What is Vinaya

　　戒律

　　Vinaya is the disciplinary code for self training laid down by the Buddha for monks and nuns to observe. Vinaya plays a pivotal role in their monastic way of life.

　　戒律是佛陀爲僧衆和尼衆所製定的紀律製度，持戒能引導他們獲得道德化的人生。

　　The Buddha did not formulate the code of discipline in a single exercise. However, He instituted certain rules as and when the need arose. Vinaya Pitaka and its commentary contain many significant stories about how and why certain rules were laid down by the Buddha. According to the Buddha the best form of Vinaya was to discipline the mind, words and action. The early disciples of the Buddha were highly developed spiritually and they had little need for a set of rules to be imposed upon them. However, as the monastic order (the Sangha) grew in numbers, it attracted many others, some of whom were not so highly developed spiritually. There arose some problems regarding their conduct and way of life such as taking part in lay activities for their livelihood and yielding to temptation for sense pleasure. Owing to this situation, the Buddha had to lay down guidelines for the monks and nuns to follow so that they could distinguish the difference between the life of monks and laymen. The holy order of the monks and the nuns was a well-established religious order when compared with other existing acetic practices at that time.

　　佛陀並不是一次過程把戒律完備。佛陀在某種情況下製定某條戒律。在《律藏》中詳細的記載了每條戒律製定時的故事。對佛陀而言，最佳的戒律是控製自己的身、語、意叁業行。佛陀早期的追隨者，都有很高的覺性，因此根本不需要戒律。當僧團發展到越來越龐大時，由于良莠不齊，有些甚至還從事一些在家人的活動，因此，佛陀才爲僧衆、尼衆及在家信徒製定了戒律。這時，僧團才真正獲得全面的發展，信徒們也依據戒律過著神聖的宗教生活。

　　The Buddha prescribed all the necessary guidance to maintain the holy order in every aspect of life. When the Buddha passed away, these rules were collated so that the Order could be organized around them. The code of conduct prescribed by the Buddha can be pided into two broad areas. These are Universal Moral Codes, Lokavajja, most of which are applicable to all members of the Order and lay people alike for leading a religious life. Certain other disciplinary codes or rules which can be instituted to meet the existing cultural and social constraints of the country at any one time are called Pannatti Vajja. In the first category are the Universal Laws which restricted all immoral and harmful evil deeds. The second category of rules applied almost directly to the monks and nuns in the observance of manners, traditions, duties, customs and etiquette.

　　Breaking of moral codes pertaining to the Lokavajja create bad reputation as well as bad kamma, whereas violation of disciplinary codes based on social conditions do not necessarily create bad kamma. However, they are subject to criticism as violation in any form pollute the purity and dignity of the holy Order. These rules were largely based on the socio-cultural situation or way of life prevailing in India 25 centuries ago. According to the Maha Parinibbana Sutta, the Buddha had proclaimed that some ”minor” rules could be altered or amended to accommodate changes due to time and environment, provided they do not encourage immoral or harmful behavior. In fact, during the Buddha”s time itself, certain minor rules were amended by the monks with His permission.

　　The Buddha also advocated that sick monks and nuns be exempted from certain Vinaya rules. However, once the rules had been enumerated by the disciples in the First Council, convened three months after the passing away of the Buddha, it was decided that all the rules should be maintained in toto because no one was certain as to which of the rules should be altered. Finally, the disciples decided to uphold all the precepts prescribed by the Buddha. As time went on however, the rules became fossilized and some orthodox disciples insisted that the rules should be followed strictly to the letter rather than in the spirit. It was precisely to prevent rigid adherence to mere rules of this kind that the Buddha did not appoint a successor to take over after Him. He had said that the understanding of the Dhamma and upholding of the Dhamma as the master should be enough to help one lead a holy life.

　　佛陀爲僧團製定了一切必要的戒律。當佛陀入滅後，信衆們都以戒律爲師，遵循戒律而生活。佛陀所製定的戒律，可以分爲兩大部分。第一部份爲所有的信徒，包括在家和出家信徒都必須奉行的「廣戒」(Loaajja)。第二部份是有關文化，或社會習俗的戒條，稱爲「分別戒」(Pannat ajja)。「廣戒」製約一切對世間的傷害、不道德和邪惡的行爲。「分別戒」對在家人不起製約作用，而出家人則必須嚴格奉行。觸犯「廣戒」會破壞個人的名譽和締造惡業。觸犯某些「分別戒」雖然不締造惡業，可是汙染了個人的淨修，也對僧團造成名譽的傷害。要知道戒律製定于二十五世紀前的印度，雖然佛陀在《大般涅槃經》(MahaParnbbana Sutta)提到，一些「小小戒」可以舍，但是，這些並未包括那些不道德或造成傷害的行爲。在佛陀生前，一些「小小戒」在僧衆的提議下，佛陀也同意放棄。佛陀也同意生病的僧衆可以暫時舍棄某些戒條。在佛陀入滅後的第一個月，由僧衆自發組織的第一次結集大會，所結集的戒條，卻沒有人同意刪除或更改。所有的信徒都同意奉行佛陀生前所製定的戒律。從那時候起，佛教徒就以戒律爲引導精神生活的唯一依歸。佛陀並沒有指定繼承人，佛陀說過，任何人只要理解佛法，奉行佛法，就已經足夠引導他自己進入神聖的境界。

　　Another reason why the early disciples did not agree to change any of the precepts was that there was no reason or occasion for them to do so within such a short period of time after the passing away of the Buddha. This was because, at that time, most of those who had renounced their worldly life had done so with sincerity and conviction. However, when the social conditions started to change and when Buddhism spread to many other parts of India and other countries, the decision made by the disciples not to change any precepts in the First Council became a very big problem because some of the rules could not be adapted to meet the political and economic changes under varying circumstances.

　　另一個佛陀早期信徒不願更改戒律的原因，是不想在佛陀入滅一個月這個短的時間內，對佛陀的言教有所更動，這也是出于他們對佛陀的忠誠和深切的敬愛。後來，社會風貌改變了，佛陀也傳播到世界各地去時，佛教徒依然不願意更改第一次結集的佛教戒律，是因爲不願意附膺于政治或經濟的流變。

《戒律 What is Vinaya

　　》全文閱讀結束。