- Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Brahmali. (More copyright information)
1Venerables, these thirty rules on relinquishment and confession come up for recitation.
Origin story
2At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery. At that time the nuns from the group of six had collected a large number of almsbowls. When people walking about the dwellings saw this, they complained and criticized those nuns, “How can the nuns collect a large number of bowls? Will they start up as bowl merchants or set up a bowl shop?”
3The nuns heard the complaints of those people, and the nuns of few desires complained and criticized those nuns, “How can the nuns from the group of six collect bowls?” …
“Is it true, monks, that the nuns from the group of six do this?”
“It’s true, Sir.”
The Buddha rebuked them … “How can the nuns from the group of six collect bowls? This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:
Final ruling
4‘If a nun collects almsbowls, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.’”
Definitions
5A: whoever … Nun: … 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.
6An almsbowl: there are two kinds of bowls: the iron bowl and the ceramic bowl. And there are three sizes of bowls: the large bowl, the medium bowl, and the small bowl.
The large bowl: it takes half an āḷhaka measure of boiled rice, a fourth part of fresh food, and a suitable amount of curry. The medium bowl: it takes a nāḷika measure of boiled rice, a fourth part of fresh food, and a suitable amount of curry. The small bowl: it takes a pattha measure of boiled rice, a fourth part of fresh food, and a suitable amount of curry. Anything larger than this is not a bowl, nor anything smaller.
7Collects: almsbowls that have neither been determined nor assigned to another.
8Entailing relinquishment: entailing relinquishment at dawn. The bowl is to be relinquished to a saṅgha, a group, or an individual nun.
“And, monks, it’s to be relinquished like this. After approaching the Sangha, that nun should arrange her upper robe over one shoulder and pay respect at the feet of the senior nuns. She should then squat on her heels, raise her joined palms, and say,
‘Venerables, this almsbowl, which I have kept for more than one day, is to be relinquished. I relinquish it to the Sangha.’
After relinquishing it, she is to confess the offense. The confession should be received by a competent and capable nun. The relinquished bowl is then to be given back:
9‘Please, Venerables, I ask the Sangha to listen. This almsbowl, which was to be relinquished by the nun so-and-so, has been relinquished to the Sangha. If it seems appropriate to the Sangha, the Sangha should give this bowl back to nun so-and-so.’
10Or: after approaching several nuns, that nun should arrange her upper robe over one shoulder and pay respect at the feet of the senior nuns. She should then squat on her heels, raise her joined palms, and say,
‘Venerables, this almsbowl, which I have kept for more than one day, is to be relinquished. I relinquish it to you.’
After relinquishing it, she is to confess the offense. The confession should be received by a competent and capable nun. The relinquished bowl is then to be given back:
11‘Please, Venerables, I ask you to listen. This almsbowl, which was to be relinquished by the nun so-and-so, has been relinquished to you. If it seems appropriate to you, you should give this bowl back to nun so-and-so.’
12Or: after approaching a single nun, that nun should arrange her upper robe over one shoulder, squat on her heels, raise her joined palms, and say,
‘This almsbowl, which I have kept for more than one day, is to be relinquished. I relinquish it to you.’
After relinquishing it, she is to confess the offense. The confession should be received by that nun. The relinquished bowl is then to be given back:
‘I give this almsbowl back to you.’”
Permutations
13If it is more than one day and she perceives it as more, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. If it is more than one day, but she is unsure of it, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. If it is more than one day, but she perceives it as less, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. If it has not been determined, but she perceives that it has, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. If it has not been assigned to another, but she perceives that it has, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. If it has not been given away, but she perceives that it has, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession. If it is not lost, but she perceives that it is … If it has not been destroyed, but she perceives that it has … If it has not been broken, but she perceives that it has … If it has not been stolen, but she perceives that it has, she commits an offense entailing relinquishment and confession.
14If she uses an almsbowl that should be relinquished without first relinquishing it, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. If it is less than one day, but she perceives it as more, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. If it is less than one day, but she is unsure of it, she commits an offense of wrong conduct. If it is less than one day and she perceives it as less, there is no offense.
Non-offenses
15There is no offense: if, before dawn, it is determined, assigned to another, given away, lost, destroyed, broken, stolen, or taken on trust; if she is insane; if she is the first offender.
16Soon afterwards the nuns from the group of six did not give back a relinquished bowl. They told the Buddha.
“Monks, a relinquished almsbowl is to be given back. If a nun doesn’t give it back, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.”
17The first training rule is finished.
1p_2V_2424Ime kho panāyyāyo tiṁsa nissaggiyā pācittiyā dhammā uddesaṁ āgacchanti.
2p_2V_2425, msdiv733Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo bahū patte sannicayaṁ karonti. Manussā vihāracārikaṁ āhiṇḍantā passitvā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti: “Kathañhi nāma bhikkhuniyo bahū patte sannicayaṁ karissanti, pattavāṇijjaṁ vā bhikkhuniyo karissanti, āmattikāpaṇaṁ vā pasāressantī”ti.
3p_2V_2426Assosuṁ kho bhikkhuniyo tesaṁ manussānaṁ ujjhāyantānaṁ khiyyantānaṁ vipācentānaṁ. Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā … pe … tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti: “Kathañhi nāma chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo pattasannicayaṁ karissantī”ti … pe
… “Saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo pattasannicayaṁ karontī”ti?
“Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti.
Vigarahi buddho bhagavā … pe … kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo pattasannicayaṁ karissanti. Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya … pe … evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—
4p_2V_2427, msdiv734“Yā pana bhikkhunī pattasannicayaṁ kareyya, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyan”ti. (1:26)
5p_2V_2428, msdiv735Yā panā'ti yā yādisā … pe … bhikkhunī'ti … pe … ayaṁ imasmiṁ atthe adhippetā bhikkhunīti.
6p_2V_2429Patto nāma dve pattā— ayopatto, mattikāpatto. Tayo pattassa vaṇṇā— ukkaṭṭho patto, majjhimo patto, omako patto.
Ukkaṭṭho nāma patto aḍḍhāḷhakodanaṁ gaṇhāti catubhāgaṁ khādanaṁ tadupiyaṁ byañjanaṁ. Majjhimo nāma patto nāḷikodanaṁ gaṇhāti catubhāgaṁ khādanaṁ tadupiyaṁ byañjanaṁ. Omako nāma patto patthodanaṁ gaṇhāti catubhāgaṁ khādanaṁ tadupiyaṁ byañjanaṁ. Tato ukkaṭṭho apatto omako apatto.
7p_2V_2430Sannicayaṁ kareyyā'ti anadhiṭṭhito avikappito.
8p_2V_2431Nissaggiyo hotī'ti saha aruṇuggamanā nissaggiyo hoti. Nissajjitabbo saṁghassa vā gaṇassa vā ekabhikkhuniyā vā.
Evañca pana, bhikkhave, nissajjitabbo. Tāya bhikkhuniyā saṁghaṁ upasaṅkamitvā ekaṁsaṁ uttarāsaṅgaṁ karitvā vuḍḍhānaṁ bhikkhunīnaṁ pāde vanditvā ukkuṭikaṁ nisīditvā añjaliṁ paggahetvā evamassa vacanīyo:
“Ayaṁ me, ayye, patto rattātikkanto nissaggiyo, imāhaṁ saṁghassa nissajjāmī”ti.
Nissajjitvā āpatti desetabbā. Byattāya bhikkhuniyā paṭibalāya āpatti paṭiggahetabbā. Nissaṭṭhapatto dātabbo—
9p_2V_2432“Suṇātu me, ayye, saṁgho. Ayaṁ patto itthannāmāya bhikkhuniyā nissaggiyo saṁghassa nissaṭṭho. Yadi saṁghassa pattakallaṁ, saṁgho imaṁ pattaṁ itthannāmāya bhikkhuniyā dadeyyā”ti.
10p_2V_2433Tāya bhikkhuniyā sambahulā bhikkhuniyo upasaṅkamitvā ekaṁsaṁ uttarāsaṅgaṁ karitvā vuḍḍhānaṁ bhikkhunīnaṁ pāde vanditvā ukkuṭikaṁ nisīditvā añjaliṁ paggahetvā evamassu vacanīyā—
“Ayaṁ me, ayyāyo, patto rattātikkanto nissaggiyo, imāhaṁ ayyānaṁ nissajjāmī”ti.
Nissajjitvā āpatti desetabbā. Byattāya bhikkhuniyā paṭibalāya āpatti paṭiggahetabbā. Nissaṭṭhapatto dātabbo—
11p_2V_2434“Suṇantu me, ayyāyo. Ayaṁ patto itthannāmāya bhikkhuniyā nissaggiyo ayyānaṁ nissaṭṭho. Yadi ayyānaṁ pattakallaṁ, ayyāyo, imaṁ pattaṁ itthannāmāya bhikkhuniyā dadeyyun”ti.
12p_2V_2435Tāya bhikkhuniyā ekaṁ bhikkhuniṁ upasaṅkamitvā ekaṁsaṁ uttarāsaṅgaṁ karitvā ukkuṭikaṁ nisīditvā añjaliṁ paggahetvā evamassa vacanīyā—
“Ayaṁ me, ayye, patto rattātikkanto nissaggiyo. Imāhaṁ ayyāya nissajjāmī”ti.
Nissajjitvā āpatti desetabbā. Tāya bhikkhuniyā āpatti paṭiggahetabbā. Nissaṭṭhapatto dātabbo—
“Imaṁ pattaṁ ayyāya dammī”ti.
13p_2V_2436, msdiv736Rattātikkante atikkantasaññā, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ. Rattātikkante vematikā, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ. Rattātikkante anatikkantasaññā, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ. Anadhiṭṭhite adhiṭṭhitasaññā, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ. Avikappite vikappitasaññā, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ. Avissajjite vissajjitasaññā, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ. Anaṭṭhe naṭṭhasaññā … avinaṭṭhe vinaṭṭhasaññā … abhinne bhinnasaññā … avilutte viluttasaññā, nissaggiyaṁ pācittiyaṁ.
14p_2V_2437Nissaggiyaṁ pattaṁ anissajjitvā paribhuñjati, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Rattānatikkante atikkantasaññā, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Rattānatikkante vematikā, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Rattānatikkante anatikkantasaññā anāpatti.
15p_2V_2438, msdiv737Anāpatti— antoaruṇe adhiṭṭheti, vikappeti, vissajjeti, nassati, vinassati, bhijjati, acchinditvā gaṇhanti, vissāsaṁ gaṇhanti, ummattikāya, ādikammikāyāti.
16p_2V_2439Tena kho pana samayena chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo nissaṭṭhapattaṁ na denti. Bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ.
“Na, bhikkhave, nissaṭṭhapatto na dātabbo. Yā na dadeyya, āpatti dukkaṭassā”ti.
17p_2V_2440Paṭhamasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ.