English
“How can the king give the royal timber, reserved for city repairs, set aside for emergencies, to Dhaniya, the potter’s son?” Then Vassakāra the brahmin, the chief minister of Magadha, approached King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha. Having approached, he said to King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha: “Is it true, sire, that the royal timber, reserved for city repairs, set aside for emergencies, was given to Dhaniya, the potter’s son?” “Who says so?” “The timber-yard accountant, sire.” “Then, brahmin, summon the timber-yard accountant.” Then Vassakāra the brahmin, the chief minister of Magadha, ordered the timber-yard accountant to be bound. The venerable Dhaniya, the potter’s son, saw the timber-yard accountant being led away bound. Having seen him, he said to the timber-yard accountant: “Why are you, friend, being led away bound?” “Because of those timbers, venerable sir.” “Go, friend, I am coming too.” “Come quickly, venerable sir, before I am harmed.” 88. Then the venerable Dhaniya, the potter’s son, approached the residence of King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha. Having approached, on the prepared He sat down on the seat. Then King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha approached the venerable Dhaniya, the potter's son; having approached, and having greeted the venerable Dhaniya, the potter's son, he sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha said this to the venerable Dhaniya, the potter's son: "Is it true, venerable sir, that the timber from the gods' house, which was set aside for city repairs in case of emergency, was given to the venerable one?" "Yes, great king." "We kings, venerable sir, are busy with many duties, and even after giving, we might not remember; come, venerable sir, remind me." "Do you remember, great king, that when you were first consecrated, you spoke such a word: 'Let ascetics and brahmins use whatever grass, wood, and water has been given'?" "I remember, venerable sir. There are, venerable sir, ascetics and brahmins who are scrupulous, conscientious, and desirous of training. For them, even a small matter causes scruple. It was with them in mind that I spoke, and that was indeed unowned in the forest. So you, venerable sir, by that pretext, think you can take wood that was not given! How could someone like me kill, or bind, or banish an ascetic or brahmin living in my realm! Go, venerable sir, you are released by your hair. Do not do such a thing again!" People complained, grumbled, and spread the word: "These Sakyan ascetics are shameless, immoral, and liars. They, who are supposed to be righteous in conduct, and even in conduct..." These recluses, these brahmins, who claim to be truthful, virtuous, of good character! There is no recluseship for them, there is no brahminhood for them. Lost is their recluseship, lost is their brahminhood. Whence their recluseship? Whence their brahminhood? Gone are these from recluseship, gone are these from brahminhood. They even deceive kings, what then of other people! Now the bhikkhus heard those people complaining, murmuring, criticizing. Those bhikkhus who were of few wishes, content, conscientious, scrupulous, desirous of training, they complained, murmured, criticized— "How can Venerable Dhaniya, the potter's son, take the king's wood without it being given?" Then those bhikkhus, having criticized Venerable Dhaniya, the potter's son, in many ways, reported the matter to the Blessed One. Then the Blessed One, on account of this incident, on account of this matter, convened the assembly of bhikkhus and questioned Venerable Dhaniya, the potter's son— "Is it true, Dhaniya, that you took the king's wood without it being given?" "It is true, Blessed One." The Buddha, the Blessed One, criticized him— "It is unfitting, foolish man, it is unsuitable, it is improper, it is not the conduct of a recluse, it is not allowable, it is not to be done. How can you, foolish man, take the king's wood without it being given! This, foolish man, is not for the confidence of the unconfident, nor for the increase of the confident; but rather, foolish man, it is for the unconfident for the displeasure of those without faith, and for the change of state of some of those with faith.” Now at that time, a certain old royal minister, a former legal expert, had gone forth among the bhikkhus, and was sitting not far from the Blessed One. Then the Blessed One said to that bhikkhu: “By how much, bhikkhu, does King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha, having caught a thief, kill him, or bind him, or banish him?” “By a foot, Blessed One, or by what is worth a foot.” Now at that time in Rājagaha, a foot was worth five māsa coins. Then the Blessed One, having rebuked Venerable Dhaniya, the potter’s son, in many ways, for being difficult to support… …and thus, bhikkhus, you should recite this rule of training: 89. “Whatever bhikkhu should take what is not given, with the intention of stealing, such that in the taking of what is not given, kings, having caught a thief, would kill him, or bind him, or banish him, (saying) ‘You are a thief, you are a fool, you are deluded, you are a robber’— a bhikkhu taking what is not given of such a kind, is also defeated, he is not in communion.” Thus was this rule of training enacted by the Blessed One for the bhikkhus. 90. Now at that time, the group of six bhikkhus went to a laundry place, stole a bundle of clothes, brought it to the monastery, and divided it. The bhikkhus said thus: “You are very meritorious, friends. Many robes have arisen for you.” “Whence, friends, our merit? Just now we went to a laundry place, and a bundle of clothes what did we steal?” “Friends, has not the Blessed One laid down a training rule? Why, friends, did you steal the washerman’s bundle?” “It is true, friends, the Blessed One has laid down a training rule. But that is in the village, not in the wilderness.” “Friends, is it not the same? Friends, this is unseemly, unsuitable, improper, not like a recluse, not allowable, not to be done. How can you, friends, steal a washerman’s bundle? This, friends, is not for the conversion of the unconverted, nor for the increase of the converted; but rather, friends, it is for the non-conversion of the unconverted, and for the change of heart of some of the converted.” Then those bhikkhus, having criticized the group of six bhikkhus in various ways, reported this matter to the Blessed One. Then the Blessed One, on this occasion, on this matter, having assembled the community of bhikkhus, questioned the group of six bhikkhus: “Is it true, bhikkhus, that you went to the washerman’s place and stole the washerman’s bundle?” “It is true, Blessed One.” The Buddha, the Blessed One, criticized them: “This is unseemly, foolish men, unsuitable, improper, not like a recluse, not allowable, not to be done. How can you, foolish men, steal a washerman’s bundle? This, foolish men, is not for the conversion of the unconverted, nor for the increase of the converted; but rather, foolish men, it is for the non-conversion of the unconverted, and for the change of heart of some of the converted.” Thus. Then the Blessed One, having rebuked the group of six bhikkhus in various ways for their difficulty in being supported…pe… having spoken in praise of the exertion of energy, and having given a Dhamma talk suitable and appropriate for the bhikkhus, addressed the bhikkhus…pe… “And thus, bhikkhus, you should recite this training rule: 91. “Whatever bhikkhu takes what is not given, in the manner of theft, of such a nature that kings would seize a thief and kill him, or bind him, or banish him—saying, ‘You are a thief, you are foolish, you are deluded, you are a robber’—a bhikkhu taking what is not given of such a nature is also defeated and not in communion.” 92. Whatever means whoever, of whatever kind…pe… bhikkhu means…pe… this bhikkhu is intended in this sense. A village means a village with one hut, a village with two huts, a village with three huts, a village with four huts, a village with people, a village without people, a fenced village, an unfenced village, a village where cattle rest, and also a caravan settled for more than four months is called a village. The vicinity of a village means the throw of a clod of earth by a medium-sized man standing at the village post of a fenced village, or the throw of a clod of earth by a medium-sized man standing in the vicinity of the houses of an unfenced village. A forest means, apart from a village and the vicinity of a village, the remainder is called a forest. What is not given means what is not given, not released, not abandoned, protected, guarded, claimed as one's own, taken possession of by another. . This is called not given. By way of theft means with a thieving mind, with an intent to steal. Should take means should take, should carry away, should steal, should alter the posture, should remove from its place, should pass the boundary. Such a thing as a quarter-māsaka, or worth a quarter-māsaka, or more than a quarter-māsaka. Kings means kings of the earth, regional kings, provincial governors, border officials, judges, great ministers, or those who, inflicting cutting and breaking, give commands. These are called kings. A thief means one who takes what is not given, worth five māsakas or more than five māsakas, by way of theft. That is called a thief. Should strike means should strike with the hand, or with the foot, or with a whip, or with a stick, or with a half-staff, or by cutting. Should bind means should bind with a rope-binding, or with a fetter-binding, or with a chain-binding, or with a house-binding, or with a city-binding, or with a village-binding, or with a town-binding, or should make a man-guard. Should banish means should banish from a village, or from a town, or from a city, or from a district, or from parts of a district. "You are a thief, you are foolish, you are deluded, you are a robber" – this is a reproach.