Bhikkhu Vibhaṅga - Nissaggiya Pācittiya 5: Not to accept a robe from a bhikkhunī who is not a relative.
- Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Brahmali. (More copyright information)
Origin story
First sub-story
1At one time when the Buddha was staying at Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the nun Uppalavaṇṇā was staying at Sāvatthī. One morning she robed up, took her bowl and robe, and entered Sāvatthī to collect almsfood. When she had completed her alms round, eaten her meal, and returned, she went to the Blind Men’s Grove where she sat down at the foot of a tree for the day’s meditation.
Just then some bandits who had stolen and slaughtered a cow were taking the meat to the Blind Men’s Grove. The head bandit saw Uppalavaṇṇā sitting at the foot of that tree. He thought, “If my sons and brothers see this nun, they’ll harass her,” and he took a different path. Soon afterwards when the meat was cooked, he took the best part, tied it up with a palm-leaf wrap, hung it from a tree not far from Uppalavaṇṇā, and said, “Whatever ascetic or brahmin sees this gift, please take it.” And he left.
Uppalavaṇṇā had just emerged from stillness when she heard the head bandit making that statement. She took the meat and returned to her dwelling place. The following morning she prepared the meat and made it into a bundle with her upper robe. She then rose into the air and landed in the Bamboo Grove.
2When she arrived, the Buddha had already gone to the village for alms, but Venerable Udāyī had been left behind to look after the dwellings. Uppalavaṇṇā approached Udāyī and said:
“Sir, where’s the Buddha?”
“He’s gone to the village for alms.”
“Please give this meat to the Buddha.”
“You’ll please the Buddha with that meat. If you give me your sarong, you’ll please me too.”
“It’s hard for women to get material support, and this is one of my five robes. I don’t have another. I can’t give it away.”
“Sister, just as a man giving an elephant might decorate it with a girdle, so should you, when giving meat to the Buddha, decorate me with your sarong.”
Being pressured by Udāyī, Uppalavaṇṇā gave him her sarong and then returned to her dwelling place. The nuns who received Uppalavaṇṇā’s bowl and robe asked her where her sarong was. And she told them what had happened. The nuns complained and criticized Udāyī, “How could Venerable Udāyī receive a robe from a nun? It’s hard for women to get material support.”
The nuns told the monks. The monks of few desires complained and criticized Udāyī, “How could Venerable Udāyī receive a robe from a nun?”
3After rebuking him in many ways, they told the Buddha. Soon afterwards he had the Sangha gathered and questioned Udāyī: “Is it true, Udāyī, that you did this?”
“It’s true, Sir.”
“Is she a relative of yours?”
“No.”
“Foolish man, a man and a woman who are unrelated don’t know what’s appropriate and inappropriate, what’s good and bad, in dealing with each other. And still you did this. This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:
4‘If a monk receives a robe directly from an unrelated nun, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.’”
5In this way the Buddha laid down this training rule for the monks.
6Then, being afraid of wrongdoing, the monks did not receive robes from nuns even in exchange. The nuns complained and criticized them, “How can they not receive robes from us in exchange?”
7The monks heard the criticism of those nuns and they told the Buddha. Soon afterwards the Buddha gave a teaching and addressed the monks:
“Monks, I allow you to receive things in exchange from five kinds of people: monks, nuns, trainee nuns, novice monks, and novice nuns.
And so, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:
Final ruling
8‘If a monk receives a robe directly from an unrelated nun, except in exchange, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.’”
Definitions
9A: whoever … Monk: … The monk who has been given the full ordination by a unanimous Sangha through a legal procedure consisting of one motion and three announcements that is irreversible and fit to stand—this sort of monk is meant in this case.
10Unrelated: anyone who is not a descendant of one’s male ancestors going back eight generations, either on the mother’s side or on the father’s side.
11A nun: she has been given the full ordination by both Sanghas.
12A robe: one of the six kinds of robe-cloth, but not smaller than what can be assigned to another.
13Except in exchange: unless there is an exchange.
14If he accepts, then for the effort there is an act of wrong conduct. When he gets the robe-cloth, it becomes subject to relinquishment.
The robe-cloth 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 robe-cloth, which I received directly from an unrelated nun without anything in exchange, is to be relinquished. I relinquish it to the Sangha.’ … the Sangha should give … you should give … ‘I give this robe-cloth back to you.’”
Permutations
15If she is unrelated and he perceives her as such, and he receives robe-cloth from her, except in exchange, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. If she is unrelated, but he is unsure of it, and he receives robe-cloth from her, except in exchange, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. If she is unrelated, but he perceives her as related, and he receives robe-cloth from her, except in exchange, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.
16If he receives robe-cloth directly from a nun who is fully ordained only on one side, except in exchange, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If she is related, but he perceives her as unrelated, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If she is related, but he is unsure of it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If she is related and he perceives her as such, there is no offense.
Non-offenses
17There is no offense: if the nun is related; if much is exchanged with little or little is exchanged with much; if he takes it on trust; if he borrows it; if he receives any requisite apart from robe-cloth; if it is a trainee nun; if it is a novice nun; if he is insane; if he is the first offender.
18The training rule on receiving robes, the fifth, is finished.
1p_1V_1956, msdiv508 Tena samayena buddho bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe. Tena kho pana samayena uppalavaṇṇā bhikkhunī sāvatthiyaṁ viharati. Atha kho uppalavaṇṇā bhikkhunī pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi. Sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantā yena andhavanaṁ tenupasaṅkami divāvihārāya. Andhavanaṁ ajjhogāhetvā aññatarasmiṁ rukkhamūle divāvihāraṁ nisīdi.
Tena kho pana samayena corā katakammā gāviṁ vadhitvā maṁsaṁ gahetvā andhavanaṁ pavisiṁsu. Addasā kho coragāmaṇiko uppalavaṇṇaṁ bhikkhuniṁ aññatarasmiṁ rukkhamūle divāvihāraṁ nisinnaṁ. Disvānassa etadahosi: "Sace me puttabhātukā passissanti viheṭhissanti imaṁ bhikkhunin"ti aññena maggena agamāsi. Atha kho so coragāmaṇiko maṁse pakke varamaṁsāni gahetvā paṇṇapuṭaṁ bandhitvā uppalavaṇṇāya bhikkhuniyā avidūre rukkhe ālaggetvā— "yo passati samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā dinnaṁyeva haratū"ti, vatvā pakkāmi.
Assosi kho uppalavaṇṇā bhikkhunī samādhimhā vuṭṭhahitvā tassa coragāmaṇikassa imaṁ vācaṁ bhāsamānassa. Atha kho uppalavaṇṇā bhikkhunī taṁ maṁsaṁ gahetvā upassayaṁ agamāsi. Atha kho uppalavaṇṇā bhikkhunī tassā rattiyā accayena taṁ maṁsaṁ sampādetvā uttarāsaṅgena bhaṇḍikaṁ bandhitvā vehāsaṁ abbhuggantvā veḷuvane paccuṭṭhāsi.
2p_1V_1957 Tena kho pana samayena bhagavā gāmaṁ piṇḍāya paviṭṭho hoti. Āyasmā udāyī ohiyyako hoti vihārapālo. Atha kho uppalavaṇṇā bhikkhunī yenāyasmā udāyī tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ udāyiṁ etadavoca:
"Kahaṁ, bhante, bhagavā"ti?
"Paviṭṭho, bhagini, bhagavā gāmaṁ piṇḍāyā"ti.
"Imaṁ, bhante, maṁsaṁ bhagavato dehī"ti.
"Santappito tayā, bhagini, bhagavā maṁsena. Sace me tvaṁ antaravāsakaṁ dadeyyāsi, evaṁ ahampi santappito bhaveyyaṁ antaravāsakenā"ti.
"Mayaṁ kho, bhante, mātugāmā nāma kicchalābhā. Idañca me antimaṁ pañcamaṁ cīvaraṁ. Nāhaṁ dassāmī"ti.
"Seyyathāpi, bhagini, puriso hatthiṁ datvā kacche sajjeyya; evameva kho tvaṁ, bhagini, bhagavato maṁsaṁ datvā mayi antaravāsake sajjasī"ti.
Atha kho uppalavaṇṇā bhikkhunī āyasmatā udāyinā nippīḷiyamānā antaravāsakaṁ datvā upassayaṁ agamāsi. Bhikkhunīyo uppalavaṇṇāya bhikkhuniyā pattacīvaraṁ paṭiggaṇhantiyo uppalavaṇṇaṁ bhikkhuniṁ etadavocuṁ: "kahaṁ te, ayye, antaravāsako"ti? Uppalavaṇṇā bhikkhunī bhikkhunīnaṁ etamatthaṁ ārocesi. Bhikkhunīyo ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti: "Kathañhi nāma ayyo udāyī bhikkhuniyā cīvaraṁ paṭiggahessati kicchalābho mātugāmo"ti.
Atha kho tā bhikkhuniyo bhikkhūnaṁ etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ.
Ye te bhikkhū appicchā … pe … te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti: "Kathañhi nāma āyasmā udāyī bhikkhuniyā cīvaraṁ paṭiggahessatī"ti.
3p_1V_1958 Atha kho te bhikkhū āyasmantaṁ udāyiṁ anekapariyāyena vigarahitvā bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ … pe … "Saccaṁ kira tvaṁ, udāyi, bhikkhuniyā cīvaraṁ paṭiggahesī"ti?
"Saccaṁ, bhagavā"ti.
"Ñātikā te, udāyi, aññātikā"ti?
"Aññātikā, bhagavā"ti.
"Aññātako, moghapurisa, aññātikāya na jānāti patirūpaṁ vā appatirūpaṁ vā santaṁ vā asantaṁ vā. Tattha nāma tvaṁ, moghapurisa, aññātikāya bhikkhuniyā hatthato cīvaraṁ paṭiggahessasi. Netaṁ moghapurisa, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya … pe … evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—
4p_1V_1959, msdiv509"Yo pana bhikkhu aññātikāya bhikkhuniyā hatthato cīvaraṁ paṭiggaṇheyya, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyan"ti.
5p_1V_1960 Evañcidaṁ bhagavatā bhikkhūnaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ paññattaṁ hoti.
6p_1V_1961, msdiv510 Tena kho pana samayena bhikkhū kukkuccāyantā bhikkhunīnaṁ pārivattakacīvaraṁ na paṭiggaṇhanti. Bhikkhunīyo ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti: "Kathañhi nāma ayyā amhākaṁ pārivattakacīvaraṁ na paṭiggahessantī"ti.
7p_1V_1962 Assosuṁ kho bhikkhū tāsaṁ bhikkhunīnaṁ ujjhāyantīnaṁ khiyyantīnaṁ vipācentīnaṁ. Atha kho te bhikkhū bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ. Atha kho bhagavā etasmiṁ nidāne etasmiṁ pakaraṇe dhammiṁ kathaṁ katvā bhikkhū āmantesi:
"Anujānāmi, bhikkhave, pañcannaṁ pārivattakaṁ paṭiggahetuṁ— bhikkhussa, bhikkhuniyā, sikkhamānāya, sāmaṇerassa, sāmaṇeriyā. Anujānāmi, bhikkhave, imesaṁ pañcannaṁ pārivattakaṁ paṭiggahetuṁ.
Evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—
8p_1V_1963, msdiv511"Yo pana bhikkhu aññātikāya bhikkhuniyā hatthato cīvaraṁ paṭiggaṇheyya, aññatra pārivattakā, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyan"ti. (5:24)
9p_1V_1964, msdiv512Yo panā'ti yo yādiso … pe … bhikkhū'ti … pe … ayaṁ imasmiṁ atthe adhippeto bhikkhūti.
10p_1V_1965Aññātikā nāma mātito vā pitito vā yāva sattamā pitāmahayugā asambaddhā.
11p_1V_1966Bhikkhunī nāma ubhatosaṇghe upasampannā.
12p_1V_1967Cīvaraṁ nāma channaṁ cīvarānaṁ aññataraṁ cīvaraṁ vikappanupagaṁ pacchimaṁ.
13p_1V_1968Aññatra pārivattakā'ti ṭhapetvā pārivattakaṁ.
14p_1V_1969 Paṭiggaṇhāti, payoge dukkaṭaṁ. Paṭilābhena nissaggiyaṁ hoti. Nissajjitabbaṁ saṅghassa vā gaṇassa vā puggalassa vā.
Evañca pana, bhikkhave, nissajjitabbaṁ … pe …
… idaṁ me, bhante, cīvaraṁ aññātikāya bhikkhuniyā hatthato paṭiggahitaṁ, aññatra pārivattakā, nissaggiyaṁ. Imāhaṁ saṅghassa nissajjāmīti … pe … dadeyyāti … pe … dadeyyunti … pe … āyasmato dammīti.
15p_1V_1970, msdiv513 Aññātikāya aññātikasaññī cīvaraṁ paṭiggaṇhāti, aññatra pārivattakā, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ. Aññātikāya vematiko cīvaraṁ paṭiggaṇhāti, aññatra pārivattakā, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ. Aññātikāya ñātikasaññī cīvaraṁ paṭiggaṇhāti, aññatra pārivattakā, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ.
16p_1V_1971 Ekatoupasampannāya hatthato cīvaraṁ paṭiggaṇhāti, aññatra pārivattakā, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Ñātikāya aññātikasaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Ñātikāya vematiko, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Ñātikāya ñātikasaññī, anāpatti.
17p_1V_1972, msdiv514 Anāpatti— ñātikāya, pārivattakaṁ parittena vā vipulaṁ, vipulena vā parittaṁ, bhikkhu vissāsaṁ gaṇhāti, tāvakālikaṁ gaṇhāti, cīvaraṁ ṭhapetvā aññaṁ parikkhāraṁ gaṇhāti, sikkhamānāya, sāmaṇeriyā, ummattakassa, ādikammikassāti.
18p_1V_1973Cīvarapaṭiggahaṇasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ pañcamaṁ.