WHAT IS VINAYA Pitika ?
Vinaya Pi¥aka
Disciplinary and Procedural Rules for the Saµgha
The Vinaya Pi¥aka is made up of rules of discipline laid down for
regulating the conduct of the Buddha's disciples who have been admitted
as bhikkhus and bhikkhunnøs into the Order. These rules embody
authoritative injunctions of the Buddha on modes of conduct and
restraints on both physical and verbal actions. They deal with
transgressions of discipline, and with various categories of restraints and
admonitions in accordance with the nature of the offence.
(a) Seven Kinds of Transgression or Offence, Æpatti
The rules of discipline first laid down by the Buddha are called
Mþlapaññatti (the root regulation); those supplemented later are known
as Anupaññatti. Together they are known as Sikkhæpadas, rules of
discipline. The act of transgressing these rules of discipline, thereby
incurring a penalty by the guilty bhikkhu, is called Æpatti, which means
'reaching, committing'.
The offences for which penalties are laid down may be classified
under seven categories depending on their nature:
(i) Pæræjika
(ii) Saµghædisesa
(iii) Thullaccaya
(iv) Pæcittiya
(v) Pæ¥idesanøya
(vi) Dukka¥a
(vii) Dubbhæsita.
An offence in the first category of offences, Pæræjika, is classified
as a grave offence, garukæpatti, which is irremediable, atekicchæ and
entails the falling off of the offender from bhikkhuhood.
An offence in the second category, Saµghædisesa, is also classified
as a grave offence but it is remediable, satekicchæ. The offender is put on
a probationary period of penance, during which he has to undertake
certain difficult practices and after which he is rehabilitated by the
Saµgha assembly.
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The remaining five categories consist of light offences, lahukæpatti,
which are remediable and incur the penalty of having to confess the
transgression to another bhikkhu. After carrying out the prescribed
penalty, the bhikkhu transgressor becomes cleansed of the offence.
(b) When and how the disciplinary rules were laid down.
For twenty years after the establishment of the Order there was
neither injunction nor rule concerning Pæræjika and Saµghædisesa
offences. The members of the Order of the early days were all Ariyas, the
least advanced of whom was a Stream-winner, one who had attained the
first Magga and Fruition, and there was no need for prescribing rules
relating to grave offences.
But as the years went by, the Saµgha grew in strength.
Undesirable elements not having the purest of motives but attracted only
by the fame and gain of the bhikkhus began to get into the Buddha's
Order. Some twenty years after the founding of the Order, it became
necessary to begin establishing rules relating to grave offences.
It was through Bhikkhu Sudinna, a native of Kalanda Village near
Vesælø, who committed the offence of having sexual intercourse with his
ex-wife, that the first Pæræjika rule came to be promulgated. It was laid
down to deter bhikkhus from indulging in sexual intercourse.
When such a grave cause had arisen for which the laying down of
a prohibitory rule became necessary, the Buddha convened an assembly
of the bhikkhus. It was only after questioning the bhikkhu concerned and
after the undesirability of committing such an offence had been made
clear that a certain rule was laid down in order to prevent future lapses of
similar nature.
The Buddha also followed the precedence set by earlier Buddhas.
Using his supernormal powers, he reflected on what rules the earlier
Buddhas would lay down under certain given conditions. Then he adopt-
ed similar regulations to meet the situation that had arisen in his time.
(c) Admission of bhikkhunøs into the Order
After spending four vassas (residence period during the rains) after
his Enlightenment, the Buddha visited Kapilavatthu, his native royal city,
at the request of his ailing father, King Suddhodana. At that time,
Mahæpajæpati, Buddha's foster mother, requested him to admit her into
the Order. Mahæpajæpati was not alone in desiring to join the Order. Five
hundred Sakyan ladies whose husbands had left the household life were
also eager to be admitted into the Order.
After his father's death, the Buddha went back to Vesælø, refusing
the repeated request of Mahæpajæpati for admission into the Order. The
determined foster mother of the Buddha and widow of the recently de-
ceased King Suddhodana, having cut off her hair and put on bark-dyed
clothes, accompanied by five hundred Sakyan ladies, made her way to Vesælø
where the Buddha was staying in the Mahævana, in the Kþ¥ægæra Hall.
The Venerable Ænanda saw them outside the gateway of the
Kþ¥ægæra Hall, dust-laden with swollen feet, dejected, tearful, standing
and weeping. Out of great compassion for the ladies, the Venerable
Ænanda interceded with the Buddha on their behalf and entreated him to
accept them in the Order. The Buddha continued to stand firm. But when
the Venerable Ænanda asked the Buddha whether women were not
capable of attaining Magga and Phala Insight, the Buddha replied that
women were indeed capable of doing so, provided they left the household
life like their menfolk.
Thereupon Ænanda made his entreaties again saying that
Mahæpajæpati had been of great service to the Buddha waiting on him as
his guardian and nurse, suckling him when his mother died. And as
women were capable of attaining the Magga and Phala Insight, she
should be permitted to Join the Order and become a bhikkhunø.
The Buddha finally acceded to Ænanda's entreaties: "Ænanda, if
Mahæpajæpati accepts eight special rules, garu-dhammæ, let such
acceptance mean her admission to the Order."
The eight special rules1
are:
(i) A bhikkhunø, even if she enjoys a seniority of a hundred years in
the Order, must pay respect to a bhikkhu though he may have
been a bhikkhu only for a day.
(ii) A bhikkhunø must not keep her rains-residence in a place where
there are no bhikkhus.
(iii) Every fortnight a bhikkhunø must do two things: To ask the
bhikkhu Saµgha the day of uposatha, and to approach the
bhikkhu Saµgha for instruction and admonition.
(iv) When the rains-residence period is over, a bhikkhunø must attend
the paværa¼æ ceremony conducted at both the assemblies of bhikkhus and bhikkhunøs, in each of which she must invite
criticism on what has been seen, what has been heard or what has
been suspected of her.
(v) A bhikkhunø who has committed a Saµghædisesa offence must
undergo penance for a half-month, pakkha mænatta, in each
assembly of bhikkhus and bhikkhunøs.
(vi) Admission to the Order must be sought, from both assemblies, by
a woman novice only after two year's probationary training as a
candidate.
(vii) A bhikkhunø should not revile a bhikkhu in any way, not even
obliquely.
(viii) A bhikkhunø must abide by instructions given her by bhikkhus,
but must not give instructions or advice to bhikkhus.
Mahæpajæpati accepted unhesitatingly these eight conditions
imposed by the Buddha and was consequently admitted into the Order.
The remaining five categories consist of light offences, lahukæpatti,
which are remediable and incur the penalty of having to confess the
transgression to another bhikkhu. After carrying out the prescribed
penalty, the bhikkhu transgressor becomes cleansed of the offence.
(b) When and how the disciplinary rules were laid down.
For twenty years after the establishment of the Order there was
neither injunction nor rule concerning Pæræjika and Saµghædisesa
offences. The members of the Order of the early days were all Ariyas, the
least advanced of whom was a Stream-winner, one who had attained the
first Magga and Fruition, and there was no need for prescribing rules
relating to grave offences.
But as the years went by, the Saµgha grew in strength.
Undesirable elements not having the purest of motives but attracted only
by the fame and gain of the bhikkhus began to get into the Buddha's
Order. Some twenty years after the founding of the Order, it became
necessary to begin establishing rules relating to grave offences.
It was through Bhikkhu Sudinna, a native of Kalanda Village near
Vesælø, who committed the offence of having sexual intercourse with his
ex-wife, that the first Pæræjika rule came to be promulgated. It was laid
down to deter bhikkhus from indulging in sexual intercourse.
When such a grave cause had arisen for which the laying down of
a prohibitory rule became necessary, the Buddha convened an assembly
of the bhikkhus. It was only after questioning the bhikkhu concerned and
after the undesirability of committing such an offence had been made
clear that a certain rule was laid down in order to prevent future lapses of
similar nature.
The Buddha also followed the precedence set by earlier Buddhas.
Using his supernormal powers, he reflected on what rules the earlier
Buddhas would lay down under certain given conditions. Then he adopt-
ed similar regulations to meet the situation that had arisen in his time.
(c) Admission of bhikkhunøs into the Order
After spending four vassas (residence period during the rains) after
his Enlightenment, the Buddha visited Kapilavatthu, his native royal city,
at the request of his ailing father, King Suddhodana. At that time,
Mahæpajæpati, Buddha's foster mother, requested him to admit her into
the Order. Mahæpajæpati was not alone in desiring to join the Order. Five
hundred Sakyan ladies whose husbands had left the household life were
also eager to be admitted into the Order.
After his father's death, the Buddha went back to Vesælø, refusing
the repeated request of Mahæpajæpati for admission into the Order. The
determined foster mother of the Buddha and widow of the recently de-
ceased King Suddhodana, having cut off her hair and put on bark-dyed
clothes, accompanied by five hundred Sakyan ladies, made her way to Vesælø
where the Buddha was staying in the Mahævana, in the Kþ¥ægæra Hall.
The Venerable Ænanda saw them outside the gateway of the
Kþ¥ægæra Hall, dust-laden with swollen feet, dejected, tearful, standing
and weeping. Out of great compassion for the ladies, the Venerable
Ænanda interceded with the Buddha on their behalf and entreated him to
accept them in the Order. The Buddha continued to stand firm. But when
the Venerable Ænanda asked the Buddha whether women were not
capable of attaining Magga and Phala Insight, the Buddha replied that
women were indeed capable of doing so, provided they left the household
life like their menfolk.
Thereupon Ænanda made his entreaties again saying that
Mahæpajæpati had been of great service to the Buddha waiting on him as
his guardian and nurse, suckling him when his mother died. And as
women were capable of attaining the Magga and Phala Insight, she
should be permitted to Join the Order and become a bhikkhunø.
The Buddha finally acceded to Ænanda's entreaties: "Ænanda, if
Mahæpajæpati accepts eight special rules, garu-dhammæ, let such
acceptance mean her admission to the Order."
The eight special rules1
are:
(i) A bhikkhunø, even if she enjoys a seniority of a hundred years in
the Order, must pay respect to a bhikkhu though he may have
been a bhikkhu only for a day.
(ii) A bhikkhunø must not keep her rains-residence in a place where
there are no bhikkhus.
(iii) Every fortnight a bhikkhunø must do two things: To ask the
bhikkhu Saµgha the day of uposatha, and to approach the
bhikkhu Saµgha for instruction and admonition.
(iv) When the rains-residence period is over, a bhikkhunø must attend
the paværa¼æ ceremony conducted at both the assemblies of bhikkhus and bhikkhunøs, in each of which she must invite
criticism on what has been seen, what has been heard or what has
been suspected of her.
(v) A bhikkhunø who has committed a Saµghædisesa offence must
undergo penance for a half-month, pakkha mænatta, in each
assembly of bhikkhus and bhikkhunøs.
(vi) Admission to the Order must be sought, from both assemblies, by
a woman novice only after two year's probationary training as a
candidate.
(vii) A bhikkhunø should not revile a bhikkhu in any way, not even
obliquely.
(viii) A bhikkhunø must abide by instructions given her by bhikkhus,
but must not give instructions or advice to bhikkhus.
Mahæpajæpati accepted unhesitatingly these eight conditions
imposed by the Buddha and was consequently admitted into the Order.
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