Confession 105

Dharmaguptaka Vinaya, fascicle 27 (Part 2.6, 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 4.

Origin Story

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

Then Thullanandā bhikkhunī had an old friend and supporter who wanted to organize a meal for the sangha and offer robes. When Thullanandā heard this, she went and asked them: “I heard that you want to organize a meal and offer robes to the sangha. Is that true or not?” The supporter replied: “It’s true.” Thullanandā said: “The sangha has great merit and very dignified conduct. Many supporters make offerings. You offer in many ways. You can just offer food now. There’s no need to offer robes.” Then the suporter said: “Okay,” and didn’t make robes. That night, they prepared a full meal and drinks. At dawn the next day, they went and informed that the time had come. The bhikkhunīs put on their robes, took their bowls, went to that house, and sat down on the seats. Then the supporter observed the bhikkhunī sangha, with dignified conduct and neatly arranged robes. Having seen them, they had regrets and inadvertently blurted out: “Such a good group! How could someone create obstacles for me, so that I didn’t make and offer robes?” The bhikkhunīs then asked: “For what reason did you blurt out these words?”, and the supporter fully told them the reason.

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: “Why did you create obstacles for giving robes to the sangha?” Then the bhikkhunīs told the bhikkhus, and the bhikkhus went and told the Buddha. The Buddha for this reason gathered the bhikkhu sangha, and criticized Thullanandā: “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 create obstacles for giving robes to the sangha?” When he had criticized her in countless ways, he said to the bhikkhus: “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 creates obstacles for giving robes to the sangha, it’s a pācittiya.’”

Explanation

The meaning of “bhikkhunī” is as above.

“Sangha” is as above.

“A robe” means the 10 kinds, as above.

If a bhikkhunī creates obstacles for giving robes to the sangha, it’s a pācittiya. If she creates obstacles for people other than the sangha, it’s a dukkaṭa. If she creates obstacles for items other than robes, 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 someone wants to give little and she instructs them to give much, if someone wants to give to a few people and she instructs them to give to many, if someone wants to give coarse things and she instructs them to give fine things, if she says it jokingly, if she speaks in a secluded place, if she speaks quickly, 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 105th rule.)