Confession 123

The 123rd training precept: Making a woman relinquish the family property.

Origin Story

Location as before. Then Kisāgotamī was walking around in the city on almsround in order, and came to the house of a great householder. The householder had died, and the wife was the head of the household. She was rich, wealthy, with many servants, slaves, and attendants, but she lived there in distress. When she saw Kisāgotamī, she didn’t pay respect and also didn’t give food. The bhikkhunī said: “Sister, why are you so distressed?” The woman replied: “Noble one, my husband has died, and so have all my relatives. Now I don’t know what I want to do. The poisoned arrow of afflictions stuck in my heart always distresses me. Even though I have wealth, slaves, and assets, with my husband and relatives all gone, what use is that to me?” The bhikkhunī said: “If that’s so, why don’t you go forth?” The woman said: “Noble one, please give me the going forth.” The bhikkhunī said: “If you can relinquish your family property and cast off the net of worldliness, the road to going forth won’t be difficult.” Then (the woman) brought out all the wealth in her storehouse, took it, and offered it to renunciates, brahmins, the poor, orphans, and widows. When she had given up everything, she went to the bhikkhunī residence. She approached Kisāgotamī and requested the going forth. The bhikkhunī said: “I can’t give you the going forth now. Please go to another bhikkhunī.” The woman thought: “My family property is all gone, and I’ve come to ask for the going forth.” Since she didn’t receive it, she lived in distress. Then many bhikkhunīs saw her and asked: “Respected one, what distresses you?” She then answered fully. 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 tells a lay woman: “You should relinquish your family property. I’ll give you the going forth”, and if when (the woman) has acted according to her instructions, she doesn’t give her the going forth, it’s a pācittiya.’”

Explanations

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

“Telling a lay woman” means making a female householder relinquish her family property.

“‘I’ll give you the going forth’” means she’ll grant her the going forth.

“When she has acted according to her instructions” means that woman follows what the bhikkhunī said.

“Not ordaining” means not giving her the going forth later.

The explanations of the rule are as before.