Confession 141

Origin Story

The Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī. At that time, the group-of-six bhikkhunīs were wandering around encouraging women: “Give us things. We want to prepare food for the bhikkhus.” The women then gave and said: “When the day of food preparation comes, tell us. We’ll serve the food.” Then they invited the venerables Sāriputta, Mahāmoggallāna, Revata, Kappina, and the venerable Rāhula. They also invited the group-of-six bhikkhus. The prepared two (areas with) seats, one for the senior bhikkhus, the other for the group-of-six bhikkhus. Then the senior bhikkhus, when the time had come, put on their robes, took their bowls, came to the building, and sat down in order of seniority. (The bhikkhunīs) gave the venerable Sāriputta white rice, mung bean curry, ghee, milk, and curd. As they moved on, they gave coarser food. To the venerable Moggallāna, they gave coarse rice, bean curry, oil, and milk. To the other bhikkhus, they just gave brown rice and bean curry. Some just got rice, but didn’t get curry. Others just got curry, but didn’t get rice. Finally, to the venerable Rāhula, they gave brown rice, sesame powder, and vegetable curry. Then the lay women also came with all kinds of good food, and asked: “To whom should we give this?” The bhikkhunīs blocked the senior bhikkhus from view with their bodies, and pointed out the group-of-six bhikkhus. They gave them white rice, good curries, ghee, milk, and curd, as much as they wanted. When the bhikkhus had eaten, they left. The Buddha knew about this and intentionally asked them: “Sāriputta, have you obtained good food, and was it sufficient?” He answered: “I’ve eaten, World-honored One.” In this way, he asked three times, and got the same answer. In such a way, he asked the senior bhikkhus one by one, and all answered like this. Finally he asked Rāhula: “Why are your appearance and strength not satisfactory? Did you get good food until you were satisfied?” He answered: “World-honored One, from eating oil, I get a pleasant appearance, from eating ghee I get strength. When I eat sesame powder with vegetables, I get neither a good appearance nor strength.” Then the Buddha asked the group-of-six bhikkhus: “Did you get good food?” They answered: “World-honored One, we got white rice, good curries, ghee, curd, and all kinds of good food. All thanks to our sisters’ faith, compassion, and effort.” The Buddha said: “Who was the senior bhikkhu?” They answered: “The venerable Sāriputta.” The Buddha asked Sāriputta: “Did you really do this?” He answered: “I really did this, World-honored One.” The Buddha said: “This is food against the dhamma. Why did you, when you saw this mistreatment of the bhikkhu sangha, enter a mindstate of detachment?” Sāriputta said: “If the World-honored One says that this food is against dhamma I can’t digest it even in an eon or more than an eon.” At this, he took a bird feather, scratched (his throat) with it, and vomitted. The Buddha said: “Summon the group-of-six bhikkhunīs.” When they came, he asked them: “Did you really do this?” They answered: “We really did this.” The Buddha said: “This is an unwholesome thing. Why did you knowingly divert donations for one group to another group? From now on, it’s no longer allowed.” … Those who have already heard it should listen again:

Final Ruling

If a bhikkhunī knowingly diverts donations for one group to another group, it’s a pācittiya.”

Explanation

“A bhikkhunī” is as explained above. “Knowingly” means she either knows herself or hears it from others. “A group” means a group of bhikkhus, and a group of bhikkhunīs. “Donations” means the eight kinds: medicines at the proper time, nighttime medicines, seven-day medicines, lifetime medicines, things to be kept on the body, valuable things, impure things, and pure and impure things. “Diverting” means selecting things intended for one place and diverting them to another group; this is a pācittiya. “Pācittiya” is as explained above. If someone comes and asks: “I wish to make a donation. Where should I give it to?,” one should say: “Give to the place that makes your mind happy.” If they say: “In which place is there great merit?,” one should say: “Give to the sangha.” If they ask: “In which place is there a sangha that keeps the precepts well?,” one should say: “The sangha everywhere doesn’t break the precepts.” If they ask: “In which place are there bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs who keep the small rules, practise sitting meditation, recite the suttas, don’t wander around much, and always let me see my gift?,” it’s allowed to say: “Give to such-and-such.” If a bhikkhunī knowingly diverts an item for the sangha towards herself, it’s a nissaggiya pācittiya. If she diverts it to another person, it’s a pācittiya. If she diverts an item for a group to another group, it’s a pācittiya. If she diverts an item for someone’s followers to someone else’s followers, it’s also a pācittiya. If she diverts an item for one person to another person, she breaks a minor vinaya rule. If a bhikkhu diverts an item for a group to another group, he breaks a minor vinaya rule. This is what the World-honored One said.

Summary Verse

Instructing, an abscess in a hidden place, spending the night away, not wandering

after the rains retreat, rebuking, arriving after someone has entered the rains retreat,

Throwing impure things over a wall, grass, water, diverting to a sangha.

The 14th chapter is finished.

70 precepts shared with the bhikkhus. 71 unshared precepts. The sutta of the 141 pācittiyas has been recited.