Confession 110

Origin Story

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

Then the bhikkhunī sangha wanted to remove the kaṭhina robe. The group-of-six bhikkhunīs thought: “Now the bhikkhunī sangha will remove the kaṭhina robe according to dhamma. We’ll obstruct it and not let them remove it. We want to obtain release from the five things for a long time.” The bhikkhunīs got to know that the group-of-six bhikkhunīs had thought: “We’ll obstruct the bhikkhunī sangha from removing the kaṭhina robe according to dhamma. 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 rebuked the group-of-six bhikkhunīs: “Why did you think: ‘We’ll obstruct the bhikkhunī sangha from removing the kaṭhina robe according to dhamma. We want to obtain release from the five things for a long time.’?” They went and told the bhikkhus, and the bhikkhus went and told the Buddha. The Buddha 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. The bhikkhunī sangha wants to remove the kaṭhina robe acconding to dhamma. Why did you obstruct them and not let them remove it, and why did you 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 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’ll obstruct the bhikkhunī sangha from removing the kaṭhina robe. 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 obstruct the bhikkhunī sangha from removing the kaṭhina robe according to dhamma. I want to obtain release from the five things for a long time”, and if she speaks and others understand, it’s a pācittiya. If they don’t understand, 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 they remove the kaṭhina robe 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 therefore obstructs 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 110th rule.)