- Theravāda Collection on Monastic Law Theravāda Vinaya
- The Nuns’ Analysis Bhikkhunivibhaṅga
- The chapter on offenses entailing confession Pācittiyakaṇḍa
- The subchapter on monasteries Ārāmavagga
The training rule on going to the instruction 59. Ovādūpasaṅkamanasikkhāpada
Origin story
At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery. Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. At that time the nuns did not enquire about the observance day nor ask for the instruction. Tena kho pana samayena bhikkhuniyo uposathampi na pucchanti ovādampi na yācanti. The monks complained and criticized them, Bhikkhū ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—“How can the nuns not enquire about the observance day nor ask for the instruction?” … “kathañhi nāma bhikkhuniyo uposathampi na pucchissanti ovādampi na yācissantī”ti …pe… “Is it true, monks, that the nuns don’t do this?” “saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo uposathampi na pucchanti ovādampi na yācantī”ti?
“It’s true, Sir.” “Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti.
The Buddha rebuked them … Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe… “How can the nuns not do this? kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo uposathampi na pucchissanti ovādampi na yācissanti. This will affect people’s confidence …” … Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe… “And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this: evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—
Final ruling
‘Every half-month a nun should seek two things from the Sangha of monks: asking it about the observance day and going to it for the instruction. If she lets the half-month pass, she commits an offense entailing confession.’” “Anvaddhamāsaṁ bhikkhuniyā bhikkhusaṅghato dve dhammā paccāsīsitabbā—uposathapucchakañca ovādūpasaṅkamanañca. Taṁ atikkāmentiyā pācittiyan”ti.
Definitions
- Every half-month: Anvaddhamāsanti
- every observance day. anuposathikaṁ.
- The observance day: Uposatho nāma
- there are two observance days: the fourteenth and the fifteenth day of the lunar half-month. dve uposathā— cātuddasiko ca pannarasiko ca.
- The instruction: Ovādo nāma
- the eight important principles. aṭṭha garudhammā. If she thinks, “I won’t enquire about the observance day, nor ask for the instruction,” then by the mere fact of abandoning her duty, she commits an offense entailing confession. “Uposathampi na pucchissāmi ovādampi na yācissāmī”ti dhuraṁ nikkhittamatte āpatti pācittiyassa.
Non-offenses
There is no offense: Anāpatti—if there is an obstacle; sati antarāye, if she searches for a companion nun, but does not find one; pariyesitvā dutiyikaṁ bhikkhuniṁ na labhati, if she is sick; gilānāya, if there is an emergency; āpadāsu, if she is insane; ummattikāya, if she is the first offender. ādikammikāyāti.
The ninth training rule is finished. Navamasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ.