BUDDHIST MONASTIC CODE I

Buddhist Monastic Code 13) In the passage where the Buddha gives permission for bhikkhus to give theirconsent by proxy (Mv.II.23.1-2), he states that this permission applies to illbhikkhus. Yet in the origin stories to this rule and the following one, the group-ofsixbhikkhus are not ill, they give their consent by proxy, and the transaction carriedout with their consent is considered valid. None of the texts make note of this point,but it seems to indicate that ill in this context covers not only physical illness butalso any other serious inconvenience that prevents one from joining in the meeting.The factors for the offense under this rule are three.1) Object: a valid transaction to which one has given one's consent.2) Perception: One perceives it as valid.3) Effort: One complains about it.Object & perception. The various permutations of these factors are as follows:a valid transaction that one perceives to be valid: grounds for a pācittiya;an invalid transaction that one perceives to be valid: grounds for a dukkaṭa;a transaction that one is doubtful about, regardless of its actual validity:grounds for a dukkaṭa;a transaction that one perceives to be invalid, regardless of its actualvalidity: grounds for no offense.Effort. Any expression of displeasure with the transaction would fulfill this factor. If,however, one states that the transaction was not carried out in accordance with therule, then regardless of whether one had given one's consent, the case would fallunder Pc 63 rather than here.Non-offenses. There is no offense in complaining about the transaction if oneperceives it as having been carried out not in accordance with the rule, by anincomplete assembly, or against someone who did not warrant such an act. Thisexemption holds even if the transaction was actually valid.Summary: Complaining about a Community transaction to which one gave one'sconsent — if one perceives the transaction as having been carried out inaccordance with the rule — is a pācittiya offense.80. Should any bhikkhu, when deliberation is being carried on inthe Community, get up from his seat and leave without having givenconsent, it is to be confessed.The origin story here is a sequel to the one for the preceding rule."Now at that time the Community was meeting on some business or other, and thegroup-of-six bhikkhus, making robes, sent their consent with one of their members.Then the Community, thinking, 'We'll carry out the transaction (against the onemember of the group-of-six) that was our real purpose in meeting,' set forth a404