Duties

Duties

Performing duties is a part of the morality of bhikkhus. There are duties to be performed by everyone such as ācāriyopādyāya (teacher/preceptor), saddivihārika (junior living with teacher/ co-habitant pupil) and antevāsika (one who lives away from the teacher with his permission). Everyone from mahāthera to the sāmacera ordained the same day has to perform duties applicable to him.

Vattan na paripūrento na sīlan paripūrati, Asuddhasīlo duppañño cittekaggan na vindati.

Vikkhittacitto nekaggo saddhaman na ca passati Apassamāno saddhaman dukkhā na parimuicati.

(Vinaya vinicchaya vattakkhandhaka)

Morality of the person who does not perform duties is incomplete. The person without morality and intelligence does not achieve one-poinetedness of mind. One with a scattered mind does not see the Dhamma and does not liberate from suffering. Samaceras become punishable for not performing duties. Bhikkhus would have commited a minor offence. Fourteen duties are given in the vattakkhandhaka of the cullavagga paIi. They are given in the following two stanzas of the vinaya examination.

Āgantukāvāsika picaacārī senāsanāraññanumodanāsu Vattāni     hatte    gamikassa       jantā    –                 ghare    tathā vaccakuiippavese

Ācariyupajjhāyaka    sissa    saddhi    –    vihāri    vattāni    pi sabbasova,

Vattāni vuttāni catuddaseva visuddhacittena vināyakena.

These stanzas must be commited to memory to avoid forgetting the fourteen duties.

There are fourteen duties namely; visitor’s duties, resident’s duties, alms round duties, monastic duties, duties when living in the forest, tranfering merit duties, code of conduct for bhikkhus, duties in the village, jantāghara (sauna) duties, toilet duties, teacher’s duties, preceptors’s duties, duties of a junior living with teacher and duties of one who has permission to live away.

Upādhyāya vata (Duties towards preceptor)

The teacher who detects, points out and advises pupils about minor and major mistakes is the preceptor. Saddhivihārika who accepts the teacher as preceptor by uttering “Uppajjhāyo me bhante hohi” must serve him for life. The pupil who receives advice and instrutions from the preceptor is refered to as saddhivihārika. Saddhivihārika should wake up early and offer teeth cleaning materials and water for washing as desired by the preceptor. Must sweep and clean the residence, compound and toilet daily. If any gruel or rice is available, they must be offered to the preceptor. After he has eaten, should wash and store away the vessal. Should clean the eating-place. If the preceptor wishes to go on the alms round in the village, he must be offered the alms bowl and robes. If the preceptor wishes to have a second person, one should wear the robes and walk behind with the bowl in hand. Once the begging for food is over, one should return to the residence early and put away footwear and robes, go up to meet the preceptor and accept his alms bowl and robes. Water must be kept to wash the feet. Prepare the seat. When the preceptor is seated, he must offer food and water. If there is sufficient time to attend to the needs of the preceptor, one should wait until he has eaten, offer water, wash and store the bowl or any other vessal before one begins to eat. If forenoon is close to pass away, water must be offered to the preceptor, partake in the food yourself and attend to the needs of the preceptor thereafter. The robes of the preceptor must be folded and stored. If the robes are wet, they must be dried and folded. Everytime the preceptor returns to the residence from a visit outside, one should go up to meet him and accept the alms bowl and robes. Offer water. Offer gilanpasa if available.

One should not interrupt when the preceptor is speaking. One must try to supply hot or cold water if the preceptor wishes to bathe. If the preceptor goes to a bathing spot, one must carry the requisites such as bathing cloth and towel to that place. If the preceptor so wishes, one should bathe him and rub down his body. After a bath, the bathing cloth and other material must be brought to the residence and stored.

If the preceptor’s robes need washing, they must be washed, dried and stored away. If the preceptor’s robes require dyeing, one must try to do it. If the preceptor does them himself, you must help him in doing so.

Without the permission of the preceptor, his alms bowl and robes etc. should not be given to people who are ill disposed towards him. Should not accept anything offered by them. Should not serve them. Should not get them to serve, should not go about with them and should not conduct them on journeys. One must not go out without the permission of the preceptor. If the preceptor falls ill, one must nurse him for life.

When one preceptor has many saddhivihārikas, it is not possible for all of them to serve the preceptor. In such instances, it is suitable to divide the services or take turns in performing them. If one or two performs the services, it is not wrong for the others not to serve. It is not an offence for a nishraya muktaka (one who has permission to live away) bhikkhu to give away or accept things without permission.

Ācārya vata (Duties towards teacher)

There are four types of teachers, namely: nishrayācārya- pravrujyācārya-           upasampadācārya-dharmācārya. Nishrayācārya are the teachers retained by pupils while living away from the preceptor by saying “ācāriyo me bhante hohi, āyasmato nissāya vacchāmi”.  Pravrujyācārya is the teacher who established refuge and taught other matters at the time of ordination. Upasampadācārya is the teacher who rendered advice and performed the disciplinary act at the time of higher ordination. Dharmācārya is the teacher who teaches Dhamma and vinaya. Antevāsikas of these four types of teachers must perform the services required by them as they would for the preceptor. There is only a nominal difference between upādyāya vata and ācārya vata. Duties performed for the preceptor is upādyāya vata. The same when performed for the teacher becomes ācārya vata.

It is sufficient to perform duties for the nishrayācārya, only during the time of living with him. Nishrayācārya, Upasampadācārya, Dharmācārya duties must be performed for life. However, it will not be an offence to give away or accept things without permission by a nishraya muktaka bhikkhu.

Saddhivihārika antevāsika vata (Duties towards pupils)

A sāmacera or upasammpanna pupil, who lives, with dependence on a preceptor, is a saddhivihārika. A person who has observed dependence under a thero, a person who received advice for ordination from a thero, a person who received higher ordination from a thero or a person who learned Dhamma from a thero is called an antevāsika. The first among them is nishrayāntevāsika. The second is pravrujyāntevāsika. The third is upasampadāntevāsika. The fourth is dharmāntevāsika. As much as there are duties to be performed by, saddhivihārikas and antevāsikas there are duties to be performed by preceptors and teachers on behalf of saddhivihārikas and antevāsikas. The duties to be performed by the preceptor towards the pupil are called saddhivihārika vata. The duties to be performed by the teacher towards pupil are called antēvāsika vata. It is not wrong to call them duties of teacher/preceptor. Not performing them is an offence commited by the teacher/preceptor.

The following are the duties of the teacher/ preceptor. The teacher/          preceptor         should assist    the saddhivihārika/antēvāsika by making them learn the Dhamma vinaya, explaining their meanings, advising and warning them when offences are commited. If the pupil does not have requisites such as bowl and robes, the teacher should supply them when available. If not available with him should try to obtain them. If the pupil develops a discontent towards the Bhuddha sāsana or pabbajja, teacher should explain matters and clear the misunderstanding. If you are unable to do so, one must get another to clear such thoughts. If doubt occurs, regarding some matter, action must be taken to clear it. If the pupil develops wrong views, they must be cleared. Should teach the pupil Dhamma. Pupils must be taught how to cut, sew, dye and wash robes. If the pupil falls ill, he must be nursed. Every attempt must be made to make the pupil well. Teacher/ preceptor must perform all functions such as giving tooth stick and water for washing the face.

Āgantuka vata (Visitor’s duties)

‘Visitor’s duties’ is the manner in which a visitor to another’s residence should conduct himself. An outsider visiting a residence should remove any footwear, fold the umbrella if carrying one, uncover the head and calmly enter the residence. Go to the place where resident bhikkhus gather and place the bowl and robes. Inquire about drinking water and water used for other purposes. Inquire about the locations of lavatories and urinals. Inquire about, where to go and where not go, to obtain food. Should pay respects to the older resident bhikkhus. Should accept respects paid by residents. When a kuti (room) is assigned, one must inquire as to whether it had been earlier occupied by another or  not. If not occupied by another earlier, it must be inspected before entering. If previously occupied and not cleaned, it must be swept and cleaned. If the surroundings have garbage, they must be swept and cleared. Toilet, if unclean should be swept and cleaned. If no water is available, must place some in position.

Āvāsika vata (Resident bhikkhu’s duties)

“Resident’s duties” is the performance required of the residents when a visitor arrives. As it is done for the sake of the visitors, it is also referred to as ‘visitor’s duties’. When you see an older visitor arriving, the resident must get up from his seat, go up to meet him, receive bowl  and robe and deposit them at an appropriate place. Should prepare a seat for the visitor. Provide water to wash feet and mouth. Pay respects to the older visitor. Fan him. Offer gilanpasa if available. If not offer at least some water to drink. Assign a kuti for the visitor. He must be informed whether it was previously occupied by another or not. Should inform him about the location of lavatories and urinals. Inform him about where to go and where not to go for alms in the village. If the visitor is a junior, the resident must accept the respects paid. The senior resident bhikkhu should remain seated and inform the junior visitor where to keep the bowl and robe and where water is available. Even if engaged in some other activity, the resident should stop it and attend to the needs of the visitor.

Gamika vata (Traveller’s duties)

Duty to be performed by a visitor leaving a residence after a visit is called the traveller’s duty. A bhikkhu who is leaving a residence after a visit should not act negligently, to cause damage to the residence or materials at the place. A bhikkhu leaving a room or kuti after a visit should remove rubbish and garbage; place all materials in a manner not to cause them damage. Close windows and doors and hand over the kuti to a bhikkhu, a sāmacera if no bhikkhu is available or to a resident layman, if even a sāmacera is not available. If no one is available to handover, one should close all windows, doors and place all goods in a safe manner before leaving. If the roof of the residence is leaking one should cover it if able to do so. If not capable, the goods should be kept at a spot where the roof is not leaking. If the entire residence is getting wet the goods should be kept at a suitable place in the village. Otherwise, they should be kept outdoors covered, in a manner not to be subjected to attack by termites.

Bhattagga vata (Refectory duties)

Bhattagga vata is the code of practice for bhikkhus at places where people offer alms to bhikkhus. When the time is announced to go to the place where alms are offered, one should wear the inner robe to cover the knees and naval, wear the belt, don the robe, tie the knot, wash the bowl and walk calmly in the order of seniority without breaking any disciplinary precepts. Should not walk in front of elders. When sitting at the refectory, should not sit too close to theros and in a manner that would disturb junior bhikkhus or break precepts. The disciplinary precepts must not be broken while accepting and partaking in food.

When taking seats special attention must be paid to theros. If similar seats are allocated for the mahā thero and others, the others must leave a seat or two unoccupied after the mahā thero and take their seats. When there is not enough room to leave empty seats, permission must be sought from the mahā thero before sitting down. Mahā thero should conduct himself according to the conditions of the place. Mahā thero should not commence consuming food until serving everyone is comlpeted. When leaving the refectory, if the mahā thero is too far away from the exit, a junior should leave first. However when on the road, should go according to the seniority.

Anumodanā vata (Duties of transferring merit)

At the end of the meal, one should not simply get up and go away.  “Anujānàmi  bhikkhave,  bhattagge  anumoditun”, as declared above, one should address the devotees who supplied the alms in a manner that will gladden their minds.Anujānāmi bhikkhave, therena bhikkhunā bhattaggē anumoditun. As declared, here a thero should give the Dhamma talk. If the thero so desires he may get a junior to make the address. The other bhikkhus should not depart leaving the thero alone to make the address. At least four or five bhikkhus should remain in the place until the talk is over.

Piuaacārika vata (Alms round duty)

A bhikkhu who is going on an alms round should wear the andana to cover the knees and naval, wear the belt, don both robes together, tie the knot, wash the bowl and enter the village calmly. When approaching a house one should do so with awareness. Should not go too close to the house or the people. Should not stay too far either. Should not go away too quickly. Should not stay too long. While waiting should consider whether offers will be made or not. If people get up from their seats, take a vessal in hand or take spoons in hand one should realize that offers would be made. When food is offered, the robe must be moved with the left hand and then bowl held in both hands. Should not look at the face of the person making the offer. If there are signs that curries will be offered, should stay until they are given. After the food is given, cover the bowl with the robe and leave.

At places where there are many bhikkhus, the bhikkhu who returns first after begging for alms, should prepare seats for the others. Should keep water. Wash the vessal for placing excess food. The bhikkhu, who arrives later, may if he wishes, partake in the excess food. If not remove the excess food and wash the vessal. Should fold the seats. Store away the vessals contaning water. Sweep the hall.

Āraññaka vata (Forest monastery duties)

A bhikkhu living in a forest monastery, should close doors and windows, take bowl, wear robes and footwear if available and leave for the village, when it is time for the alms round. When approaching the village, don the robes as per disciplinary rules and get ready for the alms round. Should keep drinking water and water for other use at the residence. If two vessals are not available, keep one vessal. If no vessals are available, keep water in a bamboo. If not prepare a pit to store water at a location not too far away. Keep a fire burning. The fire need not be kept burning if facilities are available to start a fire when required. Should keep a walking stick. Should know the date month and season. Should know the direction (north, south etc.).

Senāsana vata (Temple duties)

A bhikkhu residing in a vihāra (temple/residence) should clear the various items in the vihāra. Should sweep and clean the vihāra. All utensils including spittoons should be cleaned. Should sweep the garden and remove garbage. Should clean the refectory, lavatories and urinals. Surroundings of the stupa, bo tree and image houses must be kept clean. Should store drinking water and water for other use. Windows and doors in the direction from which dust blows should be kept closed. Opening and closing of these must be done at appropriate times. They should not be open at all times, in a manner that will destroy thevihāra. Juniors living together with elders should not, without the permission of elders, deliver Dhamma talks or chant pāritta, read books or lessons aloud, light and put off lamps and open and close windows. As obtaining permission for these frequently is difficult, it is desirable for the elders to give juniors permission do to them as they please. In such case, no wrong will result when the junior does so as he desires. However, it is the responsibility of the junior to do them in a manner that will not result in difficulties for the elder. During walking meditation, the junior should ensure that even the edge of his robe does not touch the elders robe.