Confession 117

Origin Story

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

Then the group-of-six bhikkhunīs recited various kinds of magic arts: the magic of body parts, the magic of governing, the magic of ghosts, and the magic of fortune and misfortune, and they learned divination by turning the zodiac, and they learned to understand sounds.

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 learn and recite these various kinds of magic: the magic of body parts, … the magic of understanding sounds?” Having criticized them, 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. Why did you recite and learn various kinds of magic arts: … understanding sounds?” Having criticized them, 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 recites and learns worldly magic arts, it’s a pācittiya.’”

Explanation

The meaning of “bhikkhunī” is as above.

“Worldly magic arts” means body parts, … understanding sounds.

If a bhikkhunī recites and learns worldly magic arts: … understanding sounds, whether she has learned it orally or takes up a text and recites it from there, if she speaks and others understand, it’s a pācittiya. If others 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 she recites a spell to cure an illness of bugs inside the stomach, if she recites a spell so that food stored overnight doesn’t spoil, if she learns to write, if she recites a worldly spell to defeat non-Buddhist renunciates, if she recites a spell to remove poison in order to protect her body, 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 117th rule.)