Relinquishment With Confession 33

The 33rd training precept: Taking an expensive light robe.

Origin Story

Location as before. Then the great king Pasenadi gave an expensive, light cloth to queen Sirimālā, and the queen donated the robe to Mahāpajāpatī. When she had obtained it, she placed it on a shelf. Sundarīnandā came and saw it, and they discussed as before. … She obtained the robe and went on almsround. The lay people were upset. The bhikkhunīs told the bhikkhus, and the bhikkhus told the Buddha. The Buddha gathered the bhikkhunīs for this reason as before, asked if it was true, and criticized her, as explained in detail, down to: “I’ll lay down another training precept. You should recite it like this:

Final Ruling

‘If a bhikkhunī takes an expensive light robe, it’s a nissaggiya pācittiya.’”

Explanations

“A bhikkhunī” means Sundarīnandā, or any other bhikkhunī.

“Taking an expensive light robe” means of a high value of 20 kahāpaṇas or more, and five “ounces” light.

The rest of the explanations is as above.

“Venerables, I’ve recited the 33 nissaggiya pācittiya rules. Now I ask the venerables: ‘Are you pure herein?’” (She speaks like this three times.)

“The venerables are pure herein, therefore you’re silent. I now remember it like this.”