Origin story

First sub-story

At one time when the Buddha was staying at Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, Tena samayena buddho bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe. the nun Uppalavaṇṇā was staying at Sāvatthī. Tena kho pana samayena uppalavaṇṇā bhikkhunī sāvatthiyaṁ viharati. One morning she robed up, took her bowl and robe, and entered Sāvatthī to collect almsfood. Atha kho uppalavaṇṇā bhikkhunī pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi. When she had completed her almsround, eaten her meal, and returned, she went to the Blind Men’s Grove Sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantā yena andhavanaṁ tenupasaṅkami divāvihārāya. where she sat down at the foot of a tree for the day’s meditation. Andhavanaṁ ajjhogāhetvā aññatarasmiṁ rukkhamūle divāvihāraṁ nisīdi.

Just then some bandits who had stolen and slaughtered a cow were taking the meat to the Blind Men’s Grove. Tena kho pana samayena corā katakammā gāviṁ vadhitvā maṁsaṁ gahetvā andhavanaṁ pavisiṁsu. The head bandit saw Uppalavaṇṇā sitting at the foot of that tree. Addasā kho coragāmaṇiko uppalavaṇṇaṁ bhikkhuniṁ aññatarasmiṁ rukkhamūle divāvihāraṁ nisinnaṁ. He thought, Disvānassa etadahosi—“If my sons and brothers see this nun, they’ll harass her,” “sace me puttabhātukā passissanti viheṭhissanti imaṁ bhikkhunin”ti and he took a different path. aññena maggena agamāsi. Soon afterwards when the meat was cooked, he took the best part, tied it up with a palm-leaf wrap, hung it from a tree not far from Uppalavaṇṇā, and said, Atha kho so coragāmaṇiko maṁse pakke varamaṁsāni gahetvā paṇṇapuṭaṁ bandhitvā uppalavaṇṇāya bhikkhuniyā avidūre rukkhe ālaggetvā—“Whatever ascetic or brahmin sees this gift, please take it.” And he left. “yo passati samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā dinnaṁyeva haratū”ti, vatvā pakkāmi.

Uppalavaṇṇā had just come out from the stillness of meditation when she heard the head bandit making that statement. Assosi kho uppalavaṇṇā bhikkhunī samādhimhā vuṭṭhahitvā tassa coragāmaṇikassa imaṁ vācaṁ bhāsamānassa. She took the meat and returned to her dwelling place. Atha kho uppalavaṇṇā bhikkhunī taṁ maṁsaṁ gahetvā upassayaṁ agamāsi. The following morning she prepared the meat and made it into a bundle with her upper robe. She then rose into the air and landed in the Bamboo Grove. Atha kho uppalavaṇṇā bhikkhunī tassā rattiyā accayena taṁ maṁsaṁ sampādetvā uttarāsaṅgena bhaṇḍikaṁ bandhitvā vehāsaṁ abbhuggantvā veḷuvane paccuṭṭhāsi.

When she arrived, the Buddha had already gone to the village for alms, Tena kho pana samayena bhagavā gāmaṁ piṇḍāya paviṭṭho hoti. but Venerable Udāyī had been left behind to look after the dwellings. Āyasmā udāyī ohiyyako hoti vihārapālo. Uppalavaṇṇā approached Udāyī and said, Atha kho uppalavaṇṇā bhikkhunī yenāyasmā udāyī tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ udāyiṁ etadavoca—“Sir, where’s the Buddha?” “kahaṁ, bhante, bhagavā”ti?

“He’s gone to the village for alms.” “Paviṭṭho, bhagini, bhagavā gāmaṁ piṇḍāyā”ti.

“Please give this meat to the Buddha.” “Imaṁ, bhante, maṁsaṁ bhagavato dehī”ti.

“You’ll please the Buddha with that meat. “Santappito tayā, bhagini, bhagavā maṁsena. If you give me your sarong, you’ll please me too.” Sace me tvaṁ antaravāsakaṁ dadeyyāsi, evaṁ ahampi santappito bhaveyyaṁ antaravāsakenā”ti.

“It’s hard for women to get material support, and this is one of my five robes. I don’t have another. “Mayaṁ kho, bhante, mātugāmā nāma kicchalābhā. Idañca me antimaṁ pañcamaṁ cīvaraṁ. I can’t give it away.” Nāhaṁ dassāmī”ti.

“Sister, just as a man giving an elephant might decorate it with a girdle, “Seyyathāpi, bhagini, puriso hatthiṁ datvā kacche sajjeyya; so should you, when giving meat to the Buddha, decorate me with your sarong.” evameva kho tvaṁ, bhagini, bhagavato maṁsaṁ datvā mayi antaravāsake sajjasī”ti.

Being pressured by Udāyī, Uppalavaṇṇā gave him her sarong and then returned to her dwelling place. Atha kho uppalavaṇṇā bhikkhunī āyasmatā udāyinā nippīḷiyamānā antaravāsakaṁ datvā upassayaṁ agamāsi. The nuns who received Uppalavaṇṇā’s bowl and robe asked her Bhikkhuniyo uppalavaṇṇāya bhikkhuniyā pattacīvaraṁ paṭiggaṇhantiyo uppalavaṇṇaṁ bhikkhuniṁ etadavocuṁ—where her sarong was. “kahaṁ te, ayye, antaravāsako”ti? And she told them what had happened. Uppalavaṇṇā bhikkhunī bhikkhunīnaṁ etamatthaṁ ārocesi. The nuns complained and criticized Udāyī, Bhikkhuniyo ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—“How could Venerable Udāyī receive a robe from a nun? It’s hard for women to get material support.” “kathañhi nāma ayyo udāyī bhikkhuniyā cīvaraṁ paṭiggahessati kicchalābho mātugāmo”ti.

The nuns told the monks. Atha kho tā bhikkhuniyo bhikkhūnaṁ etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ. The monks of few desires complained and criticized Udāyī, Ye te bhikkhū appicchā …pe… te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—“How could Venerable Udāyī receive a robe from a nun?” “kathañhi nāma āyasmā udāyī bhikkhuniyā cīvaraṁ paṭiggahessatī”ti.

After rebuking him in many ways, they told the Buddha. Soon afterwards he had the Sangha gathered and questioned Udāyī: Atha kho te bhikkhū āyasmantaṁ udāyiṁ anekapariyāyena vigarahitvā bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ …pe… “Is it true, Udāyī, that you did this?” “saccaṁ kira tvaṁ, udāyi, bhikkhuniyā cīvaraṁ paṭiggahesī”ti?

“It’s true, sir.” “Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti.

“Is she a relative of yours?” “Ñātikā te, udāyi, aññātikā”ti?

“No.” “Aññātikā, bhagavā”ti.

“Foolish man, a man and a woman who are unrelated don’t know what’s appropriate and inappropriate, what’s good and bad, in dealing with each other. “Aññātako, moghapurisa, aññātikāya na jānāti patirūpaṁ vā appatirūpaṁ vā santaṁ vā asantaṁ vā. And still you did this. Tattha nāma tvaṁ, moghapurisa, aññātikāya bhikkhuniyā hatthato cīvaraṁ paṭiggahessasi. This will affect people’s confidence …” … Netaṁ moghapurisa, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe… “And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this: evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—

Preliminary ruling

‘If a monk receives a robe directly from an unrelated nun, he commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.’” “Yo pana bhikkhu aññātikāya bhikkhuniyā hatthato cīvaraṁ paṭiggaṇheyya, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyan”ti.

In this way the Buddha laid down this training rule for the monks. Evañcidaṁ bhagavatā bhikkhūnaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ paññattaṁ hoti.

Second sub-story

Then, being afraid of wrongdoing, the monks did not receive robes from nuns even in exchange. Tena kho pana samayena bhikkhū kukkuccāyantā bhikkhunīnaṁ pārivattakacīvaraṁ na paṭiggaṇhanti. The nuns complained and criticized them, Bhikkhuniyo ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—“How can they not receive robes from us in exchange?” “kathañhi nāma ayyā amhākaṁ pārivattakacīvaraṁ na paṭiggahessantī”ti.

The monks heard the criticism of those nuns Assosuṁ kho bhikkhū tāsaṁ bhikkhunīnaṁ ujjhāyantīnaṁ khiyyantīnaṁ vipācentīnaṁ. and they told the Buddha. Atha kho te bhikkhū bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ. Soon afterwards the Buddha gave a teaching and addressed the monks: Atha kho bhagavā etasmiṁ nidāne etasmiṁ pakaraṇe dhammiṁ kathaṁ katvā bhikkhū āmantesi—

“Monks, I allow you to receive things in exchange from five kinds of people: monks, nuns, trainee nuns, novice monks, and novice nuns. “anujānāmi, bhikkhave, pañcannaṁ pārivattakaṁ paṭiggahetuṁ— bhikkhussa, bhikkhuniyā, sikkhamānāya, sāmaṇerassa, sāmaṇeriyā. Anujānāmi, bhikkhave, imesaṁ pañcannaṁ pārivattakaṁ paṭiggahetuṁ.

And so, monks, this training rule should be recited like this: Evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—