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.

戒律是佛陀为僧众和尼众所制定的纪律制度，持戒能引导他们获得道德化的人生。

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.

佛陀并不是一次过程把戒律完备。佛陀在某种情况下制定某条戒律。在《律藏》中详细的记载了每条戒律制定时的故事。对佛陀而言，最佳的戒律是控制自己的身、语、意三业行。佛陀早期的追随者，都有很高的觉性，因此根本不需要戒律。当僧团发展到越来越庞大时，由于良莠不齐，有些甚至还从事一些在家人的活动，因此，佛陀才为僧众、尼众及在家信徒制定了戒律。这时，僧团才真正获得全面的发展，信徒们也依据戒律过着神圣的宗教生活。

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 divided 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.

佛陀为僧团制定了一切必要的戒律。当佛陀入灭后，信众们都以戒律为师，遵循戒律而生活。佛陀所制定的戒律，可以分为两大部分。第一部份为所有的信徒，包括在家和出家信徒都必须奉行的「广戒」(Loaajja)。第二部份是有关文化，或社会习俗的戒条，称为「分别戒」(Pannat ajja)。「广戒」制约一切对世间的伤害、不道德和邪恶的行为。「分别戒」对在家人不起制约作用，而出家人则必须严格奉行。触犯「广戒」会破坏个人的名誉和缔造恶业。触犯某些「分别戒」虽然不缔造恶业，可是污染了个人的净修，也对僧团造成名誉的伤害。要知道戒律制定于二十五世纪前的印度，虽然佛陀在《大般涅槃经》(MahaParnbbana Sutta)提到，一些「小小戒」可以舍，但是，这些并未包括那些不道德或造成伤害的行为。在佛陀生前，一些「小小戒」在僧众的提议下，佛陀也同意放弃。佛陀也同意生病的僧众可以暂时舍弃某些戒条。在佛陀入灭后的第一个月，由僧众自发组织的第一次结集大会，所结集的戒条，却没有人同意删除或更改。所有的信徒都同意奉行佛陀生前所制定的戒律。从那时候起，佛教徒就以戒律为引导精神生活的唯一依归。佛陀并没有指定继承人，佛陀说过，任何人只要理解佛法，奉行佛法，就已经足够引导他自己进入神圣的境界。

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.

另一个佛陀早期信徒不愿更改戒律的原因，是不想在佛陀入灭一个月这个短的时间内，对佛陀的言教有所更动，这也是出于他们对佛陀的忠诚和深切的敬爱。后来，社会风貌改变了，佛陀也传播到世界各地去时，佛教徒依然不愿意更改第一次结集的佛教戒律，是因为不愿意附膺于政治或经济的流变。