Origin story

At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery. At that time the monks from the group of six were staying with the army for two or three nights, and they went to see battles, troop reviews, the massing of the army, and troop inspections. One of the monks who went to a battle was even struck by an arrow. People mocked him, “Venerable, we hope you had a good battle. How many targets did you hit?” And because they mocked him, he felt humiliated.

People complained and criticized those monks, “How can the Sakyan ascetics go to see a battle? It’s our misfortune that we must go to battles for the sake of our livelihood and because of our wives and children.”

The monks heard the complaints of those people, and the monks of few desires … complained and criticized those monks, “How can the monks from the group of six go to see a battle?” … “Is it true, monks, that you did this?”

“It’s true, Master.”

The Buddha rebuked them, “… Foolish men, how can you go to see a battle? This will not give rise to confidence in those without it … And, monks, this training rule should be recited thus:

Final ruling

‘If a monk who is staying with an army for two or three nights goes to a battle, a troop review, a massing of the army, or a troop inspection, he commits an offense entailing confession.’”

Definitions

If a monk who is staying with an army for two or three nights: he is staying for two or for three nights.

A battle: wherever fighting is seen.

A troop review: so many elephants, so many horses, so many chariots, so much infantry.

A massing of the army: let the elephants set out from here; let the horses set out from here; let the chariots set out from here; let the infantry set out from here.

Troops: elephant troops, horse troops, chariot troops, infantry troops. The smallest unit of elephants is three elephants; the smallest unit of horses is three horses; the smallest unit of chariots is three chariots; the smallest unit of infantry is four men with arrows in hand.

If he is on his way to see it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. Wherever he stands to see it, he commits an offense entailing confession. Every time he moves outside of the range of sight and then sees it again, he commits an offense entailing confession.

If he is on his way to see one division of a fourfold army, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. Wherever he stands to see it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. Every time he moves outside of the range of sight and then sees it again, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

Non-offenses

There is no offense: if he sees it while standing in the monastery; if the army comes to where the monk happens to be standing, sitting, or lying down, and he then sees fighting; if he sees it while walking in the opposite direction; if he goes because there is something to be done, and he then sees it; if there are dangers; if he is insane; if he is the first offender.

The tenth rule, the training rule on battles, is finished.

The fifth chapter on naked ascetics is finished.

This is the summary: