Lzh Mg Bu Vb Np 30Offerings Intended for the Sangha

– MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

– BHIKKHUNĪ NISSAGGIYA

– EXPLANATION OF PART THREE (ORIGINALLY CALLED PART FOUR) OF THE THIRTY NISSAGGIYA PĀCITTIYA RULES.

30. RULE: MISAPPROPRIATING PROPERTY BELONGING TO THE SANGHA.

When the Buddha was residing in the city of Sāvatthī, a certain bhikkhu, at the time for going on alms round, put on his robe, took his bowl, and entered the city to go on alms round in sequence. Arriving at one particular house, a woman said to him:

—Venerable Sir, on such-and-such a day… I intend to offer a meal to the Sangha and to present robes.

The bhikkhu said: "Excellent, sister! Exchange the three non-enduring things—body, life, and wealth—for the three enduring things; therefore act quickly, for material possessions are impermanent and subject to many dangers."

Having said this, he returned to the monastery and said to the other bhikkhus: "I wish to report some good news to you all."

The bhikkhus asked: "What good news is there?"

He replied: "I have heard that the female lay devotee of such-and-such a household intends to offer a meal and robes to the Sangha."

The group of six bhikkhus, upon hearing this, asked: "What did you just say?"

—I heard that the female lay devotee of such-and-such a household intends to offer a meal and robes to the Sangha.

—Do you know where that house is located? On which road? In which direction does the door face?

Having inquired in detail, the following morning they put on their robes and went to that house, asking: "Is the mistress of the house well?"

She replied: "Yes, I am well."

—I have heard that you intend to offer a meal and robes to the Sangha. Is this so?

—Venerable Sir, I do indeed have that intention, but I fear that in the course of preparation many difficulties may arise, and I do not know whether it will succeed.

—As for me, I am one who went forth earlier and have been a bhikkhu for many years. If you were to offer a robe to me, I would wear it when visiting the royal households or when paying homage to the Blessed One. If members of the nobility, or anyone else, were to ask me: "Where did you obtain that robe?"—I would answer: "It was offered by the faithful female lay devotee of such-and-such a household." In this way, your good name will be known and everyone will come to know you.

—My family has no other material things, for I have already resolved to offer them to the Sangha. If I were to offer them separately to you, I would be committing the fault of breaking my promise to offer to the Sangha. If I had another robe, I would offer it separately to you, for offering to you is the same as offering to the Sangha.

—Whether you offer or not is entirely up to you!

Having said this, he departed. After he left, the female lay devotee reflected: "If I make an offering to that bhikkhu and not to the Sangha, which is a superior field of merit, that would not be right. Yet if I do not make an offering to that bhikkhu, and he has considerable influence with the royal family, he may cause me harm." Thinking thus, she did not make an offering to the Sangha, and because she was displeased with that bhikkhu, she also did not make an offering to him.

The bhikkhus, upon hearing of this, reported the matter to the Blessed One. The Buddha then instructed that Nanda and Upananda be summoned. When they had come, the Buddha inquired into the details of the matter: "Did you truly do such a thing?"

They replied: "It is true that we did."

The Buddha rebuked them: "This is a wrongful act. There are two faults: First, it causes the donor to lose merit; second, the recipient loses the robe."

Then the Buddha said to Nanda and Upananda: "Have you never heard me, through countless skillful means, praise few desires and censure many desires? This is contrary to the Dharma, contrary to the Vinaya, and goes against my teaching. Such conduct cannot be used to nurture wholesome qualities."

The Buddha then issued an order for all the bhikkhus residing in Sāvatthī to assemble, and for the sake of ten benefits, he established this rule for the bhikkhus, which must be heard again even by those who have already heard it:

"If a bhikkhu, knowing that goods have been intended by a donor for offering to the Sangha, diverts them to himself, he commits a Nissaggiya Pācittiya offense."

Explanation

—Knowing: Either knowing by oneself or having heard from another.

Goods: There are eight categories:

1. Food consumed at the proper time; 2. Beverages consumed in the evening; 3. Medicine used for seven days; 4. Medicine used for life; 5. Light articles; 6. Heavy articles; 7. Unlawful articles; 8. Articles that are both lawful and unlawful.

—Goods intended for offering to the Sangha: The donor's intention is to choose those particular goods for offering to the Sangha.

Sangha: Consists of eight categories: 1. Bhikkhu Sangha; 2. Bhikkhunī Sangha; 3. Visiting Sangha; 4. Departing Sangha; 5. Resident Sangha; 6. Rains-retreat Sangha; 7. Harmonious Sangha; 8. Disharmonious Sangha.

—Diverting to oneself: Taking for oneself, storing for oneself, using for oneself. If one does so, one commits a Nissaggiya Pācittiya offense. The article must be relinquished before the Sangha, and then the Pācittiya offense must be confessed. If one confesses without relinquishing, one commits a Dukkaṭa offense.

If a person intending to make an offering comes and asks a bhikkhu:

—Venerable Sir, I intend to make an offering but do not know where I should offer it.

The bhikkhu should reply:

—Offer it wherever you hold in respect.

—Which place yields the greatest fruit?

—Offering to the Sangha yields the greatest fruit.

—Which Sangha keeps the precepts purely and has much merit?

—A Sangha that has not violated the precepts and has not lost its purity.

If a person brings offerings, the bhikkhu should say: "Offering to the Sangha yields great fruit." If they say: "I have already made offerings to the Sangha; now I wish to offer to you, Venerable Sir," then the bhikkhu may accept without offense.

If a donor asks a bhikkhu: "To whom should I offer this so that my offering will be put to constant use?"

At that time, the bhikkhu may say: "The bhikkhu of such-and-such a name is one who recites the suttas, keeps the precepts, and practices meditation. If you offer to him, the offering will be constantly used."

If one knows that goods were intended by the donor for offering to the Sangha and diverts them to oneself, one commits a Nissaggiya Pācittiya offense. If one diverts them to another person, one commits a Pācittiya offense. If one knows that goods were intended for offering to this particular Sangha and causes the donor to offer them to a different Sangha, one commits a Dukkaṭa offense.

If one knows that goods were intended for offering to this particular group and causes the donor to offer them to a different group, one commits a Dukkaṭa offense.

If one knows that goods were intended for offering to this particular animal and contrives to redirect them toward a different animal, one commits a Dukkaṭa offense requiring confession by mental reflection.

The article that the bhikkhu has diverted to himself (as stated above)—the Sangha is not to give it to anyone but must use it themselves. Therefore it is said (as above).

MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

End of the Eleventh Volume.

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