Bu Sk 69

69. Nīcāsanasikkhāpada

Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena chabbaggiyā bhikkhū nīce āsane nisīditvā ucce āsane nisinnassa dhammaṁ desenti. Ye te bhikkhū appicchā …pe… te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— “kathañhi nāma chabbaggiyā bhikkhū nīce āsane nisīditvā ucce āsane nisinnassa dhammaṁ desessantī”ti …pe… “saccaṁ kira tumhe, bhikkhave, nīce āsane nisīditvā ucce āsane nisinnassa dhammaṁ desethā”ti? “Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti. Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe… kathañhi nāma tumhe, moghapurisā, nīce āsane nisīditvā ucce āsane nisinnassa dhammaṁ desessatha. Netaṁ, moghapurisā, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe… vigarahitvā …pe… dhammiṁ kathaṁ katvā bhikkhū āmantesi—

Sitting on a low seat Origin story

At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery. At that time the monks from the group of six were sitting on low seats while giving teachings to people sitting on high seats. The monks of few desires complained and criticized them, “How can the monks from the group of six sit on low seats while giving teachings to people sitting on high seats?” … “Is it true, monks, that you do this?” “It’s true, sir.” The Buddha rebuked them … “Foolish men, how can you do this? This will affect people’s confidence …” After rebuking them … he gave a teaching and addressed the monks:

“Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, bārāṇasiyaṁ aññatarassa chapakassa pajāpati gabbhinī ahosi.

Jataka

“Once upon a time in Bārāṇasī, monks, there was a low-caste man whose wife became pregnant.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, sā chapakī taṁ chapakaṁ etadavoca— ‘gabbhinīmhi, ayyaputta. Icchāmi ambaṁ khāditun’ti. ‘Natthi ambaṁ, akālo ambassā’ti. ‘Sace na labhissāmi marissāmī’ti. Tena kho pana samayena rañño ambo dhuvaphalo hoti. Atha kho, bhikkhave, so chapako yena so ambo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā taṁ ambaṁ abhiruhitvā nilīno acchi. Atha kho, bhikkhave, rājā purohitena brāhmaṇena saddhiṁ yena so ambo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā ucce āsane nisīditvā mantaṁ pariyāpuṇāti. Atha kho, bhikkhave, tassa chapakassa etadahosi— ‘yāva adhammiko ayaṁ rājā, yatra hi nāma ucce āsane nisīditvā mantaṁ pariyāpuṇissati. Ayañca brāhmaṇo adhammiko, yatra hi nāma nīce āsane nisīditvā ucce āsane nisinnassa mantaṁ vācessati. Ahañcamhi adhammiko, yohaṁ itthiyā kāraṇā rañño ambaṁ avaharāmi. Sabbamidaṁ carimaṁ katan’ti tattheva paripati.

She said to him, ‘I’m pregnant. I crave mangoes.’ ‘But there are no mangoes. It’s the wrong season.’ ‘If I don’t get any, I’ll die.’ At that time the king had a mango tree that was always bearing fruit. Then that low-caste man went to that mango tree, climbed it, and hid himself. Just then the king and his brahmin counselor went to that same mango tree. There the king sat on a high seat while learning the Vedas. The low-caste man thought, ‘How wrong-headed this king is, sitting on a high seat while learning the Vedas. And the brahmin is wrong-headed too, sitting on a low seat while teaching the Vedas to one sitting on a high seat. And I’m wrong-headed too, stealing mangoes from the king because of a woman. This is all so low!’ And he fell out of the tree right there.

‘Ubho atthaṁ na jānanti,

The low-caste man says: ‘Neither understands what is good,

ubho dhammaṁ na passare; Yo cāyaṁ mantaṁ vāceti, yo cādhammenadhīyati’.

Neither sees the Truth: Not he who teaches the Vedas, Nor he who learns improperly.’

‘Sālīnaṁ odano bhutto,

The brahmin replies: ‘I’ve eaten the finest rice,

sucimaṁsūpasecano; Tasmā dhamme na vattāmi, dhammo ariyebhi vaṇṇito’.

With a curry of pure meat: Therefore I’m not practicing the Teaching, The Teaching praised by the Noble Ones.’

‘Dhiratthu taṁ dhanalābhaṁ,

The low-caste man replies in turn: ‘A curse it is the obtaining of wealth,

yasalābhañca brāhmaṇa; Yā vutti vinipātena, adhammacaraṇena vā. Paribbaja mahābrahme, pacantaññepi pāṇino; Mā tvaṁ adhammo ācarito, asmā kumbhamivābhidā’ti. Tadāpi me, bhikkhave, amanāpā nīce āsane nisīditvā ucce āsane nisinnassa mantaṁ vācetuṁ, kimaṅgaṁ pana etarahi na amanāpā bhavissati nīce āsane nisīditvā ucce āsane nisinnassa dhammaṁ desetuṁ. Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe… evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—

And so is becoming popular, brahmin; These things come with a low rebirth, Or with wrong-headed behavior. ‘Go forth, great brahmin, Other beings will do the cooking; Don’t go against the Teaching, Because you’ll break like a jar.’ Even at that time, monks, I was displeased by someone teaching the Vedas while sitting on a low seat to someone sitting on a high seat. How, then, could it not be displeasing now? This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:

“Na nīce āsane nisīditvā ucce āsane nisinnassa agilānassa dhammaṁ desessāmīti sikkhā karaṇīyā”ti.

Final ruling

‘“I will not give a teaching while sitting on a low seat to anyone sitting on a high seat who is not sick,” this is how you should train.’”

Na nīce āsane nisīditvā ucce āsane nisinnassa agilānassa dhammo desetabbo. Yo anādariyaṁ paṭicca nīce āsane nisīditvā ucce āsane nisinnassa agilānassa dhammaṁ deseti, āpatti dukkaṭassa.

One should not give a teaching while sitting on a low seat to anyone sitting on a high seat who is not sick. If a monk, out of disrespect, gives a teaching while sitting on a low seat to someone sitting on a high seat who is not sick, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

Anāpatti—

Non-offenses

There is no offense:

asañcicca …pe…

if it is unintentional; if he is not mindful; if he does not know; if he is sick; if there is an emergency; if he is insane;

ādikammikassāti.

if he is the first offender.