Confession 82

Origin Story

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

Then the group-of-six bhikkhunīs stood and spoke together with men in a secluded place in the streets of a village, and they sent their companions away and whispered in the men’s ears alone. When the householders saw it, they were all upset and said: “These bhikkhunīs know no shame and they break their celibacy. Outwardly, they praise themselves: ‘We know the true dhamma’, how is that the true dhamma? Why do bhikkhunīs enter a secluded place in the streets of the village, stand and speak together with men, and send their companions away and whisper in the men’s ears alone? There’s no 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 enter a village and whisper into men’s ears in a secluded place in the streets?” 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, bhikkhunīs, did you enter a village and whisper into men’s ears alone in a secluded place in the streets?” 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 enters a village, sends away her companion in the streets, stands together with a man in a secluded place, and whispers in his ear, it’s a pācittiya.’”

Explanation

The meaning of “bhikkhunī” is as above.

“A village” means lay homes and streets.

“A secluded place” means a place out of sight and earshot. “A place out of sight” means the eye can’t see because of smoke, clouds, fog, dust, or darkness. “A place out of earshot” means down to not hearing the sound of normal speech.

“Whispering in his ear” means speaking next to the ear.

If a bhikkhunī enters a village, sends away her companion in the streets, goes to a place out of sight and earshot, stands together with a man in a secluded place and whispers in his ear, it’s a pācittiya. If she is in a place out of sight but within earshot, it’s a dukkaṭa. If she is in a place out of earshot but within sight, it’s a dukkaṭa.

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 are two bhikkhunīs as companions, if she has a knowledgeable woman as companion, if she has another person as companion and if the companion is not blind and not deaf, if an illness has arisen and she falls to the ground, if she’s held by force, if she’s arrested and made to go, if her life is in danger, if her celibacy is in danger, if she sends her companion away because something is to be delivered, if the companion is sick, or doesn’t have proper conduct, and she says: “Younger sister, go! I’ll send food for you”, if she breaks the precepts, breaks right view, breaks proper conduct, if she’s suspended, if she should be permanently expelled, or if because of this matter her life is in danger or 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 82nd rule.)