Confession 79

Origin Story

At that time, the Blessed One was in Rājagaha on Vulture’s peak.

Then the citizens played music and enjoyed entertainments on a worldly holiday. The group-of-six bhikkhunīs went there to watch. When the householders saw them, they were all upset: “These bhikkhunīs know no shame and they engage in impure practices. Outwardly, they praise themselves: ‘We know the true dhamma’, how is that the true dhamma? Then they watch these various entertainments together. What’s the difference to prostitutes and criminals?”

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 watch entertainments together?” 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 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 did you watch entertainments together?” 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 goes to watch a musical performance, it’s a pācittiya.’”

Explanation

The meaning of “bhikkhunī” is as above.

“Watching” means seeing all kinds of entertainments.

If a bhikkhunī goes to watch a musical performance, whether by going from a road to another road, or by leaving a road and going off-road, or by going from off-road to a road, or by going down from above, or by going up from below, and if she sees it, it’s a pācittiya. If she doesn’t see it, it’s a dukkaṭa. If she gives rise to the intention and the wish to go, but doesn’t go, or if she sets a time to go, but turns back on the way, all are dukkaṭas.

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 there’s something to report, if she’s summoned and the road passes by there, if it’s in her residence, if she’s made to go by force, if she’s arrested and made to go, if her life is in danger, or if her celibacy is in danger, 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 79th rule.)