Confession 108

Origin Story

At that time, Thullanandā bhikkhunī’s female supporter wanted to go forth. Thullanandā said: “Give me a robe first, and I’ll ordain you.” The female supporter then criticized her: “I’m her supporter! Why does she first ask me for a robe, and then sees to my ordination? She doesn’t want to save me from birth, ageing, sickness, and death, but instead wants to profit from my robe. 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 says to a lay woman: “Give me a robe first, and I’ll ordain you,” it’s a pācittiya.’”

Explanations

If a bhikkhunī says it to a sikkhamānā or a sāmaṇerī, it’s a dukkaṭa.

If she borrows it, returns it, and then ordains her, the offense isn’t committed.