Confession 140

First Origin Story

At that time, the bhikkhus asked the bhikkhunīs: “Where is the house of So-and-so?”, “where does this road go to?” The bhikkhunīs treated them with disdain and didn’t answer. The bhikkhus got angry and didn’t instruct them anymore. Then they were ignorant and without knowledge, and weren’t able to train in the precepts. 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:

Preliminary Ruling

‘If a bhikkhunī, when asked by a bhikkhu, doesn’t answer, it’s a pācittiya.’”

Second Origin Story

Then the group-of-six bhikkhus asked a bhikkhunī with coarse, unwholesome words. Even though the bhikkhunī answered, she felt ashamed and told the Buddha of this matter. The Buddha gathered both sanghas because of this matter and told the bhikkhus: “Now I allow that the bhikkhunīs answer if a bhikkhu asks according to dhamma. From now on, this precept should be recited thus:

Final Ruling

‘If a bhikkhunī, when asked by a bhikkhu according to dhamma, doesn’t answer, it’s a pācittiya.’”

Explanations

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

If they earlier disliked each other, didn’t talk with each other, and she doesn’t answer, the offense isn’t committed.

(140.)