Confession 93

Origin Story

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

Then Thullanandā bhikkhunī didn’t look after the sick bhikkhunī who lived with her. The other bhikkhunīs said: “The bhikkhunī who lives with you is sick. Why don’t you look after her?” She still didn’t look after her, and because of not being looked after, the other passed away.

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 Thullanandā bhikkhunī: “Why didn’t you look after the sick bhikkhunī who lives with you? The bhikkhunīs instructed you, but you didn’t follow their words and look after her, so that she has passed away.” 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 Thullanandā 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, Thullanandā bhikkhunī, didn’t you look after the sick bhikkhunī who lives with you? The bhikkhunīs instructed you to look after her, but you didn’t follow their words, so that she has passed away.” Then, when the World-honored One had criticized Thullanandā bhikkhunī in countless ways, he said to the bhikkhus: “This Thullanandā 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, when another bhikkhunī who lives with her is sick, doesn’t look after her, it’s a pācittiya.’”

Explanation

The meaning of “bhikkhunī” is as above.

“Who lives with her” means that two bhikkhunīs live together.

If a bhikkhunī, when another bhikkhunī who lives with her is sick, doesn’t look after her, it’s a pācittiya. If a bhikkhunī other than the one who lives with her is sick, either her preceptor, or her teacher, or those with the same preceptor, or those with the same teacher, or her students, friends and aquaintances, and she doesn’t look after them, in all cases 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 she looks after a sick person who lives with her, if she’s sick herself and isn’t able to look after a sick person, if because of this her life would be in danger, or if her celibacy would be in danger and she doesn’t look after her, 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 93rd rule.)