Confession 98

Origin Story

The Buddha was staying in Sāvatthī. At that time, the bhikkhunīs gave the full ordination to someone who had been given the training precepts, but hadn’t fully trained in them. … Those who have already heard it should listen again:

Final Ruling

If a bhikkhunī gives the full ordination to someone who has received the training precepts, but hasn’t fully trained in them, it’s a pācittiya.”

Explanation

“Received the training precepts” means has been given the training precepts, fulfills the 10 requirements, with a complete assembly, a complete motion, and complete announcements. If all of these are complete, it’s called “received the training precepts.” “Not fully trained in the precepts” means that after she has been given the training precepts, she should follow the training in the 18 matters for two years. What 18? She eats and drinks after all the bhikkhunīs, and before all the sāmaṇerīs. What is impure for her may be pure for a bhikkhunī, what is impure for a bhikkhunī is also impure for her. She’s allowed to spend three nights in the same room with a bhikkhunī. With sāmaṇerīs, she may also spend three nights. She may offer food to the bhikkhunīs, except for the five kinds of purifications of living seeds by fire (etc.). Fruits have to be made allowable for consumption by monastics through a procedure that symbolically damages the seeds. This can be done with five methods, one of them being with fire.* She may receive food from sāmaṇerīs. She may not participate in the pātimokkha recitation. From the pārājikas down to the minor vinaya rules, she may be told: Sex isn’t allowable, stealing isn’t allowable, killing people isn’t allowable. In this way, she may be taught. She may not hear the uposatha and the invitation (pavāraṇā). On the uposatha or the pavāraṇā day, she should go to the senior bhikkhunī, and paying respect with her head at the sangha’s feet, she should say: “I, So-and-so, should be remembered as pure.” After she has spoken like this three times, she should withdraw and leave. If she breaks any of the last four pārājikas, then she should receive the training precepts again that very day. If she breaks any rule from the 19 sanghadisesas down, then she should make a confession for a dukkaṭa. If she breaks the five precepts — which five? To eat at the wrong time, to eat stored food, to receive gold, silver, or money, to drink alcohol, to wear perfumes and flowers — from the day of the offense, she should train in the full precepts again from the beginning. This is different from the description in garudhamma 2: “her training is extended for as many days as she has broken them.” It seems that garudhamma 2 is the preferable reading, as otherwise there wouldn’t be any difference between breaking a bhikkhunī pārājika and breaking one of these five rules.* “Less” means “training less than two rains”. This is called “not fully trained”. If one gives the full ordination to someone who isn’t fully trained, it’s a pācittiya. This is what the World-honored One said.

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