Understanding Vinaya¹

So I reflected on the teaching Paccattam veditabboviññūhi - the wise must know for themselves. It must be a knowing that arises through direct experience. Studying the Dhamma-Vinaya is certainly correct but if it's just the study it's still lacking. If you really get down to the practice you begin to doubt everything. Before I started to practice I wasn't interested in the minor offenses, but when I started practicing, even the dukkata offenses became as important as the pārājika offenses. Before, the dukkata offenses seemed like nothing, just a trifle. That's how I saw them. In the evening you could confess them and they would be done with. Then you could transgress them again. This sort of confession is impure, because you don't stop, you don't decide to change. There is no restraint, you simply do it again and again. There is no perception of the truth, no letting go.

Actually, in terms of ultimate truth, it's not necessary to go through the routine of confessing offenses. If we see that our mind is pure and there is no trace of doubt, then those offenses drop off right there. That we are not yet pure is because we still doubt, we still waver. We are not really pure so we can't let go. We don't see ourselves, this is the point. This Vinaya of ours is like a fence to guard us from making mistakes, so it's something we need to be scrupulous with.

If you don't see the true value of the Vinaya for yourself it's difficult. Many years before I came to Wat Pah Pong I decided I would give up money. For the greater part of a Rains Retreat I had thought about it. In the end I grabbed my wallet and walked over to a certain Mahā who was living with me at the time, setting the wallet down in front of him.

''Here, Mahā, take this money. From today onwards, as long as I'm a monk, I will not receive or hold money. You can be my witness.''

''You keep it, Venerable, you may need it for your studies''... The Venerable Mahā wasn't keen to take the money, he was embarrassed....

''Why do you want to throw away all this money?''

''You don't have to worry about me. I've made my decision. I decided last night.''

Footnotes

...¹

Given to the assembly of monks after the recitation of the Patimokkha, at Wat Pah Png during the rains retreat of 1980

... Vinaya²

''Vinaya'' is a generic name given to the code of discipline of the Buddhist Monastic Order, the rules of the monkhood. Vinaya literally means ''leading out,'' because maintenance of these rules ''leads out'' of unskillful actions, and, by extension, unskillful states of mind; in addition it can be said to ''lead out'' of the household life, and, by extension, attachment to the world.

... teacher³

This refers to the Venerable Ajahn's early years in the monkhood, before he had begun to practice in earnest.

... her⁴

The second sanghādisesa offense, which deals with touching a woman with lustful intentions.

... offense⁵

Referring to pācittiya offense No. 36, for eating food outside of the allowed time - dawn till noon.

...dukkata⁶

Dukkata - offenses of ''wrong-doing,'' the lightest class of offenses in the Vinaya, of which there are a great number; pārājika - offenses of defeat, of which there are four, are the most serious, involving expulsion from the Bhikkhu Sangha.

... Mun⁷

Venerable Ajahn Mun Bhūridatto, probably the most renowned and highly respected Meditation Master from the forest tradition in Thailand. He had many disciples who have been teachers in their own right, of whom Ajahn Chah is one. Venerable Ajahn Mun died in 1949.

...Pubbasikkhā⁸

Pubbasikkhā Vannanā - ''The Elementary Training'' - a Thai Commentary on Dhamma-Vinaya based on the Pāli Commentaries; Visuddhimagga - ''The Path to Purity'' - Ācariya Buddhaghosa's exhaustive commentary on Dhamma-Vinaya.

...ottappa⁹

Hiri - sense of shame; Ottappa - fear of wrong-doing. Hiri and ottappa are positive states of mind which lay a foundation for clear conscience and moral integrity. Their arising is based on a respect for oneself and for others. Restraint is natural because of a clear perception of cause and effect.

...āpatti¹⁰

Āpatti: the offenses of various classes for a Buddhist monk.

...Mahā¹¹

Mahā: a title given to monks who have studied Pāli and completed up to the fourth year or higher.

... cloth¹²

A ''receiving cloth'' is a cloth used by Thai monks for receiving things from women, from whom they do not receive things directly. That Venerable Ajahn Pow lifted his hand from the receiving cloth indicated that he was not actually receiving the money.

... proper¹³

There are very precise and detailed regulations governing the ordination procedure which, if not adhered to, may render the ordination invalid.

... away¹⁴

The Vinaya forbids bhikkhus from eating raw meat or fish.

... know¹⁵

Although it is an offense for monks to accept money, there are many who do. Some may accept it while appearing not to, which is probably how the lay people in this instance saw the Venerable Ajahn's refusal to accept money, by thinking that he actually would accept it if they didn't overtly offer it to him, but just slipped it into his bag.

...añjalī¹⁶

Añjalī - the traditional way of making greeting or showing respect, as with an Indian Namaste or the Thai wai. Sādhu - ''It is well'' - a way of showing appreciation or agreement.

... themselves¹⁷

Another transgression of the precepts, a pācittiya offense.

...Navakovāda¹⁸

Navakovāda - a simplified synopsis of elementary Dhamma-Vinaya.