Confession 141

Origin Story

The Buddha was in Sāvatthī. At that time, Kālī bhikkhunī, who had previously been a non-Buddhist renunciate, disregarded the suttas, the vinaya, and the abhidhamma, and taught lay people’s children to recite all kinds of magic arts.

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 disregard the suttas, the vinaya, and the abhidhamma, and teach lay people to recite all kinds of magic arts?” 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 Kālī 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 disregard the suttas, the vinaya, and the abhidhamma, and teach lay people to recite all kinds of magic arts?” 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 teaches lay people to recite all kinds of magic arts, 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 teaches lay people to recite all kinds of magic arts, and if she recites it in verses, each verse is a pācittiya. If she recites it in chapters, each chapter is a pācittiya. If she recites it in another form, each sentence is a pācittiyā.

There’s no offense: If she teaches them to recite a spell to cure a tooth ache or a stomach ache, to counteract poison, or for protection and safety, the offense isn’t committed. (End of rule 141.)