Confession 80

The 80th training precept: Throwing excrements over a wall.

Origin Story

Location as before. Then Thullā bhikkhunī, in order to know the community’s affairs, or to teach, or to instruct in the recitation of suttas, didn’t sleep all night. Food and drinks weren’t digested, and she suffered from a stomach ache. She threw her excrements over a wall. King Pasenadi had a high official called “Auspicious”, who had ridden on the king’s elephant without authorization. The king angrily drove him away, and he was walking close to the monastery wall. When Thullā bhikkhunī threw the excrements, it soiled the high official’s head. When the bhikkhunīs knew of this matter, they said to each other: “This high official has great power. We’ll now meet with disaster.” The official, while harboring anger and shame, went to the river to bathe. Then the high official Migāraputta spoke to the king on behalf of Auspicious: “That official is loyal, prudent, and manages the country skillfully. May the great king let go of this transgression of riding the elephant.” The king then had him report to him, and sent a messenger after him. The messenger went to him and said: “The great king has remembered you, and sent me to summon you.” The official was fearful of this unexpected change of heart, and still wearing wet clothes, he hastily went to the king. The king was happy to see him, returned him to his official position, and gave him the elephant Puṇḍarīka as his mount. Auspicious jumped for joy and thought: “From where have I regained this official honor? Because that renunciate threw the excrements and soiled my body, I obtained this reward.”

From the king’s palace, he went to the bhikkhunīs’ residence and told the bhikkhunīs: “Noble ones, which bhikkhunī has thrown her excrements on my head today?” Thullanandā bhikkhunī saw him making enquiries and was greatly frightened. She withdrew, closed her door, and replied through the crack in the door: “There’s an old bhikkhunī who can’t tell good from bad. She threw it without paying attention, and soiled the honorable. Please don’t be angry.” The official said: “I’m truly not angry at her. I came and inquired because I want to offer her a robe. Because of her soiling me, I’ve received official honors.” When the bhikkhunī heard his words, she came out through her door, and beating her chest, she replied: “It’s me who, with an unrefined mind, committed this transgression.” The official saw the bhikkhunī coming out, took his robes off, and respectfully offered them himself. He also said with a smile: “By the power of the noble one’s excrements, I’ve obtained an exalted position and received the king’s favor.” At a later time, Thullā bhikkhunī quarreled with the bhikkhunī sangha and scolded the bhikkhunīs: “I’m now watching you. You’re not even equal to my excrements.” The bhikkhunīs told the bhikkhus, and the bhikkhus told the Buddha. The Buddha asked and criticized, as explained in detail, down to: “I’ll lay down another training precept. You should recite it like this:

Final Ruling

‘If a bhikkhunī, without investigating properly, just throws excrements over a wall, it’s a pācittiya.’”

Explanations

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

“Throwing outside” means throwing over a wall.

“Without investigating properly” means without observing and looking.

“Excrements” means human feces and excrements.

“Pācittiya” is as before.

If she wraps it, takes it, and throws it outside, there’s no offense.

Recite the ninth summary verse:

Five rules about being alone,

Four about whispering into the ear,

If the mind is angry,

Beating the chest when in disharmony with all.