Confession 94

Origin Story

The Buddha was in Sāvatthi. At that time, Thullanandā bhikkhunī had a student practising with her called Gifts-Exceeding-Grains-of-Sand. She was virtuous and happy to keep the precepts, but she liked to forget her teacher’s instructions. When (the teacher) made her put things away, she put them in one place, and searched for them in another place. When these things were needed, she searched but wasn’t able to retrieve them. At another time, Thullanandā bhikkhunī returned from the village, and the student Gifts-Exceeding-Grains-of-Sand went to welcome her and wanted to carry her robes and bowl for her. She stepped back and didn’t give them. Gifts-Exceeding-Grains-of-Sand then was angry and told the other bhikkhunīs: “I don’t steal, but my precepter doesn’t trust me.” The bhikkhunīs said: “Why doesn’t she trust you?” “My teacher went out and came back, and I welcomed her on the path and wanted to carry her bowl for her, but she sent me away without giving it. I also wanted to carry her robes for her, and she also sent me away without giving them.” The bhikkhunīs went and said to Thullanandā bhikkhunī: “Your student is virtuous and keeps the precepts. Why don’t you trust her?” She answered: “How do I not trust her?” The bhikkhunīs said: “Your student wanted to carry your bowl for you, and you sent her away without giving it. She also wanted to carry your robes for you, and you also sent her away without giving it.” Thullanandā bhikkhunī said: “It’s not that I don’t trust her. This person likes to forget things. She puts things in one place and searches for them in another place. When the things are needed, she searches but isn’t able to retrieve them. For this reason, I didn’t give them to her.”

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 don’t pay attention when looking after things, and just become hostile?” 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 don’t pay attention when looking after things, and just become hostile?” 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 doesn’t pay attention when looking after things, and just becomes hostile, 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 doesn’t pay attention when looking after things, and just becomes hostile, it’s a pācittiya. Whenever she’s hostile, she incurs a pācittiya. (End of rule 94.)