Expulsion 7

The 7th training precept: Concealing someone’s offense.

Origin Story

Location as before. Then Good Friend bhikkhunī slandered the venerable Sāriputta, and was expelled by the sangha for her words. She abandoned the path and returned to lay life. She had a younger bhikkhunī sister called Small Friend. When she saw that other bhikkhunīs had a group of followers they instructed, she told the bhikkhunīs: “If you hadn’t made my sister disrobe, she’d also have instructed followers like this.” The bhikkhunīs said: “Why do you need to praise this bhikkhunī who has broken the precepts?” She replied: “Noble ones, I already knew previously that she had committed a pārājika, but she’s my relative, so I didn’t tell anyone. As the verse says:

‘Although seeing an enemy’s fault,

You still don’t mention it.

How much less would you speak

About your relative’s secrets?’”

They told the Buddha of this matter, … The World-honored One asked if it was true, criticized her, (and said): “I’ll lay down another training precept. You should recite it like this:

Final Ruling

‘If a bhikkhunī knew previously that another bhikkhunī has committed a pārājika offense and didn’t tell anyone, and after the other dies, or returns to lay life, or leaves, she says: “The bhikkhunī sangha should know that I knew previously that that bhikkhunī had committed a pārājika offense”, in such a case, this bhikkhunī incurs a pārājika, and shouldn’t live in community.’”

Explanations

“A bhikkhunī” means Small Friend, or any other bhikkhunī.

“Knowing” means either knowing herself, or knowing it from others.

“Having committed a pārājika offense” means concealing one of the eight pārājikas.

“Not telling anyone” means not bringing it up.

“After the other dies” means after the other bhikkhunī has passed away. The rest of the text is easy to understand, as explained in detail above.

Herein, what are the factors for committing this offense? If a bhikkhunī knows such a matter, conceals it, and doesn’t bring it up, she commits this pārājika offense.