Relinquishment With Confession 19

Origin Story

At that time, Thullanandā bhikkhunī asked for a bowl from a vendor sitting at a stall. They then bought the bowl and gave it to her. When she had obtained it, she said: “I don’t need it anymore, please see to offering ghee.” They then also gave that, and sold the bowl they had bought. When the other vendors saw it, they said: “Aren’t you able to make a living by selling the goods on your stall? Are you now also a bowl trader?” They answered: “Thullanandā asked me for a bowl. I bought one and wanted to give it, but she didn’t use it anymore, and also asked me for ghee. I gave the ghee, and I just sell the bowl.” The people said: “According to the rules of mendicants, you should take what you’ve asked for. How can you not take something when you obtain it, and still ask for other things? These people always say that they’ve few wishes and know moderation, but now she has no limit. This isn’t the practice of renunciates. She has broken the rules of renunciates.”

When the senior bhikkhunīs heard it, they criticized her in all kinds of ways, and told the Buddha of this matter. The Buddha gathered both sanghas because of this matter and asked Thullanandā bhikkhunī: “Did you really do this?” She answered: “I really did this, World-honored One.” When the Buddha had criticized her in all kinds of ways, he told the bhikkhus: “I now lay down a precept for the bhikkhunīs. From now on, this precept should be recited thus:

Final Ruling

‘If a bhikkhunī first asks for one thing, and when she obtains it, doesn’t use it, and still asks for something else, it’s a nissaggiya pācittiya.’”

Explanations

However many she still asks for, each item is a nissaggiya pācittiya.

For a sikkhamānā and a sāmaṇerī, it’s a dukkaṭa.