Confession 90

First Origin Story

At that time, the Blessed One was in Sāketa.

Then the group-of-six bhikkhunīs lay down two together on the same bed. The householders saw it and said that they were lying down together with a man. When they saw them get up, then they knew that it wasn’t a man.

Then there was a general, brave, strong and knowledgeable, with many skills and much equipment, able to fight battles. He had recently gotten married when he was ordered by the ruler to carry out a campaign. He thought: “I’ll now go far away. To whom should I entrust my wife?” At first he wanted to entrust her to a householder, but in the householder’s home, there were many men, and he wasn’t able to leave her there. Previously, the general had been aquainted with Bhaddā Kāpilānī bhikkhunī and he thought: “I’d better now entrust my wife to Kāpilānī bhikkhunī, and then depart to the front.” Then he left her there. When Kāpilānī bhikkhunī had receive his wife, they stayed overnight in the same bed for protection. Kāpilānī bhikkhunī’s body was slender and soft, and when the wife came in contact with it, defiled attachment arose in her mind. When the general returned from the front, went to meet his wife, and took her home, she delighted in and was attached to the bhikkhunī’s slender and soft body. She ran away and returned to the bhikkhunī’s place. The general thought: “I wanted to do the right thing and have obtained what is bad. Why doesn’t my wife love me now, has defiled attachment to the bhikkhunī, ran away, and returned to her place?”

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 and Bhaddā Kāpilānī bhikkhunī: “Why did you lie down two together on the same bed?” 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 and Kāpilānī 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 did you lie down two together on the same bed?” Then, when the World-honored One had criticized the group-of-six and Kāpilānī bhikkhunīs in countless ways, he said to the bhikkhus: “These group-of-six and Kāpilānī 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:

Preliminary Ruling

‘If bhikkhunīs lie down two together on the same bed, it’s a pācittiya.’” In this way the World-honored One laid down the precept for the bhikkhunīs.

Second Origin Story

Then some had doubts. They didn’t dare to lie down on a bed together with a sick bhikkhunī, and they also didn’t dare to take turns sitting down, and to take turns lying down. The Buddha said: “I allow to lie down on the same bed with someone who is sick. I allow to take turns sitting or lying down. From now on, you should recite the precept like this:

Final Ruling

‘If bhikkhunīs who aren’t sick lie down two together on a bed, it’s a pācittiya.’”

Explanation

The meaning of “bhikkhunī” is as above.

“A bed” means there are five kinds as above.

If bhikkhunīs who aren’t sick lie down two together on the same bed, whenever they place their flanks on the bed laid out, each time is a pācittiya. When they turn over, each time is a pācittiya.

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 lies down on a bed together with a sick person, if they take turns sitting or lying down, if she’s sick and falls to the ground, if she’s held by force, if she’s arrested, 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 90th rule.)