Confession 87

Dharmaguptaka Vinaya, fascicle 26 (Part 2.5, explanation of the bhikkhunī rules.)

Translated by the Kāśmīra Tipiṭaka master Buddhayaśas together with Zhú Fóniàn in the later Qin state.

The 178 simple pācittiya rules, part 3.

Origin Story

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

Then Tissanandā bhikkhunī was Khemā bhikkhunī’s student. The teacher said: “Bring robes, a bowl, a sitting mat, and a needle case.” When Tissa bhikkhunī received the teacher’s instruction, she didn’t pay attention, and she told the other bhikkhunīs: “My teacher instructed me to steal robes, a bowl, a sitting mat, and a needle case.” When the other bhikkhunīs heard these words, they asked Khemā bhikkhunī: “Did you really instruct your student to steal robes, a bowl, a sitting mat, and a needle case?” She answered: “Younger sisters, how could I possibly have the intention to instruct my student to steal robes, a bowl, a sitting mat, and a needle case? I actually told her to bring robes, a bowl, a sitting mat and a needle case. I didn’t instruct her to steal them.”

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 Tissanandā bhikkhunī: “Why didn’t you pay attention when you received your teacher’s words, and told the other bhikkhunīs: ‘My teacher instructed me to steal robes, a bowl, a sitting mat, and a needle case.’?” 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 Tissanandā 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 didn’t you pay attention when you received your teacher’s words, and still told the other bhikkhunīs: ‘My teacher instructed me to steal robes, a bowl, a sitting mat, and a needle case.’?” When the World-honored One had criticized Tissanandā bhikkhunī in countless ways, he said to the bhikkhus: “This Tissanandā 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 doesn’t receive The pātimokkha adds: “her teacher’s”.* words attentively, and tells them to others, it’s a pācittiya.’”

Explanation

The meaning of “bhikkhunī” is as above.

If a bhikkhunī doesn’t receive words attentively, and tells the other bhikkhunīs: “My teacher instructed me to steal robes, a bowl, a sitting mat, and a needle case,” if she speaks and they understand, it’s a pācittiya. If they don’t understand, 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 this matter is truly so, and someone said: “Go, steal, and bring robes, a bowl, a sitting mat, and a needle case,” and she tells the other bhikkhunīs: “My teacher instructed me to steal robes, a bowl, a sitting mat, and a needle case,” if she says it jokingly, if she speaks quickly, if she speaks when she’s alone, if she speaks in a dream, or if she wants to say one thing but by mistake says something else, 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 87th rule.)