A Primer in Chinese Buddhist Writings
Volume Two: The Indian Tradition
The Origin of the Order of Nuns according to the Dharmaguptakavinaya
Introduction to the text
The following selection comes from the Sì fēn lǜ 四分律 (Skt. Dharmaguptakavinaya), translated by Buddhayaśas and Zhú Fóniàn between 410 and 412. This text was among four competing versions of the vinaya in China, by the end of the Tang becoming the standard vinaya, most commonly used by monks and nuns for subsequent Chinese history. The passage below tells the story of the ordination of the first nun by the Buddha, including his pronouncement of the eight special rules nuns are to follow, and the procedures for ordination. Again you will notice that the primary obstacle to understanding when shifting from one genre of Buddhist texts to another is not so much grammar and style as it is mastery of technical vocabulary.
Passages with Vocabulary
《四分律》卷48： 比丘尼揵度第十七: §1
| 比丘尼 | bǐqiūní | (Skt.) bhikṣuṇī |
| 揵度 | jiàndù | (Skt.) skandhaka, collection of rules |
| 釋翅瘦 | Shìchìshòu | (Skt.) Śākyesu (name of a city) |
| 尼拘律 | níjūlǜ | (Skt.) nyagrodha (type of tree) |
| 園 | yuán | garden, grove |
| 摩訶波闍波提 | Móhēbōshébōtí | (Skt.) Mahāprajāpatī (name of the Buddha’s aunt) |
| 舍夷 | Shèyí | (Skt.) Śākya (surname) |
| 詣 | yì | to go to |
| 聽 | tīng | to hear; to allow |
| 道 | dào | path, vocation |
| 瞿曇彌 | Qútánmí | (Skt.) Gautamī (name applied to the Buddha’s aunt) |
| 莫 | mò | do not |
爾時，世尊在釋翅瘦尼拘律園。時，摩訶波闍波提與五百舍夷女人俱。詣世尊所。頭面禮足却住一面。白佛言：「善哉世尊，願聽女人於佛法中得出家為道」。佛言：「且止瞿曇彌。莫作是言，欲令女人出家為道。何以故？瞿曇彌，若女人於佛法中出家為道，令佛法不久」。
《四分律》卷48： 比丘尼揵度第十七: §2
| 拘薩羅 | Jūsàluó | (Skt.) Kośala (place name) |
| 祇桓 | Qíhuán | (Skt.) Jetavana |
| 精舍 | jīngshè | hermitage |
| 剃 | tì | to shave |
| 髮 | fǎ | hair |
| 被 | bèi | to don, to wear |
| 袈裟 | jiāshā | (Skt.) kaṣāya |
| 步涉 | bùshè | to walk |
| 破 | pò | broken; worn raw |
| 塵土 | chéntǔ | dust |
| 坌 | bèn | to soil (with dust) |
| 涕泣 | tìqì | to cry |
| 流淚 | liúlèi | to weep |
爾時，摩訶波闍波提聞世尊教已，前禮佛足遶已而去。爾時，世尊從釋翅瘦與千二百五十弟子人間遊行。往拘薩羅國。從拘薩羅還至舍衛國祇桓精舍。時，摩訶波闍波提聞佛在祇桓精舍，與五百舍夷女人俱，共剃髮被袈裟。往舍衛國祇桓精舍。在門外立，步涉破脚，塵土坌身，涕泣流淚。
《四分律》卷48： 比丘尼揵度第十七: §3
| 且止 | qiězhǐ | stop, wait |
| 長者 | zhǎngzhě | householder |
| 家 | jiā | family |
| 衰微 | shuāiwéi | wither, decline |
| 稻田 | dàotián | rice field |
| 被 | bèi | by (marks passive) |
| 霜雹 | shuāngbáo | frost and hail |
| 破壞 | pòhuài | destroy, break |
| 不得 | bùdé | cannot, not allowed |
爾時，阿難見已即往問言：「瞿曇彌何故與舍夷五百女人剃髮、被袈裟、步涉破脚、塵土坌身，在此涕泣流淚而立耶？」彼即答言：「我等女人於佛法中不得出家受大戒。」阿難語言：「且止。我為汝往佛所求請」。
爾時，阿難即至世尊所。頭面禮足却住一面。白佛言：「善哉世尊，6願聽女人在佛法中出家受大戒」。佛告阿難：「且止。莫欲令女人於佛法中出家受大戒。何以故？若女人在佛法中出家受大戒，則令佛法不久。譬如，阿難，有長者家，男少女多則知其家衰微。如是，阿難，若女人在佛法中出家受大戒，則令佛法不久。又如好稻田而被霜雹，即時破壞。如是，阿難，若女人在佛法中出家受大戒。即令佛法不久」。
6 The implication being, “it would be good if...”
《四分律》卷48： 比丘尼揵度第十七: §4
| 恩 | ēn | gratitude; kindness |
| 乳養 | rǔyǎng | to nurture, to raise |
| 床 | chuáng | seat; bed |
| 臥具 | wòjù | sleeping implement, bedding |
| 醫藥 | yīyào | medicine |
| 報 | bào | to repay |
| 出世 | chūshì | to appear in the world |
阿難白佛言：「摩訶波闍波提於佛有大恩。佛母命過，乳養世尊長大」。佛語阿難：「如是如是。於我有大恩。我母命過。乳養令我長大。我亦於摩訶波闍波提有大恩。若人因他得知佛、法、僧，此恩難報。非衣、食、床、臥具、醫藥所能報恩。我出世令摩訶波闍波提知佛、法、僧亦如是」。
《四分律》卷48： 比丘尼揵度第十七: §5
| 狐疑 | húyí | to doubt |
| 須陀洹 | xūtuóhuán | (Skt.) srotāpanna, stream-enterer |
| 果 | guǒ | fruit; reward; result |
| 決定 | juédìng | definitive; to decide |
| 七返 | qīfǎn | (Skt. saptakṛdbhavaparama), lit. “seven returns”; that is, seven more lives before liberation |
| 際 | jì | border, margin; place, realm |
| 受三自歸 | shòusān | zìguī to accept the three refuges |
佛告阿難：「若有人因他信佛、法、僧，此恩難報。非衣食、床、臥具、醫藥所能報恩。我出世令摩訶波闍波提信樂佛、法、僧亦如是」。佛語阿難：「若有人因他得歸依佛、法、僧，受持五戒，知苦，知集，知盡，知道；於苦、集、盡、道無有狐疑；若得須陀洹果、斷諸惡趣、得決定入正道、七返生死，便盡苦際。阿難，如是人恩難可報。非衣食床臥具、醫藥所能報恩。我出世令摩訶波闍波提受三自歸，乃至決定得入正道亦如是」。
《四分律》卷48： 比丘尼揵度第十七: §6
| 阿羅漢 | āluóhàn | (Skt.) arhat |
| 制 | zhì | to establish |
| 盡 | jìn | to end, to exhaust |
| 形壽 | xíngshòu | life span |
| 比丘尼 | bǐqiūní | bhikṣuni |
| 迎逆 | yíngnì | to greet |
| 禮拜 | lǐbài | to bow to; to worship; to prostrate; to treat with decorum |
| 敷 | fū | to put out, to prepare |
| 尊重 | zūnzhòng | to respect |
| 恭敬 | gōngjìng | to revere |
| 讚歎 | zàntàn | to praise, to admire |
阿難白佛：「女人於佛法中出家受戒，可得須陀洹果乃至阿羅漢果不？」佛告阿難：「可得」。阿難白佛：「若女人於佛法中出家受大戒，得須陀洹果乃至阿羅漢果者，願佛聽出家受大戒」。
佛告阿難：「今為女人制八盡形壽不可過法。若能行者，即是受戒。何等八？雖百歲比丘尼見新受戒比丘，應起迎逆禮拜與敷淨座請令坐。如此法應尊重，恭敬讚歎。盡形壽不得過。
《四分律》卷48： 比丘尼揵度第十七: §7
| 罵詈 | màlí | to berate |
| 呵責 | hēzé | to scold |
| 誹謗 | fěibàng | to slander |
| 威儀 | wēiyí | comportment; dignified behavior |
| 舉 | jǔ | to question, to denounce, to expose |
| 憶念 | yìniàn | to remember; to remind (someone to do something), to nag |
| 自言 | zìyán | to admit, to confess; to make a complaint |
| 遮 | zhē | to restrict; to prohibit; to conceal; to obstruct |
| 覓 | mì | to search for |
| 自恣 | zìzì | (Skt. pravāraṇā) lit. self indulgence; ceremony of repentance |
| 呵 | hē | to castigate |
「阿難，比丘尼不應罵詈比丘呵責。7不應誹謗言戒、破見、破威儀。此法應尊重恭敬讚歎。盡形壽不得過。
「阿難，比丘尼不應為比丘作舉、作憶念、作自言。不應遮他覓罪、遮說戒、遮自恣。比丘尼不應呵比丘。比丘應呵比丘尼。此法應尊重恭敬讚歎。盡形壽不得過。
7 The text may be corrupt here. A Tang text gives: 《仁王經疏法衡鈔》卷2：「比丘尼不應罵詈比丘，不應訶責，不應謗言」(CBETA, X26, no. 519, p. 452, c15-16 // Z 1:41, p. 75, d3-4 // R41, p. 150, b3-4)
《四分律》卷48： 比丘尼揵度第十七: §8
| 式叉摩那 | shìchāmónà | (Skt.) śikṣamāṇā, a novice nun |
| 乞 | qǐ | to beg, to request |
| 僧殘 | sēngcán | (Skt. saṃghāvaśeṣa, saṃghātiśeṣa) lit. monk remain; that is, “one may remain as a monk” (without being expelled from the Order) |
| 罪 | zuì | crime, fault, sin |
| 部 | bù | group, category |
| 摩那埵 | mònàduǒ | (Skt.) mānatva, confession (more precisely the joy produced through confession) |
| 教授 | jiàoshòu | instructor; instruction |
| 夏安居 | xiàānjū | the summer meditation retreat |
| 比丘尼僧 | bǐqiūnísēng | (Skt.) bhikṣuni monastic; nun |
| 三事 | sānshì | here probably short for 三事戒 “precepts for the three activities” (of body, speech and mind) |
| 見聞疑 | jiànwényí | what one has seen, heard and suspected |
| 安 | ān | to place, to put |
| 橋樑 | qiáoliáng | bridge |
| 渡 | dù | to cross |
「式叉摩那學戒已，從比丘僧乞受大戒。此法應尊重、恭敬、讚歎。盡形壽不得過。8
「比丘尼犯僧殘罪，應在二部僧中半月行摩那埵。此法應尊重恭敬讚歎。盡形壽不得過。
「比丘尼不應在無比丘處夏安居。此法應尊重恭敬讚歎。盡形壽不得過。
「比丘尼僧安居竟，應比丘僧中求三事自恣見聞疑。此法應尊重恭敬讚歎。盡形壽不得過。
「如是，阿難，我今說此八不可過法。若女人能行者即是受戒。譬如有人於大水上安橋樑而渡。如是，阿難，我今為女人說此八不可過法。若能行者即是受戒。」
8 This rule is amended later in the Dharmaguptakavinaya, such that nuns were henceforth to receive the precepts from other nuns.
《四分律》卷48： 比丘尼揵度第十七: §9
| 頂受 | dǐngshòu | lit. to receive with one’s head touching the ground; to respectfully receive |
| 淨潔 | jìngjié | pure, clean |
| 莊嚴 | zhuāngyán | solemn; handsome, attractive |
| 洗沐 | xǐmù | to wash |
| 優鉢羅 | yōubōlúo | (Skt.) utpala, a kind of lotus or water-lily (esp. a blue lotus) |
| 鬘 | mán | garland |
| 阿希物多 | āxīwùduō | (Skt.) atimuktaka, a kind of white flower |
| 瞻婆 | zhānpó | (Skt.) campaka, a fragrant yellow flower (Michelia Campaka) |
| 蘇曼那 | sùmànnà | (Skt.) sumanā, another flower (Chrysanthemum Indicum) |
| 婆師 | póshī | (Skt.) vārṣika, a kind of jasmine |
| 授 | shòu | to give |
| 繫 | xì | to attach, to tie |
| 置 | zhì | to place, to position |
爾時，阿難聞世尊教已，即往摩訶波闍波提所語言：「女人得在佛法中出家受大戒。世尊為女人制八不可過法。若能行者即是受戒」。即為說八事如上。摩訶波闍波提言：「若世尊為女人說此八不可過法，我及五百舍夷女人當共頂受。阿難，譬如男子女人年少淨潔莊嚴。若有人與洗沐頭已，止於堂上。持優鉢羅華鬘、阿希物多華鬘、瞻婆華鬘、蘇曼那華鬘、婆師華鬘授與彼。彼即受之，繫置頭上。如是，阿難，世尊為女人說八不可過法。我及五百舍夷女人當共頂受」。
時，阿難即往世尊所。頭面禮足已，却住一面白佛言：「世尊，為女人說八不可過法。摩訶波闍波提等聞已頂受。譬如男子女人年少，淨潔莊嚴。若有人洗沐頭已止於堂上，持諸華鬘授與彼。彼即兩手受之繫置頭上」。9「如是，阿難，摩訶波闍波提及五百女人得受戒」。
9 What follows must be the Buddha speaking.
《四分律》卷48： 比丘尼揵度第十七: §10
| 懷 | huái | to harbor, to feel |
| 悔恨 | huǐhèn | regret |
| 遇 | yù | to encounter |
| 賊 | zéi | bandit |
| 毀辱 | huǐrù | to humiliate, ruin |
| 戲弄 | xì’nòng | to sport with, play with |
| 剃髮 | tìfǎ | to shave the hair, to take the tonsure |
| 大姊 | dàzǐ | elder sister |
| 某甲 | mǒujiǎ | so-and-so |
| 時到 | shídào | deems it timely |
| 忍聽 | rěntīng | approval and agreement |
(CBETA, T22, no. 1428, p. 920ff).
Page updated on 2019-02-09