Suspension 4

First of the 10 unshared precepts among the 17 saṅghādisesas. (This first rule is actually the fourth of the 17.)

Origin Story

The Buddha was in Sāvatthī. At that time, there was a bhikkhunī called Gifts-Exceeding(-Grains-of-Sand) Her full name is given in np22 and other rules.*, who was young and attractive. When a merchant saw her, defilements arose in his mind, and he thought: “The bhikkhunīs are protected by the king, and it’s not allowed to rape them. I’ll invite her and support her with what she needs.” Having thought that, he went to the bhikkhunī and said: “Whatever things you need, whether food and drinks, robes, bedding, or medicines, I’ll provide for you.” The bhikkhunī said: “I accept your invitation.” Later when that bhikkhunī needed food and drinks, robes, bedding, medicines, firewood, grass, lamps, and candles, she asked and took everything from him. When the merchant knew that the bhikkhunī’s mind had become soft, he said to her: “Come and engage in sexual intercourse.” The bhikkhunī said: “Don’t speak like this. I’m a person who keeps precepts and has abandoned sexual desire.” The merchant said angrily: “You little slavewoman! If you keep precepts and have abandoned sexual desire, why did you accept my offerings of robes and food?”

Then he grabbed the bhikkhunī by force, and the bhikkhunī screamed loudly. Then many people came, gathered, and asked: “Why did you scream?” The merchant said: “This bhikkhunī accepted my robes and food, but she doesn’t submit to my will.” The householders said to the bhikkhunī: “You accepted his things, why don’t you submit to his will?” The bhikkhunī said: “I didn’t accept his requisites out of sexual desire. This merchant came on his own and invited me by saying: ‘I invite you and will provide what you need, whether robes, food, medicines, firewood, grass, lamps, or candles.’ I didn’t know with what intention he gave to me.” The householders said: “Is this merchant one of your paternal or maternal relatives?” The bhikkhunī said: “No.” The householders said: “Since he’s not a paternal or maternal relative, and also an unvirtuous person who isn’t seeking merit, how could you not know why he gave you requisites? When he gave you requisites and robes, it must have been out of sexual desire.” The householders criticized her: “How can these bhikkhunīs say of themselves: ‘We’re virtuous and have merit’, when they take others’ requisites like prostitutes?”

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 Gifts-Exceeding(-Grains-of-Sand) 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, took food with your own hand from a man with a defiled mind?” 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, with a defiled mind, takes food with her own hand from a man with a defiled mind, that act is an immediate saṅghādisesa, from which one can repent.’”

Explanations

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

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

“Food” means the five staple foods, the five non-staple foods, and the five things resembling food. “The five staple foods” means food from roots, stalks, leaves, flowers, and fruits. “The five non-staple foods” means cooked rice, flour, dried cooked rice cakes, fish, and meat. “The five things resembling food” means rice gruel, millet, barley, tares, and bitter drinks A transliteration of kasaṭa, kasāva, or kasāya?*.

“A saṅghādisesa” means this offense is dependent upon the sangha, and in the sangha there’s a remainder. Because she confesses and is able to clear it in front of the sangha, therefore it’s called a saṅghādisesa.

Herein, this is an offense: If a bhikkhunī, with a defiled mind, takes edible roots with her own hand from the hand of a man with a defiled mind, she incurs a saṅghādisesa. If she takes stalks, leaves, flowers, fruits, cooked rice, flour, dried cooked rice, fish, meat, rice gruel, millet, barley, tares, or bitter drinks, all are saṅghādisesas. If there’s a householder, who because of this bhikkhunī, prepares food for the bhikkhunī sangha, and gives much food especially to the bhikkhunī he’s in love with, and if the bhikkhunī accepts it, it’s a thullaccaya. (End of rule 4.)