Lzh Mg Bu Vb Sk 47Washing Water With Rice

– MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

– CLARIFICATION OF THE BEGINNING PORTION OF THE SEKHIYA RULES:

– CLARIFICATION OF THE REMAINING PORTION OF THE SEKHIYA RULES.

47. "A rule to be trained in: One must not pour leftover food from the bowl onto the ground."

When eating, one should gauge one's appetite and take food accordingly, without taking too much. If a lay attendant serves too much, one should, before eating, transfer the excess to the person beside one. If that person does not accept it, one should give it to novices and garden workers.

When washing the bowl, one must not pour even a single grain of rice onto the ground. If there is leftover food, one should pour it onto a wooden board or onto leaves. If the food particles are so fine, like flour, that they cannot be gathered together, there is no offense. If, through negligence of the faculties, one pours the leftover food from the bowl onto the ground, this amounts to disregarding the rule to be trained in. Except in the case of mental derangement, there is no exemption. Therefore it is said:

"A rule to be trained in: One must not pour leftover food from the bowl onto the ground."

Summary verse:

When the Buddha was residing in the city of Sāvatthī, as explained in full above. At that time, Nanda and Upananda stood and delivered a Dharma talk while some Licchavi youths sat listening, and they were censured by people of the world, who said:

—Why do disciples of the Śākyan monastics stand and teach the Dharma to those who are seated and listening? These are degenerate persons—what spiritual conduct do they have! But these youths too have no respectful mind: when such a wondrous teaching of the Dharma is being given, they ought to have invited the teacher to sit upon a seat, yet instead they let him stand and teach while they themselves sit and listen.

The monks then went and reported this matter to the Blessed One. The Buddha thereupon ordered that Nanda and Upananda be summoned. When they had come, the Buddha questioned them about the matter just described:

—Did this actually happen as told?

—It did indeed happen thus, Blessed One.

—Why did you stand and teach the Dharma to those who are not ill while they sat? From this time forward, one must not stand and teach the Dharma to those who are seated.

Then the Buddha commanded all the monks residing in the city of Vesālī to assemble together, and for ten benefits he established this training rule for the monks—even those who have already heard it must hear it again:

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

MEANING VERIFIED BY: THÍCH ĐỖNG MINH