Suspension 14

The 14th training precept: Saying others have desire and hatred.

Origin Story

At Sāvatthī. Then Thullanandā bhikkhunī often quarreled with the bhikkhunīs, and kept on being agitated and harboring a grudge. The bhikkhunīs said: “Noble one, don’t quarrel and keep on harboring a grudge.” She answered: “You have desire, hatred, fear, and delusion. You prevent some people from quarreling, and not others.” The bhikkhunīs told the bhikkhus about this matter, and the bhikkhus told the Buddha. The Buddha said to the bhikkhunīs: “You should admonish Thullanandā bhikkhunī in a secluded place and say: ‘Don’t say: “You have desire, hatred, fear, and delusion. You prevent some people from quarreling, and not others.” Sister, please stop speaking like this. You should give up this view.’” When, based on the Buddha and based on the instruction, the bhikkhunīs admonished her, she still didn’t repent, and said: “This thing 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 do a formal act with a motion as fourth against Thullanandā bhikkhunī. You should do it as follows: Strike the bell, prepare seats, and when the sangha have all gathered, one bhikkhunī carries out the motion:

Saṅghakamma

‘Venerable bhikkhunīs, may the sangha listen. This Thullanandā bhikkhunī often quarrels with the bhikkhunīs, and keeps on being agitated and harboring a grudge. The bhikkhunīs admonished her: “Noble one, don’t quarrel and be agitated.” She answered: “You have desire, hatred, fear, and delusion. You prevent some people from quarreling, and not others.” She held firmly on to it, didn’t give it up (and said): “Only this thing is true, everything else is false.” If the right time has come for the bhikkhunī sangha to allow it, the bhikkhunī sangha should approve to carry out a formal act with a motion as fourth against this Thullanandā bhikkhunī for not giving up the “having desire, hatred, fear, and delusion” issue. This is the motion.’ Next, carry out the announcements:

‘Venerable bhikkhunīs, may the sangha listen. This Thullanandā bhikkhunī often quarrels with the bhikkhunīs, and keeps on being agitated and harboring a grudge. The bhikkhunīs admonished her: “Noble one, don’t quarrel and be agitated.” She answered: “You have desire, hatred, fear, and delusion. You prevent some people from quarreling, and not others.” She held firmly on to it, didn’t give it up (and said): “Only this thing is true, everything else is false.” The bhikkhunī sangha now carries out a formal act with a motion as fourth against this Thullanandā bhikkhunī for not giving up the “having desire, hatred, fear, and delusion” issue. If the long-lived ones allow to carry out a formal act with a motion as fourth against this Thullanandā bhikkhunī for not giving up the “having desire, hatred, fear, and delusion” issue, you should remain silent. If you don’t approve, you should speak. This is the first announcement.’ The second and third should be recited likewise. ‘The bhikkhunī sangha has carried out a formal act with a motion as fourth against Thullā bhikkhunī for not giving up the “having desire, hatred, fear, and delusion” issue. The bhikkhunī sangha has approved, therefore you’re silent. I now remember it thus.’

Origin Story (continued)

You should properly admonish her in this way three more times. You should reprove her according to the instructions to make her give up this matter.” When the bhikkhunīs had heard the Buddha’s instructions, they again did three (admonishments) in a formal act with a motion as fourth against Thullā bhikkhunī. She held firmly on to it and didn’t repent and give it up. For this reason, the bhikkhunīs told the bhikkhus, and the bhikkhus told the Buddha. The Buddha gathered the bhikkhunīs for this reason as before, asked if it was true, and criticized her, 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 is agitated, the bhikkhunīs should say to her: “Sister, don’t quarrel and be agitated.” If that bhikkhunī answers: “You have desire, hatred, fear, and delusion. You prevent some people from quarreling, and not others”, the bhikkhunīs should say: “Venerable, when others admonish you, don’t say: ‘You have desire, hatred, fear and delusion. You prevent some people from quarreling, and not others.’ Sister, please stop speaking like this.” When the bhikkhunīs admonish her like this 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 Thullanandā, or any other bhikkhunī.

“The bhikkhunīs should say” means bhikkhunīs in this dhamma, and it means admonishing to make her stop quarreling and being agitated. If she says that they have desire, hatred, fear, and delusion, they should do an admonishment in a secluded place. If she gives it up, it’s fine. If she doesn’t repent, they should again do three (admonishments) in a formal act with a motion as fourth as before. They should admonish her earnestly and correctly, and reprove her according to the instructions. If she gives it up, it’s fine. If not, she incurs a saṅghādisesa offense.

Herein, what are the factors for committing this offense? When admonishing her in a secluded place, if she gives it up, it’s fine. If not, she incurs a dukkaṭa offense. When they carry out the motion and she gives it up, it’s fine. If not, it’s a thullaccaya. If she gives it up at the first announcement, it’s fine. If not, she also incurs a thullaccaya offense. At the second announcement, the same. When the third announcement isn’t finished yet and she gives it up, it’s fine. If not, she incurs a saṅghādisesa. There’s no offense: 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, 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.)* Also without offense are the first offender, one who is mad, one whose mind is distracted, and one who is afflicted with illness.