Bu Np 15

15. Nisīdanasanthatasikkhāpada

Tena 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 saṅghena katikā katā hoti— “icchatāvuso, bhagavā temāsaṁ paṭisallīyituṁ. Na bhagavā kenaci upasaṅkamitabbo, aññatra ekena piṇḍapātanīhārakena. Yo bhagavantaṁ upasaṅkamati so pācittiyaṁ desāpetabbo”ti. Atha 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. Tena 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.

Making an inappropriate sitting blanket Origin story

At 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, 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.” Just 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 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.” One 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.”

“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, saṅghena 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. Tena 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, saṅghena 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. Atha kho te bhikkhū—“saccaṁ kho āyasmā upaseno āha— ‘na apaññattaṁ paññapetabbaṁ, paññattaṁ vā na samucchinditabbaṁ, yathāpaññattesu sikkhāpadesu samādāya vattitabban’”ti.

“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.’” “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.” Upasena and his followers got up from their seats, bowed down, circumambulated the Buddha with their right sides toward him, and left. Just then a number of monks were standing outside the gateway, thinking, “We’ll make Venerable Upasena confess an offense entailing confession.” 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, ‘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.” Those monks thought, “It’s true what Venerable Upasena says.”

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? Atha 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— saṅghasuṭṭhutāya, saṅghaphāsutāya …pe… evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—

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?” The 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 good monks, for the restraint of the corruptions relating to the present life, for the restraint of the 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:

“Nisīdanasanthataṁ pana bhikkhunā kārayamānena purāṇasanthatassa sāmantā sugatavidatthi ādātabbā dubbaṇṇakaraṇāya,

Final ruling

‘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.

anādā ce bhikkhu purāṇasanthatassa sāmantā sugatavidatthiṁ navaṁ nisīdanasanthataṁ kārāpeyya, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyan”ti.

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.’”

Nisīdanaṁ nāma sadasaṁ vuccati. Santhataṁ nāma santharitvā kataṁ hoti avāyimaṁ. Kārayamānenāti karonto vā kārāpento vā. Purāṇasanthataṁ nāma sakiṁ nivatthampi sakiṁ pārutampi. Sāmantā sugatavidatthi ādātabbā dubbaṇṇakaraṇāyāti thirabhāvāya vaṭṭaṁ vā caturassaṁ vā chinditvā ekadese vā santharitabbaṁ vijaṭetvā vā santharitabbaṁ. Anādā ce bhikkhu purāṇasanthatassa sāmantā sugatavidatthinti 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.

Definitions

Sitting (blanket): one with a border is what is meant. A blanket: it is made by strewing, not by weaving. Is having made: making it himself or having it made. An old blanket: even worn once. He 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 rectangular piece, and he then incorporates it in one place or he strews it on after pulling it apart. Without 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 sangha, a group, or an individual. “And, monks, it should be relinquished like this. …” (To be expanded as in Bu NP 1:3.2.5–3.2.29, 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.”

Attanā vippakataṁ attanā pariyosāpeti, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ.

Permutations

If he finishes what he began himself, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.

Attanā vippakataṁ parehi pariyosāpeti, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ. Parehi vippakataṁ attanā pariyosāpeti, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ. Parehi vippakataṁ parehi pariyosāpeti, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ. Aññassatthāya karoti vā kārāpeti vā, āpatti dukkaṭassa.

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. If he makes one, or has one made, for the sake of another, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

Anāpatti—

Non-offenses

There is no offense:

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.

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.