Bhikkhu Vibhaṅga - Nissaggiya Pācittiya 15: The Training Rule on Sitting Cloths.
- Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Brahmali. (More copyright information)
Origin story
1At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery. There the Buddha addressed the monks: “Monks, I wish to do a solitary retreat for three months. No one should visit me except the one who brings me almsfood.”
“Yes, Venerable Sir,” they replied, and no one visited him except the one who brought him almsfood.
Soon afterwards the Sangha at Sāvatthī made the following agreement: “The Buddha wishes to be on solitary retreat for three months. No one should visit him except the one who brings him almsfood. Anyone who does must confess an offense entailing confession.”
2Just then Venerable Upasena of Vaṅganta and his followers went to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down. Since it is the custom for Buddhas to greet newly arrived monks, the Buddha said this to Upasena, “I hope you’re keeping well, Upasena, I hope you’re getting by? I hope you’re not tired from traveling?”
“We’re keeping well, Sir, we’re getting by. We’re not tired from traveling.”
3One of Upasena’s students was seated not far from the Buddha, and the Buddha said to him, “Do you like rag-robes, monk?”
“I don’t like rag-robes, Sir.”
“Why then do you wear them?”
“My preceptor wears them, and so I do it too.”
And the Buddha said to Upasena, “Upasena, your followers are inspiring. How do you train them?”
“When anyone asks me for the full ordination, I tell him this: ‘I stay in the wilderness, I eat only almsfood, and I wear rag-robes. If you do the same, I’ll give you the full ordination.’ If he agrees, I ordain him. Otherwise I don’t. And I do the same when anyone asks me for support. It’s in this way that I train my followers.”
4“Good, Upasena, you train your followers well. But do you know the agreement made by the Sangha at Sāvatthī?”
“No.”
“The Sangha at Sāvatthī has made the following agreement: ‘The Buddha wishes to be on solitary retreat for three months. No one should visit him except the one who brings him almsfood. Anyone who does must confess an offense entailing confession.’”
“Venerable Sir, let the Sangha at Sāvatthī be known for this agreement. We, however, don’t lay down new rules, nor do we get rid of the existing ones. We practice and undertake the training rules as they are.”
“Good, Upasena. One should not lay down new rules, nor should one get rid of the existing ones. One should practice and undertake the training rules as they are.
And, Upasena, I allow those monks who stay in the wilderness, who eat only almsfood, and who wear rag-robes to visit me whenever they please.”
5Just then a number of monks were standing outside the gateway, thinking, “We’ll make Venerable Upasena confess an offense entailing confession.”
Upasena and his followers got up from their seats, bowed down, circumambulated the Buddha with their right sides toward him, and left.
And they said to Upasena, “Upasena, do you know the agreement of the Sangha at Sāvatthī?”
“The Buddha asked me the same question, and I replied that I didn’t. He then told me what it was, and I said, ‘Venerable Sir, let the Sangha at Sāvatthī be known for this agreement. We, however, don’t lay down new rules, nor do we get rid of the existing ones. We practice and undertake the training rules as they are.’ Also, the Buddha has allowed those monks who stay in the wilderness, who eat only almsfood, and who wear rag-robes to visit him whenever they please.”
6Those monks thought, “It’s true what Venerable Upasena says.”
The monks heard that the Buddha had allowed those monks who stay in the wilderness, who eat only almsfood, and who wear rag-robes to visit him whenever they please. Longing to see the Buddha, they discarded their blankets and undertook the practice of staying in the wilderness, of eating only almsfood, and of wearing rag-robes.
Soon afterwards, when the Buddha and a number of monks were walking about the dwellings, he saw discarded blankets here and there. He asked the monks, “Who owns these discarded blankets?”
7The monks told him. Soon afterwards he gave a teaching and addressed the monks: “Well then, monks, I will lay down a training rule for the following ten reasons: for the well-being of the Sangha, for the comfort of the Sangha, for the restraint of bad people, for the ease of well-behaved monks, for the restraint of corruptions relating to the present life, for the restraint of corruptions relating to future lives, to give rise to confidence in those without it, to increase the confidence of those who have it, for the longevity of the true Teaching, and for supporting the training. And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:
Final ruling
8‘If a monk is having a sitting-blanket made, he must incorporate a piece of one standard handspan from the border of an old blanket in order to make it ugly. If he has a new sitting-blanket made without incorporating a piece of one standard handspan from the border of an old blanket, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.’”
Definitions
9Sitting(-blanket): one with a border is what is meant.
10A blanket: it is made by strewing, not by weaving.
11Is having made: making it himself or having it made.
12An old blanket: even worn once.
13He must incorporate a piece of one standard handspan from the border in order to make it ugly: to make it strong, he cuts out a circular or a rectaṅgular piece, and he then incorporates it in one place or he strews it on after pulling it apart.
14Without incorporating a piece of one standard handspan from the border of an old blanket: If he makes a new sitting-blanket, or has one made, without incorporating a piece of one standard handspan from the border of an old blanket, then for the effort there is an act of wrong conduct. When he gets the sitting-blanket, it becomes subject to relinquishment.
The sitting-blanket should be relinquished to a saṅgha, a group, or an individual. “And, monks, it should be relinquished like this. To be expanded as in Nissaggiya Pācittiya 1 verse 17 with appropriate substitutions.
‘Venerables, this sitting-blanket, which I got made without incorporating a piece of one standard handspan from the border of an old blanket, is to be relinquished. I relinquish it to the Sangha.’ … the Sangha should give … you should give … ‘I give this sitting-blanket back to you.’”
Permutations
15If he finishes what he began himself, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. If he has others finish what he began himself, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. If he finishes himself what was begun by others, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. If he has others finish what was begun by others, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.
16If he makes one, or has one made, for the sake of another, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.
Non-offenses
17There is no offense: if he makes one incorporating a piece of one standard handspan from the border of an old blanket; if he is unable to get hold of such a piece and he makes one incorporating a smaller piece; if he is unable to get hold of such a smaller piece and he makes one without; if he gets what was made by another and then uses it; if he makes a canopy, a floor cover, a cloth screen, a mattress, or a pillow; if he is insane; if he is the first offender.
18The training rule on sitting-blankets, the fifth, is finished.
1p_1V_2158, msdiv565Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Atha kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: "Icchāmahaṁ, bhikkhave, temāsaṁ paṭisallīyituṁ. Namhi kenaci upasaṅkamitabbo, aññatra ekena piṇḍapātanīhārakenā"ti.
"Evaṁ, bhante"ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paṭissuṇitvā nāssudha koci bhagavantaṁ upasaṅkamati, aññatra ekena piṇḍapātanīhārakena.
Tena kho pana samayena sāvatthiyā saṇghena katikā katā hoti— "icchatāvuso, bhagavā temāsaṁ paṭisallīyituṁ. Na bhagavā kenaci upasaṅkamitabbo, aññatra ekena piṇḍapātanīhārakena. Yo bhagavantaṁ upasaṅkamati so pācittiyaṁ desāpetabbo"ti.
2p_1V_2159Atha kho āyasmā upaseno vaṅgantaputto, sapariso yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Āciṇṇaṁ kho panetaṁ buddhānaṁ bhagavantānaṁ āgantukehi bhikkhūhi saddhiṁ paṭisammodituṁ. Atha kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ upasenaṁ vaṅgantaputtaṁ etadavoca: "Kacci vo, upasena, khamanīyaṁ kacci yāpanīyaṁ, kaccittha appakilamathena addhānaṁ āgatā"ti?
"Khamanīyaṁ, bhagavā, yāpanīyaṁ, bhagavā. Appakilamathena ca mayaṁ, bhante, addhānaṁ āgatā"ti.
3p_1V_2160Tena kho pana samayena āyasmato upasenassa vaṅgantaputtassa saddhivihāriko bhikkhu bhagavato avidūre nisinno hoti. Atha kho bhagavā taṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavoca: "manāpāni te, bhikkhu, paṁsukūlānī"ti?
"Na kho me, bhante, manāpāni paṁsukūlānī"ti.
"Kissa pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, paṁsukūliko"ti?
"Upajjhāyo me, bhante, paṁsukūliko. Evaṁ ahampi paṁsukūliko"ti.
Atha kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ upasenaṁ vaṅgantaputtaṁ etadavoca: "pāsādikā kho tyāyaṁ, upasena, parisā. Kathaṁ tvaṁ, upasena, parisaṁ vinesī"ti?
"Yo maṁ, bhante, upasampadaṁ yācati tamahaṁ evaṁ vadāmi— ‘Ahaṁ kho, āvuso, āraññiko piṇḍapātiko paṁsukūliko. Sace tvampi āraññiko bhavissasi piṇḍapātiko paṁsukūliko, evāhaṁ taṁ upasampādessāmī’ti. Sace me paṭissuṇāti upasampādemi, no ce me paṭissuṇāti na upasampādemi. Yo maṁ nissayaṁ yācati tamahaṁ evaṁ vadāmi— ‘Ahaṁ kho, āvuso, āraññiko piṇḍapātiko paṁsukūliko. Sace tvampi āraññiko bhavissasi piṇḍapātiko paṁsukūliko, evāhaṁ te nissayaṁ dassāmī’ti. Sace me paṭissuṇāti nissayaṁ demi, no ce me paṭissuṇāti na nissayaṁ demi. Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, parisaṁ vinemī"ti.
4p_1V_2161 "Sādhu sādhu, upasena. Sādhu kho tvaṁ, upasena, parisaṁ vinesi. Jānāsi pana tvaṁ, upasena, sāvatthiyā saṅghassa katikan"ti?
"Na kho ahaṁ, bhante, jānāmi sāvatthiyā saṅghassa katikan"ti.
"Sāvatthiyā kho, upasena, saṇghena katikā katā— ‘icchatāvuso, bhagavā temāsaṁ paṭisallīyituṁ. Na bhagavā kenaci upasaṅkamitabbo, aññatra ekena piṇḍapātanīhārakena. Yo bhagavantaṁ upasaṅkamati so pācittiyaṁ desāpetabbo’"ti.
"Paññāyissati, bhante, sāvatthiyā saṅgho sakāya katikāya, na mayaṁ apaññattaṁ paññapessāma paññattaṁ vā na samucchindissāma, yathāpaññattesu sikkhāpadesu samādāya vattissāmā"ti.
"Sādhu sādhu, upasena, apaññattaṁ na paññapetabbaṁ, paññattaṁ vā na samucchinditabbaṁ, yathāpaññattesu sikkhāpadesu samādāya vattitabbaṁ.
Anujānāmi, upasena, ye te bhikkhū āraññikā piṇḍapātikā paṁsukūlikā yathāsukhaṁ maṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamantū"ti .
5p_1V_2162, msdiv566Tena kho pana samayena sambahulā bhikkhū bahidvārakoṭṭhake ṭhitā honti— "Mayaṁ āyasmantaṁ upasenaṁ vaṅgantaputtaṁ pācittiyaṁ desāpessāmā"ti.
Atha kho āyasmā upaseno vaṅgantaputto sapariso uṭṭhāyāsanā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā pakkāmi.
Atha kho te bhikkhū āyasmantaṁ upasenaṁ vaṅgantaputtaṁ etadavocuṁ: "jānāsi tvaṁ, āvuso upasena, sāvatthiyā saṅghassa katikan"ti.
"Bhagavāpi maṁ, āvuso, evamāha— ‘jānāsi pana tvaṁ, upasena, sāvatthiyā saṅghassa katikan’ti? ‘Na kho ahaṁ, bhante, jānāmi sāvatthiyā saṅghassa katikan’ti. ‘Sāvatthiyā kho, upasena, saṇghena katikā katā— icchatāvuso, bhagavā temāsaṁ paṭisallīyituṁ. Na bhagavā kenaci upasaṅkamitabbo, aññatra ekena piṇḍapātanīhārakena. Yo bhagavantaṁ upasaṅkamati so pācittiyaṁ desāpetabbo’ti. ‘Paññāyissati, bhante, sāvatthiyā saṅgho sakāya katikāya, na mayaṁ apaññattaṁ paññapessāma paññattaṁ vā na samucchindissāma, yathāpaññattesu sikkhāpadesu samādāya vattissāmā’ti. Anuññātāvuso, bhagavatā— ‘ye te bhikkhū āraññikā piṇḍapātikā paṁsukūlikā yathāsukhaṁ maṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamantū’"ti.
6p_1V_2163Atha kho te bhikkhū— "Saccaṁ kho āyasmā upaseno āha— ‘Na apaññattaṁ paññapetabbaṁ, paññattaṁ vā na samucchinditabbaṁ, yathāpaññattesu sikkhāpadesu samādāya vattitabban’"ti.
Assosuṁ kho bhikkhū— "anuññātā kira bhagavatā— ‘ye te bhikkhū āraññikā piṇḍapātikā paṁsukūlikā yathāsukhaṁ maṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamantū’"ti. Te bhagavantaṁ dassanaṁ pihentā santhatāni ujjhitvā āraññikaṅgaṁ piṇḍapātikaṅgaṁ paṁsukūlikaṅgaṁ samādiyiṁsu.
Atha kho bhagavā sambahulehi bhikkhūhi saddhiṁ senāsanacārikaṁ āhiṇḍanto addasa santhatāni tahaṁ tahaṁ ujjhitāni. Passitvā bhikkhū āmantesi: "kassimāni, bhikkhave, santhatāni tahaṁ tahaṁ ujjhitānī"ti?
7p_1V_2164Atha kho te bhikkhū bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ. Atha kho bhagavā etasmiṁ nidāne etasmiṁ pakaraṇe dhammiṁ kathaṁ katvā bhikkhū āmantesi: "Tena hi, bhikkhave, bhikkhūnaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ paññapessāmi dasa atthavase paṭicca— saṇghasuṭṭhutāya, saṇghaphāsutāya … pe … evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—
8p_1V_2165, msdiv567"Nisīdanasanthataṁ pana bhikkhunā kārayamānena purāṇasanthatassa sāmantā sugatavidatthi ādātabbā dubbaṇṇakaraṇāya, anādā ce bhikkhu purāṇasanthatassa sāmantā sugatavidatthiṁ navaṁ nisīdanasanthataṁ kārāpeyya, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyan"ti. (15:34)
9p_1V_2166, msdiv568Nisīdanaṁ nāma sadasaṁ vuccati.
10p_1V_2167Santhataṁ nāma santharitvā kataṁ hoti avāyimaṁ.
11p_1V_2168Kārayamānenā'ti karonto vā kārāpento vā.
12p_1V_2169Purāṇasanthataṁ nāma sakiṁ nivatthampi sakiṁ pārutampi.
13p_1V_2170Sāmantā sugatavidatthi ādātabbā dubbaṇṇakaraṇāyā'ti thirabhāvāya vaṭṭaṁ vā caturassaṁ vā chinditvā ekadese vā santharitabbaṁ vijaṭetvā vā santharitabbaṁ.
14p_1V_2171Anādā ce bhikkhu purāṇasanthatassa sāmantā sugatavidatthin'ti anādiyitvā purāṇasanthatassa sāmantā sugatavidatthiṁ navaṁ nisīdanasanthataṁ karoti vā kārāpeti vā, payoge dukkaṭaṁ, paṭilābhena nissaggiyaṁ hoti.
Nissajjitabbaṁ saṅghassa vā gaṇassa vā puggalassa vā. Evañca pana, bhikkhave, nissajjitabbaṁ … pe …
… "Idaṁ me, bhante, nisīdanasanthataṁ anādiyitvā purāṇasanthatassa sāmantā sugatavidatthiṁ kārāpitaṁ nissaggiyaṁ. Imāhaṁ saṅghassa nissajjāmī"ti … pe … dadeyyāti … pe … dadeyyunti … pe … āyasmato dammīti.
15p_1V_2172, msdiv569Attanā vippakataṁ attanā pariyosāpeti, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ. Attanā vippakataṁ parehi pariyosāpeti, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ. Parehi vippakataṁ attanā pariyosāpeti, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ. Parehi vippakataṁ parehi pariyosāpeti, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ.
16p_1V_2173Aññassatthāya karoti vā kārāpeti vā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.
17p_1V_2174, msdiv570Anāpatti— purāṇasanthatassa sāmantā sugatavidatthiṁ ādiyitvā karoti, alabhanto thokataraṁ ādiyitvā karoti, alabhanto anādiyitvā karoti, aññena kataṁ paṭilabhitvā paribhuñjati, vitānaṁ vā bhūmattharaṇaṁ vā sāṇipākāraṁ vā bhisiṁ vā bibbohanaṁ vā karoti, ummattakassa ādikammikassāti.
18p_1V_2175Nisīdanasanthatasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ pañcamaṁ.