Bu Sk 55

55. Sāmisasikkhāpada

Tena samayena buddho bhagavā bhaggesu viharati susumāragire bhesakaḷāvane migadāye. Tena kho pana samayena bhikkhū kokanade pāsāde sāmisena hatthena pānīyathālakaṁ paṭiggaṇhanti. Manussā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— “kathañhi nāma samaṇā sakyaputtiyā sāmisena hatthena pānīyathālakaṁ paṭiggahessanti, seyyathāpi gihī kāmabhogino”ti. Assosuṁ kho bhikkhū tesaṁ manussānaṁ ujjhāyantānaṁ khiyyantānaṁ vipācentānaṁ. Ye te bhikkhū appicchā …pe… te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— “kathañhi nāma bhikkhū sāmisena hatthena pānīyathālakaṁ paṭiggahessantī”ti …pe… “saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, bhikkhū sāmisena hatthena pānīyathālakaṁ paṭiggaṇhantī”ti? “Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti. Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe… kathañhi nāma te, bhikkhave, moghapurisā sāmisena hatthena pānīyathālakaṁ paṭiggahessanti. Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe… evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—

Receiving with soiled hand Origin story

At one time when the Buddha was staying in the Bhagga country at Susumāragira in the Bhesakaḷā Grove, the monks in the Kokanada stilt house were receiving the drinking-water vessel with hands soiled with food. People complained and criticized them, “How can the Sakyan monastics receive drinking-water vessels with hands soiled with food? They’re just like householders who indulge in worldly pleasures!” The monks heard the complaints of those people, and the monks of few desires complained and criticized those monks, “How can those monks do this?” … “Is it true, monks, that they do this?” “It’s true, sir.” The Buddha rebuked them … “How can those foolish men do this? This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:

“Na sāmisena hatthena pānīyathālakaṁ paṭiggahessāmīti sikkhā karaṇīyā”ti.

Final ruling

‘“I will not receive the drinking-water vessel with a hand soiled with food,” this is how you should train.’”

Na sāmisena hatthena pānīyathālako paṭiggahetabbo. Yo anādariyaṁ paṭicca sāmisena hatthena pānīyathālakaṁ paṭiggaṇhāti, āpatti dukkaṭassa.

One should not receive the drinking-water vessel with a hand soiled with food. If a monk, out of disrespect, receives the drinking-water vessel with a hand soiled with food, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

Anāpatti—

Non-offenses

There is no offense:

asañcicca, assatiyā, ajānantassa, gilānassa, “dhovissāmī”ti vā “dhovāpessāmī”ti vā paṭiggaṇhāti, āpadāsu, ummattakassa, ādikammikassāti.

if it is unintentional; if he is not mindful; if he does not know; if he is sick; if he receives it with the intention of washing it or having it washed; if there is an emergency; if he is insane; if he is the first offender.