Expulsion 6

The 6th training precept: Eight things fulfilling the offense.

Origin Story

The Buddha was in Sāvatthī. In the city, there was a male perfume vendor, who was good-looking and who had recently gotten married. While walking around, bhikkhunī Thullanandā met him and lust arose in her. She asked: “Man, how long have you been married? What does she look like? Do you and your wife love each other?” He answered: “Noble one, the paths of monastics and lay people are different. Why do you bother asking this?” The bhikkhunī said: “If you and I were married, we’d be happy indeed!” These impactful words and teasing made defiled attachment arise, and they eventually set a time to meet: “Please come to such-and-such gate of the bhikkhunī monastery. Such-and-such room is my residence. Let’s meet there.” He answered: “Don’t let other people know of our affair.” The bhikkhunī said: “Do you ring a bell when you enter the monastery?” The bhikkhunī then returned to the monastery, and at dusk, the man followed through on the arrangements and went to the bhikkhunī’s room. When the bhikkhunī saw him, she called him to enter the room and hide under the bed. The bhikkhunī’s students arrived outside her room to ask her to teach. When the instruction was finished, she returned to her room. He saw that the bhikkhunī had entered, and he got up from under the bed. The bhikkhunī had forgotten about him, called him a criminal, and was terrified. He answered: “I’m not a criminal, I’m your date.” A defiled mind arose, he embraced the bhikkhunī, and they lay down on the bed. The bhikkhunī thought: “I’m a sangha leader. My followers keep precepts and virtuous conduct. What’s the use of my breaking sīla? When people find out, they’ll all abandon me.” She replied: “Young man, let’s release each other.”

Following her words, he released her. The bhikkhunī kicked his chest. He fell to the ground, and vomited blood. The bhikkhunī called out loudly: “People should know that I’ve subdued māra and overpowered an enemy!” When the bhikkhunīs heard this, they got up, came, and asked: “Venerable sister, have you attained the fruit of arahantship?” She answered: “No.” They asked again: “Have you attained the fruit of non-return, once-return, or stream-entry?” She answered: “No.” They asked again: “Have you set out offerings and invited the World-honored One?” She answered: “No.” The bhikkhunīs said: “In that case, what have you done?” Then she showed them the man: “This person entered my room. I kicked him with my foot, and made him vomit blood.” When the bhikkhunīs saw him, they answered: “If you didn’t let him in yourself, how could this man have come into the monastery?” The bhikkhunī sangha were all upset and said: “You created bad kamma. We don’t rejoice in this.” The bhikkhunīs told the bhikkhus, and the bhikkhus told the Buddha. The Buddha gathered the bhikkhunī sangha because of this matter, and seeing and knowing the benefit, he asked her: “Bhikkhunī, did you really do this undhammic thing?” She said: “I really did.” The Buddha then criticized her: “You engaged in impure conduct, in something not to be practised, against the conduct of renunciates, in something people gone forth shouldn’t do.” When the World-honored One had criticized her in all kinds of ways, he told the bhikkhunīs: “I see 10 benefits in the vinaya of my follower bhikkhunīs, as explained in detail, down to: “I’ll lay down another training precept. You should recite it like this:

Final Ruling

‘If a bhikkhunī with a defiled mind, and a man with a defiled mind, act frivolously, play, laugh, indicate a place, set a time, display a sign, come and go while permitting feelings like husband (and wife), and lay down with their bodies relaxed in a place suitable for sex; if they undertake these eight things together, and if the bhikkhunī does these things, she incurs a pārājika, and shouldn’t live in community.’”

Explanations

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

“Together with a man with a defiled mind” means both have minds afflicted with defiled desire.

1) “Acting frivolously” means shaking and touching each other. 2) “Playing” means fooling around with each other. 3) “Laughing” means talking and laughing together. 4) “Indicating a place” means at such-and-such garden, or such-and-such deity’s temple. 5) “Setting a time” means dawn, noon, etc. 6) “Displaying a sign” means “If you see me with a newly shaven head, wearing a red robe double-shoulder style, and holding a bowl of oil in my hands, you’ll know that the matter has been accomplished.” 7) “Coming and going while permitting feelings like husband (and wife)” means they love each other. 8) “In a place suitable for sex” means a screened, hidden place where it’s possible to engage in sex. “Laying down with their bodies relaxed” means encouraging the other by body to engage in sex.

“If they undertake these eight things together” means that while doing these eight things, they have defiled minds, and intentionally speak and undertake them.

The meaning of “bhikkhunī” etc. is as above.

Herein, the factors of the offense: If she does the first seven things, for each of them she incurs a thullaccaya offense. When she does the eighth, she incurs the grave offense. I.e. the pārājika.*

Recite the summary verse:

Acting frivolously, playing, and laughing,

Indicating a place, setting a time,

Displaying a sign, people coming and going,

Laying down with their bodies relaxed in a secluded place,

The first seven incur a thullaccaya,

The eighth can’t be fixed.