Confession 154

First Origin Story

At that time, the bhikkhunīs rubbed moist dregs on their bodies to make them smooth. The lay people criticized them: “These people rub moist dregs on their bodies to make them smooth, like prostitutes. 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:

Preliminary Ruling

‘If a bhikkhunī rubs moist dregs on her body, it’s a pācittiya.’”

Second Origin Story

Then Bhaddā Kāpilānī bhikkhunī’s body lacked moisture. With dry dregs (the skin) cracked. She asked a doctor, and the doctor said: “You should use moist dregs to rub on your body.” She answered: “The Buddha hasn’t allowed me to rub moist dregs on my body. Please think of another treatment.” The doctor said: “There’s no other treatment.” The bhikkhunī thought: “If the World-honored One allows to rub moist dregs on one’s body when one is sick, I’ll not have this affliction anymore.” She told the Buddha of this. The Buddha gathered both sanghas because of this matter and told the bhikkhus: “I now allow the bhikkhunīs to rub moist dregs on their bodies when they’re sick. From now on, this precept should be recited thus:

Final Ruling

‘If a bhikkhunī who isn’t sick rubs moist dregs on her body, it’s a pācittiya.’”

Explanations

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

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