Relinquishment With Confession 23

Origin Story

The Buddha was in Sāvatthī. At that time, many male and female householders each prepared a robe fund for Thullanandā bhikkhunī and said: “With this robe fund, we’ll buy such-and-such a robe for Thullanandā.” When Thullanandā heard this, she asked the householders: “Is this true?” They answered: “It’s true.” She asked: “What kind of robe?” They answered: “Such-and-such.” The bhikkhunī said: “Sādhu! We bhikkhunīs are poor, and you’re not able to always maintain the intention of giving. If you can’t each prepare one individually, please make such-and-such a robe together for me.” The householders said: “Okay.” The householders bought a robe for three times the robe price they had previously prepared. When they had given it to the bhikkhunī, they angrily criticized her: “The bhikkhunīs don’t know the right time, and don’t know the limit. If the donors don’t know the limit, the recipients should know the limit. We spent three times the amount we previously prepared, and we did what’s inappropriate, we lost the merit, since we gave to this hard to satisfy, hard to support, immoderate person.”

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 explained it to the Buddha in detail. The Buddha gathered both sanghas because of this matter. He knew, and intentionally asked Thullanandā 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 many unrelated male and female householders have the same opinion about you?” 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 many unrelated male and female householders each prepare a robe fund for a bhikkhunī and say: “We’ll take these robe funds and each buy such-and-such a robe for bhikkhunī So-and-so,” and that bhikkhunī, without having been invited first, later goes to those many male and female householders and says: “With these robe funds, buy such-and-such a single robe together for me,” to get something good, and if that bhikkhunī obtains the robe, it’s a nissaggiya pācittiya.’”

Explanations

“For a bhikkhunī” means for Thullanandā.

“Unrelated” means: Parents, siblings, down to connections through seven generations are called “related”. Everyone other than these is called “unrelated”.

“Male and female householders” means a lay man is called a male householder, a lay woman is called a female householder.

“A robe” means a robe of white hemp, red hemp, linen, owls’ wings This is a mixed translation and transliteration of Pāli ulūkapakkha (owls’ wings): 翅 = wings; 夷羅 yíluó transliterates ulū(ka) = owl*, wool, cotton, or silk.

“A robe fund” means gold and silver, Tridacna stones, agate, down to rice and grain.

“Such-and-such a robe” means of such-and-such price, such-and-such color and material The Chinese text has only one character: 色, rūpa, but I translate it as “color and material”.*, or such-and-such measurements.

“For bhikkhunī So-and-so” means for Thullanandā.

“Without having been invited first” means that the many male and female householders haven’t said first: “If you need something, come and take it from our family.”

“Having the same opinion” means faithful householders aren’t angry because I asked. Many householders bought such-and-such a single robe for me together, to get something good, (because I’m) hard to satisfy, hard to support, and immoderate. This paragraph seems corrupted. It doesn’t comment on the rule, but on part of the origin story, and even then it uses a different expression: 同意 (origin story) vs. 同心 (word definition). That part of the origin story itself seem unusual and might have suffered from textual loss, because the Buddha criticizes her for the opinion householders have of her, instead of for what she did. The phrasing of this word definition doesn’t make much sense to me either. Moreover, it’s unclear why it’s phrased in the first person: 我. It seems jumbled, so the translation is my best guess.*

If she obtains that robe, it’s a nissaggiya pācittiya.

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

Herein, this is an offense: There are three kinds: Price, color and material, and measurements. “The price” means: If a bhikkhunī goes to many householders and says: “Buy a robe of the value of one coin together for me,” and if she obtains the robe, there are three ways how she commits the nissaggiya pācittiya. The three ways are: If she says: “Give me a robe of the value of one coin,” if she says: “Many people together,” or if she says: “Buy one robe together”. If she doesn’t obtain it, it’s a dukkaṭa. If she says: “A value of two coins, three coins, up to 100 coins,” and obtains the robe, she commits the nissaggiya pācittiya in three ways. The three ways are: If she says: “A value of 100 coins,” if she says: “Many people together,” or if she says: “Buy one robe together”. If she doesn’t obtain it, it’s a dukkaṭa. This is called “the price”.

“The color and material” means: If a bhikkhunī says to many householders: “Give me a blue robe,” and she obtains it, she commits the nissaggiya pācittiya in three ways. The three ways are: If she says: “Blue,” if she says: “Many people together,” (or if she says:) “Buy one robe together”. If she doesn’t obtain it, it’s a dukkaṭa. (If she says:) “A yellow, red, white, black, red hemp, white hemp, linen, owls’ wings, silk, wool, or cotton robe,” and obtains the robe, she commits the nissaggiya pācittiya in three ways. The three ways are: If she says: “Cotton,” if she says: “Many people together,” or if she says: “Buy one robe together”. If she doesn’t obtain it, it’s a dukkaṭa. This is called “the color and material”.

“The measurements” means: If a bhikkhunī says: “Give me a robe of four forearm’s lengths,” and if she obtains the robe, there are three ways how she commits the nissaggiya pācittiya. The three ways are: If she says: “Give me a robe of four forearm’s lengths,” if she says: “Many people together,” or if she says: “Buy one robe together”. If she doesn’t obtain it, it’s a dukkaṭa. If she says: “A robe of five forearm’s lengths, six forearm’s lengths, up to 18 forearm’s lengths,” and obtains the robe, she commits the nissaggiya pācittiya in three ways. The three ways are: If she says: “18 forearm’s lengths,” if she says: “Many people together,” or if she says: “Buy one robe together”. If she doesn’t obtain it, it’s a dukkaṭa.

If a bhikkhunī asks for one robe and obtains a different robe; if she asks for a blue robe and obtains a yellow one, it’s a dukkaṭa. If she asks for a blue robe and obtains a red, white, black, white hemp, red hemp, linen, owls’ wings, silk, wool, or cotton robe, all are dukkaṭas. In the same way if she asks for something and obtains something else, it’s a dukkaṭa.

If she asks from relatives, if she’s invited, if someone gives on their own without her asking, the offense isn’t committed. (End of rule 23.)