四分戒本疏卷第一．第二．第三 3.20

3.20

"If a bhikṣu preaches the Dharma to a woman beyond five or six sentences, except in the presence of an intelligent man, it is a prāyaścittika."
This complete text of the precept has five clauses: 1. the offender; 2. the woman for whom it is done; 3. preaching beyond the limit; 4. the exception; 5. the assignation of the offense. The first two clauses are understood. Third, "preaches the Dharma beyond five or six sentences": "Dharma" refers to what the Tathāgata himself preached, and what devas and others have preached is also called Dharma. "Beyond five or six sentences": "five" refers to the five aggregates, saying, "Form is impermanent; sensation, perception, mental formations, and consciousness are also non-self." "Six" refers to the six sense bases, saying, "The eye is impermanent," up to "the mind is also impermanent." Moving from five to six, and exceeding six to reach seven, is termed "beyond five or six sentences." Fourth, "except in the presence of an intelligent man" is the mitigating condition. The Vinaya says: "An intelligent man is one who understands coarse and non-coarse matters." The Sarvāstivāda-vinaya-vibhāṣā explains: "One who understands human speech and can serve as a witness is called an intelligent man." Difference between central and peripheral regions: it must be a layperson, not a monastic, because their circumstances are the same. If blind or deaf, even both together count as only one person. If asleep, it is also counted as having no person. If seven years of age or older, but does not understand good and bad or meaning and flavor, it is also counted as having no person. Knowing male and above may count. Fifth, "prāyaścittika" is the offense of transgression. The Vinaya says: "If one continues preaching beyond this, and the voice is continuous and unbroken, it is one offense; if phrase by phrase is broken and spoken, each phrase is a prāyaścittika offense." The Mahīśāsaka Vinaya says: "Having finished preaching five or six sentences, if one rises from the seat and departs, and due to other circumstances returns to sit and preach, there is no offense. If having finished five or six sentences, one preaches for a subsequent woman, preaching for countless women sequentially in this manner is no offense." Doing the opposite constitutes an offense. If the phrases and sentences are not clear, it is a duṣkṛta. If preaching to a non-human or animal, it is also a duṣkṛta. As for non-offenses, the Vinaya says: preaching within the limit; preaching beyond it in the presence of an intelligent man; if there is no man but one is invited and should elaborate; expounding the five precepts when they receive the five precepts; [expounding] the eight fasting precepts; or even if a woman listens intelligently and raises doubts and questions, expounding at length in accordance with the questions—none of these is an offense.