Suspension 7

Origin Story

At that time, there was a householder who offered a residence to the bhikkhu sangha. The bhikkhu sangha exchanged it with the bhikkhunī sangha for the Andhavana (Dark Wood). Later, Lady Mallikā gave the king’s park to the bhikkhunī sangha, and they dismantled the building on the previously exchanged land and erected it again in the king’s park. The previous place then became an empty piece of land.

Then the son of the householder who had offered the residence thought: “My father has formerly offered it to the sangha, and the sangha exchanged it with the bhikkhunīs. Now the bhikkhunīs don’t live there anymore. I can take it back and plow and sow there.” Then he took it. The bhikkhunīs said: “Don’t take the sangha’s land!” He answered: “Even though my father has offered it to the sangha, the sangha isn’t using it anymore. You should return ownership to me.” The bhikkhunīs said: “We don’t give up this land. Don’t make us go to the official and speak about you, he’ll impose a heavy fine on your property.” He refused to give it back, and then they went to the official and spoke about him. Then (the official) imposed a heavy fine on his property. When the householders saw it, they criticized them: “Why did these bhikkhunīs go to the official and speak about him, and cause him great loss of property. These people received his support, and still speak about him, so what about other people? 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, and told the Buddha of this matter. The Buddha gathered both sanghas because of this matter and asked the bhikkhunīs: “Did you really do this?” They answered: “We really did this, World-honored One.” When the Buddha had criticized them 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 goes to an official to speak about a person, that bhikkhunī commits an immediate saṅghādisesa, from which one can repent.’”

Explanations

If a bhikkhunī is treated with disrespect by people, she should tell their parents. If they don’t have parents, she should speak with their relations. If they don’t have relations, she should speak with the bhikkhus, bhikkhunīs, lay men, and lay women. If a bhikkhu or bhikkhunī is powerful, but doesn’t help and protect her, it’s a dukkaṭa.

When she speaks, she should say: “They’re treating me with disrespect.”

She shouldn’t say: “Criticize and admonish them for me!”

If she goes to an official to speak about a person, each trip is one saṅghādisesa.

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