Confession 93

Origin Story

The Buddha was in Sāvatthī. At that time, Kālī bhikkhunī, who was formerly a non-Buddhist renunciate, while quarreling with the bhikkhunīs, made a curse with regard to the dhamma, and made a curse with regard to hell: “If you slander me about this issue, may you not attain the four places for mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four supernormal powers, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of awakening, and the eightfold path, and may you life after life fall into hell, the animal realm, or the realm of hungry ghosts. If I have this issue, may I not attain the four places for mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four supernormal powers, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of awakening, and the eightfold path, and may I life after life fall into hell, the animal realm, or the realm of hungry ghosts.”

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, while quarreling with the bhikkhunīs, make a curse with regard to dhamma and with regard to hell?” 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, while quarreling with the bhikkhunīs, make a curse with regard to dhamma and with regard to hell?” 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, while quarreling with the bhikkhunīs, makes a curse with regard to dhamma and with regard to hell, 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, while quarreling with the bhikkhunīs, makes a curse with regard to dhamma and with regard to hell and says: “If you slander me about this issue, may you not attain the four places for mindfulness,” it’s a pācittiya. “May you not attain the four right efforts, the four supernormal powers, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of awakening, and the eightfold path,” all are pācittiyas. If she says: “May you life after life fall into hell,” it’s a pācittiya. “Fall into the animal realm, or the realm of hungry ghosts,” all are pācittiyas. If she says: “If I have this issue, may I not attain the four places for mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four supernormal powers, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of awakening, and the eightfold path,” all are pācittiyas. If she says: “May I life after life fall into hell, the animal realm, or the realm of hungry ghosts,” all are pācittiyas. Whenever she says it, she incurs a pācittiya. (End of rule 93.)