Lzh Mg Bu Vb Np 5Used Robes

– MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

– NISSAGGIYA RULES FOR BHIKKHUS

– DETAILED EXPOSITION of the Second Section of THE THIRTY NISSAGGIYA PĀCITTIYA RULES.

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5. PRECEPT: HAVING A NON-RELATIVE BHIKKHUNĪ WASH ONE'S ROBE.

When the Buddha was residing in the city of Śrāvastī, the Venerable Udāyī took a robe, gave it to the bhikkhunī Mahāprajāpatī, and said: "Good Gautamī! Please wash, dye, and iron this robe for me."

Mahāprajāpatī then washed, dyed, and ironed it, and returned it to the upāsikā, saying: "This robe has been washed, dyed, and ironed; I now return it to you."

Udāyī then offered a blessing: "May you dwell in peace and be free from illness," and stored it in his room.

Thereafter, Mahāprajāpatī went to the place of the Buddha, bowed her head in reverence at the feet of the Buddha, and stood to one side. The Buddha, though he knew, nonetheless asked: "Gautamī, why do your hands bear the color of dye?"

She replied: "Blessed One, I washed and dyed a robe for Udāyī, and that is why my hands bear the color of dye."

Not long after Gautamī had departed, the Buddha said to the bhikkhus: "Why has Udāyī instructed a bhikkhunī who is engaged in training to wash and dye a robe, thereby causing harm to the bhikkhunī's spiritual practice?"

Furthermore, when the Buddha was residing in the city of Śrāvastī, the Elder Ānanda, without careful consideration, gave a robe to the bhikkhunī Sthūlanandā to wash, saying: "Sister, please wash, dye, and iron this robe for me." Sthūlanandā then took the robe back to the monastery, spread it out, and saw that impure matter was adhering to the robe. She thereupon showed the robe to the other bhikkhunīs and said: "Look, all of you, at what is on this robe—it is the mark of a man."

The bhikkhunīs then said to Sthūlanandā: "Such things ought to be concealed—why are you showing it to people? If you wished to wash it, you should have simply washed it; if you did not wish to wash it, you should have put it away. That would have been the proper thing to do."

At that point, the bhikkhunī Sthūlanandā said to the bhikkhunīs: "What is there to be ashamed of in this that you tell me to conceal it? It is simply a man—the mark of a man." And she held it up once more to show the bhikkhunīs.

At that time, a group of six bhikkhus who were not far from the bhikkhunīs heard this and clapped their hands and laughed loudly, saying: "What a remarkable thing! What a remarkable thing!"

The bhikkhus who heard these words then went and reported the matter to the Blessed One. The Buddha had Ānanda summoned. When he arrived, the Buddha asked him: "Did this indeed happen?" He replied: "It did indeed happen thus. Because I was not careful, I gave the robe to her."

The Buddha then asked the bhikkhus: "Suppose a bhikkhu who is a relative possesses a robe defiled with such impurity—ought he to give it to a bhikkhunī who is a relative to wash?"

The bhikkhus replied: "He ought not to give it, Blessed One."

The Buddha asked further: "Suppose a bhikkhunī who is a relative sees that a bhikkhu who is a relative has something that must be concealed in such a manner—ought she to show it to others?"

They again said: "She ought not to show it, Blessed One."

The Buddha then said to the bhikkhus: "Even a bhikkhunī who is a relative should not be asked to wash a defiled robe—how then could one ask a bhikkhunī who is not a relative to wash such a robe? From this day forth, I do not permit this to be done."

The Buddha then ordered all the bhikkhus residing in the city of Śrāvastī to assemble together, and for the sake of ten benefits, he laid down a precept for the bhikkhus, which all should hear again even if they have heard it before:

"If a bhikkhu instructs a bhikkhunī who is not his relative to wash, or dye, or iron an old robe, he commits a Nissaggiya Pācittiya offense."

Explanation:

—Bhikkhu: As has been stated above.

—Not a relative: Not born of the same father, not born of the same mother.

—Old robe: Even if it has been used only once as a pillow, it is called an old robe.

—Robe: As has been stated above.

—Wash: To remove dirt and stains.

—Dye: Dyeing by means of roots, bark, leaves, flowers, or fruits, and so forth—such things as these.

—Iron: Even smoothing once with the hand is called ironing.

(Certain other terms have been explained above.)

In summary, if a bhikkhu instructs her to wash and she washes, instructs her to dye and she dyes, instructs her to iron and she irons, he commits a Nissaggiya offense.

If a bhikkhu instructs a bhikkhunī who is not his relative to wash a robe and she instead dyes it; or he instructs her to dye and she instead irons it; or he instructs her to iron and she instead washes it; or he instructs her but she does not do it; or he does not instruct her but she does it—all of these constitute an offense of Wrongdoing against the Vinaya.

If a bhikkhu instructs a bhikkhunī who is not his relative to wash a robe and she then dyes and irons it as well; or he instructs her to dye and she washes and irons it as well; or he instructs her to iron and she washes and dyes it as well; or he instructs her but she does not do it; or he does not instruct her but she does it—all of these constitute an offense of Wrongdoing against the Vinaya.

There are also the following cases: a bhikkhu gives a robe to a bhikkhunī who is a relative, but a bhikkhunī who is not a relative washes it; or he gives it to a bhikkhunī who is not a relative, but a relative washes it; or he gives it to a relative, but a non-relative washes it; or he gives it to a non-relative, and a non-relative washes it.

—Giving to a relative but a non-relative washes it: If a bhikkhu has a mother, elder sister, or younger sister who has gone forth, and the bhikkhu gives the robe to them with a request to wash it, and that bhikkhunī then takes the robe back to the monastery, whereupon a disciple nun says, "If Teacher has any task to be done, I will do it for you," and takes the robe and washes, dyes, and irons it—then the bhikkhu is without offense. This is called giving to a relative but a non-relative washing it.

—Giving to a non-relative but a relative washes it: If a bhikkhu gives a robe to a bhikkhunī who is not a relative to wash, dye, and iron it, and that bhikkhunī takes the robe back to the monastery, and at that time the bhikkhu has a mother, elder sister, or younger sister who has gone forth, and she recognizes the robe as belonging to her kinsman and asks that bhikkhunī: "Whose robe is this?" The other replies: "It is the robe of Bhikkhu So-and-so." The relative bhikkhunī then thinks: "That monk does not know the Vinaya," and, wishing to prevent the bhikkhu from committing a Nissaggiya offense, takes the robe and washes it—then the bhikkhu commits an offense of Wrongdoing against the Vinaya. This is called giving to a non-relative but a relative washing it.

—Giving to a relative but a (non-)relative washes it: If a bhikkhu has a mother, elder sister, or younger sister who has gone forth, and he gives the robe to them with a request to wash it, and that bhikkhunī says: "I am ill," and the bhikkhu then says: "Mother… has healthy disciples; please ask them to wash it for me," and that bhikkhunī then instructs her disciples to wash it, and after washing they return the robe—then the bhikkhu commits a Nissaggiya offense. However, if the bhikkhu did not instruct her to have her disciples wash it and the bhikkhunī on her own accord had her disciples wash it, then the bhikkhu is without offense. This is called giving to a relative but a (non-)relative washing it.

—Giving to a non-relative and a non-relative washes it: If a bhikkhu gives a robe to a bhikkhunī who is not a relative, and that bhikkhunī who is not a relative washes, dyes, and irons it, then the bhikkhu commits a Nissaggiya Pācittiya offense. This is called giving to a non-relative and a non-relative washing it.

If a bhikkhu leaves his robe and washing supplies at the monastery of the bhikkhunīs and then goes to a secluded place for the rains retreat, and the bhikkhunīs who received these items for safekeeping, at the end of the rains season, take out their own robes to wash them and incidentally also wash the bhikkhu's robe for him—and then the bhikkhu, having completed the rains retreat, returns to the nunnery to retrieve his robe to wash it, and the bhikkhunī tells him, "I have already washed and dyed it"—then that bhikkhu is without offense. However, if at the time of depositing the robe the bhikkhu thought, "They will wash, dye, and iron it for me," and indeed afterward the robe is washed, dyed, and ironed, then the bhikkhu commits a Nissaggiya Pācittiya offense.

If a bhikkhu is walking through a village and encounters a maddened elephant or a horse-drawn carriage that spatters mud all over his robe, and he then goes to a bhikkhunī monastery and asks the bhikkhunīs to wash it for him, he commits a Nissaggiya Pācittiya offense. However, if the bhikkhunī pours water while the bhikkhu washes it himself, there is no offense.

If a bhikkhu is washing his robe at a well on an Uposatha day, and bhikkhunīs come to the monastery to pay respects to the bhikkhus, and they see the bhikkhu washing his robe and ask: "Venerable Sir, does no one wash your robe for you?" and the bhikkhu replies, "No one," and the bhikkhunīs, out of faithful devotion, tell the bhikkhu to stop and offer to wash it for him, and the bhikkhu consents and allows them to wash it—there is no offense. However, if the bhikkhu intentionally washes his robe on the Uposatha day with the thought, "The bhikkhunīs are sure to come and they will wash it for me," and then gives it to the bhikkhunīs to wash, he commits a Nissaggiya Pācittiya offense.

If a bhikkhu has many nun disciples, although he may not direct them to wash, dye, or press his robes, he may still direct them to gather firewood, fetch water for boiling and dyeing, bring food, offer drinking water, hold a fan and fan him, and after the meal to put away and store the bowl. All such tasks… he may direct them to perform; but if he directs them to wash, dye, or press his robes, he commits a Nissaggiya Pācittiya offense.

If one gives robes on behalf of a preceptor or an ācārya and instructs a bhikkhunī to wash them, this constitutes an offense of Violation of the Vinaya. However, if one directs a bhikkhunī to wash, dye, or press on behalf of a stupa or the Sangha, there is no offense. Therefore it is said:

"If a bhikkhu directs a bhikkhunī who is not a relative to wash old robes, or to dye them, or to press them, he commits a Nissaggiya Pācittiya offense."

End of the fifth Nissaggiya rule.

Vietnamese translation: Thích Phước Sơn. MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

Chinese translation: TRIPIṬAKA BUDDHABHADRA OF INDIA

TOGETHER WITH ŚRAMAṆA FAXIAN, TRANSLATED DURING THE EASTERN JIN DYNASTY

Meaning verified by: Thích Đỗng Minh