The Tham Vessantara-jAtaka - Khamkoo

offence of the first rule of PArAjika, if a monk takes a thing worthy of a penny, he has
committed the second PArAjika rule, if a monk kills a human being, he has committed
the offence of the third PArAjika and if a monk boasts to gain favour, he has committed
the offence of the fourth PArAjika and forever he looses a brotherhood”.
A thing worthy of capable of committing PArAjika is explained as follow:
There is a thing without owner. That thing is brought to be offered to the deity or it is
hung on the branches of a tree, or is put on the rocks or in the bush, if a monk takes it
intentionally, he is not committing the offence of PArAjika because there is no owner of
it. If there is someone looking after it, a monk should not take it. Committing a theft
means taking a thing by force due to craving by any means. Then a monk commits the
offence of PArAjaka. That is why; the Lord Buddha laid down rules for monks thus: Yo
pana bhikkhu adinnaM theyyasankhAtaM : “Should any Bhikkhu, in the manner of
stealing, take what is not given and so on.” This is called MulapaGGatti, which later is
recited by monks every fortnight for their purification.
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Later there was a monk who thought that the Lord Buddha had laid down a rule
not to indulge in sexual intercourse only with a human being. Then he indulged in
sexual intercourse with a female monkey. Then the Lord Buddha laid down further later
AnupaGGatti, which goes Antamaso tiracchAnagatAyapi pArAjiko hoti asaMvAso : That
means if any monk commits, at least, sexual intercourse with any animal, he commits
the offence of PArAjika.
Venerable monks, if any rule has not been understood clearly, please do ask the
learned ones. When the Lord Buddha was still living, he promulgated discipline for his
four groups of disciples, Bhikkhus, BhikkhunIs, UpasakAs and UpAsikAs.
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