Confession 113

Origin Story

The Buddha was in Sāvatthī. At that time, the bhikkhunīs put forth much effort to take on students. They washed, dyed, cut, pinned, and sewed robes for them. When the students had received the full ordination, they abandoned the preceptors and left. When the bhikkhunīs heard about this matter, they criticized them: “Inauspicious, inferior women, we made robes for you, we washed, dyed, cut, pinned, and sewed robes, and went through great hardship, and when you’ve received the full ordination, you just abandon us and leave?”

Having criticized them with all kinds of reasons, they explained it to the Buddha in detail. Because of this matter, the Buddha gathered both sanghas and said to the bhikkhus: “From now on, I allow that a bhikkhunī follows her preceptor for two years. 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 received the full ordination, doesn’t follow her preceptor for two years, 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 received the full ordination, doesn’t follow her preceptor for two years, it’s a pācittiya. Whenever she doesn’t follow her preceptor, she incurs a pācittiya. (End of rule 113.)