Suspension 8

First Origin Story

The Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī. At that time, there was a wife in a powerful household in the village Āmala who was young and graceful. She had an affair with someone else. Her husband said: “Don’t do it again. If you do it again, I’ll punish you in such-and-such a way.” His wife did as before without stopping. Her husband then investigated, and caught her when she was with the other man. He brought her to the judge and said: “My wife has an affair with this man. I ask the judge to allow me to punish her for her crime according to the law.” —“Punishing her for her crime according to the law” means if a woman has an affair with someone else, she should appear before the two gathered assemblies for seven days. After the seven-day gathering, her body should be ripped apart through the middle in front of the assemblies of the two families (i.e. the woman’s and her husband’s).— The judge then said to the wife: “You may return home. If you have things at home, you may go and prepare offerings of food and drinks. If you don’t have anything, you can do what you like. When the seven days are over, your body will be ripped apart through the middle in front of the two assemblies.” She then returned home, and prepared food and drinks to offer to the two assemblies. She then cried in a secluded place. Some women 諸母人, lit. “motherly people” seems to be an overly literal rendering of “mātugāma”.* asked her: “Why do you cry?”

She answered: “How could I not cry? When the seven days are over, my body will be ripped apart through the middle in front of the two assemblies.” The women said: “Do you want to live?” She answered: “Yes.” They said: “Go to Sāvatthī to Kālī bhikkhunī. If you request to go forth, you can live.” The assembled people had become drunk on alcohol, and with the support of these women, she briefly went out on a pretext. She reached Sāvatthī, and asked people: “Where is the bhikkhunī monastery?” They showed her the place. She entered, and asked people: “Where is Kālī bhikkhunī’s room?” Then they showed her the room. She entered, and said: “Venerable, I want to go forth.” (Kālī) asked: “Has your guardian allowed it?” She answered: “What does allowed mean?” The bhikkhunī said: “If you haven’t yet left (your parent’s house) to be married, your parents allow it. If you’re married, your parents-in-law, your husband, or your brothers-in-law allow it. This then means allowed.” (The woman) answered: “In that case, I’ve allowed myself. All my relatives want to rip my body apart through the middle, and end my life.” The bhikkhunī said: “In that case, they’ve already released you.” Then she gave her the going forth and the full ordination.

Her husband looked for her to punish her for her crime, but didn’t see her. He heard that a bhikkhunī in Sāvatthī had given her the going forth. Then he went to Sāvatthī, and asked people: “Where is the bhikkhunī monastery?” Then they showed him the place. He entered and asked: “Where is this Kālī bhikkhunī’s room?” They showed him, and said: “This is it.” He entered, and asked: “Venerable, are you Kālī bhikkhunī?” She answered: “Why do you ask?” He answered: “I haven’t released my wife. Why did you give her the going forth?” “Long-lived One, where is your home?” He answered: “In Āmala village.” Then she said: “Short-lived One, you’re a criminal. Don’t you know? The people of Āmala always like to come here. They investigate this country, and want to spy on us.” Then she said to her student: “Bring my robe. I’ll tell the king to tie up this short-lived one.” When the husband heard this, he thought: “This bhikkhunī is squinting her eyes. She might do something evil.” He slowly retreated. When he was outside, he scolded her resentfully: “This renunciate has stolen my wife and ordained her. And moreover, she wants to tie me up.”

When the bhikkhunīs heard this, they told Mahāpajāpatī, and she fully informed the World-honored One of this matter. The Buddha said: “Summon that bhikkhunī.” When she came, the Buddha said: “Kālī, this is an unwholesome thing. Why did you give the going forth to someone who you know has committed a crime, and whose assembled relatives want to punish her? This is against the dhamma, against the vinaya, against the Buddha’s teaching.

Preliminary Ruling

From now on, it’s no longer allowed to give the going forth to a woman who has committed a crime, and whose assembled relatives want to punish her.”

Second Origin Story

At another time, there was a woman in the village Sakyavāna. As explained above. … She said to the bhikkhunī: “Give me the going forth.” The bhikkhunī said: “If you have committed such a crime before, it’s not allowed to go forth.” The woman went again to other bhikkhunīs, but they all didn’t ordain her. Then she asked for the going forth from non-Buddhist renunciates. Her husband wanted to get hold of her to punish her for her crime, but didn’t know where she was. He heared that she had gone forth with non-Buddhist renunciates in Sāvatthī. The husband thought: “My wife was originally a lay Buddhist. But now she has fallen into a non-Buddhist wrong view. This then is the punishment for her crime.” And he didn’t look further for her. The renunciates of the non-Buddhist teaching drank rice-washing and pot-washing water, and they were naked and shameless. Moreover, the woman was raped again and again. The woman was disillusioned, and said: “This is no going forth in the dhamma.” Then she gave it up, went to the bhikkhunī monastery and told them: “I’ve fallen into a deep pit with crumbling walls, and I’ll fall into hell. Please let me go forth.” The bhikkhunīs didn’t dare to ordain her. Then she went to Mahāpajāpatī, and told her: “Venerable, you’re my relative, a Sakyan woman. Now I’ve fallen into a deep pit. Please give me the going forth.”

Mahāpajāpatī then went and informed the World-honored One of this matter. The Buddha said: “It’s allowed. If she was first ordained by non-Buddhist renunciates, it’s allowed to give the going forth afterwards.” The Buddha told Mahāpajāpatī: “Convene all the bhikkhunīs living in the vicinity of Sāvatthī. … Those who have already heard it should listen again:

Final Ruling

If a bhikkhunī knows that a woman has committed a crime, and that her assembled relatives want to punish her, and ordains her, except at a suitable time, —A suitable time means: if she has first been ordained by non-Buddhist renunciates. This is called a suitable time,— it’s an immediate (saṅghādisesa) offense.”

Explanation

“A bhikkhunī” is as explained above. “Knowing” means she either knows herself or hears it from others. “Assembled” means the two assemblies gathered: her parental family and her husband’s family. “Relatives” means from brahmin, noble, merchant or worker families. “Punish for a crime” means wrapping her lightly and setting her on fire, tying a sand bag around her neck and drowning her, burning her head, cutting off her ears and nose, burning her vagina with glowing iron, or ripping her body apart through the middle. Like this there are all kinds of different national laws. “Except if she has first been given the going forth by non-Buddhist renunciates” means that the World-honored One said that there’s no offense. “Non-Buddhist renunciates” means Jains, trident-bearing ascetics Tre-daṇḍikās*, and similar non-Buddhist renunciates. This rule is an immediate saṅghādisesa offense. “A saṅghādisesa” is as explained in detail above. If a bhikkhunī knows that a woman has committed a crime and should be punished, and gives her the going forth, she breaks a minor vinaya rule. If she gives her the (sikkhamānā) training precepts, it’s a thullaccaya. If she gives her the full ordination, it’s a saṅghādisesa. This is what the World-honored One said.