Theravāda Vinayapiṭaka
Monks’ rules and their analysis
Monks’ Suspension 9: Anger (2nd rule)
Origin story
At one time the Buddha, the Master, was staying at Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrel Sanctuary. At that time, while they were descending from Mount Vulture Peak, some monks who were followers of Mettiya and Bhummaja saw two goats copulating. They said to each other: “Let’s give the he-goat the name Dabba the Mallian and the she-goat the name Mettiya the nun. We can then say: ‘Formerly we spoke based on what we had heard about Dabba the Mallian, but now we have seen him ourselves copulating with the nun Mettiya.’” They then gave them those names and informed the monks: “Earlier we spoke about what we had heard, but now we have seen Dabba the Mallian copulating with the nun Mettiya.”
The monks replied: “Don’t say such things. Venerable Dabba the Mallian wouldn’t do that.”
The monks informed the Master. The Master convened the Sangha and asked Venerable Dabba the Mallian: “Dabba, do you remember doing as these monks say?”
“Bhante, the Master knows about me.”
A second and a third time the Master asked the same question and got the same response. He then said:
“Dabba, the Dabbas do not give such evasive answers. If it was done by you, say so; if it was not done by you, then say that.”
“Bhante, since I was born I do not recall having sexual intercourse even in a dream, much less when I was awake.”
“Well then, monks, call those monks to account,” and he rose from his seat and entered his dwelling.
The monks then questioned the monks who were followers of Mettiya and Bhummaja, who told them what had happened. The monks said: “Did you accuse Venerable Dabba the Mallian of an offence entailing expulsion, using an unrelated issue as a pretext?”
“Yes.”
The monks of few desires … complained and criticised them: “How can the monks who are followers of Mettiya and Bhummaja accuse Venerable Dabba in this way?”
They rebuked those monks in many ways and then informed the Master. He said: “Is it true, monks, that you accused Dabba the Mallian of an offence entailing expulsion, using an unrelated issue as a pretext?”
“It’s true, Master.”
The Buddha, the Master, rebuked them: “… Foolish men, how could you accuse Dabba in this way? This will not give rise to confidence in those without it … And, monks, this training rule should be recited thus:
Final ruling
“If a monk who is angry and displeased, using an unrelated issue as a pretext, accuses another monk of an offence entailing expulsion, aiming to make him leave the monastic life, and then after some time, whether he is questioned or not, it is clear that the issue is unrelated and used as a pretext, and he admits his anger, he commits an offence entailing suspension.”
Definitions
A: whoever … Monk: … The monk ordained by a complete Sangha through a procedure of one motion and three announcements, which is unchallengeable and fit to stand—this sort of monk is meant in this case.
Another monk: a different monk.
Angry: upset, dissatisfied, discontent, having ill-will, hostile.
Displeased: because of that upset, that anger, that dissatisfaction, and that discontent, he is displeased.
It is either unrelated in regard to offences or unrelated in regard to issues.
How is an issue unrelated to an issue? An issue due to a dispute is unrelated to an issue due to an accusation, an issue due to an offence, and an issue due to a proceeding. An issue due to an accusation is unrelated to an issue due to an offence, an issue due to a proceeding, and an issue due to a dispute. An issue due to an offence is unrelated to an issue due to a proceeding, an issue due to a dispute, and an issue due to an accusation. An issue due to a proceeding is unrelated to an issue due to a dispute, an issue due to an accusation, and an issue due to an offence. It is in this way that an issue is unrelated to an issue.
How is an issue related to an issue? An issue due to a dispute is related to an issue due to a dispute. An issue due to an accusation is related to an issue due to an accusation. An issue due to an offence may be either related or unrelated to an issue due to an offence.
How is an issue due to an offence unrelated to an issue due to an offence? An offence entailing expulsion in regard to sexual intercourse is unrelated to an offence entailing expulsion in regard to stealing, an offence entailing expulsion in regard to a human being, and an offence entailing expulsion in regard to a super-human achievement. An offence entailing expulsion in regard to stealing is unrelated to an offence entailing expulsion in regard to a human being, an offence entailing expulsion in regard to a super-human achievement, and an offence entailing expulsion in regard to sexual intercourse. An offence entailing expulsion in regard to a human being is unrelated to an offence entailing expulsion in regard to a super-human achievement, an offence entailing expulsion in regard to sexual intercourse, and an offence entailing expulsion in regard to stealing. An offence entailing expulsion in regard to a super-human achievement is unrelated to an offence entailing expulsion in regard to sexual intercourse, an offence entailing expulsion in regard to stealing, and an offence entailing expulsion in regard to a human being. It is in this way that an issue due to an offence is unrelated to an issue due to an offence.
How is an issue due to an offence related to an issue due to an offence? An offence entailing expulsion in regard to sexual intercourse is related to an offence entailing expulsion in regard to sexual intercourse. An offence entailing expulsion in regard to stealing is related to an offence entailing expulsion in regard to stealing. An offence entailing expulsion in regard to a human being is related to an offence entailing expulsion in regard to a human being. An offence entailing expulsion in regard to a super-human achievement is related to an offence entailing expulsion in regard to a super-human achievement. It is in this way that an issue due to an offence is related to an issue due to an offence.
An issue due to a proceeding is related to an issue due to a proceeding. It is in this way that an issue is related to an issue.
A pretext: there are ten pretexts—the pretext of caste, the pretext of name, the pretext of family, the pretext of characteristic, the pretext of offence, the pretext of bowl, the pretext of robe, the pretext of preceptor, the pretext of teacher, the pretext of lodging.
The pretext of caste: a noble is seen committing an offence entailing expulsion. If one then charges another noble, saying, “I have a seen a noble. You have committed an offence entailing expulsion. You are no longer an ascetic, not a son of the Sakyan; you are excluded from the uposatha ceremony, from the invitation ceremony, from acts of the Sangha,” he commits an offence entailing suspension for each statements. A brahmin is seen … a merchant is seen … a low-caste person is seen … he commits an offence entailing suspension for each statements.
The pretext of name: someone whose name is Buddharakkhita … Dhammarakkhita … Saṅgharakkhita is seen committing an offence entailing expulsion. If one then charges another person called Saṅgharakkhita, saying, “I have seen Saṅgharakkhita. You have committed an offence entailing expulsion. …” he commits an offence entailing suspension for each statements.
The pretext of family: someone whose family name is Gotama … Moggallāna … Kaccāyana … Vāsiṭṭha is seen committing an offence entailing expulsion. If one then charges another person called Vāsiṭṭha, saying, “I have seen Vāsiṭṭha. You have committed an offence entailing expulsion. …” he commits an offence entailing suspension for each statements.
The pretext of characteristic: someone tall … short … dark-skinned … light-skinned is seen committing an offence entailing expulsion. If one then charges another light-skinned person, saying, “I have seen a light-skinned person. You have committed an offence entailing expulsion. …” he commits an offence entailing suspension for each statements.
The pretext of offence: someone is seen committing a light offence. If one then charges him with an offence entailing expulsion, saying, “You are no longer an ascetic, not a son of the Sakyan …” he commits an offence entailing suspension for each statements.
The pretext of bowl: someone carrying a metal bowl … a black clay bowl … a clay bowl is seen committing an offence entailing expulsion. If one then charges another person carrying a clay bowl, saying, “I have seen someone carrying a clay bowl. You have committed an offence entailing expulsion. …” he commits an offence entailing suspension for each statements.
The pretext of robe: someone wearing a rag robe … a given robe is seen committing an offence entailing expulsion. If one then charges another person wearing a given robe, saying, “I have seen someone wearing a given robe. You have committed an offence entailing expulsion. …” he commits an offence entailing suspension for each statements.
The pretext of preceptor: a disciple of so-and-so is seen committing an offence entailing expulsion. If one then charges another disciple of that person, saying, “I have seen a disciple of so-and-so. You have committed an offence entailing expulsion. …” he commits an offence entailing suspension for each statements.
The pretext of teacher: a student of so-and-so is seen committing an offence entailing expulsion. If one then charges another student of that person, saying, “I have seen a student of so-and-so. You have committed an offence entailing expulsion. …” he commits an offence entailing suspension for each statements.
The pretext of lodging: one who dwells in such-and-such a lodging is seen committing an offence entailing expulsion. If one then charges someone else who dwells in that lodging, saying, “I have seen one who dwells in such-and-such a lodging. You have committed an offence entailing expulsion. You are no longer an ascetic, not a son of the Sakyan; you are excluded from the uposatha ceremony, from the invitation ceremony, from acts of the Sangha,” he commits an offence entailing suspension for each statements.
An offence entailing expulsion: one of the four.
Accuses: charges or causes to be charged.
Aiming to make him leave the monastic life: aiming to make him leave the state of a monk, leave the state of an ascetic, leave his virtue, leave the benefits of asceticism.
And then after some time: the moment, the instant, the second after he has made the accusation.
He is questioned: he is questioned about the grounds of his accusation.
Not: he is not spoken to by anyone.
Issue: there are four kinds of issues: issues due to disputes, issues due to accusations, issues due to offences, issues due to proceedings.
Used as a pretext: he has used a certain pretext among those (listed above).
And he admits his anger: what I said was empty, what I said was false, what I said was untruthful; I said it without knowing.
He commits an offence entailing suspension … This is the name and designation of this class of offence. Therefore, too, it is said that he commits an offence entailing suspension.
Permutations
Doing the accusing oneself
A monk is seen committing an offence entailing suspension, and one thinks it is an offence entailing suspension. If one then charges him with an offence entailing expulsion, saying, “You are no longer an ascetic, not a son of the Sakyan; you are excluded from the uposatha ceremony, from the invitation ceremony, from acts of the Sangha,” thus using an unrelated offence as a pretext, he commits an offence entailing suspension for each statement.
A monk is seen committing an offence entailing suspension, but one thinks it is a serious offence … an offence entailing confession … an offence entailing acknowledgement … an offence of bad conduct … an offence of bad speech. If one then charges him with an offence entailing expulsion, saying, “You are no longer an ascetic …” thus using an unrelated offence as a pretext, he commits an offence entailing suspension for each statement.
A monk is seen committing a serious offence, and one thinks it is a serious offence … but one thinks it is a offence entailing confession … an offence entailing acknowledgement … an offence of bad conduct … an offence of bad speech … an offence entailing suspension. If one then charges him with an offence entailing expulsion, saying, “You are no longer an ascetic …” thus using an unrelated offence as a pretext, he commits an offence entailing suspension for each statement.
A monk is seen committing an offence entailing confession … an offence entailing acknowledgement … an offence of bad conduct … an offence of bad speech, and one thinks it is an offence of bad speech … but one thinks it is an offence entailing suspension … a serious offence … an offence entailing confession … an offence entailing acknowledgement … an offence of bad conduct. If one then charges him with an offence entailing expulsion, saying, “You are no longer an ascetic, not a son of the Sakyan; you are excluded from the uposatha ceremony, from the invitation ceremony, from acts of the Sangha,” thus using an unrelated offence as a pretext, he commits an offence entailing suspension for each statement.
The permutation series is to be linked by doing the items one by one.
Getting someone else to do the accusing
A monk is seen committing an offence entailing suspension and one thinks it is an offence entailing suspension. If one then has him charged with an offence entailing expulsion, saying, “You are no longer an ascetic …” thus using an unrelated offence as a pretext, he commits an offence entailing suspension for each statement.
A monk is seen committing an offence entailing suspension, but one thinks it is a serious offence … an offence entailing confession … an offence entailing acknowledgement … an offence of bad conduct … an offence of bad speech. If one then has him charged with an offence entailing expulsion, saying, “You are no longer an ascetic …” thus using an unrelated offence as a pretext, he commits an offence entailing suspension for each statement.
A monk is seen committing a serious offence, and one thinks it is a serious offence … but one thinks it is an offence entailing confession … an offence entailing acknowledgement … an offence of bad conduct … an offence of bad speech … an offence entailing suspension. If one then has him charged with an offence entailing expulsion, saying, “You are no longer an ascetic …” thus using an unrelated offence as a pretext, he commits an offence entailing suspension for each statement.
A monk is seen committing an offence entailing confession … an offence entailing acknowledgement … an offence of bad conduct … an offence of bad speech, and one thinks it is an offence of bad speech … but one thinks it is an offence entailing suspension … a serious offence … an offence entailing confession … an offence entailing acknowledgement … an offence of bad conduct. If one then has him charged with an offence entailing expulsion, saying, “You are no longer an ascetic, not a son of the Sakyan; you are excluded from the uposatha ceremony, from the invitation ceremony, from acts of the Sangha,” thus using an unrelated offence as a pretext, he commits an offence entailing suspension for each statement.
Non-offences
There is no offence: if he charges or causes someone to be charged in accordance with his own perception; if he is insane; if he is the first offender.
The ninth rule, the second training rule on anger, is finished.