Confession 106

Origin Story

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

Then there was a bhikkhunī who wore someone else’s saṅghāṭī and without telling the owner entered the village on almsround. Then the owner of the robe didn’t know about it, and thought she had lost the robe. Later she searched for it and saw that bhikkhunī walking around wearing it. Then she said: “You committed a theft.” The other said: “I didn’t steal your robe. I thought we were friends, therefore I took your robe and wore it.”

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 criticized this bhikkhunī: “Why did you, without telling the owner, steal and wear her robe, which made her think she had lost it and search for it?” Then they went and told the bhikkhus, and the bhikkhus told the Buddha. The Buddha for this reason gathered the bhikkhu sangha, and criticized this 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, bhikkhunī, did you without telling the owner, steal and wear her robe, which made her think she had lost it and search for it?” When the World-honored One had criticized her in countless ways, he said to the bhikkhus: “This 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, without asking the owner, just wears her robe, it’s a pācittiya.’”

Explanation

The meaning of “bhikkhunī” is as above.

If a bhikkhunī takes someone else’s robe and wears it, and without telling the owner enters the village on almsround, it’s 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 asks the owner, if it’s a friend, or if a friend says: “Just wear it, I’ll tell the owner for you,” 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 106th rule.)