Acknowledgment 1-8

Beginning of the explanation of the eight pātidesanīya rules.

Origin Story

The Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī. At that time, the Buddha told Mahāpajāpatī: “One time, the Tathāgata was at Sāvatthī. Then the group-of-six bhikkhunīs asked for ghee at the ghee market, for oil at the oil market, for honey at the honey market, for sugar at the sugar market, for meat at the meat market, for fish at the fish market, for milk at the milk market, for curd at the curd market, and ate it. Lay people blamed them: ‘Why does the renunciate Gotama praise fewness of wishes and criticizes having many wishes?’ To be explained in detail as in the bhikkhus’ analysis. Gotamī, the bhikkhunīs should therefore also train as follows. Gotamī, one time when I was staying in Kapilavatthu in the Sakyan monastery, I allowed sick bhikkhunīs to ask for good food.” The Buddha told Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī: “Convene all the bhikkhunīs living in the vicinity of Sāvatthī. … Those who have already heard it should listen again:

Final Ruling

If a bhikkhunī who isn’t sick asks a lay person for ghee, or has others ask, to chew or to eat for herself, that bhikkhunī should confess to the other bhikkhunīs: ‘Venerables, I’ve fallen into an offense to be criticized. I confess this offense.’ This is a pātidesanīya rule.

In the same way: 2. oil; 3. honey; 4. sugar; 5. milk; 6. curd; 7. fish; 8. meat.

Explanation

“For herself” means towards her own body. “Sick” means that the World-honored One has said that there’s no offense. What is “sick”? Old, weak sick, taking medicine to induce vomiting or a laxative, taking medicine, having cut her head and bleeding, and similar sicknesses. “A family” means the four classes. “Ghee” means ghee from cows, water buffaloes, and goats. “Asking” means asking herself or having others ask. “Chewing or eating” means that that bhikkhunī should confess to the other bhikkhunīs: “Venerables, I’ve fallen into an offense to be criticized. I confess this offense.” The leader should ask: “Do you see this offense?” She should answer: “I see it.” “Don’t do it again.” “I’ll keep it respectfully.” “A pātidesanīya” means that this offense should be revealed; this is called “confession.”

If a bhikkhunī has a fever and needs ghee, she may ask for it. She may not go to a faithless household to ask for it. She should go to a faithful household. If when she’s on almsround, she sees someone who measures ghee, she should ask: “Long-lived One, are you free from sickness?” They answer: “Venerable, what to you wish to get?” She answers: “I’m on almsround.” The master says: “I don’t have food, but I certainly have ghee. If you need ghee, I’ll give some.” Then she may take a bowlful, and she may also advise them to give to other people as well. For someone measuring oil, she may also do it like this.

If she has a wind disorder, she may also ask for oil. She may not ask from an oil-pressing house. She should ask from a faithful household. If when she’s on almsround, she sees someone who measures oil, she should ask: “Long-lived One, are you free from sickness?” They answer: “Venerable, what to you need?” She answers: “I’m on almsround.” (They say:) “I don’t have food, but I certainly have oil. If you need it, I’ll give some.” Then she may take a bowlful without offense. And she may also advise them to give to her companion. The same for honey.

If she has a water disorder, she may ask for honey. She may not go to a honey-gathering house to ask. She should go to a faithful household to ask. … And she may also advise them to give to her companion. The same for sugar.

If she’s sick, and a doctor has said: “You should take sugar,” she may ask for sugar. She may not go to a sugar house to ask. She should go to a faithful household. If when she’s on almsround, she sees someone who weighs sugar, … And she may also advise them to give to her companion.

If she’s sick, and a doctor has said: “You should take milk,” she may ask for milk. If when she’s on almsround, she sees someone milking cows at a cattle farm, she should ask: “Long-lived One, are you free from sickness?” They answer: “Venerable, what to you wish to get?” She answers: “I’m on almsround.” They answer: “I don’t have food, but I certainly have milk. If you need it, you may take some.” If she asks for churned milk and they say: “I don’t have churned milk, but I certainly have milk,” she may take some.

If she’s sick, and a doctor has said: “You should take curd,” she may ask for curd. If when she’s on almsround, she sees someone measuring curd, she should ask: “Long-lived One, are you free from sickness?” They answer: “Venerable, what to you wish to get?” She answers: “I’m on almsround.” If they say: “I don’t have food, but I certainly have curd,” she may take some, and she may also advise them to give to her companion. If she asks for the clear liquid from curd, and they give curd, she may take it.

If a bhikkhunī is taking medicine to induce vomiting or a laxative, and a doctor has said: “You should take the liquid from fish,” she may ask for it. If when she’s on almsround, she asks for churned milk and receives fish, she may take it.

If she has cut her head and is bleeding, and a doctor has said: “You need meat,” she may ask for it. She may not go to a butcher to ask. She should go to a faithful household to ask. If she’s on almsround, she may ask for vegetable broth. If they say: “I don’t have vegetable broth, but I certainly have meat broth,” she may take it if she needs it.

If she knows: “At a certain time, I’m often sick, and at that time, medicine is hard to get,” she may ask for in in advance without offense. If when she’s not sick, she asks for the time of sickness, and eats it, she breaks a minor vinaya rule. If when she’s sick, she asks for the time of health, and eats it, there’s no offense. If when she’s sick, she asks for the time of sickness, and eats it, there’s no offense. If when she’s not sick, she asks for the time of health, and eats it, it’s a pātidesanīya. If she doesn’t cook (special food) for the illness, but eats it for the illness, there’s no offense. If she cooks for the illness, but doesn’t eat it for the illness, she breaks a minor vinaya rule. If she cooks for the illness, and eats it for the illness, there’s no offense. If she doesn’t cook for the illness, and doesn’t eat it for the illness, there’s no offense, because renunciates depend on others to live. This is what the World-honored One said.

Ghee, oil, honey, sugar, milk, curd, meat, fish, these are called the eight things. The bhikkhunī pātidesanīya rules are finished.