Hello everyone,
I heard that monks have over 9 billion rules. I was wondering if there is a written list somewhere. I want to try to memorize the rules as much as I can.
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Main 227 here. You’ll have to read the whole vinaya to know the derived rules from 227. SuttaCentral
SuttaCentral the rest of the minor rules are here.
There’s 365.25 x 86400 x 100 = 3,155,760,000 seconds in a hundred years. That’s only 3 billion seconds. It makes no sense that there can be 9 billion rules.
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Thank you for the answer, Venerable Sir. The answer makes sense.
One is expected to follow all the rules in the split of every second, isn’t it so? 9bln in every second can be a possibility? 
That’s not how 9 billion rules is understood. Anyway, if there one day would be such galactic federation with that much amount of total rules, the lawyers better be having a lifespan of 10 billion years or longer to make it worth becoming a lawyer. And the citizens basically cannot do anything as we cannot expect citizens to know so many rules. Seriously.
Can you elaborate on how the 9 billion rules are understood?
From your explanation of the calculation of 3 billion seconds in 100 years, you are referring to a linear temporal arrangement, implying that 9 billion rules cannot be followed within a span of 3 billion seconds equaling to 100 years.
But, the rules are not intended to be followed in this manner: 1 rule / per 1 second. 227 rules of the Patimokha are expected to be followed by the monks every year, every day, every minute and every second. This equals 227 x 1 second x 3 billion second = 68.1 billion instances of seconds of rules followed within the span of 100 years.
For female disciples, the math results in 311 rules x 1 second x 3 billion seconds = 93.3 billion instances of seconds of rules followed within the span of 100 years.
But, this is not how the overall discipline is quantified, I believe. Adherence is not calculated in instances of times the rules have been followed, but rather all 227 or 311 rules are expected to be followed at all times, with the number of instances when a rule or several are broken.
Did you mean something different by your calculation which I may not be fully grasping?
Also, none of these regulations apply to lay life legal matters. Every government has a different number of laws, a different set of constitutional inalienable commands, and interpretation of law by the lawyers may very well be the most elaborate and time-consuming profession of twisting the truth in favor of their client, or rather their own pocket book. So, we cannot really juxtapose the lay legal system with the monastic code of rules & ethics, because they are diametrically opposed in several instances.
I think the meaning is since there are only 3 billion seconds in 100 years, even if rules were laid down every seconds, there can’t be 9 billion rules.
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Why wouldn’t you consider that several rules, say 1,200 rules, can be laid down in 1 second. There is nothing preventing 1 mln rules to be officiated or legislated in 1 second.
Basically, quantifying the monastic discipline is not really the correct view of this calculation. The monastic code is qualified, not quantified by its 227 sets of parameters/precepts for men, and 311 sets of parameters/precepts for women.
These precepts are intended to be ethical guidelines that reflect the essence of wholesome conduct. One cannot mathematically deduce its quantity, but only ascertain its philosophical value and quality.
I found something from the Visuddhimagga that speaks on the 9 billion rules.
Nine thousand millions, and a hundred
And eighty millions then as well,
And fifty plus a hundred thousand,
And thirty-six again to swell.
The total restraint disciplines:
These rules the Enlightened One explains
Told under heads for filling out,
Which the Discipline restraint contains
The footnote of the Visudhimagga pdf says “The figures depend on whether koþi is taken as 1,000,000 or 100,000 or 10,000.”
Do they say how it’s multiplied to get 9 billion? koṭi is 10,000,000
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I found this comment by Venerable Dhammanado on suttacentral.
I don’t know if any commentator ever attempted to show how the figure might be arrived at, but if they did I expect it will have been done using the usual method by which Ābhidhammikas arrive at extraordinarily large numbers. For example:
The Bhikkhupātimokkha comprises 227 sikkhāpadas.
Multiply by 3 according to whether the bhikkhu is a puthujjana, sekha or asekha = 681.
Multiply by 2 according to whether the citta that caused a sikkhāpada to be observed was saṅkhārika or asaṅkhārika = 1,362.
Multiply by 2 according to whether the citta was ñāṇasampayutta or ñāṇavippayutta = 2,724.
Multiply by the three periods of time, past, present and future = 8,172.
Multiply by the two regions, Majjhimapadesa and Paccantapadesa = 16,344
Etc., etc.
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9,000,000,000 +180,000,000 + 150,000 + 36 = 9,180,150,036
Do you mean that it is impossible to tell these rules because there is not enough time to recite 9 bln sentences in 3 bln seconds?
But, wouldn’t this number arise from the instances when there would be discussion about one of the 227 rules that is broken? So you can have an innumerable times of occasions when 1 rule is broken, and several hundred interpretations formulated to address the regulation of punishment or additional guidelines to understanding the broken rule?
In this manner, all 9 bln rules are never laid out simultaneously, they are accumulated in exponential order when one or several rules are broken on separate occasions.
It’s possible to read the whole vinaya in 1 year. There’s not enough seconds in a year to read 9 billion rules, or the case studies therein, plus if you wish, all the permutations involved, even if we put in 100 of them per second.
I realize that the Vinaya is meant to be studied and recited in completion within reasonable time. And i also realize that it is impossible to recite over 9 bln texts in a lifespan – but, i don’t think that this is the logic that is being applied to the temporal progression in this case. They are meant to be addressed in isolation for the cases when a broken rule is being argued from a variety of points. So, let’s say these are not the standard regulations that are supposed to be considered on daily basis, but the subsequent regulations that are examined under the circumstances or particular offense.
Why not start with the BMC I and BMC II
Buddhist Monastic Code I and II
It is a little biased but not so bad to get a general feel.
It is free and easy to find.
Try to set attainable goals instead of lofty goals.
Start with what you know you can do, after you complete something tangible, then you can increase it.
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