Lzh Mg Bu Vb Ss 4Encouraging Someone to Serve One’s Desires

– MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

– SAṂGHĀVAŚEṢA RULES

4. RULE: REQUESTING A WOMAN TO OFFER HER BODY.

At that time, the Buddha was residing in the city of Śrāvastī, as described in detail above. At that time, the Elder Udāyin had an old Brahmin friend, who said to him: "I have business that will take me far away; Elder, could you regularly visit and look after my wife and household while I am gone?" Udāyin said: "Brahmin, even without your entrusting this to me, I would have to look after them — how much more so now that you have entrusted them to me." Thereupon the Brahmin departed.

At that time, Udāyin put on his robe, took his bowl, and went to the Brahmin's house. The Brahmin's wife, upon seeing the Elder Udāyin arrive, came out to receive him, paid her respects, and said: "Welcome, Venerable Teacher! It has been a long time since we last met; how kind of you to come today.

Please come in and be seated." Udāyin entered and, after sitting down, said: "It has been a long time since I last came. Today, do you have anything to offer me?" The Brahmin's wife said: "There is a great abundance of food and drink; whatever the Teacher asks for, I will offer it all." Udāyin said: "All such foods I have already received at other households of the faithful. But that which is difficult for us who have gone forth to obtain, you possess quite naturally — so please bring that forth and offer it to me." The Brahmin's wife said: "I do not know what it is that is difficult for those who have gone forth to obtain, yet that I possess naturally.

Please tell me clearly. If it is in my house, I will bring it to you; if it is not in my house, I will go and seek it elsewhere to give to you." Udāyin said: "You already know well what it is — how could you not know! You are as wily and deceitful as a four-eyed thief; what is there that you do not know?" The Brahmin's wife said: "I truly do not know; please tell me clearly.

If it is in my house, I will bring it to you. If it is not in my house, I will go elsewhere to buy it and give it to you. What do you need it for?" Udāyin said: "You know very well what it is.

It is the foremost offering — that is, sexual intercourse. That is to say, offering the compliance with sensual desire to virtuous monks such as ourselves who keep the precepts, do good, and cultivate the holy life."

At that time, among the Brahmin's wives, the younger women felt ashamed and lowered their heads, quietly withdrew, and each returned to her own room. The middle-aged women also felt ashamed and all lowered their heads and stood in silence. But the elderly women scolded him, saying: "Venerable Udāyin!

This is not proper; you should not speak such indecent words. This is a Brahmin's household, not a brothel. We will report this matter to the bhikkhus." Udāyin said: "Report it or not, as you please." Having said this, he departed.

After leaving that house, he went to the house of courtesans. The courtesans, upon seeing him arrive, all rose to welcome him, respectfully greeting him: "Welcome, Venerable Teacher Udāyin! It has been a long time since we last met; how kind of you to come today." They invited him in and offered him a seat.

Udāyin said: "I come very rarely; today, do you have something to offer me?" The courtesans said: "There is food and drink; whatever the Teacher needs, whatever the Teacher asks for, we will offer it all." Udāyin said: "All such foods I have already received at other households of the faithful. But that which is difficult for us who have gone forth to obtain, you possess quite naturally — so it would be best if you would give that to me." The courtesans said: "We do not know what it is that is difficult for those who have gone forth to obtain; please tell us.

If it is in our house, we will give it to you; if it is not in our house, we will go elsewhere to seek it and give it to you." Udāyin said: "You already know what it is — how could you not? You are as wily and deceitful as four-eyed thieves; how could you not know?" He said this three times, and yet the courtesans still said they did not know. Udāyin again said: "You know very well what it is — how can you say you do not?

It is the foremost offering — that is, sexual intercourse. That is to say, offering the compliance with sensual desire to virtuous monks such as ourselves who keep the precepts, do good, and cultivate the holy life."

At that time, the younger courtesans clapped their hands and burst out laughing loudly. The middle-aged women said: "Our principal livelihood is lying on our backs; if you are a man, then come." But the elderly women said: "Venerable Udāyin, although we earn our living by such things, surely you cannot have ceased to observe the conduct of a monk? We will report this matter to the bhikkhus." Udāyin said: "Report it or not, as you please." Having said this, he departed.

Thereafter, the courtesans reported the matter to the bhikkhus. The bhikkhus then related the matter in full to the Buddha.

The Buddha said: "Summon Udāyin." When he had come, the Buddha questioned Udāyin about the matter: "Is it true that you did this?"

He replied: "It is true, Blessed One."

The Buddha immediately rebuked him: "Udāyin! Have you not heard me use many reasons to censure sensual desire, and many reasons to praise the abandonment of sensual desire? Why did you do such a wrong and unwholesome thing? Udāyin! This is against the Dharma, against the Vinaya, contrary to my teaching, and cannot be used to nourish wholesome states."

The Buddha then commanded all the bhikkhus living in Śrāvastī to assemble, and for the sake of ten benefits, he established this rule for the bhikkhus — let all who have heard it hear it again.

—If a bhikkhu, with his mind invaded by lustful thoughts, stands before women and praises the offering of their bodies, saying: "Sisters, offer sensual compliance to me, for I am a monk who keeps the precepts, does good, and cultivates the holy life" — if he praises in such a manner, he commits a saṃghāvaśeṣa offense.

Explanation.

Praising the offering to one's own person: If a bhikkhu praises himself, saying: "Sisters, I am a monk who keeps the precepts, does good, and cultivates the holy life; therefore offer sensual compliance to me — that is the foremost offering" — he commits a saṃghāvaśeṣa offense.

If a bhikkhu with a defiled mind stands before a woman and says to her: "If you wish to attain the supremely victorious and foremost, free, greatly free, incomparable, unrivaled, supreme, excellent, liberated, matchless, unparalleled — yourself without illness, your mother without illness, your father without illness, your relatives without illness, your kindred without illness — to gain merit, honor, to be loved by many, remembered by many, gladdened by many, esteemed by many, to attain long life, beauty, happiness, power, relatives, a good realm, the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, to become the consort of Śakra, to attain pure divine vision, ears hanging down, and so forth — then you should render such service to virtuous monks such as ourselves who keep the precepts, do good,

and cultivate the holy life, and with reverence, respect, devotion, and unstinting offering, freely, most freely, compliantly receive, compliantly accept"—

Among those thirty matters, each of the first ten occasions gives rise to one offense of Vītīkrama; each of the next eight occasions gives rise to one Sthūlātyaya offense; each of the final twelve occasions gives rise to one saṃghāvaśeṣa offense.

If a bhikkhu arises with lustful intent toward this person but directs his words toward others; or intends to direct them toward others but directs them toward this person; or intends to direct them toward this person and does so; or intends to direct them toward others and does so — or if a bhikkhu arises with lustful intent toward a woman but instead addresses a paṇḍaka, speaking from the first matter through to "compliantly accept" — then among those thirty matters, each of the first ten occasions gives rise to a Vītīkrama offense to be repented by reflection; among the next eight occasions, a Vītīkrama offense is incurred; among the final twelve occasions, a Sthūlātyaya offense is incurred.

If a bhikkhu has lustful intent toward a paṇḍaka but addresses a woman, speaking from the first matter through to "compliantly accept," then among those thirty matters, each of the first ten occasions incurs a Vītīkrama offense; each of the next eight occasions incurs a Sthūlātyaya offense; each of the final twelve occasions incurs a saṃghāvaśeṣa offense. The case of a woman addressing another woman is the same.

If a bhikkhu has a lustful mind toward a paṇḍaka, and then approaches the paṇḍaka and speaks from the first matter up to saying "accepting in accordance" — among those 30 matters, the first 10 matters incur the offense of Vītimokkha requiring mental confession; in the subsequent 8 matters, the offense of Vītimokkha; in the final 12 matters, the offense of Thullaccaya.

If a bhikkhu has a lustful mind toward a woman, yet approaches a man and speaks from the first matter up to saying "accepting in accordance" — among those 30 matters, the first 10 matters and the subsequent 8 matters incur the offense of Vītimokkha requiring mental confession; in the final 12 matters, the offense of Vītimokkha.

If a bhikkhu has a lustful mind toward a man, yet approaches a woman and speaks from the first matter up to saying "accepting in accordance" — among those 30 matters, the first 10 matters incur the offense of Vītimokkha; the subsequent 8 matters incur the offense of Thullaccaya; in the final 12 matters, the offense of Saṅghādisesa. The case of a woman toward a woman is likewise.

If a bhikkhu arouses a lustful mind toward a man, and then approaches a man and speaks from the first matter up to saying "accepting in accordance" — among those 30 matters, the first 10 matters and the subsequent 8 matters incur the offense of Vītimokkha requiring mental confession; the final 12 matters incur the offense of Vītimokkha. The paṇḍaka and the man in the four propositions are likewise.

If one praises before a woman the act of offering her body for one's own service, one incurs the offense of Saṅghādisesa.

If before a paṇḍaka, one incurs the offense of Thullaccaya; before a man, the offense of Vītimokkha; before a female kinnara or a female monkey, the offense of Thullaccaya; before a female animal, the offense of Vītimokkha.

If a bhikkhu … beside a woman, he incurs the offense of Saṅghādisesa; beside a paṇḍaka, the offense of Thullaccaya; beside a man, the offense of Vītimokkha.

There is also another case: If a bhikkhu … beside a woman, he incurs the offense of Thullaccaya; beside a paṇḍaka, the offense of Vītimokkha; beside a man, the offense of Vītimokkha requiring mental confession.

There is also another case: If a bhikkhu … beside a woman, he incurs the offense of Vītimokkha; beside a paṇḍaka, the offense of Vītimokkha requiring mental confession; beside a man, there is no offense.

There is also another case: If a bhikkhu … beside a woman, he incurs the offense of Vītimokkha requiring mental confession; beside a paṇḍaka and a man, there is no offense. Therefore, the Blessed One said:

— If a bhikkhu allows lust to invade his mind, and then stands before a woman praising the act of her offering her body for his own service: "Sister! Offer the act of sexual intercourse to me, for I am a samaṇa who upholds the precepts, does wholesome deeds, and cultivates the holy life." If he praises in such a way, he incurs the offense of Saṅghādisesa.

End of the fourth Saṅghādisesa rule.

MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

End of the fifth volume.

Vietnamese translation: Thích Phước Sơn. MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

Chinese translation: TRIPIṬAKA BUDDHABHADRA OF INDIA

TOGETHER WITH ŚRAMAṆA FAXIAN, TRANSLATED DURING THE EASTERN JIN DYNASTY

Verification of meaning: Thích Đỗng Minh