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9. Announcing a monk’s grave offense

Duṭṭhullārocana

A monk who tells an unordained person about another monk’s serious offence must confess the offense.

Translated by Bhikkhu Brahmali · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral

  • 0.1Theravāda VinayaTheravāda Collection on Monastic Law
  • 0.2MahāvibhaṅgaThe Great Analysis
  • 0.3PācittiyakaṇḍaThe chapter on offenses entailing confession
  • 0.4MusāvādavaggaThe subchapter on lying

0.59. DuṭṭhullārocanasikkhāpadaAnnouncing a monk’s grave offense

1.0Origin story

1.1PTS 4.31Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.At one time when the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery,1.2Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā upanando sakyaputto chabbaggiyehi bhikkhūhi saddhiṁ bhaṇḍanakato hoti.Venerable Upananda the Sakyan was quarreling with the monks from the group of six.

1.3So sañcetanikaṁ sukkavissaṭṭhiṁ āpattiṁ āpajjitvā saṅghaṁ tassā āpattiyā parivāsaṁ yāci.He then committed an offense of intentional emission of semen. He asked the Sangha for probation for that offense,1.4Tassa saṅgho tassā āpattiyā parivāsaṁ adāsi.which he received.1.5Tena kho pana samayena sāvatthiyaṁ aññatarassa pūgassa saṅghabhattaṁ hoti.Just then an association in Sāvatthī was offering a meal to the Sangha.1.6So parivasanto bhattagge āsanapariyante nisīdi.Because Upananda was on probation, he sat on the last seat in the dining hall.1.7Chabbaggiyā bhikkhū te upāsake etadavocuṁ—The monks from the group of six then told those lay followers,1.8“eso, āvuso, āyasmā upanando sakyaputto tumhākaṁ sambhāvito kulūpako; yeneva hatthena saddhādeyyaṁ bhuñjati teneva hatthena upakkamitvā asuciṁ mocesi.“This Venerable Upananda, the esteemed associate of your families, eats the food given in faith with the same hand he uses to masturbate.1.9So sañcetanikaṁ sukkavissaṭṭhiṁ āpattiṁ āpajjitvā saṅghaṁ tassā āpattiyā parivāsaṁ yāci.After committing an offense of intentional emission of semen, he asked the Sangha for probation for that offense,1.10Tassa saṅgho tassā āpattiyā parivāsaṁ adāsi.which he received.1.11So parivasanto āsanapariyante nisinno”ti.And because he’s on probation, he now sits on the last seat.”

1.12Ye te bhikkhū appicchā …pe… te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—The monks of few desires complained and criticized them,1.13“kathañhi nāma chabbaggiyā bhikkhū bhikkhussa duṭṭhullaṁ āpattiṁ anupasampannassa ārocessantī”ti …pe…“How could the monks from the group of six tell a person who’s not fully ordained about a monk’s grave offense?” …1.14“saccaṁ kira tumhe, bhikkhave, bhikkhussa duṭṭhullaṁ āpattiṁ anupasampannassa ārocethā”ti?“Is it true, monks, that you did this?”

1.15“Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti.“It’s true, sir.”

1.16Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe…The Buddha rebuked them …1.17kathañhi nāma tumhe, moghapurisā, bhikkhussa duṭṭhullaṁ āpattiṁ anupasampannassa ārocessatha.“Foolish men, how could you do this?1.18Netaṁ, moghapurisā, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe…This will affect people’s confidence …” …1.19evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—“And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:

1.20.0Final ruling

1.20.1“Yo pana bhikkhu bhikkhussa duṭṭhullaṁ āpattiṁ anupasampannassa āroceyya, aññatra bhikkhusammutiyā, pācittiyan”ti.‘If a monk tells a person who is not fully ordained about a monk’s grave offense, except if the monks have agreed, he commits an offense entailing confession.’”

2.1.0Definitions

2.1.1Yo panātiA:
2.1.2yo yādiso …pe…whoever …
2.1.3bhikkhūtiMonk:
2.1.4…pe… ayaṁ imasmiṁ atthe adhippeto bhikkhūti.… The monk who has been given the full ordination by a unanimous Sangha through a legal procedure consisting of one motion and three announcements that is irreversible and fit to stand—this sort of monk is meant in this case.
2.1.5BhikkhussātiA monk’s:
2.1.6aññassa bhikkhussa.another monk’s.
2.1.7Duṭṭhullā nāma āpatti—A grave offense:
2.1.8cattāri ca pārājikāni, terasa ca saṅghādisesā.the four offenses entailing expulsion and the thirteen entailing suspension.
2.1.9Anupasampanno nāmaA person who is not fully ordained:
2.1.10bhikkhuñca bhikkhuniñca ṭhapetvā avaseso anupasampanno nāma.anyone except a fully ordained monk or a fully ordained nun.
2.1.11ĀroceyyātiTells:
2.1.12āroceyya itthiyā vā purisassa vā gahaṭṭhassa vā pabbajitassa vā.tells a woman or a man, a householder or a monastic.
2.1.13Aññatra bhikkhusammutiyātiExcept if the monks have agreed:
2.1.14ṭhapetvā bhikkhusammutiṁ.unless the monks have agreed.

2.1.15.0.1Permutations

2.1.15.0.2Permutations part 1

2.1.15.0.3Summary

2.1.15.1Atthi bhikkhusammuti āpattipariyantā, na kulapariyantā.There is agreement of the monks with a limit on offenses, but not on families.2.1.16Atthi bhikkhusammuti kulapariyantā, na āpattipariyantā, atthi bhikkhusammuti āpattipariyantā ca kulapariyantā ca, atthi bhikkhusammuti neva āpattipariyantā na kulapariyantā.There is agreement of the monks with a limit on families, but not on offenses. There is agreement of the monks with a limit both on offenses and on families. There is agreement of the monks with neither a limit on offenses nor on families.

2.1.17.0Definitions

2.1.17.1Āpattipariyantā nāmaWith a limit on offenses:
2.1.18āpattiyo pariggahitāyo honti— “ettakāhi āpattīhi ārocetabbo”ti.offenses are specified: “These particular offenses can be told about.”
2.1.19Kulapariyantā nāmaWith limit on families:
2.1.20kulāni pariggahitāni honti— “ettakesu kulesu ārocetabbo”ti.families are specified: “These particular families can be told.”
2.1.21Āpattipariyantā ca kulapariyantā ca nāmaWith a limit both on offenses and on families:
2.1.22āpattiyo ca pariggahitāyo honti, kulāni ca pariggahitāni honti— “ettakāhi āpattīhi ettakesu kulesu ārocetabbo”ti.both offenses and families are specified: “These particular offenses can be told about, and these particular families can be told.”
2.1.23Neva āpattipariyantā na kulapariyantā nāmaWith neither a limit on offenses nor on families:
2.1.24āpattiyo ca apariggahitāyo honti, kulāni ca apariggahitāni honti— “ettakāhi āpattīhi ettakesu kulesu ārocetabbo”ti.neither offenses nor families are specified in this way.

2.1.25.0Exposition

2.1.25.1Āpattipariyante yā āpattiyo pariggahitāyo honti, tā āpattiyo ṭhapetvā aññāhi āpattīhi āroceti, āpatti pācittiyassa.When there is a limit on offenses, if he tells about other offenses than those that are specified, he commits an offense entailing confession.

2.1.26PTS 4.32Kulapariyante yāni kulāni pariggahitāni honti, tāni kulāni ṭhapetvā aññesu kulesu āroceti, āpatti pācittiyassa.When there is a limit on families, if he tells other families than those that are specified, he commits an offense entailing confession.

2.1.27Āpattipariyante ca kulapariyante ca yā āpattiyo pariggahitāyo honti, tā āpattiyo ṭhapetvā yāni kulāni pariggahitāni honti, tāni kulāni ṭhapetvā aññāhi āpattīhi aññesu kulesu āroceti, āpatti pācittiyassa.When there is a limit both on offenses and on families, if he tells about other offenses than those that are specified or he tells other families than those that are specified, he commits an offense entailing confession.

2.1.28Neva āpattipariyante na kulapariyante, anāpatti.When there is neither a limit on offenses nor on families, there is no offense.

2.2.0Permutations part 2

2.2.1Duṭṭhullāya āpattiyā duṭṭhullāpattisaññī anupasampannassa āroceti, aññatra bhikkhusammutiyā, āpatti pācittiyassa.If the offense is grave, and he perceives it as such, and he tells a person who is not fully ordained, then, except if the monks have agreed, he commits an offense entailing confession.

2.2.2Duṭṭhullāya āpattiyā vematiko anupasampannassa āroceti, aññatra bhikkhusammutiyā, āpatti pācittiyassa.If the offense is grave, but he is unsure of it, and he tells a person who is not fully ordained, then, except if the monks have agreed, he commits an offense entailing confession.

2.2.3Duṭṭhullāya āpattiyā aduṭṭhullāpattisaññī anupasampannassa āroceti, aññatra bhikkhusammutiyā, āpatti pācittiyassa.If the offense is grave, but he perceives it as minor, and he tells a person who is not fully ordained, then, except if the monks have agreed, he commits an offense entailing confession.

2.2.4Aduṭṭhullaṁ āpattiṁ āroceti, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If he tells about a minor offense, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

2.2.5Anupasampannassa duṭṭhullaṁ vā aduṭṭhullaṁ vā ajjhācāraṁ āroceti, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If he tells about the misconduct of a person who is not fully ordained, whether grave or minor, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

2.2.6Aduṭṭhullāya āpattiyā duṭṭhullāpattisaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If the offense is minor, but he perceives it as grave, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

2.2.7Aduṭṭhullāya āpattiyā vematiko, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If the offense is minor, but he is unsure of it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

2.2.8Aduṭṭhullāya āpattiyā aduṭṭhullāpattisaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If the offense is minor, and he perceives it as such, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

2.3.0Non-offenses

2.3.1Anāpatti—There is no offense:2.3.2vatthuṁ āroceti no āpattiṁ,if he tells about the action that was the basis for the offense, but not the class of offense;2.3.3āpattiṁ āroceti no vatthuṁ,if he tells about the class of offense, but not the action that was the basis for the offense;2.3.4bhikkhusammutiyā,if the monks have agreed;2.3.5ummattakassa,if he is insane;2.3.6ādikammikassāti.if he is the first offender.

2.3.7Duṭṭhullārocanasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ navamaṁ.The training rule on announcing a monk’s grave offense, the ninth, is finished.