Lzh Mg Bu Vb Sk 14Well-Covered (2nd)

– MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

– EXPLAINING THE OPENING SECTION OF THE SEKHIYA RULES:

14. "A rule of training: one should be well-covered when sitting in the house of a white-robed householder."

Well-covered: One should use thick cloth for the inner robe; if it is made of thin cloth, it must be sewn in two or three layers. If the inner robe is thin, the uttarāsaṅga must be made of thick cloth. If the uttarāsaṅga is thin, the saṃghāṭī must be made of thick cloth.

If the saṃghāṭī is thin, the uttarāsaṅga must be made of thick cloth. When sitting, one must not sit upon the robe; one should lift the robe with one hand, steady the sitting cloth with the other hand, and then sit down gently. If one is sitting to receive a meal in the monastery in the presence of preceptors, ācāryas, and elder bhikkhus, one must keep the body well-covered.

If one is careless with the sense faculties and does not keep the body well-covered when sitting in a house, this is to disregard a rule of training. Except in the case of mental derangement, there is an offense. Therefore it is said:

"A rule of training: one should keep the body well-covered when sitting in the house of a white-robed householder."

When the Buddha was dwelling at Sāvatthī, as explained in full above. At that time, the group of six bhikkhus entered the houses of white-robed householders and sat watching women and children as they came and went, going up and down the stairs, so that worldly people criticized them:

—Why do the Śākyan monastics, like the dissolute or like thieves, sit in people's homes watching the women?

Then they asked:

—Venerable Sirs, have you lost something, that you look about to the east and west like this? These are corrupt ones; what virtue do they have!

The bhikkhus then brought this matter and reported it to the Blessed One. The Buddha immediately ordered that the group of six bhikkhus be summoned. When they had come, the Buddha asked:

—Did this matter really occur?

—It is true, Blessed One.

—From now on, when sitting in the house of a white-robed householder, you must look straight ahead.

Thereupon the Buddha instructed all the bhikkhus dwelling at Sāvatthī to assemble together, and for ten reasons he laid down this training rule for the bhikkhus; even those who have already heard it must hear it again:

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