Confession 128

First Origin Story

The Buddha was in Sāvatthī. At that time, female householders of Sāvatthī went to the river Aciravatī to bathe. There was already a bhikkhunī who was bathing naked in the river. The female householders criticized her: “Inauspicious, inferior woman with your coarse body, big belly, and drooping breasts, what’s the use of your being a bhikkhunī? Why don’t you disrobe and become a slave?”

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 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 bathe naked outdoors?” Having criticized her with all kinds of reasons, he said to the bhikkhus:

Preliminary Ruling

“From now on, I allow that a bhikkhunī keeps a bathing robe, and wears it when bathing outdoors.”

Second Origin Story

When the bhikkhunīs learned that the Buddha had allowed to keep a bathing robe, they made it wide and long.

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, after learning that the Buddha allowed to keep a bathing robe, make it wide, long, and large?” 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 those 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, after learning that I allowed to keep a bathing robe, make it wide, long, and large?” 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 wants to make a bathing robe, she should make it to the measurements. “The measurements” means five sugata handspans in length, two and a half handspans in width. If she makes it larger, 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 wants to make a bathing robe, and if she makes it longer than the measurements, but not wider than the measurements, it’s a pācittiya. If she makes it wider than the measurements, but not longer than the measurements, it’s a pācittiya. Whenever she makes it longer or wider than the measurements, she incurs a pācittiya. (End of rule 128.)