Confession 99

Origin Story

At that time, the bhikkhunīs visited kings’ palaces and galleries, and they also went sightseeing in places of entertainment. They came to a flower pond, and many people had gathered in that place to see it. The bhikkhunīs told the men: “Please keep away a little, don’t come close to us.” The men said: “Inauspicious people, having shaven your head and put on patchwork robes, you shouldn’t come here. But you’ve come here, because you want to look for a man. Why do you make us keep away?” Then they took hold of them, dragged them away, and spoke coarse, unwholesome words about sexual desire. 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 wanders around for all kinds of sightseeing, it’s a pācittiya.’”

Explanations

If she thinks about and plans it, it’s a dukkaṭa. If she sets out, each step is a pācittiya.

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

If she doesn’t go to watch the entertainment, in all cases the offense isn’t committed.