Confession 111

Origin Stories

At that time, the bhikkhunīs didn’t give the full ordination to trainee nuns who had completed two years. Later they became seriously ill: deaf, blind, mute, and had all kinds of other diseases, which prevented them from receiving ordination.

Khemā bhikkhunī’s student had finished training in the precepts for two years, and she also didn’t give her the full ordination. She said: “Train in these precepts for the time being.” Later (the student) contracted mild leprosy and didn’t know what to do. The senior bhikkhunīs criticized (Khemā) 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, when a sikkhamānā has completed two years and there are no difficulties, doesn’t give her the full ordination and says: “Train in these precepts for the time being”, it’s a pācittiya.’”