Confession 125

Origin Story

The Buddha was in Rājagaha. At that time, the bhikkhunīs supporting Devadatta had a sikkhamānā who was grown up, eligible for the full ordination. Gifts-Exceeding-Grains-of-Sand bhikkhunī saw this grown up sikkhamānā, and then said: “Why don’t you take the full ordination?” She answered: “The bhikkhunīs supporting Devadatta are fierce and like to quarrel. I don’t want to receive the full ordination from them. If you’d act as my preceptor, I’ll take the full ordination.” Gifts-Exceeding-Grains-of-Sand said: “Train in the six rules for two years, and I’ll take you on as my student.” When that grown up sikkhamānā had trained in the six rules for two years, she said to Gifts-Exceeding-Grains-of-Sand: “You told me: ‘Train in the six rules for two years, and I’ll take you on as my student.’ I’ve trained in the six rules for two years. You should take me on.” Gifts-Exceeding-Grains-of-Sand said: “I won’t take you on. Why? Those bhikkhunīs supporting Devadatta are fierce and like to quarrel. They can harm people themselves, and can also instruct others to do it. For this reason, I won’t take you on.” (The sikkhamānā) replied: “If you can’t take me on, why did you tell me to train in the six rules for two years? If you hadn’t said that to me previously, I wouldn’t have trained in the six rules for two years.”

Among the bhikkhunīs were those of few wishes, who knew moderation and practised the austerities. When they heard of this matter, they criticized her with all kinds of reasons: “How can you be called a bhikkhunī when you say to someone: ‘Train in the six rules for two years, and I’ll take you on’, but later just don’t take her on?” 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 that 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 say to someone: ‘Train in the six rules for two years, and I’ll take you on’, but later just don’t take her on?” 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 says to someone: “Train in the six rules for two years, and then I’ll take you on,” but doesn’t take her on, 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 says to someone: “Train in the six rules for two years, and I’ll take you on,” but later just doesn’t take her on, it’s a pācittiya. Whenever she doesn’t take her on, she incurs a pācittiya. (End of rule 125.)