Confession 138

The 138th training precept: Caring for someone’s child.

Origin Story

Location as before. Thullanandā bhikkhunī entered someone’s house on almsround and saw that a woman had recently given birth to a son. Thullanandā bhikkhunī said: “Respected one, may you be free from illness. Please give me food.” The woman replied: “Noble one, my son cries all the time. I wish there was something I could do.” The bhikkhunī said: “You’ve already given birth. How do you not know the methods to care for a child?” The woman said: “Noble one, do you know the method to make him stop crying?” The bhikkhunī said: “I know all the superior methods in the world. How could I not be skilled in raising children? If I teach you how to care for him, will you give me food?” (The woman) answered: “I will.” The bhikkhunī said: “Will you also give food to my attendant nuns?” She answered: “I also will.” “Will you also give food to the building guards?” She answered: “I also will.” The bhikkhunī then took the baby, put him on her hip, applied warm oil on his body, massaged him with wheat flour, bathed him in warm water, calmed him, lay him down, covered him with a cloth, and then the baby was able to sleep. The woman gave everything that was needed to the bhikkhunī.

At a later time, Mahāpajāpatī bhikkhunī also entered this house on almsround. The lady of the house said: “Noble one, can you make this little child calm down?” The bhikkhunī said: “This is not what renunciates do. Have you ever seen someone who has gone forth do such work?” The woman replied: “Noble one, Thulla bhikkhunī previously did such things for me.” The bhikkhunīs told the bhikkhus, and the bhikkhus told the Buddha. The Buddha asked her, 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 cares for someone else’s child, it’s a pācittiya.’”

Explanations

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

“Caring for someone else’s child” means looking after another woman’s sons and daughters.

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