Confession 124

Origin Story

At that time, the bhikkhunīs ordained female bondservants. The lay people criticized them: “The bhikkhunīs don’t even (know) I follow the parallel passage in pācittiya 116 for my translation: 諸比丘尼不知可度、不可度, which includes 知, “know”.* who is ordainable and who isn’t.” Some householders said: “We should snatch their robes and bowls, and hand them over to the judge.” Others said: “King Pasenadi has decreed: ‘If someone treats a bhikkhunī with disrespect, I’ll give them a heavy punishment.’ You should quickly let them go, and don’t let people hear about it.” Everybody said: “This isn’t the practice of renunciates. They’ve broken the rules of renunciates.” 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 ordains a female bondservant, it’s a pācittiya.’”

Explanations

“A bondservant” means belonging to an official, or to another person.

If she thinks about it, … when the formal act with a motion as fourth is finished, also as explained above.

If her owner allows it, the offense isn’t committed.