Lzh Mg Bu Vb Pc 52Giving Food to Ascetics

– MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA RULES

– EXPLAINING THE SIXTH SECTION OF THE 92 SINGLE EXPIATION RULES.

52. RULE: DRINKING WATER CONTAINING LIVING CREATURES.

When the Buddha was dwelling at Vesālī, as described in full above. At that time, the Venerable Udāyī was traveling on the road and became extremely thirsty. He entered a village and approached a young woman, asking: "Sister, please give me a little water." The young woman then brought him water, but there were living creatures in it.

Udāyī saw this and thought: "I will only drink from the part where there are no creatures." But when he drank, the creatures entered his mouth along with the water. After drinking, he became troubled with doubt, and brought the matter before the Blessed One. The Buddha rebuked him: "Why did you drink water knowing it contained living creatures?

That is unlawful and contrary to the Vinaya, contrary to my teaching, and cannot be used to nurture wholesome states. From now on, if you know that water contains living creatures, you must not drink it."

Furthermore, when the Buddha was dwelling at Sāvatthī, as described in full above. At that time, two bhikkhus from the southern land of Pāraṭi became travel companions and set out for Sāvatthī to pay respects to the Blessed One. Along the way they suffered from hunger and thirst, and finding no water to drink, they came to a well.

One bhikkhu drew up the water and immediately drank it. The other bhikkhu saw that the water contained living creatures and did not drink. The bhikkhu who had drunk the water asked his companion: "Why do you not drink?" He replied: "The Blessed One has laid down a rule against drinking water that contains living creatures, and this water contains them, so I will not drink." The bhikkhu who had drunk the water urged him: "Elder, please drink the water—do not die of thirst and fail to see the Buddha." He replied: "I would sooner lose my life than break the Buddha's precept." Having said this, he then died of thirst.

The bhikkhu who had drunk the water gradually made his way to where the Buddha was, bowed his head at the Buddha's feet, and stood to one side. The Buddha knew, but still asked:

—Bhikkhu, where have you come from?

—I have come from the land of Pāraṭi.

—Bhikkhu, did you have a companion?

—The two of us set out as travel companions, but halfway along the road we suffered from hunger and thirst and had no water. We came to a well; the well water contained living creatures, and I drew some and drank it. By the strength of that water I was able to come into the presence of the Blessed One. As for my companion, he kept the precept and did not drink, and so he died of thirst.

—You foolish man, you have not seen me, yet you think you have seen me. That bhikkhu who died has already seen me first. If a bhikkhu is undisciplined and lazy, not restraining his sense faculties, then even though he dwells in the same place as me, that bhikkhu is far from me. Although he may see me, I do not see him. On the other hand, if a bhikkhu lives at the far edge of the sea and ocean yet is not heedless, is diligent and not lazy, and restrains his sense faculties, then though he is far from me, I always see that person and that person is always near to me.

Thereupon the Buddha said to the bhikkhu (who stood before him): "That was an evil act, unlawful and contrary to the Vinaya, contrary to my teaching, and cannot be used to nurture wholesome states. From now on, if you know that water contains living creatures, you must not drink it." Then the Buddha commanded all the bhikkhus dwelling at Sāvatthī to assemble, and for ten good reasons laid down this rule for the bhikkhus—even those who have already heard it must hear it again:

—If a bhikkhu knows that water contains living creatures and drinks it, he commits a Pācittiya offense.

Explanation

Bhikkhu: As explained above.

Knows: Either knowing by oneself, or knowing from what others have said.

Living creatures: Not fish, turtles, thất thâu (?), ma la (?), but small insects such as mosquito larvae, and even creatures of extremely small form that can be seen by the eye—all of these are called living creatures.

Water: There are ten types, as explained above.

Drinks: When the water reaches the stomach (this is called drinking).

Pācittiya: As explained above.

A bhikkhu who has received the full ordination must obtain a water-straining bag and must bathe in the proper manner. When traveling anywhere, a bhikkhu must carry a water-straining bag with him. If he does not have one, he must at the very least use a corner of his uttarāsaṅga robe to strain the water.

When examining water, one should not use the divine eye to look, nor should one ask a person with poor vision to look; at the very least, one should ask a person who is able to see the finest lines in the palm of the hand to look. When examining water, one should not look cursorily but must look carefully—not too quickly and not too slowly—but in the time it takes a large elephant to turn around, or a bamboo-laden cart to turn its head.

If the water has no living creatures it should be used; if the water has living creatures it should be filtered before use. Water has three layers: lower, middle, and upper. If the lower layer has no living creatures but the middle and upper do, one should take the water from the lower layer that has no living creatures.

If the middle layer has no living creatures but the upper and lower do, one should take the water from the middle layer. If the upper layer has no living creatures, one should take the water from the upper layer. If the upper layer has living creatures, one should slap the water with the hand so that the creatures sink to the bottom, and then take the water to use.

If all three layers have living creatures, one should then filter the water before using it. If the water contains extremely minute living creatures, it must not be used for washing hands, washing the face, or for flushing the latrine when relieving oneself.

If a donor household invites a bhikkhu to a meal, he should ask at that time: "Have you filtered the water?" If the answer is: "Not yet filtered," he should assess whether the person before him is trustworthy; if so, he should instruct them to filter the water. If he judges that person is not trustworthy, he should not instruct them to filter it, lest living creatures be harmed; the bhikkhu should filter it himself and then use it.

He should then pour the water containing living creatures into his own bowl and ask where they drew the water, so that he can return the water with living creatures to its original place. If the place from which the water was originally drawn is far away, and nearby there is a pond that has not dried up over seven days, he may pour the water with living creatures into that pond. If there is no pond, he must draw more water and fill the bowl to the brim in order to keep the creatures alive.

Then, when heavy rain comes and streams of water flow strongly, he should pour the bowl of water containing living creatures into the flow, and make the aspiration: "May you enter the great ocean!"

If a bhikkhu is traveling on the road and is thirsty and needs to drink, when he comes to a well to draw water he must examine it carefully: if there are no living creatures he may drink; if there are living creatures he must filter it clean before drinking, following the method described above. If he knows the water contains living creatures, he must not pour it into a bucket.

If he draws water from a pond and gives it to someone, when pouring it out he must examine it carefully before handing it over.

If he sees that water contains living creatures, he must not shout out: "Elder, this water has living creatures, has living creatures," causing that person to become doubtful and displeased.

If that person asks: "Does this water have living creatures?" he should reply: "Elder, please look for yourself." If that person is a dharma friend, a preceptor, or a teacher, he should say: "This water has living creatures; it should be filtered before use."

In summary, if the water contains living creatures and one thinks it does not and uses it, one commits a Vinaya transgression offense.

If the water does not contain living creatures and one thinks it does and uses it, one commits a Vinaya transgression offense.

If the water contains living creatures and one knows it contains living creatures and uses it, one commits a Pācittiya offense.

If the water does not contain living creatures, one thinks it does not contain living creatures, and uses it, there is no offense.

Therefore it is said (as above).

Vietnamese translation: Thích Phước Sơn. MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

Chinese translation: TRIPIṬAKA BUDDHĀBHADRA OF INDIA

TOGETHER WITH ŚRAMAṆA FǍXIǍN, TRANSLATED DURING THE EASTERN JIN DYNASTY

Doctrinal verification: Thích Đỗng Minh