Confession 100

Origin Story

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

Then the group-of-six bhikkhunīs went to see a royal palace, a picture gallery, a garden, and a swimming pool. When the householders saw it, they were all upset: “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? Then they go to see a royal palace, a picture gallery, a garden, and a swimming pool. There’s no difference to criminals and prostitutes.” “

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 go to see a royal palace, a picture gallery, a garden, and a swimming pool?” Then the bhikkhunīs went and told the bhikkhus, and the bhikkhus went and told the Buddha. The Buddha 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, group-of-six bhikkhunīs, did you go to see a royal palace, a picture gallery, a garden, and a swimming pool?” When the World-honored One had criticized the group-of-six bhikkhunīs in countless ways, he said to the bhikkhus: “These 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 goes to see a royal palace, a decorated picture gallery, a garden, or a swimming pool, it’s a pācittiya.’”

Explanation

The meaning of “bhikkhunī” is as above.

If a bhikkhunī goes to see a royal palace, a decorated picture gallery, a garden, or a swimming pool, whether by going from a road to another road, or by leaving a road and going off-road, or by going from off-road to a road, or by going down from above, or by going up from below, and if she goes and sees it, it’s a pācittiya. If she doesn’t see it, it’s a dukkaṭa. If she plans and wants to go but doesn’t go, or if she makes an appointment to go but doesn’t go, 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 enters a royal palace because there’s a message to convey, if she’s summoned, if she’s invited, if the road passes through there, if it’s in her residence, if she’s held by force, if she’s arrested and made to go, if her life is in danger, or if her celibacy is in danger;

or else if she goes to see a picture gallery for a sangha matter or a stupa matter, or because she wants to get a grasp of the dhamma, the offense isn’t committed.

If she goes to a monastery to receive instruction and listen to dhamma, if she’s invited, if the road passes through there, if her residence is there, if she’s held by force, if she’s arrested and made to go, if she goes to see a garden or a swimming pool for sangha matter or a stupa matter, or because she wants to get a grasp of the dhamma, 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 100th rule.)