Relinquishment With Confession 27

Origin Story

The Buddha was in Sāvatthī. At that time, the bhikkhunīs went and asked for requisites wanting to build individual kutis. The householders asked: “What are you going to use it for?” They answered: “We want to build individual kutis.” Faithful brahmin householders gave many requisites. When the bhikkhunīs had obtained the requisites, a famine occured in the world. They thought: “Now there’s a famine in the world. It’s appropriate to ensure our survival. If we survive, we’ll build kutis later.” Then during the famine in the world, they used up all the items for food. When the famine was over and a time of abundance came, the bhikkhunīs went again and wanted to ask for individual kutis. The householders asked: “What do you want to do?” They answered: “We want to build individual kutis.” The householders said: “Where are the requisites we’ve previously given?” They answered: “When we had obtained requisites previously, a famine occured in the world. We thought: ‘As there’s scarcity in the world now, it’s appropriate to ensure our survival. If we survive, we’ll build buildings later.’ We used up all the items for food during the famine.” The householders criticized them: “These bhikkhunīs say of themselves: ‘We’re virtuous and have merit’, but they ask for one thing for themselves, and use it for a different purpose, like queens and wives of high officials.”

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 them with all kinds of reasons: “How can you be called bhikkhunīs when you ask for one thing, and use it for a different purpose, like queens and wives of high officials?” Having criticized them 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 those bhikkhunīs: “Did you really do this?” They answered: “We really did this, World-honored One.” The Buddha criticized them with all kinds of reasons: “How can you be called bhikkhunīs when you ask for one thing, and use it for a different purpose?” Having criticized them 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 asks for one thing for herself, and uses it for a different purpose, it’s a nissaggiya pācittiya.’”

Explanations

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

Herein, this is an offense: If a bhikkhunī asks for one thing for herself, and uses it for a different purpose, it’s a nissaggiya pācittiya. Whenever she uses it, she incurs a nissaggiya pācittiya. (End of rule 27.)

Sarvāstivāda Bhikkhunī Vinaya, fascicle 43.