Mahīśāsaka Vinaya
Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga
Confession 109
Origin Story
At that time, Thullanandā bhikkhunī said to the bhikkhunīs: “Carry out a formal act to take on students for me.” The bhikkhunīs said: “According to what the Buddha said how we should carry out a formal act to take on students, you aren’t qualified. We’re not allowed to carry out a formal act to take on students for you.” That bhikkhunī then said: “The bhikkhunīs follow desire, anger, delusion, and fear. For one whom they fear, they carry it out, for one whom they don’t fear, they don’t carry it out.” 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 criticizes other bhikkhunīs when they say to her: “According to what the Buddha said how we should carry out a formal act to take on students, you aren’t qualified,” it’s a pācittiya.’”