Confession 71

Origin Stories

At that time, the bhikkhunīs patted their vagina with their hands, and sexual desire arose in their minds. Thereupon they returned to lay life, or became non-Buddhist renunciates.

Thullanandā also patted her vagina with her hand. Her vagina greatly swelled up and she couldn’t walk anymore. Her student went to the house of regular supporters and said: “My teacher is sick, I’m asking for food for her.” They then gave some, and the women of the household came and inquired after her: “Venerable, from what do you suffer?” She answered: “I’m sick.” They asked again: “Which sickness is it? We’re among women, why don’t you tell us?” Then she explained this matter in full. At this, the women criticized her: “They always speak ill of desire, of thoughts of desire, of the heat of desire, and of the sensations of desire. And now, she does such things! Why doesn’t she disrobe and experience the happiness of the five pleasures? 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, … “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 pats the vagina with her hand, it’s a pācittiya.’”

Explanations

If she pats with the hand, each pat is a pācittiya. If sexual fluids come out, it’s a thullaccaya.

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

(End of 70.) This is actually the 71st precept. The numbering is out of alignment, because precept no. 36 is missing in the vibhaṅga, but included in the pātimokkha.*