Confession 109

Origin Story

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

Then the bhikkhunī sangha removed the kaṭhina robe according to dhamma. The group-of-six bhikkhunīs thought: “We won’t let the sangha remove the kaṭhina robe now. It should be removed later. We’ll obtain release from the five things for a long time.” Then the bhikkhunīs got to know that the group-of-six bhikkhunīs had thought: “We won’t let the sangha remove the kaṭhina robe now. We want to obtain release from the five things for a long time.”

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 the group-of-six bhikkhunīs: “Why did you think: ‘We won’t let the sangha remove the kaṭhina robe now. We want to obtain release from the five things for a long time.’?” The bhikkhunīs told the bhikkhus, and the bhikkhus went and told the World-honored One. The World-honored One 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 did you think: ‘We won’t let the sangha remove the kaṭhina robe now. We want to obtain release from the five things for a long time.’?” When he had criticized them in countless ways, he said to the bhikkhus: “These group-of-six 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 thinks: “I won’t let the sangha remove the kaṭhina robe now. It should be removed later. I want to obtain release from the five things for a long time,” it’s a pācittiya.’”

Explanation

The meaning of “bhikkhunī” is as above.

“Sangha” is as above.

“Dhamma” means according to dhamma and vinaya, according to the Buddha’s teaching.

If a bhikkhunī thinks: “I’ll stop the sangha from removing the kaṭhina robe according to dhamma. I want to obtain release from the five things for a long time”, 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 they remove it out-of-season, if it’s done against the dhamma in a divided assembly, if it’s done against the dhamma in a harmonious assembly, if it’s done according to dhamma in a divided assembly, if it’s done with what resembles dhamma in a divided assembly, if it’s done with what resembles dhamma in a harmonious assembly, if it’s done against the dhamma and vinaya, against the Buddha’s teaching, or if when they remove it, she fears that it’ll be lost or destroyed, and she obstructs it and doesn’t let them remove it, 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 109th rule.)