Sambodhi 1996 Vol 20

Author(s): Jitendra B Shah, N M Kansara
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 24

HERMAN TIEKEN
SAMBODHI
kulitthihi kuladhītähi kulakumārīhi kulasunhāhi kuladāsihi saddhim ekabhājane pi bhuñjanti ekathālake pi pivanti ekāsane pi nisidanti ekamañce pi tuvattenti ekattharaṇāpi tuvattenti ekapāvuraņāpi tuvattenti ekattharaṇapāvuraņāpi tuvattenti... "Now at that time unscrupulous, depraved inonks who were followers of Assaji and Punabbasu were in residence at Kițāgiri. They indulged in the following kinds of bad habits : ... These ate from one dish together with wives of reputable families, with daughters of reputable families, with girls of reputable families, with daughters-in-law of reputable families, with women slaves of reputable families; and they drank from the same beaker; they sat down on the same seat; they shared one couch, they shared one mat; they shared one coverlet; they shared one mat and coverlet13.” Finally, Vinaya V, p. 124 : Tena kho pana samayena chabbaggiyā bhikkhū ekabhājane pi bhunjanti ekathālake pi pivanti ekamañce pi tuvattenti ekattharaṇāpi tuvattenti ekapāvuraņāpi tuvattenti ekattharanapāvuranapi tuvattenti. manussā ujjhāyanti...kāmabhogino'ti. bhagavato etaṁ āttham ārocesuni. na bhikkhave ekabhājane bhuñjitabbam ... na ekamañce tuvattitabbam...yo tuvatteyya, āpatti dukkatassa'ti. "Now at that tiine the group of six monks ate from one dish and drank from one beaker and shared one couch and shared one cloth and shared one covering and shared one covering-cloth. People .... spread it about, saying: 'Like householders who enjoy pleasures of the senses.' They told this matter to the Lord. He said : 'Monks, you should not eat from one dish.... nor share one couch.... Whoever should share (one), there is an offence of wrong doing?! A translation of tuvatta- with "to lie down" is indicated by the gloss, or paraphrase, nipajjati in Vinaya IV, p.288, quoted above, as well as by the locatives mañce, tharane and pāvuranes. Note in this connection also the contrast between ekāsane nisīdanti and ekamance tuvattenti in Vinaya IV quoted above. It seems that Horner in her translation "to share" all too closely follows the PTSD (p.306a), which has suggested a derivation from * dvandvayati. Taken as such the Vinaya would stipulate that the mere fact that monks and nuns lie down with somebody else on one bed, on one matras and under one cover suffices to form a serious transgression, that is, if "one" is indeed to be taken emphatically here. That the monks and nuns might have been doing something in the bed (note gihikāma - bhoginiyo in Vinaya IV quoted above)