四分戒本疏卷第一．第二．第三 3.92

3.92

"If a bhikṣu sits alone with a woman in an open place, it is a prāyaścittika." The complete text of this precept contains four clauses: first, the offender; second, the object of the offense; third, the locus of the offense; fourth, establishing the penalty. The first clause is understood. Regarding "alone": one woman and one bhikṣu. Second, regarding "woman": this is the object of the offense. The Vinaya says, "A human woman who has awareness and whose life-faculty has not been severed." Third, regarding "open place": this is the locus of the offense, meaning a place screened from sight and hearing, sitting within the reach of each other's outstretched hand; hence the Ten Recitations Vinaya says, "Sitting within one fathom of each other constitutes an offense." Fourth, regarding "it is a prāyaścittika": this is the clause establishing the violation; hence the Vinaya says, "Sitting alone with a woman without a third person as a witness: each time he stands up and sits down again, he incurs that many downfalls. If they are within one fathom of each other, he commits a prāyaścittika; if at one and a half fathoms, he commits a duṣkṛta; beyond two fathoms, there is no offense." The Ten Recitations Vinaya says, "A distance of one fathom is a prāyaścittika; fifteen feet is a duṣkṛta; twenty feet is no offense." The marks of non-offense and exceptions are all the same as the preceding precept.