Relinquishment With Confession 22

Origin Story

At that time, the Blessed One was in Sāvatthī in Jeta’s grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s park.

Then, Khemā bhikkhunī had a householder as a supporter. When the right time had come, she put on her robes, took her bowl, went to their house, laid out a seat, and sat down. Then the householder inquired: “Do you dwell comfortably?” She answered: “I’m not comfortable.” They asked: “Why so?” She answered: “The place where I stay is disorderly and noisy, therefore I’m not comfortable.” Then they asked: “Isn’t there a separate building?” She answered: “No.” “If I give funds for an abode, can you build one?” She answered: “I can.” They then gave funds for an abode. The bhikkhunī then thought: “If I arrange to build an abode, there will be many duties. For bhikkhunīs, robes are hard to get, and I should prepare my five robes. I’d better now exchange these funds for an abode for robes.” Then she exchanged them for robes. At a later time, Khemā bhikkhunī put on her robes, took her bowl, went to the householder’s house, and then sat down on a seat.

The householder asked: “Venerable, do you dwell comfortably?” She answered: “I’m not comfortable.” They asked: “Why are you not comfortable?” She answered: “The place where I stay is disorderly and noisy, therefore I’m not comfortable.” Then they asked: “Isn’t there a separate building?” She answered: “No.” They asked again: “Haven’t you built an abode with the funds for an above I’ve given previously?” She answered: “I haven’t built it.” They asked again: “Why haven’t you built it?” She answered: “I thought to myself: ‘If I build an abode with these things, there will be many duties. For bhikkhunīs, robes are hard to get, and I should prepare my five robes.’ Then I exchanged these things for robes.” Then the householder was upset and said: “This bhikkhunī accepts without moderation. Outwardly, she praises herself: ‘I know the true dhamma’, how is that the true dhamma? I gave funds for an abode to build an abode, but she used them to exchange them for robes, as if I don’t know that for bhikkhunīs robes are hard to get, and they should have five robes complete? But I heard the World-honored One say that the highest merit is to build a building and offer it to the sangha of the four directions.”

When the bhikkhunīs heard this, there were among them those with few wishes, who knew moderation, who practised the austerities, who were keen on training in the precepts, and who knew shame. They criticized Khemā: “Why did you, when a supporter has given things for building a residence, use them to make robes?” Then the bhikkhunīs told the bhikkhus, and the bhikkhus went and told the World-honored One. The World-honored One then for this reason gathered the bhikkhu sangha, and criticized Khemā bhikkhunī: “What you did is wrong, is improper conduct, against the rules of renunciates, an impure practice, a practice not to be followed, shouldn’t be done. Why did you, when a supporter has given things for building a residence, use them to make robes?” Then, when the World-honored One had criticized her in countless ways, he said to the bhikkhus: “Khemā bhikkhunī has all kinds of taints, and is the first to break this precept. From now on, I’ll lay down a precept for the bhikkhunīs, and state the 10 principles: … So that the true dhamma may last long. Someone wishing to recite the precept should recite like this:

Final Ruling

‘If a bhikkhunī, when a supporter has given an item for a certain purpose, diverts it towards another use, it’s a nissaggiya pācittiya.’”

Explanation

The meaning of “bhikkhunī” is as above.

“Having given an item for a certain purpose” means using what was for building a separate building to make robes, or using what was given to make robes for building a separate building, or using what was given for one purpose for another purpose.

If a bhikkhunī, when an item has been given for a certain purpose, to build a separate building, diverts it towards another use, it’s a nissaggiya pācittiya. This nissaggiya should be relinquished to the sangha, as in the rule above. When she has relinquished it, she should confess as above. The sangha should then return the relinquished robe to her in a formal act with a motion as second to return them as above. If they don’t return them, if they accept them and make the five robes out of them, … if they turn them into something other than a robe and use them, or if they frequently wear them, in all cases it’s a dukkaṭa as above.

For a bhikkhu, it’s a dukkaṭa. For a sikkhamānā, a sāmaṇera, and a sāmaṇerī, it’s a dukkaṭa. This is called “to commit”.

“Not committed” means if she asks the supporter and uses it, if she uses it according to the supporter’s intention, if when they give it, they say: Use it as you like,” or if their friend says: “Use it as you like, I’ll tell the owner,” the offense isn’t committed.

“Not committed” means if she’s the first offender when the precept hadn’t yet been laid down, if she’s mad, if she’s distracted, or if she’s overcome with pain. (End of the 22nd rule.)