佛說沙彌十戒儀則經

Homage to the All-Knowing One,

To the Wondrous Dharma and the Noble Saṅgha.

A Brief Exposition of the Conduct of a Śrāmaṇera

To help arouse the mind of renunciation

Within the teaching of Śākyamuni,

Hold firmly to all the precepts of restraint;

Keep the precepts as one guards one's own body,

Holding fast, never letting them be transgressed!

When sleeping at night, rise early at dawn,

Rinse the mouth and brush the teeth,

Recite and chant until the sky grows bright,

And pay homage to the Perfectly Enlightened One.

I come to my teacher's room,

First gently knocking on the door,

And having entered, at once inquire respectfully:

"Is your body at ease and well?"

After acting in this way,

Offer further incense and flowers,

Making offering with a heart of reverence.

In the early morning one should inspect the water,

At noon and in the evening likewise,

In the bowl, the basin, and the vessels;

However many creatures, large or small,

With focused mind, observe them clearly,

Strain them out thoroughly with the cloth filter,

And look carefully before making use of it.

In eating and drinking, arouse a heart of loving-kindness,

Do no harm to the smallest living beings,

Even those that dwell among the grass and trees,

Or that are smeared within cow dung.

When partaking in this way,

Protect all sentient beings;

Even in the places where one lies and sits,

Or amid dung, fields, and earth,

Each and every one should be carefully examined—

This is the conduct of one who has gone forth.

Serve the teacher in all matters,

Wash the bowl until it is clean,

Perform the rites at the three times of the day,

Joining the palms and facing the teacher,

Asking what the teacher wishes to use.

Receiving food cures the affliction of hunger;

Thus, when partaking of food,

Use that water which has been filtered

To wash both hands clean,

And then in silence partake of the meal.

Having eaten, recite the verse,

Dedicating the merit to the faithful donors;

Practicing just as it is taught,

Increase the conduct of right mindfulness.

With faith and understanding in the purity of the precepts,

Cultivate and uphold them in accord with the Dharma;

Right contemplation accords with itself,

And the renunciant's mind dwells in peace and joy.

In keeping the precepts one should be single-minded.

As for those who transgress the precepts and the Dharma,

The one who sees them and harbors contempt and scorn—

Both alike incur fault.

Whether keeping the precepts or breaking them,

And even toward one who is sick,

To expound the Dharma unsuited to their capacity,

So that the listener gives no respect—

At death one undergoes great suffering.

If one uses various poisons,

Or practices spells and incantations,

Causing another to meet their end,

And further uses every kind of means

To kill and harm sentient beings—

These are all causes of breaking the precepts,

Forever sinking into the three evil destinies:

The hells, the hungry ghosts, and the animals,

In due order undergoing the retribution of one's offenses.

Even the gods of the heavens,

If they kill and harm sentient beings,

Shall fall into the evil destinies

And undergo the bitter fruits of retribution.

If there is one who has gone forth

Who sets in motion body, speech, and mind,

And by mistake kills insects or ants,

He shall incur the three grave offenses,

Corresponding to the three kinds of karma.

If with a staff or with the fist,

With earth, stones, bricks, or tiles,

One strikes or hurls at sentient beings—

Camels, donkeys, birds, and beasts—

One likewise bears the offense of breaking the precepts.

If one rides upon the various creatures—

Donkeys, horses, elephants, and camels—

Beating them and forcing them under duress,

One likewise commits the offense of breaking the precepts.

If one is a person who has gone forth,

Then one must not steal;

Whether stealing oneself or directing another to steal,

To obtain goods of any kind,

Even but a quarter of a

Kārṣāpaṇa[1]—

This too is a cause of breaking the precepts,

Thereby forming a grave offense.

Such as stealing the various kinds of

Food and drink, rice and grain,

Flowers, fruits, and the various plants

Born from the earth or from the water,

Or stealing by evading customs duties,

Or slipping past the toll-gates,

Or stealing from those creatures

That have two feet or many feet.

Or one who has gone forth,

Having already partaken to the full,

Yet out of greed steals goods—

These too all incur a grave offense.

If one's own robe and bowl,

Though they be plundered and lost to bandits,

One must not seize them back by force;

One should expound the Dharma and convert them,

Or use money to redeem them;

And if even this they will not accept,

Then yield in accord with their wishes.

This is the mind of one who has gone forth,

Not stirring the offenses of the three kinds of karma,

So that the nature of the precepts is accomplished of itself.

If one is a person who has gone forth,

One must not engage in lustful conduct.

A man, a woman, or a paṇḍaka,

Coming of themselves to feel mutual affection,

In delusion arousing attachment and craving—

This transgresses the root offense.

If one deliberately engages in lust,

It is like a snake and like poison,

Doing harm to body and life,

Undergoing the suffering of the great hells,

Obstructing the fruit of Nirvāṇa,

So that one cannot pass beyond birth and death.

The Perfectly Enlightened One was not so;

His body never once transgressed the precepts—

In keeping the precepts there is great benefit.

For one who is a person who has gone forth,

One must not speak falsehood.

If one says one has seen the devas

And conversed together with oneself,

And further says one has gone

To the dwelling place of great beings,

And even that with gandharvas,

Befriending nāgas and yakṣas,

On to mahoragas,

piśācas, and kiṃnaras,

And the pretas, the bhūtas,

One has conversed together with them—

All of this is speaking falsehood.

Or to say one has gained the five supernormal powers,

The right path and the four fruits,

Penetrating the profound and subtle Dharma—

Not having attained, to say one has attained:

Such words of falsehood

Forever sink one into the evil destinies.

For one who is a person who has gone forth,

One should not speak in a double-tongued way,

Sowing discord among others' friends,

Nor speak harsh and evil words,

Embellishing what is right into wrong.

Even if reviled and cursed by others,

Do not argue the matter out with them,

Using many words to quarrel back and forth;

Each and every one should be borne with patience.

If they do not act in accord with the conduct,

Then they incur the offense of transgressing the precepts;

The wise still guard and protect themselves,

Keeping far from the faults of body and speech.

The various liquors of rice and glutinous rice—

That intoxicate everyone—

One must not deliberately drink.

The various liquors of sugarcane and flowers,

Of grapes and of nuts and fruits—

That intoxicate everyone—

One must not deliberately drink.

Drinking oneself, or directing another to drink,

Becomes deluded and loses right mindfulness,

Increasing the mind of heedlessness;

The one who drinks bears a grave offense.

Therefore the World-Honored One taught:

If one drinks liquor of flowers and fruits,

Even but a single drop,

It too increases offense and fault.

Singing, dancing, and music—

If one deliberately goes to watch and listen,

Then one falls into a grave offense.

To use fragrant oils to anoint the body,

To use Candana and Kunkuma

And the various beautiful flower garlands,

Gold and silver together with jewels and gems,

Adorning the body all over—

All of these bear the offense of transgressing the precepts.

Or to paint the brows and paint the eyes,

Making oneself become beautiful—

This too bears the offense of transgressing the precepts.

The bed and seat used for lying and sitting—

Its height should equal a single cubit[2];

Moreover it must not be ornately decorated,

Nor may it be too high and broad,

For indulging the body and going against the conduct

Incurs the offense of transgressing the precepts.

The Buddha taught those who have gone forth

To keep far away from error and fault.

As for the matter of taking food,

One must not do so after midday.

From early morning until before midday

Is the proper time for taking food;

If one eats or drinks at the wrong time,

The Buddha says one falls into a grave offense.

If there is a bhikṣu who is sick,

Treating the illness to save this body,

It is permitted to eat after midday;

But to eat at the wrong time when not sick

Incurs the offense of transgressing the precepts.

Whoever is a person who has gone forth

Must not keep gold and silver;

To receive them and arouse a heart of greed

Incurs the offense of transgressing the precepts.

If there are faithful donors

Making offerings to the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha,

For their sake creating merit and benefit,

Then it is permitted to receive and use them.

Yet one should not become greedily attached

To articles used for play and amusement;

If one arouses a mind of greedy attachment,

Then the assembly should expel that one.

All games and frivolous play

The śrāmaṇera must not engage in;

If he does, he shall fall into offense.

At the times when one is about to yawn,

One should use the hand to cover the mouth;

Not doing so, one shall fall into offense.

Seeing an Elder sneeze,

One should inquire after him and pay homage.

When a newly trained one sneezes,

The Elder should pronounce the blessing:

"Long life, and a body free from illness!"

The śrāmaṇera standing before the teacher

Must absolutely not cough or spit,

Nor may he pick his teeth,

Must not sit facing him,

Nor pace in walking meditation before the teacher.

He must, in accord with the Dharma, honor

Those advanced in years and rich in virtue.

When going to the latrine,

If one is the person who arrives after,

One should give a soft warning to alert.

The filtered water, free of creatures,

When adding it to the pure water-vessel,

With clean hands, calmly and slowly pour,

Not losing the conduct of one who has gone forth.

The bed and seat where the teacher sits and lies,

Spread and line with a clean cushion.

All such beds and seats

The śrāmaṇera must not sit upon.

If the teacher has passed into final repose,

One should rely upon the pure Saṅgha,

Upon one who clearly understands the rules of discipline,

Obeying and attending upon him.

Do not rely upon another saṅgha;

To go against this incurs offense.

If a bhikṣu goes outside

To seek some matter of business,

He must return within five days;

What is gained is shared equally with the assembly,

And what the assembly gains is likewise

Shared with the one returning from outside.

If he goes beyond five days,

Then neither party shall share.

When the śrāmaṇera relieves himself,

He should inquire as to the ground of the Buddha and the Saṅgha,

He should not go in a confused, mixed way,

But should keep to his own designated area.

Whatever tasks one is to perform,

Joining the palms, inquire of the teacher;

Practicing exactly in this way,

One does not lose right conduct.

In the evening, pay homage at the Buddha's stūpa,

Afterward inquire after the teacher's wellbeing,

Wash the teacher's feet clean,

And the task done, with a reverent heart

Listen attentively to what is needful.

In the first part of the night and the last part of the night,

Recite and chant without ceasing;

At midnight, when sleeping and resting,

Lie in the posture of the lion.

All the Dharma that has been taught,

With single-minded devotion practice and uphold,

Perfuming the seeds of the Sages and Worthies;

The defilements then extinguish of themselves,

And swiftly one attains Unsurpassed Enlightenment.

Notes:

[1] Kārṣāpaṇa[1]: A unit of gold coin equivalent to 20 or 16 māṣa. One māṣa is a grain of gold as large as a parasol-tree seed, worth 80 cowrie shells.

[2] One cubit: A forearm's length, a unit for measuring length in ancient times.