Theravāda Vinaya — Mahāvibhaṅga — Saṅghādisesakaṇḍa

The whole successive permutation series is finished.

If he accepts the mission, finds out the response, and reports back, he commits an offense entailing suspension.

If he accepts the mission, and finds out the response, but does not report back, he commits a serious offense.

If he accepts the mission, but does not find out the response, yet reports back, he commits a serious offense.

If he accepts the mission, but neither finds out the response, nor reports back, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

If he does not accept the mission, yet finds out the response and reports back, he commits a serious offense.

If he does not accept the mission, yet finds out the response, but does not report back, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

If he neither accepts the mission, nor finds out the response, yet reports back, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

If he does not accept the mission, nor finds out the response, nor reports back, there is no offense.

A man tells a number of monks,

“Venerables, find out about such-and-such a woman.”

If they all accept the mission, all find out the response, and all report back, they all commit an offense entailing suspension.

A man tells a number of monks,

“Venerables, find out about such-and-such a woman.”

If they all accept the mission, all find out the response, but only one reports back, they all commit an offense entailing suspension.

A man tells a number of monks,

“Venerables, find out about such-and-such a woman.”

If they all accept the mission, but only one finds out the response, yet all report back, they all commit an offense entailing suspension.

A man tells a number of monks,

“Venerables, find out about such-and-such a woman.”

If they all accept the mission, but only one finds out the response, and only one reports back, they all commit an offense entailing suspension.

A man tells a monk,

“Sir, find out about such-and-such a woman.”

If he accepts the mission, finds out the response, and reports back, he commits an offense entailing suspension.

A man tells a monk,

“Sir, find out about such-and-such a woman.”

If he accepts the mission, finds out the response, but gets a pupil to report back, he commits an offense entailing suspension.

A man tells a monk,

“Sir, find out about such-and-such a woman.”

If he accepts the mission, but gets a pupil to find out the response, and then reports back himself, he commits an offense entailing suspension.

A man tells a monk,

“Sir, find out about such-and-such a woman.”

If he accepts the mission, but gets a pupil to find out the response, and the pupil then reports back on his own initiative, they both commit a serious offense.

If he fulfills the agreement when he goes, but not when he returns, he commits a serious offense.

If he does not fulfill the agreement when he goes, but he does when he returns, he commits a serious offense.

If he fulfills the agreement both when he goes and when he returns, he commits an offense entailing suspension.

If he neither fulfills the agreement when he goes nor when he returns, there is no offense.

There is no offense:

if he goes because of business for the Sangha, for a shrine, or for one who is sick;

if he is insane;

if he is the first offender.

Summary verses of case studies

“Asleep, and dead, gone out,

Not a woman, a woman who lacks sexual organs;

He reconciled them after quarreling,

And he was a matchmaker for paṇḍakas.”

Case studies

At one time a man told a monk,

“Sir, please find out about such-and-such a woman.”

When the monk got there, he asked some people,

“Where’s so-and-so?”

“She’s asleep, venerable.”

He became anxious, thinking,

“The Buddha has laid down a training rule.

Could it be that I’ve committed an offense entailing suspension?”

He told the Buddha, who said,

“There’s no offense entailing suspension,

but there’s an offense of wrong conduct.”

At one time a man told a monk,

“Sir, please find out about such-and-such a woman.”

When the monk got there, he asked some people,

“Where’s so-and-so?”

“She’s dead, venerable.” …

“She’s gone out, venerable.” …

“That’s not a woman, venerable.” …

“That’s a woman who lacks sexual organs, venerable.”

He became anxious …

“There’s no offense entailing suspension,

but there’s an offense of wrong conduct.”

At one time a certain woman quarreled with her husband and went to her mother’s house.

A monk who associated with that family reconciled them.

He became anxious …

“Were they divorced, monk?”

“No, sir.”

“There’s no offense if they’re not divorced.”

At one time a monk acted as a matchmaker for paṇḍakas.

He became anxious …

“There’s no offense entailing suspension,

but there’s a serious offense.”

The training rule on matchmaking, the fifth, is finished.