Nina

You wrote:

> Thank you for sending me off line the pdf. Now I have no trouble
> quoting or copying the pdf whereas with the Relational Grammar paper
> I still cannot get it perfect, especially the footnotes.

Well, I have checked both files. They are produced by the same software (XeTeX) using the same set of fonts. I am at a loss why one is ok while the other is not. Can you tell me the version of the Adobe Reader you are using?

> Juo-Hsüeh Shih suggests that nobody is above the law, not even a
> Buddha.
>
> When I read 'above the law' or 'above the rules', I wonder whether
> some people may not see the close connection of the Vinaya with the
> other parts of the Tipi.taka, which is the Buddha's teaching. Then
> one might not question so much whether the Buddha is above the law or
> not. The question may not even occur when one sees the connection of
> the Vinaya with the other parts of the teachings.

Some say that Mahayana Buddhism has such a belief, that the Buddha was obliged to observe the Vinaya rules. So it would be good if we can get some feedback from Mahayana Buddhist members. Does Mahayana school have such a belief? If it does, is this belief doctrinal or cultural?

> Failing to see the connection is perhaps the reason that laypeople do
> not know that they can learn a great deal from rules pertaining to
> conduct in daily life. Laypeople may not see that the Vinaya is much
> more than a set of rules, they may not know that the Vinaya should
> not be separated from Satipa.t.thaana, nor from the Abhidhamma. When
> one reads about the transgressions and the rules given on account of
> them, one can be reminded of one's own defilements, even when they
> are more subtle. The Vinaya becomes very meaningful, also for
> laypeople, when it is remembered that the rules have to be observed
> with sati sampaja~n~na, awareness and understanding of all dhammas
> appearing through the six doors. The Abhidhamma is most helpful to
> understand the purpose of the rules, it goes to the source of good
> and evil, to the citta. We learn that we take for noble motives of
> our actions are in fact selfish motives. We are seeking gain for
> ourselves, or we find ourselves very important, conceit arises time
> and again. The Vibha"nga (Second Book of the Abhidhamma) gives many
> striking examples. The suttas repeatedly say that the monk should see
> danger in the slightest fault. Why is it not allowed to play with
> water, to decorate dwellings, to talk on Kings? The citta is akusala,
> most often it is rooted in lobha. Each of these rules stem from the
> Buddha's great wisdom and compassion.
> There were amendments for monks in the case of transgressions and
> this shows the Buddha's great compassion. We read that there is no
> offense in the case of taking what is not given <...if he is mad, if
> his mind is unhinged, if he is afflicted by pain, if he is a
> beginner.> (Horner p. 92, 93).

I agree. Vinaya and Abhidhamma are closer than what people are generally aware of. I intend to write a paper on that topic.

In the meantime, I would like to remark that if you meet the Buddha as a teacher in suttas, you can meet him as an administrator in Vinaya.

> I would like to add from the Pa.tisambidhaamagga, Knowledge not
> shared by Disciples: Knowledge of others' faculties, and knowledge of
> beings' biases and underlying tendencies (Ch LXVIII and LXIX. ) Only
> the Buddha with his omniscience knew the dispositions and latent
> tendencies of beings. Out of compassion he made an exception.

I do agree with you. However, I cannot add your contribution to my paper because the prevalent opinion of modern scholars is that Pa.tisambhidhaamagga belongs to the "post-canonical" phase (See von Hinuber "Handbook of Pali Literature" 59-60). So I cannot cite Pa.tis to support my argument unless I can prove that Pa.tis belongs to the so-called phase of "Early Buddhism". This is a different sort of game, you know. (Sometimes I ask myself why I am playing such an intellectual game. The answer is: this is one of the few things that I love to do and also do well. And I also hope that my work will somehow contribute towards the common good.)

with metta

Ven. Pandita