Understanding Vinaya¹

At one time I went to see Venerable Ajahn Mun⁷. At that time I had just begun to practice. I had read the Pubbasikkhā⁸ and could understand that fairly well. Then I went on to read the Visuddhimagga, where the author writes of the Sīlaniddesa (Book of Precepts), Samādhiniddesa (Book of Mind-Training) and Paññānidesa (Book of Understanding).... I felt my head was going to burst! After reading that, I felt that it was beyond the ability of a human being to practice. But then I reflected that the Buddha would not teach something that is impossible to practice. He wouldn't teach it and he wouldn't declare it, because those things would be useful neither to himself nor to others. The Sīlaniddesa is extremely meticulous, the Samādhiniddesa more so, and the Paññāniddesa even more so! I sat and thought, ''Well, I can't go any further. There's no way ahead.'' It was as if I'd reached a dead-end.

At this stage I was struggling with my practice... I was stuck. It so happened that I had a chance to go and see Venerable Ajahn Mun, so I asked him: ''Venerable Ajahn, what am I to do? I've just begun to practice but I still don't know the right way. I have so many doubts I can't find any foundation at all in the practice.''

He asked, ''What's the problem?''

''In the course of my practice I picked up the Visuddhimagga and read it, but it seems impossible to put into practice. The contents of the Sīlaniddesa, Samādhiniddesa and Paññāniddesa seem to be completely impractical. I don't think there is anybody in the world who could do it, it's so detailed and meticulous. To memorize every single rule would be impossible, it's beyond me.''

He said to me: ''Venerable... there's a lot, it's true, but it's really only a little. If we were to take account of every training rule in the Sīlaniddesa that would be difficult... true.... But actually, what we call the Sīlaniddesa has evolved from the human mind. If we train this mind to have a sense of shame and a fear of wrong-doing, we will then be restrained, we will be cautious....

''This will condition us to be content with little, with few wishes, because we can't possibly look after a lot. When this happens our sati becomes stronger. We will be able to maintain sati at all times. Wherever we are we will make the effort to maintain thorough sati. Caution will be developed. Whatever you doubt don't say it, don't act on it. If there's anything you don't understand, ask the teacher. Trying to practice every single training rule would indeed be burdensome, but we should examine whether we are prepared to admit our faults or not. Do we accept them?''

This teaching is very important. It's not so much that we must know every single training rule, if we know how to train our own minds.

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.