN DYNASTY

DOCTRINAL VERIFICATION: THÍCH ĐỖNG MINH