Lzh Mg Bu Vb Pc 14Leaving Furniture Outside

– MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA RULES

– CLEARLY EXPLAINING THE THIRD SECTION OF THE SINGLE CONFESSION RULES

14. RULE: SPREADING THE SANGHA'S FURNISHINGS IN AN OPEN PLACE.

When the Buddha was residing in the country of Vajji, he was travelling through the human realm and came to the bank of a certain river, where he saw fishermen casting their nets to catch fish. The monks, seeing this, reported it to the Buddha: "Blessed One! These fishermen are doing something they ought not to do." On account of what the monks said, the Blessed One then recited a verse:

At that time, the fishermen cast a great net, with stones tied along the bottom and gourds fastened along the top to keep it afloat; they pulled it up with the current, two hundred and fifty people at each end, hauling it ashore with a great clamor. The monks, seeing this, reported it to the Buddha: "Blessed One! If these people were to apply such diligence within the Buddha's Dharma, they would obtain great benefit." At that moment, on account of that occurrence, the Blessed One recited a verse:

This is as has been clearly set forth in the Jātaka of Kapila.

At that time, among the fish caught in the net, there was a great fish with hundreds of heads, each one different from the others. The Blessed One, seeing this, called it by name. It then responded to the Blessed One. The Blessed One asked: "Where is your mother?"

It replied: "She is living as a maggot in a certain latrine."

The Buddha then said to the monks: "This great fish, in the time of the Buddha Kāśyapa, was a monk learned in the Tripiṭaka. On account of harsh speech, it is now bearing the karmic fruit of manifold heads. As for the mother, because she received the material support of that monk, she has been reborn as a maggot in a latrine."

When the Buddha related this account of causes and conditions, five hundred fishermen immediately abandoned their net-pulling, requested to leave the household life to practice the path, and all attained the fruit of arhatship. They then took up residence beside the river Vajji.

Thereupon the Buddha said to Ānanda: "Prepare seats for those visiting monks." Ānanda then said to the Buddha: "May the Buddha please comfort the visiting monks."

The Buddha again said to Ānanda: "You simply do not know — I have already entered the Fourth Dhyāna to comfort the visiting monks."

While the beds and cushions were laid out in an open area with no one to put them away, the time came for alms-gathering, and the visiting monks, using their supernormal powers, went — some to Uttarakuru in the north, some to the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, and others down to the palace of the nāga king — to collect alms. As a result, the beds and cushions laid out in the open became scorched by the sun, buffeted by the wind, and covered with dust and filth. The Buddha knew this but still asked. The monks then reported the full account of the matter to the Blessed One. The Buddha said: "Wait until those monks return."

When they had returned, the Buddha asked: "Is it really as this account says?"

They replied: "It is indeed so."

The Buddha said: "From this day forward, on account of what you have done, I shall establish a rule for the monks."

The Buddha then ordered all the monks living beside the river Vajji to assemble, and for the sake of ten benefits he established a rule for monks — which, even those who have already heard it must hear again:

"If a monk, at the Sangha's dwelling place, himself spreads out or has another spread out beds for lying, beds for sitting, mattresses, or cushions in an open area, and upon departing does not put them away and does not have another put them away, he commits a Pācittiya offence."

Explanation

The Sangha's dwelling place: Either a dwelling place in a forest hermitage, or a dwelling place in a village.

Beds for lying, beds for sitting: There are fourteen kinds:

1. A lying-bed with round legs; 2. A sitting-bed with round legs; 3. A lying-bed made of padding; 4. A sitting-bed made of padding; 5. A lying-bed made of rope; 6. A sitting-bed made of rope; 7. A lying-bed made of o-na-đà; 8. A sitting-bed made of o-na-đà; 9. A lying-bed made of đà-di; 10. A sitting-bed made of đà-di. (Here there are only ten kinds.)

Mattresses: A cotton mattress, a fine-down mattress, a woolen mattress, a Kāśī mattress, a grass mattress.

Cushions: A cotton cushion, a fine-down cushion, a woolen cushion, a Kāśī cushion.

Spreading out: Either spreading out oneself or having another spread out.

Departing: Going to another place.

Not putting away: Not putting away oneself, not having another put them away — this constitutes a Pācittiya offence.

If one wishes to teach the Dharma in an open area and the attendant in charge of beds and furnishings brings them out, and thereafter goes away more than twenty-five cubits without instructing another to put them away, this constitutes a Pācittiya offence.

If both persons know that beds are outside, then when one person departs, he must instruct the second person. If the second person wishes to depart, he must wait until the first person returns and has given instructions before departing. If beds and cushions have been brought out and spread, and someone comes and sits upon them while the one who brought them out knows who that person is, then he may depart without offence.

During the spring months, if a monk brings beds and bedding outside, and a young monk comes and sits and falls asleep upon them, the one who brought them out must instruct that monk to put them away.

If a monk goes out at night to relieve himself and bumps into a Sangha bed on which no monk is sitting, and then goes away, he incurs a Pācittiya offence for each item he touches. If there is a monk upon that bed, he should instruct that monk to put it away, and there is no offence.

If the Sangha's attendant monk wishes to hand over beds and bedding to someone, brings them outside, and then goes away more than twenty-five cubits, he commits a Pācittiya offence. If the person receiving the Sangha's beds and bedding lays them out in the sun and then goes away more than twenty-five cubits, he likewise commits a Pācittiya offence.

If a sick monk is lying and sleeping in the open, and a disciple comes to pay respects, and the disciple sees the teacher rise and depart, the disciple must bring that bed inside the room and put it away. If two people are sitting on the same bed and the senior monk wishes to depart, he must instruct the junior monk. If the junior monk wishes to depart, he must inform the senior monk, saying: "I wish to depart — where should this bed be stored?" If the senior monk says: "Go ahead; I will put this bed away," then the junior monk may depart without offence.

If a monk brings out beds and bedding for his preceptor or teacher to lie upon, and then departs, he commits a Duṣkṛta offence. If the preceptor or teacher knows that the disciple has brought them out for his use, he should upon departing instruct the disciple to put them away; if he goes without giving instructions, he commits a Duṣkṛta offence.

If a monk places a Buddha image upon a Sangha bed and other monks come to pay reverence, touching the image with their hands, and then go without putting it away, they commit a Pācittiya offence. If monks come in succession to pay reverence and touch the image with their hands, they should instruct the last one to put it away.

There are several cases: either one has been instructed but bears no responsibility; or one bears responsibility but has not been instructed; or one both must be instructed and bears responsibility; or one neither needs to be instructed nor bears responsibility.

Instructed but bears no responsibility: This is the case of a novice.

Bears responsibility but need not be instructed: This is the case of a senior monk.

Both must be instructed and bears responsibility: This is the case of a junior monk.

Neither needs to be instructed nor bears responsibility: This is the case of a layperson.

If a monk of great virtue has many disciples who spread out beds and bedding for him, and the teacher knows they have spread them out for his use, then when departing he should instruct them to put them away. If he does not instruct them, he commits a Duṣkṛta offence.

If at the Sangha's dwelling place there are beds and bedding left outside, and when a monk departs he does not put them away, he commits a Pācittiya offence.

If one sees the Sangha's beds and bedding left outside at one's own dwelling place, and upon departing does not put them away, one commits a Duṣkṛta offence.

If one sees one's own beds and bedding left outside at the Sangha's dwelling place, and upon departing does not put them away, one commits a Duṣkṛta offence.

If one sees one's own beds and bedding left outside at one's own dwelling place, and upon departing does not put them away, one commits a Duṣkṛta offence.

If one sees the Sangha's beds and bedding left outside at a layperson's home, and upon departing does not put them away, one commits a Duṣkṛta offence.

If one sees a layperson's beds and bedding left outside, one should upon departing inform them. Therefore it is said (as above).

Vietnamese translation: Thích Phước Sơn. MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

Chinese translation: TRIPIṬAKA MASTER BUDDHABHADRA OF INDIA

TOGETHER WITH ŚRAMAṆA FAXIAN, TRANSLATED DURING THE EASTERN JIN DYNASTY

DOCTRINAL VERIFICATION: THÍCH ĐỖNG MINH