Suspension 13

The 13th training precept: Not giving up a wrong view.

Origin Story

At Sāvatthī. There was a bhikkhunī named Kālī who had previously been a non-Buddhist renunciate. She continually quarreled with the bhikkhunīs, and when agitated, she often said: “I renounce the Buddha, the dhamma, and the sangha. There aren’t just these renunciates who are Sakyan daughters that keep precepts and virtuous conduct, and strive for a sincere and pure monastic life. In other places, there are also such good persons. I’ll go there and practise the monastic life with them.” For this reason, the bhikkhunīs told the bhikkhus, and the bhikkhus told the Buddha. The Buddha said to the bhikkhunīs: “You should admonish this Kālī bhikkhunī, or any other bhikkhunī, in a secluded place. You should admonish her like this: ‘When you, Kālī bhikkhunī, quarrel, don’t say: “I renounce the Buddha, the dhamma, and the sangha. There aren’t just these renunciates who are Sakyan daughters that keep precepts and virtuous conduct, and strive for a sincere and pure monastic life. In other places, there are also such good persons. I’ll go there and practise the monastic life with them.” Kālī bhikkhunī, please give up this wrong view now.’” Based on this instruction, the bhikkhunīs admonished her in a secluded place, but the bhikkhunī held firmly on to this matter and didn’t give it up. She said: “Only this is true, everything else is false.” The bhikkhunīs told the bhikkhus, and the bhikkhus told the Buddha. The Buddha said to the bhikkhunīs: “You should carry out a formal act with a motion as fourth to admonish Kālī bhikkhunī. Strike the bell, and when the bhikkhunī sangha have all gathered, one bhikkhunī carries out the motion, and then the announcements:

Saṅghakamma

‘Venerable bhikkhunīs, may the sangha listen. This Kālī bhikkhunī has given rise to wrong view. When quarreling, she said: “I now renounce the Buddha, the dhamma, and the sangha. There aren’t just these renunciates who are Sakyan daughters that keep precepts and virtuous conduct, and strive for a sincere and pure monastic life. In other places, there are also such good persons. I’ll go there and practise the monastic life with them.” The bhikkhunīs went to a secluded place to admonish her. When admonished in a secluded place, she didn’t give up the wrong view and said: “This is true, everything else is false.” If the right time has come for the bhikkhunī sangha to allow it, the bhikkhunī sangha should approve that the bhikkhunī sangha now carries out a formal act against this Kālī bhikkhunī for not giving up a wrong view. This is the motion.’ Next, carry out the announcements:

‘Venerable bhikkhunīs, may the sangha listen. This Kālī bhikkhunī has given rise to wrong view. When quarreling, she said: “I now renounce the Buddha, the dhamma, and the sangha. There aren’t just these renunciates who are Sakyan daughters that keep precepts and virtuous conduct, and strive for a sincere and pure monastic life. In other places, there are also such good persons. I’ll go there and practise the monastic life with them.” The bhikkhunīs went to a secluded place to admonish her. When admonished in a secluded place, she didn’t give up the wrong view and said: “This is true, everything else is false.” The bhikkhunī sangha now carries out a formal act against this Kālī bhikkhunī for not giving up a wrong view. If the long-lived ones allow to carry out a formal act against Kālī bhikkhunī for not giving up a wrong view, you should remain silent. If you don’t approve, you should speak. This is the first announcement.’ The second and third should be done likewise. ‘The bhikkhunī sangha has carried out a formal act against Kālī bhikkhunī for not giving up a wrong view. The bhikkhunī sangha has approved, therefore you’re silent. I now remember it thus.’”

Origin Story (continued)

Then, when, based on these instructions, the bhikkhunī sangha carried out a formal act with a motion as fourth to admonish that bhikkhunī, she held firmly on to the matter and didn’t give up her wrong view. She said: “This is true, everything else is false. How could you make me give up what I hold on to?” For this reason, the bhikkhunīs told the bhikkhus, and the bhikkhus told the Buddha. The Buddha gathered the bhikkhunīs because of this matter as before, asked if it was true, and 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 quarrels with the bhikkhunīs, and when agitated, says: “I renounce the Buddha, the dhamma, and the sangha. There aren’t just these renunciates who are Sakyan daughters that are endowed with precepts, endowed with virtue, and have a superior dhamma. Other renunciates also are endowed with precepts, endowed with virtue, and have a superior dhamma. I’ll go there to practise the monastic life”, then the bhikkhunīs should say: “Please give up this blameworthy, wrong view”. When they carry out this admonishment and she gives it up, it’s fine. If not, they should again admonish her earnestly and correctly three times. They should reprove her according to the instructions to make her give up this matter. If she gives it up, it’s fine. If not, it’s a saṅghādisesa.’”

Explanations

“A bhikkhunī” means Kālī bhikkhunī, or any other bhikkhunī. To be explained in detail as before.

When they admonish her in this way and she gives it up, it’s fine. If not, they should admonish her again three times with a formal act with a motion as fourth until it becomes a saṅghādisesa, as explained in detail before.

Herein, what are the factors for committing this offense? If bhikkhunīs admonish her individually and she doesn’t give up this matter, she incurs a dukkaṭa each time. If they carry out the motion and she gives it up, it’s fine. If not, she incurs a thullaccaya. If she gives it up at the first announcement, it’s fine. If not, she incurs a thullaccaya as before. After the second one, she also incurs a thullaccaya. If she hasn’t given it up by the time the third announcement is finished, she incurs a saṅghādisesa. If they do it against the dhamma in a harmonious assembly, if they do it according to dhamma in an unharmonious assembly, if they do it with what resembles dhamma in a harmonious assembly, if they do it with what resembles dhamma in an unharmonious assembly, if it’s not according to dhamma, according to vinaya, according to the Buddha’s instruction, and they maintain this procedure, the procedure doesn’t stand, and she’s without any offense. If that bhikkhunī, while sitting on her seat, tells the sangha: “Venerables, I, bhikkhunī So-and-so, have committed a saṅghādisesa offense”, it’s fine. If she doesn’t say that, or if the offense hasn’t been fully confessed according to dhamma, and the other bhikkhunīs carry out the motion and announcements and complete the procedure with a motion as fourth, each of them incurs a dukkaṭa offense. (I believe this means that if the procedure is faulty but the offender accepts it and says it’s a saṅghādisesa, then it’s ok. If she doesn’t say it, the other bhikkhunīs incur a dukkata for a wrong procedure.)*