- Theravāda Collection on Monastic Law Theravāda Vinaya
- The Nuns’ Analysis Bhikkhunivibhaṅga
- The chapter on relinquishment Nissaggiyakaṇḍa
- The subchapter on almsbowls Pattavagga
The training rule on exchanging for something else 5. Aññacetāpanasikkhāpada
Origin story
At one time when the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery, Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. the nun Thullanandā was sick. Tena kho pana samayena thullanandā bhikkhunī gilānā hoti. A lay follower went to her and asked, Atha kho aññataro upāsako yena thullanandā bhikkhunī tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā thullanandaṁ bhikkhuniṁ etadavoca—“I hope you’re bearing up, Venerable, I hope you’re getting better?” “kacci, ayye, khamanīyaṁ kacci yāpanīyan”ti?
“I’m not bearing up, and I’m not getting better.” “Na me, āvuso, khamanīyaṁ, na yāpanīyan”ti.
“We’ll deposit a <i lang='pi' translate='no'>kahāpaṇa</i> coin in such-and-such a shop. Please get whatever you wish from there.” “Amukassa, ayye, āpaṇikassa ghare kahāpaṇaṁ nikkhipissāmi, tato yaṁ iccheyyāsi taṁ āharāpeyyāsī”ti.
Thullanandā then said to a trainee nun, Thullanandā bhikkhunī aññataraṁ sikkhamānaṁ āṇāpesi—“Go to such-and-such a shop and bring back a <i lang='pi' translate='no'>kahāpaṇa</i>’s worth of oil.” “gaccha, sikkhamāne, amukassa āpaṇikassa gharā kahāpaṇassa telaṁ āharā”ti. That trainee nun did just that and gave it to Thullanandā. Atha kho sā sikkhamānā tassa āpaṇikassa gharā kahāpaṇassa telaṁ āharitvā thullanandāya bhikkhuniyā adāsi. Thullanandā said, Thullanandā bhikkhunī evamāha—“I don’t need oil; I need ghee.” “na me, sikkhamāne, telena attho, sappinā me attho”ti. The trainee nun returned to the shopkeeper and said, Atha kho sā sikkhamānā yena so āpaṇiko tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā taṁ āpaṇikaṁ etadavoca—“It seems the nun doesn’t need oil, but ghee. Here’s your oil; please give me ghee.” “na kira, āvuso, ayyāya telena attho, sappinā attho, handa te telaṁ, sappiṁ me dehī”ti.
“Venerable, if we were to take back goods that have been sold, when would our goods be sold? “Sace mayaṁ, ayye, vikkītaṁ bhaṇḍaṁ puna ādiyissāma, kadā amhākaṁ bhaṇḍaṁ vikkāyissati. When oil is bought, oil is taken away. Buying ghee, you receive that, and you’ll take that away.” Telassa kayena telaṁ haṭaṁ, sappissa kayaṁ āhara, sappiṁ harissasī”ti.
The trainee nun started to cry. Atha kho sā sikkhamānā rodantī aṭṭhāsi. The nuns asked her Bhikkhuniyo taṁ sikkhamānaṁ etadavocuṁ—why, “kissa tvaṁ, sikkhamāne, rodasī”ti?
and she told them what had happened. Atha kho sā sikkhamānā bhikkhunīnaṁ etamatthaṁ ārocesi.
The nuns of few desires complained and criticized her, Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā …pe… tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—“How could Venerable Thullanandā get one thing in exchange and then something else?” … “kathañhi nāma ayyā thullanandā aññaṁ cetāpetvā aññaṁ cetāpessatī”ti …pe… “Is it true, monks, that the nun Thullanandā did this?” “saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī aññaṁ cetāpetvā aññaṁ cetāpetī”ti?
“It’s true, Sir.” “Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti.
The Buddha rebuked her … Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe… “How could the nun Thullanandā get one thing in exchange and then something else? kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī aññaṁ cetāpetvā aññaṁ cetāpessati. 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
‘If a nun gets one thing in exchange and then something else, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.’” “Yā pana bhikkhunī aññaṁ cetāpetvā aññaṁ cetāpeyya, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyan”ti.
Definitions
- A: Yā panāti
- whoever … yā yādisā …pe…
- Nun: bhikkhunīti
- … The nun who has been given the full ordination in unanimity by both Sanghas through a legal procedure consisting of one motion and three announcements that is irreversible and fit to stand—this sort of nun is meant in this case. …pe… ayaṁ imasmiṁ atthe adhippetā bhikkhunīti.
- Gets one thing in exchange: Aññaṁ cetāpetvāti
- whatever she gets in exchange. yaṁ kiñci cetāpetvā.
- Then something else: Aññaṁ cetāpeyyāti
- apart from that thing, if she gets something else in exchange, then for the effort there is an act of wrong conduct. taṁ ṭhapetvā aññaṁ cetāpeti, payoge dukkaṭaṁ. When she gets it, it becomes subject to relinquishment. Paṭilābhena nissaggiyaṁ hoti.
It should be relinquished to a sangha, a group, or an individual nun. Nissajjitabbaṁ saṅghassa vā gaṇassa vā ekabhikkhuniyā vā. “And, monks, it’s to be relinquished like this. Evañca pana, bhikkhave, nissajjitabbaṁ. (To be expanded as in <a href='https://suttacentral.net/pli-tv-bi-vb-np1/en/brahmali#2.1.21'>Bi Np 1:2.1.21</a>–Bi Np 1:2.1.43, with appropriate substitutions.) …pe…
… ‘Venerables, this thing, which I got in exchange, having first gotten something else in exchange, is to be relinquished. I relinquish it to the Sangha.’ … “idaṁ me, ayye, aññaṁ cetāpetvā aññaṁ cetāpitaṁ nissaggiyaṁ, imāhaṁ saṅghassa nissajjāmī”ti …pe… the Sangha should give … dadeyyāti …pe… you should give … dadeyyunti …pe… ‘I give this back to you.’” ayyāya dammīti.
Permutations
If it is something else and she perceives it as such, and she gets that in exchange, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. Aññe aññasaññā aññaṁ cetāpeti, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ. If it is something else, but she is unsure of it, and she gets that in exchange, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. Aññe vematikā aññaṁ cetāpeti, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ. If it is something else, but she does not perceive it as such, and she gets that in exchange, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. Aññe anaññasaññā aññaṁ cetāpeti, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ.
If it is not something else, but she perceives it as such, and she gets that in exchange, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. Anaññe aññasaññā anaññaṁ cetāpeti, āpatti dukkaṭassa. If it is not something else, but she is unsure of it, and she gets that in exchange, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. Anaññe vematikā anaññaṁ cetāpeti, āpatti dukkaṭassa. If it is not something else, and she does not perceive it as such, there is no offense. Anaññe anaññasaññā anāpatti.
Non-offenses
There is no offense: Anāpatti—if she gets both in exchange at the same time; taññeva cetāpeti, aññañca cetāpeti, if she can show a benefit in doing the exchange; ānisaṁsaṁ dassetvā cetāpeti, if she is insane; ummattikāya, if she is the first offender. ādikammikāyāti.
The fifth training rule is finished. Pañcamasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ.