Confession 92

Origin Story

The Buddha was in Sāvatthī. At that time, Kālī bhikkhunī, who was formerly a non-Buddhist renunciate, quarreled with the bhikkhunīs, and was angry at them. She beat her body and cried.

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 her with all kinds of reasons: “How can you be called a bhikkhunī when you, after you’ve quarreled with the other bhikkhunīs and are angry at them, beat your body and cry?” 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 Kālī 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, after you’ve quarreled with the other bhikkhunīs and are angry at them, beat your body and cry?” 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, when she has quarreled with the bhikkhunīs and is angry at them, beats her body and cries, it’s a pācittiya.’”

Explanations

“Pācittiya” means burn, cook, cover, obstruct. If she doesn’t confess the offense, it can obstruct the path.

Herein, this is an offense: If a bhikkhunī, when she has quarreled with the bhikkhunīs and is angry at them, beats her body and cries, it’s a pācittiya. If she beats her body but doesn’t cry, she incurs a dukkaṭa. Whenever she beats her body and cries, she incurs a pācittiya. (End of rule 92.)