Relinquishment With Confession 29

Origin Story

At that time, the bhikkhunīs accumulated many utensils. They were everywhere, inside the buildings from the front to the back. It happened that a fire burnt the building and they brought out these items in bundles. There was no end to it. The lay people put out the fire, saw it, and asked: “Whose items are these?” They answered: “These are the bhikkhunīs’ items.” Then they criticized them: “These people are greatly inauspicious. They haven’t gone forth in the dhamma. They wear a patchwork robe of stained colors, and accumulate utensils like a king or high official. They always say that they’ve few wishes and know moderation, but now they accumulate without limit. This isn’t the practice of renunciates. She has broken the rules of renunciates.” When the senior bhikkhunīs heard it, they criticized them in all kinds of ways, … “I now lay down a precept for the bhikkhunīs, as explained above. From now on, this precept should be recited thus:

Final Ruling

‘If a bhikkhunī accumulates utensils, it’s a nissaggiya pācittiya.’”

Explanations

“Utensils” means the utensils necessary for daily life. One may only keep one jug each containing ghee, oil, honey, perfume, medicine, bean paste, and vinegar. One may also keep one each of: a pot, a kettle, and a ladle; and a small jar containing rice to eat. If one keeps more, it’s a nissaggiya pācittiya.

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