Confession 149

Origin Story

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

Then Tissā bhikkhunī was Khemā bhikkhunī’s student. She knew a family of old supporters. Khemā bhikkhunī said to Tissā bhikkhunī: “Can we go together to the supporter’s house?” She replied: “If you want to go, it’s okay.” So the two people went together. Khemā bhikkhunī’s robes were neat and she didn’t lose proper conduct. When the supporters saw her, they were very happy, and because they were happy, they provided support. When Khemā bhikkhunī had eaten, they returned to the monastery, and she said to Tissā bhikkhunī: “These supporters were devoted and happy, and provided good support.” Then Tissā bhikkhunī got jealous and said: “These supporters were devoted and provided good support to you.”

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 Tissā bhikkhunī: “Why did you get jealous and say: ‘These supporters were devoted and provided good support to you.’?” Then they told the bhikkhus, and the bhikkhus went and told the World-honored One. The World-honored One then for this reason gathered the bhikkhu sangha, and criticized Tissā 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 did you get jealous and say: ‘The supporters were devoted and provided good support to you.’?” When he 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 is jealous regarding families, it’s a pācittiya.’”

Explanation

The meaning of “bhikkhunī” is as above.

If a bhikkhunī is jealous regarding families and says: “These supporters were devoted and provided good support to you,” 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 if it’s really true and these supporters were devoted and provided good support to the other, and she says: “Your supporters are devoted to you,” if she says it jokingly, if she speaks quickly, if she speaks when she’s alone, 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 150th rule.)