One Hundred and Ten Expression of Regret Offenses (Payantika) 1. A bhikshu who masturbates, except in a dream, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 2. A bhikshu who makes an appointment to go outside the monastery alone with a laywoman or a nun, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 3. A bhikshu who sits alone in a hidden or solitary place with a laywoman or a nun, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 4. A bhikshu who sits alone in a car or on a boat with a laywoman or a nun except in the case of an emergency or with the permission of the Sangha, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 5. A bhikshu who writes a letter or gives a gift to a laywoman or a nun in order to show his feeling of affection for her or to win her heart, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 6. A bhikshu who is sick, and refuses to ask for help from his fellow monks or laymen but instead allows one or more nuns or laywomen to look after him and bring him food, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 7. A bhikshu who makes a telephone call to someone of the opposite sex at night, except in an emergency when he has let his fellow practitioners know that he is making this call, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 8. A bhikshu who after having been reminded by four or more bhikshus that he is emotionally attached to another person, whether female or male, and who refuses to listen, denies it, tries to negate what they say, or expresses anger, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 9. A bhikshu who intentionally watches animals copulating, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 10. A bhikshu who tells stories about sexual relations which he has seen on films, read in books, or heard others tell, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 11. A bhikshu who knows that a man has an incurable disease, is trying to avoid paying debts, has broken a criminal law, or does not have the agreement of his wife or children to ordain, and still allows that person to receive the Novice Precepts, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 12. A bhikshu who knows that a novice monk is not yet twenty years old or has not been accepted by the Sangha as an ordinee and still allows him to receive the Bhikshu Precepts, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 13. A bhikshu who has not changed his roommate after eight months, except with the permission of the Sangha, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 14. A bhikshu who hits another person in anger or out of resentment commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 15. A bhikshu who swears himself to one of the three unwholesome destinies during an argument, such as by saying “If I am lying, I will go to hell,” commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 16. A bhikshu who forces someone to swear an oath commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 17. A bhikshu who says what is not true, adds or omits important details, speaks vulgar words to insult others, or speaks words that cause hatred and division, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 18. A bhikshu who argues angrily in a loud voice and is gently encouraged by another bhikshu that he should say no more but return to his breathing or go outside to practice walking meditation in order to guard his mind, and who does not listen and continues to argue in a loud voice, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 19. A bhikshu who is offered guidance by a fellow practitioner concerning his shortcomings in the practice, and not only does not receive the guidance with gratitude and respect by joining his palms, but tries to find ways to defend himself, to avoid the subject, or to excuse himself by bringing up the shortcomings of others, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 20. A bhikshu who repeatedly speaks in a way that indirectly refers to the wrongdoing done in the past by another bhikshu, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 21. A bhikshu who brings up another bhikshu’s past offense, although the bhikshu has already been cleared of that offense with a Sanghakarman Procedure, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 22. A bhikshu who interrogates or reprimands other monks in the Sangha in the presence of laypeople or during a meal, putting them in a difficult situation, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 23. A bhikshu who threatens or frightens another bhikshu in such a way that the other becomes fearful and loses his motivation, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 24. A bhikshu who is requested to come and resolve a conflict with someone and continuously finds ways to avoid being present to make the reconciliation, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 25. A bhikshu who refuses to accept someone else’s apology, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 26. A bhikshu who allows his anger to continue up to seven days and still has no intention to practice reconciliation and Beginning Anew, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 27. A bhikshu who, out of hatred or discrimination, repeatedly and aggressively disputes in words or writing with other ideologies or religious faiths instead of devoting himself to his studies and practice, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 28. A bhikshu who, because of resentment with his fellow practitioners, does not seek help from the Sangha to find ways of reconciliation and instead leaves the community to go somewhere else or goes to stay with his family for a while and then comes back again, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 29. A bhikshu who does not practice to restore communication with his fellow practitioners but only complains to laypeople about difficulties and conflicts in the Sangha, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 30. A bhikshu who does not use loving speech and deep listening to resolve the difficulties and disputes that have arisen between him and another monk, but instead only goes to complain to and seek an ally in one person after another, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 31. A bhikshu who, upon hearing another monk complain about his difficulties with a third monk, makes no effort to bring about reconciliation between them, and instead allies himself with the monk who has complained to him in order to oppose the third monk, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 32. A bhikshu who goes to another monastery and talks about the shortcomings and weaknesses of his former monastery in a complaining and reproachful way, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 33. A bhikshu who claims to be up to date with the modern way of life and looks down disrespectfully at his teacher for being outdated and out of touch, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 34. A bhikshu who knows that the Sangha is about to meet to perform Sanghakarman Procedures, and who finds ways not to be present or pretends to be unwell and does not ask to be represented, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 35. A bhikshu who has already performed a Sanghakarman Procedure with the Sangha but is still annoyed and displeased about the meeting and tells someone else that he is against the Sanghakarman Procedure that has been realized, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 36. A bhikshu who has formally asked someone to represent him at a Sangha meeting and afterwards, feeling regret, looks for ways to deny the resolution that has been realized by Sanghakarman Procedure, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 37. A bhikshu who does not put into effect, or encourages someone else to not put into effect a resolution that has been taken by the Sangha under the Sanghakarman Procedure, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 38. A bhikshu who knows that another bhikshu or bhikshuni has committed a Degradation Offense and, in order to bring disrepute on this person, tells someone else about it who is not a bhikshu or bhikshuni before the Sangha has performed the Sanghakarman Procedure to affirm the offense, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 39. A bhikshu who talks about the faults of another monk when that monk is not present, except in the case of the practice of Shining Light, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 40. A bhikshu who sees that a fellow monk is sick and does not ask about his condition and look after him or find someone else to look after him, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 41. A bhikshu who has been assigned by the Sangha to distribute items among Sangha members, but out of favoritism gives more to some monks and less to others, or refuses to give anything to a monk with whom he does not get along well, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 42. A bhikshu who closes his eyes before suffering within himself and in the world and only takes comfort in laypeople’s offerings, forgetting that the aim of the practice is to find ways to transform suffering into peace and joy, after having been warned by three other bhikshus without listening deeply and changing his way, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 43. A bhikshu who sees that his fellow practitioner is about to commit an offense and says nothing to dissuade him against it or to let other bhikshus know so they can dissuade him against it, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 44. A bhikshu who is narrow-minded, attached to his views, and maintains that the knowledge he presently possesses is absolute and unchanging, refusing to be open to receive the viewpoints and insights of others, after having been warned by three other bhikshus and still refusing to alter his attitude, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 45. A bhikshu who uses authority, bribery, threat, propaganda, or indoctrination to force others, including children, to adopt his view, who does not respect the right of others to be different or their freedom to choose what to believe and how to decide, after having been warned by three other bhikshus and still refusing to alter his attitude, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 46. A bhikshu who has relatives who are monks or nuns and uses his authority to protect them when they act wrongly or seeks ways to give them priority or privilege commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 47. A bhikshu who relies on his sphere of influence due to the office he holds in the Sangha in order to overpower another bhikshu who is his senior in years of ordination commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 48. A bhikshu who uses his authority to force another bhikshu to take his side in opposing a proposal which is about to be realized by a Sanghakarman Procedure commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 49. A bhikshu who is attached to his title or position of seniority in the Sangha, and becomes angry or annoyed when someone does not address him according to his position or tells that person that they should correct their way of addressing him, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 50. A bhikshu who only gives special treatment to his own disciples and fails to care for other students who come to ask him for mentorship, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 51. A bhikshu who encourages another monk to take his side so that he can have more power to overtake fellow practitioners, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 52. A bhikshu who encourages another monk to leave his teacher and root temple in order to set up his own hermitage or go to another monastery, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 53. A bhikshu who speaks in a sweet and exaggerating way to win someone’s heart or complains and cries to arouse others’ sympathy for himself, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 54. A bhikshu who spreads news that he does not know to be certain or criticizes and condemns things of which he is not sure, in order to gain money, material benefits, or admiration for himself, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 55. A bhikshu who, after having received donations from a layperson, defends that layperson and oppresses other monks or nuns, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 56. A bhikshu who accepts disciples not with the purpose to teach and nurture them on the path of practice but only to serve his own reputation or his personal work, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 57. A bhikshu who forces the monks to work hard growing crops, manufacturing things to sell, or performing spiritual services for money in order to increase the income of the monastery and thus does not allow them enough time for their studies and practice, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 58. A bhikshu who pretends that he has a serious illness in order to be cared for by donors or to receive donations commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 59. A bhikshu who takes advantage of charitable organizations associated with the temple in order to gather additional possessions for himself or his monastery, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 60. A bhikshu who criticizes and looks down on an offering made by a donor to the Sangha, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 61. A bhikshu who accepts offerings from laypeople but does not truly practice to transform himself and says that it is the duty of laypeople to bring him offerings, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 62. A bhikshu who goes to a nunnery to complain about his lack of material resources in order to receive an offering, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 63. A bhikshu who only meets with people who are rich or intellectual, and out of discrimination does not show concern for those who are poor or uneducated, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 64. A bhikshu who steals money or belongings of another person, tells someone else to steal them, or sees someone stealing them without finding ways to prevent it, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 65. A bhikshu who breaks the promise he has made to a layperson and thus makes the person angry and critical of the monastic Sangha, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 66. A bhikshu who avoids heavy work and looks for light work, except in the case of illness or if he is weak and has poor health, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 67. A bhikshu who assesses the value of someone by the work he does, forgetting that the quality of a monk’s practice is more important than the amount of work he accomplishes, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 68. A bhikshu who is not aware that the responsibility of a monastic is to offer concrete practices which help people transform their suffering, but instead focuses all his energy on charitable works, forcing the Sangha to work so hard that they neglect their program of spiritual studies and practice, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 69. A bhikshu who accepts hired work to earn some money for himself, not recognizing that his monastery already has the resources to support his material needs and spiritual studies and practice, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 70. A bhikshu who tells people’s fortunes (by reading palms, astrology, or other means) or burns paper money for the deceased in order to earn some money, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 71. A bhikshu who eats a non-vegetarian meal, even though he excuses himself by saying that he lacks nutrition, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 72. A bhikshu who neglects the practice activities of the Sangha in order to produce luxurious and fancy dishes using expensive ingredients, without considering that so many people in the world are suffering from hunger and forgetting that he has committed himself to live the simple life of a monk, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 73. A bhikshu who eats apart from the Sangha and eats in his room, except when he is sick or is unable to eat with the Sangha due to Sangha service, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 74. A bhikshu who drinks beer, wine, or liquor of any kind, or takes any other substance that causes inebriation, except for medicinal use with the permission of the Bhikshu Sangha, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 75. A bhikshu who enters a bar or a dimly lit coffee shop to have a drink or to sit and watch people come and go, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 76. A bhikshu who goes to a layperson’s house or a restaurant to attend a birthday party, an engagement reception, or a wedding reception, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 77. A bhikshu who celebrates his birthday in a layperson’s house or a restaurant, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 78. A bhikshu who goes as a spectator to sports games, cinema, or worldly concerts commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 79. A bhikshu who rents and watches videos, or reads books and magazines which have a toxic effect, watering the seeds of sexual desire, fear, violence, sentimental weakness, and depression, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 80. A bhikshu who watches television programs which have a toxic effect, watering the seeds of sexual desire, fear, violence, sentimental weakness, and depression, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 81. A bhikshu who goes on to the Internet alone without another monk next to him as a protection against getting lost in toxic Websites commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 82. A bhikshu who consumes images or sounds which excite sexual desire from the Internet or the telephone, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 83. A bhikshu who listens to or performs songs or music that is sad, sentimental, romantic, or exciting (such as rock music), commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 84. A bhikshu who plays electronic games, including those on a mobile phone or a computer, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 85. A bhikshu who gambles or bets on horse races, car races, and other sports, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 86. A bhikshu who drives in a careless and dangerous manner, speeding, swerving between cars, recklessly passing other cars, accelerating too quickly, or racing with another car, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 87. A bhikshu who marches down the street clapping his hands, shouting, waving a flag, or throwing flowers to show support for a sports team, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 88. A bhikshu who goes to watch military drills or preparations for battle, people fighting or arguing with each other, a martial art performance, or a magic show, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 89. A bhikshu who goes to watch animals fighting or provokes animals to fight with each other, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 90. A bhikshu who abuses animals or takes their bones, horns, or skin to create artwork or decorations, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 91. A bhikshu who does not cultivate compassion and learn ways to protect the lives of animals, who kills an animal himself, gives consent for an animal to be killed, or does not prevent someone else from killing an animal, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 92. A bhikshu who pollutes the environment, by burning and destroying forests or by using toxic chemicals, for example, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 93. A bhikshu who intentionally allows his hair and beard to grow long, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 94. A bhikshu who is not aware that the true beauty of a monk is found in his solidity and freedom, and instead spends too much time and care in dressing himself in order to create an outer show of attractiveness, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 95. A bhikshu who when going into a town, village, or market wears lay clothing or a wig, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 96. A bhikshu who separates himself from the Sangha and rents his own lodgings, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 97. A bhikshu who sleeps overnight in a layperson’s house, even for Sangha service, and at least one other male practitioner does not accompany him, except in special circumstances with the permission of the Sangha, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 98. A bhikshu who stays longer than one week in a layperson’s house, except with the permission of the Sangha, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 99. A bhikshu who commits himself to a special relationship with a layperson by asking that person to be his father, mother, brother, sister, son, daughter, or grandchild, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 100. A bhikshu who undertakes a course of study with the purpose of being awarded a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or doctorate in engineering, medicine, pharmacy, or other worldly subjects, except in the case that the course is in Buddhist studies, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 101. A bhikshu who spends all his time studying worldly subjects, therefore neglecting to learn spiritual teachings and practice, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 102. A bhikshu who immerses himself in and is carried away by his work and as a result fails to maintain good relationships between himself and other members of the Sangha, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 103. A bhikshu who leaves his mentor before he has completed his fifth Rains’ Retreat, or even after this time if his practice is still weak, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 104. A bhikshu who does not complete the threemonth Rains’ Retreat once a year, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 105. A bhikshu who goes outside the officially declared boundaries of the Rains’ Retreat for an equal or greater number of days than he is within these boundaries, even if his reason for going outside is to teach, study, or do charitable work, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 106. A bhikshu who transmits the Bhikshu Precepts without yet completing ten Rains’ Retreats, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 107. A bhikshu who has not mastered the Vinaya and who performs a Sanghakarman Procedure or makes the affirmation of an offense in a way which is not in accordance with the Vinaya, thus causing the Sangha to lose its peace, joy, and harmony, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 108. A bhikshu who complains about the precepts and fine manners, saying that the articles presented are bothersome, too complicated, too detailed, not truly necessary, or that they take away one’s freedom, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 109. A bhikshu who does not recite the Pratimoksha with the Sangha at least once in three months, unless he has a long-lasting and serious illness, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. 110. A bhikshu who has not yet begun to study the Classical Pratimoksha in parallel with the Revised Pratimoksha after one year of receiving the full ordination, commits an Expression of Regret Offense. From Freedom Wherever We Go by Thich Nhat Hanh |
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