Confession 157

First Origin Story

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

Then the group-of-six bhikkhunīs kept women’s bodily ornaments: bracelets for hands and feet, and ornaments for many other places. When the householders saw this, they were all upset and said: “These bhikkhunīs have no shame, they’ve broken celibacy. Outwardly, they praise themselves: ‘We know the true dhamma’, how is that the true dhamma? Then they keep women’s bodily ornaments: bracelets for hands and feet, and ornaments for many other places. 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 the group-of-six bhikkhunīs: “Why did you keep women’s bodily ornaments: bracelets for hands and feet, and ornaments for many other places?” 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 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, bhikkhunīs, did you keep women’s bodily ornaments: bracelets for hands and feet, and ornaments for many other places?” 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:

Preliminary Ruling

‘If a bhikkhunī keeps women’s bodily ornaments, it’s a pācittiya.’” In this way the World-honored One laid down the precept for the bhikkhunīs.

Second Origin Story

Then the bhikkhunīs’ lives were in danger, or their celibacy was in danger. They had doubts and didn’t dare to wear bodily ornaments to escape. The Buddha said: “From now on, if your lives are in danger, or your celibacy is in danger, I allow to wear bodily ornaments to escape. From now on, you should recite the precept like this:

Final Ruling

‘If a bhikkhunī keeps women’s bodily ornaments, except at a suitable time for a good reason, it’s a pācittiya.’”

If a bhikkhunī keeps women’s bodily ornaments: bracelets for hands and feet, and ornaments for many other places, even just tree bark made into a garland, in all cases 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, if her life is in danger, or if her celibacy is in danger and she wears ornaments to escape, 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 157th rule.)