Confession 153

Sarvāstivāda Vinaya, fascicle 47 (Part six of the seventh recitation chapter.)

Translated by the northern Indian Tipiṭaka master Puṇyatāra together with Kumārajīva during the later Qin dynasty.

Part six of the Bhikkhunī Vinaya.

Origin Story

The Buddha was in Kosambī. At that time, Garudatissa bhikkhu passed away. He had seven sisters who were bhikkhunīs, called Thullanandā bhikkhunī, Sundarinandā bhikkhunī, Tissā bhikkhunī, Upatissā bhikkhunī, Tissavatā bhikkhunī, Tissapālevā(tā) bhikkhunī, and Tissarakkhatā bhikkhunī. The names are my best guess. The sisters are mentioned again in pārājika 8 with the same names, and in the dhammaka with slightly different names.* These bhikkhunīs were very capable. They gathered branches, wood, and timber, burned this bhikkhu’s body, picked up his bones, and erected a stupa. Then there was a bhikkhu named Kaṭa, who was wandering from the Vajjian country to Vesālī Vesālī is actually *in* the Vajjian country.*, and saw this stupa on the way. He asked: “Whose stupa is this?” They answered: “It’s Garudatissa bhikkhu’s stupa.” He replied: “This worldling? What’s the use of building a stupa for him?” Then he broke that stupa, set up a rope-bed and sat on it. Thullanandā bhikkhunī heard that Kaṭa bhikkhu had broken her older brother’s stupa, set up a bed, and sat on it. When she had heard this, she was angry, and said to her younger sisters: “Each of you, bring a needle and thread. We’ll sew that bhikkhu to his bed.”

The monastery was close to the road. Then Upāli passed by and heard of this matter. He went and told that bhikkhu: “You’re sitting here, (but) the bhikkhunīs will soon come and sew you to the bed.” He answered: “If they sew me to this bed, I’ll attain liberation from this stinking body.” Upāli said: “Even though you’ll be liberated from this stinking body, the bhikkhunīs will incur a great offense.” Then that bhikkhu entered jhāna, made his body invisible, and Upāli went away. The bhikkhunīs entered and said to each other: “Is this bhikkhu here or not?” When they couldn’t see him, they felt the rope-bed with their hands, and noticed that it was still warm. They said: “It must be that this former barber Upāli told him to leave.”

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 just enter a bhikkhu residence without asking at the outer gate?” 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 Thullanandā 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 just enter a bhikkhu residence without asking at the outer gate?” 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 just enters a bhikkhu residence without asking at the outer gate, 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 just enters a bhikkhu residence without asking at the outer gate, it’s a pācittiya. Whenever she enters without asking, she incurs a pācittiya. (End of rule 153.)