Confession 145

Origin Story

The Buddha was in Sāvatthī. At that time, there was a holiday in Sāvatthī. The householders prepared all kinds of good food and drinks and wanted to leave the city to go to a park grove. The lay women bathed, applied perfume on their bodies, adorned their heads and faces, applied makeup on their eyes, smoothened their hair, put on new, beautiful clothes and inner and outer ornaments. Bhikkhunīs supporting Devadatta entered that house, and when they saw the ladies of the house, they asked: “You’ve bathed, applied perfume on your bodies, adorned your heads and faces, applied makeup on your eyes, smoothened your hair, and put on new, beautiful clothes and inner and outer ornaments. What do you want to do?” They answered: “We want to go to a park grove on an outing.” And they asked the bhikkhunīs: “Good women, can you come?” They answered: “We can come.” They asked: “Do you want to ride in a vehicle, or will you go on foot?” The bhikkhunīs said: “Are we slaves serving you? Why would we go on foot?” The ladies of the house said: “Can you get into a vehicle?” The bhikkhunīs said: “You can also do that, why wouldn’t we?”

Among the women were those who were felt shy in front of their husbands and their husband’s parents, and they closed the chariots in front and in the back. There were also some without a husband and parents, who went with the chariots open. Because the bhikkhunīs were fearless, they opened the chariot, and talking and laughing loudly, went following the others. The householders criticized them: “These bhikkhunīs say of themselves: ‘We’re virtuous and have merit’, but they go around riding in chariots, like queens and wives of high officials.”

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 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 ride in a vehicle?” 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, who isn’t sick, rides in a vehicle, 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, who isn’t sick, rides in a vehicle, it’s a pācittiya. Whenever she, not being sick, rides in a vehicle, she incurs a pācittiya. If she’s sick, the offense isn’t committed. (End of rule 145.)