Vinaya Pitaka - Monastic Rules
Bhikkhu Vibhanga - Nissaggiya Pācittiya 17: The Training Rule on Washing Wool.
- Translated from the Pali by Brahmali Bhikkhu.
Origin story
1
At one time the Buddha, the Master, was staying in the Sakyan country at Kapilavatthu in the Banyan Tree Monastery. At that time some monks belonging to the group of six got nuns to wash, dye, and comb wool. Because of this work, the nuns neglected recitation, examination, the higher morality, the higher mind, and the higher wisdom.
Then Mahāpajāpati Gotamī approached the Master, paid homage to him, and stood to one side. And the Master said to her: “Gotamī, I hope the nuns are heedful, energetic, and diligent?"
“How, bhante, could the nuns be heedful? The Venerables of the group of six get the nuns to wash, dye, and comb wool. Because of this work, the nuns neglect recitation, examination, the higher morality, the higher mind, and the higher wisdom."
2 The Master then instructed, inspired and gladdened her with a Dhamma talk. She paid homage to him, circumambulated him with her right side towards him, and departed.
3
The Master then convened the Sangha and questioned the monks belonging to the group of six: “Is it true, monks, that you got nuns to wash, dye, and comb wool?"
“It’s true, Master."
“Are they your relatives?"
“No, Master."
“Foolish men, people who are not related do not know what is appropriate and what is inappropriate in dealing with each other, what is inspiring behaviour and what is not. And still you got unrelated nuns to wash, dye, and comb wool. This will not give rise to confidence in those without it … And, monks, this training rule should be recited thus:
Final ruling
4 “If a monk gets an unrelated nun to wash, dye, or comb wool, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession."
Definitions
5 A: whoever … Monk: … The monk who is ordained by a complete Sangha through a procedure of one motion and three announcements, which is unchallengeable and fit to stand; this sort of monk is meant in this case.
6 Unrelated: anyone who is not a descendent of one’s male ancestors going back seven generations, either on the mother’s side or on the father’s side.
7 Nun: fully ordained by both Sanghas.
8
If he tells her to wash it, he commits an offence of bad conduct. When it has been washed, it becomes subject to relinquishment. If he tells her to dye it, he commits an offence of bad conduct. When it has been dyed, it becomes subject to relinquishment. If he tells her to comb it, he commits an offence of bad conduct. When it has been combed, it becomes subject to relinquishment.
The wool is to be relinquished to a Sangha, a group, or an individual. “And, monks, it is to be relinquished in this way. … To be expanded as in Nissaggiya Pācittiya 1, verses 13 to 17 with appropriate substitutions. … ‘Bhante, this wool which I got washed by an unrelated nun is to be relinquished. I relinquish it to the Sangha.’ … the Sangha should give … the Venerables should give … “I give this wool back to the Venerable."
Permutations
9 If she is unrelated and he perceives her as unrelated, and he gets her to wash wool, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession. If she is unrelated and he perceives her as unrelated, and he gets her to wash and dye wool, he commits one offence entailing relinquishment and one offence of bad conduct. If she is unrelated and he perceives her as unrelated, and he gets her to wash and comb wool, he commits one offence entailing relinquishment and one offence of bad conduct. If she is unrelated and he perceives her as unrelated, and he gets her to wash, dye, and comb wool, he commits one offence entailing relinquishment and two offences of bad conduct.
10If she is unrelated and he perceives her as unrelated, and he gets her to dye wool, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession. If she is unrelated and he perceives her as unrelated, and he gets her to dye and comb wool, he commits one offence entailing relinquishment and one offence of bad conduct. If she is unrelated and he perceives her as unrelated, and he gets her to dye and wash wool, he commits one offence entailing relinquishment and one offence of bad conduct. If she is unrelated and he perceives her as unrelated, and he gets her to dye, comb, and wash wool, he commits one offence entailing relinquishment and two offences of bad conduct.
11If she is unrelated and he perceives her as unrelated, and he gets her to comb wool, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession. If she is unrelated and he perceives her as unrelated, and he gets her to comb and wash wool, he commits one offence entailing relinquishment and one offence of bad conduct. If she is unrelated and he perceives her as unrelated, and he gets her to comb and dye wool, he commits one offence entailing relinquishment and one offence of bad conduct. If she is unrelated and he perceives her as unrelated, and he gets her to comb, wash, and dye wool, he commits one offence entailing relinquishment and two offences of bad conduct.
12If she is unrelated, but he has doubts about it … If she is unrelated, but he perceives her as related … If he gets her to wash wool belonging to someone else, he commits an offence of bad conduct. If he gets a nun ordained only on one side to do the washing, he commits an offence of bad conduct. If she is related, but he perceives her as unrelated, he commits an offence of bad conduct. If she is related, but he has doubts about it, he commits an offence of bad conduct. If she is related and he perceives her as related, there is no offence.
Non-offences
13There is no offence: if a related nun does the washing and an unrelated nun helps her; if a nun does the washing without being asked; if one gets a nun to wash an unused and finished article; if it is a trainee nun; if it is a female novice; if he is insane; if he is the first offender.
14The seventh rule, the training rule on washing wool, is finished.
1 tena samayena buddho bhagavā sakkesu viharati kapilavatthusmiṃ nigrodhārāme. tena kho pana samayena chabbaggiyā bhikkhū bhikkhunīhi eḷakalomāni dhovāpentipi rajāpentipi vijaṭāpentipi. bhikkhuniyo eḷakalomāni dhovantiyo rajantiyo vijaṭentiyo riñcanti uddesaṃ paripucchaṃ adhisīlaṃ adhicittaṃ adhipaññaṃ. atha kho mahāpajāpati gotamī yena bhagavā tenupasankami; upasankamitvā bhagavantaṃ abhivādetvā ekamantaṃ aṭṭhāsi. ekamantaṃ ṭhitaṃ kho mahāpajāpatiṃ gotamiṃ bhagavā etadavoca— "kacci, gotami, bhikkhuniyo appamattā ātāpiniyo pahitattā viharantī"ti? "kuto, bhante, bhikkhunīnaṃ appamādo. ayyā chabbaggiyā bhikkhunīhi eḷakalomāni dhovāpentipi rajāpentipi vijaṭāpentipi. bhikkhuniyo eḷakalomāni dhovantiyo rajantiyo vijaṭentiyo riñcanti uddesaṃ paripucchaṃ adhisīlaṃ adhicittaṃ adhipaññan"ti.
2 atha kho bhagavā mahāpajāpatiṃ gotamiṃ dhammiyā kathāya sandassesi samādapesi samuttejesi sampahaṃsesi. atha kho mahāpajāpati gotamī bhagavatā dhammiyā kathāya sandassitā samādapitā samuttejitā sampahaṃsitā bhagavantaṃ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṃ katvā pakkāmi.
3 atha kho bhagavā etasmiṃ nidāne etasmiṃ pakaraṇe bhikkhusaṇghaṃ sannipātāpetvā chabbaggiye bhikkhū paṭipucchi— "saccaṃ kira tumhe, bhikkhave, bhikkhunīhi eḷakalomāni dhovāpethapi rajāpethapi vijaṭāpethapī"ti? "saccaṃ, bhagavā"ti. "ñātikāyo tumhākaṃ, bhikkhave, aññātikāyo"ti? "aññātikāyo, bhagavā"ti. "aññātakā, moghapurisā, aññātikānaṃ na jānanti patirūpaṃ vā appatirūpaṃ vā pāsādikaṃ vā apāsādikaṃ vā. tattha nāma tumhe, moghapurisā, aññātikāhi bhikkhunīhi eḷakalomāni dhovāpessathapi rajāpessathapi vijaṭāpessathapi. netaṃ, moghapurisā, appasannānaṃ vā pasādāya … pe … evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṃ sikkhāpadaṃ uddiseyyātha—
4 "yo pana bhikkhu aññātikāya bhikkhuniyā eḷakalomāni dhovāpeyya vā rajāpeyya vā vijaṭāpeyya vā, nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyan"ti. (17:36)
5 yo panāti yo yādiso … pe … bhikkhūti … pe … ayaṃ imasmiṃ atthe adhippeto bhikkhūti.
6 aññātikā nāma mātito vā pitito vā yāva sattamā pitāmahayugā asambaddhā.
7 bhikkhunī nāma ubhatosaṇghe upasampannā.
8 dhovāti āṇāpeti, āpatti dukkaṭassa. dhotāni nissaggiyāni honti. rajāti āṇāpeti, āpatti dukkaṭassa. rattāni nissaggiyāni honti. vijaṭehīti āṇāpeti, āpatti dukkaṭassa. vijaṭitāni nissaggiyāni honti. nissajjitabbāni sanghassa vā gaṇassa vā puggalassa vā. evañca pana, bhikkhave, nissajjitabbāni … pe … "imāni me, bhante, eḷakalomāni aññātikāya bhikkhuniyā dhovāpitāni nissaggiyāni. imānāhaṃ sanghassa nissajjāmī"ti … pe … dadeyyāti … pe … dadeyyunti … pe … āyasmato dammīti.
9 aññātikāya aññātikasaññī eḷakalomāni dhovāpeti, nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyaṃ. aññātikāya aññātikasaññī eḷakalomāni dhovāpeti rajāpeti, nissaggiyena āpatti dukkaṭassa. aññātikāya aññātikasaññī eḷakalomāni dhovāpeti vijaṭāpeti, nissaggiyena āpatti dukkaṭassa. aññātikāya aññātikasaññī eḷakalomāni dhovāpeti rajāpeti vijaṭāpeti, nissaggiyena āpatti dvinnaṃ dukkaṭānaṃ.
10 aññātikāya aññātikasaññī eḷakalomāni rajāpeti, nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyaṃ. aññātikāya aññātikasaññī eḷakalomāni rajāpeti vijaṭāpeti, nissaggiyena āpatti dukkaṭassa. aññātikāya aññātikasaññī eḷakalomāni rajāpeti dhovāpeti, nissaggiyena āpatti dukkaṭassa. aññātikāya aññātikasaññī eḷakalomāni rajāpeti vijaṭāpeti dhovāpeti, nissaggiyena āpatti dvinnaṃ dukkaṭānaṃ.
11 aññātikāya aññātikasaññī eḷakalomāni vijaṭāpeti, nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyaṃ. aññātikāya aññātikasaññī eḷakalomāni vijaṭāpeti dhovāpeti, nissaggiyena āpatti dukkaṭassa. aññātikāya aññātikasaññī eḷakalomāni vijaṭāpeti rajāpeti, nissaggiyena āpatti dukkaṭassa. aññātikāya aññātikasaññī eḷakalomāni vijaṭāpeti dhovāpeti rajāpeti, nissaggiyena āpatti dvinnaṃ dukkaṭānaṃ.
12 aññātikāya vematiko … pe … aññātikāya ñātikasaññī … pe … aññassa eḷakalomāni dhovāpeti, āpatti dukkaṭassa. ekato upasampannāya dhovāpeti, āpatti dukkaṭassa. ñātikāya aññātikasaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa. ñātikāya vematiko, āpatti dukkaṭassa. ñātikāya ñātikasaññī, anāpatti.
13 anāpatti— ñātikāya dhovantiyā aññātikā dutiyā hoti, avuttā dhovati, aparibhuttaṃ katabhaṇḍaṃ dhovāpeti, sikkhamānāya sāmaṇeriyā ummattakassa ādikammikassāti.