Origin story

1On one occasion when the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery, King Pasenadi of Kosala was marching out with the army, and the monks from the group of six went to see it. When King Pasenadi saw the monks coming, he summoned them and said:

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“Venerables, why have you come here?”

“We wish to see the great king.”

“What’s the use of seeing me finding pleasure in battle? Shouldn’t you see the Buddha?”

And people complained and criticized them, “How can the Sakyan monastics go to see the army? It’s our misfortune that we must go out with the army for the sake of our livelihoods and because of our wives and children.”

2The monks heard the complaints of those people, and the monks of few desires complained and criticized those monks, “How could the monks from the group of six go to see the army?” …

“Is it true, monks, that you did this?”

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“It’s true, Sir.”

The Buddha rebuked them … “Foolish men, how could you do this? This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:

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3‘If a monk goes to see an army, he commits an offense entailing confession.’”

4In this way the Buddha laid down this training rule for the monks.

5Soon afterwards a certain monk had a sick uncle in the army. The uncle sent a message to that monk: “I’m with the army and I’m sick. Please come, Venerable. I want you to come.”

Knowing that the Buddha had laid down a rule against going to see an army, that monk thought, “I have a sick uncle in the army. What should I do now?” And he told the Buddha. Soon afterwards the Buddha gave a teaching and addressed the monks:

“Monks, I allow you to go to the army when there’s a suitable reason.

And so, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:

Final ruling

6‘If a monk goes to see an army, except if there is a suitable reason, he commits an offense entailing confession.’”

Definitions

7A: 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.

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8An army: it has left the inhabited area and is either encamped or marching.

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9An army: elephants, horses, chariots, infantry. An elephant has twelve men; a horse has three men; a chariot has four men; an infantry unit has four men with arrows in hand.

If he is on his way to see it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. Wherever he stands to see it, he commits an offense entailing confession. Every time he goes beyond the range of sight and then sees it again, he commits an offense entailing confession.

10Except if there is a suitable reason: unless there is a suitable reason.

Permutations

11If it is an army, and he perceives it as such, and he goes to see it, except if there is a suitable reason, he commits an offense entailing confession. If it is an army, but he is unsure of it, and he goes to see it, except if there is a suitable reason, he commits an offense entailing confession. If it is an army, but he does not perceive it as such, and he goes to see it, except if there is a suitable reason, he commits an offense entailing confession.

12If he is on his way to see one division of a fourfold army, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. Wherever he stands to see it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. Every time he goes beyond the range of sight and then sees it again, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

If it is not an army, but he perceives it as such, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If it is not an army, but he is unsure of it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If it is not an army, and he does not perceive it as such, there is no offense.

Non-offenses

13There is no offense: if he sees it while standing in a monastery; if the army comes to where the monk is standing, sitting, or lying down; if he sees it while walking in the opposite direction; if he has a suitable reason; if there is an emergency; if he is insane; if he is the first offender.

13The training rule on armies, the eighth, is finished.

 

1p_2V_981, msdiv311Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena rājā pasenadi kosalo senāya abbhuyyāto hoti. Chabbaggiyā bhikkhū uyyuttaṁ senaṁ dassanāya agamaṁsu. Addasā kho rājā pasenadi kosalo chabbaggiye bhikkhū dūratova āgacchante. Disvāna pakkosāpetvā etadavoca:

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"Kissa tumhe, bhante, āgatatthā"ti?

"Mahārājānaṁ mayaṁ daṭṭhukāmā"ti.

"Kiṁ, bhante, maṁ diṭṭhena yuddhābhinandinaṁ; nanu bhagavā passitabbo"ti?

Manussā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti: "Kathañhi nāma samaṇā sakyaputtiyā uyyuttaṁ senaṁ dassanāya āgacchissanti. Amhākampi alābhā, amhākampi dulladdhaṁ, ye mayaṁ ājīvassa hetu puttadārassa kāraṇā senāya āgacchāmā"ti.

2p_2V_982Assosuṁ kho bhikkhū tesaṁ manussānaṁ ujjhāyantānaṁ khiyyantānaṁ vipācentānaṁ. Ye te bhikkhū appicchā … pe … te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti: "Kathañhi nāma chabbaggiyā bhikkhū uyyuttaṁ senaṁ dassanāya gacchissantī"ti … pe …

"Saccaṁ kira tumhe, bhikkhave, uyyuttaṁ senaṁ dassanāya gacchathā"ti?

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"Saccaṁ, bhagavā"ti.

Vigarahi buddho bhagavā … pe … kathañhi nāma tumhe, moghapurisā, uyyuttaṁ senaṁ dassanāya gacchissatha. Netaṁ, moghapurisā, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya … pe … evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—

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3p_2V_983"Yo pana bhikkhu uyyuttaṁ senaṁ dassanāya gaccheyya, pācittiyan"ti.

4p_2V_984Evañcidaṁ bhagavatā bhikkhūnaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ paññattaṁ hoti.

5p_2V_985, msdiv312Tena kho pana samayena aññatarassa bhikkhuno mātulo senāya gilāno hoti. So tassa bhikkhuno santike dūtaṁ pāhesi— "ahañhi senāya gilāno. Āgacchatu bhadanto. Icchāmi bhadantassa āgatan"ti.

Atha kho tassa bhikkhuno etadahosi: "bhagavatā sikkhāpadaṁ paññattaṁ— ‘Na uyyuttaṁ senaṁ dassanāya gantabban’ti. Ayañca me mātulo senāya gilāno. Kathaṁ nu kho mayā paṭipajjitabban"ti? Bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesi. Atha kho bhagavā etasmiṁ nidāne etasmiṁ pakaraṇe dhammiṁ kathaṁ katvā bhikkhū āmantesi:

"Anujānāmi, bhikkhave, tathārūpappaccayā senāya gantuṁ.

Evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—

 

6p_2V_986, msdiv313"Yo pana bhikkhu uyyuttaṁ senaṁ dassanāya gaccheyya, aññatra tathārūpappaccayā, pācittiyan"ti.

 

7p_2V_987, msdiv314Yo panā'ti yo yādiso … pe … bhikkhū'ti … pe … ayaṁ imasmiṁ atthe adhippeto bhikkhūti.

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8p_2V_988Uyyuttā nāma senā gāmato nikkhamitvā niviṭṭhā vā hoti payātā vā.

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9p_2V_989Senā nāma hatthī assā rathā pattī. Dvādasapuriso hatthī, tipuriso asso, catupuriso ratho, cattāro purisā sarahatthā patti.

Dassanāya gacchati, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Yattha ṭhito passati, āpatti pācittiyassa. Dassanūpacāraṁ vijahitvā punappunaṁ passati, āpatti pācittiyassa.

10p_2V_990Aññatra tathārūpappaccayā'ti ṭhapetvā tathārūpappaccayaṁ.

 

11p_2V_991, msdiv315Uyyutte uyyuttasaññī dassanāya gacchati, aññatra tathārūpappaccayā, āpatti pācittiyassa. Uyyutte vematiko dassanāya gacchati, aññatra tathārūpappaccayā, āpatti pācittiyassa. Uyyutte anuyyuttasaññī dassanāya gacchati, aññatra tathārūpappaccayā, āpatti pācittiyassa.

12p_2V_992Ekamekaṁ dassanāya gacchati, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Yattha ṭhito passati, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Dassanūpacāraṁ vijahitvā punappunaṁ passati, āpatti dukkaṭassa.

Anuyyutte uyyuttasaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Anuyyutte vematiko, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Anuyyutte anuyyuttasaññī, anāpatti.

 

13p_2V_993, msdiv316Anāpatti— ārāme ṭhito passati, bhikkhussa ṭhitokāsaṁ vā nisinnokāsaṁ vā nipannokāsaṁ vā āgacchati, paṭipathaṁ gacchanto passati, tathārūpappaccayā, āpadāsu, ummattakassa, ādikammikassāti.

14p_2V_994Uyyuttasenāsikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ aṭṭhamaṁ.