14. The Vinaya
By Luang Pu Thate Desaraṅsī
July 12, 1984
Let me speak first about the Vinaya. Having ordained, we must hold the Vinaya as supreme. The custom and tradition of a monk is the Vinaya. If deficient or lacking in the Vinaya, it is called incomplete.
In matters of the Vinaya, it is most necessary to practice it as the foundation. Even if the mind has not yet become the Vinaya, we must be careful and intend to train and teach ourselves in these matters.
In the past, after people attained the paths, fruits, and Nibbāna, the Vinaya was not extensive. They still ate evening meals. In those days, they even went on alms round at night. But because it was inappropriate and unsuitable, the Buddha therefore forbade it. Some monks still regretted giving up the evening meal, saying that food in the evening was delicious and people liked to prepare it then, and so on. But in the present time, the Vinaya has increased because monks behaved carelessly and also not in a way conducive to the paths, fruits, and Nibbāna. The Buddha therefore gradually laid down prohibitions for those various things.
The Vinaya is the foundation. If the Vinaya is proper, then people will respect and honor it, and Buddhism will last long into the future. As we hear, most people say that monks who go abroad, to America, behave carelessly. Almost every monk who goes there is careless, whether Dhammayut or Mahanikaya. Being far from their teachers and elders, they act on their own accord. This shows they are using religion to make a living. Wearing the yellow robe, people understand they are monks and so continue to give alms and make merit. Thus it is said they use religion to make a living. In Thailand it is the same. Some monks, some groups, also use religion to make a living. In the end, there is no Vinaya at all. As it was taught: religion declines starting from the decline of the Abhidhamma, then the Suttanta, and finally the Vinaya.
The decline of the Abhidhamma means the paths, fruits, and Nibbāna decline in order. Arahants, Non-returners, Once-returners decline down to Stream-enterers, leaving only ordinary worldlings. That is called the decline of religion — the Abhidhamma declines.
The Suttanta also declines in order. The decline of the Suttanta can be seen in the story of the Vessantara Jātaka. People take it and adapt it in various ways, chanting and preaching in different styles, deviating from the truth, deviating from the Dhamma-Vinaya — all for the sake of making a living.
The Vinaya declines starting from dukkaṭa offenses, dubbhāsita (wrong speech), pācittiya, nissaggiya, down to saṅghādisesa, leaving only pārājika.
Then the status (of a monk) declines — even the four pārājikas decline completely. In the end, monks make their own living. This shows that the laypeople do not respect or honor them, do not provide various foods. They make their own living — farming, planting yams to eat. In the end, nothing remains. This is called the decline of the status. Initially the Dhamma-Vinaya declines; later it is called the decline of the status. Pārājikas and saṅghādisesas all decline. Robes and cloth are no longer regarded. Only a wrist-cloth, a yellow cloth tied around the wrist, remains as a symbol of being a monk. It declines in this way. The decline happens because they do not help each other to maintain it.
Therefore, we must help each other to maintain the Vinaya. Having ordained, we are said to have renounced everything — that is why we ordained. Even money we must not touch or use. If we need to use it, we use a steward (veyyāvaccakara) to act on our behalf. For what is necessary — the four requisites: robes, alms bowl, lodging, and medicine — we do not need money. It is a bit difficult to say this now. The phrase "need things" — they say needing things means needing money. That's what they say. Money and things are different. Those who practice will gradually understand and know clearly. We do not need money. Let money be something shameful and fearful. But we need things. Even when we need things, we cannot go buy them ourselves. We have others buy them. We cannot even bargain; whatever price they set, we accept.
As monks, we should maintain what is proper for monks. We should not give grounds for criticism or contempt. Whatever food and drink is given, we eat it as given, without picking and choosing. How can we pick and choose food? That would be choosing what we like; what we don't like or doesn't please us, we wouldn't eat it. Regarding robes and cloth: if what is given is not good, we might go buy our own instead. And so on. Regarding lodgings: if someone builds a hut for us to stay in, we don't like it and prefer to build our own. Regarding medicines: what is given we don't accept, we must buy our own. This makes it easy for laypeople to notice. Dislike is the easiest thing to notice. If our mind dislikes something, even if we don't speak, they notice easily. They give something and we don't eat it, or eat only a little. This shows dislike. As monks, we should not do this. The Buddha made it a dukkaṭa offense — spoiling their act of generosity. Unless it is a certain kind of food that, if eaten, would be harmful or dangerous to our health — then we may refrain from it, and it is no offense.
Having ordained, we must renounce everything in order to be a complete and perfect monk. Moreover, when we practice, if we choose what we like and reject what we dislike, being averse to certain things that are not proper to be averse to — that is considered contemptible and careless. They consider it extremely careless. When a practicing monk is given food and doesn't eat it, given cloth and doesn't accept it — "not good, don't like it" — choosing like that, that monk still has defilements. That's how it goes. When we talk about "defilements," it's interesting. He really has defilements. If we choose only good things, only accept good things, that itself is defilement. Eventually people will say that this group of monks is not worthy of receiving offerings. This group of monks is picky and choosy — they don't eat our food, they don't accept our cloth and robes.
In truth, laypeople choose the best they have. What they give is not poor quality; it is good, which is why they give it. If it were not good, they would not give it. When making merit, they choose the best they possess. But they only have that much; they only earned that much. We should have compassion for them so that they may generate faith and confidence, so that they will respect and honor (the Sangha), and Buddhism will prosper. If they become contemptuous, then religion will gradually become dull and darkened. The same applies to alms round. In the morning, looking at it, it's not quite appropriate. They have made an effort, coming from far away, having renounced everything. The food they have brought — they have made an effort to bring it because they want to put it in the alms bowl. However much or little they have, they bring it to make merit. When we go on alms round, we should have compassion and look after them. But instead of having compassion and letting them put food in the bowl, our bowl is already full, so we stop. It's not appropriate now. No matter what, we should go all the way until their food runs out.
I have made an effort, but it is beyond my ability to go all the way because my health doesn't allow it. Next time, we shouldn't do that. Don't do it — it's not appropriate. When there is an event, we must go all the way. But we live in this monastery — it's not like walking far. It's just walking on alms round and then eating. Not difficult at all. But they — oh! They have struggled and labored to earn money, to buy food — how difficult it is to get it to put in the bowl. We should have compassion for them. If our bowl is full, we can tell the laypeople. We can tell them. They know it's full, but they still want to put food in — they want to make merit with us.
They want to make merit, which is why they made the effort to come. When they come and cannot put food in the bowl, they become anxious. This causes their faith to decline. Therefore, we should not act in this way.