Confession 133

Origin Story

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

Then bhikkhunīs who were ignorant and incapable of instructing asked the sangha for the Giving-of-full-ordination. The other bhikkhunīs admonished them: “Younger sisters, enough! Don’t ask the sangha for the Giving-of-full-ordination.” Because they asked the sangha for the Giving-of-full-ordination and didn’t receive it, they said: “The bhikkhunīs have desire, anger, fear, and delusion. They approve it for people they like, and don’t approve it for people they don’t like.”

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 these bhikkhunīs: “Why did you, who are ignorant, ask the sangha for the Giving-of-full-ordination and when the other bhikkhunīs admonished you: ‘Younger sisters, enough! Don’t ask the sangha for the Giving-of-full-ordination’, why did you say: ‘The bhikkhunīs have desire, anger, fear, and delusion. They approve it for people they like, and don’t approve it for people they don’t like.’?” Then they told the bhikkhus, and the bhikkhus told the World-honored One. The World-honored One for this reason gathered the bhikkhu sangha and criticized these 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, who are ignorant, ask the sangha for the Giving-of-full-ordination and when the other bhikkhunīs admonished you: ‘Younger sisters, enough! Don’t ask the sangha for the Giving-of-full-ordination’, say: ‘The bhikkhunīs have desire, anger, fear, and delusion. They approve it for people they like, and don’t approve it for people they don’t like.’?” When the World-honored One 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, whom the sangha hasn’t approved to give the full ordination to someone, says: “The sangha has greed, anger, fear, and delusion. When they want to approve it, they approve it. When they don’t want to approve it, they don’t,” it’s a pācittiya.’”

Explanation

The meaning of “bhikkhunī” is as above.

“Sangha” is as above.

“Not approved” means the sangha has said: “Younger sister, enough! There’s no need to give the full ordination to people.”

If she, because she doesn’t receive the Giving-of-full-ordination, says: “The bhikkhunīs have greed, anger, fear, and delusion. They approve it for people they like, and don’t approve it for people they don’t like,” and if she speaks and the others understand, it’s a pācittiya. If they don’t understand, it’s a dukkaṭa.”

For a bhikkhu, it’s a dukkaṭa. This is called “to commit”.

“Not committed” means if it’s really true and they’ve greed, anger, fear, and delusion, and they approve it for people they like, and don’t approve it for people they don’t like, and someone says: “They’ve greed, anger, fear, and delusion. They approve it for people they like, and don’t approve it for people they don’t like,” if she says it jokingly, if she speaks quickly, if she speaks in a secluded place, 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 133rd rule.)