Suspension 8

First Origin Story

At that time, there was a merchant whose wife had passed away. He thought: “Where will I now ask for a good wife?” Then Chandasumanā bhikkhunī had a student called Sumā whose was outstandingly beautiful. When he saw her, defiled attachment arose in his mind and he thought: “If I tempt her with food, I might attain my goal.” Then he said: “If you need ghee, oil, honey, sugar, non-staple or staple food, take everything from me.” That bhikkhunī then went and took it. When they had become familiar with each other, he asked the bhikkhunī: “Do you know my intention for giving you food?” She answered: “Because you’re seeking merit, you give me food.” He said: “It’s not like this! I’ve lost my wife. I saw your pure practice, and profoundly craved for and delighted in you. Can you submit to my intention?” She answered: “I can’t!” That man added: “If you become my wife, I’ll give you treasures, the most elegant clothes, food and drinks at the appropriate time, and I promise that you’ll lack nothing.” She answered again as before.

When the other merchants saw it, they helped him to hold down her flanks, and said: “If you didn’t want to become his wife, why did you accept his food and drinks? If you really can’t do it, we’ll snatch your robes and bowl.” There were also some who said: “Quickly let her go and don’t let people hear this. If the king gets to know this, he’ll certainly punish us heavily.” When the householders heard this, they criticized her: “Why does a bhikkhunī accept food and drinks from a man with defiled attachment? These people don’t have the practice of renunciates. They’ve broken the rules of renunciates.” When the senior bhikkhunīs heard it, they 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 Sumā bhikkhunī: “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:

First Preliminary Ruling

‘If a bhikkhunī accepts food and drinks from a man, who has defiled attachment in his mind, that bhikkhunī commits an immediate saṅghādisesa, from which one can repent.’”

Second Origin Story

There were men who invited the bhikkhunīs for breakfast and lunch, and in between defiled attachment arose in their minds. The bhikkhunīs knew about it and didn’t dare to accept. They told the Buddha of this matter. The Buddha gathered both sanghas because of this matter and told the bhikkhus: “It’s not possible that a bhikkhunī who doesn’t have defiled attachment in her mind and accepts food and drinks from a man who has defiled attachment in his mind, commits a saṅghādisesa. From now on, this precept should be recited thus:

Second Preliminary Ruling

‘If a bhikkhunī, who has defiled attachment in her mind, accepts food and drinks from a man, who has defiled attachment in his mind, that bhikkhunī commits an immediate saṅghādisesa, from which one can repent.’”

Third Origin Story

There was also a bhikkhunī, who had defiled attachment in her mind, and accepted food and drinks from a man, who had defiled attachment in his mind. When she had accepted it, doubt arose: “I’d better not commit a saṅghādisesa!” Then she took it back and gave it to the other bhikkhunīs. The other bhikkhunīs asked her: “Why don’t you eat these delicious foods and drinks?” She explained this matter in full and the other bhikkhunīs said: “What you fear, we should also fear.” They told the Buddha of this matter. The Buddha gathered both sanghas because of this matter and told the bhikkhus: “If a bhikkhunī, who has defiled attachment in her mind, accepts food with her own hand from a man, who has defiled attachment in his mind, and if she doesn’t eat it and gives it to others to eat, nobody commits the offense. From now on, this precept should be recited thus:

Final Ruling

‘If a bhikkhunī, who has defiled attachment in her mind, accepts food with her own hand from a man who has defiled attachment in his mind, and eats it, that bhikkhunī commits an immediate saṅghādisesa, from which one can repent.’”

Explanations

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