Confession 198

Origin Story

At that time, king Pasenadi’s ministers and the bhikkhunīs went to visit a frightening place. They were robbed by criminals. Some were raped and some were abducted. The other bhikkhunīs told the king of this. The king said: “I’m now not able to control (that area), what can I do about the bhikkhunīs?” When the senior bhikkhunīs heard it, they criticized them in all kinds of ways: “Why did they wander in a frightening place?” … “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 wanders in a frightening place within her country, it’s a pācittiya.’”

Explanations

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

If she wanders on that road first and later difficulties arise, the offense isn’t committed.