English
Tomorrow, the householder Kalyāṇabhattika, with his children and wife, will attend to us and serve us. Some will ask for rice, some will ask for curry, some will ask for oil, some will ask for extra portions." With that very joy, they did not sleep well that night. Then the Mettiyabhūmajaka monks, having dressed in the morning, and taken their bowls and robes, went to the dwelling of the householder Kalyāṇabhattika. That maidservant saw the Mettiyabhūmajaka monks coming from afar. Having seen them, she arranged seats in the storeroom and said to the Mettiyabhūmajaka monks: "Please sit, sirs." Then it occurred to the Mettiyabhūmajaka monks: "Surely the food is not yet ready! That is why we are to sit in the storeroom." Then that maidservant approached with broken rice and sour gruel. "Please eat, sirs," she said. "We, sister, are regular alms-recipients," they said. "I know, sirs, that you are regular alms-recipients. But I h..." Yesterday, the householder was instructed: ‘Those who come for yesterday’s meal, set up seats in the storehouse, and serve them with broken rice and a second dish of sour gruel.’ Eat, venerable sirs!” Then the Mettiyabhūmajaka monks thought: “Yesterday, friends, the householder, who provides excellent meals, went to the monastery to Dabba the Mallaputta. Surely we have been slandered to the householder by Dabba the Mallaputta.” Due to that very displeasure, they did not eat properly. Then the Mettiyabhūmajaka monks, after the meal, having returned from their alms round, went to the monastery, put away their bowls and robes, and sat down in the outer monastery storehouse, cross-legged on their outer robes, silent, disconcerted, with slumped shoulders, downcast faces, brooding, and without ready speech. Then the bhikkhunī Mettiyā approached the Mettiyabhūmajaka monks; having approached, she said to the Mettiyabhūmajaka monks: “I pay homage, venerable sirs.” When this was said, the Mettiyabhūmajaka monks did not speak. A second time… A third time, the bhikkhunī Mettiyā said to the Mettiyabhūmajaka monks: “I pay homage, venerable sirs.” A third time, the Mettiyabhūmajaka monks did not speak. “How have I offended the venerable sirs? Why do the venerable sirs not speak to me?” “Because, sister, you look on indifferently while we are harassed by Dabba the Mallaputta.” “What can I do, venerable sirs?” “If you indeed…” “Sister, would you wish that the Blessed One should make Dabba the Mallaputta be expelled today?” “What can I do, lady? What is it possible for me to do?” “Come, sister, go to the Blessed One; having gone, say this to the Blessed One: ‘This, venerable sir, is unseemly, unfitting. That direction, venerable sir, which was fearless, free from trouble, free from danger, that direction is now fearful, troublesome, dangerous. Where there was no wind, there is now wind. The water, I think, is ablaze. I have been defiled by the venerable Dabba the Mallaputta.’” “Yes, lady,” Mettiyā the bhikkhunī having assented to the Mettiyabhūmajaka bhikkhus, went to the Blessed One; having gone, having saluted the Blessed One, she stood to one side. Standing to one side, Mettiyā the bhikkhunī said this to the Blessed One: “This, venerable sir, is unseemly, unfitting. That direction, venerable sir, which was fearless, free from trouble, free from danger, that direction is now fearful, troublesome, dangerous. Where there was no wind, there is now wind. The water, I think, is ablaze! I have been defiled by the venerable Dabba the Mallaputta.” Then the Blessed One, on account of this incident, on account of this matter, having assembled the Saṅgha of bhikkhus, questioned the venerable Dabba the Mallaputta: “Do you remember, Dabba, doing such a thing as this bhikkhunī says?” “As the Blessed One knows me, venerable sir.” A second time, the Blessed One… A third time, the Blessed One questioned the venerable Dabba the Mallaputta… to Dabba the Mallaputta, “Do you remember, Dabba, doing such a thing with this nun?” “As the Blessed One knows me, sir.” “No, Dabba, Dabbas do not evade like that. If it was done by you, say it was done. If it was not done by you, say it was not done.” “Since I was born, sir, I do not recall having engaged in sexual intercourse, not even in a dream, much less while awake!” Then the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: “Well then, bhikkhus, expel the nun Mettiya. And interrogate these bhikkhus.” Having said this, the Blessed One rose from his seat and entered the monastery. Then those bhikkhus expelled the nun Mettiya. Then the Mettiya-Bhūmajaka bhikkhus said to those bhikkhus: “Do not, friends, expel the nun Mettiya. She has not committed any offense. She was incited by us, who were angry, displeased, and intent on causing her downfall.” “But why, friends, did you falsely accuse the venerable Dabba the Mallaputta of a pārājika offense?” “Yes, friends.” Those bhikkhus who were of few wishes… they complained, grumbled, and criticized: “How can the Mettiya-Bhūmajaka bhikkhus falsely accuse the venerable Dabba the Mallaputta of a pārājika offense?” Then those bhikkhus, having criticized the Mettiya-Bhūmajaka bhikkhus in many ways, reported the matter to the Blessed One… “Is it true, bhikkhus, that you… Dabba the Mallaputta…” with an unfounded charge of a pārājika offense?” “Yes, Blessed One.” The Buddha, the Blessed One, rebuked them… “How can you, foolish men, accuse Dabba the Mallaputta with an unfounded charge of a pārājika offense! This, foolish men, is not for the conversion of the unconverted… And thus, monks, you should recite this training rule: 385. If any monk, being malicious and angry, displeased, should accuse another monk with an unfounded charge of a pārājika offense—thinking, ‘Perhaps I can make him fall from this holy life’—and later, whether he is admonished or not admonished, that case is unfounded and the monk is established in malice, it is a Saṅghādisesa. 386. “If any” means whoever, whatever kind… “monk” means… in this context, “monk” is intended. “Another monk” means another monk. “Malicious and angry” means enraged, displeased, dissatisfied, with a wounded mind, full of resentment. “Displeased” means displeased by that rage, by that malice, by that displeasure, by that dissatisfaction. “Unfounded” means unseen, unheard, unsuspected. “With a pārājika offense” means with one of the four. “Should accuse” means he accuses or causes to accuse. “‘Perhaps I can make him fall from this holy life’” means I can make him fall from monkhood, I can make him fall from the ascetic’s duty, I can make him fall from the aggregate of virtue, I can make him fall from the quality of austerity. “Later” means at the moment of accusation From this, it is that moment, that instant, that minute having passed. "Being supported" means: being supported in that thing by which he is not disgraced. "Not being supported" means: not being spoken to by anyone. A legal question is called four legal questions: a dispute about doctrine, a dispute about accusation, a dispute about an offense, a dispute about duties. And the bhikkhu admits the fault, saying: "It was spoken by me idly, it was spoken by me falsely, it was spoken by me as untrue, it was spoken by me unknowingly." "Saṅghādisesa" means... ...therefore it is called Saṅghādisesa. 387. For one not seen, it is if he commits a pārājika offense. If he accuses him, saying: "I have seen you, you have committed a pārājika offense, you are not a recluse, you are not a son of the Sakyas, there is no Uposatha or Pavāraṇā or Saṅgha-act with you," there is an offense by speech, an offense of Saṅghādisesa by speech. For one not heard, it is if he says, "He has committed a pārājika offense." If he accuses him, saying: "I have heard you, you have committed a pārājika offense, you are not a recluse, you are not a son of the Sakyas, there is no Uposatha or Pavāraṇā or Saṅgha-act with you," there is an offense by speech, an offense of Saṅghādisesa by speech. For one not suspected, it is if he says, "He has committed a pārājika offense." If he accuses him, saying: "I have suspected you, you have committed a pārājika offense, you are not a recluse, you are not a son of the Sakyas, there is no Uposatha or Pavāraṇā or Saṅgha-act with you," there is an offense. By word, by word, a Saṅghādisesa. For one not seen committing a Pārājika offence. If he accuses him: "Seen by me and heard (by me), you have committed a Pārājika offence, you are not a recluse"— ... an offence by word, by word, a Saṅghādisesa. For one not seen committing a Pārājika offence. If he accuses him: "Seen by me and suspected (by me), you have committed a Pārājika offence, you are not a recluse"— ... an offence by word, by word, a Saṅghādisesa. For one not seen committing a Pārājika offence. If he accuses him: "Seen by me and heard (by me) and suspected (by me), you have committed a Pārājika offence, you are not a recluse"— ... an offence by word, by word, a Saṅghādisesa. For one not heard "committed a Pārājika offence." If he accuses him: "Heard by me and suspected (by me)..." "Heard by me and seen (by me)..." "Heard by me and suspected (by me) and seen (by me), you have committed a Pārājika offence, you are not a recluse"— ... an offence by word, by word, a Saṅghādisesa. For one not suspected "committed a Pārājika offence." If he accuses him: "Suspected by me and seen (by me)..." "Suspected by me and heard (by me)..." "Suspected by me and seen (by me) and heard (by me), you have committed a Pārājika offence, you are not a recluse"— ... an offence by word, by word, a Saṅghādisesa. For one seen committing a Pārājika offence. If he accuses him: "Heard by me, you have committed a Pārājika offence, you are not a recluse"— you are a monk"... ...etc... offence by speech, by speech of a Saṅghādisesa. For one seen committing a pārājika offence. If he accuses him: "I suspect you, you have committed a pārājika offence"... ...etc...