Confession 99

The 99th training precept: Not looking after a sick student.

Origin Story

Location as before. Then Thullanandā bhikkhunī was sick. The students close to her and the students depending on her all waited upon her. When the illness had healed, at a later time, the students were sick and had nobody to nurse them. Their excrements made a mess, and nobody threw them out. The bhikkhunīs asked each other: “Who are these sick people?” Someone answered: “Thullā bhikkhunī’s students.” 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 sees that the students close to her and the students depending on her are sick, and doesn’t take care of them, it’s a pācittiya.’”

Explanations

“A bhikkhunī” is as above.

“Students close to her” means to whom she has given the full ordination.

“Students depending on her” means who live in dependence on her.

“Sick” means that the four elements are out of balance.

“Not taking care” means not supporting and looking after them with a compassionate mind.

The explanations of the rule factors etc. are as explained in detail before.