Confession 156

Origin Story

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

Then Thullanandā bhikkhunī thought: “Wearing a padded waist-cloth makes the body more bulky.” When the householders saw this, they were all upset: “This bhikkhunī knows no shame, she has broken celibacy. Outwardly, she praises herself: ‘I know the true dhamma’, how is that the true dhamma? Why does she wear a padded waist-cloth to make her body more bulky? There’s no difference to prostitutes and criminals.”

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 Thullanandā: “Why did you think: ‘Wearing a padded waist-cloth makes the body more bulky.’?” Then they 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 Thullanandā: “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, bhikkhunī, did you think: ‘Wearing a padded waist-cloth makes the body more bulky.’?” 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 wears a padded waist-cloth, it’s a pācittiya.’”

Explanation

The meaning of “bhikkhunī” is as above.

“A padded waist-cloth” means using various things like down, cotton, kusa grass, leaves and grass with milky (sap), linen, or wild silk.

If a bhikkhunī thinks: “Wearing a padded waist-cloth makes the body more bulky,” 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 she has a certain illness and wears the menstrual robe underneath, the lower robe on top, and then the upper robe, or if she’s held by force, 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 156th rule.)