- Theravāda Collection on Monastic Law Theravāda Vinaya
- The Nuns’ Analysis Bhikkhunivibhaṅga
- The chapter on offenses entailing confession Pācittiyakaṇḍa
- The subchapter on unmarried girls Kumāribhūtavagga
The training rule on not giving the full admission to trainee nuns 77. Sikkhamāna-navuṭṭhāpanasikkhāpada
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. a trainee nun went to the nun Thullanandā and asked her for the full ordination. Tena kho pana samayena aññatarā sikkhamānā thullanandaṁ bhikkhuniṁ upasaṅkamitvā upasampadaṁ yāci. Thullanandā told her, Thullanandā bhikkhunī taṁ sikkhamānaṁ—“If you give me a robe, Venerable, I’ll give you the full admission.” But she neither gave her the full admission nor made any effort to have her fully admitted. “sace me tvaṁ, ayye, cīvaraṁ dassasi evāhaṁ taṁ vuṭṭhāpessāmī”ti vatvā, neva vuṭṭhāpeti na vuṭṭhāpanāya ussukkaṁ karoti.
That trainee nun told the nuns 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 say that to a trainee nun “kathañhi nāma ayyā thullanandā sikkhamānaṁ—and then neither give her the full admission nor make any effort to have her fully admitted?” … ‘sace me tvaṁ, ayye, cīvaraṁ dassasi evāhaṁ taṁ vuṭṭhāpessāmī’ti vatvā, neva vuṭṭhāpessati na vuṭṭhāpanāya ussukkaṁ karissatī”ti …pe… “Is it true, monks, that the nun Thullanandā did this?” “saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī sikkhamānaṁ—‘sace me tvaṁ, ayye, cīvaraṁ dassasi evāhaṁ taṁ vuṭṭhāpessāmī’ti vatvā, neva vuṭṭhāpeti na vuṭṭhāpanāya ussukkaṁ karotī”ti?
“It’s true, Sir.” “Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti.
The Buddha rebuked her … Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe… “How could the nun Thullanandā act in this way? kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī sikkhamānaṁ—‘sace me tvaṁ, ayye, cīvaraṁ dassasi evāhaṁ taṁ vuṭṭhāpessāmī’ti vatvā, neva vuṭṭhāpessati na vuṭṭhāpanāya ussukkaṁ karissati. 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 tells a trainee nun, “If you give me a robe, Venerable, I’ll give you the full admission,” but she then neither gives her the full admission nor makes any effort to have her fully admitted, then, if there were no obstacles, she commits an offense entailing confession.’” “Yā pana bhikkhunī sikkhamānaṁ—‘sace me tvaṁ, ayye, cīvaraṁ dassasi, evāhaṁ taṁ vuṭṭhāpessāmī’ti vatvā, sā pacchā anantarāyikinī neva vuṭṭhāpeyya na vuṭṭhāpanāya ussukkaṁ kareyya, 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.
- A trainee nun: Sikkhamānā nāma
- one who has trained for two years in the six rules. dve vassāni chasu dhammesu sikkhitasikkhā.
- If you give me a robe, Venerable, I’ll give you the full admission: Sace me tvaṁ, ayye, cīvaraṁ dassasi evāhaṁ taṁ vuṭṭhāpessāmīti
- I’ll give you the full ordination. evāhaṁ taṁ upasampādessāmi.
- Then, if there were no obstacles: Sā pacchā anantarāyikinīti
- when there is no obstacle. asati antarāye.
- She neither gives her the full admission: Neva vuṭṭhāpeyyāti
- does not herself give her the full admission. na sayaṁ vuṭṭhāpeyya.
- Nor makes any effort to have her fully admitted: Na vuṭṭhāpanāya ussukkaṁ kareyyāti
- does not ask anyone else to give her the full ordination. na aññaṁ āṇāpeyya.
If she thinks, “I’ll neither give her the full admission nor make any effort to have her fully admitted,” then by the mere fact of abandoning her duty, she commits an offense entailing confession. “Neva vuṭṭhāpessāmi na vuṭṭhāpanāya ussukkaṁ karissāmī”ti dhuraṁ nikkhittamatte āpatti pācittiyassa.
Non-offenses
There is no offense: Anāpatti—if there is an obstacle; sati antarāye, if she searches for someone to give her the full ordination, but is unable to find anyone; pariyesitvā 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 seventh training rule is finished. Sattamasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ.