Expulsion 1

Mahāsaṅghika Vinaya, 36th fascicle.

Translated by the Indian Tipiṭaka master Buddhabhadra together with Fǎxiǎn during the Eastern Jin dynasty.

Beginning of the explanation of the eight pārājika rules.

Origin Story

The Blessed One, the fully awakened Buddha, in accordance with his original intentions, having practised and fully achieved them all, was staying in Kapilavatthu at the Sakyan monastery where he was venerated by and received offerings from gods and humans. As explained in detail above. At that time, Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī, with Chandajī, Chandapālā, Dāsacchandā, Chandamātā, and 500 Sakyan women went to the Buddha. Having arrived, they paid respect with their heads (at his feet), and stood at one side. Then Mahāpajāpatī said to the Buddha: “World-honored One, the arising of a Buddha is difficult to encounter, and it’s difficult to get to hear the dhamma. Now a Tathāgata has arisen in the world, who teaches the sweet nectar of the marvelous dhamma, and who causes beings to achieve extinguishment and the marvelous awakening.” As explained in detail in the sutta of Mahāpajāpatī’s going forth. … The Buddha said: “From now on, Mahāpajāpatī is the bhikkhunī sangha’s most senior nun. Remember it like this.”

At that time, Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī said to the Buddha: “World-honored One, for the bhikkhus you’ve laid down four grave rules of downfall. May we hear them in detail?” The Buddha said: “You may. Gotamī, if a faithful, good woman wants to obtain five beneficial things, she should completely accept and keep this vinaya. What five? If a faithful, good woman wants to become established in the Buddha-dhamma, she should completely accept and keep this vinaya. If she wants to make the true dhamma last long, she should completely accept and keep this vinaya. If she doesn’t want to have doubts and regrets and ask others about them, she should completely accept and keep this vinaya. If she wants to be someone other bhikkhunīs can rely on when they fear that they have committed an offense, she should completely accept and keep this vinaya. If she wants to wander and teach in all directions without impediments, she should completely accept and keep this vinaya. This is called a devoted, good woman who accepts and keeps this vinaya for five beneficial things. The rest is as explained in detail above in the first five passages of the bhikkhu rules.

Final Ruling

If a bhikkhunī, who hasn’t returned the precepts, who hasn’t disclosed her weakness in the precepts, accepts sexual intercourse, even with an animal, that bhikkhunī commits a pārājika, and shouldn’t live in community.” This rule is phrased differently in the pātimokkha.*

Explanation

“A bhikkhunī” means someone who has received the full ordination, has well-received the full ordination, with one motion and three announcements, without obstructive states, by both sanghas in harmony, in accordance with dhamma, not against the dhamma, in harmony, not without harmony, fully 20 (years old), not less than 20. This is called a bhikkhunī. “Not returned the precepts, not disclosed her weakness in the precepts” are as explained in detail above in the bhikkhu rules. “Accepting?” means accepting with a lustful mind. “Sexual intercourse” means not observing celibacy. If a bhikkhunī feels pleasure from any of the following: with a man, asleep, awake, or dead, or with a non-human male, or a male animal, asleep, awake, or dead, or with an impotant male human, non-human, or animal, asleep, awake, or dead, through the three orifices, the mouth, the vagina, and the anus, that bhikkhunī is pārājika, and shouldn’t live in community. “A pārājika” means she has fallen away and departed from dhamma knowledge, and she has no share in the path and fruits. This is called pārājika. Likewise, … she has fallen away and departed from the knowledges, such as the knowledge of cessation and the knowledge of no (re)birth, and she has no share in the path and fruits. This is called pārājika. Moreover, “a pārājika” means that she has fallen away and departed from extinguishment, and she has no share in the path and fruits. This is called pārājika. Moreover, “a pārājika” means she has fallen away and departed from the monastic life. This is called pārājika. “A pārājika” means that the offense that has been committed can’t be disclosed and confessed. Therefore, it’s called pārājika.

If a bhikkhunī with a defiled mind wants to see a man, she transgresses against vinaya and should mentally repent. If she sees him or hears him, she breaks a minor vinaya rule. If they turn their naked bodies towards each other, it’s a thullaccaya. … If he penetrates her even like a sesame seed, she’s pārājika. If a bhikkhunī without saying that she returns the precepts, and without saying that she doesn’t return the precepts, with weak precepts, just becomes a lay person, she incurs the offense according to what she has committed. If she becomes a non-Buddhist renunciate, it’s the same. If they wrap but don’t cover, or cover but don’t wrap, or both cover and wrap, or neither cover nor wrap, and he penetrates her even like a sesame seed, she’s pārājika in all cases. A. Hirakawa suggests that this refers to birth control methods. “Covering” is a method used by women, “Wrapping” a method used by men.* If a bhikkhunī, who hasn’t returned the precepts, who hasn’t disclosed her weakness in the precepts, just looks and dresses like a lay person and commits the act, she incurs the offense according to what she has committed. If a bhikkhunī close to a bhikkhu forces him to engage in sexual intercourse, the bhikkhunī is pārājika. If the bhikkhu feels pleasure, he also is pārājika.

If a bhikkhu and a bhikkhunī have sexual intercourse together, both are pārājika. If a bhikkhunī has sexual intercourse with a sāmaṇera, the bhikkhunī is pārājika, and the sāmaṇera is expelled. With lay people it’s also the same. If a bhikkhunī has sex of the three kinds, with humans, non-humans, or animals; or the three other kinds, the top orifice, the middle orifice, or the low orifice; or the three other kinds, with someone who is awake, asleep, or dead, she’s pārājika in all cases.

If a bhikkhunī is asleep, mentally confused, or has entered concentration, and someone just gets on top of her and engages in sexual intercourse, if the bhikkhunī, when she wakes up, feels pleasure in the beginning, middle, or end, she’s pārājika.

If a bhikkhunī is asleep, mentally confused, or has entered concentration, and someone just gets on top of her and engages in sexual intercourse, if she, when she wakes up, doesn’t feel pleasure in the beginning, but feels pleasure in the middle or end, she’s also pārājika.

If a bhikkhunī is asleep, mentally confused, or has entered concentration, and someone just gets on top of her and engages in sexual intercourse, if she, when she wakes up, doesn’t feel pleasure in the beginning and middle, but feels pleasure in the end, she’s also pārājika.

What is “feeling pleasure,” what is “not feeling pleasure”? “Feeling pleasure” means for example if a hungry person obtains all kinds of delicious food, they’re pleased by the food. Or again, if a thirsty person obtains all kinds of good drinks, they’re pleased by the drinks. Feeling pleasure is also like this. “Not feeling pleasure” means for example if a very clean person has all kinds of corpses tied around their neck, or again, if an abscess is opened, or a hot iron burns one’s body. “Not feeling pleasure” is also like this. If a bhikkhunī accepts sexual intercourse, whether she buys it, or hires someone, or obtains it through kindness, or from a friend, or through harrassment, or through seduction, or through other means, if she obtains it through any of these ways, and accepts sexual intercourse, she’s pārājika in all cases. If she’s mentally confused or not aware, there’s no offense. This is what was said.

If a bhikkhunī, who hasn’t returned the precepts, who hasn’t disclosed her weakness in the precepts, accepts sexual intercourse, even together with an animal, that bhikkhunī commits a pārājika, and shouldn’t live in community.

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