Sarvāstivāda Vinaya
Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga
Suspension 14
Origin Story
The Buddha was in Sāvatthī. At that time, a bhikkhunī called Kālī, who was formerly a non-Buddhist renunciate, liked to quarrel with others. When this bhikkhunī was quarreling with other bhikkhunīs, she said: “I renounce the Buddha, renounce the dhamma, renounce the sangha, and renounce the precepts. Not just the renunciates that are Sakyan children know the path. There are also other renunciates and brahmins who are conscientious, virtuous, and delight in keeping precepts. I’ll practise the monastic life with them.”
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, while quarreling, say: ‘I renounce the Buddha, renounce the dhamma, renounce the sangha, and renounce the precepts. Not just the renunciates that are Sakyan children know the path. There are also other renunciates and brahmins who are conscientious, virtuous, and delight in keeping precepts. I’ll practise the monastic life with them’?” 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 Kālī 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, while quarreling with others, say: ‘I renounce the Buddha, renounce the dhamma, renounce the sangha, and renounce the precepts. Not just the renunciates that are Sakyan children know the path. There are also other renunciates and brahmins who are conscientious, virtuous, and delight in keeping precepts. I’ll practise the monastic life with them’?” 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, while quarreling with other bhikkhunīs, says: “I renounce the Buddha, renounce the dhamma, renounce the sangha, and renounce the precepts. Not just the renunciates that are Sakyan children know the path. There are also other renunciates and brahmins who are conscientious, virtuous, and delight in keeping precepts. I’ll practise the monastic life with them,” the bhikkhunīs should admonish that bhikkhunī: “While quarreling with other bhikkhunīs, don’t say: ‘I renounce the Buddha, renounce the dhamma, renounce the sangha, and renounce the precepts. Not just the renunciates that are Sakyan children know the path. There are also other renunciates and brahmins who are conscientious, virtuous, and delight in keeping precepts. I’ll practise the monastic life with them.’ You should delight in practicing the monastic life in the Buddha’s dhamma, and should abandon your dissatisfied mind.” When that bhikkhunī is admonished by the other bhikkhunīs in this way, and she holds firmly on to this matter and doesn’t give it up, the bhikkhunīs should admonish her a second and a third time to make her give up this matter. If that bhikkhunī gives it up at the second or third admonishment, it’s fine. If not, that act constitutes a saṅghādisesa after three admonishments, from which one can repent.’”
Explanations
“A saṅghādisesa” means this offense is dependent upon the sangha, and in the sangha there’s a remainder. Because she confesses and clears it in front of the sangha, therefore it’s called a saṅghādisesa.
Herein, this is an offense: If a bhikkhunī says: “I renounce the Buddha,” it’s a thullaccaya. If she says: “I renounce the dhamma,” it’s a thullaccaya. If she says: “I renounce the sangha,” it’s a thullaccaya. If she says: “I renounce the precepts,” all are thullaccayas. If she says: “Not just the renunciates that are Sakyan children know the path. There are also other renunciates and brahmins who are conscientious, virtuous, and delight in keeping precepts. I’ll practise the monastic life with them,” because of the criticism of the sangha, she incurs a pācittiya. The bhikkhunīs should first admonish her with gentle speech. If she gives it up at that time, they should instruct her to confess four thullaccayas and one pācittiya to clear the offenses. If she doesn’t give it up with gentle speech, they should admonish her in a formal act with a motion as fourth. The procedure for admonishing her is as follows:
Saṅghakamma
When the sangha is unanimous and harmonious, one bhikkhunī should announce: “Venerable bhikkhunīs, may the sangha listen. This Kālī bhikkhunī, who formerly was a non-Buddhist renunciate, while quarreling with other bhikkhunīs, said: ‘I renounce the Buddha, renounce the dhamma, renounce the sangha, and renounce the precepts. Not just the renunciates that are Sakyan children know the path. There are also other renunciates and brahmins who are conscientious, virtuous, and delight in keeping precepts. I’ll practise the monastic life with them.’ Having been admonished with gentle speech, she didn’t give up this bad mistake. If the right time has come for the sangha, may the sangha approve that the sangha now admonishes Kālī bhikkhunī: ‘While quarreling with other bhikkhunīs, don’t say: “I renounce the Buddha, renounce the dhamma, renounce the sangha, and renounce the precepts. Not just the renunciates that are Sakyan children know the path. There are also other renunciates and brahmins who are conscientious, virtuous, and delight in keeping precepts. I’ll practise the monastic life with them.”’ This is called the motion.” Likewise for the formal act with a motion as fourth. “The sangha has admonished bhikkhunī So-and-so. The sangha accepts this, therefore you’re silent. This matter is remembered thus.”
Explanations (continued)
As the Buddha explained earlier, that bhikkhunī should be admonished by the bhikkhunīs up to three times to make her give up this matter. This is called the admonishment, this is called the instruction, this is called the admonishment and instruction. If she doesn’t give it up when being admonished with gentle speech, the offense isn’t committed yet. If when admonished, she doesn’t give it up when the first announcement isn’t finished yet, when it’s finished, when the second announcement isn’t finished yet, when it’s finished, when the third announcement isn’t finished yet, if it’s against the dhamma in a divided assembly, if it’s against the dhamma in a harmonious assembly, if it resembles the dhamma in a divided assembly, if it resembles the dhamma in a harmonious assembly, if it’s according to dhamma in a divided assembly, or if it’s according to a different dhamma, a different vinaya, and a different Buddha’s instruction, the offense isn’t committed yet. If it’s according to dhamma, according to vinaya, according to the Buddha’s instruction, and she doesn’t give it up at the third admonishment, that bhikkhunī commits a saṅghādisesa. (End of rule 14.)