Confession 95

Origin Story

The Buddha was staying at Vesālī. At that time, Kālī bhikkhunī gave the going forth to a Licchavi woman who was the third child. After she had given her the training rules i.e. she had become a sikkhamānā*, the woman took a door hook, opened the door to her room, and stayed together with lay people and non-Buddhist renunciates. the Lokuttaravāda parallel has an additional sentence here that she received the full ordination.* The bhikkhunīs were upset and criticized her: “This person is breaking the precepts. She has taken the door hook, opened the door to her room, and stayed together with men. How can you give her the full ordination?”

The bhikkhunīs told Mahāpajāpatī, and she fully informed the World-honored One of this matter. The Buddha said: “Summon Kālī.” When she came, he asked her: “Did you really do this?” She answered: “I really did this.” The Buddha said: “This is an unwholesome thing. Why did you, knowing that she has broken the precepts, taken a door hook, opened the door to her room, and stayed together with non-Buddhist renunciates, give her the full ordination? From now on, it’s no longer allowed to give the full ordination to someone who has broken the precepts.” The Buddha told Mahāpajāpatī: “Convene all the bhikkhunīs living in the vicinity of Vesālī. … Those who have already heard it should listen again:

Final Ruling

If a bhikkhunī knows that someone has broken the precepts, taken a door hook, opened the door to her room, and stayed together with a man, and gives her the full ordination, it’s a pācittiya.”

Explanation

“A bhikkhunī” is as explained above. “Broken the precepts” means not kept precepts fully, or transgressed precepts. “Taking a door hook and opening a room” means opening the door to her room. “A man” means lay people or non-Buddhist renunciates. “Staying together” means staying closely together. If someone gives her the full ordination, it’s a pācittiya. “Pācittiya” is as explained above. If she stays closely together with lay people or non-Buddhist renunciates, it’s not allowed to give her the full ordination. If one is able to make her be fully celibate, one should first separate her, and later give her the full ordination. If a bhikkhu knows that a sāmaṇera has broken the precepts, and stayed closely together with a woman, if without giving him the going forth again, he gives him the higher ordination, he breaks a minor vinaya rule. This is what the World-honored One said.