Expulsion 5

Sarvāstivāda Vinaya, fascicle 42 (Part one of the seventh recitation chapter.)

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

Part one of the Bhikkhunī Vinaya — (unshared precepts) — The eight pārājika rules

Origin Story

The Buddha was in Sāvatthī. At that time, there was a bhikkhunī named Sundarinandā in Sāvatthī in the monastery in the king’s park, who who was young and attractive. There was also the householder Migāraputta’s son, who was also young and attractive. Profound defilements arose in the mind of that man with regards to Sundarinandā bhikkhunī, and defilements also arose in the mind of the bhikkhunī with regards to that man. That Migāraputta’s son thought: “If I speak with this bhikkhunī about doing that thing, I myself will commit an offense. The king will punish me, a bad reputation will spread in all directions, and when the body breaks up and my life comes to an end, I’ll fall into hell.” The bhikkhunī also thought: “If I speak with this man about doing that thing, I myself will commit an offense, and I’ll make him commit an offense. A bad reputation will spread in all directions, the bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs will punish me according to dhamma, the gods and virtuous spirits will no longer protect me, and when the body breaks up and my life comes to an end, I’ll fall into hell.” That bhikkhunī often thought about that man, and because she couldn’t fulfill her wish, she became sick, weak, and feeble, and lay down in her room. She abandoned proper conduct, and couldn’t get up anymore.

That man heard that the bhikkhunī had fallen sick and was suffering, that she had lain down in her room and couldn’t get up. Having heard this, he thought: “That bhikkhunī isn’t sick, but because of thinking of me, she’s feeling weak and feeble, and going through this suffering. Why don’t I go to that bhikkhunī? Without speaking about that thing, she’ll recover from the sickness.” Having thought that, he went to the bhikkhunī monastery in the king’s park. On arrival, he asked the bhikkhunīs: “Where is Sundarinandā bhikkhunī?” They answered: “She’s in such-and-such a room, sick, lying down, and suffering, declining in proper conduct, and unable to get up.” That man then went into the bhikkhunī’s room, touched and embraced her, and said: “Is your illness getting a little better, can you tolerate it, is the suffering not increasing?” She answered: “The illness isn’t getting better, I can’t tolerate it, and the suffering is increasing.” Then unwholesome, impure words came out of the bhikkhunī’s mouth, and she said: “This is my lot: Someone doesn’t love me, but I still love him.”

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: “How can you be called a bhikkhunī when you, with a defiled mind, allow a man with a defiled mind to touch and embrace you?” 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. The Buddha knew, and intentionally asked Sundarinandā 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, with a defiled mind, allow a man with a defiled mind to touch and embrace you?” 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: For the preservation of the sangha, for the preservation of the excellence of the sangha, for the sangha to abide in peace and happiness, for the subduing of conceited persons, for the peace and happiness of conscientious persons, for the unfaithful to attain pure faith, for the faithful to increase in faith, for the restraint of the defilements in this life, for the obstruction of bad destinations after death, and for the long continuance of the monastic life. From now on, this precept should be recited thus:

Final Ruling

‘If a bhikkhunī with a defiled mind allows a man with a defiled mind, having removed her robes, to rub her up and down below the hairline and above the wrists and the knees, to pull, push, press, and pinch her, to lift her up and set her down, that bhikkhunī incurs a pārājika, and doesn’t live in community.’”

Explanations

“A defiled mind” means, when she’s close to that person, a strong fetter of desire arises. Likewise for “a man with a defiled mind”.

“A man” means a human man who can engage in sexual intercourse.

“A pārājika” means this offense is low, evil, deep, grave, and an unequalled fall. Therefore it’s called “pārājika”.

“Not living in community” means that the bhikkhunīs don’t engage in matters of dhamma with this bhikkhunī, that’s to say formal acts with a motion, formal acts with a motion as second, formal acts with a motion as fourth, the recitation of the precepts, the invitation ceremony, or performing the 13 formal acts for bhikkhunīs.

Herein, this is an offense: There are eight kinds: It’s not fully clear how to divide the following section to arrive at eight permutations. The numbers are my best guess.*

1) If a defiled mind arises in a bhikkhunī and she allows a man with a defiled mind, having removed her robes, to rub her face, she commits a pārājika.

Likewise if he rubs her throat, chest, flanks, back, belly, belly button, the area of the anus and the vagina, or her thighs down to the knees, and if he rubs her up and down, pulls, pushes, presses, and pinches her.

2) If he touches her above the hairline, in front of the wrists, or below the knees, having removed her robes, it’s a thullaccaya.

3) If a bhikkhunī with a defiled mind allows a man with a defiled mind, having removed her robes, to lift her up from the ground and place her onto a desk, it’s a pārājika. If from the desk he places her onto a single seat, from a single seat onto a large bed, from a large bed onto a palanquin, from a palanquin onto a carriage, from a carriage onto a horse, from a horse onto an elephant, or from an elephant onto a hall, all are pārājikas.

If a bhikkhunī with a defiled mind allows a man with a defiled mind, having removed her robes, to lift her up from a hall and place her onto an elephant, from an elephant onto a horse, from a horse onto a carriage, from a carriage onto a palanquin, from a palanquin onto a large bed, from a large bed onto a single seat, from a single seat onto a desk, or from a desk onto the ground, all are pārājikas.

4) If she allows him to lift her up and set her down (by touching her) above the hairline, in front of the wrists, or below the knees, having removed her robes, it’s a thullaccaya.

5) If a bhikkhunī with a defiled mind allows a man with a defiled mind to rub her face while fully clothed, it’s a thullaccaya.

If he rubs her throat, chest, flanks, back, belly, belly button, the area of the anus and the vagina, or her thighs down to the knees, she incurs a thullaccaya.

Likewise if he rubs her up and down, pulls, pushes, presses, and pinches her.

6) If he touches her above the hairline, in front of the wrists, or below the knees, while fully clothed, it’s a dukkaṭa.

7) If a bhikkhunī with a defiled mind allows a man with a defiled mind to embrace her while fully clothed, and to lift her up from the ground onto a desk, it’s a thullaccaya.

If from the desk he places her onto a single seat, from a single seat onto a large bed, from a large bed onto a palanquin, from a palanquin onto a carriage, from a carriage onto a horse, from a horse onto an elephant, or from an elephant onto a hall, all are thullaccayas.

If a bhikkhunī with a defiled mind allows a man with a defiled mind to embrace her fully clothed, and to lift her up from a hall and place her onto an elephant, from an elephant onto a horse, from a horse onto a carriage, from a carriage onto a palanquin, from a palanquin onto a large bed, from a large bed onto a single seat, from a single seat onto a desk, or from a desk onto the ground, all are thullaccayas.

8) If she allows him to lift her up and set her down (by touching her) above the hairline, in front of the wrists, or below the knees, while fully clothed, it’s a dukkaṭa.

There’s no offense: If she perceives him as her father, her brother, or her son, if she’s washed away by water, if she’s burnt by fire, if (he holds) a knife, lance, bow, or staff, if she’s about to fall into a chasm, or if she encounters difficulties by a savage animal or demon, the offense isn’t committed. And in all cases where she has a mind free from attachments, the offense isn’t committed. (End of rule 5.)