Acknowledgment 1-8

The eight pātidesanīya rules.

Origin Story

The Buddha was in the Sakyan country. At that time, Mahānāma invited the Buddha and both sanghas for the next day’s meal. The Buddha accepted in silence. Having understood that the Buddha had accepted in silence, (Mahānāma) paid respect with his head at the Buddha’s feet, circumambulated him on the right side, and left. He returned to his home and prepared all kinds of delicious foods and drinks the whole night, and boiled a milk drink with medicinal herbs. He got up early, laid out seats, and sent a messenger to tell the Buddha: “The food is fully prepared. May the Noble One know the (right) time.” The Buddha and both sanghas went and entered his house, and sat down on the seats. When Mahānāma saw that the Buddha and both sanghas were seated, he brought water with his own hands, himself served the food, and sprinkled the milk drink with medicinal herbs on top. At that time, the bhikkhunīs supporting Devadatta had full bowls of food in front of them, with the milk drink with medicinal herbs sprinkled on top, but they weren’t eating, and were looking around. Mahānāma thought: “I’ll have a look everywhere who has little, who has much, who is eating, and who isn’t eating.” He saw the bhikkhunīs supporting Devadatta with bowls in front of them but not eating, and asked them: “Why aren’t you eating?” They answered: “Do you have unboiled milk? If you have, we’ll eat.” He answered: “This milk drink with medicinal herbs is good and edible. If there’s unboiled milk, I’ll give it to you.” They also asked: “Do you have curds, fresh butter, ghee, oil, fish, meat, and dried meat? We’ll be able to eat that.”

He said: “Please also eat the milk drink with medicinal herbs. If there’s curds, fresh butter, ghee, oil, fish, meat, and dried meat, I’ll give them to you.” The bhikkhunīs supporting Devadatta said: “You invited the Buddha and the sangha. If you don’t have the means to give according to your intention, why did you invite the Buddha and the sangha? When other people invite us, they give according to their intentions. Which place wouldn’t have this hot milk?” Mahānāma was virtuous and when he heard these words, he wasn’t angry, but the others following him said angrily: “These bhikkhunīs say of themselves: ‘We’re virtuous and have merit’, but when Mahānāma supports the sangha as though serving a high-ranking person, why show disdain?”

The Buddha saw that the bhikkhunīs supporting Devadatta were doing this, and heard the criticism of the householders. After the meal, he gathered both sanghas because of this matter, and criticized the bhikkhunīs supporting Devadatta with all kinds of reasons: “How can you be called bhikkhunīs? Mahānāma supports the sangha as though serving a high-ranking person. Why did you show disdain?” 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, asks for milk for herself, that bhikkhunī should speak about this matter in front of the bhikkhunīs and say: “Good women, I’ve fallen into an offense to be criticized, not in accordance with the path, to be confessed. I now confess it.” This is called the first pātidesanīya rule.’”

Explanations

Herein, this is an offense: If a bhikkhunī, who isn’t sick, asks for milk for herself and obtains it, it’s a pātidesanīya. If she doesn’t obtain it, it’s a dukkaṭa. If she asks for a sick person and obtains it, there’s no offense. If she asks from relatives, if she asks from someone who has given a prior invitation, or if someone gives on their own without her asking, the offense isn’t committed. (End of rule 1.)

Likewise for curds, fresh butter, ghee, oil, fish, meat, and dried meat. These are called the eight pātidesanīya rules. (End of the unshared precepts. The shared precepts are as explained in detail in the bhikkhu precepts.)