Relinquishment With Confession 22

Origin Story

The Buddha was in Sāvatthī. At that time, Thullanandā bhikkhunī had a student named Gifts-Exceeding-Grains-of-Sand who was virtuous and had merit. Thullanandā gave this student a patchwork robe, which she wore to go to Jetavana. This bhikkhunī and Upananda were old friends. When Upananda saw this bhikkhunī coming, craving and attachment for this robe arose in his mind. The bhikkhunī paid respect with her head at his feet and sat at one side. Upananda said: “Good woman, Your robe is very lovely.” The bhikkhunī said: “Yes, it’s really good.” Upananda said: “Please give it to me.” The bhikkhunī said: “I’m not able to give it.” Upananda said: “I’ll trade the robe with you.” The bhikkhunī said: “I can’t.” Upananda was a great dhamma teacher. He was eloquent and could speak well on dhamma. Then he spoke about various profound states, which aroused gladness in the bhikkhunī’s mind. She took the patchwork robe and gave it to Upananda. Upananda then gave her a mediocre robe. The bhikkhunī then wore this robe and entered the bhikkhunī monastery. Her preceptor asked: “Where’s your robe?” She answered: “I traded it with someone.” “With whom did you trade it?”

She answered: “With Upananda.” The preceptor said: “Upananda deceived and scammed you.” The student said: “Whether he deceived or scammed me, the trade is done.” The preceptor said: “That robe’s value was great, but the value of the one you’re wearing now is very low.” The student said: “High value or low value, I’ve already traded it.” The preceptor said: “Please take it back. If you can’t, I’ll expel you for the rest of your life.” Because the student was afraid to be expelled for the rest of her life, she went and asked for the robe: “Return my original robe, I’ll return your robe.” Upananda said: “We’ve already traded. I won’t return your robe.” Gifts-Exceeding-Grains-of-Sand said: “You deceived and scammed me.” He answered: “Whether I deceived or scammed you, we’ve already traded. It’s final, we won’t return each other’s robes.” Gifts-Exceeding-Grains-of-Sand said: “If you don’t return my patchwork robe, my preceptor will expel me for the rest of my life.” He answered: “Whether she expels you or doesn’t expel you, we’ve already traded.”

Among the bhikkhunīs were those of few wishes, who knew moderation and practised the austerities. When they heard of this matter, their minds weren’t pleased, and they criticized Gifts-Exceeding-Grains-of-Sand: “How can you be called a bhikkhunī when you trade a robe with a bhikkhu, return remorsefully, and say: ‘I return your robe, you return mine’?” Having criticized her with all kinds of reasons, they explained it to the Buddha in detail. The Buddha gathered both sanghas because of this matter. He knew, and intentionally asked Gifts-Exceeding-Grains-of-Sand bhikkhunī: “Did you really do this?” She answered: “I really did this, World-honored One.” The Buddha criticized her with all kinds of reasons: “How can you be called a bhikkhunī when you trade a robe with a bhikkhu, return remorsefully, and say: ‘I return your robe, you return mine’?” Having criticized her with all kinds of reasons, he said to the bhikkhus: “For 10 benefits, I’ll lay down a precept for the bhikkhunīs. From now on, this precept should be recited thus:

Final Ruling

‘If a bhikkhunī trades a robe with a bhikkhu In the pātimokkha, she trades with a bhikkhunī.*, and later goes to the bhikkhu and says: “I return your robe, you return mine,” it’s a nissaggiya pācittiya.’”

Explanations

“A nissaggiya pācittiya” means that this robe should be relinquished, and the pācittiya offense should be confessed.

Herein, this is an offense: If a bhikkhunī trades a robe with a bhikkhu, and later goes to the bhikkhu and says: “I return your robe, you return mine,” it’s a nissaggiya pācittiya. If a bhikkhunī later goes to the bhikkhu and says: “Your robe is returned to and belongs to you, and even though I don’t need my robe, give it to me anyway,” it’s a dukkaṭa. (End of rule 22.)