Vinaya Pitaka - Monastic Rules
Bhikkhu Vibhanga - Pācittiya 13: The Training Rule on Making Complaints.
- Translated from the Pali by Brahmali Bhikkhu.
Origin story
First sub-story
1 At one time the Buddha, the Master, was staying at Rājagaha in the squirrel sanctuary in the Bamboo Grove. At that time Venerable Dabba the Mallian assigned the lodgings and designated the meals. Just then some monks who were followers of Mettiya and Bhummaja were newly ordained. They had little merit, and they obtained inferior lodgings and meals. They then made complaints about Venerable Dabba to other monks: “Dabba the Mallian assigns lodgings and designates meals based on favouritism."
2 The monks of few desires … complained and criticised them: “How can those monks who are followers of Mettiya and Bhummaja make complaints about Venerable Dabba to other monks?" … “Is it true, monks, that you are doing this?" “It’s true, Master." The Buddha, the Master, criticised them: “ … Foolish men, how can you make complaints about Dabba to other monks? This will not give rise to confidence in those without it … And, monks, this training rule should be recited thus:
Preliminary ruling
3 “If a monk makes a complaint, he commits an offence entailing confession."
4 In this way the Master laid down this training rule for the monks.
Second sub-story
5
Knowing that the Master had prohibited making complaints, those monks who were followers of Mettiya and Bhummaja thought of other ways of getting monks to hear about it. They then criticised Venerable Dabba the Mallian when other monks were nearby: “Dabba assigns lodgings and designates meals based on favouritism."
The monks of few desires … complained and criticised them: “How can those monks who are followers of Mettiya and Bhummaja criticise Venerable Dabba?" … “Is it true, monks, that you are doing this?" “It’s true, Master." The Buddha, the Master, criticised them: “ … Foolish men, how can you criticise Dabba? This will not give rise to confidence in those without it … And so, monks, this training rule should be recited thus:
Final ruling
6 “If a monk makes a complaint or criticises, he commits an offence entailing confession."
Definitions
7 Makes a complaint: when someone who is fully ordained is the assigner of lodgings or the designator of meals or the distributor of rice-porridge or the distributor of fruit or the distributor of cakes or the distributor of small requisites, and he has been agreed upon by the Sangha as such, then if a monk makes a complaint about him, or criticises him, to one who is fully ordained, desiring to disparage him, desiring to give him a bad reputation, desiring to humiliate him, he commits an offence entailing confession.
Permutations
8
If it is a legitimate act of the Sangha, and he perceives it as legitimate, and he makes a complaint or criticises, he commits an offence entailing confession. If it is a legitimate act of the Sangha, but he has doubts about it, and he makes a complaint or criticises, he commits an offence entailing confession. If it is a legitimate act of the Sangha, but he perceives it as illegitimate, and he makes a complaint or criticises, he commits an offence entailing confession.
If he makes a complaint about him, or criticises him, to one who is not fully ordained, he commits an offence of bad conduct.
When someone who is fully ordained is the assigner of lodgings or the designator of meals or the distributor of rice-porridge or the distributor of fruit or the distributor of cakes or the distributor of small requisites, but he has not been agreed upon by the Sangha as such, then if a monk makes a complaint about him, or criticises him, to one who is fully ordained or to one who is not fully ordained, desiring to disparage him, desiring to give him a bad reputation, desiring to humiliate him, he commits an offence of bad conduct.
When someone who is not fully ordained is the assigner of lodgings or the designator of meals or the distributor of rice-porridge or the distributor of fruit or the distributor of cakes or the distributor of small requisites, whether he has been agreed upon by the Sangha as such or not, then if a monk makes a complaint about him, or criticises him, to one who is fully ordained or to one who is not fully ordained, desiring to disparage him, desiring to give him a bad reputation, desiring to humiliate him, he commits an offence of bad conduct.
If it is an illegitimate act of the Sangha, but he perceives it as legitimate, he commits an offence of bad conduct. If it is an illegitimate act of the Sangha, but he has doubts about it, he commits an offence of bad conduct. If it is an illegitimate act of the Sangha, and he perceives it as illegitimate, he commits an offence of bad conduct.
Non-offences
9 There is no offence: if he makes a complaint about, or criticises, one who normally acts from desire, anger, confusion, fear; if he is insane; if he is the first offender.
10The third rule, the training rule on making complaints, is finished.
1 tena samayena buddho bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe. tena kho pana samayena āyasmā dabbo mallaputto saṇghassa senāsanañca paññapeti bhattāni ca uddisati. tena kho pana samayena mettiyabhūmajakā bhikkhū navakā ceva honti appapuññā ca. yāni saṇghassa lāmakāni senāsanāni tāni tesaṃ pāpuṇanti lāmakāni ca bhattāni. te āyasmantaṃ dabbaṃ mallaputtaṃ bhikkhū ujjhāpenti— "chandāya dabbo mallaputto senāsanaṃ paññapeti, chandāya ca bhattāni uddisatī"ti.
2 ye te bhikkhū appicchā … pe … te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— "kathañhi nāma mettiyabhūmajakā bhikkhū āyasmantaṃ dabbaṃ mallaputtaṃ bhikkhū ujjhāpessantī"ti … pe … "saccaṃ kira tumhe, bhikkhave, dabbaṃ mallaputtaṃ bhikkhū ujjhāpethā"ti? "saccaṃ, bhagavā"ti. vigarahi buddho bhagavā … pe … kathañhi nāma tumhe, moghapurisā, dabbaṃ mallaputtaṃ bhikkhū ujjhāpessatha. netaṃ, moghapurisā, appasannānaṃ vā pasādāya … pe … evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṃ sikkhāpadaṃ uddiseyyātha—
4 evañcidaṃ bhagavatā bhikkhūnaṃ sikkhāpadaṃ paññattaṃ hoti.
5 tena kho pana samayena mettiyabhūmajakā bhikkhū— "‘bhagavatā ujjhāpanakaṃ paṭikkhittan’ti ‘ettāvatā bhikkhū sossantī’"ti bhikkhūnaṃ sāmantā āyasmantaṃ dabbaṃ mallaputtaṃ khiyyanti— "chandāya dabbo mallaputto senāsanaṃ paññapeti, chandāya ca bhattāni uddisatī"ti. ye te bhikkhū appicchā … pe … te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— "kathañhi nāma mettiyabhūmajakā bhikkhū āyasmantaṃ dabbaṃ mallaputtaṃ khiyyissantī"ti … pe … "saccaṃ kira tumhe, bhikkhave, dabbaṃ mallaputtaṃ khiyyathā"ti? "saccaṃ, bhagavā"ti. vigarahi buddho bhagavā … pe … kathañhi nāma tumhe, moghapurisā, dabbaṃ mallaputtaṃ khiyyissatha. netaṃ, moghapurisā, appasannānaṃ vā pasādāya … pe … evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṃ sikkhāpadaṃ uddiseyyātha—
6 "ujjhāpanake khiyyanake pācittiyan"ti. (13:62)
7 ujjhāpanakaṃ nāma upasampannaṃ saṇghena sammataṃ senāsanapaññāpakaṃ vā bhattuddesakaṃ vā yāgubhājakaṃ vā phalabhājakaṃ vā khajjabhājakaṃ vā appamattakavissajjakaṃ vā avaṇṇaṃ kattukāmo, ayasaṃ kattukāmo, mankukattukāmo, upasampannaṃ ujjhāpeti vā khiyyati vā, āpatti pācittiyassa. dhammakamme dhammakammasaññī ujjhāpanake khiyyanake āpatti pācittiyassa. dhammakamme vematiko ujjhāpanake khiyyanake āpatti pācittiyassa. dhammakamme adhammakammasaññī ujjhāpanake khiyyanake āpatti pācittiyassa.
8 anupasampannaṃ ujjhāpeti vā khiyyati vā, āpatti dukkaṭassa. upasampannaṃ saṇghena asammataṃ senāsanapaññāpakaṃ vā bhattuddesakaṃ vā yāgubhājakaṃ vā phalabhājakaṃ vā khajjabhājakaṃ vā appamattakavissajjakaṃ vā avaṇṇaṃ kattukāmo, ayasaṃ kattukāmo, mankukattukāmo, upasampannaṃ vā anupasampannaṃ vā ujjhāpeti vā khiyyati vā, āpatti dukkaṭassa. anupasampannaṃ saṇghena sammataṃ vā asammataṃ vā senāsanapaññāpakaṃ vā bhattuddesakaṃ vā yāgubhājakaṃ vā phalabhājakaṃ vā khajjabhājakaṃ vā appamattakavissajjakaṃ vā avaṇṇaṃ kattukāmo, ayasaṃ kattukāmo, mankukattukāmo, upasampannaṃ vā anupasampannaṃ vā ujjhāpeti vā khiyyati vā, āpatti dukkaṭassa. adhammakamme dhammakammasaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa. adhammakamme vematiko, āpatti dukkaṭassa. adhammakamme adhammakammasaññī āpatti dukkaṭassa.
9 anāpatti— pakatiyā chandā dosā mohā bhayā karontaṃ ujjhāpeti vā khiyyati vā, ummattakassa, ādikammikassāti.