Confession 83

Origin Story

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

Then there was a bhikkhunī who, when the right time had come, put on her robes, took her bowl, and went to a householder’s home. When she had arrived, the lady of the house set out a one-person bench, made her sit down, and then left and went back into the house. This bhikkhunī sat there for a moment, and without telling the owner, left the seat and went away. As she was going through the gate, a brahmin student entered that house. He looked around, didn’t see anyone, and thought: “This bench is useful for me.” Then he took it and left. The lady of the house came out, didn’t see the bhikkhunī, and also didn’t see the the one-person bench. Then she sent a message to ask the bhikkhunī: “Where is the one-person bench?” The bhikkhunī answered: “I don’t know. When I left, a brahmin student entered your house. Maybe he took it and left. You should inquire with him.” Then she went and inquired with him, and got her bench back. Then the householders were all upset and said: “This bhikkhunī knows no shame. Outwardly, she praises herself: ‘I know the true dhamma’, how is that the true dhamma? Why does she sit on an owner’s bench, and leave without telling them? 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 this bhikkhunī: “Why, bhikkhunī, did you sit on an owner’s seat, and leave without telling them?” 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 this 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, bhikkhunī, did you sit on an owner’s seat, and leave without telling the owner?” Then, when the World-honored One had criticized this bhikkhunī in countless ways, he said to the bhikkhus: “This 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 enters a lay house and sits down, and leaves without telling the owner, it’s a pācittiya.’”

Explanation

The meaning of “bhikkhunī” is as above.

If a bhikkhunī enters a lay house, sits down, and leaves through the gate without telling the owner, it’s a pācittiya. If she has one foot inside the gate and one foot outside, if she plans and wishes to go but doesn’t go, or if she makes an appointment to go but doesn’t go, all cases 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 she tells the owner and leaves, if people are still sitting on the seat, if when she leaves, she informs the person sitting next to her and leaves, and the person sitting next to her says: “Just go, no worries,” if she sits on a stone, on a log, on a brick, on a layer of grass, or on a pile Variant reading: on the hard ground.*, if the roof is about to collapse, if a fire is burning, if there’s a poisonous snake, a savage animal, or a criminal, if she’s held by force, if she’s arrested, if her life is in danger, or if her celibacy is in danger, and she leaves without telling 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 83rd rule.)