Suspension 4

The 4th training precept: Trading with a man with a defiled mind.

Origin Story

Location as before. In the city, there was a male perfume vendor, who was good-looking. Then Sundarīnandā bhikkhunī bought various things from that man. Gradually desire towards the man arose in bhikkhunī’s mind, and yearning for the bhikkhunī also defiled the man’s mind. Then the man gave her many goods for a low price. When other bhikkhunīs needed anything, they all relied on this bhikkhunī to trade it for them, and defilements arose in all their minds. The bhikkhunīs told the bhikkhus, and the bhikkhus told the Buddha. The Buddha gathered the bhikkhunīs for this reason. He knew, and intentionally asked Sundarīnandā bhikkhunī: “Did you really accept something from a man with a defiled mind in a trade in this way?” She answered: “I really did.” The World-honored One criticized her as before, down to: “I’ll lay down another training precept. You should recite it like this:

Final Ruling

‘If a bhikkhunī, with a defiled mind, accepts and then takes any item from a man with a defiled mind, it’s a saṅghādisesa.’”

Explanations

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

“With a defiled mind” means two people yearn for each other with defiled desire.

“Taking any item” means if she thus takes all kinds of items, she commits a saṅghādisesa. … The other offenses are as explained in detail before. If both have defiled minds, and she takes any item, she commits a saṅghādisesa. If the bhikkhunī has a defiled mind, but the man doesn’t have a defiled mind, she incurs a thullaccaya. If the bhikkhunī doesn’t have a defiled mind, but the man has a defiled mind, she incurs a dukkaṭa. If both don’t have defiled minds, it’s also a dukkaṭa (because she shouldn’t trade with such a person.)

Mūlasarvāstivāda bhikkhunī vinaya, fascicle 5.