Confession 89

Origin Story

At that time, Khemā bhikkhunī had arrived in Sāvatthī, and Chandasumanā bhikkhunī said: “I’ll inform the supporters and have them visit you.” Khemā said: “You don’t need to inform them.” Chandasumanā said again: “Accept that I inform them, and thus obtain benefits, and also have merits to transfer to them.” At that, Khemā allowed it by being silent. She then took her to the families. Khemā bhikkhunī had many disciples, she practised compassion samādhi, and there was nobody who didn’t respect her as a role model. They didn’t support Chandasumanā bhikkhunī anymore, and jealousy then arose in her mind. She said: “I informed these families, by which she obtained much support. But she on the other hand speaks badly of me, and causes me to not obtain food anymore.” The bhikkhunīs criticized her in all kinds of ways: “Why does a bhikkhunī keep families to herself?” 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 keeps families to herself, it’s a pācittiya.’”

Explanations

“Keeping families to herself” means that she wants to have these families support herself and not support others.

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

Mahīśāsaka Vinaya, end of fascicle 12.