Confession 142

Origin Story

The Buddha was in Sāvatthī. At that time, the bhikkhunīs supporting Devadatta often went in and out of someone’s house. When they reached that house, the lady of the house said: “Good women, sweep and mop, lay out beds, light a fire, cook food, and serve food.” Those bhikkhunīs then followed her instructions. Then virtuous bhikkhunīs arrived at that house and the lady said: “Good women, sweep and mop, lay out beds, light a fire, cook food, and serve food.” They answered: “Are we your slaves serving you? Now you sat down and have us do the work.” The lady of the house said: “You’re of bad character and arrogant. The bhikkhunīs supporting Devadatta came and worked according to my instructions.”

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 sweep and mop, lay out beds, light a fire, cook food, and serve food for lay people?” 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 bhikkhunīs supporting Devadatta: “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 work for lay people?” 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 works for lay people, 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 lay people have her sweep the ground, sweeps, it’s a pācittiya. If they have her mop the ground, lay out beds, light a fire, cook food (i.e. rice), cook curries, or serve food, and she does it, it’s a pācittiya. If she closes the gate at their instruction, it’s a dukkaṭa. (End of rule 142.)