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Musāvādavagga

1. Musāvāda Sikkhāpada (Deliberate False Speech)

Rule: Sampajānamusāvāde pācittiyaṃ. (In deliberate false speech, there is a case involving expiation.)

Description of the Training Rule

  • What is Musāvāda? The intentional act (cetanā) to deceive another (1) done bodily or verbally (2) by expressing a subjectively false information (3) (diṭṭha, suta, muta, viññāta as adiṭṭhādi… or vice-versa) (4).
    • Memory Aid: Intention (1, 2), Doors (3), Content (4).

Two Types of Lies According to Attha (Benefit/Welfare)

  1. Atthabhañjaka (A lie that destroys another’s benefits):
    • These are heavier lies (e.g., lying in a court of law).
    • Note: Such lies have never been uttered by Bodhisattas after receiving their prophecy.
  2. Anatthabhañjaka (A lie that does not destroy another’s benefits):
    • These are lighter lies.
    • Note: These might be committed by Bodhisattas but never by Ariyas (noble ones).

Important Vocabulary & Legal Notes:

  • bhañjaka ↔ adjective meaning “one who breaks or spoils” (Pāḷi Vocab 2nd Year).
  • According to the Vajirabuddhi, a Sotāpanna (Stream-enterer) does not commit either type of lie.
  • Sammappayoga / Sammāpayoga ↔ Skillful means to avoid lying while simultaneously concealing sensitive information (Pāḷi Vocab 2nd Year).
  • Classification: This is a Sacittaka (intentional) and Saññāvimokkha (released through perception) offense.

Instances of Offenses

There are 6 types of musāvādas explicitly recorded across the Vinaya:

  1. The Pārājika offense (Prjk 4 - Uttarimanussadhammasikkhāpada): Falsely claiming superhuman attainments.
    • Thullaccaya: Incurred for indirectly claiming uttarimanussadhamma.
  2. The Saṅghādisesa offenses (Sghds 8 & 9 - Paṭhama and Dutiya Duṭṭhādosasikkhāpada): Groundless malicious accusations.
  3. The Pācittiya offense (Pc 1): All other standard lies.
  4. The Pācittiya offense (Pc 76): Groundlessly accusing another monk of a Saṅghādisesa offense.
  5. The Dukkaṭa offense: Groundlessly accusing a bhikkhu of committing a minor offense (offences other than Pārājikā and Saṅghādisesa).
  6. Extra Complex Cases (To Be Confirmed - #q):
    • Pc 24: Wrongfully accusing a properly authorized bhikkhu of exhorting bhikkhunīs for worldly gain.
    • Pc 73: Feigning ignorance of a Pāṭimokkha rule that you broke. (Need to check in more detail if it requires explicit lying or not).

Additional Notes on Speech Penalties:

  • Keeping Silence: A Dukkaṭa offense called musāvāda, though not an actual lie. It applies if one stays silent during the Pāṭimokkha recitation when having an unconfessed offense (and Aññāvādaka Vihesaka Pācittiya, though the latter is not classified directly as musāvāda).
    • Rule of thumb: One should not interrupt the Pāṭimokkha recitation; if an offense is recalled, one should report it to a nearby monk and confess it later (#q).
  • Buddhist Monastic Code (BMC 1) Rule Hierarchy: When a lie falls under another specific rule (e.g., Pr 4, Sg 8 & 9, Pc 13, 24, 76), the specific penalties assigned by that rule take absolute precedence over this general rule (#q).
  • Jesting: Saying a lie in jest/joke results in a Pācittiya (Pc) offense.

Non-Offense (Anāpatti)

Instances where a lie legally does not occur:

  • Davā bhaṇati / Sahasā bhaṇati: Saying something in haste without having investigated or considered it properly.
  • Ravā bhaṇati: While intending to say one thing, accidentally saying something else (e.g., saying “cīraṁ” instead of “cīvaraṁ”).

Factors of the Offense (Aṅgāni)

  1. Sampajāna: The explicit intention to deceive another.
  2. Musāvāde: Expressing the lie either bodily or verbally to another.
    • Note on Understanding (Vijānana):
      • For an Upasampanna (fully ordained monk), the listener’s understanding is not a mitigating factor; the offense is committed even if they don’t understand it.
      • For a Sāmaṇera (novice), understanding is strictly necessary for the sīla to be broken.
      • For a Kammapatha (course of unwholesome action), the other party must be successfully deceived by it (according to the Bhāsaṭīkā).

2. Omasavāda Sikkhāpada (Insulting/Belittling Speech)

Rule: Omasavāde pācittiyaṃ. (In insult or verbal assault, there is a case involving expiation.)

Description & Types

  • What is Omasavāda? The intentional act (cetanā) rooted in anger (1) of belittling (omasati), insulting (khuṁseti), or despising (vambheti) another (2) done bodily or verbally (3) by using one of the ten akkosa vatthu (4).
  • 3 Action Types:
    1. Omasati - Belittles (literally, “rubs down”).
    2. Khuṃseti - Insults.
    3. Vambheti - Despises.

The 10 Akkosavatthu (Grounds for Insult)

(Vibhaṅga Exam Topic - Classified into Hīna [Low] and Ukkaṭṭha [High])

Category Hīna (Low / Humiliated / Disrespected) Ukkaṭṭha (High / Respected)
1. Jāti (Social Class) Caṇḍāla (Outcaste) Khattiya (Warrior/Noble)
2. Nāma (Name) Avakaṇṇaka (Droopy ear) Buddhappaṭisaṁyutta (Connected to Buddha)
3. Gotta (Clan/Tribe) Kosiya Gotama
4. Kamma (Occupation) Pupphachaḍḍakakamma (Toilet cleaner) Kasi (Farming)
5. Sippa (Craft/Skill) Naḷakārasippa (Basket weaver) Gaṇanā (Accounting/Calculation)
6. Ābādha (Ailment) Sabbe ābādha (All painful/chronic diseases) Madhumeha (Diabetes)
7. Liṅga (Features/Gender) Atidīgha, atirassa, atikaṇha, accodāta (Too tall, too short, too dark, too pale) Nātidīgha, nātirassa, nātikaṇha, nāccodāta (Proportional features)
8. Kilesa (Defilements) Sabbe kilesā (All low defilements) —
9. Āpatti (Offenses) Sabbā āpattiyo (All standard offenses) Sotāpattisamāpatti (Attainment of Stream-entry)
10. Akkosa (Insults) Goṇosi (“You are an ox”) Paṇḍitosi (“You are a wise man”)
  • The 40 Omasavāda Offenses: Based on mapping 4 dynamic directions multiplied across the 10 akkosavatthu:
    1. Low -> Low (e.g., insulting a Caṇḍāla as a Caṇḍāla).
    2. Low -> High (e.g., insulting a Caṇḍāla as a Khattiya).
    3. High -> Low (e.g., insulting a Khattiya as a Caṇḍāla).
    4. High -> High (e.g., insulting a Khattiya as a Khattiya).
      • Calculation: 4 x 10 = 40

Nature & Instances of Offenses

  • Classification: Sacittaka and Saññāvimokkha offense.
  • Legal Penalties:
    • Directly offending a Bhikkhu -> Pācittiya (Pct)
    • Indirectly offending a Bhikkhu (e.g., saying “someone here is a caṇḍāla”) -> Dukkaṭa (dkṭ)
    • Directly offending an Anupasampanna (including Bhikkhunīs here) -> Dukkaṭa (dkṭ)
    • Indirectly offending an Anupasampanna -> Dukkaṭa (dkṭ)
    • Offending either an Upasampanna or Anupasampanna in jest / as a joke -> Dubbhāsitāpatti (dbhs)

Dubbhāsitāpatti (Offense of Wrong Speech)

  • Legally the lightest category of offenses in the Vinaya.
  • There are no specific standalone rules for them; they are derived from omasavāda done purely as a joke/jest. They can also be mapped into 40 permutations.

Anāpatti (Non-Offense)

No offense is incurred if the motivation is purely educational or disciplinary (purekkhāra):

  • Atthapurekkhārassa: Speaking to explain the legal/doctrinal meaning of the teachings.
  • Dhammapurekkhārassa: Reciting parts of the Tipiṭaka.
  • Anusāsanipurekkhārassa: Speaking to genuinely advise, correct, or instruct another.

Factors of the Offense (Aṅgāni)

  1. Listener Status: Is an Upasampanna and knows/hears that they are being targeted. (Whether the listener actually feels offended or hurt does not matter legally).
  2. The Act: Speaking directly, and not motivated by attha-, dhamma-, or anusāsani-purekkhāra.

3. Pesuñña Sikkhāpada (Slander / Divisive Speech)

Rule: Bhikkhu pesuññe pācittiyaṃ. (In the backbiting of a bhikkhu, there is a case involving expiation.)

  • Etymology: pesuñña √pis + uṇa + *ya] (neuter noun) -> divisive speech; slander; defamation; denigration; back-biting.

Description & Objectives

  • What is Pisuṇāvācā? Slanderous speech that disrupts courteous, positive relationships between others, deliberately causing quarrels and division. (Example: A belittles B, and C, intending to slander A, goes and informs B about it).
  • Two Objectives Behind Slandering:
    1. Bhedanādhippāya: Intention to break trust between parties by undermining or damaging positive relationships.
    2. Piyakamyatā: Intention to manipulate others into extending pleasant interactions or favorable treatment to oneself (gaining favors).

Legal Classifications & Matrices

  • Classification: Sacittaka and Saññāvimokkha offense.
  • Offense Scale:
    • If A, B, and C are all Upasampannas: Pācittiya (Pc).
    • Saying 1 divisive word -> 1 Pc; saying 2 divisive words -> 2 Pc (offenses accumulate linearly per unit of divisive content).
    • If B is a Bhikkhunī -> Dukkaṭa (dkṭ) (Note: Bhī are classified as anupa under this rule).
    • If B is an Anupasampanna -> Dukkaṭa (dkṭ).
    • If both A and B are Anupasampannas -> Dukkaṭa (dkṭ) (If any anupasampanna is structural to the target mix, it drops to dkṭ).
    • Informing out of moral revulsion without divisive intent (pāpagarahitāya) -> Anāpatti.

Anāpatti (Non-Offense)

  • Na bhedādhippāyena na piyakamyatāya: Done without the intention of causing division or seeking personal favor.
  • Pāpagarahitā vadantassa: Speaking out of a genuine desire to point out evil actions for the sake of discipline.
  • Ummattakādi: Insanity or bewildered mental states.

Factors of the Offense (Aṅgāni)

  1. Sharing abusive words uttered by one Upasampanna with another Upasampanna.
  2. Driven by the explicit intention of Bhedanādhippāya or Piyakamyatā.
  3. The listener fully understands what is being said.

4. Padasodhamma Sikkhāpada (Reciting Dhamma Line-by-Line)

Rule: Yo pana bhikkhu anusampannaṃ padaso dhammaṃ vāceyya pācittiyam. (If any bhikkhu should have one who has not been fully admitted recite the Dhamma line by line, this is a case involving expiation.)

Background & Purpose

  • Location: Jetavana, Sāvatthi.
  • Incident: The notorious chabbaggiya (group of six) monks were reciting the Dhamma concurrently or line-by-line with upāsakas (lay devotees). Consequently, the laymen started losing respect, became unhumble, and showed malice/arrogance towards the bhikkhus.
  • Purpose: To prevent scenarios where an anupasampanna memorizes a text that an upasampanna does not know, leading to a diminution of layout respect or structural authority.

Definitions of Key Terms

  • What counts as ‘Dhamma’ here? Any teachings recorded in the Tipiṭaka expounded via:
    1. Buddhabhāsita (Spoken by the Buddha)
    2. Sāvakabhāsita (Spoken by disciples)
    3. Isibhāsita (Spoken by hermits)
    4. Devatābhāsita (Spoken by devas)
    5. Aṭṭhakathā (Original and modern commentaries that preserve the core essence).
      • Historical Context: When the Abhayagiri monastery began blending unorthodox teachings, the Pāḷi commentaries were translated into Sinhalese to preserve their pristine nature, and later re-translated back to Pāḷi.
  • The Fourfold Definition of ‘Pada’:
    1. Pada: The 1st word of a phrase/sentence ending with a grammatical case ending (vibhattyantaṃ padaṃ), or the first line of a verse.
    2. Anupada: The 2nd word of a phrase/sentence, or the 2nd line of a verse. (Query: What about the third? #q)
    3. Anubyañjana: A group of letters that do not form a complete stem (like the morpheme “pubbaṅ” in “pubbaṅgamā”), or a raw stem without its case ending (like “pubbaṅgama”).
    4. Anvakkhara: A single letter or syllable.

Literary Interlude: English Verse Terms Covered:

  • 1 line: monostich 2 lines: couplet 3 lines: tercet/triplet 4 lines: quatrain 5 lines: quintain/cinquain 6 lines: sestet/hexastich 7 lines: septet/septette/heptastich 8 lines: octave 9 lines: spenserian 10 lines: dizain/rondeau 12 lines: rondeau prime 13 lines: roundel/rondeau 14 lines: sonnet.

Legal Manifestations & Offenses

  • Classification: Legally an Acittaka (exempt from explicit bad intention) and Nosaññāvimokkha (perception does not absolve the offense) training rule.
  • Offense Scale:
    • Reciting Dhamma line-by-line with an Anupa -> Pācittiya (Pc).
    • Number of offenses depends directly on the number of padas recited.
    • Reciting non-canonical texts not authenticated in the 3 Buddhist Councils (e.g., Rājovāda, Tikkhindriya, Catuparivattana, Nandopananda, Kilimbasutta, or Maggakathā) -> Pācittiya (Pc).
    • Reciting with a Bhikkhunī -> No Offense (Bhī are classified as upa under this specific rule).

Metrics of Accumulation:

  • According to Pada: Ordained monk recites with unordained “rūpaṁ aniccaṁ, vedanā aniccā” -> 4 Pc (4 distinct padas). Reciting a sestet -> 6 Pc.
  • According to Anupada: Monk recites “rūpaṁ aniccaṁ” and the unordained person responds with only “aniccaṁ” -> 1 Pc. Monk recites a sestet and the unordained person repeats the last 5 lines -> 5 Pc.
  • According to Anubyañjana: Monk recites “rūpaṁ aniccaṁ” and unordained person recites “vedanā aniccā” -> 1 Pc for the stem “anicca“.
  • According to Anvakkhara: Monk recites “rūpaṁ aniccaṁ” and unordained person says just “rū” -> 1 Pc for the single anvakkhara. Monk recites a sestet and unordained person says only the first syllable (“ma”) -> 1 Pc.

The Tika Pācittiya & Duka Dukkaṭa Perception Matrix

Because it is Nosaññāvimokkha, perception does not absolve liability:

  1. When interacting with an actual Anupasampanna:
    • Perceiving them as Anupa -> Pc
    • Being in doubt (kaṅkhā) -> Pc
    • Perceiving them as Upa -> Pc
    • Classification: This is a Tika Pācittiya (three permutations of perception leading to Pācittiya).
  2. When interacting with an actual Upasampanna:
    • Perceiving them as Anupa -> Dukkaṭa (dkṭ)
    • Being in doubt -> Dukkaṭa (dkṭ)
    • Perceiving them as Upa -> No Offense
    • Classification: This is a Duka Dukkaṭa (two permutations of wrong perception leading to Dukkaṭa).

Anāpatti (Non-Offense)

  • Sajjhāyakaraṇe: If the Anupa joins in the recitation completely uninvited.
  • Yebhuyyena paguṇaganthaṁ bhaṇantassa: If the text has already been mostly memorized by the student.
  • Anupasampannena saddhiṃ ekato uddesaggahaṇe: If they are actively learning/receiving the text simultaneously under the same teacher.
  • Tassa santike uddesagahaṇe: If the teacher giving the text is themselves an Anupa.
  • Osārentassa ca khalitaṭṭhāne “evaṁ bhaṇāhī”ti vacane ca ekato bhaṇantassāpi: When correcting an explicit pronunciation mistake, or telling them “say it like this,” even if they speak concurrently for a moment.
  • Ummattakādīnaṁ: Insanity.

Factors of the Offense (Aṅgāni)

  1. Anupasampannatā: The co-reciter is genuinely an anupasampanna.
  2. Vuttalakkhaṇaṃ dhammaṃ padaso vācanatā: Reciting the defined canonical Dhamma structural unit by structural unit (pada).
  3. Ekato osāpanaṁ: Reciting concurrently/together.

5. Paṭhama Sahaseyya Sikkhāpada (First Rule on Shared Sleeping Space)

Rule: Yo pana bhikkhu anupasampannena uttariṃ dirattatirattaṃ sahaseyyaṃ kappeyya, pācittiyaṃ. (If any bhikkhu should make use of a sleeping place for more than two nights or three nights together with one who has not been fully admitted, this is a case involving expiation.)

Background & Evolution

  • 1st Location: Aggālava Stupa, Ālavi. Bhikkhus slept in the same common area as lay devotees after long Dhamma talks; the laypeople criticized their unmindful physical behaviors/postures during deep sleep.
  • 2nd Location (Amendment): Badarikārāma, Kosambi. Due to the strictness of the first ruling, the young novice Sāmaṇera Rāhula found himself without sleeping quarters and slept inside the Buddha’s toilet block. Discovering this in the morning, the Buddha amended the rule to permit a maximum of 3 consecutive nights.

Technical Architectural Frameworks

The offense depends strictly on the enclosure dynamics of the structure:

  • Channa (Roofed Spectrum):
    • Sabbacchanna: Entirely roofed -> Pc liability.
    • Yebhuyyacchanna: Mostly roofed (3/4 or more) -> Pc liability.
    • Upaḍḍhacchanna: Half-roofed -> Dukkaṭa (dkṭ).
    • Yebhuyya acchanna: Mostly unroofed (1/4 or less) -> Dukkaṭa (dkṭ).
    • Acchanna: Entirely unroofed -> Anāpatti.
  • Paricchanna (Screened Spectrum): Legally defined as any barrier from a cloth screen to a brick wall with a minimum height of 1 1/2 mph (majjhimapurisahattha) high*. It does *not need to touch the ceiling.
    • Sabbaparicchanna: Fully enclosed perimeter -> Pc liability. (Query: Does a transparent glass wall count? Yes, because it structurally prevents unauthorized physical entry, though the ultimate intent is visual concealment. #q)
    • Yebhuyyaparicchanna: Mostly enclosed (3/4 or more) -> Pc liability.
    • Upaḍḍhaparicchanna: Half-screened -> Dukkaṭa (dkṭ).
    • Yebhuyya-aparicchanna: Mostly unscreened (1/4 or less) -> Dukkaṭa (dkṭ).
    • Aparicchanna: Unscreened or screen is less than 1rac1}2} cubits high -> Anāpatti.
  • Space Definitions:
    • Ekūpacāra: Space accessible from a single common entrance. Any alternative secondary entrance must be completely sealed/locked to avoid legal continuity.
    • Nānūpacāra: Independent spaces accessible only through separate entrances, requiring an individual to physically exit the building footprint to move between them.
      • Screened Pathways: If a corridor connecting two otherwise distinct ekūpacāra zones is enclosed/screened, the entire integrated footprint legally becomes a single ekūpacāra zone (#q).
      • Overlapping Roofs: If separate buildings feature overlapping eaves but maintain independent entries, they are safe (nānūpacāra).
      • Rooftop Kuṭis: A structural room built directly on top of a building shares the main footprint if it shares the common roof/staircase. However, an open roof room without a ceiling is safe (acchanna).
      • Animal Presence: If a large animal (capable of being a basis for the 1st Pārājika) lives on the roof: if it has direct access to the interior, it is ekūpacāra (Pc); if sealed off, it is nānūpacāra (Anāpatti).
      • Contrast Note: This differs from Parivāsa or Ukkhepanīya constraints, where the boundary is defined strictly by where the physical rain falls.

Counting Nights & The Legal Definition of “Lying Down”

  • The Countdown: A night is formally logged if both the upasampanna and the anupasampanna are simultaneously in a reclined position at the exact moment of dawn (Arunuggamana) for nights 1, 2, and 3. On the 4th consecutive night, the offense is triggered as soon as the sun sets (atthaṅgate sūriye) the moment they are both lying down at the same time.
  • What is legally considered “Lying Down”? * The body above the pelvis must be resting flat/reclined. The exact angular degree of reclination is not specified.
    • If an individual keeps their feet firmly planted on the floor while resting their upper torso on the bed, it is legally not lying down. Bringing both feet up onto the bed completes the action. (Keeping even one foot on the ground might be sufficient to avoid liability).
  • Identity & Location Shifts: Swapping the specific anupasampanna person or changing bedrooms does not reset the consecutive night count.
  • Daytime Rest: Sleeping during the day is perfectly allowable; however, the Ṭīkā comments note that some tracking rules encompass daytime behavior depending on structural intent.

Offense Matrix for Shared Space

This offense is legally Acittaka and Nosaññāvimokkha.

Real Status Perception Legal Consequence Permutation Type
Actual Anupa Anupa-saññā Pācittiya (Pc) Tika Pācittiya
Actual Anupa Doubt (Kaṅkhā) Pācittiya (Pc) Tika Pācittiya
Actual Anupa Upa-saññā Pācittiya (Pc) Tika Pācittiya
Actual Upa Anupa-saññā Dukkaṭa (dkṭ) Duka Dukkaṭa
Actual Upa Doubt (Kaṅkhā) Dukkaṭa (dkṭ) Duka Dukkaṭa
Actual Upa Upa-saññā No Offense (Anāpatti) Duka Dukkaṭa

Structural Integration Matrix:

  • Channa + Paricchanna -> Pc
  • Channa + Upaḍḍhaparicchanna -> Dukkaṭa
  • Channa + Aparicchanna -> Anāpatti
  • Upaḍḍhachanna + Paricchanna -> Dukkaṭa
  • Upaḍḍhachanna + Upaḍḍhaparicchanna -> Dukkaṭa
  • Upaḍḍhachanna + Aparicchanna -> Anāpatti
  • Acchanna / Aparicchanna (Any Combination) -> Anāpatti
  • (Note: Yebhuyya variations inherit the legal status of their full counterpart: Yebhuyyachanna = Channa; Yebhuyya-acchanna = Acchanna).

Anāpatti & Factors (Aṅgāni)

  • Avoidance: Before the dawn of the 3rd night breaks, the monk must physically get out of bed, stand up, or vacate the common ekūpacāra footprint.
  • Accidental Falls: Tripping or falling while walking does not count if one gets up immediately.
  • Coercion: Being physically bound or forced against one’s will -> No Offense.
  • Factors of Offense:
    1. The dwelling structure matches the legal definitions for a Pācittiya enclosure.
    2. Lying down/sleeping in it with an anupasampanna (including animals relevant to the 1st Pārājika).
    3. The time tracking passes the sunset marker of the 4th consecutive night.

6. Dutiya Sahaseyya Sikkhāpada (Second Rule on Shared Sleeping Space - with Women)

Rule: Yo pana bhikkhu mātugāmena sahaseyyaṃ kappeyya, pācittiyaṃ. (If any bhikkhu should make use of a sleeping place together with a woman, this is a case involving expiation.)

Background & Purpose

  • Location: Jetavana, Sāvatthi.
  • Incident: Venerable Anuruddha Thera was traveling through Kosala and sought shelter at a village rest house run by a local woman. Attracted to the Thera, she allocated him an interior bed and repeatedly attempted to seduce him throughout the night. Being an Arahant, Anuruddha remained entirely unperturbed. Deeply moved by his profound purity and restraint, the woman apologized, offered alms the next morning, listened to the Dhamma, and took refuge. When Anuruddha reported this back at Sāvatthi, the Buddha established this rule.
  • Purpose: Protecting monks from malicious external allegations, setups, and guarding monastic celibacy against immediate close-quarter temptations.
  • Key Structural Difference: There is no grace period or counting of nights. The liability is immediate on night one.

Liability Scope & Matrix

  • Legally Acittaka and Nosaññāvimokkha.
  • Lying down with a human female (mātugāma) after sunset within an applicable structure -> Pācittiya (Pc) immediately.
  • Lying down with a non-human female or a female animal -> Dukkaṭa (dkṭ).
  • Accumulation Query (#q): Do these offenses stack up concurrently? (i.e., does sleeping with a woman incur a Pc for this rule every night, while also triggering an extra Pc from the 1st Sahaseyya rule on the 4th consecutive night? Yes).

Perception Matrix (Tika Pācittiya & Duka Dukkaṭa):

  • With a Real Mātugāma: Mātugāma-saññā / Doubt / Amātugāma-saññā -> Pc (Tika Pācittiya).
  • With an Amātugāma (Male/Neutral): Mātugāma-saññā / Doubt -> Dukkaṭa (dkṭ); Amātugāma-saññā -> Anāpatti (Duka Dukkaṭa).

Factors of the Offense (Aṅgāni)

  1. Enclosure matches the structural requirements for a Pācittiya.
  2. Reclining/lying down inside it alongside a human female.
  3. The time is explicitly after sunset.

7. Bhūtārocana Sikkhāpada (Declaring True Superhuman Attainments)

Rule: Yo pana bhikkhu anupasampannassa uttarimanussadhammaṃ āroceyya, bhūtasmiṃ, pācittiyaṃ. (If any bhikkhu should declare a superhuman state to one who has not been fully admitted, when it is a fact, this is a case involving expiation.)

Background & Definition

  • Location: Kuṭāgāra Hall, Mahāvana forest, Vesālī.
  • Incident: During a severe famine in the Vajji country, a group of monks systematically praised each other’s genuine meditative attainments to lay practitioners to secure superior food alms. The Buddha severely reprimanded them.
  • Note: The Buddha notably refrained from calling this group “moghapurisa” (worthless men) because there were actual Sotāpannas among them.
  • What is Uttarimanussadhamma? It refers to “superhuman states,” which explicitly include Mahaggata (fine-material/immaterial jhānas) and Lokuttara (supramundane noble paths and fruits) dhammas, mirroring the definitions in the 1st Pārājika.

Offense Framework

  • Legally Acittaka and Nosaññāvimokkha.
  • Why is it always Acittaka? 1. Ariyas (noble ones) and Jhānalābhīs do not intentionally transgress rules out of malice; they would only do this out of ignorance or misunderstanding of this technical rule.
    1. If a worldly person (Puthujjana) possessing jhana attempts to break this rule deliberately out of greed or standard deceit, their jhāna potential immediately vanishes before the words exit their mouth. Thus, their statement would no longer be true, instantly converting the offense into a major Pārājika 4 (or Anāpatti if driven by Adhimāna / over-estimation).
  • Stating true uttarimanussadhamma directly to an Anupa -> Pācittiya (Pc).
  • Stating it indirectly -> Dukkaṭa (dkṭ).
  • Saying it to a Bhikkhunī -> Anāpatti (Bhī are categorized as upa here).
  • Saying it to a fellow Bhikkhu -> Anāpatti (though traditionally frowned upon unless functionally necessary).
  • Declaring attainments to an Anupa right before death -> Pācittiya (Pc).
  • Praising one’s extensive scriptural learning or behavioral discipline to an Anupa -> Anāpatti.
  • Temporal Constraint: The monk must actively possess the attainment at the exact moment of speech. Declaring that one possessed jhāna 5 years ago but has since lost it is No Offense.

Anāpatti (Mitigating Exemptions)

  • The Missing Factor: Why are the standard exemptions for insanity (ummattaka), mental derangement (khittacitta), or agony (vedanāṭṭa) omitted from this rule’s text? Because true Ariyas and Jhānalābhīs are structurally incapable of entering psychotic states; if a worldly jhāna-attainer falls into such a state, their meditative absorption drops instantly anyway.

Factors of the Offense (Aṅgāni)

  1. The superhuman status claimed is genuinely and factually possessed (bhūtasmiṃ).
  2. Direct communication of this status to an anupasampanna.
  3. The anupasampanna instantly comprehends the meaning of the statement.

8. Dhammadesanā Sikkhāpada (Preaching More Than 5-6 Words to a Woman)

Rule: Yo pana bhikkhu mātugāmassa uttari chappañcavācāhi dhammaṃ deseyya, aññatra viññunā purisaviggahena, pācittiyaṃ. (If any bhikkhu should preach the Dhamma to a woman beyond five or six words, except in the presence of a wise man, this is a case involving expiation.)

Background & Purpose

  • Location: Jetavana, Sāvatthi.
  • Incident: Venerable Udāyi frequently visited lay families. He privately preached Dhamma to a housewife and her daughter-in-law in separate rooms. Because of the secrecy and prolonged individual time, the two women grew deeply suspicious of each other, accusing each other of having a romantic affair with Udāyi.
  • Purpose: Eliminating social suspicion, standard gossip, or compromised situations that occur when an ordained monk teaches a lone woman for extended periods without an intermediary observer.
  • The Legal Allowance: An ordained monk is permitted to preach a maximum of 6 words/phrases (vācā) of Dhamma to a woman when unchaperoned.

Technical Metrics of Preaching

  • What is Dhamma here? Same as Padasodhamma: Canonical Tipiṭaka and standard commentary source content delivered in the Pāḷi language.
  • What constitutes one “Vācā”? Legally defined as either a single word, a single letter/syllable, or one line of a stanza (Eko gāthāpado ekavācāti).
  • Accumulation Metrics:
    • Teaching word-by-word -> 1 Pc for every single word beyond the initial 6.
    • Teaching letter-by-letter -> 1 Pc for every letter beyond the initial 6.
    • Teaching line-by-line -> 1 Pc for every line of a gāthā beyond the initial 6.
    • Switching text sources (e.g., jumping from Buddhabhāsita to Aṭṭhakathā) after hitting 6 words does not reset the count; if the grand total exceeds 6, a Pc is triggered.
  • Chaperone Qualifications:
    • Viññūmanussa: A human who understands the difference between what is lewd/romantic and what is purely decent.
    • Viññūpurisa / Viññūpurisaviggaha: A mature male who understands structural decency. To nullify the rule’s limits, he must be within a maximum radius of 12 cubits (hattha / ~6 meters).
    • Spatial ranges noted for reference: Dassanūpacāra (visible range) and Savaṇūpacāra (hearing range/earshot) (#q).

Offense Matrix & Posture Loopholes

Legally Acittaka and Nosaññāvimokkha.

  • With a Real Mātugāma: Mātugāma-saññā / Doubt / Amātugāma-saññā -> Pc (Tika Pācittiya).
  • With an Amātugāma: Mātugāma-saññā / Doubt -> Dukkaṭa (dkṭ); Amātugāma-saññā -> Anāpatti (Duka Dukkaṭa).
  • The Posture Loophole: If the monk preaches exactly 6 vācā in one posture (e.g., sitting), then simply stands up or shifts physical location slightly, he can preach another 6 vācā (Anāpatti). Similarly, if the lady shifts her posture while the monk remains still, the word counter resets cleanly.

Anāpatti (Exemptions)

  • Answering Questions: If the lady asks a specific direct question, the monk may answer it exhaustively without any word count limits.
  • Crucial Distinction: A general request for a formal sermon/Dhamma talk (dhammatalk requested) does not waive the limit; answering an explicit question does.

Factors of the Offense (Aṅgāni)

  1. The listener is a mature woman (viññūmātugāma).
  2. Preaching more than 6 units (vācā) of canonical text.
  3. Neither party alters their physical posture during the sequence.
  4. Total absence of a qualified viññū purisa within the 12-cubit boundary.
  5. The talk is not a direct answer to an explicit question.

9. Duṭṭhullārocana Sikkhāpada (Exposing Grave Offenses to the Unordained)

Rule: Yo pana bhikkhu bhikkhussa duṭṭhullaṃ āpattiṃ anupasampannassa āroceyya, aññatra bhikkhusammutiyā, pācittiyaṃ. (If any bhikkhu should declare a bhikkhu’s grave offense to one who has not been fully admitted, except with the authorization of the Saṅgha, this is a case involving expiation.)

Background & Definition

  • Location: Jetavana, Sāvatthi.
  • Incident: Venerable Upananda was in an intense dispute with the Chabbaggiya monks. Having intentionally emitted semen, Upananda formally requested a probationary period (parivāsa) from the Saṅgha to clear his offense. During a public monastic meal invitation in Sāvatthi, Upananda was legally required to sit on a chair right at the end of the dining line due to his probationary status. The malicious Chabbaggiya monks immediately informed lay supporters (upāsakas) that Upananda was relegated to the back because he had intentionally masturbated.
  • What is a Duṭṭhullāpatti? Strictly defined as the major categories: Pārājikā and Saṅghādisesā. However, under this specific rule, only Saṅghādisesā offenses are legally included (Pārājikā offenses are technically duṭṭhulla but fall under other exposure rules).
  • Aduṭṭhullāpatti: Minor categories (Thullaccaya, Pācittiya, Pāṭidesanīya, Dukkaṭa, Dubbhāsita).

Technical Liability & Scaling

  • Legally Acittaka and Nosaññāvimokkha.
  • The Legal Formula for Pc: Exposing a grave offense requires stating both the Vatthu (the raw action - e.g., emitting semen) AND the Āpatti (the legal class - e.g., Saṅghādisesa). Stating only one of these structural components without the other results in Anāpatti.
  • Offense Scale Matrix:
    • Ordained monk -> Exposes true Duṭṭhulla of another monk -> Anupa listener -> Pācittiya (Pc) regardless of perception (Tika Pācittiya).
    • Ordained monk -> Exposes true Aduṭṭhulla of another monk -> Anupa listener -> Dukkaṭa (dkṭ) regardless of perception (Tika Dukkaṭa).
    • Exposing an aduṭṭhullāpatti generally -> Dukkaṭa (dkṭ).
    • Informing an anupa about a novice’s (Sāmaṇera) broken rules -> Dukkaṭa (dkṭ).
    • A novice informing another novice about broken rules -> Dukkaṭa (dkṭ).
    • Informing a Bhikkhunī -> Pācittiya (Pc) (Note: Bhī are classified as upa under this rule).

The Saṅgha Authorization Exception

  • Sammuti: It is legally permissible to expose a grave offense to laypeople only if a monk repeatedly and shamelessly violates rules, necessitating recurring Vinayakammas to purify him. To shock the careless monk into moral shame and dread (hiri-ottappa), the Saṅgha can pass a formal legal act of authorization (Sammuti) permitting the disclosure.

Factors of the Offense (Aṅgāni)

  1. Verbally disclosing the duṭṭhullāpatti of a fully ordained monk to an anupasampanna.
  2. The monk in question has actually committed a valid duṭṭhullāpatti.
  3. Absence of a formal Sammuti decree from the Saṅgha.

10. Paṭhavikhaṇana Sikkhāpada (Digging the Earth)

Rule: Yo pana bhikkhu paṭhaviṃ khaṇeyya vā khaṇāpeyya vā, pācittiyaṃ. (If any bhikkhu should dig the earth or have it dug, this is a case involving expiation.)

Background & Scientific Classifications

  • Location: Aggālava Stupa, Āḷavi.
  • Incident: Monks in Āḷavi were aggressively clearing land and digging the earth for extensive construction projects, and commanding lay people to do the same. Local citizens criticized them heavily, believing that the soil and plants possessed life forces (kāyindriya).
  • Purpose: Avoiding public criticism and protecting microscopic or subterranean animal life.

The Two Classifications of Soil

To determine liability, the earth is split into two explicit profiles:

1. Jātapaṭhavī / Akappiya-paṭhavī (Living/Unallowable Earth)

Engaging in digging, burning, breaking, piercing, or drawing lines on this soil triggers a Pācittiya (Pc) offense. Every distinct penetration or strike of the tool counts as 1 individual Pc. If giving commands, each separate order counts as 1 Pc.

  • Suddha-paṭhavī (Pure Soil): Clay or pure earth devoid of mixed stones, gravel, or sand.
  • Missaka-paṭhavī (Mixed Soil): Earth containing up to approximately 1/3 (or up to 1/2) stones, gravel, or sand content.
  • Puñja-paṭhavī (Heaped Soil): Piles accumulated via natural elements (landslides, alluvial silt) or unnatural actions (animal burrowing, human digging) that have become detached from bedrock, gotten wet by rain at least once, and a minimum period of 4 months has elapsed since that rain event.
  • The Burning Rule: It must never have been exposed to fire.

2. Ajātapaṭhavī / Kappiya-paṭhavī (Non-living/Allowable Earth)

Digging here is completely free of Pācittiya liability.

  • Soil mixed with a minimum of 2/3 (or strictly more than 1/2) of stones, gravel, or sand.
  • Earth that has been completely burnt by fire.
  • S-Comm Note: If the soil configuration is exactly 50\% earth and 50\% stone, the texts are silent; some teachers suggest treating it as a cautious Pācittiya, others lean to Dukkaṭa.

Practical Field Case Studies

  • Kappiyavohāra (Allowable Phraseology):
    • Permitted commands (Pāḷi): “Imaṃ jāna” (“Take note of this tree/ground”) “Dehi” (“Give this”) “Āhara” (“Bring this”).
    • “Iminā me attho” (“I have a functional need for this”).
    • “Imaṃ kappiyaṃ karohi” (“Make this allowable” / e.g., “Imassa thambhassa āvāṭaṃ kappiyaṃ karohi” -> “Make the earth allowable for this construction post”).
    • “You may freely collect soil that is already detached or broken.”
    • Unspecified broad orders: “Clear the forest, pick the flowers” (without targeting a specific plant/plot).
  • Rectifying Faulty Commands: If a monk accidentally utters an unallowable (akappiya) phrase, he must immediately countermand it by saying “stop, do not do that,” and restate it using proper kappiyavohāra. If a hole is dug via bad phrasing, it must be completely backfilled in the same sequence; any structure placed inside an illegally excavated hole remains unallowable.
  • Mud and Excavations:
    • Removing fluid, loose watery mud while cleaning a lake footprint -> Anāpatti.
    • Scraping or scooping compacted, attached mud from a lake bed -> Pācittiya (Pc).
    • Removing sun-baked, dried cracked mud flakes -> Anāpatti.
  • Slid and Displaced Soil:
    • Clearing fresh landslide debris inside a pond before it gets rained on and sits for 4 months -> Anāpatti.
    • Removing silt that falls into a deep pond -> Anāpatti (exempt because it is shielded from direct vertical rain impact).
    • Digging out soil at the bottom of a dry lake that previously received direct rain over 4 months ago -> Pācittiya (Pc).
    • Removing a mature termite mound/ant hill resting on a tree trunk that has received direct rain and stood for 4 months -> Pācittiya (Pc); if dry/sheltered -> Anāpatti.
  • Mud Walls: A standard wattle-and-daub mud wall transforms legally into jātapaṭhavī if it is rained on and stands for 4 months.
    • Pulling out loose stone/rubble from a jātapaṭhavī wall -> Anāpatti (even if the wall surface cracks slightly during removal).
    • Intentionally gouging out a slice of the mud wall block itself -> Pācittiya (Pc).
    • Plastering wet hands on a wall to collect surface dust -> Anāpatti.
  • Posts and Walking Sticks:
    • Removing an embedded wooden fence post or dead tree by rocking it back and forth to loosen it -> Pācittiya (Pc) (because the lateral motion breaks the living earth crust). Pulling it perfectly vertically straight up -> Anāpatti.
    • Accidentally cracking the ground while rolling heavy logs/weights -> Anāpatti.
    • Forcibly scraping a broom against the soil with the explicit intent to flatten the ground profile -> Pācittiya (Pc).
    • Stamping a heavy pointed walking cane into the earth out of frustration -> Pācittiya (Pc).
    • Forcefully scrubbing hands directly against the ground when washing items -> Pācittiya (Pc).
    • Splashing water onto dry earth with the intent to break or erode the crust -> Pācittiya (Pc).
  • Fire Rules: Campfires can only be safely built inside designated stone fire pits, on previously intensely burnt soil, on bare rock shelves, or on a deep layer of dry wood/leaves with the clear intention to extinguish it before the heat penetrates down into the underlying soil layer. Dropping a blazing torch because it is burning one’s fingers -> Anāpatti.

Perception Matrix

This is a Sacittaka and Saññāvimokkha offense driven by the intent to destroy/alter the earth (Vikopana).

  • With Living Earth (Jātapaṭhavī):
    • Jātapaṭhavī-saññā -> Pācittiya (Pc) (Ekaka Pācittiya).
    • Doubt (Kaṅkhā) -> Dukkaṭa (dkṭ).
    • Ajātapaṭhavī-saññā -> No Offense (Anāpatti).
  • With Non-living Earth (Ajātapaṭhavī):
    • Jātapaṭhavī-saññā / Doubt -> Dukkaṭa (dkṭ) (Tika Dukkaṭa).
    • Ajātapaṭhavī-saññā -> No Offense.

The 6 Methods of Destruction:

extkhaṇati (digs)}, \quad 	extkhaṇāpeti (causes to dig)}
extbhindati (breaks)}, \quad 	extbhindāpeti (causes to break)}
extdahati (burns)}, \quad 	extdahāpeti (causes to burn)}

Canonical Exemptions (Anāpatti)

  • Asañcicca (Unintentional): Accidentally dislodging grass or soil while pulling heavy tree branches, or leaning on a walking stick while hiking without vikopana intent.
  • Asatiyā (Absentmindedly): Drawing mindless lines or geometric patterns in the dirt with one’s toes or a stick while deep in conversation.
  • Ajānantassa (Unknowingly): Shoving a shovel or stake into a pile of straw to store it safely, unaware that living earth lay immediately beneath; or discarding a burning stick to save one’s hand.

Factors of the Offense (Aṅgāni)

  1. The target is legally living earth (jātapaṭhavī).
  2. The monk possesses the clear perception that it is living earth (jātapaṭhavīsaññā).
  3. The act of destruction is committed via one of the 6 core methods (digging, breaking, burning, etc.).

Final Vaggo Syntheses

  • Structural Affinities: Paṭhavikhaṇana (Pc 10), Bhūtagāma (Pc 11), and Sappāṇaka (Pc 71) form a closely linked legal trilogy, all originating from the construction excesses of the Āḷavi monks.
  • Nuns as Non-Ordained Status Summary: Under the specific terms of Omasavāda and Pesuñña, Bhikkhunīs are legally grouped as Anupasampanna regarding liability downgrades.