Confession 101

Origin Story

The Buddha was in Sāvatthī. At that time, the virtuous bhikkhunīs were old residents and the bhikkhunīs supporting Devadatta were guests. When the old bhikkhunīs saw the guest bhikkhunīs coming, they went to welcome them, greeted them, carried the robes and bowls for them, gave them hot water to wash their feet, rubbed oil on their feet, and gave them beds and bedding. The old bhikkhunīs said: “Good women, we’ll light a lamp.” The guest bhikkhunīs said: “Don’t light a lamp. We’re very tired from the journey, we’re not able to sit in meditation, recite suttas, and chant mantras. We want to lie down.” The old bhikkhunīs thought: “How could we lie down without sitting in meditation, reciting suttas, and chanting mantras in the first part of the night?” Then when they had got up, lit a lamp, sat in meditation, recited suttas, and chanted mantras, they wanted to lie down. When the guest bhikkhunīs heard the sound, they woke up and said: “Good women, what do you want to do?” They answered: “Having sat in meditation, we want to lie down.” The guest bhikkhunīs said: “Sleeping is without fruit, without reward. The Buddha praised the state of not sleeping, and criticized sleeping. We’re awake, now we’re not sleeping.” Then they lit a lamp and sat in meditation.

The old bhikkhunīs thought: “How could we lie down in the lamp light?” The guest bhikkhunīs sat in meditation in the middle part of the night. When the last part of the night came, they lay down. The old bhikkhunīs thought: “How could we lie down in the last part of the night?” For this reason, they didn’t lie down throughout the night, and their bodies were uncomfortable.

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, who’re staying there later, irritate the ones who’ve been staying there first?” 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 the guest 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, who’re staying there later, irritate the ones who’ve been staying there first?” 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 is staying somewhere later and irritates someone who has been staying there first, 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 is staying somewhere later and irritates someone who has been staying there first, it’s a pācittiya. Whenever she irritates her, she incurs a pācittiya. (End of rule 101.)