Confession 71

Origin Story

At that time, the Blessed One was in Sāvatthī. Then Thullanandā bhikkhunī shaved the hair in the three places and went to a supporter’s house. She sat down on a seat in front of the women, didn’t cover herself, and exposed her body. When the women saw it, they said: “Venerable, come and bathe with us.” She answered: “Enough.” In order to make merit, they said again: “Just come and bathe with us.” She answered: “I don’t need to bathe.” Then the women forcefully took off her clothes, saw that she had shaved these places, and then said: “Venerable, worldly people shave the hair because of lustful matters, for what reason does the venerable shave?” Thullanandā answered: “I’ve this habit since I was a lay person, not just now.” The ladies of the house then were upset and said: “This bhikkhunī knows no shame and practices impure conduct. Outwardly, she praises herself: ‘I know the true dhamma’, how is that the true dhamma? Then she shaves the hair in the three places, like a prostitute or a criminal.”

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 Thullanandā: “Why did you shave the hair in the three places?” Then the bhikkhunīs went and 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 Thullanandā: “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, Thullanandā, did you shave the hair in the three places?” Then, when the World-honored One had criticized Thullanandā in countless ways, he said to the bhikkhus: “This Thullanandā 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 shaves the hair in the three places, it’s a pācittiya.’”

Explanation

The meaning of “bhikkhunī” is as above.

“The hair in the three places” means around the anus and the vagina, and under the arms.

If a bhikkhunī shaves the hair in the three places, each stroke of the blade is a pācittiya. If she pulls it out, if she cuts it, or if she burns it, in all cases it’s a dukkaṭa.

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

“Not committed” means if she has a certain illness, if she has an abscess and needs to shave to apply medicine, or if she’s held by force, 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 71st rule.)