Mahāsaṅghika Vinaya

Bhikkhunī Pakiṇṇaka

Pakiṇṇaka 14

The Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī. At that time, bhikkhunīs who had their menses soiled their beds and mats. Mahāpajāpatī went to the Buddha and said to him: “World-honored One, may we make a cloth for the impurity of the menses?” The Buddha said: “You may. You should use an old cloth to make it. You may not make it with a hard item. You may also not insert it deeply to create thoughts of sexual desire. It should be made with a soft item to block the vagina. If (a bhikkhunī) uses a hard item, or inserts it deeply, to relieve a lustful mind, it’s a thullaccaya.” This is called the rule on the menstrual cloth.