Confession 173

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 did walking meditation, stood, sat, or lay down in front of others who had lived there before when they had arrived later, or who had arrived later when they had lived there before, because they wanted to irritate and distract them.

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 do walking meditation, stand, sit, or lie down in front of a bhikkhunī who had lived there before when you had arrived later, because you wanted to irritate and distract her?” 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 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 did you do walking meditation, stand, sit, or lie down in front of a bhikkhunī who had lived there before when you had arrived later, because you wanted to irritate and distract her?” When he had criticized them in countless ways, he said to the bhikkhus: “These group-of-six 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 does walking meditation, stands, sits, or lies down in front of someone who has lived there before when she has arrived later, or has arrived later when she has lived there before, because she wants to irritate and distract her, it’s a pācittiya.’” In this way the World-honored One laid down the precept for the bhikkhunīs.

Second Origin Story

Then the bhikkhunīs didn’t know who had lived there before and who hadn’t lived there before, or who had arrived later and who hadn’t arrived later. They only found out later. Some confessed a pācittiya, some had doubts. (The Buddha said:) “If you don’t know, there’s no offense. (From now on, you should recite the precept like this:)

Final Ruling

‘If a bhikkhunī knows that someone has lived there before when she has arrived later, or has arrived later when she has lived there before, and she does walking meditation, stands, sits, or lies down in front of her because she wants to irritate her, it’s a pācittiya.’”

Explanation

The meaning of “bhikkhunī” is as above.

If a bhikkhunī knows that someone has lived there before when she has arrived later, or has arrived later when she has lived there before, and she does walking meditation, stands, sits, or lies down in front of her because she wants to irritate her, 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 doesn’t know at first, if she asks, if the other has previously allowed her to do walking meditation, if she’s senior, if they alternate doing walking meditation, if they do walking meditation according to seniority, if they’re friends, if her friend says: “Just do walking meditation, I’ll tell her for you,” if she’s sick and falls to the ground, if she’s held by force, if she’s arrested, if her life is in danger, or if her celibacy is in danger, 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 173rd rule.)