Vinaya Pitaka - Monastic Rules
Bhikkhu Vibhanga - Nissaggiya Pācittiya 5: Not to accept a robe from a bhikkhunī who is not a relative.
- Translated from the Pali by Brahmali Bhikkhu..
Origin story
First sub-story
1At one time the Buddha, the Master, was staying at Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrel Sanctuary. At that time the nun Uppalavaṇṇā was staying at Sāvatthī. After dressing in the morning, she took her bowl and robe and entered Sāvatthī to collect almsfood. When she had finished her almsround and had eaten her meal, she went to spend the day in the Blind Menʼs Grove, where she sat down at the foot of a tree.
Just then, some bandits, who had stolen a cow and slaughtered it, were taking the meat to the Blind Menʼs Grove. The head bandit saw Uppalavaṇṇā sitting at the foot of that tree, and thinking, "If my sons and brothers see this nun, they will harass her," he took a different path. Then, when the meat was cooked, he took some of the best meat, tied it up in a palm-leaf packet, hung it from a tree not far from Uppalavaṇṇā, and said: "Whatever acetic or brahmin sees this gift, please take it." And he left.
Uppalavaṇṇā, who had just come out of samādhi, heard the head bandit making this statement. She then took that meat, and went to her dwelling place. When the night was over, she got hold of the meat and made a bundle with her upper robe. She then rose into the air and appeared in the Bamboo Grove.
2When she arrived the Master had already entered a village to collect almsfood, but Venerable Udāyī had been left behind to look after the monastery. Uppalavaṇṇā approached Venerable Udāyī and said: "Bhante, where is the Master?"
"He has entered a village to collect almsfood."
"Bhante, please give this meat to the Master."
"You will please the Master with that meat. If you give me your lower robe, you will please me too."
"Bhante, it is hard for women to get requisites, and this is the last of my five robes. I cannot give it away."
"Sister, just as a man giving an elephant might decorate its girth, so you giving meat to the Master should decorate me with your lower robe."
Being pressed by Venerable Udāyī, Uppalavaṇṇā gave him her lower robe and then returned to her dwelling. The nuns who received Uppalavaṇṇāʼs bowl and robe asked her: "Venerable, where is your lower robe?" And she told them what had happened. The nuns complained and criticised Venerable Udāyī: "How could Venerable Udāyī receive a robe from a nun? It is hard for women to get requisites."
Those nuns informed the monks. The monks of few desires … complained and criticised Venerable Udāyī: "How could Venerable Udāyī receive a robe from a nun?
3After criticising Venerable Udāyī in many ways, they informed the Master. … "Is it true, Udāyī, that you received a robe from a nun?
"Itʼs true, Master."
"Is she a relative of yours?"
"No, Master."
"Foolish man, a man and a woman who are not related do not know what is appropriate and what is inappropriate in dealing with each other, what is right and what is wrong. And still you received a robe from the hand of an unrelated nun. This will not give rise to confidence in those without it … And, monks, this training rule should be recited thus:
Preliminary ruling
4"If a monk receives a robe from the hand of an unrelated nun, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession."
5In this way the Master laid down this training rule for the monks.
Second sub-story
6Fearing they would act wrongly, some monks did not receive robes from nuns even in exchange. The nuns complained and criticised them: "How can the Venerables not receive a robe from us in exchange?"
7The monks heard the criticism of those nuns and they informed the Master. The Master spoke on the Dhamma and addressed the monks:
"Monks, I allow you to receive things in exchange from five sources: from monks, from nuns, from trainee nuns, from novices, and from female novices. And so, monks, this training rule should be recited thus:
Final ruling
8"If a monk receives a robe from the hand of an unrelated nun, except in exchange, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession."
Definitions
9A: 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.
10Unrelated: anyone who is not a descendent of oneʼs male ancestors going back seven generations, either on the motherʼs side or on the fatherʼs side.
11Nun: fully ordained by both Sanghas.
12Robe: one of the six kinds of robes,For the six kinds, see Mv 8.3.1. but not smaller than what can be placed under shared ownership.This means not smaller than 16 by 8 cm; see Kkh 94,4.
13Except in exchange: Apart from an exchange.
14 In the act of accepting it, he commits an offence of bad conduct. If he gets the robe, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment. The robe 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 Relinquishment 1, MS paragraphs 1873–1877, with appropriate substitutions. … ʻBhante, this robe of mine, which I received from the hand of an unrelated nun, is to be relinquished. I relinquish it to the Sangha.ʼ … the Sangha should give … the Venerables should give … ʻI give this robe back to the Venerable.ʼ"
Permutations
15If she is unrelated and he perceives her as unrelated, and he receives a robe, except in exchange, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession. If she is unrelated, but he has doubts about it, and he receives a robe, except in exchange, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession. If she is unrelated, but he perceives her as related, and he receives a robe, except in exchange, he commits an offence entailing relinquishment and confession.
16If he receive a robe from the hand of a nun ordained only on one side, 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
17There is no offence: if she is related; if much is exchanged with little or little is exchanged with much; if the monk takes it on trust; if he borrows it; if he receives any requisite apart from a robe; if it is a trainee nun; if it is a female novice; if he is insane; if he is the first offender.
18The fifth rule, the training rule on receiving robes, is finished.
1 tena samayena buddho bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe. tena kho pana samayena uppalavaṇṇā bhikkhunī sāvatthiyaṃ viharati. atha kho uppalavaṇṇā bhikkhunī pubbaṇhasamayaṃ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṃ piṇḍāya pāvisi. sāvatthiyaṃ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṃ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantā yena andhavanaṃ tenupasankami divāvihārāya. andhavanaṃ ajjhogāhetvā aññatarasmiṃ rukkhamūle divāvihāraṃ nisīdi. tena kho pana samayena corā katakammā gāviṃ vadhitvā maṃsaṃ gahetvā andhavanaṃ pavisiṃsu. addasā kho coragāmaṇiko uppalavaṇṇaṃ bhikkhuniṃ aññatarasmiṃ rukkhamūle divāvihāraṃ nisinnaṃ. disvānassa etadahosi— "sace me puttabhātukā passissanti viheṭhissanti imaṃ bhikkhunin"ti aññena maggena agamāsi. atha kho so coragāmaṇiko maṃse pakke varamaṃsāni gahetvā paṇṇapuṭaṃ bandhitvā uppalavaṇṇāya bhikkhuniyā avidūre rukkhe ālaggetvā— "yo passati samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā dinnaṃyeva haratū"ti, vatvā pakkāmi. assosi kho uppalavaṇṇā bhikkhunī samādhimhā vuṭṭhahitvā tassa coragāmaṇikassa imaṃ vācaṃ bhāsamānassa. atha kho uppalavaṇṇā bhikkhunī taṃ maṃsaṃ gahetvā upassayaṃ agamāsi. atha kho uppalavaṇṇā bhikkhunī tassā rattiyā accayena taṃ maṃsaṃ sampādetvā uttarāsangena bhaṇḍikaṃ bandhitvā vehāsaṃ abbhuggantvā veḷuvane paccuṭṭhāsi.
2 tena kho pana samayena bhagavā gāmaṃ piṇḍāya paviṭṭho hoti. āyasmā udāyī ohiyyako hoti vihārapālo. atha kho uppalavaṇṇā bhikkhunī yenāyasmā udāyī tenupasankami; upasankamitvā āyasmantaṃ udāyiṃ etadavoca— "kahaṃ, bhante, bhagavā"ti? "paviṭṭho, bhagini, bhagavā gāmaṃ piṇḍāyā"ti. "imaṃ, bhante, maṃsaṃ bhagavato dehī"ti. "santappito tayā, bhagini, bhagavā maṃsena. sace me tvaṃ antaravāsakaṃ dadeyyāsi, evaṃ ahampi santappito bhaveyyaṃ antaravāsakenā"ti. "mayaṃ kho, bhante, mātugāmā nāma kicchalābhā. idañca me antimaṃ pañcamaṃ cīvaraṃ. nāhaṃ dassāmī"ti. "seyyathāpi, bhagini, puriso hatthiṃ datvā kacche sajjeyya; evameva kho tvaṃ, bhagini, bhagavato maṃsaṃ datvā mayi antaravāsake sajjasī"ti. atha kho uppalavaṇṇā bhikkhunī āyasmatā udāyinā nippīḷiyamānā antaravāsakaṃ datvā upassayaṃ agamāsi. bhikkhuniyo uppalavaṇṇāya bhikkhuniyā pattacīvaraṃ paṭiggaṇhantiyo uppalavaṇṇaṃ bhikkhuniṃ etadavocuṃ— "kahaṃ te, ayye, antaravāsako"ti? uppalavaṇṇā bhikkhunī bhikkhunīnaṃ etamatthaṃ ārocesi. bhikkhuniyo ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— "kathañhi nāma ayyo udāyī bhikkhuniyā cīvaraṃ paṭiggahessati kicchalābho mātugāmo"ti. atha kho tā bhikkhuniyo bhikkhūnaṃ etamatthaṃ ārocesuṃ. ye te bhikkhū appicchā … pe … te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— "kathañhi nāma āyasmā udāyī bhikkhuniyā cīvaraṃ paṭiggahessatī"ti.
3 atha kho te bhikkhū āyasmantaṃ udāyiṃ anekapariyāyena vigarahitvā bhagavato etamatthaṃ ārocesuṃ … pe … "saccaṃ kira tvaṃ, udāyi, bhikkhuniyā cīvaraṃ paṭiggahesī"ti? "saccaṃ, bhagavā"ti. "ñātikā te, udāyi, aññātikā"ti? "aññātikā, bhagavā"ti. "aññātako, moghapurisa, aññātikāya na jānāti patirūpaṃ vā appatirūpaṃ vā santaṃ vā asantaṃ vā. tattha nāma tvaṃ, moghapurisa, aññātikāya bhikkhuniyā hatthato cīvaraṃ paṭiggahessasi. netaṃ moghapurisa, appasannānaṃ vā pasādāya … pe … evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṃ sikkhāpadaṃ uddiseyyātha—
4 "yo pana bhikkhu aññātikāya bhikkhuniyā hatthato cīvaraṃ paṭiggaṇheyya, nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyan"ti.
5 evañcidaṃ bhagavatā bhikkhūnaṃ sikkhāpadaṃ paññattaṃ hoti.
6 tena kho pana samayena bhikkhū kukkuccāyantā bhikkhunīnaṃ pārivattakacīvaraṃ na paṭiggaṇhanti. bhikkhuniyo ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— "kathañhi nāma ayyā amhākaṃ pārivattakacīvaraṃ na paṭiggahessantī"ti.
7 assosuṃ kho bhikkhū tāsaṃ bhikkhunīnaṃ ujjhāyantīnaṃ khiyyantīnaṃ vipācentīnaṃ. atha kho te bhikkhū bhagavato etamatthaṃ ārocesuṃ. atha kho bhagavā etasmiṃ nidāne etasmiṃ pakaraṇe dhammiṃ kathaṃ katvā bhikkhū āmantesi— "anujānāmi, bhikkhave, pañcannaṃ pārivattakaṃ paṭiggahetuṃ— bhikkhussa, bhikkhuniyā, sikkhamānāya, sāmaṇerassa, sāmaṇeriyā. anujānāmi, bhikkhave, imesaṃ pañcannaṃ pārivattakaṃ paṭiggahetuṃ. evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṃ sikkhāpadaṃ uddiseyyātha—
8 "yo pana bhikkhu aññātikāya bhikkhuniyā hatthato cīvaraṃ paṭiggaṇheyya, aññatra pārivattakā, nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyan"ti. (5:24)
9 yo panāti yo yādiso … pe … bhikkhūti … pe … ayaṃ imasmiṃ atthe adhippeto bhikkhūti.
10 aññātikā nāma mātito vā pitito vā yāva sattamā pitāmahayugā asambaddhā.
11 bhikkhunī nāma ubhatosaṇghe upasampannā.
12 cīvaraṃ nāma channaṃ cīvarānaṃ aññataraṃ cīvaraṃ vikappanupagaṃ pacchimaṃ.
13 aññatra pārivattakāti ṭhapetvā pārivattakaṃ.
14 paṭiggaṇhāti, payoge dukkaṭaṃ. paṭilābhena nissaggiyaṃ hoti. nissajjitabbaṃ sanghassa vā gaṇassa vā puggalassa vā. evañca pana, bhikkhave, nissajjitabbaṃ … pe … idaṃ me, bhante, cīvaraṃ aññātikāya bhikkhuniyā hatthato paṭiggahitaṃ, aññatra pārivattakā, nissaggiyaṃ. imāhaṃ sanghassa nissajjāmīti … pe … dadeyyāti … pe … dadeyyunti … pe … āyasmato dammīti.
15 aññātikāya aññātikasaññī cīvaraṃ paṭiggaṇhāti, aññatra pārivattakā, nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyaṃ. aññātikāya vematiko cīvaraṃ paṭiggaṇhāti, aññatra pārivattakā, nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyaṃ. aññātikāya ñātikasaññī cīvaraṃ paṭiggaṇhāti, aññatra pārivattakā, nissaggiyaṃ pācittiyaṃ.
16 ekatoupasampannāya hatthato cīvaraṃ paṭiggaṇhāti, aññatra pārivattakā, āpatti dukkaṭassa. ñātikāya aññātikasaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa. ñātikāya vematiko, āpatti dukkaṭassa. ñātikāya ñātikasaññī, anāpatti.
17 anāpatti— ñātikāya, pārivattakaṃ parittena vā vipulaṃ, vipulena vā parittaṃ, bhikkhu vissāsaṃ gaṇhāti, tāvakālikaṃ gaṇhāti, cīvaraṃ ṭhapetvā aññaṃ parikkhāraṃ gaṇhāti, sikkhamānāya, sāmaṇeriyā, ummattakassa, ādikammikassāti.