Confession 146

Origin Story

At that time, the bhikkhunīs gave people medical treatments and mixed, boiled, and pounded medicines. In the earlier and later parts of the night, they never rested. When the lay people saw it, they criticized them: These people are like doctors, or like doctor’s students. Why don’t they seek the path to heal the sickness of birth and death, but instead are busy with these worldly matters?” 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 gives others medical treatments as a profession, it’s a pācittiya.’”

Explanations

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

If it’s out of compassion, if she’s forced, or if it’s not for profit, the offense isn’t committed.