Confession 146

Origin Story

The Buddha was in Sāvatthī. At that time, at the monastery in the king’s park in Sāvatthī, on the floor of the lecture hall in the middle courtyard, some bhikkhunīs stood around working, some spun thread, some broke it off, some shook it, some wound it up, and some wrapped it around their hands. Then many generals came to the king’s park monastery, saw the bhikkhunīs doing all kinds of work, and said: “Suppose the king were to hear that coarse cotton, fine cotton, multi-colored cotton, woolen cloth, and similar such items are all simultaneously being produced here.”

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 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 engage in spinning?” 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 spins thread, 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 spins thread, it’s a pācittiya. If she winds it, if she spins it, if she breaks it up, if she shakes it, or if she wraps it around her hands, all are pācittiyas. Whenever she moves her hands, she incurs a pācittiya. If she plans and wishes to do it, it’s a dukkaṭa. If she joins threads, each turn is a dukkaṭa. If for sewing a robe, she ties strings, up to six Liang About 80 meters*, there’s no offense. (End of rule 146.)