Suspension 4

Origin Story

At that time, the World-honored One was in Sāvatthī in Jeta’s grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s park. Then the bhikkhunīs lived in the wilderness, and there was a householder who was building a monastery in that place to offer to the bhikkhunī sangha to stay in. At a later time, bad things happened to the bhikkhunīs who lived in the wilderness, and they abandoned this monastery and left. Later, the householder passed away. His child then tilled the soil in the monastery. The bhikkhunīs saw it and said: “This is the land of the sangha. Don’t till it!” The householder’s child answered: “That’s true. When my father was alive, he built this monastery, and gave it to the bhikkhunī sangha. The bhikkhunī sangha has abandoned it and left, my father has passed away, and I’m now independent. Why should this land be empty? That’s of no use!” When the householder’s child tilled as before, the bhikkhunīs went and informed the judges. Then the judges summoned the the householder’s child to deliberate the case according to the law. All their wealth was confiscated as a punishment.

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 rebuked those bhikkhunīs: “Why does a bhikkhunī go to the judges to speak about householder’s children, and have their wealth confiscated?” The bhikkhunīs 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 those 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 does a bhikkhunī go to the judges to speak about people?” Then, when the World-honored One had criticized those bhikkhunīs in countless ways, he said to the bhikkhus: “Those 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: ‘If a bhikkhunī speaks about people, whether a householder, a householder’s child, a slave, or a worker, whether by day or by night, or just for one instant, for the snap of a finger, for one moment, that bhikkhunī commits an immediate offense that should be given up, a saṅghādisesa.’” In this way the World-honored One laid down the precept for the bhikkhunīs.

At that time, a concubine of King Pasenadi of Kosala built a monastery to offer to the bhikkhunīs. When the bhikkhunīs had accepted it and had stayed there, they abandoned it to wander among the people. When the king’s concubine heard that the bhikkhunīs had abandoned the monastery to wander among the people, she turned over the monastery to female renunciates. When those bhikkhunīs heard that, they thought: “We went wandering and weren’t there, and our monastery was turned over to others.” Then they returned to the monastery, and said to the female renunciates: “Leave us and go away. Don’t stay in our monastery.” Those female renunciates answered: “This was truly your monastery, a donor had built it for you. You left and went wandering among the people, and it was offered to us. Now we can’t leave.” Then those bhikkhunīs got angry and dragged them out. The female renunciates then went and spoke with the judges. When the judges summoned the bhikkhunīs, they were in doubt and didn’t go, thinking: “The World-honored One has laid down a precept that we may not go to the judges to speak about others.”

Then the bhikkhunīs told the bhikkhus, and the bhikkhus went and told the World-honored One. The World-honored One said to the bhikkhus: “From now on, if they’re summoned, they should go.” Then those bhikkhunīs went to the judges, and the judges asked them: “Venerables, what is this matter? Explain it well.” The bhikkhunīs answered: “This whole land belongs to the king, the household items belong to the householders, the monastery belongs to the donor, and the beds, seats, and bedding likewise. Maintaining a building for the sangha to stay in brings much merit. Why? Because through their gift, we live in peace.” The judges answered: “As the venerables say: ‘This whole land belongs to the king, the household property belongs to the householders, the monastery belongs to the donor, and the beds, seats, and bedding likewise. Maintaining a building for the sangha to stay in brings much merit. Why? Because through their gift, we live in peace.’ Now this monastery should be given to the female renunciates to stay.” Then the bhikkhus went and told the World-honored One. The World-honored One said to the bhikkhus: “Those bhikkhunīs haven’t spoken well, and the judges also haven’t answered well. Why? The first offering was according to the law, the later offering was against the law.” Then when king Pasenadi heard that the bhikkhunīs had said this, and the judges had answered thus, and the World-honored One had spoken in this way, the king punished the judges, and confiscated all their wealth. The bhikkhus heard this, and they went and told the World-honored One. The World-honored One then said to the bhikkhus: “From now on, you should recite the precept like this:

Final Ruling

‘If a bhikkhunī goes to a judge to speak about a householder, a householder’s child, a slave, or a worker, whether by day, or by night, or just for one instant, for the snap of a finger, for one moment, that bhikkhunī commits an immediate offense that should be given up, a saṅghādisesa.’”

Explanation

The meaning of “bhikkhunī” is as above.

“Speaking about others” means going to a judge and quarreling with each other about right and wrong.

“A householder” means not a renunciate.

“A child” means someone born to a householder.

“A slave” means either someone bought, or someone born in that household.

“A worker” means hired with money to work.

“A female renunciate” (brahmacārinī) means someone gone forth in a non-Buddhist sect.

If a bhikkhunī speaks about people, whether a householder, a householder’s child, a slave, or a worker, whether by day or by night, or just for one instant, for the snap of a finger, for one moment, like the female renunciates who went to the judges and argued their case, and if the judges take on the case, it’s a saṅghādisesa. If she speaks without revealing someone’s name, it’s a thullaccaya.

For a bhikkhu, this is a dukkaṭa. For a sikkhamānā, a sāmaṇera, and a sāmaṇerī, it’s a dukkaṭa. This is called “to commit”.

“Not committed” means if she’s summoned, if she wants to report something, if she’s taken there by force, if she’s arrested and brought there, if her life is in danger, if her celibacy is in danger, and if although she speaks, she doesn’t file a lawsuit, 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 fourth rule.)