The Chapter on Lifting Restrictions
Lifting Restrictions
Toh 1-3
Degé Kangyur, vol. 1 (’dul ba, ka), folios 221.b–237.b
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Table of Contents
Summary
The Chapter on Lifting Restrictions is the third of The Chapters on Monastic Discipline’s seventeen chapters. It recounts the origins, timing, and procedures for a rite—held at the end of the rains retreat as an adjunct to the Rite of Restoration (poṣadha)—known as the Rite of Lifting Restrictions (pravāraṇa). During this rite, monastics invite other monastics who have passed the rainy season with them to speak of any unconfessed offenses they have seen, heard, or suspected the inviting monastic of committing during the rains retreat. If a monk thus prompted recalls an offense, he must make amends before the members of the saṅgha can communally verify their purity. This rite helps to ensure harmony in the saṅgha by providing monks with a forum in which they may air and address concerns about their fellow monks’ conduct before they disperse, either to wander the countryside or go to another monastery. This semi-public affirmation of the saṅgha’s purity would also help preserve its reputation among the laypeople. At the conclusion of the rite, goods that have been offered to the saṅgha during the rains are distributed to those monastics who are entitled to a share, that is, those who stayed on site for the duration of the rains.
The Rite of Lifting Restrictions is the second of the “Three Rites,” along with the Rite of Restoration and the Rite of Pledging to Settle for the Rains, as set out in The Chapter on the Restoration Rite and The Chapter on the Rains respectively. The regular observance of the “Three Rites” at an officially demarcated monastic site is considered a crucial component in ensuring the integrity of the monastics living there and nearby.
Acknowledgements
This text was translated from Tibetan and checked against the Sanskrit original and Yijing’s Chinese translation by Robert Miller. Matthew Wuethrich served as style and editorial consultant to the translator. Paul Thomas reviewed the translation against the extant Sanskrit. Ven. Hejung Seok, Dr. Alex von Rospatt, and Dr. Sally Sutherland Goldman all provided useful insight into the term pravāraṇā.
The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. Nathaniel Rich and John Canti edited the translation and the introduction, and Ven. Konchog Norbu copyedited the text. André Rodrigues was in charge of the digital publication process.
Text Body
The Chapter on Lifting Restrictions
Lifting Restrictions
A summary:
Consent to Lift Restrictions
The Blessed Buddha pledged to settle for the rains28 in Śrāvastī, in Prince Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park. Meanwhile, a great many monks adopted the following rule as they pledged to settle for the rains elsewhere:29 “Venerable ones, [F.222.a] during the rains no monk among us should prompt or remind30 a monk about an offense of pure conduct,31 lapse of view,32 lapse of observance,33 or lapse of livelihood.34 If one among us sees that a water jug or a wash bucket is empty, dry, or without water, he should fill it if he can do so on his own, and then leave it where it belongs. If he cannot do so on his own, he should signal with his hands35 to another monk and, joining hands, put it where it belongs. Then, while keeping silent, they should leave without speaking to one another.”
The monks, having adopted such a rule, then pledged to settle for the rains there.
After the three months of the rains had passed, the great many monks mended their robes. After mending their robes, they took up their begging bowls and robes and, without speaking to one another, set out on the journey to Śrāvastī. Traveling in stages, they eventually arrived in Śrāvastī where, having stored their begging bowls and robes and washed their feet, the great many monks went to the Blessed One. After bowing their heads at the Blessed One’s feet, they sat off to one side.
It is natural for blessed buddhas to welcome those monks who come to visit them with the welcoming words, “Monks, where have you come from? Where did you pledge to settle for the rains?” And so the Blessed One welcomed the monks who had come, asking, “Monks, where have you come from? Where did you pledge to settle for the rains?”
“Honorable One, we have just now come from such and such a place.36 We pledged to settle for the rains there.” [F.222.b]
“Monks, were you at ease in pledging to settle for the rains there? Were you not wearied by seeking alms?”37
“No, Honorable One. We were at ease in pledging to settle for the rains. We were not wearied by seeking alms.”
“Monks, how is it that you were at ease in pledging to settle for the rains and were not even wearied by seeking alms?”
“Honorable One, we, the great many monks here, adopted the following rule as we pledged to settle for the rains there: ‘Venerable ones, during the rains no monk among us should prompt or remind a monk about an offense of pure conduct, lapse of view, lapse of observance, or lapse of livelihood. If one among us sees that a water jug or a wash bucket is empty, dry, or without water, he should fill it if he can do so on his own, and then leave it where it belongs. If he cannot do so on his own, he should signal with his hands to another monk and, joining hands, put it where it belongs. Then, while keeping silent, they should leave without speaking to one another.’
“Honorable One, after adopting such a rule, we pledged to settle for the rains there. Honorable One, that is how we were at ease in pledging to settle for the rains and were not even wearied by seeking alms.”
“Deluded beings! Do you think that those who live with the enemy38 can be at ease while pledged to settle for the rains?39 Deluded beings! Not speaking is the tīrthikas’ standard. Therefore, a monk should not pledge silence.40 [F.223.a] A monk will be guilty of a breach if he pledges silence. Moreover, a monk who has pledged to settle for the rains should lift restrictions on the saṅgha regarding the three grounds of what has been seen, heard, or suspected.”
Appointing the Director of Lifting Restrictions
The Blessed One had declared, “A monk who has pledged to settle for the rains should lift restrictions on the saṅgha regarding the three grounds of what has been seen, heard, or suspected,” but the monks did not know how to lift restrictions. So, the Blessed One said, “If a lifting of restrictions is to be performed in seven or eight days,41 those in the surrounding towns should be informed that on such and such a day the restrictions on the saṅgha will be lifted.
“Those monks who have taken a support42 should energetically prepare ceremonial offerings at the stūpa and the circumambulation path around the stūpa; they should clean and decorate the perfumed sanctuary.43 Boarding and resident monks44 should sweep, sprinkle water over, and spread a fresh paste of dung over the floor of the monastery. Rich goods should be offered to the saṅgha.45 Monks who uphold the sūtras, the vinaya, or the mātṛkā should explain the Dharma throughout the night.46 If they know they will not be able to perform the lifting of restrictions until dawn, they should note the time and do as they please.
“Then47 one, two, or several monks should be appointed to direct the lifting of restrictions.48 For a monk who is to direct the lifting of restrictions, there are five factors that may pertain such that someone not already appointed should not be appointed, and if already appointed should be relieved of that position. What are those five factors? To be driven by desire, driven by aggression, driven by ignorance, driven by fear, and not to know a proper from an improper lifting of restrictions. If these five factors pertain to someone not already appointed to direct the lifting of restrictions, he should not be appointed, and if already appointed should be relieved of that position. [F.223.b]
“For a monk who is to direct the lifting of restrictions, there are five other factors that may pertain such that someone not already appointed should be appointed, and if already appointed should not be relieved of that position. What are these five factors? Not to be driven by desire, driven by aggression, driven by ignorance, or driven by fear, and to know a proper from an improper lifting of restrictions. If these five factors pertain to someone not already appointed to direct the lifting of restrictions, he should be appointed, and if already appointed should not be relieved of that position.
“He should be appointed in the following way: After setting out a seat, strike the gaṇḍī beam and inform the monks of the matter at hand. Once the entire saṅgha is seated and has a quorum, his willingness should be secured first.
“ ‘Are you, so-and-so, willing to direct the lifting of restrictions for the saṅgha settled for the rains?’49
“He should reply:
“ ‘I am willing to do so.’
“ ‘Honorable saṅgha, please listen. This monk, so-and-so, is willing to direct the lifting of restrictions for the saṅgha settled for the rains. If the time is right and the saṅgha can accept it, I ask that the saṅgha give their consent. Once the saṅgha appoints this monk to direct the lifting of restrictions, this monk so-and-so who directs the lifting restrictions will become the director of lifting restrictions for the saṅgha settled for the rains.’
“ ‘Honorable saṅgha, please listen. The monk so-and-so is willing to direct the lifting of restrictions for the saṅgha settled for the rains. Therefore, should the saṅgha appoint the monk so-and-so to direct the lifting of restrictions for the saṅgha settled for the rains for that purpose, those venerable ones who can accept the appointment of the monk so-and-so to direct the lifting of restrictions should remain silent. Those who cannot accept it should speak now.’
“Once the saṅgha has accepted and given consent for the appointment, [F.224.a] the saṅgha has appointed the monk so-and-so to direct the lifting of restrictions for the saṅgha. By thus remaining silent, they assent to the proposed act.50
“I will formulate the rules of customary conduct for the monk who directs the lifting of restrictions: The monk who directs the lifting of restrictions should set out grass51 for the saṅgha and then distribute it. If there is only one monk who directs the lifting of restrictions, he should distribute the grass from most senior to most junior. If there are two, one should distribute the grass from most senior while the other does so from the most junior. If there are several of them, one should distribute the grass from most senior, one from the middle, and one from the most junior.52
“ ‘Honorable saṅgha, please listen. Today is the fifteenth, the saṅgha’s lifting of restrictions. If the time is right and the saṅgha can accept it, I ask that the saṅgha give their consent. Today the saṅgha will lift restrictions.’
“Then, the monk who directs the lifting of restrictions should stand54 in front of the saṅgha elder, who should say:
“ ‘Honorable saṅgha, please listen. Today is the fifteenth, the saṅgha’s lifting of restrictions. As today is also my, the monk so-and-so’s, fifteenth and my lifting of restrictions, I, the monk so-and-so, lift restrictions upon the honorable saṅgha regarding the three grounds of what they have seen, heard, or suspected of me. Venerable ones, please admonish me.55 Venerable ones, please instruct me.56 I ask the venerable ones to care for me. May the saṅgha show compassion and have compassion for me. [F.224.b] If I know of or see an offense, I will properly make amends for that offense in accord with the Vinaya.’
“He should repeat this a second and a third time. The saṅgha, down to the newest member, should lift restrictions in the same way, after which the monks who direct the lifting of restrictions should lift restrictions. If there are two monks who direct the lifting of restrictions, they should lift restrictions to one another. If there is only one, he should lift restrictions in front of another monk. Nuns, nun postulants, male novices, and female novices should be made to lift restrictions after that.
“After that, the monk who directs the lifting of restrictions should sit57 in front of the most senior and say:
“ ‘The saṅgha has lifted restrictions.’
“Then everyone should say:
“ ‘The restrictions have been properly lifted. The restrictions have been perfectly lifted.’
“If this is said, then all is well. If they do not say this, they will be guilty of a breach.
“After that, the monk who directs the lifting of restrictions should take a needle (a blade is also acceptable), sit in front of the senior monk, and say:58
“ ‘Honorable ones, let this small thing be admitted in the lifting of restrictions on the saṅgha who have settled for the rains.’
“All should say:
“ ‘It is well admitted, perfectly admitted.’
Categorizing Proper and Improper
The venerable Upāli asked the Blessed Buddha, “Honorable One, how many acts of lifting restrictions are there?”
“Upāli, there are four: they are liftings of restrictions without a quorum done improperly, those with a quorum done improperly, those without a quorum done properly, and those with a quorum done properly. Upāli, among these, there is one act of lifting restrictions that is proper and with a quorum—that is the lifting of restrictions with a quorum done properly.” [F.225.a]
An Act to Tend The Sick
On the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, the Blessed One sat on a seat that had been arranged before the saṅgha of monks. The Blessed One then said to the monks, “Monks, the night is fading. Perform the lifting of restrictions.”60
Then a monk rose from his seat, took his upper robe from one shoulder, and, bowing with palms pressed together in the direction of the Blessed One, said to him, “There is a monk, sick, suffering, and tormented by illness, on site. What shall we do about him?”
The Blessed One replied, “His lifting of restrictions should be received.” Since the monks did not know how to receive the lifting of restrictions the Blessed One spoke of when he said, “His lifting of restrictions should be received,” the Blessed One said, “One monk may receive the lifting of restrictions from one, two, or even many, so long as he is able to state each of their names.61
“I will formulate the rules of customary conduct for a monk offering his lifting of restrictions. A monk offering his lifting of restrictions, having taken his upper robe from one shoulder and removed his sandals, should pay his respects in order of seniority, and then squat. With palms pressed together, he should say:
“ ‘Venerable ones, please listen. Today is the fifteenth, the saṅgha’s lifting of restrictions. Today is also the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions for me, the monk so-and-so. I, the monk so-and-so, lift restrictions upon the honorable saṅgha regarding the three grounds of what has been seen, heard, or suspected of me. I, the monk so-and-so, profess that I am pure of hindering qualities. I also profess my purity for the lifting of restrictions.62 Let my profession be known.’
“That is then said a second and a third time. If the monk offering his lifting of restrictions physically communicates his offer to lift restrictions, the lifting of restrictions should be deemed as having been offered. If he verbally communicates his offer to lift restrictions, the lifting of restrictions should be deemed as having been offered. [F.225.b] If he is unable to physically or verbally communicate his offer to lift restrictions, the entire saṅgha should go to him or, alternatively, the monk should be brought among saṅgha. If the entire saṅgha neither goes to him nor brings that monk among the saṅgha,63 and they lift restrictions without a quorum,64 they will be guilty of a breach.
“Monks, I will formulate the rules of customary conduct for a monk who receives a lifting of restrictions. Once he has received a lifting of restrictions, the monk who receives a lifting of restrictionsshould not run, nor should he rush, jump, jump over partitions, jump over ditches, jump onto verandas, sit in the sky above, go beyond the boundary, climb a ladder two rungs at a time, climb a staircase two steps at a time, spill over onto a causeway,65 fall asleep, or sit in equipoise. To fall asleep or to sit in equipoise are censured for two reasons: because one suggests disrespect and the other absentmindedness.
“Then, when the saṅgha elder says, ‘Venerable ones, profess the consent and purity of those monks who have not come. Let their profession be known,’ the receiving monk says while seated in front of the nearest monk, ‘Venerable one, please listen. There is a monk, sick, suffering, and tormented by illness, at another site. Today is the fifteenth, the saṅgha’s lifting of restrictions. As it is also the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, for that monk, the monk so-and-so lifts restrictions on the saṅgha regarding the three grounds of what has been seen, heard, or suspected of him,66 [F.226.a] so his restrictions have been lifted. I also announce his consent for the lifting of restrictions. Let this profession be known.’67
“They will be guilty of a breach if the monk receiving the lifting of restrictions follows the customary rules of conduct but his profession is not accepted after being properly received.”
The venerable Upāli asked the Blessed Buddha, “Honorable One, if the monk who has received a lifting of restrictions were to die immediately after receiving a lifting of restrictions, has the lifting of restrictions been received or not?”
“Upāli, it has not been received and should be received again.”
“If the monk who has received a lifting of restrictions68 were to make an oath professing he is a householder, or makes an oath that he is a novice, a person who has undergone castration, a person labeled a paṇḍaka, someone who has violated a nun, a matricide, a patricide, someone who has killed an arhat, someone who has caused a schism in the saṅgha, someone who has maliciously drawn blood from a tathāgata, a tīrthika, a convert to a tīrthika order, someone living under false pretenses, someone outside the common living, or someone denied the common living, has the lifting of restrictions been received or not?”
“Upāli, it has not been received and should be received again.”
“If the monk who has received a lifting of restrictions were to die on the way, has the lifting of restrictions been received or not?”
“Upāli, it has not been received and should be received again.”
The remaining contingencies should be expressed at length, as in the earlier Chapter on the Restoration Rite.69
The venerable Upāli asked the Blessed Buddha, “Honorable One, what should a monk living alone at a site do on the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions?”
“Upāli, on the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, that monk should sprinkle the temple floor with water, sweep it, spread a fresh paste of dung over it, set up a lion throne, set out a seat, [F.226.b] and announce as best he can the opportunity to listen to the Dharma.70 After that, he should sit in the highest place around and look into the four directions.
“If pure, like-minded monks should come, he should say to them, ‘O venerable ones! Come quickly! It is the fifteenth, the saṅgha’s lifting of restrictions, so let you and I sit together and lift restrictions.’
“If this occurs, then all is well. If it does not, then that monk, having sat upon his seat, should rouse the following intention, and say, ‘Today is the fifteenth, the saṅgha’s lifting of restrictions. As it is also the fifteenth, the day of lifting restrictions, for me, I, the monk named so-and-so, sanction my lifting of restrictions. When I find a saṅgha assembly, I will participate in the lifting of restrictions together with the saṅgha assembly.’71
“It should be sanctioned a second and a third time.
“Likewise, where three monks are staying together, they should take turns professing to each other.
“Where four monks are staying together, they should make a motion and perform the lifting of restrictions. A monk who directs the lifting of restrictions should not be appointed.
“Where five monks are staying together, they should make a motion and perform the lifting of restrictions. A monk who directs the lifting of restrictions should be appointed but a sick monk’s lifting of restrictions should not be received.
“Where six or more monks are staying together, they should make a motion and perform the lifting of restrictions. A monk who directs the lifting of restrictions should be appointed and a sick monk’s lifting of restrictions should be received.”
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