四分戒本疏卷第一．第二．第三 2.81

2.81

"If a bhikṣu possesses an alms-bowl repaired with fewer than five mends that does not leak, and seeks a new bowl for the sake of fine appearance, it is a niḥsargika-prāyaścittika. That bhikṣu must go into the saṃgha and forfeit it; in turn, taking the lowest bowl, [the saṃgha] gives it to him, instructing him to keep it, and he must keep it until it breaks. This is the proper time." / This complete prātimokṣa text contains two sections in all: first, explaining the prohibition and offense of begging for a bowl; next, explaining the procedure for keeping and returning it. The first section of the prātimokṣa text has three parts: first, the offending person; second, the old bowl being not yet fully [broken]; third, seeking another, which constitutes the offense. The first part is obvious. As for the second part, "an alms-bowl repaired with fewer than five mends that does not leak," the Vinaya states: "A mend is placed where there is a space of two finger-widths [between breaks]." "Niḥsargika-prāyaścittika" is the third part, defining the offense. From "That bhikṣu..." down to "This is the proper time," it explains the procedure for forfeiture and return, which within the text has two parts: first, "must go into the saṃgha," explaining the forfeiture of the bowl; second, from "in turn..." downward constitutes a single sentence, collectively discussing the text on returning the bowl. As for "This is the proper time," it means it is the time to use the old one and keep the new one, and until it breaks, he must keep it. However, the four parts below on returning it are explained in detail as in the Vinaya: first, the method of forfeiting the bowl; second, the rite of confession; third, returning the bowl; fourth, not returning it incurs a duṣkṛta offense. First, forfeiting the bowl has four [aspects]: 1. taking the bowl and going to the saṃgha; 2. humbling oneself before the object [the saṃgha]; 3. deportment; 4. reciting the formula of forfeiture. Second, confessing the offense is as explained above. Third, the text on returning the bowl also has four [points]: 1. confiscating and retaining a valuable one, while returning a lower-grade bowl is appropriate; 2. the saṃgha should perform [the act of] personally giving the lower bowl to him and instructing him to keep it; 3. penalizing the destructive bhikṣu by making him keep the new one and use the old one; 4. instructing him to protect it, using the new one lest it be damaged. Therefore, the Vinaya states that the saṃgha gives the lower-grade bowl with a jñaptidvitīyā-karmavācanā to him, [saying] he should protect it, and must not place it where tiles or stones might fall, lean it against a staff, place it beneath a knife, hang objects over it, place it in the road, on rocks, under fruit trees, or on uneven ground; he must not hold two bowls in one hand, except when his fingers separate them in the middle while holding two bowls in one hand; he must not open doors [while holding it] except when paying careful attention, and so forth, down to: he must not intentionally damage it, intentionally lose it, or use it for non-bowl purposes. All four of these texts concern taking his fine bowl and, passing through the saṃgha in order, taking the lowest and worst bowl among the community to give to him, instructing him to keep it, so as to quell the fault of greed. Fourth, the text on returning the bowl has two [cases]: if there are circumstances, it is transferred and returned; if there are no circumstances, a karmavācanā is performed after passing the night to return it. The *Mahāsāṃghika Vinaya* states that if the bowl is valuable, one should take the value of ten bowls, keeping [the value of] nine bowls in the eightfold pure storehouse, and returning the value of one bowl to the owner; if through begging one obtains the value of two bowls, one bowl goes to the saṃgha and one bowl is returned to the owner; in this way, according to however much is obtained, a limit of one bowl's value is returned to the owner, and the remaining value enters the saṃgha's kitchen. Fourth, on incurring an offense for not returning it, the Vinaya states: "If after forfeiting the bowl in the saṃgha one does not return it, one commits a duṣkṛta; instructing [others] not to return it is also a duṣkṛta." Among non-offenses, the Vinaya states: if it has five mends and leaks, seeking a new one; if soliciting from relatives; soliciting from monastics; if [soliciting] on behalf of another; if another [solicits] on one's behalf; obtaining without soliciting; if obtaining by sequence of distribution; if purchasing and possessing with one's own funds—none of these is an offense.