Expulsion 8

Origin Story

At that time, the bhikkhunīs Xiuxiumo and Popo often spent time together. Later, Popo passed away, and Xiuxiumo grieved and wept because of this. The bhikkhunīs said: “Don’t act like this. Everything that exists will be obliterated. According to what the Buddha said, there’s separation from what we like. It won’t exist for long. There’s nothing that doesn’t have the nature to be destroyed and scattered.” Xiuxiumo said: “Now I won’t cry for her anymore. Why? When she was alive, she didn’t practise celibacy.” The bhikkhunīs asked: “How do you know?” She answered: “She and I often spent time together. I saw for myself that she engaged in sexual intercourse with a man.” The bhikkhunīs criticized her: “Why did you conceal her offense when she was alive, but disclose it after she died?” The senior bhikkhunīs criticized her in all kinds of ways, and told the Buddha of this matter. The Buddha gathered both sanghas because of this matter and asked Xiuxiumo: “Did you really do this?” She answered: “I really did this, World-honored One.” When the Buddha had criticized her in all kinds of ways, he told the bhikkhus: “I now lay down a precept for the bhikkhunīs. From now on, this precept should be recited thus:

Final Ruling

‘If a bhikkhunī sees that another bhikkhunī commits a pārājika, and conceals it, and if, when that other bhikkhunī later stays on, dies, wanders far away, is expelled, disrobes, or joins non-Buddhist renunciates, the first bhikkhunī says: “I earlier saw for myself that she committed a pārājika,” that bhikkhunī incurs a pārājika, and doesn’t live in community.’”

Explanations

“Concealing” means from dawn to the first part of the first night, each time period is a dukkaṭa. From the first part of the first night to before dawn, each time period is a thullaccaya. At dawn, it’s a pārājika.

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

If she wants to tell, but there’s no bhikkhunī and she’s not yet able to tell, if she enters the great equanimous concentration, and if the eight difficulties arise, in all cases the offense isn’t committed.

“The eight difficulties” means: 1) Sickness, 2) Kings, 3) Criminals, 4) Water, 5) Fire, 6) Robes and bowl, 7) Life, 8) Celibacy. (End of the eight heavy offenses.)