Confession 174

First Origin Story

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

Then, a very wise bhikkhunī passed away in Sāvatthī. The bhikkhunīs set up a stupa in a bhikkhu monastery. They took the bhikkhu sangha’s foot-washing stones from everywhere, broke them, and used them to build the stupa. Visiting bhikkhus came, didn’t know that this was a bhikkhunī’s stupa, and paid respect to it.

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 these bhikkhunīs: “Why did you set up a stupa in a bhikkhu monastery? Visiting bhikkhus came, didn’t know, and paid respect.” 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 these 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 set up a stupa in a bhikkhu monastery? Visiting bhikkhus didn’t know, and paid respect to it.” 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:

First Preliminary Ruling

‘If a bhikkhunī builds a stupa in a bhikkhu monastery, it’s a pācittiya.’” In this way the World-honored One laid down the precept for the bhikkhunīs.

Second Origin Story

Then the bhikkhunīs build a stupa in an old, dilapidated monastery without bhikkhus. They had doubts. The Buddha said: “There’s no offense. From now on, you should recite the precept like this:

Second Preliminary Ruling

‘If a bhikkhunī builds a stupa in a monastery where there are bhikkhus, it’s a pācittiya.’”

Third Origin Story

The bhikkhunīs didn’t know whether there were bhikkhus or not, and 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 there are bhikkhus in a monastery and builds a stupa, it’s a pācittiya.’”

Explanation

The meaning of “bhikkhunī” is as above.

If a bhikkhunī knows that there are bhikkhus in a monastery and builds a stupa, whenever she takes a foot-washing stone, or a lump of mud, or a bundle of grass, however much, each is 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 it’s in an old, dilapidated monastery, or if she first builds a stupa and it later becomes a monastery, 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 174th rule.)