English
"Or a village" - here, a city is also included by the term "village." Therefore, in its word-division, it is said, "A village, a market town, a city, a village and a market town." There, a market town should be understood as a place without a surrounding wall, but with shops. "He corrupts families" means a family-corrupter. And in corrupting, he does not corrupt with filth or mud, etc., but rather destroys their faith through his own bad conduct. Therefore, in its word-division, it is said, "with flowers or..." etc. There, whoever, having brought or caused to be brought, having called or caused to be called, or having gone himself, gives any flower belonging to himself to those who have come, for the purpose of gaining family favor, commits a dukkaṭa (wrongdoing). If he gives what belongs to others, it is also a dukkaṭa. If he gives with a thievish mind, he should be made to pay the value of the goods. The same method applies to the Sangha. indeed. But this is a special case: giving to one who has authority, when it is designated for a dwelling, incurs a grave offense. To whom is it proper to give flowers, and to whom is it not proper? To parents, it is proper to give them by bringing them oneself, or having them brought, or calling them, or having them called. To other relatives, only by having them called. And that is for the purpose of honoring the object. But for decoration, or for worshipping Shiva lingams and the like, it is not proper to give to anyone. And when having them brought for parents, they should be brought by relatives or novices. As for others, if they themselves wish, it is proper. It is proper for an appointed flower distributor, at the time of distribution, to give half a share to the novices who are present. In the Kurundi, half a share to the laypeople who are present. In the Mahāpaccari, it is said, “It is proper to give a small portion.” By one not appointed, it should be given after asking permission. Novices who are respectful to their teachers and preceptors bring many flowers, make a pile, and place them. The elders, early in the morning, give to their co-residents, or lay followers, saying, “You take this, you take that.” This is not called a gift of flowers. Even those who take them saying, “We will worship the cetiya,” and those who perform worship, give them to those present here and there for the purpose of worshipping the cetiya. This also is not called a gift of flowers. Seeing laypeople worshipping with akka flowers and the like, it is proper even to say, “There are kanikāra flowers and the like in the monastery; laypeople, take those and worship.” When monks, having performed flower worship, enter the village late in the day, people ask, “Why, venerable sirs, have you entered so late?” They say, “We worshipped many flowers in the monastery.” People say, “There are indeed many flowers in the monastery,” and on the next day, taking abundant food and edibles, they go to the monastery, perform flower worship, and give gifts. This is proper. People say, “Venerable sirs, we will worship on such and such a day,” and having requested a flower turn, they come on the permitted day. And the novices, having gathered flowers beforehand, They are collected and placed. They, not seeing flowers on the trees, say, "Where, venerable sirs, are the flowers?" "They were picked and placed by the novices. But you, having worshipped, may go. The Saṅgha will worship on another day." They, having worshipped and given alms, go. It is permissible. But in the Mahāpaccariya and Kurundī, it is said: "Elders are not allowed to have novices give (them). If they themselves give those flowers to them, it is permissible. But by the elders, only this much should be said: 'They were picked and placed by the novices.'" But if, having requested a turn for flowers, and having brought gruel, rice, etc., when the flowers are not picked, they say to the novices, "Pick and give (them to us)." It is permissible to pick and give only to related novices. For unrelated ones, they lift and place them on a tree branch. They should not climb down and run away. It is permissible to pick and give. But if some Dhamma speaker says, "Many lay followers, having brought flowers, gruel, rice, etc., to the monastery, perform flower worship," it is not permissible for him (the speaker) himself, so it is stated in the Mahāpaccariya and Kurundī. But in the Mahāaṭṭhakathā, it is stated without distinction: "This is improper, it is not permissible." Even fruit belonging to oneself, in the manner stated, it is permissible to give to one's parents and other relatives. But for one who gives for the purpose of supporting families, in the manner stated, offenses like dukkaṭa should be understood regarding one's own property, others' property, Saṅgha property, and property designated for dwellings. Only what belongs to oneself, it is permissible to give to sick people, or to powerful people who have arrived, or to those whose provisions are exhausted. It is not a gift of fruit. Even by a fruit distributor who is appointed, at the time of distributing fruit for the Saṅgha, it is permissible to give half a share to people who have arrived. By one not appointed, it should be given after asking permission. Even in a monastery, an agreement should be made by fruit portion or by tree portion. Then, to sick people or to others who ask for fruit, four or five fruits should be given according to the agreement. Trees or It should be shown, "It can be taken from here." But it should not be said, "Look, the fruits are beautiful, take them from here." Here, by powder, if one gives one's own sirīsa powder or any other astringent for the purpose of gaining favour from families, it is a dukkaṭa. Even regarding others' property, the decision should be understood in the manner stated. But this is a special point – here, even tree bark protected and guarded by the Sangha is heavy property. Even regarding earth, tooth-sticks, and bamboo, knowing them to be akin to heavy property, the decision should be understood in the manner stated for powder. But the giving of leaves is not mentioned here; that too should be understood in the manner stated. Further on, in the determination of heavy property, we will describe everything in detail. Here, by medical practice, the method of medical practice should be understood in the manner stated in the description of the third pārājika. Here, by acting as a messenger, "acting as a messenger" is called the work of carrying messages for laypeople; that should not be done. Indeed, for one who goes carrying a message for laypeople, there is a dukkaṭa at every step. Even for one who eats food obtained by means of that work, there is a dukkaṭa at every mouthful. Even if one did not take the message at first, but later, thinking, "Now this is that village, come, I will deliver that message," one deviates from the path, there is a dukkaṭa at every step. For one who eats food obtained after delivering the message, there is a dukkaṭa in the previous manner. But for one who has come without taking a message, if asked, "Venerable sir, what is the news of so-and-so in that village?" it is permissible to tell; there is no fault in answering a question. But it is permissible to carry a message for five co-religionists, for one's parents, for a sick person, and for one's attendant; and for laypeople, a permissible message of the kind stated before. Indeed, this is not called the work of a messenger. But the requisites obtained by these eight family-corrupting actions are not permissible even for the five co-religionists; they are similar to requisites obtained by false reporting or dealing in money. Evil practices. "Assāti" means one of bad conduct. But since here are meant things like planting garlands and saplings, therefore its word division is stated in the manner of "they plant garland-saplings" and so on. "Tirokkhāti" means with faces turned away. And in "the families are corrupted by him," since "families" is merely a conventional term here, for in reality, people are corrupted by him, therefore in its word division, it says "having formerly had faith" and so on. "Chandagāmino" means those who go by desire, hence "chandagāmino." This method applies to the rest. In "he should be admonished for his relinquishment," the act of corrupting families is merely a dukkaṭa offense. But when he, despising the Saṅgha, says "chandagāmino" and so on, the meaning should be understood as: an act of admonition should be performed for his relinquishment of that. The rest is clear in meaning everywhere. The origins and so on are also similar to the first schism of the Saṅgha. The explanation of the training rule concerning the corruptor of families is finished. Explanation of the Conclusion 442. In "The training rules have been recited... so I uphold this," "paṭhamāpattikā" means those for whom the offense is the first, meaning it is to be incurred at the very first moment of transgression. The others, however, are to be understood as "yāvatatiyakā," meaning they occur up to the third act of admonition, just as a fever that occurs on the third or fourth day is called "tertiary" or "quartan." "Yāvatīhaṃ jānaṃ paṭicchādeti" means for as many days as he knowingly conceals, he does not inform his fellow practitioners, "I have incurred such and such an offense." "Tāvatīhanti" means for that many days. "Akāmā parivatthabbaṃ" means one must dwell in probation, not willingly, not by choice, but unwillingly, not by choice. "Uttari chārattanti" means six nights beyond the probation. "Bhikkhumānattāyāti" means for the respect of the bhikkhus, it is said to be for the purpose of pleasing them. "Vīsatisaṅgho gaṇo assāti" means a group of twenty. "Tatrāti" means where there is a Saṅgha of bhikkhus, a group of twenty, as the final limit. "Abbhetabboti" means he should be admitted, accepted, released.