Confession 126

The 126th training precept: Asking for instruction.

Origin Story

Location as before. Then Thullanandā bhikkhunī went traveling among the people with many bhikkhunī companions, and they arrived at a village. There was a residence where they wanted to stay, and they remembered that that day was the 15th day and they should do the uposatha. The other bhikkhunīs said: “Noble one, come with us to go to the (bhikkhu) monastery to ask for an instructor.” Thullā bhikkhunī said: “I’ve learned the three baskets. How could I not know something? So I don’t ask others for instruction: ‘You should do this, you shouldn’t do that.’ I understand everything thoroughly. Don’t bother going and inviting someone.”

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

‘A bhikkhunī should ask for instruction every half-month. If she doesn’t ask, it’s a pācittiya.’”

Explanations

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

“Every half-month” means every 15 days on the dark and the full moon day.

“Should ask for instruction” means she should ask for an instructor.

“If she doesn’t ask” means she doesn’t go to invite someone.

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