Lzh Mg Bu Vb Sk 65In Water

– MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

– CLARIFICATION OF THE FIRST PORTION OF THE SEKHIYA RULES:

– CLARIFICATION OF THE REMAINING SEKHIYA RULES.

65. "A rule of training: One must not defecate, urinate, or spit in water."

One must not defecate, urinate, or spit on living grass; rather, one should defecate and urinate on ground that is free of grass. If during the summer months young grass grows everywhere and there is no bare ground, then one should defecate… on the pathways used by camels, cattle, horses, donkeys, and goats. If such places are not available, one should do so on tiles, bricks, or stones. If those are also unavailable, one should do so on dry grass. If that too is unavailable, one should lay down branches, defecate upon them, and then bury it in the ground.

When walking in kinhin, a bhikkhu must not spit on living grass. At the head of the walking-meditation path, a spittoon should be placed on tiles, stones, grass, or leaves; ash should be placed inside the spittoon before spitting into it. If defecating or urinating soils the hands or feet, it is permissible to wipe them on living grass. Water is of ten types as described above. One must not defecate, urinate, or spit in water; one must defecate and urinate on land. If during the rainy season the water suddenly rises and floods everywhere, one should defecate on mounds of earth. If there are no mounds of earth, one should use tiles, stones, bamboo, or wood to defecate upon, and then dispose of it in the water.

If a pit-latrine is dug and water flows out from the bottom of the latrine pit, the bhikkhu must not go first; he must instruct a净人 (净人, attendant) to go first, and the bhikkhu may go afterward — in which case there is no offense. If water flows from the bottom of the latrine pit, one must use a wooden plank to defecate upon and then dispose of it in the water.

If defecating, urinating, or spitting soils the hands or feet, it is permissible to wash them with water. Or when defecating or urinating, it is permissible to rinse the anus in water — there is no offense.

When a bhikkhu descends into water to bathe, he must not spit in it. If he is far from the bank, he must spit into his hand and then discard it.

If, with unrestrained faculties, one defecates, urinates, or spits on living grass, this constitutes disregard for the rule of training. Except in the case of mental derangement, there is an offense.

If, with unrestrained faculties, one defecates, urinates, or spits in water, this constitutes disregard for the rule of training. Except in the case of mental derangement, there is no offense. Therefore it is said:

"A rule of training: One must not defecate, urinate, or spit on living grass. A rule of training: One must not defecate, urinate, or spit in water."

When the Buddha was residing in the city of Śrāvastī — as described in full above — at that time the group of six bhikkhus defecated and urinated while standing, and people of the world mocked them, saying:

— Why do Śākya monastics defecate and urinate while standing, just like cattle, donkeys, and camels? These are corrupt individuals — what religious conduct do they have!

The bhikkhus then brought the matter to the Blessed One. The Buddha instructed that the group of six bhikkhus be summoned. When they had come, the Buddha asked:

— Did this matter truly occur as reported?

— It is truly so, Blessed One.

— Why did you defecate and urinate while standing? Henceforth, defecating and urinating while standing is not permitted.

Thereupon the Buddha commanded all the bhikkhus to assemble, and for ten reasons established a precept for the bhikkhus — which all should hear, even those who have heard it before:

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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