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Early Monastic Buddhism v1.c21: Chapter XVIII: The Pātimokkha

Early Monastic Buddhism v1.c21

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Chapter XVIII: The Pātimokkha

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There are two Pātimokkha codes, one for the monks and the other for the nuns. In the Bhikkhu-pātimokkha there are nine sections, and in the Bhikkhunī-pātimokkha eight. The ecclesiastical offences are arranged in them in a gradual order from the more serious to the lighter ones.

I. Bhikkhu-Pātimokkha

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SECTION I mentions four offences under the heading *Pārājikā* [= lit. those immoral actions by which a bhikkhu is overcome (*parājita*), *i.e.*, make him unfit to remain within the order]. Commission of any of these entails expulsion from the order. These four relate to misconduct with women or animals, theft, murder or abetment of murder, and exaggeration of one's power of performing miracles, etc.

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SECTION II deals with thirteen offences under the heading *Saṅghādisesa* (*Saṅgha* + *ādi* + *sesaḥ*). It is so called because infliction of punishment and absolution from the offences must have the sanction of the Saṅgha at the beginning and end. A monk is first taken before the Saṅgha for the punishment to be undergone by him, *i.e.*, temporary exclusion from the Saṅgha and so forth, and then after having undergone the punishment, he is to appear again before the Saṅgha (composed of at least 20 monks) to obtain permission for rejoining the order. Of the thirteen offences, the first five relate to sex-matters; the next two (6-7) to the construction of cottages by monks; nos. 8-9 to false accusations; nos. 10-11 to dissensions in the Saṅgha; and the last two (nos. 12-13) to obstinacy of monks and their refusal to have admonitions.

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SECTION III speaks of two kinds of offences concerning the conduct of a monk with a woman. The guilt of the monk may or may not be of a serious nature, so the punishment may range from that inflicted for Pārājikā to that for Pacittiyā. On account of this reason, this section is entitled Aniyatā (i.e., to be decided).

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SECTION IV is called Nissaggiyā-pācittiyā (naiḥsargika-prāyaścittikāḥ). It contains twenty-six restrictions to be observed by monks while accepting gifts of robes (cīvara), woollen mats (santhatam), bowl and medicinal requisites—and four miscellaneous rules, one (no. 181) is about the acceptance of gold and silver, two (nos. 19-20) are about the engagement of monks in buying and selling, and the fourth (no. 30) is a general direction that a monk must not appropriate to himself anything given to the Saṅgha in general. The punishment prescribed for the offences falling within this section is that the things, received by a monk in contravention of the condition imposed, must be given up (nissaggiya) and then he must express regret for it (pācittiya) formally.

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SECTION V is entitled Pācittiya (Tib. ltuṅ byed = pāpātmikā) and contains ninety-two rules, which, it seems, have been drawn up as circumstances have arisen and hence lack a system. There are in it restrictions prohibiting the monks from lying and slandering,—digging earth or cutting trees or drinking water carelessly and thereby committing insecticide,—giving food to the Parivrājakas or Acelakas,—showing disrespect to the teaching of Buddha, Vinaya teachers or the rules of the Pātimokkha,—instructing unordained persons or giving ordination to persons below twenty,—not complying with the conditions laid down for imparting instructions to nuns,—visiting soldiers or entering king’s chamber,—removing valuables from a monastery,—giving unnecessarily mental pain to comrades,—bringing a false charge of *Saṅghādisesa* against any monk,—associating with unordained women,—and disobeying the orders of the *Saṅgha*. Besides these prohibitions there are some general directions regarding bed, seat, robes, bath, and such other things of daily life of a monk while living in a monastery. The offences included in this section are regarded not serious and hence expiation from them is attained by simple confession before a monk or by self-imposition of *parivāsa*.

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SECTION VI contains four rules and is entitled *Pāṭidesanīyā*, i.e., absolution from the offences included in this section is obtained by formal confession. All the rules relate to the taking of food by a monk without it being offered by any person.

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SECTION VII entitled *Sekhiyā* contains 75 instructions, in eight sub-sections, for the good conduct of monks. By the first twenty-six rules, bhikkhus are directed how to enter into the houses of laymen; by the subsequent 35 rules (26-60), they are instructed how to take food inoffensively and how to behave while eating, and after finishing meals. Rules nos. 61 and 62 prohibit monks from entering into a sick-room with shoes on, and the rules nos. 63-72 point out the places and circumstances, in which instructions are not to be imparted to laymen and the last two (nos. 74 and 75) forbid monks from committing nuisance on green grass or in water.

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As this section deals with more or less general advices for good conduct, no punishment is prescribed for a person deviating from the rules.

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SECTION VIII is entitled *Adhikaraṇa-samatha* or the ways of settling disputed matters. Observance of the Pātimokkha rules occasioned differences of opinion among the members of the Saṅgha and hence, some rules became necessary for their settlement. The rules are as follows:—

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(1) *Sammukhavinaya* (*Mvyut. sammukha-vinayaḥ*) = the method of settling disputes either in the presence of the Saṅgha, or by a reference to the Piṭakas, or by the disputing persons, coming face to face and making up the difference.¹

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¹ The last two alternatives are not given in the *Majjhima* (II, 147).

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(2) *Sativinaya* (*Mvyut. smṛtivinayaḥ*) = the method of settling disputes, arising out of a charge that may have been brought against a monk who denies it, by requesting him to appear before the Saṅgha and to declare that he is innocent as far as his memory goes. The members who form such a Saṅgha must be distinguished in the power of recollection.

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(3) *Amūḷhavinaya* (*Mvyut. amūḍhavinayaḥ*) = the method of settling disputes, arising out of un-Vinayic acts done by a monk while he was not in a sane mood inspite of the repeated remonstrance made by other monks against such actions, by requesting the former to appear before the Saṅgha and declare that for some time he lost sanity and regrets for the improper deeds done by him during that time.

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(4) *Paṭiññā* (*Mvyut. pratijñā-kārakaḥ*) = formal (and not indirect) confession of a wrong committed by a monk in the presence of another monk who must be senior to him.² Strictly speaking, it should not have been included in the *Adhikaraṇa-samathas*, but perhaps the questioning of the formality and informality of a *paṭiññā* occasioned frequent disputes and that led to its inclusion in this section.

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² *Majjhima*, II, p. 248.

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(5) *Yebhuyyasikā* (*Mvyut. Yad-bhūyasikīyaḥ*) = settlement of disputes by votes (*salākā*) in a large assembly of monks.

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Literally the word means that (yad) which is to be settled by a fresh (bhūyas) appeal to a larger assembly. From the illustration given in the Cullavagga,¹ it is apparent that yebhuyyasikā method was taken recourse to only on the failure of the ubbāhikā method (i.e., decision by a committee formed out of the whole assembly of monks). Both the ubbāhikā and yebhuyyasikā methods of settling disputes are carried out by means of salākā (votes), the distributor and scrutiniser of which must be a well-qualified monk formally chosen by the Sangha for the occasion as the salākagāhāpaka.²

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¹ Cv., iv, p. 97.

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² In the Majjhima (II, p. 24) yebhuyyasikā is placed after sammukhavinaya and is interpreted in a slightly different form. Here it means that when the dispute is not settled by a Sangha by the sammukhavinaya process, its decision is referred to another parish where the members of the Sangha are larger in number; such cases are called yebhuyyasikā. See Infra, p. 319.

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(6) Tassapāpiyyasikā (Mvyut. tat-svabhāvaṣiṣyaḥ?). This method is adopted when a monk prevaricates, i.e., first confesses his guilt and then denies it or vice-versa. The Majjhima Nikāya³ says that in trying to exculpate himself, he, in fact, indirectly implicates himself in the commission of an offence.

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³ Majjhima, II, p. 249.

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Its procedure is as follows: The guilty monk is brought before the Sangha and is reminded of his guilt. Though he vacillates, he is charged with an offence and then after the formal three proclamations the due punishment is inflicted upon him.

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(7) Tiṇavatthārakā (Mvyut. tṛṇaprastāraka). This method is adopted when there is the likelihood that the matter of dispute if discussed in an open assembly will give rise to questions which may impair the well-being of the Sangha. The Majjhima Nikāya¹ offers a better interpretation. According to it, this method is to be adopted only when a group of monks breaks some laws and they in a body regret for it. The procedure to be adopted in such cases is to shut up any discussion relating to the matter. As filth, which, if disturbed, becomes a greater nuisance, and the safest way is to cover it up by grass, so also some matters relating to the Saṅgha should be shelved in the interest of the Saṅgha.²

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¹ Majjhima, p. 250.

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² An excellent exposition of these seven methods is given in the Majjhima, II, pp. 247-9; Aṅguttara, I, p. 99; IV, p. 144.

II. Bhikkhunī-Pātimokkha

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SECTION I mentions eight offences under the heading Pārājikā as against four of the Bhikkhu-pātimokkha. Of the additional four, the fifth and eighth speak of offences having a tinge of sexuality (*ubhayajānumaṇḍalikā* and *aṭṭhavatthukā*) while the sixth relates to the suppression of the pārājika offence committed by a nun (*vajjapaṭicchādikā*). The seventh prohibits a nun from siding with a monk who is under suspension (*ukkhittānuvattakā*).³

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³ See ante, p. 302.

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SECTION II contains 17 rules under the heading Saṅghādisesa as against 13 of the Bhikkhu-pātimokkha, of which 7 are common to both (nos. 7-9, 14-17 = nos. 5, 8-9, 10, 13 of the Bhikkhu-pā.). Of the remaining ten, the first deals with quarrelsome nuns, the second with those who admit into the Saṅgha a guilty woman. Rules 3, 5 and 6 relate to actions which may occasion moral lapses while rules 4, 10 and 11 refer to cases when a nun does not observe the Pātimokkha restrictions, viz., readmitting a suspended nun without the sanction of the Saṅgha, showing disrespects to the teaching imparted by a nun, and resenting a decision of the Saṅgha. The remaining two, 12-13, forbid nuns to associate closely with householders and conceal one another's lapses.

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There is no section corresponding to the Aniyata section of the Bhikkhu-pātimokkha.

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SECTION III called the Nissaggiyā-pācittiyā contains 30 rules like the Bhikkhu-pātimokkha. It is divided into three sub-sections: patta, cīvara and jātarūpa,¹ (bowl, robe, and gold and silver). Eighteen of these rules contained in the last two sub-sections are identical with those of the Bhikkhu-pātimokkha. Of the remaining twelve, the first prohibits nuns from collecting bowls and the second from appropriating a cīvara untimely. The third condemns indecision regarding the exchange of robes. Rules 4-10 prohibit nuns from trying to obtain something which the donee did not intend to give. Rules 11 and 12 limit the price of a nun's warm cīvara to four kaṃsas and that of a cotton cīvara to two and a half kaṃsas.

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¹ In the Bhikkhu-pātimokkha the corresponding name for the third sub-section is Eḷaka-lomaka-vagga.

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SECTION IV contains 166 rules under the heading Pācittiya as against only 92 of the Bhikkhu-pātimokkha. It is similar in contents to the Bhikkhu-pā., and does not admit of a clear classification. The rules deal with the following: warnings against self-abuse,—prohibitions relating to food,—decorum to be observed at the house of a host,—keeping away as far as possible from monks, householders and fearful places,—mutual obligations of nuns,—shirking responsibilities once undertaken,—abiding by the vassāvāsa restrictions,—reverting to householder's habits,—size and making of cīvaras as also their distribution,—several restrictions to be observed in giving or refusing ordination to females,— avoidance of articles of luxury, dress, and manners not befitting a nun.

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SECTION V contains 8 rules under the heading Pāṭidesanīyā as against four of the Bhikkhu-pātimokkha. All the rules are new and have nothing in common with those of the Bhikkhu-pā. These rules only prohibit nuns who are not sick from begging and partaking of (i) butter, (ii) oil, (iii) honey, (iv) molasses, (v) fish, (vi) meat, (vii) sweet milk and (viii) curds.

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SECTION VI contains, under the heading Sekhiya, 75 rules which are identical with those of the Bhikkhu-pātimokkha.¹

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¹ The statement in the Aṅguttara (I, p. 230) that there were about 150 rules in the Pātimokkha may be supported by excluding the 75 rules of Sekhiya from the code. No punishment is prescribed for breach of the Sekhiya rules and so these can well be left out of calculation.

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SECTION VII contains four rules under the heading Adhi-karaṇa samatha and are the same as those in the Bhikkhu-pātimokkha.

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