Confession 163

First Origin Story

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

Then there was someone among the group-of-six bhikkhunīs who opened the monastery gate at sunset and left without informing anyone. Then there was a criminal who had been caught and had escaped from prison. From a distance they saw that the monastery gate was open and they came and entered. Then the prison guards chasing after them came and asked the bhikkhunīs: “Might you have seen such-and-such a criminal?” They hadn’t seen them and said: “We haven’t seen them.” The prison guards then searched everywhere and caught the criminal. Then the householders were all upset: “These bhikkhunīs know no shame, they lie. Outwardly, they praise themselves: ‘We know the true dhamma’, how is that the true dhamma? They saw the criminal but said they hadn’t seen them.” Then the bhikkhunīs asked each other: “Who opened the gate at sunset and left?” Someone replied: “One of the group-of-six bhikkhunīs opened the gate and left.”

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 bhikkhunī: “Why did you just open the gate at sunset without informing anyone and leave?” 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 the bhikkhunī of the group-of-six: “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 just open the gate at sunset without informing anyone and leave?” 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:

Preliminary Ruling

‘If a bhikkhunī opens the monastery gate at sunset and leaves, it’s a pācittiya.’” In this way the World-honored One laid down the precept for the bhikkhunīs.

Second Origin Story

Then the bhikkhunīs attended to matters of the Buddha, the dhamma, and the sangha, or they looked after the sick. They had doubts and didn’t dare to leave. The Buddha said: “From now on, I allow to inform someone and leave. From now on, you should recite the precept like this:

Final Ruling

‘If a bhikkhunī opens the monastery gate at sunset and leaves without informing anyone, it’s a pācittiya.’”

Explanation

The meaning of “bhikkhunī” is as above.

If a bhikkhunī opens the monastery gate at sunset and goes through the gate without informing anyone, it’s a pācittiya. If she has one foot inside and one foot outside, if she plans and wishes to go but doesn’t go, or if she makes an appointment to go but doesn’t go, all cases are dukkaṭas.

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 attends to matters of the Buddha, the dhamma, and the sangha, or if she looks after the sick, and she informs someone and leaves, if the monastery is destroyed, if it’s on fire, if there’s a criminal, a savage animal, or a poisonous snake inside, if she’s held by force, if she’s arrested and made to go, if her life is in danger, or if her celibacy is in danger, and she leaves without informing anyone, 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 163rd rule.)