Relinquishment With Confession 27

Origin Story

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

Then the group-of-six bhikkhunīs accepted out-of-season cloth and turned it into in-season cloth. The other bhikkhunīs saw it and asked: “The World-honored One has allowed bhikkhunīs to keep five robes, whose cloth is this cloth?” They answered: “This is our in-season cloth.” Then they said: “Younger sisters, now is out-of-season time.”

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 rebuked the group-of-six bhikkhunīs: “Why did you accept out-of-season cloth and turn it into in-season cloth?” 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 the group-of-six bhikkhunīs: “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, group-of-six bhikkhunīs, did you accept out-of-season cloth and turn it into in-season cloth?” Then, when the World-honored One had criticized the group-of-six bhikkhunīs in countless ways, he said to the bhikkhus: “These group-of-six bhikkhunīs have all kinds of taints, and are 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 accepts out-of-season cloth and turns it into in-season cloth, it’s a nissaggiya pācittiya.’”

Explanation

The meaning of “bhikkhunī” is as above.

“In-season cloth” means when the rains retreat has ended and there’s no kaṭhina robe, it’s one month. If there’s a kaṭhina robe, five months.

“Out-of-season cloth” means except for the above, if she obtains a spare cloth at another time.

“A cloth” means there are 10 kinds of cloths, as above.

If a bhikkhunī accepts out-of-season cloth and turns it into in-season cloth, it’s a nissaggiya pācittiya. This nissaggiya should be relinquished to the sangha, as 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 to return it as second as above. If they don’t return it, if they accept it and make the five robes out of it, … or if they frequently wear it, 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 accepts out-of-season cloth and turns it into out-of-season cloth, or if she accepts in-season cloth and turns it into in-season cloth, 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 27th rule.)