Sarvāstivāda Vinaya
Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga
Confession 174
Origin Story
The Buddha was in Sāvatthī. At that time, in front of the gate of the bhikkhunī monastery in the king’s park, there was a nice meadow. Because it was clean, many people gathered in crowds. Among them were many evil men. When they saw the bhikkhunīs enter and leave, they commented on their bodies’ flaws. They said to each other: “This one squints, that one has sore eyes, this one has a goiter, this one is black, that one is white, this one is good-looking, that one is ugly, this one is dignified, that one is undignified.” The bhikkhunīs heard of this matter and their minds weren’t pleased. They thought: “These people gather here because of the nice grass. Why don’t we spoil the grass?” Then they defecated and urinated there, and the grass dried up and died. The householders criticized them: “Inauspicious, inferior women, is there no other place to go? You defecated and urinated on the clean grass.”
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: “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 defecate and urinate on fresh grass?” 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 defecates and urinates on fresh grass, 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 defecates and urinates on fresh grass, it’s a pācittiya. Whenever she defecates and urinates on fresh grass, she incurs a pācittiya. (End of rule 174.)