Vinaya Pitaka - Monastic Rules
Bhikkhu Vibhanga - Sekhiya 69: Not to teach the dhamma to someone sitting at a higher level unless they are ill.
- Translated from the Pali by I.B. Horner.
… in Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time the group of six monks, having sat down on a low seat, taught dhamma to (someone) sitting on a high seat. Those who were modest monks … spread it about, saying: "How can this group of six monks … teach dhamma to (someone) sitting on a high seat?" …
"Is it true, as is said, that you, monks, … taught dhamma to (someone) sitting on a high seat?"
"It is true, lord."
The enlightened one, the lord, rebuked them, saying:
How can you, foolish men, … teach dhamma to (someone) sitting on a high seat? It is not, foolish men, for pleasing those who are not (yet) pleased … " And having rebuked them, having given reasoned talk, he addressed the monks, saying:
"Formerly, monks, in Benares, the wife of a certain low class man came to be pregnant. Then, monks, this low class woman spoke thus to this low class man: ‘Sir, I am pregnant; I want to eat a mango.’
‘There are no mangoes, it is not the mango season,’ he said.
Now at that time the king had a mango tree with a perpetual crop of fruit. Then, monks, that low class man approached that mango tree; having approached, having climbed up that mango tree, he remained hidden. Then, monks, the king together with the brahmin priest, approached that mango tree; having approached, having sat down on a high seat, he learnt a mantra. Then, monks, it occurred to that low class man:
‘How unrighteous is this king, inasmuch as he learns a mantra, having sat down on a high seat. This brahmin also is unrighteous, inasmuch as he, having sat down on a low seat, teaches a mantra to (someone) sitting on a high seat. I too am unrighteous, I who for the sake of a woman, steal the king’s mangoes. But all this is quite gone,’ (and) he fell down just there.
Neither knows the goal,
neither sees dhamma,
Neither he who teaches the mantra,
nor he who learns according to what is not the rule.
My food is pure conjey
of rice flavoured with meat,
I do not therefore fare on dhamma,
dhamma praised by the noble.
Brahmin, shame on that gain of wealth,
(that) gain of fame;
That conduct (leads) to falling away
or to walking by what is not the rule.Go forth, great brahmin,
for other creatures boil,
Do not you, following what is not the rule,
from that break like a pot.
At that time, monks, to teach a mantra, having sat down on a low seat, to (someone) sitting on a high seat, was not liked by me. So, however could it now be not not liked to teach dhamma, having sat down on a low seat, to (someone) sitting on a high seat? It is not, monks, for pleasing those who are not (yet) pleased … And thus, monks, this rule of training should be set forth:
‘I will not teach dhamma, having sat down on a low seat, to (someone) sitting on a high seat (and) who is not ill,’ is a training to be observed."
Dhamma should not be taught, having sat down on a low seat, to (someone) sitting on a high seat (and) who is not ill. Whoever out of disrespect, having sat down on a low seat, teaches dhamma to someone sitting on a high seat (and) who is not ill, there is an offence of wrong-doing.
There is no offence if it is unintentional … if he is the first wrong-doer.
1 tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṃ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. tena kho pana samayena chabbaggiyā bhikkhū nīce āsane nisīditvā ucce āsane nisinnassa dhammaṃ desenti.
2 ye te bhikkhū appicchā … pe … te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— "kathañhi nāma chabbaggiyā bhikkhū nīce āsane nisīditvā ucce āsane nisinnassa dhammaṃ desessantī"ti … pe … "saccaṃ kira tumhe, bhikkhave, nīce āsane nisīditvā ucce āsane nisinnassa dhammaṃ desethā"ti? "saccaṃ, bhagavā"ti. vigarahi buddho bhagavā … pe … kathañhi nāma tumhe, moghapurisā, nīce āsane nisīditvā ucce āsane nisinnassa dhammaṃ desessatha. netaṃ, moghapurisā, appasannānaṃ vā pasādāya … pe … vigarahitvā … pe … dhammiṃ kathaṃ katvā bhikkhū āmantesi—
3 "bhūtapubbaṃ, bhikkhave, bārāṇasiyaṃ aññatarassa chapakassa pajāpati gabbhinī ahosi. atha kho, bhikkhave, sā chapakī taṃ chapakaṃ etadavoca— ‘gabbhinīmhi, ayyaputta. icchāmi ambaṃ khāditun’ti. ‘natthi ambaṃ, akālo ambassā’ti. ‘sace na labhissāmi marissāmī’ti. tena kho pana samayena rañño ambo dhuvaphalo hoti. atha kho, bhikkhave, so chapako yena so ambo tenupasankami; upasankamitvā taṃ ambaṃ abhiruhitvā nilīno acchi. atha kho, bhikkhave, rājā purohitena brāhmaṇena saddhiṃ yena so ambo tenupasankami; upasankamitvā ucce āsane nisīditvā mantaṃ pariyāpuṇāti. atha kho, bhikkhave, tassa chapakassa etadahosi— ‘yāva adhammiko ayaṃ rājā, yatra hi nāma ucce āsane nisīditvā mantaṃ pariyāpuṇissati. ayañca brāhmaṇo adhammiko, yatra hi nāma nīce āsane nisīditvā ucce āsane nisinnassa mantaṃ vācessati. ahañcamhi adhammiko, yohaṃ itthiyā kāraṇā rañño ambaṃ avaharāmi. sabbamidaṃ carimaṃ katan’ti tattheva paripati.
4 ‘ubho atthaṃ na jānanti,
ubho dhammaṃ na passare;
yo cāyaṃ mantaṃ vāceti,
yo cādhammenadhīyati’.5 ‘sālīnaṃ odano bhutto,
sucimaṃsūpasecano;
tasmā dhamme na vattāmi,
dhammo ariyebhi vaṇṇito’.6 ‘dhiratthu taṃ dhanalābhaṃ,
yasalābhañca brāhmaṇa;
yā vutti vinipātena,
adhammacaraṇena vā.7 paribbaja mahābrahme,
pacantaññepi pāṇino;
mā tvaṃ adhammo ācarito,
asmā kumbhamivābhidā’ti.
8 tadāpi me, bhikkhave, amanāpā nīce āsane nisīditvā ucce āsane nisinnassa mantaṃ vācetuṃ, kimangaṃ pana etarahi na amanāpā bhavissati nīce āsane nisīditvā ucce āsane nisinnassa dhammaṃ desetuṃ. netaṃ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṃ vā pasādāya … pe … evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṃ sikkhāpadaṃ uddiseyyātha—
9 "na nīce āsane nisīditvā ucce āsane nisinnassa agilānassa dhammaṃ desessāmīti sikkhā karaṇīyā"ti. (69:214)
10 na nīce āsane nisīditvā ucce āsane nisinnassa agilānassa dhammo desetabbo. yo anādariyaṃ paṭicca nīce āsane nisīditvā ucce āsane nisinnassa agilānassa dhammaṃ deseti, āpatti dukkaṭassa.