Confession 173

Origin Story

At that time, when the bhikkhunīs assembled the sangha according to dhamma, there was a bhikkhunī who didn’t go there. The bhikkhunīs waited, and were prevented from practising the path. The senior bhikkhunīs criticized her 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 the sangha meets according to dhamma, doesn’t go there, it’s a pācittiya.’”

Explanations

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

If she’s sick, if she hasn’t heard about it, or if the eight difficulties arise, the offense isn’t committed.